Reach This City: Righting Wrongs through Generosity

Hey leaders!

First of all, you're awesome!

Second of all, what you are doing is making a difference in the lives of your groups members!

Third of all, you are helping to make disciples so that we can Reach This City with the Gospel!

Fourth of all, you're awesome!

Announcements:

1.  Don't forget to pump the REVO United service on October 27th.  We are having our second baptism of 2013!  It's going to be at the North campus, and we'll have one service at 11 with lunch afterwards.  Do any of your group members need to take the next step and get baptized?  Ask them to talk to you after group, and if they have any questions that you can't answer then send one of the REVO pastors an email!

Also, why don't you plan to sit together as a group at Baptism and cheer?!  Bring some noisemakers, paint your chest, wear a rainbow wig, DO SOMETHING to get jacked up about life change through Jesus!

2.  Coats for Kids is going on through the month of October.  Turn your coats in at rGroup or at either campus on Sunday morning!

Question to discuss tonight on Nehemiah 5:1-19

1.  Why do you think most people hate when churches, pastors, charities, or anyone for that matter talk about money?  

(not generous, guilty over their lack of giving, misconceptions about money, think they are trying to be guilted to give more, insecure, bad past experience)

2.  What are the differences that you've seen in how followers of Jesus treat money as oppose to people that aren't Christians?  

(sometimes non-Christians give more, sometimes you don't see a difference, some Christians are very generous).  Do you think it matters if there is a difference or not between the two groups?

3.  Nehemiah 5:9-

-What do our finance say about who we really are? 

(it illustrates what matters the most to us, it illustrates our level of obedience to God's word, our faithfulness to God, and our trust in God.  When you think about it like that, no wonder Jesus talked about money so much!)  

-Do you think that they way you spend your money shows others what you think of Jesus and His church?  

-If so, then what do others think of Jesus based on your giving? 

(answers range from "worth selling out for and very important" to "not really worth it and not that big of a deal")

4.  Do you believe that your generosity can help Reach this City?  How?

5.  Nehemiah 5:19

-How can you turn your physical generosity into a spiritual gift to God?  How do make that connection with giving of your time/money/resources to actually giving to God?  

(Do you feel like your offering is going to an institution, or do you treat it as a gift to God so more lives can be changed?  When you volunteer and serve, do you feel like you're just sweating and working for someone or an organization, or do you treat it as your gift to God?)

-What would happen if you switch the object of your giving from people/organization/groups to making God the object/recipient of your giving?  

(it would be an act of worship, wouldn't be obligatory, wouldn't be burned out, would give joyfully and willingly, etc.  It's a perspective change).

Remember, there are 2 general ideas that come from Scripture concerning what we have:

1. Scripture teaches that everything comes from God.

2. Scripture teaches that resources (including money) can open up doors for people to hear/respond to the Gospel message.