Suggestions for leading a study:

• Familiarize yourself with the passage in context, including the book itself.  Who wrote it to whom, and why?
• Read through the study guide a couple times to get the “big idea” as well as the flow of the argument
• Have the group read through the passage in it’s entirety before beginning the study.  One of the goals is to try to get your members to learn how to study Scripture methodically, and this is an important step.
• Be prayed up
• Have fun!
  

Worry Free Living

Therefore, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? ²⁷ "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. ³² "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Discussion Questions

Re-read verse 31.  This verse tells us to seek his kingdom.  Apparently, that is what we should be looking for. 

·         If we live by the world’s standards, what are we looking for?

·         If we live by God’s priorities, what are we looking for?

·         How does what we are seeking after affect the level of stress in our lives?

In verse 33 Jesus tells us to “Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out.”  In other words, put our stuff into something that will hold it forever.

·         Where does the world put its stuff?

·         Where do you think Jesus is talking about putting our stuff?

·         Which place is more secure?  How might the place that we’re counting on to protect our stuff reduce the level of stress in our lives? 

Also in verse 33 we are told to accumulate a treasure in Heaven. 

·         What does the world accumulate?

·         What do you think Jesus is talking about accumulating?  (hint: what does the first part of the verse say?

·         How do you think that would effect the level of stress in our lives?

Re-read verse 34.  According to Jesus, which do we work on first:  our hearts, or where we have our stuff?

·         Does the order he uses here surprise you?

·         It has been said, “You don’t feel yourself into right behavior, you behave yourself into right feelings.”  Do you think that is true? If so, how does it apply to this issue?

How can you apply this lesson to your life right now?

The goal of this lesson is to help us see how focusing on God’s priorities in our lives rather than the world’s can help reduce the anxiety that we experience. 

            Most of the format for this discussion is based around the three descriptions Jesus has regarding what we should be focusing on, contrasting those with the world’s values, and then asking what relationship that might have to the level of stress in our lives.

Re-read verse 31.  This verse tells us to seek his kingdom.  Apparently, that is what we should be looking for. 

·        If we live by the world’s standards, what are we looking for?

            The first metaphor Jesus uses is that of seeking his kingdom.  The focus of the question is on the term “seek”, or what we’re looking for.  It should be easy to come up with a long list of things that the world looks for:  money, fame, power, pleasure, whatever.  If you want to go deeper here, ask the group if they feel like the way they are living their lives makes it seem like they’re looking for any of those things.

·        If we live by God’s priorities, what are we looking for?

The second half of the question is trickier, because it gets into the question of just what Jesus meant by “his kingdom” which he does not define here.  You’ll just have to spend some time probing what the group thinks that means.  It could be personal righteousness, helping other people, doing good deeds, etc.  In fact, it doesn’t matter a whole lot as long as it isn’t any of the things that the world thinks are important. 

·        How does what we are seeking after affect the level of stress in our lives?

Discuss why looking for kingdom things would be less stressful than the world’s things.  After some discussion, ask them to look at verse 32.  God has already given you the kingdom if you belong to Christ.  The point is that it is a lot less stressful looking for something you’ve already got.  Also it is a lot less stressful looking for something that it is somebody else’s job to give you.  Cool!  You might want to re-visit some of what the group talked about in the discussion question and compare them to this.  Were they stressed out because they hadn’t already achieved it and didn’t know if they would?  (they already have the kingdom)  Were they stressed out because they weren’t certain of their own ability?  (It’s God’s responsibility to give us the kingdom).

·        In verse 33 Jesus tells us to “Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out.”  In other words, put our stuff into something that will hold it forever.

·        Where does the world put its stuff?

            The second metaphor is one of purses, or where we keep our stuff.  This is a little harder to get a real grasp on.  The world keeps it’s stuff in banks, IRAs, lockers, under the bed, whatever.

·        Where do you think Jesus is talking about putting our stuff?

Clearly God is talking about keeping it in heaven.

·        Which place is more secure?  How might the place that we’re counting on to protect our stuff reduce the level of stress in our lives? 

Obviously, Heaven is the most secure place around.  How might that reduce stress?  Again, it isn’t ours to have to try to keep track of or protect.  It’s God’s business to take care of it and once he’s got it, it will never go away.  That’s got to be less stressful.

·        Also in verse 33 we are told to accumulate a treasure in Heaven. 

·        What does the world accumulate?

·        What do you think Jesus is talking about accumulating?  (hint: what does the first part of the verse say?

The third question is another easy one, at least in regards to what we accumulate.  I’ve offered a hint regarding what the kingdom stuff that we accumulate might be.  Clearly it is the good things that we do for other people, especially the poor.  It could also be referring to the sacrifices we make for the kingdom:  one of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith.  It is what we give up that we really get to keep.

·        How do you think that would effect the level of stress in our lives?

You can split the application question into those two aspects, if you want:  1. If our focus is on what we give up, rather than what we keep, how does that reduce stress in our lives?  (Sure is a lot easier to give things up than keep things)  2. If our focus is on helping other people rather than helping ourselves, how does that reduce the stress in our lives?  (Any help you give someone is a win—it’s more than they had before and didn’t cost them anything.  If our focus is on ourselves, we just never seem to get enough.) 

·        Re-read verse 34.  According to Jesus, which do we work on first:  our hearts, or where we have our stuff?

·        Does the order he uses here surprise you?

Finally, the last question gets to the real heart of the lesson.  It seems backward to us, but Jesus is not prioritizing working on our hearts first.  That can seem really odd and unexpected to us.  He says to just do it, and the heart will come along.

·        It has been said, “You don’t feel yourself into right behavior, you behave yourself into right feelings.”  Do you think that is true? If so, how does it apply to this issue?

Take some time to talk about the quote on the bottom of the sheet and ask how that can reduce stress in our lives.  The fact is, it’s easier to deal with something tangible.  You can always do something good for someone else and you know you’ve accomplished something.  The condition of your heart is a much harder thing to really get a handle on.  You never know precisely from God’s perspective what your heart really looks like, and the not knowing can be a stressful thing.  This is the Nike verse: just do it.  The condition of your heart will follow along.

        How can you apply this lesson to your life right now?

            If you have time, you can discuss practical things that you can do either as individuals or as a group to re-focus your priorities and your actions on God’s kingdom purposes to help reduce the stress level in your lives.