anxious-for-nothing-study-guide-1.pdf

ANXIOUS

for

NOTHING

FINDING CALM in a CHAOTIC WORLD

STUDY GUIDE

FIVE SESSIONS

Max Lucado

with Jenna Lucado Bishop

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Anxious for Nothing Study Guide

transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning,

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of

HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

Published in association with Anvil II Management, Inc.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New

International Version

, NIV

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Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV

(The Holy Bible, English Standard

Version

Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House

Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version

2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers,

Scripture quotations marked PHILLIPS are taken from J. B. Phillips, “The New Testament in Modern

English,” 1962 edition by HarperCollins.

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ISBN 978-0-310-08731-1

First Printing July 2017 / Printed in the United States of America

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CONTENTS

A Word from Max Lucado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

How to Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Session 1: Rejoice in the Lord Always . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Session 2: Let Your Gentleness Be Evident to All . . . . . . . 33

Session 3: Present Your Requests to God . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Session 4: The Peace of God Will Guard Your Heart . . . . . 75

Session 5: Meditate on These Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Additional Resources for Group Leaders. . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

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Session One

REJOICE IN THE

LORD ALWAYS

We can’t run the world, but we can entrust it to God.

Peace is within reach, not for lack of problems, but for

the presence of a sovereign Lord. Rather than rehearse

the chaos of the world, we can choose to rejoice in the

Lord’s sovereignty.

Max Lucado

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OPENING REFLECTION

hen I (Jenna) was growing up, my dad had school drop- off

duty. And without fail, every morning as he slowed the

car to a stop and we hurriedly unbuckled our seat belts, grabbed

our backpacks, and threw open the doors, he would give the same

exhortation: “Girls, have a good day. Laugh a lot. Learn a lot. And

don’t forget who gave it to ya.”

I never thought much about the phrase growing up. My sisters

and I would just robotically say it with him and then quickly yell,

“Okay, Dad!” before slamming the car doors shut.

Laugh, learn, remember.

As a young girl I naturally did just that. Laughing came easily.

Learning was fun. Remembering God as the giver of my day? It

wasn’t always on my mind, but I never doubted God was with me

and cared for me.

But then I started to grow up. And with growing up came more

responsibility. And with more responsibility came anxiety. It wasn’t

long before homework hours lengthened, friends hurt me, and I

hurt them. Pretty soon I was taking my SATs, learning how to inter-

view for jobs, paying bills. Marriage brought deep joy, but also deep

struggles. Cancer invaded the family, and my heroes in life passed

away. Babies were born— yet another level of worry.

The older I got, the less I naturally lived my dad’s exhorta-

tion to laugh, learn, and remember. The serious struggles of life

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS 13

squelched laughter. The joy of learning turned into pressure to

achieve. And remembering God? The anxieties of life pushed out

thoughts of him.

That’s why it’s hard for me to accept Paul’s words in Philippians

4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Always? How are we supposed to

do that with the pain and anxiety of life?

In this session, we will see that rejoicing in the Lord does not

mean we are in a constant state of excitement. We don’t have to

carry a guitar around and sing worship songs all day. It’s not about

plastering on a fake smile as we walk through a dark time. No,

rejoicing in the Lord always is about a deep remembering.

Remembering that the Lord is here, always.

Remembering that the Lord is in control, always.

Remembering that the Lord is not only the giver of your day but

also the ordainer of every minute inside of it, always.

Remembering that amidst the pressures, pain, and anxiety in

life, he is sovereign, always.

As we remember, I have an inkling we may discover the carefree

child we used to be. Laughing a lot more. Learning a lot more. And

not forgetting who is with us through it all.

TALK ABOUT IT

Welcome to the first session of Anxious for Nothing. If you or any

of your fellow group members do not know one another, take a few

minutes to introduce yourselves. Next, to get things started, discuss

one of the following questions:

• What interested you about this study? What do you hope to

learn, and how do you hope to change because of it?

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• Describe someone in your life who embodies what it means

to “rejoice in the Lord always.” What does this person do or

say to exude a heart with this attitude toward God?

HEARING THE WORD

Read Philippians 4:4–8 aloud as a group. This will be the theme

passage for the next five sessions, so try to look at these words with

new eyes and an open heart. Then read it again silently, circling or

underlining words that stand out to you.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let

your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not

be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer

and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is

noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things.

Turn to the person next to you and take turns sharing your

answers to the following questions:

What was one thing that stood out to you from the passage?

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS 15

Why do these words stand out to you, and what fresh insight do

they bring?

What does “rejoicing in the Lord” mean? In your life, have you

found it difficult or natural to rejoice in the Lord? Why?

VIDEO TEACHING NOTES

Play the video segment for session one. As you watch, use the follow-

ing outline to record any thoughts or concepts that stand out to you.

Anxiety is not so much the onslaught of a storm as the continual

threat that one is coming. It’s a big heap of “what ifs.”

The word anxiety actually comes from a Latin root that means “to

choke” or “to squeeze.” Its strong grip interrupts your sleep, chokes

your energy, and harms your overall well- being.

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Anxiety is a close cousin to fear, but the two are not twins. Fear sees

a threat, while anxiety imagines one.

We have been taught the Christian life is one of peace. When we

don’t have peace, we assume the problem is within us, which leads

us to feel guilty. But while the presence of anxiety is unavoidable,

the prison of anxiety is optional.

When Paul writes to “be anxious for nothing,” he is referring to an

ongoing state. His words could be translated, “Don’t let anything in

life leave you perpetually in angst and breathless.”

Paul’s prescription for anxiety is a call to “rejoice in the Lord.”

This is not a call to a feeling but to a decision.

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS 17

The sovereignty of God refers to his perfect governing over all

things. God works in and through every detail of his creation to

accomplish his divine purpose. We have the astounding privilege

to be a part of this perfect plan.

To rejoice in the Lord, we must have a deep belief in his sovereignty

over our lives. The more we believe in his control, the more we

relinquish our control.

BIBLE STUDY AND

GROUP DISCUSSION

Take a few minutes with your group members to discuss what you

just watched and explore these concepts in Scripture.

1. Before everyone shares in the large group, turn to one or two

people next to you and finish this sentence: “After watching

the video, one question I now have is...”

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2. Stress- related ailments cost the United States billions of dollars

every year. Why do you think the nation leading much of the

world in infrastructure, education, democracy, and more is also

leading the world in anxiety? Why would Americans suffer

from anxiety more than people of lesser developed countries?

3. Scripture includes many verses that can bring comfort and

peace to the worried heart. Read Psalm 56:3; Matthew 6:25–

34; and 1 Peter 5:6–8. What prescription does each passage

give for anxiety?

4. How does the world teach us to cope with anxiety? How does

the world’s solution for anxiety differ from God’s solution?

Eugene Peterson says, “[The fact] that God followers don’t get pref-

erential treatment in life always comes as a surprise.”

Have you

ever expected special treatment from God? If so, how did it affect

your relationship with him when you experienced hard times?

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS 19

6. Read 2 Corinthians 11:23–28 aloud. What trials did Paul face?

Now read 2 Corinthians 12:1–10, where Paul talks about

a constant trial God would not take away. What is God’s

response to Paul’s prayer in verse 9?

How does God display his strength when we are feeling weak

or anxious?

7. The first prescription Paul gives for anxiety is this: “Rejoice in

the Lord always.” Hundreds of years before Paul wrote his letter,

the prophet Habakkuk wrote similar words. Read Habakkuk

3:17–19. How does Habakkuk describe God in these verses?

What names does Habakkuk use for God?

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Why does Habakkuk say he can rejoice in God though the fig

trees wither and crops fail?

8. If you want to rejoice in God regardless of your circumstances,

it is crucial that you learn to trust in his sovereignty. What

prevents you from trusting in the sovereignty of God?

How does trusting in God’s sovereignty affect the way you

perceive life’s trials?

GROUP ACTIVITY

For this activity, each participant will need a sheet of paper, a pen,

and an envelope.

In today’s session, Max described the difference between fear

and anxiety. Fear sees a threat, while anxiety imagines one. Fear

screams, “Get out!” Anxiety ponders, “What if?” Take a minute to

write down three “what ifs” that are causing you anxiety— three

worries that are weighing you down. Once you are finished, fold

up the piece of paper and tuck it away in the envelope. Write your

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS 21

name on the outside of the envelope and give it to your group

leader. At the end of this study, the group leader will pass out the

individual envelopes so you can reevaluate the list and see how

God has brought supernatural peace to these anxious places in

your heart.

