March In Home
Theme: Don’t Worry or Have Fear

(Small Group Theme)

"Jesus teaches us to not worry or be anxious but to trust him in all things because he “works for good for those who love him.”
(Romans 8:28).

Prayer:

Begin with the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Invite one person to read the following prayer:

Lord, we invite you into this place.
Please be present with us.
Help us to be honest with ourselves and each other as we talk and pray.
Help us to understand how our worries and fears distract us from experiencing true joy.
Help us to put our trust in you.
We pray this through Christ our Lord.                          
Amen!!

End with the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Discuss

Discuss within your family, what do you worry about most often? (Allow time for discussion.)

Read

Read Luke 12:22-34 (this passage may be familiar to your children as they read this passage last Sunday in Religious Education.)
Read through the passage twice. After reading, use the following questions to discuss the passage with your family:

• • What are three reasons that Jesus gives not to worry?
  • In your opinion, what is an anxious mind?
  • What does Jesus tell us to seek instead of material things?

The reasons we worry are varied and many. However, Jesus encourages us to seek what is heavenly and trust in God, his Father for all the things that we need in life.

Sometimes in life, difficulties arise and we can’t always see where God is in those situations. For example, a loss of a job, a breakup with a boyfriend/girlfriend, a loss of a loved one, a bad grade on a test these are all situations that make us worry and anxious and then we start to worry about how we will overcome these situations. We lose sight of where God is in our lives and let worry and fear take over. BUT GOD IS WITH US!  We need to trust in God and that God will provide for us. When we deepen our relationship with Jesus and grow in our love and trust in him we grow in our trust in God.

Read Philippians 4:6-7. Invite a family member to read the passage. Read the passage twice to become familiar with it. After reading the passage, discuss the following questions:

• • How do we make our requests known to God?
  • What will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus?

Give your particular worries and fears to God each day. Share your anxieties with Jesus just like you would share them with a friend. Allow yourself to be with God honestly  and freely because God knows you better than anyone else. Our failures and successes don’t influence God’s unconditional love for us.

When you feel anxious, worried, or are scared say this simple prayer over and over until you feel a sense of peace come over you: “Jesus, I trust in you.” As a family, repeat it several times to become familiar with it. This is a great little prayer to say at night to help you fall asleep.

Throughout the next several weeks of Lent, practice saying the “Jesus, I trust in you” prayer. What you begin as practice becomes a regular activity in your life. The more you say “Jesus, I trust in you”, the more you will actually trust in him and the less you will worry and feel anxious.

Video:

Grades 1-4:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K1hv7qmIPg

         Middle School/High School Gr.5-10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JYkRe1sFsY

Activity:

As a family, sometime this week, go get donuts and talk about way to “donut” worry and trust in Jesus about anything.

Take a picture of your family “donut” worry experience and send it to Amy Bolle.

Closing Prayer:

Invite one person to read the unbolded line and have all others respond with the words in bold. 

Begin with the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

End with the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Questionnaire: