Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ. And all that we do and all that we say, we want to give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for tuning us in as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, let's take the beautiful Word of God and share it with each and every one of you as we have a sense of anticipation to take the Word of God and to listen to its truth for each and every one. Rebellious Service for Christ as we start out on a new series for our teenagers, Amen. And the series is based on the Sugar Creek adventures, Unlocking God's Truth for Today's Teens. I remember as a pastor that I would show these movies as well as the books that I would use these for our kids at People's Valley several years ago. This sermon series that I used based on Paul Hutchins' memories of childhood adventures around the fishing and the swimming holes and the woods that surround Indianda's Sugar Creek Tales. You know, each message and adventure takes the Sugar Creek gang through a mystery and a challenge, but at the heart of every story lies a very powerful message of God's truth. And that's what I want to bring out in this series for our teenagers, because these are exciting tales and they're opportunities to explore and understand the timeless wisdom of the Bible and how it applies to the unique experiences and struggles of teenage life. And so, hopefully from this, some of our teenagers will find an opportunity to pick up these novels and begin to read them and have something besides the Bible that will entertain them, especially in a world today, but this is all based on Paul Hutchins' memories of childhood adventures, the Sugar Creek Game. This first message is based on The Haunted House. Now this might be great for a time when it's Halloween or whatever, that we have a hallelujah time during our Halloween seasons, but the name of this message is Finding Courage in the Creepy. Finding Courage in the Creepy, based on the book The Haunted House. And the scripture that we're going to be using for this is Psalms chapter 27, verse one. And if you have your Bibles, would you pull them out? And probably I'll be going down to verses one to four of Psalms 27 in just a moment. But for the sake of prayer, let's read verse one. and get into the wonderful Word of God, a series, The Sugar Creek Adventures, Unlocking God's Truth for Today's Teens. Lord, as we read the Word of God of Psalms 27, the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? And so let's pray. We come before you, Lord, today just as we are acknowledging our need for your grace and forgiveness. Your word of 1 John 1 9 tells us if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Lord, we confess our daily struggles and our fears and our shortcomings and help us to hear your voice today as we get into the adventure of the Sugarcreek gang. And as we consider the mystery of the haunted house, grant us the courage that comes from you as it says in Deuteronomy chapter 31 verse 6, be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them for the Lord our God, he it is that doeth Go with thee, he will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Father, open our hearts and minds to your truth and may this message equip us to face the haunted places in our own lives with faith and boldness in Jesus' marvelous mighty name we pray, amen. You know what, have you ever felt that chill run down your spine when you hear a strange noise in the dark? I've been in some very scary places when I was growing up. I remember reading a story about a family that moved into this old farmhouse. And they kept hearing footsteps in the attic when no one was up there. And so they tried everything to figure it out, even setting up cameras. Turns out it wasn't a ghost at all. It was just this old wooden beam expanding and contracting with the temperature changes. Where I work at for the state and state college, we've got some of the roof that expands and It contracts all the time and it'll drive you crazy listening to all that going on. I remember when we first got our dog from a rescue here, the ice maker was making all these noises and that dog would jump because he wasn't used to hearing all of the noises in the Bailey house. And it was scary. It was finding courage in the creepy. And so, what seems scary and mysterious had a very simple and a very logic explanation. Sometimes the things that frighten us most aren't as terrifying as they seem. And so, when we look, at getting into the world of the Sugar Creek Gang, a group of adventurous kids who found themselves in some pretty spooky situations. One of the most memorable adventures is in the book, The Haunted House. And just like that family that was in the farmhouse story, the gang encounters something that seems scary, but through courage and teamwork, they uncover the truth. And that's what this message is all about for our teenagers. This story isn't just a fun read, it holds very powerful lessons for us as teenagers facing our own haunted houses and the fears and the anxieties and the uncertainties that try to grip our lives. And so, as a pastor from past days, going all the way back to several churches and dealing with teenagers, The question that I asked is, what are the haunted houses in your life that make you feel afraid or uneasy? Well, I've been watching a series that