Do Not Worry | John Challinor

Morning, church. You are too kind. Okay, I got

a serious question for you. You ready? Did anybody

else hear the jingle, avocados from Mexico, shoeboxes

from Mexico? Anybody get that? Just me. Okay.

Welcome to those of you in Prescott Valley this

morning. We're so glad that you're with us, part

of the family. We get to do this together. It

was amazing out there last night, and we're just

trusting that God's going to do similar this

morning for you. And so welcome. Glad you're

here. Glad we're family. If you're new to either

location, either space, just know that what John

said up top about you being prayed for, it's

not by chance that you are here. It's by design

of God. And just there's this confident belief

that God wants to have a conversation with you.

I think one of the best parts of what happens

here is when I get done speaking and I get off

stage and somebody comes up and goes, hey, when

you said and they'll like, tell me what I said.

And I'm like, I don't think I said that. Right.

And it's this moment. It's just this reminder

that the Holy Spirit is the one that translates.

That whatever is said, the Holy Spirit is going

to have a conversation with you and with your

soul. And so just for you, just know there's

confidence that God wants to talk to you today

and the Holy Spirit is going to talk to you the

way you need to be talked to. That the expectancy

that he is going to have a conversation with

you, that's what we stand on. That's what we

pray for. Because the only thing that will change

your life is the living God meeting with you.

Religion won't change it. Showing up to church

won't change it. Doing this, it's helpful, but

it's not gonna transform you. The only thing

that will transform you is the person of Jesus

Christ. And we just stand on that. We're confident

on that. With that, with that, I got something

to tell you. We don't normally do this, but like

Christmas is coming. And I wanna give you like

a teaser. You know, like if you go to, if you're

a sports fan and you go somewhere, they're like.

We're going to tell you a recap of something.

It's going to ruin the game for you. Don't watch

this video if you haven't seen the game. Well,

this is Christmas teaser, and I'm going to ruin

Christmas for you. You ready? Right? Like, here

we go. Okay, so here's what's happening. We are

going to set up a camera and a microphone in

the park in Prescott Valley next weekend, and

here in the lobby in Prescott. And what we are

asking you, and we're giving you a week's notice

so you can really like get ready for this, okay?

We're asking that you would walk up to that microphone

and you're gonna answer, I know Jesus is good

news because. And then you are gonna fill in

10 seconds, 30 seconds, no more than 30 seconds.

We don't need you to preach, right? Like we got

other people to do that. We just need 10 to 30

seconds of why Jesus is good news to you. And

then here's what we're going to do. We're going

to take good news this Christmas, and we're going

to spread it all over Prescott, all over Prescott

Valley, all over the Quad Cities, right? We're

going to intentionally get good news into people.

Why? Because you ever watch people when they

say, I saw the news, and everybody kind of goes,

uh -oh. Or they groan, or it's like, what happened

now? We're going to flip that and go, no, we

got good news to share, and we're going to share

good news, and we're inviting you to hear the

good news. And so what we're going to do is we're

going to put together all these little clips

of people going, hey, I know, I know Jesus is

good news because. And then it might be stories

of all kinds of things. It could be stories of

healing. It could be stories of you coming out

of depression. It could be stories of you finding

Jesus and him saving you. It can be stories of

life transformation. It can be whatever your

story is in 10 to 30 seconds. That's what you're

going to give. And then we're going to see what

God does with those. We're going to see what

we can do with those. And that's as much as you're

getting on Christmas because that's the lead

up to Christmas. That's next weekend. So you

have time to prepare, fam. You got time to get

ready. Okay, today, we are still in the collection

of the generous life. The generous life carries

this belief to be true, that your life was created

to be bigger than yourself. That your life was

created, that there was an intentionality that

from the beginning of time, God created humans

with an intentionality that their life would

be bigger than them. That their life would display

a generous God in everything that they do. And

obviously... You follow the narrative of scripture.

Because of sin, what happens? We become disconnected

from the generous life. We step outside of the

generous life and it becomes very hard to live

the generous life. The life that God intended.

There is a life for you intended. When Jesus

rescued you, he was rescuing the life he always

intended for you that you would live the life

you were created for in the person of Jesus.

