THE LIFE OF JOB - WEEK 3
"Giving"
Group Leader Guide for use November 6-12, 2011
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
"Giving"
Group Leader Guide for use November 6-12, 2011
Directions: This guide provides a menu of teaching and discussion materials to help in leading your group. Please select and use the materials that best suit your group.
FOR THE LEADER:
Sermon Recap – God loves us and knows what is best for us, and what is best is for Him to be in charge of everything in our lives. He wants us to surrender every area of our lives to Him, including our finances. Money is the hardest area for us to surrender, but we can not say that God is first in our lives if He is not first in our finances. Pastor Perry explained the three decisions that he had to make in order to walk in financial victory:
Sermon Recap – God loves us and knows what is best for us, and what is best is for Him to be in charge of everything in our lives. He wants us to surrender every area of our lives to Him, including our finances. Money is the hardest area for us to surrender, but we can not say that God is first in our lives if He is not first in our finances. Pastor Perry explained the three decisions that he had to make in order to walk in financial victory:
- I finally put God first in my finances through tithing.
- I made a commitment to get out of debt.
- I chose generosity over greed!
ICEBREAKER:
The Lord wants to bless you! The Bible is full of examples of God’s faithfulness; He often delivers a command and a promise together, and He is always faithful to fulfill His promises. One of the common themes throughout the Bible is the principle that when we put God first in everything we have and everything we do, then He honors that submission by blessing us in various ways.
The Lord wants to bless you! The Bible is full of examples of God’s faithfulness; He often delivers a command and a promise together, and He is always faithful to fulfill His promises. One of the common themes throughout the Bible is the principle that when we put God first in everything we have and everything we do, then He honors that submission by blessing us in various ways.
- How have you seen that play out in your own life?
- Have you seen any examples in your Christian walk of God blessing your generosity (or the generosity of someone close to you)?
- What promises have you seen God faithfully fulfill in your life?
- Why are we so quick to invest in unstable financial ventures (e.g. gambling, the stock market, etc) but so hesitant to invest in the one reliable Provider?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living. Pick which questions you think work best in your group. Add and alter as necessary!
Leaders’ note: Answers provide Bible verses for the group to look at together as you reinforce the Bible as the guide and source for victorious living. Pick which questions you think work best in your group. Add and alter as necessary!
Q: In today’s society, we have developed a “the bigger the better” mindset. American icons have been described as generous givers by giving over-the-top gifts, but all too often smaller gifts are overlooked. In the church, what is considered a generous giver?
A: 1 Corinthians 13:3; Acts 4:32-35; Proverbs 11:24-25; Luke 21:1-4
When we think of generous giving, we might look at the size of the gift or the cause that it supports. We might call someone generous when they give a substantial donation to a legitimate cause to promote the well-being of our society. This is not at all how Jesus measures generosity; He looks at the condition of the giver’s heart. There are several facts about generous givers: A generous giver experiences the joy of giving; when he gives, it does not feel like a burden, but a pleasure. A generous giver also lives and gives with an eternal perspective: he is unconcerned with how much he owns in this life because his attention is on the age to come. Finally, a generous giver offers gifts as an act of worship. God has blessed us with redemption and a position as His children, so we should thank Him by giving open-handedly.
Q: Money is very important in our society as we have school expenses, family emergencies, as well as other financial obligations. But when does money get in the way of our relationship with God?
Q: Money is very important in our society as we have school expenses, family emergencies, as well as other financial obligations. But when does money get in the way of our relationship with God?
A: 1 Timothy 6:6-12; Matthew 6:33; Acts 5:1-10; Matthew 19:16-22
Money itself is not a problem to us; it is the love of money that is the root problem. The love of money is a sin because it gets in the way of worshipping our Heavenly Father. When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth” (Matthew 19:16-22). By instructing him to give up all of his eternal possessions (money), Jesus pointed out the young man’s main sinful problem, greed. We cannot pursue and follow our money and pursue Christ at the same time. It is imperative that we not let our love of this world interfere with our love for God. When we are unwilling to sacrifice material resources (or anything else) for the sake of obedience, we are in sin.
Q: What are some of the things that distract us from hearing God's voice and discerning His will for our daily lives?
A: Luke 10:38-42; Philippians 3:13-14; Luke 10:30-33
Often we are so busy serving and volunteering, focusing our energies into wholesome and commendable outlets, that we overfill our lives with actions and do not have time to slow down and listen. We may also be disillusioned with the reemergence of our past, letting our failures and shortcomings and sins haunt us, distracting us from moving forward and being sensitive to God's voice. Some people may also have their lives so full of wealth and luxuries that they do not notice that there is a void, that they are not communing with the Father because there are so many things placed above Him on pedestals.
Q: Why do you think that God sometimes uses other people to teach us what He wants to say to us instead of speaking directly to us?
A: I Thessalonians 5:14; Proverbs 27:17; I Thessalonians 5:11
God can use our friends and Godly elders to convict us of areas where we are not being obedient. One of the marks of a good friend is speaking the truth in love to others when changes need to be made; this is usually caused by a prompting by the Holy Spirit. Our friends can also encourage us and build us up when we are discouraged and burdened. There are often similar circumstances that others have come through (victoriously) that they can share with us to give us hope. Encouragement can also spur us to action when we are timid or afraid to take a step forward in faith. These real, raw, honest human interactions and dependencies are part of God's plan for how His children get along with one another and live together on earth.
Q: The Bible clearly teaches that tithing is God’s will for us. But, surveys show that most Christians don’t tithe regularly to their local church. Why do you think that is? How would you encourage someone to tithe?
