Hey, carpool crew. It's Saturday. Welcome to all of our subscribers for our special Saturday episode. Maybe you're the kid who's always double-checking your backpack to make sure you didn't forget anything. Or maybe you're the one who did forget something, and you still feel bad about it. Either way, I'm Pastor Justin, and I'm so glad you're here. Today we're talking about a big fear that lives in the back of the mind of a lot of kids. What if I mess everything up? This month we are talking about what Jesus would say about the things that scare us. And messing everything up scares me sometimes too. So let's walk through it together. Our verse today is from 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 7. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment." This verse comes from a letter written by Paul to a younger leader named Timothy. Timothy was doing big things for God, but he probably felt a lot of pressure not to mess up. Paul wanted Timothy to remember something really important, and he wants us to remember it too. God didn't give us a spirit of fear. That means not fear of failing, not fear of getting it wrong, not fear of being the one who ruins everything. Instead, God gives us power to keep going, love to respond with kindness, and sound judgment to grow in wisdom, even after we make a mistake. And we all will. Mistakes happen. If Jesus were sitting in the car with you, or at the table, and you whispered, I think I blew it, I think I messed everything up, he would look at you with love and say, you are going to mess up sometimes, but I still trust you. You're not disqualified. You're not a disaster. Just keep showing up. Keep trying your hardest. Be humble. You were made to be bold. Maybe you dropped the pass that could have won the game. Maybe you forgot the movie tickets your whole family needed. Maybe you were sure you had your science project in your backpack, but nope, it's sitting on the kitchen table. Suddenly the whole moment, the whole day, feels ruined. And the worst part, everyone was counting on you. You don't just feel embarrassed, you feel responsible. You might even think, maybe next time they shouldn't count on me at all. But God doesn't look at you and say, that's it, I'm done. He looks at you and says, you are still mine. Everyone makes mistakes. I've got work for you to do still. So don't give up. Let me remind you of someone in the Bible who made a huge mistake. Peter was bold. He walked on water with Jesus. He told Jesus he'd never leave him. But when things got hard, Peter denied even knowing Jesus, not once, but three times. That's a big mess up. But did Jesus give up on Peter? No way. Jesus loved him, still trusted him, and still gave him the mission of helping lead the early church. Your mistakes don't cancel who God made you to be. So what can you do next time you're feeling scared you might mess everything up? First, remember, God didn't give you a spirit of fear. He gave you courage, love, and wisdom, even when you make mistakes. Second, be honest about what happened. Don't hide it. Talk about it, learn from it, then move forward. Ask Jesus to help you try again. Ask your parents to help you try again. Next time it feels like everything's riding on your shoulders, take a deep breath and remember, God is bigger than your mistakes, and he's not done with you yet. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you love today's episode, follow us on Instagram at Carpooling with Jesus, or post a photo of your family enjoying the podcast together. We'd love to see it. Before you go, answer this question together. Have you ever messed up something that felt really important, and what helped you move past it? Subscribers, I'll see you tomorrow for another episode of Carpooling with Jesus.
