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Give

January 25, 2026
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Key Idea

All we have belongs to God, so we intentionally steward it all as an act of service to God and to others.

LEAN IN – Connecting Life to the Message

  1. Do you agree or disagree with the conviction that “At our core, we want to be generous people, but we’re haunted by the prospect that there might not be enough for us – time, money, resources.”
  2. What are the areas of your life where you’ve most recently experienced scarcity – the feeling that there may not be enough for you or yours? 
  3. As we have been in Pray First, have you experienced any direct answers to prayers? Take time to share with others what you’ve experienced through things like the Pause App, pre-service prayer time, etc. during this Pray First season.

LOOK UP – Scripture Engagement

Main Passage: Matthew 6:19-34

Read this passage from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount aloud. Take two passes if you think it would help you or your group slow down and digest it better.

OBSERVE: What does the text say?

  • What words or phrases stand out to you from this passage?
  • What commands (do or don’t) does Jesus explicitly give his followers?
  • What words or descriptions does Jesus use to describe the Father? 
  • What else do you notice? What makes you curious?

INTERPRET: What does the passage mean?

  • Building on Jesus’ description of God above, what all do you learn about God in this passage?
  • Why does Jesus warn his followers regarding “treasures on earth”? What’s the potential danger of treasuring things on earth? What are “treasures in heaven”?
  • How does Jesus’ vision of reality conflict with the vision of “the real world” that was discussed in the message?
  • What do you learn about humanity and their tendencies, based on Jesus’ teachings?
  • What might Jesus mean by “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you”? How does that work against the sense of scarcity we often operate with?

APPLY – What’s my response?

  • What challenges, encourages, or convicts you from this passage?
  • We’ve looked at Jesus’ Great Commission in every week of this series, part of which is “teach them to obey everything I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). What explicit commands of Jesus from this passage prompt you to learn from him how to do it?
  • How do the action steps we discussed in the message of “Pray” and “Give” mesh with what Jesus is teaching in this passage?
  • What might “seeking first the kingdom of God” look like in your day to day life?

REFLECT – Bringing it home

  • From the message: “Prayer teaches us how God provides, giving us experiential knowledge of God’s faithfulness. It also expands your heart to care for people and needs beyond yourself – you don’t have the power to affect them directly, but God works with you.”
    • What has your experience been of prayer? How have you seen God provide or what has left with you doubts/questions? 
  • From the message: “When we trust God to give away that power for someone else’s benefit, we thrust ourselves out on the reality of the kingdom of God. We trust that we aren’t in charge of providing for ourselves – and in so doing, we experience the care and provision of God firsthand. We also find joy and meaning being an avenue of provision for someone else – our heart expands through generosity.”
    • Read Acts 20:35 – Have you experienced this kind of reality in giving to others? Where have you come to experience the “blessing” of the kingdom of God through giving? If not personally, have you seen it in others?
  • What is one concrete way that Prayer and Giving could be better established in your life? Is there something new to implement? Is there something previous to return to that you’ve wandered away from?

SCRIPTURES

  • Matthew 6:19-34
  • Matthew 28:18-20
  • Acts 2:42-47
  • Matthew 6:5:13
  • Acts 20:35
  • Romans 5:6-8 (The Message)

PRAY

Use the guide below or allow space for spontaneous prayer.

Begin with Thanksgiving

  • Thank God for His heart of generosity and his power to provide abundantly for us.
  • Thank Him for specific ways he has blessed and enriched our lives.

Move to Confession

  • Confess how we have submitted to the threat of scarcity by not trusting the heart or power of God to provide for us.
  • Repent (turn away from) prayerless-ness and selfishness, inviting God’s Spirit to birth new generosity in your heart and actions.

Pray for Formation

  • Ask Jesus to root us in the kingdom of God and shape our perspective through that reality.
  • Pray that generosity, servanthood, and sacrifice would be the natural outflow of growth in Christ.

Pray for the Church

  • Pray that our church would be convinced that all we have belongs to God, so we intentionally steward it all as an act of service to God and to others. 
  • Ask that God’s Spirit would lead us deeper into surrender, service, and sacrifice as we trust and follow Jesus.

Close by praying the Lord’s Prayer together.

Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen.

STEP OUT – Practice

Choose 2–3 practices to engage this week as a group or individually:

  1. Daily Prayer: Continue developing a practice of prayer 1-2x/day for 10-15 minutes
    1. As part of your practice, track requests you make of God and pay attention to how he answers over time.
  1. Financial Wisdom: If management of your finances is part of what may be keeping you from giving and being generous, sign up for the Freed Up class beginning Feb 9
    1. Freed Up Class Registration
  1. Seek to Serve: “Seek first the kingdom” this week by intentionally asking God every day for a chance to “serve someone else selflessly.” Hint: it could be very simple! Find a way to share with someone else what you saw and experienced (if you’re in a Group, come prepared to share stories).
  1. See The Need: Talk with your family, friends, and/or Group about significant needs in the lives of people around you. Is there an act of generosity that God may be prompting you to coordinate?