Always Abounding - Spring 2021

FUNDAMENTALIST
Always
Abounding

Ladies’ bible study
by Mrs. Becky Damron
Let’s face it—
social media
is a part of
our lives whether
we want it to be
or not. Some try
to limit it, and
some are all in.
If we’re watching church online via
YouTube, saving recipes on Pinterest,
enjoying pictures of family on
Instagram, messaging via WhatsApp
or Messenger, reading pithy sayings
on Twitter or Parler, or sharing
information on Facebook, we have
to face the facts that social media is a
part of our lives, (or to use the Bible’s
term—our “conversation”).
There’s a grave danger in thinking
that we can have different standards
for different areas of our lives. I
remember some great sermons
when I was a child against watching
things on TV that you would never
participate in or watch in real life. I
remember illustrations about people
being appalled when they read in
the paper that their neighbor was a
“Peeping Tom,” yet they themselves
do that and more through a window
that they put right in their living room.
Ladies, we have to confess that we
could be guilty of hypocrisy in the same
way, but now it is on our phones and
computers. Maybe we aren’t looking
at what “Mr. Peeping Tom” is, but we
are guilty of having a double standard
when it comes to our convictions.
I thought through some general
guidelines that I have tried to follow in
order to help me be consistent. I typed
them up, and it ended up being very
long! I’d like to share a portion with
you. I hope it is not only a blessing
but also a reminder that we have a
responsibility to our Lord in every area
of our lives.
1. If I am out witnessing, I’m glad
for anyone who will take a tract or
listen to the gospel. I believe this to
be true for social media as well. I don’t
care who looks at my stuff. I don’t
even know who looks at my posts. If
someone “follows” me or “likes” a
post, great—but that doesn’t mean I
follow them back or need to like their
posts.
2. No matter who the person
may be, I don’t “like” posts that are
against my standards based upon
Bible teaching (immodest clothing,
bad language, worldly music, etc.).
3. I do not follow personal pages of
unbelievers unless I am actively trying
2 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

to witness to them or inviting them
to church. If I don’t get anywhere
with either of those things, I unfollow
them.
4. I don’t follow people that I do
not know. This seems like a silly rule,
but it’s a hack to boost your followers.
The catch is that you must follow lots
of people too. Why do that? I don’t
care how many followers I have. I’m
putting myself in danger of seeing
something that is sinful when I follow
ungodly people or even Christians who
are not a strong light or potent salt. I
also know that “evil communications
corrupt good manners,” and thus,
I can be influenced by “dwelling
among them, in seeing and hearing,”
as Lot did. Though he was saved, he
lived a defeated, unfruitful life.
5. On Instagram, I only search
for a person if I absolutely must.
I’m not sure why this happens, but I
don’t know of a time that I have hit
the search button that there hasn’t
been a very poorly dressed or even
provocatively dressed girl in the
search area.
I use these tools of social media
for several reasons. One is to give
out the gospel. I try to share salvation
testimonies or other things that have
the gospel message in it. I also want
to encourage believers. I try to post
family pictures to show that you can
still have a godly family. I try to post
pictures about visitors at church or
trying to get visitors out, etc. I try
to share conservative viewpoints to
be “salt” in that regard, as well. If
people are only hearing from the
left, that’s all folks think everyone is
thinking. (I must be careful with these
conservative posts that they do not
contain cussing, etc.)
Here are some Bible verses I use as
laws to follow. I will only highlight part
of the verses. Please take the time to
read the passages in their entirety.
“Be not deceived: evil
communications corrupt good
manners” (I Corinthians 15:33). I can’t
fool myself—I’m not strong enough
to hang around weak people and not
become weak myself. A bad apple
isn’t made good by being put with
good apples. The good apples are
always affected by the bad.
“And if thy right eye offend thee,
pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for
it is profitable for thee that one of thy
members should perish, and not that
thy whole body should be cast into
hell” (Matthew 5:29). I have to be
sensitive to perceive when my social
networking is pulling me away from
God. If it is, it’s done! Time to shut
it down for a while. Nothing’s worth
pulling me from God, His Word, or His
work.
“A companion of fools shall be
destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). I can’t
“like” or “follow” fools. They will
influence me. As a lady, you should
look for spiritual people who are wise
and follow them (i.e., pastor or pastor’s
wife, youth pastor, godly leadership,
another godly pastor’s wife, etc.).
“Beloved, believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits whether they are of
God: because many false prophets are
gone out into the world” (I John 4:1).
I must do a whole lot of judging on
Facebook to follow this rule. There’s
a bunch of people who claim to be
“Christians” yet are truly far from that!
“Go from the presence of a foolish
(cont., pg 4)
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 3

