Fear is a Powerful Motivator // M-Note 10.19.24

This week, I received a note about our current series Hold These Truths: Centering Jesus in a Divisive Political Season. The person (who happens to be engaged with politics and people on both sides of the aisle) shared with me how much fear there is ahead of this upcoming election. She is right. Fear, anxiety, and even panic are at an all-time high. People are scared about what the results of the upcoming election might mean for them or people they love. These fears are real, valid, and important to pay attention to.
 
Alongside our real fears, there are also many political operators who want to exploit our collective anxiety for political purposes. Recently, I was listening to an interview in which campaign experts talked about the way that politicians use and manipulate our fears through language that consistently expresses remote possibilities as if they were high probabilities. What this means is that we are bombarded with the most extreme messages of what might happen in the future. “The purpose of these messages is simple,” the experts explained, “The more anxious and scared people are, the easier it is to motivate and manipulate them.”
 
In a season of fear, Jesus offers us peace. It isn’t a cheap peace that comes from the world. It is a peace and calm that comes from centering our lives not on the circumstances of the election season, but in his power and promises for our lives. This weekend, I will end our series by talking about our collective fear and how Jesus helps us find peace and very real hope even ahead of an uncertain election.
 
I know that there are a lot of us who need this message. I also believe we have a lot of friends, coworkers, or family members that also need a word of hope right now. Please invite them to join you this weekend for worship. It is going to be a powerful Sunday.
 
If you missed the earlier sermons in this series, or want to share them, you can check them out here. Thank you so much for engaging these messages with openness and encouragement. I am proud to pastor a church where we can tackle hard topics together. Have a great weekend, and I will see you Sunday.
 
Peace,
 
Matt

P.S. I hope you’re planning to join us at Thanks/Giving on Friday, November 15. We will come together as one church and simply give thanks to God for enabling us all to make a difference here in St. Louis and beyond. There will be local food, dessert from Bridge Bread, and a tasting of Fitz's sodas! The Mozambique Team will be on hand for a special announcement as well. And...to show gratitude for your part in this ministry, you'll get a first ever Gathering winter hat at the event!  I appreciate your support more than you know and look forward to celebrating with you. Please RSVP here to attend.