Guest Speaker- Jerry Theis “The Beginning”
Scroll to read a recap of Pastor Jerry’s sermon from June 28, 2026
Let’s Break it Down
If God walked into the room right now, would you change what you are doing? That one question might reveal more about your spiritual life than anything else. The fear of the Lord is not about being terrified of God. It is about living with a deep, holy reverence that changes every decision you make.
Key Takeaways
The fear of the Lord is not a terrified dread of an angry God but a holy sense of awe, reverence, and deep respect for who God truly is. It is the key that unlocks every blessing God has promised His people.
We cannot educate or work our way into the fear of the Lord. It must come first. Awe and reverence for God are the starting point, not the reward, of wisdom, knowledge, and spiritual growth.
The story of Joseph demonstrates that a life shaped by the fear of the Lord leads a person to view sin primarily as an offense against God rather than simply a risk of personal consequences.
Familiarity with God is a gift, but it can become a danger when it causes us to treat God as a casual companion rather than the holy Creator who is worthy of everything we are.
Even if God never provided a single additional blessing beyond salvation, that alone is more than enough reason to stand in complete awe of Him. Proper perspective of who God is puts us in a proper perspective of who we are.
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5-Day Devotional
Day 1: The Fear That Sets You Free
Devotional
Most of us have been taught that fear is the enemy. We fight it, suppress it, and pray it away. But there is one kind of fear that does not chain you. It actually sets you free. At Mount Sinai, Moses told the Israelites two things in the same breath: do not be afraid, and fear God. That sounds like a contradiction until you understand the difference. One fear is rooted in dread and uncertainty. The other is rooted in awe and trust. One paralyzes. The other transforms. When you begin to see God for who He truly is, something shifts inside you. The fears that once had a grip on your heart start to lose their power. Your job, your relationships, your future, they are all still real. But they are no longer in charge of you. God is. This is not about being scared of God. It is about being so captured by His greatness that everything else finds its proper place. That is the kind of fear the Bible is talking about, and it is available to you right now. You do not have to have it all figured out to start. You just have to be willing to look up.
Bible Verse
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise." - Psalm 111:10
Reflection Question
What kind of fear is currently taking up the most space in your heart, and what would it look like to replace it with a deeper awe of God?
Quote
He is drawing a distinction between fearing the Lord, which is having a holy sense of awe, reverence, and respect. That's good, and the everything else fear that so often plagues us and grips our hearts.
Prayer
Lord, I confess that I have let the wrong fears lead me. Shift my focus today toward who You truly are, and let that awe begin to crowd out everything else. Amen.
Day 2: The Treasure You Have Been Missing
Devotional
What if everything you have been searching for, wisdom, peace, a solid foundation, real freedom, was already available to you? Not through a new strategy or a better plan, but through something far simpler. Isaiah 33:5-6 paints a picture of extraordinary treasure: justice, righteousness, salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. It reads like a list of everything the human heart longs for. And right at the center of it is a key. The fear of the Lord. Here is what makes this so encouraging. You do not have to earn your way into this treasure. You do not have to accumulate enough Bible knowledge or attend enough classes before God lets you in. In fact, Scripture flips that idea completely upside down. Reverence for God is not the reward for understanding Him. It is the starting point that leads you into understanding. When we get that backwards, we exhaust ourselves. We study and strive, hoping that one day we will finally feel close to God. But God is inviting you to begin with awe, and let everything else grow from there. Start with wonder. The rest will follow.
Bible Verse
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever." - Psalm 111:10
Reflection Question
Have you been waiting to feel more spiritually prepared before fully surrendering to God, and what might it look like to start with awe instead?
Quote
You have to start with awe, fear, reverence, respect of God. And that leads you into knowledge. And when we get it backwards, we exhaust ourselves.
Prayer
God, I do not want to keep getting this backwards. Teach me to begin with reverence for You, and let that be the foundation everything else is built on. Amen.