came on about the house of David. And as I began to put this sermon together, I thought about Psalms 27 and how to overcome the paralyzing fear and trouble. Again, the Word of God reminds us out of Psalms 27 verse 1. He's talking about how that the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid is what he's saying in Psalms 27 verse 1. He goes on in verse 2 and I highlight What he's saying that he says, when evil doers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and my foes, it is they who stumble and fall. And then in verse three, he talks about, though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear, though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. And then he goes on in verse four and elaborates, he says, one thing that I've asked the Lord that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. All of us need to work on conquering our fears and finding God's strength. You see, fear is real, but God is realer, if there's such a word. because we all have relatable fears. We've all need to acknowledge that as teenagers, we face real fears, but social anxiety, school pressures, future uncertainties, even scary news that's on the media and on Facebook. You know what? When we look at fear, Fear isn't just a feeling. It can feel like a spiritual battle. Paul talked about this in 2 Timothy 1, verse 7. He said, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. You see, David, Psalms 27, he faced intense fear from enemies, betrayal, and lies. And the point is not that we'll never feel fear, but that we know where our strength comes from when we do. And so I ask the question again, what are the haunted houses in your life that make you feel afraid or uneasy? Well, we see the nature of fear, because those natures of fear, they're whispers. They're whispers of fear. And just like the Sugar Creek gang felt, that eerie presence in that old farmhouse, we often encounter situations that whisper fear into our ears. These whispers can come from many places. The pressures to fit in, the anxiety about the future, the fear of failure around our friends and relatives, or even the feeling of being alone. And so, We look and we know that God is our light and strength because that's what David was talking about in Psalms 27 verse 1. God as the light explains how God illuminates our path like a light in the darkness. And we can relate to this feeling being lost or confused because God provides direction. Psalms 119 verse 105, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. How many times have I used this in my life? Not only God as a light, but God as strength. When we define strength, we define it as a safe place. It's a refuge. God is our protector. God is our fortress against any fear. The psalmist of Psalms 18 too said, the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength in whom I will trust, my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high tower. Hallelujah. And so we see that God as light, God as strength, amen. And I'm glad that God, as our personal testimony, every one of us can relate how God provided light or strength in our times of challenge. But when we see the Sugar Creek gang, they didn't immediately know what was going on in that haunted house. and they heard strange noises and they saw unsettling shadows and similarity, fear often starts with an unknown or a perceived threat. And so Psalms 55, five says, fearfulness and trembling are come upon me and horror hath overwhelmed me. Well, We all experience raw emotional impact of fear. And the Hebrew word for horror is palaxum, which means terror. It means shuddering. And it speaks to the intense physical and the emotional reaction that we have to fear. And so when we see that initial encounter. We all also have powerful imaginations because our minds can often amplify our fears. And the Sugar Creek Gang likely imagine all sorts of spooky scenarios in that house. We do the same when we dwell on negative possibilities sometimes. Dr. James Merritt, I've heard him say before that uncontrolled imagination is the devil's playground. And Proverbs 23, 7 states, for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. You see, our thoughts have a powerful influence on our feelings and our actions. And so the oscillation of fear, because fear can make us feel like we're the only ones going through fear. But the Sugar Creek gang, even as a group, as a bunch of teenagers, likely had moments of individual fear within that house. Psalms 22.1 says, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my rowing? Christ said this on the cross of Calvary. And while this is a messianic psalm, it reflects the feelings of abandonment that fear can bring to all of our lives. And so, I was reading about a young girl who was terrified of thunderstorms, and every time the sky darkened, she would hide under her bed, convinced something terrible was going to happen. Her parents tried to reassure her that, but her fear would perish. But it persisted. One day, her grandfather, a retired meteorologist, sat with her during a storm and he explained the science behind the thunder and the lightning, showing her how that it all worked. And as she understood what was happening, her fear began to subside and the unknown lost its power over her. I remember my mother, my father were out in the cotton fields and a storm come up. And