Just Believe

Pastor Hilton addresses the congregation's fear, following recent troubling national events and personal crises within the church. He anchors his message in Luke 8:49-50, where Jesus tells Jairus, whose daughter has just died, 'Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.' The core teaching is that fear is the direct opposite of faith, and believers must actively stir up the 'unfeigned'—genuine, undisguised—faith God has given them. Using Paul's exhortations to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5-7), he illustrates that even seasoned ministers can let their faith wane under pressure, needing to 'stir up the gift.' He contrasts the twelve spies sent into Canaan: ten returned paralyzed by fear of giants, while Joshua and Caleb, though outnumbered, declared 'we are well able.' Forty years later, Moses still had to command Joshua repeatedly to 'be strong and of good courage.' The pastor emphasizes that faith comes by hearing God's Word and by praying in the Holy Ghost, and it must be continually increased. He returns to Jairus, a desperate father whose daughter died despite his plea to Jesus. Jesus’ immediate response to the worst news was not to let fear override the faith that brought Jairus to Him. The sermon's purpose is to break the spirit of fear, urging each person to renew their faith at the altar, trusting that God is in control of every situation—health, job, family—and that with belief, all things are possible.