A: Malachi 3:6-10
Malachi makes it clear that God wants each of us to tithe to the local church. He even challenges us to tithe, telling us to “test me in this,” (Malachi 3:10). God wants us to test Him because He knows He will be faithful to us. Biblical principle: God ALWAYS gives back to us more than we give toHim, not less. Finances are a way of showing just how faithful He is.
Q: Who have you known that modeled generosity? Or, who are some people in the Bible who practiced generosity? What did you learn from them that you can apply to your life?
A: Deuteronomy 15:10-11
This scripture encourages us to be generous to others, especially to the poor. It tells us to live “openhanded” to people in need so we can generously help them. One of the reasons why
God blesses us is so we can bless other people
God blesses us is so we can bless other people
L.E.A.D.S. Application:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:
The heart of NewSpring home groups is summarized by the acronym LEADS:
L – learn the Bible together
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
E – embrace serving together
A – assist one another
D – devote ourselves to generosity
S – send people out to start new groups
So much freedom and blessing is in store for us when we allow the cross to convict us of our selfishness and inspire us to give. God can create a supernatural desire to give generously, selflessly, and freely – and through this He blesses our lives and spiritual walks more thanwe could ever imagine.
Walk your group members through the sacrifice of the cross. Visit the gift of salvation and allow room for the Holy Spirit to stir the souls of your group members. Ask each member to share their salvation stories and how the gift of the cross changed their lives. As leaders, lead the way by sharing your own redemption story and how it has transformed your desire to give!
Walk your group members through the sacrifice of the cross. Visit the gift of salvation and allow room for the Holy Spirit to stir the souls of your group members. Ask each member to share their salvation stories and how the gift of the cross changed their lives. As leaders, lead the way by sharing your own redemption story and how it has transformed your desire to give!
Assist your group members to become active givers by identifying convictions the Lord has impressed upon their hearts. Spell out the simple yet powerful steps to honoring God with our finances:
- Tithing
- Getting out of debt
- Choosing giving over greed.
Which of these areas is the Holy Spirit showing them as their next step? Do they need to give 10% as the first fruits of their gross income to the Church and receive blessing on the other 90% in return? Do they need to meet with someone who can help them set up a plan to be victorious over debt? Do they need to reach out and buy groceries for that neighbor who is struggling financially or prepare a warm meal for a hurting family?
Encourage your group members to share how they can make simple but intentional changes to answer the Holy Spirit’s tug on their hearts and receive God’s blessings.
As we discuss finances during these financially challenging times, be a source of encouragement and sensitivity for your group members. Many of us are struggling with finances right now. You can share the example of the woman who had very little, but gave generously and chose to sacrifice painfully and serve Jesus and was in return honored by Jesus. Mark 12:41-44 says:
“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’”
Encourage your group members to continue to trust Jesus to provide for our every need, especially when times are tough, and thank Jesus for what they have – because He has given it to them. Close by encouraging your group members to obey Jesus by making those changes discussed earlier in your session. He sent the Holy Spirit to convict us of changes we need to make with His strength because He has our best interest in mind! Let us honor Him by making time to take those next steps so that we may worship God with our finances.
Encourage your group members to share how they can make simple but intentional changes to answer the Holy Spirit’s tug on their hearts and receive God’s blessings.
As we discuss finances during these financially challenging times, be a source of encouragement and sensitivity for your group members. Many of us are struggling with finances right now. You can share the example of the woman who had very little, but gave generously and chose to sacrifice painfully and serve Jesus and was in return honored by Jesus. Mark 12:41-44 says:
“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’”
Encourage your group members to continue to trust Jesus to provide for our every need, especially when times are tough, and thank Jesus for what they have – because He has given it to them. Close by encouraging your group members to obey Jesus by making those changes discussed earlier in your session. He sent the Holy Spirit to convict us of changes we need to make with His strength because He has our best interest in mind! Let us honor Him by making time to take those next steps so that we may worship God with our finances.
Prayer time idea:
Thank God for being an infinitely generous giver. Ask Him to motivate us to be generous givers by keeping the cross on our minds. Pray for each group member by name, and ask that God would give them the strength and conviction to take the next step in financial excellence. Thank Him for the mind-blowing blessing of freedom and joy through giving.
Thank God for being an infinitely generous giver. Ask Him to motivate us to be generous givers by keeping the cross on our minds. Pray for each group member by name, and ask that God would give them the strength and conviction to take the next step in financial excellence. Thank Him for the mind-blowing blessing of freedom and joy through giving.
Recommended Resources:
- Financial accountability partners within your home group
- Financial Counseling at NewSpring
- The Blessed Life by Robert Morris
Tips for Leaders:
There are topics that will be really uncomfortable for the people in your home group to discuss, and personal finance is one of those things. When you first open up the discussion and it seems like no one wants to say anything, it's really easy to jump in and start talking just to fill the silence. By the end of the night, you feel like you've preached a whole sermon! But instead of always filling that awkward silence yourself, give it a minute and see what happens. Eventually, that very silence will move other people to start sharing, even though it's uncomfortable. Sometimes things have to get a little awkward to bring your group closer together.
There are topics that will be really uncomfortable for the people in your home group to discuss, and personal finance is one of those things. When you first open up the discussion and it seems like no one wants to say anything, it's really easy to jump in and start talking just to fill the silence. By the end of the night, you feel like you've preached a whole sermon! But instead of always filling that awkward silence yourself, give it a minute and see what happens. Eventually, that very silence will move other people to start sharing, even though it's uncomfortable. Sometimes things have to get a little awkward to bring your group closer together.
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