WORRY
“Worry”/“Anxious” is the
Greek word “merimnao” meaning a mental distress or
agitation resulting from undue concern – Webster’s Dictionary.
Phil. 4:6, 7 What are we to be
anxious for or be worried about?
What are
some of the things that you are anxious or worried about?
Why do you think that these things worry you?
What
should we do when we are anxious about something?
What does verse 7
say will happen when we let our requests be made known to God?
How often do you pray or talk to God about the anxieties or worries
that you have in your life? Why?
Are
you experiencing the peace of God consistently? Why?
Matt. 6:25-34 What three things are God’s people not to be anxious or
worry about?
What can’t being anxious
or worrying do to your life (vs. 27)?
If you are pursuing
and putting God’s kingdom (i.e., Christ’s
rulership and lordship over your life – 1 Pet.
Are you so worried
about having the necessities of life that God’s kingdom becomes secondary, instead
of primary importance?
Why?
What will it take
for you to seek first the
What was keeping the rich young ruler from putting God first in his
life (
Is pursuing
materialism or wealth keeping you from putting God first in your life (by obeying the Bible, especially doing
evangelism and building up believers spiritually)? Why?
If not, then what is
keeping you from putting God first by doing evangelism and building up
believers spiritually?
Why is worry a sin (clue, Rom.
Is the reason you
worry due to a lack of faith/trust in God and His Word, the Bible?
Matt.
Does
the fear or worry about your safety keep you from sharing your faith? Why?
If
not, then are you willing to go anywhere that God sends you to share the gospel
(e.g., overseas, in the ghetto, etc.)?
Acts 16:1, 16-19, 22-26 What
happened to Paul and Silas?
What
was the reason that Paul and Silas had been thrown in jail?
Does
it seem that Paul and Silas were worried about being thrown in jail? Why?
If you are ever
thrown in jail for being a Christian or evangelizing, do you think that you would
worry about getting out, and why?
Or, would you sing
and pray? Why?
Acts
What
was Paul’s reaction to what the prophet said?
Did
it seem that Paul was worried about going to
Are
you ready to die, be beaten, or put in prison for
Jesus’ sake? Why?
Eph. 1:7 Because of
Jesus Christ’s shed blood, what do we Christians have?
[Redemption means to
be released from a state of slavery to sin by Jesus’ shed blood and brought
under His ownership.].
Did
you ever worry about the sins you committed before you became a Christian? Why?
As
a Christian, do you ever worry about God not forgiving you for sins you
repeatedly commit?
Why
(Col. 2:13, 14; 1 Jn. 1:9)?
1 Tim.
Does your young age keep you from witnessing to
older people? Why?
What
does the second part of verse 12 say that we should do?
Why do you think a
person shouldn’t worry about his or her age when witnessing or teaching the
Bible to other people?
Lk. 10:38-42 What
was Martha worried about?
What did Jesus tell Martha?
Do you let little
things like cooking, mowing the lawn, shopping for food or clothes, visiting
relatives, cleaning the house, laundry, washing/waxing your car, etc. keep you
from a closer relationship with God? Why?
Do you think that
you need to make any changes in your life as a result of knowing this? If so,
what?
2 Cor.
What
is the parent’s responsibility for the children?
Is
undue concern for family (e.g., providing
financially for them) keeping you from serving the Lord full-time, and why?
Do
you think that God could take care of your family if you stepped out in faith
and served Him full-time?
Do
you worry about whether or not your parents can make it without your support? Why?
1 Pet. 5:7 What should we do? Why?
How
often do you do this, and how do you do this?
Why
do you think that we should cast our burdens on the Lord?
What
does Job 16:21 say?
Are
you able to talk to God like you do your friends?
1 Jn. 4:4 Should we worry
about Satan or his attacks on us? Why?
Instead
of worrying, when Satan continually attacks you, what should you do (Eph.
Do
you ever resist Satan’s attacks? How?
Or,
do you let him get the best of you? Why?
1 Cor. 7:32-35 What does Paul want us to be free from?
What
is the unmarried person concerned about?
If
you are single, are you concerned with pleasing God or yourself? Why?
What
are you doing to please the Lord?
What
is the married person concerned with?
If
you are married, is this what you are primarily concerned with – how you may
please your spouse, or does serving the Lord take precedence over your spouse? Why?
How
do you show that God is first in your life over your spouse?
What
did Peter do in order to be discipled/trained by Jesus
(Lk.
Are
you willing to leave your spouse like Peter, or could you be separated
temporarily in order to be trained and taught to be a full-time Christian
worker?
What
are the married person’s interests (vs.
34)?
Why
did Paul even write this (vs. 35)?
Is
it possible to serve the Lord wholeheartedly full-time and be married (Acts 18:2, 18, 26)?
