Week 7 Extravagantly Generous Discussion Guide Copy

Sermon recording

If anyone missed Sunday's sermon, encourage them to watch the recording.

Check-in

Share with the group something you are grateful for and something that is causing you stress

Opening prayer (pray aloud together):

Godliness with contentment is great gain. We bring nothing into this world, and we take nothing out of it. We, who call Jesus LORD, devote ourselves to resisting greed, which plunges the human heart into ruin and pierces it with many griefs.

We are determined to practice generosity with free hearts, fixing our hope on GOD and not the uncertainty of wealth. We desire to be rich in good deeds and willing to share all that we have, laying up for ourselves treasure that will not decay but will shine in the age to come. Amen.

Reflection questions:

• On Sunday, Pastor Julie interviewed several members of the church about their experience in financial stewardship and generosity. What was it like to hear from these folks? What resonated? What stood out to you? Where did you experience resistance?
  
  
• Sam and Haley shared that they believe that everything they have belongs to God. So that frees them up to share with others. Sam shared the story of using his car to give people rides. One friend was really surprised by how generous Sam is with his car and his time, and it opened the door for Sam to share how his generosity comes from God. Can you think of a time that someone was caught off guard by your generosity? Or a time that you were surprised by someone else’s generosity?
  
  
• Jason shared that when we live with open hands, the blessings God pours into our hands leak through our fingers. Living open-handedly opens us up to see the blessings of God all around us and share them with others. Have you experienced this to be true? How would you characterize your posture toward money right now – open-handed or closed-fisted or somewhere in between?
  
  
• Pastor Dennis and Kaku shared how they pray every year for direction from God about how much they should give. They both pray on their own and then come back together and share what they sensed from the Lord. Very regularly, they agree on the same percentage. With the 90-Day Giving Challenge put before us, would you consider giving this prayer exercise a try by yourself or with your spouse? How much is God inviting you to give?

Reading of Scripture:

Have someone read Malachi 3:6-12

• What resonates with you in this passage? Where do you experience resistance?

• “Robbing God” is strong language. If you were to receive a prophetic message like this, how would you react?
  
  
• In this passage, God commands the people of God to bring the whole tithe (tenth) to Him. He tells the people to “test Him in this.” Are you willing to test him in the area of giving?
  
  
• What blessings have you experienced when you are generous?

Response

Pastor Dennis exhorted the church that “you can’t outgive God.” Dennis and Kaku know this from Scripture but have also experienced it to be true time and time again in their lives as pastors in Japan, living off the financial support of others. Take some time in quiet prayer and reflection and ask God to give you the faith and trust to live out of this truth. Take some time to pray over the 90-Day Giving Challenge and consider how God is inviting you to respond.