Trusting God: Overcoming Anxiety Through Faith

Imagine walking the dusty roads of Galilee, the sun warming your back, and hearing Jesus teach not from a throne or temple, but from a hillside, using the simple beauty of birds and wildflowers to reveal the heart of God. In that moment, Jesus invites us to see life through the eyes of trust, not anxiety. He points to the birds that neither sow nor reap, yet are fed by the Father, and to the lilies, clothed in splendor greater than Solomon, though they neither labor nor spin. These everyday miracles are not just poetic illustrations—they are living reminders that God’s care is both intimate and extravagant.

The world we inhabit is a kingdom where anxiety is the national anthem, where striving and self-sufficiency are celebrated, and where worry is a constant companion. We often find ourselves, like Tom the businessman, running faster, holding tighter, and fearing deeper, as if we could secure our own futures by sheer effort. But Jesus steps into this chaos and calls us to a different way: “Do not worry about your life… Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” He exposes worry as a symptom of disordered loves—a sign that our hearts have wandered from what truly matters.

Jesus doesn’t just command us not to worry; he asks us five probing questions that gently turn our gaze heavenward. He reminds us that our value is far greater than the birds, that worry cannot add a single hour to our lives, and that God’s provision is both beautiful and sufficient. The antidote to anxiety is not denial or laziness, but a radical reordering of priorities: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When God is at the center, everything else finds its place—food becomes thanksgiving, clothes become gratitude, and life itself becomes worship.

Each day brings its own trouble, but Jesus is King not just of today, but of every tomorrow. The future is already under his feet; we are not required to audition for the role of God. Instead, we are invited to lay down our burdens, trust in his care, and rest in the assurance that the Father knows our needs, the Son rules with wisdom, and the Spirit sustains us with power. Whatever anxieties we carry—be they financial, relational, or nameless fears—Jesus leans in and whispers, “Lay it down. Trust me.” This is the invitation: to seek his kingdom first, to trust his provision, and to rest in his unending love.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Anxiety reveals what we treasure most. Worry is not just an emotional response; it is a mirror reflecting the true priorities and loves of our hearts. When we are anxious about provision, status, or the future, it exposes where we have placed our trust and what we have elevated above God. Recognizing this is the first step toward reordering our loves and returning God to the center of our lives. [11:17]
• 2. God’s care is both intimate and extravagant. The same God who feeds the sparrows and clothes the lilies lavishes even greater care on his children. If he is attentive to the needs of the smallest and most forgettable creatures, how much more does he value and provide for us? This truth invites us to rest in our identity as beloved children, not orphans scrambling for survival. [13:19]
• 3. Worry is futile, but trust transforms. No amount of anxiety can add a single hour to our lives; it only exhausts us without moving us forward. Trust, on the other hand, shifts the landscape of our hearts, turning barren worry into blooming peace. Embracing God’s sovereignty over our days frees us from the illusion of control and opens us to his sustaining presence. [14:20]
• 4. The antidote to anxiety is seeking God’s kingdom first. When we chase after lesser things—wealth, comfort, achievement—they become tyrants that demand more and deliver less. But when we seek God’s kingdom and righteousness above all, everything else falls into place. Life becomes a symphony of worship, and our needs are met in the context of God’s greater purpose. [19:45]
• 5. Jesus is King of every tomorrow. We are not called to be the gods of our own future; that position is already filled. Each day has enough trouble of its own, but the future is secure in Christ, who holds all things under his authority. This assurance allows us to lay down our burdens, trust him with what we cannot control, and walk in the peace that surpasses understanding. [22:50]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:07] - Entering the Story: Galilee and Jesus’ Invitation
• [03:04] - Reading Matthew 6:25-34
• [05:06] - Prayer for Students and Community
• [06:51] - Jesus: Not a Hippie, but King
• [08:33] - The Old Kingdom: Anxiety as Anthem
• [09:53] - Jesus’ Call: Do Not Be Anxious
• [11:17] - Worry Reveals Our True Treasure
• [12:33] - Five Questions That Expose Our Hearts
• [13:19] - God’s Care for Birds and Flowers
• [14:20] - The Futility of Worry
• [16:30] - The Beauty of God’s Provision
• [19:45] - The Antidote: Seek First the Kingdom
• [22:50] - Jesus, King of Every Tomorrow
• [25:04] - Laying Down Our Burdens and Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV) —
> “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Observation Questions

1. What everyday examples does Jesus use to teach about God’s care in this passage? ([03:04])
2. According to Jesus, what is the relationship between worry and our value to God? ([13:19])
3. What does Jesus say about the effectiveness of worry in changing our circumstances? ([14:20])
4. What command does Jesus give about our priorities, and what promise does he attach to it? ([19:45])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus chose birds and wildflowers as his illustrations for God’s care? What do these examples reveal about God’s character? ([13:19])
2. The sermon says, “Worry is a symptom of disordered loves.” What does this mean, and how does it relate to what Jesus says in Matthew 6? ([11:17])
3. How does seeking God’s kingdom first act as an “antidote” to anxiety, according to both Jesus and the sermon? ([19:45])
4. The sermon mentions that “Jesus is King not just of today, but of every tomorrow.” How does this truth challenge the way we think about our future? ([22:50])

Application Questions

1. The sermon describes our world as a place where “anxiety is the national anthem.” In what areas of your life do you feel this most strongly? How does it show up in your daily routine? ([08:33])
2. The story of Tom the businessman shows someone trying to control his future through effort and worry. In what ways do you try to “outrun tomorrow’s uncertainties” in your own life? ([09:53])
3. The sermon says, “Worry reveals what we treasure most.” What recent worry in your life might be pointing to something you’ve placed above God? ([11:17])
4. Jesus asks, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” What is one specific worry you need to lay down this week, trusting God with the outcome? ([14:20])
5. The sermon talks about “seeking first the kingdom of God.” What would it look like for you to reorder your priorities this week so that God is truly at the center? ([19:45])
6. The preacher invites us to “name that burden” and release it to God. Is there a burden you’re carrying right now that you need to lay down? How can the group support you in this? ([25:04])
7. The sermon says, “We are not required to audition for the role of God.” Are there areas where you are trying to control things that only God can handle? What would it look like to trust him more in those areas? ([22:50])