Beyond the Weekend: Do Not Worry
Guest Pastor Dan Lian shares a powerful message examining Jesus's teaching on worry in Matthew 6:25-33. We discover how worry has become common in our daily experience and how Jesus diagnoses the root causes of our worries. Through Jesus's imagery of birds and flowers, we see God's faithful provision and care for his children as a good Father. We're challenged to remember that we are seen and cared for by God and trust in his abundance. The message invites us to experience the freedom God intends as we seek his kingdom first and discover that worship and worry cannot coexist.
Do Not Worry
Read: Matthew 6:25-33 Listen: Matthew 6
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? Matthew 6:26
Jesus is preaching what would later be recognized as his core teaching, the Sermon on the Mount. At the center of this message, Jesus teaches about worry. Many of those listening to Jesus are day laborers, working day-to-day for their daily needs and provision. These individuals recognize their need for daily bread. They know what it means to have real and genuine concerns. Yet, it is amid such concerns that Jesus gives these words about worry and the good heart of our heavenly Father.
Though our worries may differ from those of Jesus’s followers on the hillside, we still need to entrust our concerns to our heavenly Father. We may worry about our health, our children’s future, the state of our world or if we will be able to afford housing. Learning to trust God in all things is a daily process that involves turning our worries over to God regularly. God sees us, cares for us (even more than the birds) and provides for our needs. We can trust him, and it is essential for our spiritual growth.
TODAY: What worries you? What you do with your worries is key. You can allow worry to snowball into anxiety, or you can turn your concerns over to God and his ever-loving care and provision. Write a list of what you are most worried about. Then, pray through the list and ask for God’s grace and provision with each item.
