To start off your small group, briefly share your response to the following question: Are you more of a spender or a saver? Share with your group.

Transcription

1 2. Financial Detox

2 Start with an Icebreaker Question To start off your small group, briefly share your response to the following question: Are you more of a spender or a saver? Share with your group. Please Read What To Expect Let s get a big picture of what we ll be learning today We all have a desire for new things. We start each new year with a desire to change things and make this new year better than last. However, we often struggle to make those changes because we focus on the outside rather than let God change us from within. In this session, we ll take a look at how important it is to be transformed and detoxed from the inside out in all areas of our life, including our finances! 18

3 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS At this time, please break into smaller groups of 2-4 for the discussion question section. Have a great discussion! In order to experience the fullness of all that God has in-store for us, we must continue to cleanse ourselves of the harmful toxins we ve allowed to creep into our lives. In some cases, these toxins manifest themselves by negatively impacting our emotions. Other times, we begin to develop unhealthy behaviors. The important thing to remember is that in order to change certain behaviors, we must first change our beliefs. Today, the world is trying to teach the next generation how to handle finances and it is not working. Jesus mentions the word mammon three different times in scripture. Mammon is defined as wealth or riches as a false object of worship and devotion. From a worldly perspective, the promises of mammon are security, identity, and happiness. Interestingly enough, those exact things can only be found in God. Read the scripture below: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) 1.) Have you ever felt like you needed more money in order to be happy or content? Share with your group. 2.) "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon. (Luke 16:13) According to this scripture, we cannot serve both God and worldly riches. If we desire to serve God, we must recognize what mammon is, and the ways it attempts to invade our thinking and living in this world. We must then change our view of finances from a worldly perspective to an eternal perspective. The Word of God provides us steps toward handling our finances in a way that please Him: i. Returning the first fruits to God. Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. (Deuteronomy 14:22-23) The world teaches us to keep for ourselves every penny of the money we earn. The Word of God teaches us that everything we have belongs to Him yet He instructs us to tithe only the first 10% of our wages out of reverence to Him. Do you sometimes struggle with the idea of tithing to God? Why? Share with your group. 19

4 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ii. Wise Stewardship Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10) Splurging and spending money we don t have on things we don t need has become all too familiar in today s world. The Word of God commands us to be wise and faithful with what we have. He desires for us to steward our blessings in ways that make an eternal impact. When we steward wisely the small blessings that we have, He will be faithful to grow them! What is ONE blessing, gift or talent God has given you that you are currently using to make an eternal impact? Share with your group. 4.) Lastly, God wants us to focus on true riches! As wise and faithful as he wants us to be with what we have here on earth, He is most concerned about our ability to keep heaven and eternity as our first priority. Read the following scripture: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21) Think of what you spend the most time, effort, and energy doing. Where would you say your treasure lies? Share with your group. 20

5 WHAT WILL YOU DO? This week, commit to doing at least 2 of the following things: Ask God to reveal to you any way that you ve had an unhealthy view of money Ask Him for ways to use what He has blessed you with to impact the Kingdom Allow The Lord to speak to you about returning the first tenth of what He gives you back to Him. The Bible says to test Him in this. If you already tithe, look for ways to better steward the rest of what He has given you for eternity and do them! CLOSE IN PRAYER Take a few minutes to close your time together with prayer and to pray for each other s prayer requests. Below is a sample prayer to read if you choose to. You can also choose to write down each other s prayer requests to remember throughout the week. Sample Prayer: God, thank You for all the we ve learned in this session. Thank you for all that you bless us with. Forgive us for ever thinking that we could serve both You and the world. Lord, we choose You. Help us as we continue to learn how to steward our finances with an eternal perspective. Show us how we can use our blessings to be a blessing to others. We love You. In Jesus name, Amen. Group Prayer Requests: Name Request 21

6 DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 1 S C R I P T U R E Read These Scriptures: Proverbs 11:28: Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. O B S E R V A T I O N A P P L I C A T I O N P R A Y E R S C R I P T U R E DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 2 Read These Scriptures: Hebrews 13:5: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. O B S E R V A T I O N A P P L I C A T I O N P R A Y E R 22

7 DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 3 S C R I P T U R E Read These Scriptures: Luke 16:10: Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. O B S E R V A T I O N A P P L I C A T I O N P R A Y E R DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 4 S C R I P T U R E Read These Scriptures: Matthew 16:19-21: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. O B S E R V A T I O N A P P L I C A T I O N P R A Y E R 23

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