Group Questions:

First and Best
Week 5 | November 19, 2023

GROUP QUESTIONS: Extravagant Gifts

  1. What is the most extravagant gift that you have ever given? Received?
  2. Read John 12:1-8, and discuss what is important to note from the story.
  3. What makes a gift extravagant? Why is the heart so important in giving?
  4. What is the difference between First and Best Giving and Extravagant Giving?
  5. What are some extravagant gifts beyond money that people could give to God?
  6. Explain self-righteous deflection that Judas used and how you see it today.
  7. How have you seen God reward his children for giving faithfully?
  8. What has God changed in you during this First and Best discipleship series?
  9. How can this group continue to talk about money and giving regularly even after this series?
  10. End in prayer and encouragement.
First and Best Commitment: I will be…
  • Intentional with WHEN I give.
  • Faithful with HOW MUCH I give.
  • Attentive to my HEART as I give.
Truths:
  1. A gift is only extravagant when it comes from a heart that’s fully surrendered.
  2. Extravagance brings out selfishness in others.
  3. God’s extravagant gift ignites extravagant giving in his children.
  4. God rewards extravagant giving.

John 12:1-8

12 It was six days before the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus lived. Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. 2 They made supper for Him. Martha put the food on the table. Lazarus was at the table with Him.

3 Mary took a jar of special perfume that cost much money and poured it on the feet of Jesus. She dried His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the smell of the special perfume.

4 Judas Iscariot was one of the followers. He was about to hand Jesus over to the leaders of the country. He said, 5 “Why was not this special perfume sold for much money and given to poor people?” 6 He did not say this because he cared for poor people. He said this because he was a robber. He carried the bag of money and would steal some of it for himself. 7 Jesus said, “Let her alone. She has kept it for the time when I will be buried. 8 You will always have poor people with you. You will not always have Me.”

Group Questions:

First and Best
Week 1 | October 22, 2023
1. Share a win and a loss in your life from this past week.
2. Read Colossians 1:15-20 and take turns explaining each verse in your own words.
3. What brings you comfort and peace in knowing God is first and best?
4. Read John 3:16, explain how God gave his first and best in Jesus?
5. Activity…As a group, make a list of 10 important categories of life.
6. Discuss how you can put God first in each of those categories?
7. Time to be real…which area of life is most difficult for you to put God first?
8. End by reading Romans 10:9-10 and praying asking Jesus for the faith to make him Lord over all your life.

COLOSSIANS 1:15-20

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

JOHN 3:16

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

ROMANS 10:9-10

9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH WEEK 1 SERMON

Group Questions:

First and Best
Week 2 | October 29, 2023

Big Idea: What I do with my money, exposes what’s first in my heart.

  1. Start by sharing something silly that you have purchased this year that reveals a little of your heart.
  2. Read Matthew 6:19-24, and share what challenges you.
  3. What are some examples of treasure in heaven and earthly treasures?
  4. How can possessions possess someone?
  5. Explain the ladder illustration used in the message, and try to add to it.
  6. Read Mark 10:17-27, what kept the rich man from jumping ladders?
  7. Time to be real, share of a time when you found yourself on the wrong ladder?
  8. As you looked back at your spending from this past year, what does it reveal about your heart? What are
    the top three places that you spend money?
  9. What scares you about putting God first and best in your finances? What excites you?
  10. How can this group help you not to wander and to remember that there is a war going on for your heart
    and that God wants to be first and best?

MATTHEW 6:19-24

19 “Do not gather together for yourself riches of this earth. They will be eaten by bugs and become rusted. Men can break in and steal them. 20 Gather together riches in heaven where they will not be eaten by bugs or become rusted. Men cannot break in and steal them. 21 For wherever your riches are, your heart will be there also. 22 The eye is the light of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 If your eye is bad, your whole body will be dark. If the light in you is dark, how dark it will be! 24 No one can have two bosses. He will hate the one and love the other. Or he will listen to the one and work against the other. You cannot have both God and riches as your boss at the same time.

