Before beginning your personal or group study of Anxious for Nothing, take time to read these introductory comments.
If you are working through the study on your own, you may want to adapt certain sections (for example, the icebreakers) and record your responses to all questions in a separate notebook. You might find it more enriching or motivating to study with a partner with whom you can share answers or insights.
If you are leading a group, you may want to ask your group members to read each assigned chapter and work through the study questions before the group meets. This isn’t always easy for busy adults, so encourage them with occasional phone calls or notes between meetings. Help members manage their time by suggesting that they identify a regular time of the day or week that they can devote to the study. They too may want to write their responses to the questions in a notebook. To help keep group discussion focused on the material in Anxious for Nothing, it is important that each member have his or her own copy of the book.
Notice that each session includes the following features:
Chapter Theme—a brief statement summarizing the chapter.
Icebreakers—activities to help each member get better acquainted with the session topic or with each other.
Group Discovery Questions—a list of questions to encourage individual discovery or group participation.
Personal Application Questions—an aid to applying the knowledge gained through study to one’s personal living. (Note: These are important questions for group members to answer for themselves, even if they do not wish to discuss their responses in the meeting.)
Focus on Prayer—suggestions for turning one’s learning into prayer.
Assignments—activities to complete or preparation for the next session.
Here are a few tips that can help you more effectively lead small-group studies:
Pray for each group member, asking the Lord to help you create an open atmosphere where everyone will feel free to share with one another and you.
Encourage group members to bring their Bibles as well as their texts to each session. This book is based on the New American Standard Bible, but it is good to have several translations on hand for purposes of comparison.
Start and end on time. This is especially important for the first meeting because it will set the pattern for the rest of the sessions.
Begin with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to open hearts and minds and to give understanding so that truth will be applied.
Involve everyone. As learners, we retain only 10 percent of what we hear; 20 percent of what we see; 65 percent of what we hear and see; but 90 percent of what we hear, see, and do.
Promote a relaxed environment. Arrange the chairs in a circle or semicircle. This allows eye contact among members and encourages dynamic discussion. Be relaxed in your own attitude and manner. Be willing to share yourself.