January 23, 2011
Finding Peace in a High Anxiety World
A Grow-Pray-Study guide for small groups
This guide uses the Scripture readings from the daily “GPS” study guide. Group members may read the daily readings before the group
meeting, or read the verses aloud when the group meets. The group may subdivide into two or three smaller groups, each discussing a set of
the daily readings and the corresponding questions on page 2, or the entire group may discuss those questions together. Our prayer is that,
whatever pattern of study you choose, the Holy Spirit will weave God‟s Word into the life and heart of each group member.
MONDAY
Exodus 14:5, 9-16
TUESDAY
Psalm 37:5-11
WEDNESDAY
Isaiah 43:1-7
THURSDAY
Mark 6:34-52
FRIDAY
Luke 12:22-32
SATURDAY
Isaiah 30:15-18
As scary situations go, being an unarmed former slave on the edge of an inland sea, and
seeing your former master’s mighty army closing in on you, would have to rank high. Pharaoh
had chariots, horses and trained troops. Israel had their bare hands, and God. Then Moses
spoke the extraordinary words we’ll see often this week: “Do not be afraid.”
When we read Bible verses that say “Do not fear,” we’re often inclined to think, “Yeah, but they
didn’t know what I’m facing!” But the Bible writers did not live in some movie fairyland. This
psalmist knew well that “people succeed in their ways” and “carry out their wicked schemes.”
In spite of that he said, “Trust in the Lord—be still before the Lord.”
Far from promising us that trust in God ensures that nothing bad can ever happen in this life,
Isaiah knew that, sooner or later, bad things come to all of us. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In
this world you will have trouble.” Isaiah wrote, “When [not “if”] you pass through the waters
….When you walk through the fire.” But he began with familiar words: “Do not fear.”
Scary situation #1: a large crowd was hungry. The disciples said, “Send them to get food,” but
Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” Then his power provided lots of food for them to
share. Scary situation #2: a strong wind blew across the Sea of Galilee. The disciples were
struggling. Jesus came, said “Do not be afraid,” and stopped the wind. The disciples were
amazed. Both episodes gave insight into human fear and heavenly sufficiency.
We may not face marching armies, or huge crowds who need food. But every day we face
cars that wear out, bills that need to be paid, and the question of “What’s for lunch?” Jesus
asked us not to worry about those things. Even in this world, he said, those needs are usually
met, for the birds and for us. But he sought to raise our sights beyond this world, saying, “Do
not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
In Isaiah’s day, the Assyrian Empire threatened Israel from the north. King Hezekiah was
worried, and sent emissaries southwest to ask Egypt for help. It was futile—Assyria’s army
was far stronger than Egypt’s. On God’s behalf, Isaiah pleaded with Israel to turn back from
these missions. Trust in God, who loves you and longs to show you mercy, he begged.
There’s no help in Egypt’s swift horses. Instead “in repentance and rest is your salvation.”
To access the Family Activity suggested in this week‟s GPS, download the printable GPS from
www.cor.org/guide.
Send questions to Darrell Holtz ([email protected] or (913) 544-0274) © Copyright 2010 by The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
Finding Peace in a High Anxiety World
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January 23, 2011
SUGGESTED PRAYER
Lord, please help us to set aside our worries and fears. Teach us how to trust in you. Part the waters of this world and show us the
path to your kingdom. Grant us patience and help us to provide wisely and well for those who depend on our work while we wait
upon you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
CONNECT
What kinds of things or situations cause you to worry? What kinds of things tend to wind you up and make you angry? How much
does the national, community or social climate affect your tendency to worry or be angry?
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND STUDY

Read Exodus 14:5, 9-16. Imagine this: You are one of the Israelites. You see the oncoming Egyptian army and you know
they aren‟t there just to say goodbye. Moses tells you, “Don‟t be afraid.” What is your reaction? Moses raises his staff and the
waters part. What‟s your reaction? Moses then says, “Okay, now go through the sea.” What‟s your reaction? It feels as though
God, through Moses, tells you the opposite of everything your survival instincts are telling you. What will you do? Will you
remain calm? Will you accept what your eyes tell you as the waters part, even though it seems impossible? Will you get up
and move across, even though that seems almost as scary as the looming threat of the Egyptians?

Read Psalm 37:5-11. Breaking this down, we hear that, when things are at their worst in our lives, we should commit to God,
trust in God, be calm, wait patiently for God, refrain from anger, turn from wrath and not fret. All this seems to go totally
opposite to our human nature and our natural tendencies. What does this tell us about God‟s wisdom and his kingdom as
compared to this world? Why would God want us to behave so differently from the norm? Do you believe this will work for us?
Why? Does God want us to “crash and burn”? You will notice that God doesn‟t say that we should do nothing. How will we
know what to do?

Isaiah 43:1-7 says that we will pass through (troubled) waters and walk through fire in our lives and yet we should not be
afraid. What fears do you face in life? Death, poverty, pain, suffering? Considering your own experiences and the experiences
of others, does having faced these fears before help you face them the next time around? Does this help you make sense of
God‟s instruction that we should not be afraid? Is this what we call wisdom? Does this help explain why wisdom seems to
come more with age and experience?

