Sermon Response Guide
PRIMARY SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 6:25-34 ESV
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 heavenly Father 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.
Key Points
- Anxiety makes us misunderstand what is really important
- Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about their life.
- Life is more than a constant striving after happiness, security, and comfort.
- Jesus shows us there is something more free and beautiful than the birds of the air and flowers of the field: a human being free of anxiety and full of faith in the Lord.
- Only in pursuing the Kingdom and our King Jesus will we find the satisfaction we long for.
- We find the Kingdom when we allow every part of our lives to be ruled and governed by King Jesus.
- We don’t have to go looking for trouble, trouble finds us. But we can take heart because Jesus overcame the world, and one day, trouble will be no more.
- If you are struggling, Jesus is not against you. Jesus is for you and Jesus loves you.
Memory Verse
Ask God to write this word on your heart this week:
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
-Matthew 6:34 ESV
Questions for Reflection
Take time to reflect and respond to these questions on your own in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or with trusted friends or family members:
1: Worrying about things we cannot change and things that will not happen will always disappoint us and leave us feeling empty and frustrated. How have you experienced this in your own life lately?
2: Jesus says the major distinction between those who are faithful and those who are faithless is the difference in what they choose to seek after. Why do you think Jesus invites us to seek first his Kingdom?
3: How are you encouraged to know we have a choice regarding what we seek?
4: How are you encouraged to know we have a King who consistently seeks after us?
5: How are you encouraged to know we have a King who has already overcome the world and its troubles for us?
6: In the Kingdom of God, seeking revolves around prayer: asking God to reveal the places in our lives where we are not trusting him to rule and reign as King. Pause to pray and ask for God’s revelation. Then, write down what God shows you.
7: By faith, how will you respond to what God has shown you today?
Pray
Lord, thank you for overcoming the world. Thank you for freeing us to be free in you. By your grace, we no longer need to worry about life. We are yours, Lord. Fix our minds on you and let our hearts find rest in you. Help us to trust you as King – our King who loves us and is forever for us.
