Session Recap:
How have you been applying what you've learned and your action plan(s)?
- What did your time look like in regards to your spiritual gifts discovery from last session?
- Were there any revelations you would like to share today?
Ask:
How do we honor God with our money. time, and talents?
Teaching Time:
The Bible has a lot to say about generosity as a desirable character trait in the heart and life of every believer. 2 Corinthians 9:6 says, ”Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” As we see in scripture, God is generous, and He expects us to follow His example. The greatest example of generosity in scripture is God giving His son as a sacrifice for our sins. Since our God is a God of great generosity, we ought to be a people of great generosity. Honoring God with our finances is so much more than simply paying a tithe. In fact, we don’t even see tithing appear in New Testament scripture. We do however see multiple scriptures encouraging us to honor God with our wealth and many lessons on being generous with our time, our treasure and our talents. What that means is that God wants us to live generous lives. We say it like this, “the tithe is the floor not the ceiling when it comes to our giving. We have to begin to understand that 100% of everything we have is already God’s.” He has given us what we have to be stewarded in a way that brings Him glory. We have to remember, as people, we are never “owners” but always “stewards”. When it comes to giving, we are simply giving back what He has so graciously already entrusted to us. 10% is a starting point. Giving is a great way to increase our faith as we watch God bless our giving and continue to provide for us as we depend more on Him.
Application:
Read 1 Timothy 6:6-10 & 17-19
- What is God’s warning to us about money?
Read Luke 12:15, Heb 13:5, & Prov 15:27
- What do these verses teach us about money? How does it change the way you view money?
Read Mark 10:17-31
- What kept the Rich Young Ruler from following Jesus?
Read Malachi 3:6-12
- What is tithing? What is God’s promise when it comes to tithing?
Read Matthew 25:14-30
- What does this teach us about how to honor God with our money?
- What does God judge these men based on? If you were God, would you trust you with your money?
- What is stewardship? How does understanding this principle affect the way you think about money?
Read Luke 19:1-10
- How did Zachaeus’ view of money change after meeting Jesus?
Read 2 Cor 9:6-15
- What does God want us to do with our money & wealth?
- What does it mean to “give what you have decided in your heart to give”?
- Why does God want his people to be characterized by generosity?
Read 1 John 3:17
- What is one of the fruits of the love of God at work in us?
- What is your next step when it comes to honoring God with your money?
Something to chew on...
- How does our standard of living compare with our standard of giving? How do we view the two?
- As we grow, should we be continuing to raise or standards of living beyond our needs, or should we be raising our standards of giving to meet others needs?
Where do we get it wrong?
- Tithing = Generosity. Tithing is an obedience principle. Generosity is over and beyond the 10% tithe.
- Money is evil. The Bible does not teach this. It teaches that the love of money is evil. Money is a good tool to advance God’s kingdom.
- I can follow Jesus and do what I want with my money. Many times money is the hardest area to surrender to God.
- I can follow Jesus and not be generous. When we follow Jesus, we become like Him. He is the most generous person ever.
- If I follow Jesus, I will be rich. This is the teaching of the prosperity gospel and it is false. God promises to bless his people but not necessarily financially.
- If I follow Jesus, I will be poor. This is not a teaching in the Bible. The Bible teaches to be content with whatever you have.
Action Plan:
- Action plans around giving are always the toughest for people to attempt. Our pride, self worth, and view of the world all greatly influence how we view giving and what we are willing to do for God.
- What changes do you need to make in how you give and view giving? Whats your first step to becoming a cheerful giver?
Useful Tools
BACK TO SESSION 19: SPIRITUAL GIFTS
GO TO SESSION 21: LIVING IN COMMUNITY