And that life at its core and in its nature is

generous. And that's what we're exploring. That's

what we're talking about. That's what we're leaning

into is how, what did Jesus say about it? We've

been in Luke chapter 10 through chapter 12, just

Luke 10 · chapter mention

looking at the words of Jesus and how he describes

it. I came across something this week that kind

of broke down that the American dream now costs

$5 million. So if you are going to live the American

dream, it's gonna cost you a cool five million.

That's when you add up housing. That's when you

add up cars. That's when you add up those things

called children. You know, the gift that keeps

on giving, you just keep giving to them, that

whole thing, right? The idea that medical, there's

all these expenses that keep, and when you add

those up, this one thing that I saw said roughly.

just over $5 million is what it's going to cost

you. I don't know how you feel about that. That

creates anxiety in me instantly. Like, oh my

gosh, I'm never going to live the dream. What

is the dream? Like, how do I live this dream?

Another thing that's interesting with the American

dream, you may go, I don't believe in the American

dream. But it's amazing how many people that

live in America feel that they are entitled to

the American dream. Right? Like they just assumed

that because I live in America, because I got

a job, because I did what I was supposed to,

I will naturally progress into the American dream.

And then when you get whatever the American dream

is, now you got to sustain the American dream.

Right? Like God forbid that you have somebody

in your family that has a long medical journey.

And now that one sliver of that 5 million now

becomes more like 10 million. Right? Or your

kid wants to go to that college. And all of a

sudden what happens is this real thing of anxiety

and worry and concern. And we're just talking

about the financial piece, right? Let alone when

your baby actually goes to college. And you're

like on find my phone all the time trying to

make sure that your baby's where your baby's

supposed to. You know what I mean? Because like

you're just worried. Not that I ever did that.

But isn't it interesting how easily we can get

through? And all you guys are like, we came to

church today and now all I'm doing is thinking

about everything that I got to worry about. Jesus

in John chapter 12, or not John, Luke chapter

John 12 · chapter mention Luke 12 · chapter mention

12. In verse 13, he says this, someone in the

crowd said to him, teacher, tell my brother to

divide the inheritance with me. Jesus replied,

man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between

you? Then he said to him, watch out, be on your

guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not

consist in an abundance of possessions. So we

talked about this. If you were here last week,

we talked specifically about this passage. We

talked about what stands out to me is all kinds

of greed. That when we talk about things that

can capture our heart, when we talk about things

that we will give our life to pursue, and that

word greed is this idea of this desire that is

so strong that I'm going to do everything to

pursue it and get it, that when we talk about

that and we talk about greed, it's not just talking

about financially. It's talking about all kinds

of things that capture your heart, like control,

like status. The idea that I would have some

kind of success in life. It could also be possessions.

It could also be wealth. And what Jesus says

here at the end, he goes, life does not consist.

So life can't be found in these things that are

outside of God that you are amassing to try and

make it feel like you are experiencing some kind

of life. What Jesus is saying is they will always

let you down. equal this thing called life, which

was the word zoe in the original, which is a

quality of life that God always intended for

you. You know, one where worry isn't the thing

on the table. It's actually peace that's on the

table. It's one where you are free from the attachment

of stuff, whatever it happens to be. And he says

that's where life is found, or it can't be found

as in the abundance of things. Then he goes on

to say in verse 16, and he told them this parable.

The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant

harvest. So Jesus is now telling a story, a story

to emphasize a point, if you like. And he begins

with the ground, the ground of a certain rich

man. What have we already learned about the context

of the story? That this person who Jesus is talking

about is already wealthy. There's not a lack

in his life. He's not lacking for wealth. In

fact, he is already abundantly rich, right? Like

he's already got his needs met. And because he

has his needs met, now what happens is the ground

And what the emphasis is there is the ground

has an abundant harvest. What Jesus is kind of

emphasizing is someone who had no needs, God

blessed them even more. God put more into their

hand. This man did nothing to deserve it, and

yet God abundantly gave a harvest. He thought

to himself, verse 17, he thought to himself,

what? shall I do? I have no place to store my

crops. Then he said, this is what I'll do. I

will tear down my barns and build bigger ones.

And there I will store my surplus grain. And

I'll say to myself, you have plenty of grain

laid up for many years. Take life easy, eat,

drink, and be merry. So it's interesting. The

ground gives an abundant harvest. And what happens

to this individual? is a conversation breaks

out. And the conversation, listen to the words

within this. He thought to himself, what shall

I do? This is what I'll do. I will tear down

my barns. I will store my surplus grain. And

I'll say to myself. You have plenty of grain

laid up. Take life easy. Drink and be merry.

The emphasis as you walk through that is who?

Him. Isn't it interesting that sometimes we think

we're really wise, but all we've done is consulted

ourselves? You ever notice that? Like, oh, that's

a really good idea. And all you've done is like

talk to yourself. I think here's one of the main

kind of thoughts around the generous life. The

generous life. you will never live the life God

intended for you when your life is no bigger

than you. What I mean by that is when I put myself

at the center, when I'm having conversations

with myself, and I'm kind of the captain of my

own ship, what's going to happen is the generous

life that you were created for, it can never

actually take root and fly because what is hindering

it is you. What's interesting is there's no reference

here that this person has a conversation with

the giver of the harvest. There's no conversation

here going, wait a minute, I didn't do anything

to get it, and now I have an abundant harvest.

God, what are you telling me? What do you want

to do with it? How should I use this? Instead,

what does he assume? More for me. And at the

end of it, he goes, in fact, take life easy,

eat, drink, and be merry. I can only reference

my own life. It's interesting watching. the trajectory

of my life through the idea of wealth. And what

I mean by that is my wife and I were missionaries

for a number of years. And the way it worked

as missionaries is we would go to a church like

this and we'd do kind of our presentation, whatever.

We'd stand in the lobby and we'd have our little

flyers and people would come along and take our

flyers. And there were some people that God stirred

the hearts and those people would go, hey, we

feel like we're supposed to support you. And

out of the goodness of them trying to live the

generous life, God provided for our family. Now,

what was amazing was, it was kind of like a pledge,

right? Like they were going, hey, we'll do this

monthly. But you didn't know what you actually

were getting that month until we got a voucher

from the organization we were with because we

were in a different country. The money went to

Florida. Then we got a voucher going, hey, this

is what's in your account. This is what's come

in this month. And sometimes, sometimes what

we received that month was half or maybe a third

of what we thought was gonna come. I don't know

how you feel about that. That creates a lot of

anxiety, right? You know what was crazy? We didn't

worry. Like there wasn't this like, oh no, what

are we gonna do? We only got, there was just

this like. God's going to provide. He put us

here. He's going to provide. So much so that

his provision sometimes, whether you like it

or not, right? Like one time it came in the form

of roadkill bear. Like literally, the bear was

killed on the road and the state dropped it off.

And they go, hey, if you will help process, you

can have some of the meat, to which I went and

learned how to process. Worst smell I've ever

had been around in my life. You know what else

I learned? Don't make steaks out of bear meat.

Make stew, right? But God provided. But you know

what's interesting? As time's gone on and roles

have changed and the way we are paid changes,

right? It's amazing how much I think about money

now. It's amazing how much I am concerned of

if we have enough. It's amazing how much you

get caught up in the, are we able to? And so

it's kind of fascinating that one of the things

that happens is you can actually have more and

be less at peace. You can have more and actually

be not as connected to God, the provider. And

so sometimes I think we look at our lives and

go, well, I'm not where I want to be financially.

You may want to slow down and go, that actually

might be a gift from God in your world because

you have less to worry and steward. What's happened

to this individual is he's been given this whole

new opportunity that he's now stepping into and

his thoughts are not on God, they're on himself.

And so because they're on himself, guess how

big the dreams get? I just want to eat, drink,

and be merry. That's it. Take life easy. Kick

back. To which God goes. Verse 20. God said to

him, you fool. This very night, your life will

be demanded from you. Then who will get what

you have prepared for yourself? That word demanded

this week just like jumped off the page, and

so I kind of started looking at it. The idea

of demanded is this idea that there is a debt

like a credit card debt, and you are going to

pay your debt. And so demanded, what's demanded?