man, when thou perceivest not in
him the lips of knowledge” (Proverbs
14:7). “I will set no wicked thing
before mine eyes” (Psalm 101:3). I’ve
unfollowed or even blocked some
people because of these verses.
Sometimes, it’s when I’ve friended a
parent of a child who comes on the
bus to church. There have even been
times where I’ve had to block them
because of porn or vileness on their
page.
“But avoid foolish questions….
A man that is an heretick after the
first and second admonition reject”
(Titus 3:9-11).
Don’t argue with
someone who just wants to argue. I
do “contend for the faith,”
but I’m
not going to waste time on people
who just want to argue. However, the
thought continues even further in that
I need to reject a person who is an
heretic. For example, I shouldn’t be
friends with a gay person or a person
who openly fights against God, etc.
“The way of the wicked seduceth
them”
(Proverbs 12:26). It’s hard for
me to think that there are people
who want to seduce people away
from the faith. However, I’m kidding
myself if I don’t face that fact. I’ve
seen many, many young people
pulled away from their parents and
God by a person, who Christ and Paul
described in Matthew 7 and Acts 20
as a wolf. These people usually hunt
in packs. They look and talk like they
are spiritual, but their whole aim in life
is to pull or seduce kids away from
their “strict” upbringing. They would
love to “save” them from their strict
church. Before the Internet, when
someone abandoned their godly
upbringing or left their church and
friends, it was much harder for them to
have influence over the young people
in the church. Not today. They can be
found in an instant. BEWARE!
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man
sharpeneth the countenance of his
friend”
(Proverbs 27:17). If I see
something questionable on Facebook
or Instagram, I privately write or
message the person. I’ve lost some
friends, but I’ve also gained better
friendships as well.
“Faithful are the wounds of a
friend; but the kisses of an enemy are
deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6). Beware
of flattery. “Be wise as serpents and
harmless as doves.”
Don’t be fooled
by a flatterer and don’t substitute
Facebook friends for a friend who sees
and knows you.
“The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked: who
can know it?”
(Jeremiah 17:9). Don’t
trust your heart. Don’t like, follow,
or friend someone because of your
heart. Make decisions according to
what is right and what is wrong—what
God says is right and wrong (not your
heart).
“What? know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
4 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

which is in you, which ye have of
God, and ye are not your own? For
ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God’s”
(I Corinthians
6:19-20). What you see, what you
type, what you read, and what you
feel are all parts of your body which is
the temple of God the Holy Spirit. He
cares about all these things. Is what
I’m looking at, liking, typing, sharing,
or befriending bringing glory to God?
Read Psalm 1. If we want to be
godly, we can’t walk, stand, or sit with
scorners. Or, maybe it could be said
this way—we can’t look at scorners’
posts, befriend them, or like and
share their posts. We can’t look, then
pitch our tent, and afterward move
into town—and it not change who we
are.
“Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers: for
what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and
what communion hath light with
darkness?” (II Corinthians 6:14). This
includes political groups, etc. I can
share something conservative, but I
must be careful of being a part of or
“yoked together” with a group that
doesn’t put God first.
”Know ye not that the friendship
of the world is enmity with God?
Whosoever therefore will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of
God” (James 4:4b). This applies to
the physical world but also to the
cyberspace world as well.
“Go from the presence of a
foolish man, when thou perceivest
not in him the lips of knowledge”
(Proverbs 14:7). Or, this could be
stated, “Unfriend or unfollow a foolish
man, when….”
“I wrote unto you in an epistle
not to company with fornicators: Yet
not altogether with the fornicators
of this world, or with the covetous,
or extortioners, or with idolaters; for
then must ye needs go out of the
world. But now I have written unto
you not to keep company, if any man
that is called a brother be a fornicator,
or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer,
or a drunkard, or an extortioner;
with such an one no not to eat”
(I Corinthians 5:9-11). This is where
I get my principle that people can
follow me, but I don’t have to follow
them. The principle is that there is a
big difference between someone who
was a part of our church and has left
for wrong reasons and a new believer.
I need to be careful to stay away from
their influence in my life.
Sorry ladies, this is getting way too
long! But sadly, it all needs to be said,
because it’s not just young people who
are being pulled away from the Bible’s
clear commands. Ladies who would
have never dreamed of changing
convictions they were reared with are
failing to “continue in the things which
they have learned.” However, because
of careless media usage, they are “so
soon removed.”
Do you want to keep
your heart with all diligence? Take
time to study the previous passages.
Here are a few more passages that can
be studied as well: Ephesians 4:29-32,
I Corinthians 15:33-35, I Peter 5:8-9,
Ephesians 4:15-16, and Ephesians 5:1-
12.
(Becky Damron has been married to Dr. Steve
Damron for 26 years and serves the Lord
faithfully alongside him.)
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 5

Meet an fbc student
Cooper Gressly
Hello! My
name is
Cooper
Gressly, and
I am going
to tell you
about the time
when Jesus
Christ came to
Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, and got
ahold of a young rebellious teenager
and washed him from his sins and
saved his soul! By the world’s
standard our family looked like your
average “Christian” family. We
went to church, listened to “good”
music (actually it was contemporary,
so not even close to godly), and
everything looked okay. Well, the
years went by and our family went
to church often.
I loved sports growing up. They
were my god. I began competing in
football and wrestling in the fourth
grade. I also played lacrosse and
basketball for a year. Unfortunately,
I also attended many high school
parties. People very frequently
drank and did drugs at these
parties. I remember one time in
particular I was riding in an ATV
with our school’s star quarter-back.
He was drinking and offered me a
can of beer. I know now it was the
Lord protecting me, because I said
“No.” However, if the Lord didn’t
save me when He did, I probably
would have said “yes” the next time.
Many times I was in a position to ruin
my life; and, even though I wasn’t
saved yet, the Lord spared me from
much heartache. That was my life,
but everything was about to change.
One evening when I was in the
ninth grade, I came home from
either school or a sports practice,
and my parents asked my sisters and
me to come to the dinner table to
talk. I figured this was just going to
be about some decision our family
was making, but I soon found out it
would change my life. They sat us
down and explained how they were
going to separate. My whole world
froze as their words sank in. Here
I was having everything going for
me, and all I remember is running to
my room, crying into my pillow, and
wanting to be alone. I had no one to
go to.
Because of some circumstances,
my sisters and I didn’t see my dad for
40 days. After a time we were able
to meet with him one hour a week
on Thursday nights. I still remember
the first time I saw him. There was
such a change in him. I was happy,
sad, excited, and curious all at
the same time. I knew something
was different; I could see it in his
face, but I wasn’t sure what it was.
Every week when we met with our
dad, he would tell my sisters and
me about Jesus. I thought I was
6 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

saved—I went to church and knew
there was a Jesus, but He wasn’t
personal. I came to my dad one
week and said, “Dad, I think I need
to be baptized.” He told me to wait
until the next week and pray about
it, and he gave me a message to
listen to. I came back the next week
and told him, “Dad I don’t need to
be baptized; I need to be saved.”
And that night on April 17, 2014, I
trusted Jesus as my Savior. I finally
had someone to go to with whom
I could have a real relationship.
From there the Lord led me to
Fairhaven Baptist College where
I am currently training for the
ministry. It has been a true blessing
to experience all that God has done
for me. I’m glad He is so patient
with us and gives us time to grow
in Him. If you would have asked
me a couple years ago before I
got saved, “Cooper, what do you
think you will do with your life?” I
probably would’ve told you that I
was going to be a police officer or go
into some field of law enforcement.
However, after I got saved, the Lord
started working in my heart; and in
April of 2017, I surrendered to fulltime
ministry. God has been so
good to me, and I find this verse
very true in my life, “Praise ye
the Lord. O give thanks unto the
Lord; for he is good: for his mercy
endureth for ever” (Psalm 106:1).
Cooper is pictured helping on the bus
route, playing basketball, and enjoying
a road trip with the team!
dr. david sorenson
module course
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 7