MARK 10:17-27

17 Jesus was going on His way. A man ran to Him and got down on his knees. He said, “Good Teacher, what must I do to have life that lasts forever?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? There is only One Who is good. That is God. 19 You know the Laws, ‘Do not be guilty of sex sins in marriage. Do not kill another person. Do not take things from people in wrong ways. Do not steal. Do not lie. Respect your father and mother.’” 20 The man said to Jesus, “Teacher, I have obeyed all these Laws since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him with love and said, “There is one thing for you to do yet. Go and sell everything you have and give the money to poor people. You will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow Me.” 22 When the man heard these words, he was sad. He walked away with sorrow because he had many riches here on earth.

23 Jesus looked around Him. He said to His followers, “How hard it is for rich people to get into the holy nation of God!” 24 The followers were surprised and wondered about His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children! How hard it is for those who put their trust in riches to get into the holy nation of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven.”

26 They were very surprised and wondered, saying to themselves, “Then who can be saved from the punishment of sin?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “This cannot be done by men but God can do anything.”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH WEEK 2 SERMON

Group Questions:

First and Best
Week 3 | November 5, 2023

First and Best Commitment:
-I will be intentional with WHEN I give.
-I will be faithful with HOW MUCH I give.
-I will be attentive to my HEART as I give.

Big Idea: Because God is first and best, I give God my first and best.

  1. Jeremy confessed his sock failures. Your turn, confess something silly that you frequently forget to do or
    don’t do because you just don’t feel like it.
  2. Read Genesis 4:1-12 and discuss the differences between Cain and Abel’s hearts.
  3. How could Cain have corrected course?
  4. Cain felt anger and shame; what emotions stir in your heart when you think about giving God your First and
    Best?
  5. How does giving God our First and Best re-align our hearts? Give an example from your life.
  6. Explain how Jesus fits into First and Best. Can you find other verses in the New Testament that point to
    Jesus being God’s First and Best (Firstfruits/Firstborn/Redemption)?
  7. Share how giving your First and Best is an act of worship and an act of faith.
  8. How would your life change if you lived by the First and Best Commitment?
  9. End by sharing a personal story of how God has been faithful to provide for you in the past, use these
    stories to encourage each other to keep chasing God with your first and best.

Genesis 4:1-12

4 The man lay with his wife Eve and she was going to have a child and she gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have given birth to a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 Next she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was one who worked the ground.

3 The day came when Cain brought a gift of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 But Abel brought a gift of the first-born of his flocks and of the fat parts. The Lord showed favor to Abel and his gift. 5 But He had no respect for Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry and his face became sad. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why are you looking down? 7 Will not your face be happy if you do well? If you do not do well, sin is waiting to destroy you. Its desire is to rule over you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Cain told this to his brother Abel. And when they were in the field, Cain stood up against his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. 11 Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer give its strength to you. You will always travel from place to place on the earth.”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH WEEK 3 SERMON

Group Questions:

First and Best
Week 4 | November 12, 2023

Big Idea:

Biblical Stewardship

  1. God Owns it all.
  2. I am merely a manager.
  3. To manage more, I must manage well.
  1. Share with the group about your first ever job, how would you rate your work effort back then?
  2. Read Psalm 24:1, Deuteronomy 10:14, 1 Chronicles 29:11-12. What emotions stir within you as you read about God owning it all?
  3. Read Matthew 25:14-30. Who do you identify with in the story and why?
  4. What are ways that would like to store up treasures in heaven? Dream Big!
  5. Look at the Budget guide provided online called “Monthly Cash Flow Plan”. Where do you think you are not honoring God as a manager?
  6. As you think about the future, what percentage of your income are you planning to give, save, and spend?
  7. How can this group more openly talk about our giving, saving, and spending?
  8. How can this group celebrate together when God blesses us with more, without feeling jealous or competitive?
  9. End by sharing where you are with the First and Best Commitment. Are you making it, praying about it, or trashing it?

PSALM 24:1

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it, the world, and all who live in it.

DEUTERONOMY 10:14

14 To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.

1 CHRONICLES 29:11-12

11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.

MATTHEW 25:14-30

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

CLICK HERE TO WATCH WEEK 3 SERMON