Click here for the Heart for the Harvest Week 1 Discussion Guide.

Connect

Main Idea: Games end quick, and our lives speed past us just as fast. It’s vital for believers to focus on where we’ve stored our treasures so that we can be as efficient Christ followers as possible

Introduction: Take a moment and think of all the blessings God has granted us and what great gifts our Father gives us. As responsible Christians let’s take a look at which gifts, places, and people we’ve prioritized.

Discussion Starter: The enemy is known for his repeated methods of attack. One of the tools he uses to derail us is distraction. Take a moment and consider some ways that he attacks us with this particular poison. Consider your job, whom we spend the most time with, and what activities we’re engaged in throughout the day. What are we putting first?

Grow

Primary Scriptures: Matthew 6:19-21, Luke 12:13-15, Luke 12:16-21

Discussion Questions:

1. Storing treasures on earth may seem like a reasonable decision. After all, we don’t know what’s going to come tomorrow, so many of us tend to save for later. The issue is that we forget our homes can be broken into, and bank accounts aren’t always secure. Whether it is money, food, or extra car parts, let us consider where we’re building our treasure troves. Are we building our treasure in our fridge? In our 401k? In our garage? Recall the last year and discuss among yourselves where you’ve been placing your treasures. Have you placed your treasures here on earth or in God’s Kingdom?
2. Luke 12:13-15 speaks of a man asking Jesus to tell his brother to split his family’s inheritance with him. In Jewish culture at that time, it was natural for the first born to get a double inheritance and for the remaining children to get what was left. Even knowing this, the man asked Jesus anyway. Jesus’s short response was to beware of all forms of greed, and that even a rich man’s life does not consist of his possessions. As Pastor Chris says, our lives are mountains, and our possessions are mole hills. Being honest with one another, discuss whether or not we’re truly living by our belief in God or if we’re cheating ourselves out of a better life.
3. Too many of us live like whac-a-moles. We’re constantly being hammered by the desires and urgencies of the “now”. Sometimes it can be hard to see into the distant future. What are some ways we can prioritize God in our lives, when our desire for the things of this earth seems so rampant?

Protect

Suggestion:  Break into small groups of 2 or 3 for this section.

Come together and lift your hearts to God. Ask Him to reveal Himself in your midst and to speak to each of you. Ask Him to work within each of you; to show what plans He has for you and what individual steps He wants you to take in your walk of obedience. Pray similarly for others, that God may create a desire in them to live Holy lives, seeking first the Kingdom. God will surely multiply their fruits and yours.

Consider ways to protect each other and admonish one another in prayer. We’ve been given a shield of faith, but how best can we use it? Every son and daughter, gentile and pharisee, liberal and conservative, needs Jesus to further their spiritual understandings of our purpose here. We all share the same Father, and He’s more than willing to grant us conviction, discernment, and transformation. Equipped with these spiritual tools, we can refocus our eyes and create a dust cloud in our ruthless pursuit of the Kingdom. Pray for the state of Tennessee and the city of Knoxville, as God increases his Kingdom and pours out his Spirit across our land, protecting, providing, and co-laboring with us as the seed is sewn across the home He’s given us.