Day 3: When Temptation Meets Reverence
Devotional
Joseph had every reason to say yes. He was far from home, far from family, and in a position where no one would have known. The temptation was real, persistent, and close. But his answer was immediate and clear: how could I do this and sin against God? Notice what Joseph did not do. He did not calculate the odds of getting caught. He did not weigh the pros and cons. He did not negotiate with himself. He simply knew that his first and deepest loyalty was to God, and that settled it. That is what the fear of the Lord looks like when it is actually working in your life. It is not a list of rules you reluctantly follow. It is a deep, internal compass that points you back to God before you even finish processing the temptation. Proverbs 8:13 says the fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Not mild discomfort with it. Not a casual preference against it. Hatred. Joseph hated the idea of betraying his God, and that hatred protected Him. You have that same option today. When you are rooted in genuine reverence for God, temptation does not disappear, but it loses its grip. You already know where you stand.
Bible Verse
"The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate." - Proverbs 8:13
Reflection Question
When you face temptation, is your first thought about consequences to yourself or about your relationship with God, and what does that reveal about where your reverence truly lies?
Quote
Joseph said, I could not do such a wicked thing and I would not sin against my God. He recognized something that most people in our day and age do not understand, myself, oftentimes included, that first and always it is a matter between you and God.
Prayer
Father, I want my first instinct to be loyalty to You, not a calculation of risk. Grow in me a genuine hatred for what pulls me away from You. Amen.
Day 4: You Cannot Manufacture This
Devotional
Here is something that might surprise you. The fear of the Lord is not something you can work yourself into. You cannot study your way there. You cannot discipline yourself into genuine awe. And that is actually really good news. Isaiah 11 describes the fear of the Lord as a gift of the Spirit, something that rests upon a person. It is not a spiritual achievement. It is a spiritual gift. That means if this kind of reverence feels distant or unfamiliar to you right now, the answer is not to try harder. The answer is to ask. God is not withholding this from you. He is not waiting for you to reach a certain level before He lets you experience real awe. He is ready to give it. The invitation is open. This also means you never graduate from wonder. No one should ever become professionally in awe of God. The moment you feel like you have Him figured out, something has gone wrong. He is bigger than your best theology and better than your highest expectation. Stay curious. Stay humble. Keep asking. The Spirit is ready to meet you right where you are and give you exactly what you need.
Bible Verse
"The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant." - Psalm 25:14
Reflection Question
If the fear of the Lord is a gift you can ask for rather than a level you must reach, what is stopping you from asking God for more of it today?
Quote
You cannot educate yourself into the fear, awe, reverence of God. Some of you, you're waiting for that moment. If I understand the Bible a little bit more, I take one more class, I go to six more community groups, maybe I get a Bible education, then I will have awe and respect for God. But God says it's the exact opposite.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, I cannot manufacture this on my own and I am done trying. Come and rest upon me with a fresh sense of awe and reverence for who God truly is. Amen.
Day 5: Awe Is the Door to Friendship
Devotional
You might not expect a devotional about the fear of the Lord to end here, but this is where it leads. Genuine friendship with God. Proverbs 25:14 says the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him. That word secret carries the idea of intimate conversation, the kind shared between close friends. God does not keep His distance from those who revere Him. He draws near. He shares His heart. But here is the thing about friendship with God. It does not begin by treating Him casually. It begins by seeing Him clearly. When you understand who He actually is, Creator, worthy of everything, the one who pulled you out of brokenness and transferred you from death into life, that perspective does not push you away from Him. It pulls you in. Awe is not the opposite of closeness. It is the foundation of it. When you see God rightly, you see yourself rightly too. And from that place, something beautiful grows. Not a distant, formal religion, but a real, living friendship with the God of the universe. He wants that for you. He has always wanted that for you. Start with reverence, and watch what He builds from there.
Bible Verse
"Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in His commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed; wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever." - Psalm 112:1-3
Reflection Question
How might a deeper reverence for God actually bring you closer to Him rather than push you away, and what would that kind of friendship look like in your daily life?
Quote
God wants you to have life. He wants you to be satisfied with rest. He wants you to be free from idolatry and from sinful pleasures. He wants to bring wealth and long lasting legacy. He wants to be your friend.
Prayer
Lord, I want to know You, not just know about You. Let awe be the door that leads me into real friendship with You, starting today. Amen.