CLOSING PRAYER

Wrap up this time by talking to the Father. Your group may want to

begin the prayer time by reading aloud Isaiah 45:9–12, a powerful

passage about the sovereignty of God:

Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,

those who are nothing but potsherds

among the potsherds on the ground.

Does the clay say to the potter,

“What are you making?”

Does your work say,

“e potter has no hands”?

Woe to the one who says to a father,

“What have you begotten?”

or to a mother,

“What have you brought to birth?”

is is what the L says—

the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:

Concerning things to come,

do you question me about my children,

or give me orders about the work of my hands?

It is I who made the earth

and created mankind on it.

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My own hands stretched out the heavens;

I marshaled their starry hosts.

Now take some time to pray for one another. Split up into groups

of two or three or circle up and pray for the person next to you. Here

are a few suggestions of ways to pray for one another:

• Ask the Lord to give you a deeper trust in his sovereignty so

you can rejoice in him no matter what circumstances come

your way.

• Use the passage you just read in Isaiah 45:9–12 and declare

its promises and/or truth over the person you are praying

for. (Insert the person’s name into the verse, or simply ask

that the truth of this verse would be true in his or her life.)

• Ask the Lord to overwhelm the anxious thoughts you each

wrote down earlier with the supernatural peace he promises

in Philippians 4:7.

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BETWEEN- SESSIONS

PERSONAL STUDY

Session One

eflect on the content you’ve covered this week in Anxious for

Nothing by engaging in any or all of the following C.A.L.M.

personal study guide activities. Each personal study consists of four

reflection activities to help you implement what you just learned in

the video while applying Paul’s words in Philippians 4:4–8:

C Celebrate God’s Goodness (Philippians 4:4): is will be a

time to rejoice in the Lord, praising him for his goodness

and for the new insight he is giving you through this study.

Celebrating what God is teaching you and meditating on

who God is will help shi your gaze from the problems on

earth to your hope in heaven.

A Ask God for Help (Philippians 4:6): During this reection

time, you will ask God to help you not only understand

what he is teaching you through the lesson but also to

supernaturally transform your heart to live out this truth

in your daily life.

L Leave Your Concerns with God (Philippians 4:7): is

reection activity will challenge you to leave your wor-

ries in the hands of God and pick up the specic worry

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24 ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING STUDY GUIDE

weapons you are learning in each video session. at way,

when worries threaten to return, you can ght them.

M Meditate on Good Things (Philippians 4:8): At the end of

Paul’s prescription against anxiety, he urges his readers to

meditate on things that are of God. In this activity, you will

meditate on Philippians 4:4–8 and memorize a portion of

it. In this way you will take the rst step to replace anxious

thoughts with the truth of God’s Word.

The time you invest will be well spent, so let God use it to draw

you closer to him. At your next meeting, share with your group any

key points or insights that stood out to you as you spent this time

with the Lord.

CELEBRATE GOD’S GOODNESS

During the teaching session this week, you learned why it is impor-

tant to always rejoice in the Lord. Put the lesson into practice today

by reading Psalm 145:8–20, a passage that celebrates the goodness

of God. If you are in a setting that lends itself to doing so, read the

verses aloud. This is not only a time of reflection but also a time

of worship!

e L is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

e L is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

All your works praise you, L;

your faithful people extol you.

ey tell of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might,

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS 25

so that all people may know of your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures through all generations.

e L is trustworthy in all he promises

and faithful in all he does.

e L upholds all who fall

and lis up all who are bowed down.

e eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

e L is righteous in all his ways

and faithful in all he does.

e L is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

He fullls the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

e L watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

Look back at the passage and underline all the character attributes

of God. Which one of these attributes do you have the hardest

time trusting?

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Why do you think you have a harder time trusting this particular

characteristic of God’s heart?

What description of God in this passage brings you the most

comfort today? Why does it bring you comfort in this season

of your life?