Are
your interests undivided in your service to the Lord?
1 Jn. 1:9 If we confess our
sins, what is God faithful to do?
[“confess” means “to say along with or
verbally agree with”].
Do
you ever worry about whether or not your sins have been forgiven, and why?
If
you have confessed your sins to God, what can you be confident about?
What
does Psalm 66:18 say concerning the issue?
Should
a Christian confess his sin immediately as soon as he realizes that he has
committed it? Why (vs. 6)?
1 Jn. 5:11-13 What
does verse 13 say we have if we believe in Jesus Christ?
Do
you know for sure, without a doubt, that you are going to heaven, and why?
Should
you worry about your salvation? Why
(Titus 1:2)?
Can
a Christian lose his salvation? Why (Rom.
1 Sam.
Is
this what happened?
Was
David worried about fighting Goliath? Why
(vs. 47)?
Do you worry about
the giants or problems in your life, or do you confidently deal with them, and
why (Rom.
What did Goliath
come with to fight David, and what did David come with (vss. 40, 45)?
Do you let God fight
the battles in your life? Explain.
One way of
overcoming worry or anxiety is by trusting God and His sovereignty – is this
what you do, and why?
How (Heb. 12:1, 2)?
Do you keep your
eyes on Jesus or on your problems, and why?
What does it mean to
keep your eyes on Jesus?
Dan. 3:14-18, 27, 28 What were Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego guilty of?
What
happened to them as a result of this (vss.
15, 23)?
What
did they say to the king as a result of this (vs. 17)?
Does
it seem that they were worried about their safety?
If a law was passed
in our country that would pressured you to commit a sin and the penalty of
disobeying the law was death, would you resist committing that sin? Why?
Or, would you worry
about your life? Why?
What finally
happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego?
1 Ki. 19:10-14, 18 What was Elijah worried about?
What
was the Lord’s reply?
What
had Elijah just done in chapter 18:36-40?
Does
it seem that Elijah was worried about the prophets of Baal? What did he do in
chapter 18:27?
What
do you think the difference was between chapter 19 and chapter 18?
Do
you take your focus off of God, His power and sovereignty and instead focus on
your circumstances and problems, and so worry about them? If so, how can you prevent this
from happening?
Jer. 1:4-10 What
was Jeremiah worried about?
What
did the Lord tell Jeremiah in verse 8?
Is
there anything in your life keeping you from speaking out for Christ at work,
school, or in your neighborhood?
If so, what?
According
to Hebrews 13:5, is God with you everywhere you go?
Do
you ever worry about not knowing what to say or not being able to answer
people’s questions? Why?
If so, what should you do instead?
Matt. 14:3-5 What
was king Herod worried about?
If you are a person
in any kind of leadership position, do you ever worry about what other people might
think of your decisions?
Why?
What should you do
instead, and why?
Matt.
[“the
world” – includes food, clothing, shelter, job, financial security,
relationships, future uncertainties, esteem in the community, family].
Are
you preoccupied or worried about any of these things? If so, which, and why?
Since God is
sovereignly in control of these things (1
Sam. 2:6-8; Acts
Is a preoccupation with any of these things, worrying about them,
keeping you from building up believers spiritually (Rom. 14:19; 1 Thes. 5:11), aggressively sharing your faith (Acts 10:42, 43; 2 Tim. 4:5; Matt. 28:19,
20; Phil. 2:2 with 1:27; Phil. 4:9; Phil. 1:7, 12-16), or putting the Lord
first in your life (Matt. 22:37)?
If so, what do you
plan to do about it?
Matt. 10:34-36; Lk. 21:16, 17 Jesus
didn’t come to bring what to the earth?
Who
will a man’s enemies be?
Has
there ever been any conflict in your home because you are a Christian? If so, over what?
If
your parents are not Christians, have you witnessed to them? If not, why?
Should
you worry as to whether your parents will accept you as a Christian or that you
want to do God’s will, and why?
1 Tim. 6:7-10; Heb. 13:5 What
should we be content with?
What
do those who want to get rich fall into?
Is
your life free from the love of money, or do you worry about having enough or
gaining more, and why?
What
should our character be free from? What
is the love of money a root of?
Have
you ever fallen into this trap? If
not, how could you keep from falling into this trap?
1 Sam. 30:1-6 What
did the Amalekites do to David and his men in verse 2?
What
were the people thinking about doing to David, and why?
Was
David worried? What
did he do (vs. 6)?
When
you are anxious or worried about something, do you do this? Why?
What
will you do to remember to do this?
What
did David do in verse 8?
Do
you seek guidance from the Lord (through
reading your Bible and/or getting biblical counsel from godly Christians) when
you have concerns or problems, or do you try to make it on your own, and why?