it blew my father's hat off. And my father was so concerned about catching his hat in the storm that he forgot about the storm himself. And it took my mother going after and saying, come on, we got to get in the shelter. There's a storm out here. Forget about your old hat. We'll find it later. And so, you know, sometimes our biggest fear as teenagers is running into someone that uh... that we know what the grocery store are just like knowing that we just rolled out of bed and we didn't put our makeup on and we didn't put the nicest clothes on and we got caught in our shabby ugly looking jeans and no makeup on or no hair combed. And you know what? Talk about haunted encounters. That's pretty scary for a teenager. They're looking at their worst when they want to look at their best. And so what are the haunted houses in your life that make you feel afraid or uneasy? We see, number one, it's the nature of fear because That fear whispers, it whispers. But secondly, stepping into bravery. because all of us have to make a choice of courage. And despite fear, the Sugarcreek Gang just didn't run away screaming. They made a conscious decision to investigate, to face their fear head on. And it highlights a very crucial truth. Courage isn't the absence of fear, but it's the decision to act despite it. And so, last we saw in verse one, that God is our light and our strength. But in Psalms 27, verses two and three, we look and we see that it tells us in these scriptures. that we talked about. It said in verse two, that when the evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. And in verse three, I'm paraphrasing, though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear the war arise against me, yet I will be confident. And so, when we look at stepping into courage, the choice of courage, us stepping into bravery, we need to make the choice of courage. And so we see, secondly, to remember God's past victories. You see, David had a past. David faced lions. David faced bears. David faced the giant named Goliath. And he recalled these victories when he was facing some new threats. David's past, we need to encourage you as teenagers to remember times that God helped you through tough situations like he did David. You've got to remember those. And so you've got to go back and know that all of us have a past. David had a past. And from that, we build confidence. We're remembering God's faithfulness, and we know that he builds confidence for us in our future challenges. And that's how we deal. That's how we find courage in the creepy, because we remember. what God does for us as we build that confidence. And I'm glad that Paul said in Romans chapter five, verses three and four, and not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope. And so from building that confidence, because all of us are gonna have some kind of a past, but God said, remember God's past victories is what I'm talking about. David's past, he had victories. And so you've got past victories. We've got to build confidence as well. But thirdly, we need to have that application. And that is every one of us, we keep God's victories and we journal and we record those moments of God's help. And so I'm glad that just like their strength in numbers, the Sugar Creek gang worked together. They supported each other, they shared their fears. And as Tony Evans would often say, and many a times I heard him say, God designed all of us for community. And so the writer of Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verses 9 and 10 says, two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up. And so it shows the importance of how supportive friends and family and overcoming our fears. And so we see that uh... the strength is in numbers a man but there's the power of faith itself because while we read the book no one uh... of the haunted house it doesn't explicitly focus on faith in god but the underlying principle of trusting in something bigger than their fear is very evident in the book for us that is something bigger and that is god himself because there's always something bigger that's happening that we can focus on in our faith in God. Adrian Rogers would often preach about the importance of trusting God's promises, which he would normally quote Psalms 56 verse 3. that said, what time I'm afraid I will trust in thee. Praise God, Adrian Rogers. And the word trust in the Hebrews is batak, meaning to trust, to confine in, to be confident. It's that active choice to place our confidence in God. And so we see also the determination to discover because the Sugar Creek's game with their curiosity and their determination to solve the mystery fueled their courage. And similarity, our desire to know the truth and to overcome our challenges can empower us to face our fears. Warren Wisby would say probably sometimes that I've heard him say something like this, don't let your feelings control your decisions. Let God's word direct you. And so Paul said, I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. And so ain't that ain't that powerful? I was watching a movie out of Disney about the Lion King and Simba was haunted by the memory of his father's death and he ran away from his responsibilities. And it wasn't until he faced his past, embraced his identity, that he found the courage to return and to reclaim his rightful place. And sometimes as