What's demanded from him is his life. Maybe the

lesson for us is this, you guys. Everything you

have, everything I have, everything we will ever

have is on loan from God, including the very

breath in your lungs. It's just on loan. You

don't own it. You know why? Because he's the

owner. He's the owner of your very breath. Well,

that's not a very 2025 message, right? Like this

one is not gonna get a lot of likes on TikTok

or whatever. It's not, why? Because we don't

like to think that we're not in control. And

yet what we find is that this man's life is demanded

by God. I think if we're ever gonna live a generous

life, we have to understand that everything you

have is a loan from God. It's been given by God,

and you are just the one who is stewarding whatever

is in your hand. And that's not just financial.

That's your gifts. That's your talent. That's

your time. That's your breath. Don't miss that

today is a gift from a generous God who wants

to look at you and go, hey, how are you generously

going to live your life? Because I can take my

breath and make it all about me. Or I can take

my breath and go, it's on loan from God, and

I'm going to use it to live the life he intended

all along. And kind of as this part of the story

wraps up, this is how it will be with whoever

stores up things for themselves but is not rich

towards God. Which, just a really simple way,

is what are you investing into? Which we'll talk

about next week. Notice this, verse 22. Then

Jesus said, then Jesus said, I need everybody

to catch this, right? So look at a screen, look

at your Bible, whatever you gotta do. Then Jesus

said to his, wait a minute. Who was he talking

to before? Well, if you go back to the top of

chapter 12, what you find is there was a crowd

of thousands. Jesus is telling the story of the

bigger barns to who? Anyone and everyone, right?

Like I've always assumed that this was just a

passage that flowed one into the other and there's

no, there's a distinction made here and we need

to be really clear on what the distinction is

because the bigger barn story, that's for anybody

in this room. That's whether you know Jesus,

don't know Jesus. That's the masses Jesus is

talking to and he says what? Your life's on loan.

Everything you have is on loan. So steward it

with the idea that you're not in control of it.

Steward it in a way that's bigger than yourself.

Why? Because he's calling them to live a generous

life. But now he switches and he goes, then he

said to his disciples, okay, who are his disciples?

This is why context, this is why it's so important.

If you go back three weeks, chapter 10. Who,

what happened in chapter 10? You might remember

it this way in this conversation. We need 144

people that we're sending out. Do you remember

that conversation? Right? He sent out 72. How

did he send them out? Without a purse, without

any kind of shoes, without any extra clothes.

Don't take a bag, right? Like he had a whole

thing for them. These are the ones who have already

done what? Hey, I'm in. My life is not about

me. It's about you. These are ones that have

already gone, hey, I'm committed to the Jesus

way. I'm following the Jesus way. Okay, with

that in mind, these are followers of Jesus. So

if you're in a room and you go, hey, I get the

bigger barn thing. I kind of left that behind.

Listen up. Then Jesus said this to his disciples.

Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your

life, what you will eat, or your body, about

what you will wear, for life is more. than food

in the body, more than clothes. Did you catch

those first words? Do not. Huh. You know, we're

the most anxious generation. Do you know that?

Time of life, this is the most anxious. That's

what that word worry means, to be anxious. What

is anxiety? In scripture, anxiety is this idea

that inside you are shattering and pulling apart.

You are being separated from the inside. What

does Jesus tell his followers? Don't worry. Specifically

about what? What you're going to eat? What you're

going to wear? What is he saying? Because life,

he's carrying on the theme that he started before.

Life isn't found in those things. He goes, hey,

you can get all worked up, right, about these

things you need. It's fascinating. When you get

a chance and you get to glimpse at some of church

history, one of the early church fathers, Augustine,

in the fourth century, he writes on this idea

of disordered love. And it's specifically connected

to some of the thought process that Jesus is

laying out over these chapters. And the idea

of disordered love in the fourth century was

that there is a correct order to a human's love

structure. And what Augustine was saying is that

God has to be the person, and the thing that

you love the most. And the minute that you disorder

love, if God is not the one that you love the

most, and you disorder that, whatever you put

it into, whatever you choose to love more, what

is going to happen is that you are going to be

standing on something that is unstable, and that

is where anxiety comes from. That when I choose

to put my passion, my desire, my affection towards

something that cannot sustain me, it is not stable

enough, it is not strong enough, it will create

worry and anxiety in my life. Could there be

anything more clear? Then people who pursue money

and they are going to go to the stock market

or go to the housing market or go to whatever

market. And what happens? Inevitably there is

a, because it was never stable enough to what?

