Breaking Ground
What do you spend the most time & money on during this season of life? Why?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series Secret of Life by exploring the ways that our world teaches us that money can bring us ultimate fulfillment.
What are the major cultural narratives that exist around money & finding fulfillment through it? How have these shaped you & others? Consider attitudes, habits, behaviors, worldviews, social norms/structures, values, etc.
Next, read Matthew 19:16-30. Here, we witness an encounter between Jesus & a wealthy person seeking to become his disciple. Through it, Jesus passes along a challenging teaching about the tension between greed & living within his Kingdom.
What stands out to you the most about this story? Which parts challenge or surprise you?
Why do you think Jesus lays down this dramatic challenge concerning this man’s relationship with wealth & living in God’s Kingdom? What does this reveal about the inherent dangers that Jesus sees in seeking fulfillment through the hoarding of money?
Ultimately, Jesus closes by offering an antidote to the heart sickness he perceives within this rich man: radical self-sacrifice & generosity.
How do these two postures reorient our attitudes towards money? How can they help us realign our relationship to money with the values of God’s Kingdom?
Where do you struggle with seeking fulfillment, identity, & meaning through money & possessions? How is this teaching challenging you to change in this next season?
Close by sharing a new, tangible way that each of you can practice generosity this fall. Commit to taking steps towards making that a reality this coming week.
Getting Out of the Hole
In this series, take time each week to reflect upon the topic we covered in the Sunday sermon.
- What is your relationship with money? What narratives do you hold about it & gaining more of it? How has that been shaped more by our world’s definition of community as opposed to Christ’s?
- How has your worldview as it relates to money shaped your commitment & engagement to be generous & self-sacrificial with your time, talents, & treasures (for good & ill)?
- Where do you need to shift your attitudes concerning money & further lean into generosity this fall? What’s one step that you can take to start making that a reality this week?
Journal about how this prayer practice makes you feel this week. Share your experience with your group next week.
Additional Resources*
Centered Set Church by Mark D. Baker
Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer
TheBibleProject.com
Coming Up This Week:*
August 17th: Join us next Sunday as we continue our series Secret of Life!* Please see mye3.org for details.