GOING DEEPER
04.26.2020 | JUST BE | Wk 1: “Just Be Present”
Join the community and go deeper with this Bible study.
Breaking Ground
What is the farthest away place that you’ve ever visited?
The Dig
Begin by discussing the concept of being present.
What does it mean to be present?
Where do you feel like you are the most present? The least? Why do you think that is for each?
Next, read Matthew 6:25-34. Right before this passage, Jesus calls his disciples to learn to have one master – to devote themselves fully to God’s Kingdom over the other things that try to gain our allegiance.
Why does this text follow that calling?
What role does being present have in being able to devote oneself fully to the Kingdom?
Jesus begins by laying out crucial elements of our survival – food, drink, & clothes – telling us not to focus our intense anxiety, concern, & worry on where those will come from tomorrow.
Why do you think Jesus focuses on these items specifically & instructs his disciples to avoid that kind of thinking?
In this text, Jesus warns that we will miss two key things when we live in that space of anxiety & concern for the future: our life & God’s Kingdom purposes/work.
How does not being present lead us to miss our life? The Kingdom?
Jesus teaches his disciples how to be present by pointing to the birds in the sky & the flowers that clothe the fields. Jesus believes that we need to practice things that draw us into the present in order to learn to just be present.
Why do you think Jesus uses these two images to teach his disciples what being present looks like? What does he want us to practice from this teaching?
How does focusing on these two things help us overcome what Jesus is warning us about?
Close by sharing where you’ve been present recently. Share how it made you feel & what you can do to be more present moving forward with this series.
Getting Out of the Hole
Take time this week to journal about where you feel like you need to grow in your ability to be present. Consider the following:
- In your relationships
- In your time with God
- In your time alone
- In your family
- In your work
- In your free time
What do you need to do to get more present in this area of your life? What do you need to change? What do you need to let go of?
Write down your thoughts & share them with your growth group next week!
Additional Resources*
The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun
Open Mind, Open Heart by Thomas Keating
The Naked Now by Richard Rohr
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, May 3: Join us for the second week of our series Just Be, where we will be looking at how to Just Be Centered in the midst of the chaotic seasons of our lives.
* Please see mye3.org for details.