the evil of envy (Part 1)
by Dr. Steve Damron
Murder.
Grand
theft.
Rape. Jay
walking. Drug
trafficking.
Pedophilia.
Driving with
a blinker out.
As we read through the list, our
minds begin to categorize these
chargeable offenses as either
“bad” or “not so bad.” In our finite
minds, murder and jay walking are
not comparable crimes. Neither
is drug trafficking compared to
driving with a blinker out. In a similar
fashion, Christians weigh various
sins differently—fornication, envy,
witchcraft, or idolatry. Doesn’t envy
seem almost harmless compared
to the other three? As Christians,
we convince ourselves that some
sins are not as offensive to God as
other sins; however, we need to be
reminded about God’s view of sin.
Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Be not deceived: neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves
with mankind, Nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God. And such were
some of you: but ye are washed, but
ye are sanctified, but ye are justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
the Spirit of our God (I Corinthians
6:9-11).
Now the works of the flesh
are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings,
and such like: of the which I tell you
before, as I have also told you in time
past, that they which do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God
(Galatians 5:19-21).
But fornication, and all
uncleanness, or covetousness, let it
not be once named among you, as
becometh saints; Neither filthiness,
nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which
are not convenient: but rather giving
of thanks. For this ye know, that no
whoremonger, nor unclean person,
nor covetous man, who is an idolater,
hath any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God (Ephesians 5:3-5).
Envy causes unhappiness.
Biblically, we can trace its evil
influence even before the fall of
man. It began with Lucifer, Son of
the Morning, who was envious of
the praise that was being directed
to God. Lucifer was then able to
lead other angelic beings in this
envy. In addition, it was the sin of
envy that caused our “first” parents
to fall. The devil replaced their
happiness with envy by tempting
8 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

Eve, who then tempted Adam, who
brought sin into the human race.
It was envy that motivated Saul to
want to murder David because he
was so popular and successul. It
was envy that caused the scribes
and pharisees to persecute Christ,
have Him condemned, and finally
have Him crucified on Calvary. Envy
is an age-old sin that can lead us as
finite humans into a spiral that will
bear evil fruit in our lives.
ENVY AND JEALOUSY DEFINED
EN’VY, v.t. [Latin invideo, in and
video, to see against, that is, to
look with enmity.]
—To feel uneasiness,
mortification or discontent, at
the sight of superior excellence,
reputation or happiness enjoyed
by another; to repine at another’s
prosperity; to fret or grieve one’s self
at the real or supposed superiority
of another, and to hate him on that
account.
—To grudge; to withhold
maliciously.
EN’VY, n. Pain, uneasiness,
mortification or discontent excited
by the sight of another’s superiority
or success, accompanied with some
degree of hatred or malignity, and
often or usually with a desire or an
effort to depreciate the person,
and with pleasure in seeing him
depressed. Envy springs from
pride, ambition, or love; mortified
that another has obtained what one
has a strong desire to possess.
—Rivalry; competition. [Little
used.]
—Malice; malignity.
JEALOUS, a. jel’us.
—Suspicious; apprehensive of
rivalship; uneasy through fear that
another has withdrawn or may
withdraw from one the affections of
a person he loves, or enjoy some
good which he desires to obtain;
followed by of, and applied both to
the object of love and to the rival.
We say, a young man is jealous of
the woman he loves, or jealous of
his rival. A man is jealous of his
wife, and the wife of her husband.
—Suspicious that we do not
enjoy the affection or respect of
others, or that another is more loved
and respected than ourselves.
—Emulous; full of competition.
THE BIBLE ON THESE SUBJECTS
Jealousy
“Thou shalt not bow down
thyself to them, nor serve them: for
I the LORD thy God am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation of them
that hate me” (Exodus 20:5).
“For thou shalt worship no other
god: for the LORD, whose name is
Jealous, is a jealous God”
(Exodus 34:14).
“Or when the spirit of jealousy
cometh upon him, and he be
jealous over his wife, and shall set
the woman before the LORD, and
the priest shall execute upon her all
this law” (Numbers 5:30).
(cont., pg 10)
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 9