Hold, hold what only God can hold. You guys,

that's a conversation that was happening in the

fourth century with the church. You're worried

about all these things. Isn't it stunning that

humans are just humans wherever you find them,

and the struggles are still the struggles, which

is why the Bible is so relevant. When people

are like, the Bible's not relevant, I'm like,

you read it? Because every time I read it, it

reads me. The idea that he's getting at here

is this idea of how I order my love really matters.

And your worry is directly connected to your

disordered love. That if you have God out of

order, and think about it in this context, because

we're like, okay, John, it's church, I should

love my wife. Yeah, you should love your wife.

But you ever seen somebody who has shifted their

wife in place of God? And then they wonder why

their marriage, they're always concerned, like,

is my marriage okay? Are we falling apart? They're

so concerned about their marriage. Why? Because

their marriage was never meant to be the stability

that holds their life. The marriage was never

meant to be a place where they find life. Let's

just be real, right? Like, I think most of us

are grownups. If you're not, put your fingers

in your ears for a second. Sex in our culture

is ridiculous. People are pursuing sex like what?

Like, I will find some kind of life. But it cannot

provide the stability that is needed. It can't.

Right? That's why you have people with addictions

that get into their addiction and go, it's not

working. Well, it can't. You've replaced your

substance. You've replaced whatever your fix

is for what? For the person of God. And don't

think it's just those people because it can be

really easy. Remember, he's talking to who? Followers

of Jesus. He's not talking to the crowd no more.

He's talking to followers of Jesus who go, hey,

you have a problem. And your problem is it's

going to be really easy for you to disorder things

and make them matter more than they should. So

be careful. Be careful what you think about where

your food comes from. Be careful what you think

about the clothes you will wear. And then he

says this. Consider the ravens. I don't like

the ravens. I'm a Steelers fan. We don't like

ravens. We don't like them. They do not sow or

reap. They have no storeroom or barn. Yet God

feeds them. And how much more valuable you are

than birds. So I have a daughter who is obsessed

with birds. She loves them. She tells me facts

about birds I could care less about, but she

knows them all. And it's amazing. God has just

given her an absolute love for birds. So now

guess what's involved in my life? Birds. So we

got to take a trip a couple of years ago. I think

we have a picture of her. We walked down the

street and it's your classic like vendor type

moment, right? But she's like, I got to do it.

Can I please do it? And so we get this picture,

right? San Juan, Puerto Rico. Right up the street

from this to the right of this picture, right?

Like if you're looking at it, it's to the right

behind that red bird. There was a park. And you

guys, there was probably like at least, I mean,

I'm bad with numbers, but let's just say 200

to 300 pigeons. And it's known as Pigeon Park.

You can look it up online. Isn't it amazing that

those birds on her have not woke up one day going,

what are we going to eat today? I wonder if we're

going to get food today. Isn't it amazing that

God has provided in Puerto Rico with those birds

that are on her? But no, no, it gets better.

Like, I don't know how you feel about pigeons.

Some people call them the rat birds. But that

God is providing a meal today, in San Juan today,

for every one of those rat birds. Oh, it gets

better. Because you see, in my house, there's

a cockatiel. I, God, has used me to feed that

one. You know what else is in my neighborhood?

Big old crows. And God feeds them. I mean, think

about it, you guys. All over the planet in jungles,

you will never go. There are birds that will

eat today because God provided for them. I mean,

think about it. The crow in my house. I don't

think he wakes up going, man, I really hope that

John puts his trash out today, God, so I can

go down and tear it apart. I don't think that's

happening. But God knows what they need, and

he provides for them. They eat every single day.

Sometimes it's through people like me feeding

them in my house. Sometimes, sometimes. It's

by these crazy things, all tourists that go across

the country or the world to another country and

buy food to feed these birds. And God must just

laugh like, I got them. They're not going to

go hungry today. And how much more valuable you

are than birds. You know what that means? Hey,

disciples of Jesus, give it away. You don't gotta

store it. You don't gotta hold it. You don't

gotta worry about it. Give it away. Stop living

tight and anxious. Instead, live free and go,

you know what? It doesn't matter because he's

gonna provide tomorrow because he provided today.

