FEARLESS
Fear of Not Mattering
Objective
To introduce and remind your church or group of the following realities:
1. We long to be important.
2. God views us as his masterpiece.
Preparation
Read Chapter 2 in Fearless and record your thoughts in a journal. Meditate on all that it stirs in your heart and mind. Pray for an extended amount of time, asking God to show you what he wants your listeners to hear.
Supporting Scripture
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29–31 niv)
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.” (Luke 12:6 niv)
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)
“I was made in secret and skillfully wrought.” (Psalm 139:15)
“If I could count [God’s thoughts of me], they would be more than all the grains of sand.” (Psalm 139:18 ncv)
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 nlt)
Outline
I. Someone Special
II. Fearing Nothingness
III. God’s Masterpiece
Opening Question: Does God really care about you?
I. Someone Special
A. Everyone desires significance.
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)
“I was made in secret and skillfully wrought.” (Psalm 139:15)
“If I could count [God’s thoughts of me] they would be more than all the grains of sand.” (Psalm 139:18 ncv)
II. Fearing Nothingness
A. We fear insignificance.
“We drop names of important people, wear college rings on our fingers, and put silicone in our breasts, flashy hubcaps on our cars, grids on our teeth, and keep cigarette butts in jars. We fear we don’t matter.”
B. We don’t have to be afraid—we matter to God.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29–31 niv)
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.” (Luke 12:6 niv)
III. God’s Masterpiece
A. We are God’s idea—his creation.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 nlt)
Discussion Guide
Chapter 2
The Villagers of Stiltsville
EXAMIMNG FEAR
- “Do we matter? We fear we don’t. We fear nothingness, insignificance. We fear evaporation.
a)Do you ever fear that you don’t matter to God? Explain.
b)How do you battle feelings of insignificance?
- "Connect to someone special and become someone special, right?"
a)When are you most tempted to feel special by mentioning a personal connection you have to someone well-known or admired?
b)Why does the attempt to become someone special by connecting with someone special not make you feel any better in the long run?
- “When the idea came through in the reading that the children in the Chinese orphanage are special simply because they were made by a loving creator . . . everyone started crying – including their teachers! It was Wild.”
a)How does the idea that you were made by a loving creator affect you? Do you feel special because of it? Explain.
b)Scripture says you are made in the image of God. What does that mean to you? If you were not made in God's image, would you act differently? Explain.
- “The fear that you are one big zero will become a self-fulfilling prophecy that will ruin your life.”
a)When are you most tempted to believe that you are one big Zero? Describe the last time you felt this Way.
b)How does fearing that you are one big zero become a self-fulfìlling prophecy? Why will it ruin your life? What can you do about it?
- “You matter already,’ / he explained to the town. / ‘Trust me on this one. / Keep your feet on the ground.”
a)Do you believe that you matter already? Explain.
b)What does it mean here to “keep your feet on the ground"? What would it mean for you to do this in your World?
EXPOSING FEAR
- Read Luke 12:4-7.
a)Of Whom are We not to be afraid? Why not?
b)Whom are we to fear? Why? What kind of fear is meant?
c)What reason does Jesus give for not succumbing to fear (V. 7)?
- Read Psalm 139:14-18, 23-24.
a)What kind of thoughts does God have toward you? How many thoughts does he have of you?
b)How do verses 14-18 give the psalmist the confidence to make his request in verses 23-24?
- Read Ephesians 2:10.
a)Why did God create us? Why should this give us confidence?
b)Why can we feel confident that we can find God’s best plan for us?
BATTLING FEAR
- Meditate on the crucifixion of Christ. What does the Cross say about how much you matter to God?
- Imagine what life on earth might be like if God didn’t care about men and women. What do you think would be different?