“For the LORD thy God is a
consuming fire, even a jealous God”
(Deuteronomy 4:24).
“And Joshua said unto the
people, Ye cannot serve the
LORD: for he is an holy God; he is
a jealous God; he will not forgive
your transgressions nor your sins”
(Joshua 24:19).
“Therefore thus saith the Lord
GOD; Now will I bring again the
captivity of Jacob, and have mercy
upon the whole house of Israel, and
will be jealous for my holy name”
(Ezekiel 39:25).
“For I am jealous over you with
godly jealousy: for I have espoused
you to one husband, that I may
present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ” (II Corinthians 11:2).
Envy
“For wrath killeth the foolish
man, and envy slayeth the silly one”
(Job 5:2).
“Envy thou not the oppressor,
and choose none of his ways”
(Proverbs 3:31).
“A sound heart is the life of the
flesh: but envy the rottenness of the
bones” (Proverbs 14:30).
“Let not thine heart envy sinners:
but be thou in the fear of the LORD
all the day long” (Proverbs 23:17).
“Wrath is cruel, and anger is
outrageous; but who is able to stand
before envy?”
(Proverbs 27:4).
“And the patriarchs, moved with
envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but
God was with him” (Acts 7:9).
“But when the Jews saw the
multitudes, they were filled with
envy, and spake against those
things which were spoken by Paul,
contradicting and blaspheming”
(Acts 13:45).
“He is proud, knowing nothing,
but doting about questions and
strifes of words, whereof cometh
envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings”
(I Timothy 6:4).
“Do ye think that the scripture
saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth
in us lusteth to envy?” (James 4:5).
As you can see, the Bible
has much to say on this subject.
Biblically, you will not find the
word “jealousy” used much in a
bad light. Over time in our culture,
we have intertwined the idea of
jealousy and envy. The definitions
are almost identical when we are
considering the modern idea of
jealousy and that of envy. Here is
an explanation that may help in
differentiating between the two.
They differ in the fact that
jealousy consists of an excessive
love of one’s own good
accompanied by the fear of being
deprived of it by others. A topranked
student, for example, upon
noticing the progress of another
student, may become jealous of
him because he fears the latter will
take away his rank. Jealousy often
abounds among professionals,
among writers, and even among
priests. The essential difference
between envy and jealousy is this:
we are envious of another’s good,
and jealous of our own.
Many would consider this to
be a study of jealousy; but as I
10 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

have analyzed the Scripture, most
instances that we would label as
jealousy are simply selfishness or
a non-giving spirit. The Bible deals
with this many times but does not
necessarily call it jealousy.
PRINCIPLES DRAWN
The book of Proverbs deals
heavily with wisdom for youth.
Repeatedly, there is an emphasis to
a young person not to be envious
of the wicked. We also see David
mentioning this plight for the
righteous in Psalm 37 and 73.
“Fret not thyself because of
evildoers, neither be thou envious
against the workers of iniquity”
(Psalm 37:1).
“For I was envious at the foolish,
when I saw the prosperity of the
wicked” (Psalm 73:3).
“Envy thou not the oppressor, and
choose none of his ways” (Proverbs
3:31).
“Let not thine heart envy sinners:
but be thou in the fear of the LORD
all the day long” (Proverbs 23:17).
The plea is simple. There will be
a longing in the soul of the believer
to see the prosperity and success
that seems to come from living
wickedly in this temporal world;
however, true peace and blessing
only come from fearing the Lord.
Fear the Lord—not man’s praise.
(Steve Damron is the pastor of Fairhaven Baptist
Church and president of Fairhaven Baptist
College.)
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 11

overcoming anxiety
by Mr. Dave Olson
“Be careful for nothing; but in every
thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known unto God. And
the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus” —Philippians 4:6-7.
Life
is
filled with
troubles.
Problems seem
to abound
everywhere—
at home,
at work, in
the church,
in our families, and throughout
society. Without God, we would
certainly have much to be anxious
about. Unfortunately, we often
fail to seek the Lord as we should
when difficulties arise. When that
happens, we fall prey to worry and
fear.
In the apostle Paul’s day, times
were tough too—tougher than what
most of us will ever experience.
Many Christians faced deep poverty
and dreadful persecution. It is
not surprising that some of them
battled anxiety. Paul understood
what it was like to experience
hardships and heartaches. He
had been beaten and imprisoned
many times. When writing to the
believers in Philippi, he shared
what enabled him to rejoice
despite great sorrow and suffering.
He offered some steps that would
enable them to overcome anxiety.
The timeless truths that Paul shared
with the Philippians will help us too!
So, let’s consider what we can do to
conquer anxiety before it conquers
us.
Step 1: Worry About Nothing
– The first thing we must do is to
stop worrying. That is what Paul
meant when he said, “Be careful
for nothing.” This is not merely
a suggestion from man but a
command from God. The word
careful means “to be anxious
about.” The Lord would not tell
us to cease our anxiousness if it
were not possible. In other words,
worrying is a choice. Once we see
anxiety as God sees it, we are on
our way to having victory over it.
However, if we make excuses for our
worries and fears, we will be prone
to live in defeat. Perhaps you may
say, “I can’t stop worrying.” Yes,
you can; but you have to follow the
steps that God gave to us in the
verses listed above.
Step 2: Pray About Everything
– After deciding to no longer allow
anxiety to control you, you must
12 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

