By Dan Lentz
1. Divide your life into three equal eras. For example, if you are 45, your three eras would be 0-15, 16-30, and 31-45. Thinking back, what were your biggest concerns during each of these eras of your life?
Read Matthew 6:25-34.
2. What are you tempted to worry about most today?
3. What line or phrase in these verses is the most helpful to you in combating the temptation to worry?
4. If someone unfamiliar with Jesus or the Bible asked you what it meant to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,” how would you explain it?
If you have access to flowers (real or artificial), give each person in your group one flower. As they hold their flowers, read aloud Matthew 6:28-30.
5. After reading the passage, ask group members to pray silently for a moment. While praying, encourage them to give over their specific area of worry to the Lord and demonstrate it by getting up and placing their flowers in the center of the room. Once everyone’s flowers have been laid down, ask for a few volunteers to pray aloud to close your group time.
T. Daniel Lentz works for the Small Group Network in Whitestown, Indiana.
