Kingdom Confusion, Part 5: Worry and Trust
Welcome to the fifth week of our series Kingdom Confusion. This week, Pete Stearns describes how Kingdom Confusions lead us to worry over worldly outcomes rather than entrusting them to God.
Opening Discussion: What is your relationship with worry? Are you prone to worrying, or are you normally pretty worry-free? What would the people you’re closest to say about you regarding worry?
If you haven’t already, watch the Primer Podcast (14 min.):
Read Matthew 6:25-32 to frame your discussion today.
In the Primer Podcast, Jessica brought up the tension between Jesus’s instructions not to worry and the experience of her son and daughter-in-law and all those caught in Hurricane Helene and its aftermath. How do we square this tension in the face of very real challenges?
In the podcast and his sermon, Pete talked about how worry connects with the various “kingdom confusions”. Below, talk through the list of “idols” that generate anxiety, discuss how you struggle with each one and what you can turn over to God.
a. Idol: Right Behavior (Matthew 6:5)
b. Idol: Wealth and Significance (Matthew 6:19-21)
c. Idol: Governmental/Social Power (Matthew 5:43-44)
d. Idol: Comfort and Familiarity (Matthew 6:28-30)
Read Matthew 6:33-34 before discussing the next questions.
How can prayer help us shift away from dependence on worldly outcomes?
Discuss how your life would be different if you were able to entrust every outcome to God, and truly “seek first his kingdom”?
To close, talk about how fully entrusting all outcomes to God and seeking His Kingdom first would improve your ability to be a witness to the abundant life in Christ for others.
(*Video available after Sunday services)
