January 2, 2011
You Are Here Week 1: Christ
Posted by Michael
Learn:
Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Main Idea:
Most of the things we worry about are beyond our control. When Jesus gave us the command to not worry, He wasn’t saying that we shouldn’t plan for our future or that our future will be problem-free. On the contrary, He says that each day will have enough trouble of its own. There is so much stuff to do on a daily basis that it’s almost impossible to cram it all into one 24-hour period. There comes a time where we must decide what – or Who – we are going to put first in our lives. Jesus said to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things will fall into place. To do this well means being intentional about spending time with God, as Jesus did. Each day we must ask ourselves, “Will I seek the Kingdom of God today, or will I seek first other things?” We can’t wait for a trouble-free day to seek His Kingdom, because that day will never come. It doesn’t matter how bad you messed up yesterday or how uncommitted you’ve been in the past. This day is what matters. Today is the only day we have to give to Jesus.
Know What: Each day we must decide what – or Who – we are going to live for.
So What: Jesus wants (and commands) us to seek Him first every day. Everything else, no matter how busy life gets, must come second.
Now What: Do whatever it takes to put Jesus first in all of your ‘todays’, because today is the only day you have.
Discuss…
1. What type of things do we try to have control over in our everyday lives? Do we really have control over them, or is it a false sense of control?
2. Isaac said we worry about the things we are most devoted to. Does this statement change the way you think about the concept of worrying? How so?
3. What is the difference between worrying about the future and planning for the future? Which do you do more of?
4. Have you ever found yourself being busy with things that don’t really matter? Why do you think the Enemy tries so hard to keep us “busy”? What are some ways he distracts you, in particular, from seeking God?
5. Describe a typical day of your life. How much time in a day do you spend at work (or school)? How much time in a day do you spend on personal tasks (showering, exercising, etc)? Household chores? Family responsibilities? Recreation? How much time do you spend with God?
6. After describing a typical day in your life, is there anything you wish looked differently? What would it look like for you to seek first the Kingdom of God in 2011? How can other members of your group encourage you in this endeavor as the year progresses?
7. What do you think Jesus meant when he said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”? What have you been worrying about lately? Do you believe that seeking God first will help you with this circumstance? How so?
8. Think about the God who made you, the God of the universe, looking you in the eye and saying “Well done.” What would hearing those words mean to you? Would that experience be worth seeking Him first now and living out your fullest potential?
Next Steps…
Isaac gave some examples of what it looks like to seek God first. Among these are spending deliberate time with Him through prayer and Scripture, loving other people well, being joyful even in hard times, and living out your calling by using your gifts. This week, spend some time thinking about (you may even want to write it down) how you will seek Jesus first this year.