You know how I know? Because you're more valuable

than the birds and that bird in my house is still

alive. Told me when I got it, it's like a mortgage,

30 years on that sucker. Don't miss it. You're

more valuable than the birds. Don't miss how

much you mean to the creator of the universe.

Don't get caught up because what is at stake

is the life that he intended for you in the person

of Jesus Christ to live this generous life, to

give away everything in your hand, to live with

no bounds of like, I'm just gonna live like it's

coming back tomorrow. Why? Because it was on

loan to you today. And when we begin to go, well,

actually, I got to worry about my 401k and I

got to worry about, what happens is it eliminates

us. It's a danger to us living the generous life.

I love, consider the wildflowers. Verse 27. Sorry,

I got to read the next two verses because they're

just so good. Who of you by worrying? So who

of you by stressing? can add a single hour to

your life since you cannot do this very little

thing. Isn't that crazy? You living another day

is little to God. Meanwhile, you're down here

putting all kinds of cream on your face to try

and hold it up. Oh, man. Sometimes I say stuff

and I just... I don't even have to look at my

wife. I know the response. She's like, what are

you doing, man? Verse 27, consider, consider

how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or

spin, yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all

his splendor was dressed like one of these. If

that is how God clothes the grass of the field,

which is here today. and tomorrow is thrown into

the fire, how much more will he clothe you, you

of little faith? I don't know about you. I want

to test God on that one. What does audacious

faith look like? I don't want to get done with

this race, you guys, and show up, and God go,

man, why'd you live such little faith? Why didn't

you take a chance? Why'd you worry about the

things of this world? He says, consider the flowers.

And what's crazy about the flowers? Nobody planted

them. And they're all over the hillside. And

they're temporary. They don't last long and they're

gone. And then you know what happens? They're

taken and they're used. They're used. For heat.

They're burned for heat. So they're providing.

They did nothing to get it. They just receive,

right? And so if you're living there, you're

just receiving the beauty and the generosity

of God because you're just going along one day

and you're like, whoa, look at the flowers. And

it's just the beauty and generosity of God on

display. And then what? What do you do? You just

receive it. There's nothing you can do. And then

you take it and it provides heat. That's the

life. That's the life of the disciple. You did

nothing. You did nothing to receive it. God has

just put it in your hand. You get to admire and

receive the generosity of God. And then guess

what? It's supposed to. It's supposed to, church.

We are supposed to be the heat providers for

our world. God wants to use you to provide the

heat for the world. And here's how. Verse 29.

And do not set, do not set your heart. That's

back to that reordering of love, right? Do not

set your heart on what you will eat or drink.

Do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs

after all such things. And your father. Your

father, not God abstract, that big whatever that's

out there. No, no, no, no. Your heavenly father

who is perfect in nature. He knows what you need.

He sees you. He hasn't lost you. He's got you.

You're more valuable to him. But seek his kingdom

and these things will be given to you as well.

How do we live the generous life? I reorder my

life to seek his kingdom. I reorder my life to

put him first. I'd be curious. Maybe it's a little

test project, church. If we took Jesus at his

word here, I wonder if we could be a pocket of

people, both here, Prescott Valley, that are

known. Yeah, those people don't have anxiety.

How cool would that be? All because we go, he

knows how valuable I am and he'll give me what

I need today so I can give everything else away.

He actually knows my needs of tomorrow too. So

I can rest in that. Because the generous life,

the generous life has to be centered on. Remember

we started with trust? The God that I trust,

I love. Why? Because he loved me first. He loved

me, therefore, what? I trust and now I love.

That's how it's supposed to work. Would you pray

with me? God, we're so grateful for your goodness.

God, your goodness, that's abundant today. As

the psalmist wrote, your goodness has chased

me down all the days of my life. God, would you

remind us, would you let us sit inside of? That

God, when we put you where you should be, when

we reorder the love in our life and prioritize,

when we seek your kingdom first, the rest, the

rest becomes loose. We're not holding on tightly.

God, in these moments as we just sit, Holy Spirit,

would you speak? Would you remind us of the goodness

of God? Would you help us let go? For those of

us that need to, would we restructure and put

you first today? Thank you for loving us first.

Help us to give this life away generously. We

love you and everybody said, amen.