For reflection:
- What are the areas of your life that bring you the most anxiety?
- Does worshipping “Mammon” look different for the rich, poor, and middle class? How so?
- How might viewing the anxious/worry-filled areas of your life through the lens of knowing you have a Heavenly Father who cares and has earmarked provision specifically for you impact that worry? What is preventing it from making a difference in your daily approach to life?
- Jesus tells us to NOT borrow tomorrow’s troubles. How can we stay anchored in our today knowing this?
- How do we live out this principle and not let it cause us to be apathetic or “hands off” to social justice issues or does living this principle allow us to be more in tune to kingdom needs?
- Do you have any examples of how God has provided material needs for you against all odds?
- How does this week’s message about not worrying go hand in hand with last week’s message about storing up earthly treasures. What is the continuing message Jesus is trying to bring home?
- What are some practical steps we can take each day to “strive first for the Kingdom of God?”
Digging Deeper:
- How might storing treasures in Heaven help us to avoid serving two masters?
- Lilies (symbolic of purity and innocence) are compared to Solomon (wisdom and learning) in this sermon, how does that metaphor serve to reassure us of our value?
- The grass of the field has no faith, here today and gone tomorrow. We, the audience here, have little faith. How do we read that optimistically?
- Some instances of the term “slave” in the Bible refer to bondservants working off debts. Consider this meaning while reflecting on Matthew 6:24. How might comparing working for a master (to whom we owe a debt) to working for our own wealth impact our understanding of this verse?