Rewind — the teaching platform built on your church’s own preaching

The big idea

Worry is a signal to worship — every time worry rises, it's an invitation to turn to God instead of trying to secure life on our own.

We have a heavenly Father who loves us and wants to meet our needs, so we don't have to grab at life on our own. Jesus teaches in Matthew 6 that chasing money, possessions, or "just a little bit more" will never satisfy — but seeking God's kingdom first frees us from worry and leads us into real contentment.

A story from life

Story about the preacher's daughter Nora sneaking into the pantry for a rice cake

Worry is a signal to worship

— Pastor Caleb McMains

Point 1 of 6

Where we put our treasure is where our heart and our worry will go

Pastor Caleb walks back to Matthew 6:19-24, showing that Jesus' command not to worry (verse 25) is a 'therefore' that follows His teaching on treasure, the eye as a lamp, and not serving two masters. Jesus draws a direct line between what we value most and what we end up worried about, and makes clear you cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

A story from life

Story about the preacher buying and returning FIFA 7 at age 11 and an Xbox at age 21

Point 2 of 6

Chasing money and possessions for security never actually satisfies

Pastor Caleb tells a personal story of buying and returning a FIFA game as an 11-year-old, then repeating the same cycle with an Xbox as an adult, to show how money promised security but never delivered lasting joy. He points to Rockefeller's answer to 'how much is enough?' — 'just a little bit more' — and a study showing people always think happiness is just one income bracket away.

Point 3 of 6

Worry (merimnaō) is simply being 'concerned with,' and it's part of the human condition Jesus addresses for everyone

Pastor Caleb unpacks the Greek word merimnaō, translated 'worry' or 'anxious,' as meaning to be consumed with concern. He says Jesus isn't singling out especially anxious people but naming something all of humanity leans toward, and offering a way out into contentment.

There's a man named Rockefeller. He was the first billionaire in The United States, and he was like an oil tycoon. And in an interview with a reporter, they asked him, how much is enough? And he calmly looked back at the reporter and said, just a little bit more

— Pastor Caleb McMains

Illustration

Rockefeller, the first U.S. billionaire, answering 'how much is enough?' with 'just a little bit more'

Point 4 of 6

Jesus points to birds and lilies to show how much more valuable and cared-for we are

Working through Matthew 6:26-30, Pastor Caleb notes birds don't plant or store food yet are fed, and lilies are clothed more beautifully than Solomon though they're thrown into the fire the next day. He reframes Jesus' words 'why do you have so little faith' not as condescension but as a Father tenderly saying 'I've got you,' like his wife gently kneeling down to their daughter Nora.

Point 5 of 6

The solution is to seek God's kingdom above all else and let Him handle the rest

Pastor Caleb calls Matthew 6:33 the linchpin of the whole passage — seeking the kingdom isn't just putting God at the top of a priority list but weaving Him into every priority. He names two practical ways believers orient their lives this way: tithing, giving away money as an act of trust, and fasting, which Richard Foster says reveals what truly controls us.

more than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us

— Pastor Caleb McMains

Illustration

Study showing people at each income level say they need roughly double to be happy

Illustration

Richard Foster's 'The Celebration of Disciplines' on fasting revealing what controls us

Illustration

2018 neuroscience study finding worship and prayer down-regulate the amygdala's fear response

Point 6 of 6

Worship and prayer literally retrain the brain out of fear and into contentment

Pastor Caleb describes the amygdala's fear response and the hypothalamus's fight-flight-freeze reaction, then cites a 2018 study showing worship and prayer help down-regulate that fear response. He connects this to Romans 12:1 and 1 Peter 5:7, showing that turning worry into worship is how our minds are literally renewed.

When the worry comes in, it's telling you check engine light is on. Hey, it's not you were not meant for this

— Pastor Caleb McMains

You need God. You need the Messiah

— Pastor Caleb McMains

Take it into your week

Pastor Caleb frames the whole call as turning worry into worship, letting every worry become the signal that sends you back to God.

Application

Bring your worry straight to God
Whenever concern rises about money, provision, or the future, treat it as a check-engine light pointing you back to your heavenly Father instead of carrying it alone.
Consider starting or continuing the tithe
Give away money as a concrete way of trusting God with your possessions and orienting your life around His kingdom rather than storing up treasure on earth.
Try a fast to see what controls you
Take up a period of giving up food and drink (except water) for spiritual reasons, even a 24-hour fast, to let the Spirit reveal what you're really trusting for satisfaction.
Turn worry into worship this week
When anxiety about life or possessions surfaces, respond by praising and worshiping God rather than trying to fix it yourself, letting that become your new pattern.

Keep going

Add Rewind to your Home Screen