Pray

Take some time to thank God for the specific character trait you just

wrote about. You might pray words to this effect:

ank you, God, for your _________. Help me not only to remem-

ber your goodness on a daily basis but also to trust in it. May the

goodness of you bring out your goodness in me. Amen.

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS 27

Don’t drown in the bilge of your own condemnation. There is a reason the

windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror. Your future matters more

than your past. God’s grace is greater than your sin. What you did was not

good. But your God is good. And he will forgive you. He is ready to write

a new chapter in your life. Say with Paul, “Forgetting the past and looking

forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive

the prize for which God is calling us” (Philippians 3:13–14 TLB).

— Anxious for Nothing, page 45

ASK GOD FOR HELP

What prevents you from rejoicing in the Lord always? Take a

minute to examine your heart and write down your thoughts.

Read Luke 1:26–55. What fears or anxious thoughts could have

flooded Mary’s mind when she received the angel’s message?

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Instead of stewing in anxiety, how did Mary respond in verse 38?

How did Mary’s posture of servanthood enable her to rejoice in

the Lord?

When we see ourselves as God’s servants instead of God’s advisors,

we are in a better position to trust in his sovereignty. Through Mary’s

story, we can infer that one of the biggest hindrances to rejoicing in

the Lord is a failure to submit to his authority over our lives. Mary

can freely rejoice because she humbly submits, and her rejoicing

overflows into a song of worship (verses 46–55). Look at the song

again. In verse 48, why does Mary say her spirit rejoices in the Lord?

Pray

Ask the Lord to specifically help you rejoice in him the way Mary

rejoiced in him. Ask him to help you submit to his sovereignty. And

finally, ask the Lord to help you deeply believe in Mary’s words

found in verse 48—that he is mindful of you. He sees your worries

and is with you through it all. What a beautiful reason to rejoice!

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS 29

You can’t run the world, but you can entrust it to God. This is the message

behind Paul’s admonition to “rejoice in the Lord.” Peace is within reach,

not for lack of problems, but because of the presence of a sovereign Lord.

Rather than rehearse the chaos of the world, rejoice in the Lord’s sov-

ereignty, as Paul did. “The things which happened to me have actually

turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident

to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ”

(Philippians 1:12–13 NKJV).

— Anxious for Nothing, page 24

LEAVE YOUR CONCERNS

WITH GOD

What specific concerns are clouding your thoughts these days?

Write them on the “Worries” column below. This is a time to get

what’s on the inside on the outside, to let God’s light shine on the

darkness that’s weighing on your heart.

Worries Worship

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In this session, we have been discussing a powerful tool to fight

anxiety: rejoicing in the Lord. When we do this, it changes our per-

spective, shrinks the anxiety, and magnifies God’s glory. Under the

“Worship” column, next to each worry you wrote, write a reason you

have to rejoice in the Lord. (You may want to refer to the Psalm 45

passage used in the first activity.)

Take Action!

Take this activity a step further by encouraging a friend with what

you are learning. Text, call, and/or email a friend in your group or

any friend on your mind. Ask the friend to share a worry you can

pray for, and then assure them of God’s goodness, perhaps using a

verse you have read during this study or just a simple reminder that

God is sovereign over their life. Rejoicing in the Lord is even more

meaningful when shared!

We have a choice. We can wear our hurt or wear our hope. We can outﬁt

ourselves in our misfortune, or we can clothe ourselves in God’s provi-

dence. We can cave in to the pandemonium of life, or we can lean into the

perfect plan of God. And we can believe this promise: “In all things God

works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according

to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

— Anxious for Nothing, page 59

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS 31

MEDITATE ON GOOD THINGS

Study Philippians 4:4 (ESV)— “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I

will say, rejoice”— until you can recite it from memory. Don’t forget

to memorize the verse reference as well. In case you need some help,

here are a few memorization techniques:

• Write down the verse multiple times.

• Say the verse aloud multiple times.

• Break up the verse into smaller parts and memorize one

section at a time.

• Write down the verse on note cards and place them where

you will see them often— your bathroom mirror, your

refrigerator, your computer, your car.

After you memorize the Scripture, ask the Lord to bring it to

mind any time an anxious thought surfaces.