Luke 12:22-34
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This is the seventh of nine sermons in our series on ‘Discipleship Lessons from Luke’. This sermon is on ‘Worry’.
Questions and going deeper resources
Small group questions
CONNECT: Is there an area of greed that you need to address in your life?
WARM-UP Question
- Do you think we have a cultural problem with ‘worry’? Why or why not?
- What are the things that you most typically worry about? How can that affect you?
READ Luke 12:22-34
- In this passage, Jesus is not so much telling us not to worry but rather he is wanting us to consider whether we have the right set of worries. What is it specifically that Jesus says in verse 22 that we should not worry about?
- Do we need to be careful not to generalise this into a broader category of ‘financial worry’ or ‘worry-in-general’? Why or why not?
- Jesus gives two big reasons why we shouldn’t worry about our threshold needs. What is the first reason he gives in verse 24?
- What is the second reason Jesus gives for not worrying about threshold needs in verses 25-26? Without ignoring what Jesus is saying, what else might we need to add to this reason for those who suffer from mental illnesses?
- If worrying does is not fruitful, why do you think that we’re often so good at it?
- What should we be doing instead of worrying, given these two reasons? What does this look like in practical terms? What is a specific way that you can apply this in the coming days?
- In verse 23 Jesus says, ‘Life is more than food and the body more than clothes’. How does this help Luke to make another comparison with Solomon (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:24)?
- From what Jesus says in verse 31, the ‘more than’ is the kingdom of God. What is the kingdom of God?
- Why would Jesus tell us to seek the kingdom, if we have already received it?
- In verse 33, Jesus describes the pursuit of the kingdom of God in terms of giving to the poor. How does Proverbs 19:17 help us understand this?
- How might our spending habits show us where our worries truly lie?
APPLY: What is one area of worry (or tendency to worry) in your life? How can Jesus’ teaching in these verses help alleviate you of worry?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the incredible ways in which you provide for us both eternally and also today. Please help us not to worry but instead trust in you. Please also help us to be generous with all that we have, that we might continually express our dependence on you alone. Amen.
Going deeper resources
On Your Frontline This Week: Who is someone you could invite along to the Prayer Night, Women’s Dessert night or the Father & Children’s BBQ?
Audio and Video
Books and Articles
Other Helpful Resources (For Series)
- 13-Week Series on Luke by Gary Millar (QTC):
- ARTICLE: “The 6Ms - Uncovering Fruitfulness Where You Are”
- BOOK: Overview of Luke by the Bible Project
- BOOK: “Luke (Read, Mark, Learn Series)”