learn what to do with your cares.
The next step that God gives is
“in every thing by prayer and
supplication...let your requests be
made known unto God.” The Lord
urges us to request His help. With
the power of Omnipotence ready
to work on your behalf, ask God to
intervene in your situation. Worry
can change nothing, but prayer
will alter everything. If you have
neglected your quiet time with the
Lord, or if you have allowed your
prayer life to become a lifeless
routine, it is time to start crying out
to God with renewed fervency!
Step 3: Give Thanks for All
Things – As we have seen, it is
important to pray, but we must
also realize how we should pray—
“with thanksgiving.” When you
remember that God is in control of
your circumstances, regardless of
your current trouble, you can pray
with a thankful heart. Consider how
Paul told the Ephesian believers to
express gratitude, “Giving thanks
always for all things unto God and
the Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). Our
thankfulness should be “always”
and “for all things.”
Giving thanks is the opposite
of complaining. An ungrateful
attitude shows a lack of submission
to God’s plan for our lives. When
we pray “with thanksgiving,” we
acknowledge that God knows what
is best. Remember that He is able
to turn your burdens into blessings.
Although you may not always know
what God is doing behind the
scenes during your trials, you can
rest assured that He knows what
He is doing! So, thank Him for
what He has done and will do.
Step 4: Expect Something –
The Lord says that we can expect
something wonderful when we
stop worrying, start praying, and
express gratitude. What will we
receive? Peace! The Lord promises
“the peace of God” to His trusting
children. Since an anxious heart
is disturbed and disquieted, the
only true remedy is peace. What
a loving heavenly Father we have
Who offers us just what we need!
God does not necessarily promise
to remove all of our troubles, but
He does provide what is needed
most—peace. God’s peace is
soothing balm for an anxious soul.
How can we have peace when
trouble is all about us? Perhaps a
lesson from nature can assist us.
I once read about a comparison
between fish and believers. Fish
at the bottom of the ocean are
oblivious to the waves that rage
above. In like manner, Christians
who trust the Lord are not disturbed
by the storms of life. We can have
peace in the depths of our souls
when “we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen” (2 Corinthians
4:18). Look to God instead of
dwelling on your problems.
The peace that God offers is
(cont., pg 14)
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 13

described as that “which passeth all
understanding.” In other words, it
is beyond human comprehension.
As Paul sat in prison penning those
words, he not only had joy but also
encouraged others to “Rejoice in
the Lord alway” (Philippians 4:4).
Humanly speaking, Paul had no
reason to be filled with joy. He
suffered a wrongful imprisonment.
However, God gave him peace
that passes all human reasoning. If
you are in a seemingly impossible
situation, the same peace is
available to you.
Step 5: Fear Nothing – Where
there is anxiety, there is usually fear
too. However, when God gives us
His peace, we have nothing to fear.
Notice what His peace does for our
hearts. “The peace of God…shall
keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.” The word keep in
this passage is quite instructive.
It is a military term, meaning “to
guard” or “to protect.” Don’t miss
the application—the peace of God
protects our hearts and our minds.
With Christ Jesus standing guard,
we have nothing to fear! No earthly
woe or diabolical foe is a match for
the Prince of Peace. We are safe
in the arms of Jesus. Let us rest
upon Him and allow Him to carry
our burdens.
Conclusion – Each time worry and
fear begin to infect your heart, avail
yourself of the Great Physician’s
prescription. When you find
yourself becoming anxious, follow
these five simple steps: worry about
nothing, pray about everything,
give thanks for all things, expect
something, and fear nothing. If you
follow this plan, the Lord will flood
your heart with peace and stand
as the Sentinel of your soul. Just
think, God’s peace and protection
are available right now!
(Dave Olson is the Director of Missions for
Fairhaven Baptist College.)
14 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

©Published by Fairhaven Baptist Church. For correspondence or changes in subscription
information, write: Fairhaven Baptist Church, Always Abounding - The Fairhaven Fundamentalist,
86 East Oak Hill Road, Chesterton, IN 46304, U.S.A. For more information, call (800) SEE-FHBC.
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 15

86 East Oak Hill Road
Chesterton, Indiana 46304