War Against Worry, Part 1

Matthew 6:25-34
[25] “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? [26] Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [28] And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? [31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenlyFather knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

[34] “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

DEEP SHEET:  Sermon Study Questions
1.  In what ways do you struggle/ have you struggled with worry? Discuss specific situations as a group.
2.  What does it mean to say that seeking and worrying are inextricably tied together? How does this passage relate to the previous section dealing with our treasures, vision, and master, and how does that alter the way you think about worry?
3.  What is the difference between healthy or even godly “anxiety” and the “anxiety” that Jesus teaches against here? (1 Corinthians 7:33, 34; 12:25; Philippians 2:20; 4:6; 2 Corinthians 11:28)
4.  In what ways are Jesus’ disciples of more value than birds and wildflowers? What theological truths are in the background to this comparison? (Genesis 1:26-28; Matthew 7:11)
5.  Why is worry both futile and harmful? How does it turn us inward, strangle us and weigh us down? Discuss instances where you have experienced these effects in your own life. (Luke 21:34; Matthew 13:22)