Youth Sermon: Focused On Today

Introduction

Today, we're going to talk about something super important that Jesus taught his followers. This is something we all need to understand and do in our lives.

I want you to imagine you're carrying a backpack. Every time you worry about something in the future, you're adding a rock to your backpack. Now, how heavy do you think that backpack would be after a week? A month? A year? Pretty heavy, right? That's what worrying about the future does to us. It weighs us down. But what if we only had to carry the rocks for today? That's a lot lighter, isn't it?

Let's be real, there's a lot that can stress us out. And right now, it feels like stress is everywhere. That's why it's so awesome to hear Jesus say, "Don't stress about tomorrow."

Don't stress about tomorrow.

Jesus' Teaching

Jesus reminds us that life is more than just stuff like food, clothes, or money. He tells us to look at the birds. They don't stress about what they need because God takes care of them. If God takes care of the birds, won't He take care of us too?

Worrying doesn't help us at all. Instead, Jesus tells us to focus on God first, and everything else will fall into place. We don't need to stress about tomorrow because today has enough stuff to deal with.

Remember, God thinks you're so awesome that He sent His Son to die for you. He doesn't want you wasting your time and energy on stress, worry, or doubt. He wants you to give all that to Him and trust Him with your life.

Our Response

In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches us to ask God for what we need each day. We need to rely on God for our daily stuff. Just like we need food, we also need spiritual stuff from God.

We have a job to do. We need to put stress in its place. We can do this by figuring out what's causing us stress and giving it to God through prayer. We need to chill and trust in God's plan. Our focus should be on today, not on what might happen tomorrow.

Is stress stealing your joy? Is it taking up all your time? Are you stuck because you're worried about what might happen?

Imagine how different your life would be if you just focused on today and trusted God with your worries. Let go of stress about tomorrow and live in the now.

This week, try to figure out what's causing you stress and give it to God through prayer. As you do this, you'll start to feel a peace that's hard to explain and you'll be able to live the life God wants for you.

Prayer

God, help us to stop worrying about the future and just live in the now. Help us trust that you've got us covered each day.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. What are some things you worry about for the future?

2. How can focusing on today help alleviate those worries?

3. How have you seen God provide for your needs in the past?

4. What does it mean to seek God's kingdom and righteousness first?

5. How can we practically put our fears and worries in their proper place?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Birds of the Air
• Group Activity: Daily Bread Hunt
• Youth Challenge: Today's Focus