Where Your Treasure Is Study #2
Investing in Anxious worry vs. Seeking first
Matthew 6:25-34
INTRODUCTION: Jesus’ “Sermon on the mount(ainside)” contained instruction for disciples. His call? For us to live distinctively in light of the coming Kingdom of Heaven. As Christians, trusting in God’s good news about Jesus, and seeking to please God with our living – Jesus’ teaching gives us obedience “tracks” to run on. Especially about the “investment” of the treasures God places in our hands (our life, our gifts and abilities, our time and relationships, our material resources). The Week #1 question was, “Where am I laying up treasure for myself? Below, or above?
Still, Jesus realized that his disciples, living in a materialistic world, can easily join the world in anxious worry over having what we need…or perhaps want. This study follows up teaching on Matthew 6:25-34 to explore the antidote to our habit of anxiousness.
GETTING STARTED – Discuss what the following groups of people typically worry about:
- What are Americans worrying about today?
- What do children worry about?
- What do teenagers get anxious about?
- How about their parents?
- What are you worrying about? (Be honest with each other!!)
IN THE WORD – As recorded in Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus seems to finger three questions which typically dominate the worrying heart. Consider the question…and then dive into the discussion prompters
Question #1 | How can I get everything that my body wants? Matt 6:25-26 | Do you think we Jesus’ followers are content with God providing what they “need?” Why do we insist (and worry about) on what we “want”? |
Question #2 | How can I extend the length of my life? Matt 6:27 | Do you think Jesus’ followers worry about dying too soon? Do we get anxious or fearful over not living longer? Why hard to trust God in this? |
Question #3 | How can I adorn my appearance? Matt. 6:28-30 | Do you think “the right” clothing is important to Jesus’ disciples? Should it be? |
READ Matthew 6:31-34 together again…then share what you hear the Lord Jesus urging about
- Replacing little faith with…what?
- Replacing anxious worry with….what?
- What is to be in first place…and what does investing in that look like practically in everyday life? What is the PROMISE attached to our obeying?
APPLYING and PRAYING TOGETHER – SUMMARY
In THE TREASURE PRINCIPLE, Randy Alcorn offers this diagram
The accompanying question:
Are you living for “The Dot”
or “The Line”?
What’s the evidence behind either response?
TIME to PRAY: Honest prayers about trusting a good Heavenly Father for everything you need.