Fear Not - by Luke Kjolhaug (Paperback)

About the Book

Fear shapes far more of our lives than we care to admit: our choices, our relationships, even our view of God. For many Christians, fear feels like failure, especially when Scripture repeatedly says "fear not." But what if those words are not a command we can't keep, but a promise God delights to give? In Fear Not, Luke Kjolhaug reframes fear in light of the gospel, showing that God's answer to our deepest anxieties is not more effort or inner strength, but the perfect love of Christ. With pastoral clarity and biblical insight, Kjolhaug reveals how Jesus, the One who "binds the strong man," frees us from the tyranny of fear and leads us into genuine peace. Readers will discover that fear loses its power not through willpower or denial, but through the steady, freeing presence of the Savior who has already conquered our greatest enemies. Fear Not offers hope, comfort, and a gospel-centered path to a life where the voices of fear are silenced by the promises of God.

Book Synopsis

Fear has a way of slipping into every corner of our lives and shaping our choices, straining our relationships, and clouding our view of God. For many Christians, the struggle is compounded by guilt: if Scripture repeatedly says " fear not," then our fear must mean we're failing. But what if we've misunderstood what God intends those words to mean? In Fear Not, Luke Kjolhaug invites readers to rethink the Bible's most familiar command. Rather than an impossible demand to " just stop being afraid," he argues that " fear not" is a promise spoken to anxious, overwhelmed people; it is a declaration that God's perfect love drives out fear at its roots. With pastoral warmth and clear biblical insight, Kjolhaug explores how the gospel exposes the lies that keep fear alive and reveals Jesus as the one who defeats the enemies behind our deepest anxieties. Accessible, honest, and deeply Christ-centered, Fear Not offers real hope for anyone weary of worry or weighed down by a sense of spiritual failure. This is not a book about trying harder. It's an invitation to rest in the love of a Savior who has already overcome everything we could ever fear.

Review Quotes

"Fears trail our everyday lives, nipping and growling at our heels, often distracting us and sometimes utterly dismantling our lives. What are we to do? In this moving and incredibly insightful book, Luke Kjolhaug does not give us--thanks be to God!--one more technique or to-do list but plants our fearful hearts in the single place where fear finally loses its grip on us: in the loving, gracious, all-protecting arms of the God who crushed fear as he hung upon the cross for us." -- Chad Bird, Scholar-in-Residence, 1517

"Theology detatched from vocation becomes cold and abstract--puffing up rather than building up. Luke Kjolhaug, as he's one of the smartest people I know, but his writing is so consistently personal and pastoral. Fear Not is a masterclass of seeing the whole complicated person, and using theology to bring peace to the brokenhearted. For anyone who has had to endure anxiety or depression, or care for those who do, the book is like a friend who sits with you and gives your parched soul life-giving grace. This book gave me hope on every single page." -- Gretchen Ronnevik, author of Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted and The Story of Katie Luther: The Nun Who Escaped to True Freedom

"Weaving together the Bible, theology, pop culture and deeply personal stories, Kjolhaug reminds us that the titular words of this hopeful and helpful book are not an unkeepable command, but rather an unshakeable promise."--The Rev. Rutger-Jan (R-J) Heijmen, Rector at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach

"You try to avoid it, but fear stalks you slowly. Your chest tightens as you struggle to get a full breath, recognizing that you can't outrun it. You bite your nails. You doomscroll. But nothing seems to alleviate your anxiety. We have all been there.

But there is good news. Your fear doesn't get the final word. In his new book, Fear Not, Luke Kjolhaug offers a refreshing and biblically grounded perspective on this often unconfessed yet surprisingly human emotion. Spoiler alert: the answer isn't to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and will yourself free, but to trust God's promise.

Whether you fear God, your past, the future, change, or you are suffocating from a nasty case of FOMO, this book is for you. Fear Not is a Gospel-shaped tether for those feeling unmoored in these uncertain times." -- Raleigh Sadler, Founder of Let My People Go, author of Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking, and host of the MercyCast Podcast.

About the Author

Luke Kjolhaug is the pastor of Elim Lutheran Church in rural Osakis, Minnesota. He holds an undergraduate degree from Wheaton College and a master's degree from Lutheran Brethren Seminary. Luke blogs for 1517 and contributes regularly to the Lutheran Brethren periodical Faith & Fellowship. You can also find him impersonating a theologian on the socials @foxholetheology. He and his wife Bethannie have been blessed with two daughters.

Bradley Gray serves as the senior pastor of Stonington Baptist Church in Paxinos, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife Natalie and their three children, Lydia, Braxton, and Bailey. Bradley has contributed writings to several online publications, including 1517, Mockingbird, For The Church, and Core Christianity, as well as his own site, www.graceupongrace.net. In all of his writings, Bradley aims to serve up the timeless truth of God's "grace upon grace" for every weary and worn-out soul.