THE WORTHLESSNESS OF WORRY
Here is a recap of Sunday’s message from Pastor Steve’s message: “The Worthlessness of Worry”
We dove into Jesus’s invitation to stop carrying what God never intended us to carry.
The opening image was simple but powerful: worry doesn’t live only in the mind; it settles in the body. It tightens the chest, steals sleep, and slowly drains joy. The point was not just psychological, it was spiritual. As children of God we are repeatedly told in Scripture to bring our cares to the Father. Yet we often live as if we must control the outcome ourselves.
Jesus’ words from Matthew 6 were central. He doesn’t merely command “don’t worry” and leave it at that. He points us to creation like birds, animals, wildflowers and to the Father who cares for them. The implication is simple: if God provides for the birds and clothes the flowers, how much more will He provide for those who belong to Him? Worry is often a sign that we’ve forgotten who’s in control. Jesus calls us to exchange anxiety for trust, fear for faith, and to chase after God’s Kingdom.
Practical takeaways:
• When you let go of worry you make room for the peace Jesus offers, not because life becomes easy but because your trust is refocused on God.
• Worry is counterproductive; it cannot add a single moment to your life and often steals the moments you already have.
• Faith is practiced in the small, daily choices to seek God’s kingdom first instead of obsessing over tomorrow.
• Worry is contagious. Guard your heart and the people around you by naming anxieties, praying, and taking practical next steps rather than spinning alone.
Pastor talked about how worry harms us physically and emotionally:
It raises heart rate and blood pressure and, over time, increases risk of heart problems.
It suppresses immune function, making us more susceptible to illness.
It disrupts digestion and can contribute to chronic gut issues.
It robs us of restorative sleep, producing fatigue and poor concentration.
It drains emotional reserves and increases the risk of depression and burnout.
To bring courage to the conversation, Joshua 1 was read as a reminder that God commands strength and courage because He promises His presence. We are not left to figure everything out alone. The text assures us: He will not fail us or abandon us.
Below are the verses that were read during the message.
Matthew 6:25–34 (CEV)
25 I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than birds? 27 Can worry make you live longer? 28 Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. 29 But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. 30 God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. He will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith? 31 Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. 34 Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.
Matthew 6:25–34 (The Message)
25–26 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. 27–29 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion, do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. 30–33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers, most of which are never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. 34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
Joshua 1 (NLT)
1 After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you 4 from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command, be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 10 Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel, 11 “Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.” 12 Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 13 He told them, “Remember what Moses, the Lord’s servant, commanded you: ‘The Lord your God is giving you a place of rest. He has given you this land.’” 14 Your wives, children, and livestock may remain here in the land Moses assigned to you on the east side of the Jordan River. But your strong warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory. 15 Stay with them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has given you rest, and until they, too, possess the land the Lord your God is giving them. Only then may you return and settle here on the east side of the Jordan River in the land that Moses, the Lord’s servant, assigned to you.” 16 They answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. 17 We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!”
Remember that any time worry and anxiety or frustration tries to settle into your life, Jesus offers an invitation to evict it from your life. Start small: name the worry, pray it, and fix your mind on what the Spirit is saying. We serve a Father who is present, who provides, and who calls us to live differently…free to be careless in His care.