As we move into February we typically think of this month as a month of Love. It's a month we think of hearts, Valentine's Day, and expressing our love. In the New Testament Jesus asked His listeners to think about where they placed their affection. It is easy for us to place our affection in the wrong place; we have misplaced affection for money. Of His thirty-eight parables, about half of them deal with money and possessions. In the Gospels, one in every ten verses deal with money. Why so much talk about money? Because our attitude to money reveals a lot about us. Each week, we’ve created small group questions designed to help people reflect deeply, apply personally, and grow spiritually. I’m sharing those questions here so others can benefit; whether you’re leading a small group, studying on your own, or learning to pray these questions are for you.
Small Group Questions | The Generous Life | Matthew 6:19-24
The good life is not just wishful thinking but living into what Jesus teaches us about our heart and our treasure. Money is not simply a financial issue it is connected to our heart, priorities, and sense of security. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 invites us to slow down and examine what we truly treasure. In this passage, Jesus challenges us to think about where we invest our lives and what those investments are shaping us into. These questions are not meant to produce guilt or pressure, but reflection and honesty. Each of us comes from different backgrounds and experiences with money, which means this conversation may look different for everyone. Move slow and practice kindness.
1) Neal shared a story about a greedy uncle who wanted his wife to bury him with all of his money. This story makes us think about the contrast between greed and generosity. What makes the love of money and desire to have it so compelling?
2) Which of the four areas of confusion about money (money is evil, you have to tithe, money equals God’s blessing, or “it’s mine”) do you see most often in yourself or in our culture? What other confusion on money would you add to this list?
3) Read Matthew 6:19-21. Jesus contrasts storing up treasure on earth with storing up treasure in heaven. What are some practical ways people today “store up treasure on earth” without even realizing it? (see Colossians 3:2 and 1 John 2:15–17)
4) In the sermon we learned there are only four things we can do with our money: save it, spend it, give it away, or invest it. Read 1 Timothy 6:10, Luke 21:1-4, and 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. What does the Bible teach us about money?
5) Read Matthew 6:22–23 Jesus uses the image of the eye being the lamp of the body. In your own words, what do you think Jesus is teaching with this picture? (see Psalm 119:37, Proverbs 4:25–27, and Hebrews 12:1–2).
6) Read Matthew 6:24 When Jesus says we cannot serve both God and money, why do you think this is so challenging in everyday life living in Southern California? Where do you see that tension most clearly in your life?
7) The story from 2 Chronicles 31 about God’s people returning back to Him shows generosity as a response to God’s work, not a requirement to earn His favor. How does that perspective change the way you think about giving or generosity?
Close your time in prayer asking God to give you a persistent prayer life.
