Perspectives on Possessions – Discussion Guide
Getting Started
Main Idea:
We are only stewards of everything in our lives…even our own selves. And God will hold us to account one day, and right now He is working on us so that we might be found faithful.
Discussion Starter:
Has anyone ever borrowed something from you? Or have you ever borrowed something? Especially something valuable? Can you think of a time it worked out well for the lender? Can you think of a time that it didn’t work out so well for the lender?
Introduction:
This week, we heard about different ways of looking at the ‘stuff’ around us—money, houses, and so on. And depending on the way we look at the world, we will interact with everything—and everyone—differently. If we view everything as ours, we act one way. If we view everything as belonging to everyone else, we act another. But the Bible’s perspective is that nothing at all down here ultimately belongs to any of us: it’s all on loan from God. That fact should deeply affect how we live, and one way it ought to affect us is to make us more generous with whatever God has given us (whether our time or our resources).
Encounter God
Primary Scriptures: Luke 16:10-12, 1st Corinthians 6:19-20, Mark 4:24, Romans 14:12, Matthew 12:36, 1st Corinthians 4:7
Discussion Questions:
- If you knew someone who dropped a phone nearly every time they held one, would you feel like buying them a brand new phone? Why or why not? Would you lend them yours? Why or why not?
- If you were in a doctor’s office waiting room, what would you think if you saw two grown men get into a fistfight over who got to read the waiting room’s copy of a 1985 “Golf Digest” magazine? You would probably think they were crazy. Nobody is in the waiting room forever, and the 1985 Golf Digest isn’t all that important. By way of comparison, how long do you expect to be here, in this world, in your current body? And how much do you value the stuff around you?
- If someone saved your life by pushing you out of the way of an oncoming car, would you feel any sense of obligation toward them, like you owed them anything? How do you think you should feel about someone who stepped in and took the wrath of God on your behalf, and paid your soul’s death penalty for you?
Discovery Bible Method:
For an alternative to the questions above, read the scriptures outlined above (especially Luke 16:10-12) and use the Discovery Bible Method to explore the passage.
Embrace Others
Suggestion: Consider breaking the group into dyads or triads for this section.
Getting to know you: God lent you the use of your body for now. How have you been treating it? How faithful have you been with your body?
Getting to know them: God has lent you the time with the people in this group. How have you been a blessing to them? Are you folks praying for each other? Are you holding each other accountable, so you can become stronger together? How are you being faithful with this time?
Getting to know Him: God wants us to be like Him, because that’s the only way to have love, joy, and peace. Take some time and think about God’s promise to everyone who trusts Him in 1 Thessalonians 5:24. It’s worth thinking about. Can you memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:24 this week?
Engage the World Around Us
Engaging at Faith Promise: We often think of “giving” in terms of money, or time, or serving projects. Those things are important, but have you given the effort to get to know folks next to you at church, or new people in your group? Those people might need something as small as a greeting and a smile to remind them God cares about them, and that’s something you can definitely give.
Engaging in Community: Every week, Faith Promise has serving projects available. And we have special ones as the seasons change, too. A new school year is coming up, and public school teachers everywhere are buying things for their classrooms out of their own pockets. If your group goes school supply shopping, grab a few extra supplies, and give them to a local school. Or perhaps you can take up just $5 each and go pay for some kid’s meals for the year. The teachers will take notice. Faith Promise will head up the “Back To School Drive 2019” with Collection Dates from August 18-25th. This is an alternative way to give back to our community and its students by providing specific school materials that they will need this coming school year. Be on the lookout to see what your campus is collecting and for which school at https://faithpromise.org/love-local.
Engaging the World: If you want to reach beyond your local community, Faith Promise sponsors the Jamaican Deaf Village, which has a school of its own. Stop by the Missions Spot at your campus next time you’re there to find out how you can help them.
Expand God’s Kingdom
Try to think of one thing you know you could be more faithful in. It doesn’t have to be the most amazing, spectacular, earth-shattering, life-altering thing. It could be something as simple as returning your cart at the grocery store or making eye contact and conversation with the cashier instead of being distracted at the checkout. See if you can pick one thing this week, and be more faithful in that. See if that doesn’t make you want to pick a new thing next week. And if someone asks you why you’re doing these weird, small, nice things, you have a chance to talk about Jesus.
Leader’s Notes
ALL groups at Faith Promise should follow Jesus Christ and lead others to do the same. Below are the marks of a growing follower and disciple of Jesus.
– A follower of Jesus desires to encounter God through the deeper study and application of God’s Word.
– A follower of Jesus embraces people and values relationships on a deeper level so everyone can grow together.
– A follower of Jesus engages and serves the world around them and in their community, through local partners or God-directed opportunities.
– A follower of Jesus expands God’s Kingdom through development and multiplication of disciple-makers, possibly to lead more groups at Faith Promise.
