Anxiety is epidemic in our society. We live in an age where we are overwhelmed with worry and bombarded with fear. Our lives are left with no room to live in the joy that God intends. Only when we turn to God in prayer can we experience the peace that is capable of calming our heart so that we can be fully satisfied with God’s plan in our circumstances. ~ Pastor Dave
Open: Have you ever been gripped by anxiety? What were the circumstances? What made this moment such an anxious event?
Read: Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 6:24-34; 1 Peter 5:7; Hebrews 13:5-6
Discuss:
1. In what ways do you see anxiety displayed in epidemic proportions? Why do you believe anxiety and worry are at an all-time high? What are things that make Americans anxious? What makes you anxious? Do you believe the following statement is true: “85% of the things we worry about never happens!” Why or why not?
2. What conflict was Paul addressing in Philippians 4:1-3? In what ways could this conflict create anxiety and hinder joy in the church? What sorts of things occupy your mind? How does your preoccupation with these things affect your relationships? How does it affect your joy in the Lord? How does it affect your relationship with the God of peace?
3. What does Paul give as the prescription to overcome anxiety? Describe the progression of prayer in Philippians 4:6-7: What role does gratitude play in our prayers? What makes thankfulness so difficult in our anxious moments? How does your circumstance look different when you face it with worry compared to facing it as God prescribes here?
4. God doesn’t promise any quick or easy solution to our worry. Instead He offers His peace. What is the difference between “peace with God” and the “peace of God”? How is peace with God a better promise than the promise to a resolution to your worrisome situations? What are some things that keep us from peace?
5. Paul gives us a plan that calls us to shift our focus. Describe this shift. How does having the “who” help us to worry less about the “what”? How have you seen this true in your life? Describe the eight characteristics in Philippians 4:8: Which one stands out to you most?
Pray: Pray that you would shift your mind from the places of anxiety to the person of God. Ask God to give you His peace that would surpass your anxiety. Take some time to rejoice in God’s goodness in the midst of your circumstance.
Memorize/Meditate: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
