Faith Forward: Generosity
Selected Scriptures
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
This message series looks at six essential moves found in Scripture — moves that lead to a flourishing life. There’s a reason why some people experience joy, purpose, and spiritual momentum…while others feel stuck, confused, and disconnected. At ZCC, we call these our “6Gs” which are Grace, Growth, Group, Gifts, Generosity, Go. This week, we looked at the importance of giving Generously of ourselves and our resources…
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflection:
Personal Experience:
Talk about the first time that you remember stewarding something that REALLY mattered. Maybe it was watching a sibling while parents were out, taking a critical item or info to someone…
What happened?
How did you feel before, during and after stewarding that?
How did this impact you (e.g. your sense of identity, belonging, purpose, hope…)?
Reflective Discussion (Remember to look at the context of the verses as you are reading!):
Is there any connection between gratitude (for God’s blessing) and generosity (investing in God’s Kingdom)? Discuss
Read i Timothy 6:17-19 together and unpack it:
Contrast wealth as we know it here and wealth as Scripture speaks of “Heavenly riches”.
Why would wealth make us arrogant?
What would need to change for us to shift our hope from wealth (which we control) to God (Whom we do not control)?
What does “do good, be generous, readily share” all have in common— what is the core of what he is saying here in this passage?
Read Luke 12:15-21 together and unpack it:
If we are not on guard against greed, what is likely to happen (when we have wealth or if we just want it)?
If God “…richly gives us all things for our enjoyment”, what’s wrong with saying, “Take life easy, eat, drink and be merry”?
Work in pairs to Review v20 and discuss: If God were to say to tell you, tonight, that you just finished your last day on earth, what would you be feeling/ thinking in that moment?
The theme of being “rich towards God” is the resounding theme in this message. Read the following passages and reflect briefly on “How does this ;help me know how to be rich toward God?”: (Deut 14;22, Prov 11:24, Mal 3:10, Matt 5:16, Matt 6:33, Matt 23:23, Rom 8:5-10, Phil 2:13, Gal 6:10, Col 3:23, Matthew 25)
Application:
What would you be doing differently right now if you viewed your time, talents and treasure in the light of eternity? What could you commit to doing this week to move more in that direction simply as an act of obedience?
Prayer:
Spend some time in prayer offering ourself to the Lord for His purposes through you, knowing that God’s purposes for you extend far, far beyond what you experience or what you can see!
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