teenagers, we need to confront the things that haunt us to truly move forward in our lives. And so, I'll tell you, all of us have attempts at being brave and it usually involves turning on all of the lights in the house when we hear a strange noise. It might not be the most heroic approach, but definitely makes me feel a little less scared, doesn't it you? And so, my wife would turn everything on. She'd turn the TVs on, turn this on and that on. And so the question I put again is what are the haunted houses in your life that makes you feel afraid or uneasy? Well, we notice the nature of fear because fear whispers. We step into bravery because we've got to be able to make the choice of courage. But thirdly, we see the unveiling reality. What is that unveiling reality? The light of truth. The light of truth. Because in The Haunted House, the Sugar Creek Gang eventually discovers the truth behind the spooky happenings. It wasn't ghosts or monsters, but something much more ordinary. This reveals a very powerful principle. Often our fears are based on misconceptions or a lack of understanding. And so, David talked about God is your light and strength in Psalms 27 verse one. But also in verses two and three of Psalms 27, we've got to remember God's past victories. But I'm glad that also that when we look a lot of times and we notice what God is wanting to do in all of our lives, amen, because there's no one that can do for us like him. And I'm glad that when we look and realize what God is really wanting to do, oh my goodness, God can do some things that no one else can. And so I thank God that when we look to Him, we're able to do. But the third thing that I see is what Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians chapter 10, uh... verses three through five uh... that tells us this he said for though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds he said he goes on and he says this he says casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And so when we do this, we see that that is something that's very, very powerful. Because when we look, we've got to be able to speak faith and not fear is what Paul is talking about. because every one of us will go through a spiritual attack, and our weapons are God's word and faith. You hear me, teenagers? Paul said in Ephesians 6, 17, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. We have to take thoughts captive, is what Paul was talking about. We've gotta be able to challenge our fearful thoughts with God's truth. And so again, he says, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. We take thoughts captive, but also we pray in faith. because of the importance of praying with faith and not doubt. James chapter 1 verses 6 and 7 says, but let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with a wind and tossed for let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. And so From this, we see that out of all the things that we talked about, that unveiling that reality, it is the light of truth. Because through that light of truth, we see the exposure of deception. Whatever was making the house seem haunted in that farmhouse for the Sugarcreek gang was ultimately revealed to be something harmless. Similarity, the things that scare us in life, often lose their power when we bring them into the light of truth. Oh, one of my old favorite all-time hellfire brimstone preachers, many of you teenagers may have never heard of him, but that's why I'm mentioning him, is my brother friend, Mays Jackson. Boy, he would be preaching. And he would say some things like, shine the light of God's word on your fears and watch them disappear, unquote. And so I'm glad John 8, 32 says, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. I'm glad that that word truth signifies reality or genuineness and knowing the true nature of something sets us free from the bondage of fear. And so I'm glad that exposure of deception that is there. We also see the peace of understanding. Once the mystery was solved, the Sugar Creek gang could relax. They could understand peace. And when we understand God's love and his plan for our lives as teenagers, it brings a very deep sense of peace that can calm our fears. Bartholomew Orr often spoke of the peace that passes all understanding that come out of Philippians 4, 7 that says, and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Well, we see as out of all of these things, when we look at the exposure of deception. And when we see the peace of understanding, we see the opportunity for growth because when we face our fear and discover the truth, that's exactly what helped the Sugar Creek Gang grow in confidence and resilience. When we confront our fears with God's help, we become stronger and more mature in our faith. And so, Ken Schroeder would always say some things that would encourage us to see challenges as opportunities for God to work in our lives. Paul said in Romans 5, verses 3, 4, and 5, and not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience. And patience, experience. And experience, hope. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. And so, Paul Harvey used to tell a story that had a very surprising twist at the end. Imagine a story about a teenager who was terrified of public speaking. That would be me. We'd get all sweaty palms racing with our heart just thinking about it. And we would avoid presentations at all costs when we were growing up in high school. But then I joined a debate team, not to speak, but to do research. But as I became more knowledgeable and confident in the material, I started to share my findings. And eventually I found a voice and discovered a passion for public speaking that I never knew that I'd ever had. Well, when I read the book, The Haunted House, the fear was unmasked by knowledge and practice. And so my attempts to solve mysteries usually end with me blaming the dog, or even if the dog wasn't even in the room. But I'm gonna tell you, as I get ready to close out, the old house loomed not with specters of the departed, but with shadows of the unknown. As I read the book, the Sugar Creek gang, initially gripped by the chilling whispers of fear, chose not to let it scare them. Instead, they embarked on a quest with a step of a defiant act against the unsettling atmosphere. What they unearthed wasn't a phantom, but a truth that dispelled the darkness, transforming a place of terror into a testament of their courage. And just like the Sugar Creek gang in the haunted house, we all face things that scare us. Fear can whisper lies and make us feel isolated, but the story reminds us that we have a choice, and we can choose courage, especially when we stand together and trust in something bigger than ourselves, for us, that's Almighty God. And when we face our fears and when we seek the truth, we often find that the things that haunted us weren't as powerful as we imagined. The light of God's truth has the power to dispel the darkness and to bring us peace. Now, as I close out, what fears are you facing right now? How can you remember God's past victories to rebuild your faith? And I wonder what steps can you take to take your thoughts captives? Listen to me. I want you to come forward and I wanna pray with you right now. I want you to release those fears to God. One of the scriptures that I want you to call upon is Psalms 34 verse four. I sought the Lord and he heard me and he delivered me from all my fears. Will you say it again with me? It's Psalms verse 34 verse four. And I recommend this one when you pray. to release your fears to God. Will you follow me again? I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears. Will you say it with me? Fear is normal, but God is stronger. Remember, God's past helps to build faith. Fight fear with God's word and prayer because God is your light. He's your strength. and he's your salvation. And so, I wonder what haunted house in your life right now makes you feel afraid, makes you anxious, makes you uncertain. Maybe it's the pressure of exams. Maybe it's a very difficult relationship with a friend. Maybe it's the uncertainty about the future. Listen to me. Listen to me. Take a moment. Take a moment this week and write down that fear. and take the scripture that I shared with you that speaks to that fear and memorize it. And if not that scripture, find your own scripture, but share your fear with a trusted friend or a family member who can offer support and prayer. Because you and I, we can choose courage this week in the face of that fear. Take that small step And I'm glad that through that step, that one small step, we can have courage about our fearless and no matter how fearful we are about it. I'm glad that we can talk to someone. Maybe we can start by sending them a friendly text. Or if you're worried about a test, maybe you can schedule an extra study session to be able to overcome that fear that you need to. But listen, is there someone that's listening to my message today who recognizes that they've been living in the grip of fear and they want to choose to trust God more fully? I want you to, I want to invite you to come forward as we pray. I want to ask God to give us the courage to face our haunted houses and to trust in his truth and his love. And I'm going to use that powerful scripture that I used a while ago that I believe is very powerful. Psalms 34 verse four. Will you with me again? Pray this. I sought the Lord and he heard me. And he delivered me from all my fears. Listen, God can deliver you from all of the fears because you can find courage in the creepy. As I close out, I want to pray for you. Heavenly Father, Thank you for the adventure of the Sugar Creek gang and the lessons that we can learn from their story. But we pray for each person here today who's facing a haunted house of fear in their life. And we ask that you would grant them a spirit of courage, not a fear. As your word promises, help them to trust in your love and in your power. For those who came forward, Lord, A while ago, I couldn't see them through the media because of the audio or through no screen, but I pray for that special outpouring of your peace and strength to those ones listening to this message. They were meant to listen to this. It was just for them. May they know that you're with them and that you'll never leave them nor forsake them. Help us all to seek your truth, knowing that it is the truth that sets us free. And we pray all of this. In the powerful name of your son, Jesus Christ, our savior and our redeemer, in Jesus we pray, amen. Listen, as I close, remember, if you ever hear strange noises in your attic, it's probably just squirrels. And maybe you should call the Sugar Creek Gang. God bless you. you