The 911 Handbook
Study Guide Answers
Lesson 20/Chapter 18
When You Carry Heavy Burdens: Check Your Baggage Here
Answers are written in italics
Read Matthew 11:28-30
The Luggage of Life
Discuss some reasons why burdens can be compared to luggage.
1. We can carry them with us as we travel through life.
2. We can determine how much we want to carry in our suitcases.
3. We can get rid of unnecessary items to make the luggage lighter.
Accumulating Excess Baggage
How do we accumulate burdens on our souls and how does it affect us?
We acquire burdens by thinking about problems for prolonged periods of time. Each problem we accumulate is like another weight that is added to a barbell. Eventually the weights will be too heavy to lift.
What did Jesus call this state of the soul?
He called this state of the soul as being "weary and heavy-laden."
How can Jesus solve the problem?
If we come to Him, He will give rest for our souls.
Checking Your Baggage
Past Baggage: Regrets
How can you tell if a person is living in the past?
Their conversation will revolve around the things that happened to them in the past, usually hurts or mistakes. They spend more time talking about the past than living in the present.
How can the past keep us from enjoying the present?
Dwelling upon the past can keep us from seeing the blessings of today. Regrets from the past will bring sorrow to our souls instead of joy.
What does God command us to do with the past and how can we do it? (Phil. 3:13)
God wants us to forget what lies behind and press forward. We receive God’s forgiveness for past mistakes and fix our eyes on the good things God has planned for us.
Future Baggage: Worry
Why is worry always concerned about the future?
Worry concerns itself with every bad possibility that might occur in the future. It concerns things that haven’t taken place yet.
How does worrying rob the present of its joy?
Worry is a form of fear, and fear and joy can’t co-exist together. Worry is so preoccupied with what MIGHT happen that it can’t enjoy the things that ARE happening.
How is worry "negative faith"?
It is negative faith because it believes bad things will come to pass. It is the opposite of faith because it is the assurance of things NOT hoped for.
Present Baggage: Stress
Give some examples of things that can produce stress.
Stress can be produced by marital problems, overdue bills, or problems at work. These are problems in the present, as opposed to the past or future.
Don't Claim Your Baggage
First, Let go of your excess baggage.
Read Psalm 55:22. Using the analogy of two people playing catch, how do we know when we have released our burdens?
We must let go of them and released them into the Lord’s hands. If we are still holding on to the ball, we haven’t let go of it. Once it is out of our hands, it is no longer under our control.
When Joe released the duffel bag of dirty clothes, how did he know dropped the sack when he couldn’t see it? How does this relate to our souls?
Joe could feel the weight was no longer on his back. When we let go of the sack of burdens we carry, we will feel the weight lifted off our souls.
Give an example of how you were burdened down, but finally released your burdens to the Lord.
(Give the group several moments to think of some personal testimonies. Example: A mother who worried about her son in college had the burden lifted by releasing her son into the Lord’s hands through prayer.)
Second, Only carry enough baggage for today's journey.
What does it mean to "live one day at a time"?
It means to spend most of your time concentrating of the things that concern today—deeds that need to be performed for today only. It means no tears for the past and no fears for the future. We must stop and smell the roses along the way.
How is our thought-life involved in the process of living one day at a time?
Our minds must be disciplined to keep regrets of the past or worries of the future from dragging us down. We must learn from the past and look to the future, but we can only live in the present.
How can we plan for the future without being preoccupied with the future?
We can chart out things that we would like to see happen, but not let them enslave us. Plans are to be a servant, not a master. They should make our lives easier, not more burdened down. Although we should make plans for the future, we shouldn’t dwell upon them too much or we will miss out on today.
What are some lessons you learned from the story of the clock that had a nervous breakdown?
Life is simple when we take it in small chunks. When we over-extend ourselves it can cause us to have a nervous breakdown. When we learn to enjoy each day as it comes, life becomes amazingly easy.