Mark 6:34-52 says that the disciples didn‟t understand about the loaves. In your own words, what was the lesson? For
various reasons, Bible scholars debate whether Jesus actually supernaturally multiplied loaves and fishes, or if this is meant
Send questions to Darrell Holtz ([email protected] or (913) 544-0274) © Copyright 2010 by The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
Finding Peace in a High Anxiety World
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January 23, 2011
as a symbol of Jesus' power. Without getting tangled up in the technical aspects of that discussion, if Jesus didn‟t
supernaturally multiply the loaves and fishes, would it have been any less a miracle? If he didn‟t supernaturally multiply the
loaves and fishes, would it have changed the lesson the disciples could have learned? If so, how? Then Jesus walked on
water and calmed the wind and water. What was this lesson? What do these stories tell you about Jesus? Who did Jesus
perform these miracles for?

Read Luke 12:22-32. This week, the GPS asked: What would it look like if you applied Jesus' wisdom (“life is more than food,
and the body more than clothes”) to your everyday activities? What would rise higher on your list of priorities, and what might
drop to a lower rung? Do you believe that changing your priorities in that way would increase or decrease your worries? Not
only is it true that worrying cannot add a single hour to our lives, but science tells us that worry can actually shorten our lives.
How can we discern between appropriate, effective planning and excessive worrying?

Isaiah 30:15-18 is both a hopeful message and a dire warning. What, in your own words, is the warning? What is the hopeful
message? What does it mean when it says, “For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”?
From last week: Did you make a list of the unique combination of strengths, skills, talents and gifts that you possess and did you
consider how you might put these to work for service to others? Are you willing to share these thoughts with the group and elicit
their feedback and suggestions?
FOR ADDITIONAL INSIGHT
Egyptian Armies
The major advance in weapons technology and warfare began around 1600 BC when the Egyptians fought and finally defeated
the Hyksos people who had made themselves lords of Lower Egypt. It was during this period the horse and chariot were
introduced into Egypt, which the Egyptians had no answer to until they introduced their own version of the war chariot at the
beginning of the 18th Dynasty. The Egyptians then improved the design of the chariot to suit their own requirements. That made
the Egyptian chariots lighter and faster than those of other major powers in the Middle East. Egyptian war chariots were manned
by a driver holding a whip and the reigns and a fighter, generally wielding a composite bow or, after spending all his arrows, a
short spear of which he had a few. The charioteers wore occasionally scale armor, but many preferred broad leather bands
crossed over the chest or carried a shield. Their torso was thus more or less protected, while the lower body was shielded by the
chariot itself. The pharaohs often wore scale armor with inlaid semi-precious stones, which offered better protection, the stones
being harder than the metal used for arrow tips. The principal weapon of the Egyptian army was the bow and arrow; it was
transformed into a formidable weapon with the introduction by the Hyksos of the composite bow. These bows, combined with the
war chariot, enabled the Egyptian army to attack quickly and from a distance. Other new technologies included the khopesh,
which temple scenes show being presented to the king by the gods with a promise of victory, body armor, in the 19th Dynasty
soldiers began wearing leather or cloth tunics with metal scale coverings, and improved bronze casting. Their presence also
caused changes in the role of the military in Egyptian society and so during the New Kingdom, the Egyptian military changed
Send questions to Darrell Holtz ([email protected] or (913) 544-0274) © Copyright 2010 by The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
Finding Peace in a High Anxiety World
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January 23, 2011
from levy troops into a firm organization of professional soldiers. Conquests of foreign territories, like Nubia, required a
permanent force to be garrisoned abroad. The encounter with other powerful Near Eastern kingdoms like Mitanni, the Hittites,
and later the Assyrians and Babylonians, made it necessary for the Egyptians to conduct campaigns far from home.
Much more at source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Ancient_Egypt
Israelite Armies
As Joshua crossed into the land of Canaan, his ragtag band of ex-mercenaries was organized into a system of tribal units, each
led by their tribal leaders with Joshua as the general commander-in-chief. The tribal organized army was made into guerilla-like
infantry, and “armed with sickle swords, spears, bows, slings, and daggers.” John A. Woods points out T.R. Hobb‟s conclusion
“that the Israelites preferred [the] slashing sword (for cutting muscles and blood vessels) over thrusting swords (for penetrating
vital organs).” Joshua‟s military focus was that of light infantry arranged in a way to emulate the quick style combat of guerilla
warfare that replicated the mountainous and uneven terrain. Joshua‟s excursions into the Hill Country of the land of Canaan left
little need for the use of the expensive chariot, and gave his forces a slight advantage over the phalanx fighting heavy infantry of
the Philistines and chariot focused Canaanites.
David later took Joshua, the Judges, and Saul‟s military expeditions and both expanded and reformed them. He first began his
reforms by greatly increasing his military numbers by requiring a national tribal levy over all able-bodied males. One military factor
that didn‟t change between David, Saul, and Joshua was that of the army‟s focus on its light infantry force. 1 Chronicle best
describes the tribal weapon specialization that occurred in David‟s army:
The Benjaminites: “were armed with bows and „could use both right hand and left hand in hurling stones and shooting arrows out
of a bow.” The Gadites: “were proficient at „shield and buckler…and were a swift as the roes upon the mountains.” The sons of
Judah & Naphtali: “bore shield and spear.” The Zebulunites: “may well have been the Israelite equivalent of rangers for “they were
expert in war, with all instruments of war…and could keep rank‟.”
More at source: http://leonardooh.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/the-military-tradition-in-ancient-israel/
Final application:
This week, think of those things that tend to work you up, make you angry, or worry. Use this insight to ward off problems before
they come up. Consider praying each time they come up and see if this foreknowledge makes you less susceptible to the usual,
worldly reaction. Share your experiences with the group next week.
Send questions to Darrell Holtz ([email protected] or (913) 544-0274) © Copyright 2010 by The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection