Questions for Invest Sermon #1: Invest Your Life These questions are designed to help individuals, families, and small groups dig deeper into our Invest Sermon Series. Leaders: don t limit yourself to these questions or feel that you need to answer all of them. Pick and choose and create your own based on the needs of your group. Observe & interpret the passage: Read Luke 19:11-27 Who did each person/group in the parable represent when Jesus originally taught this parable? Who does each person or group in the parable represent today? How can you tell? o Nobleman o Slaves o Citizens Why did Jesus teach this parable to His disciples? What lesson did He want them to understand? What are the parallels between your life and responsibilities and the slaves lives and responsibilities in the parable? Think through the theology: Read 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. o Define steward. o What is a steward responsible to do (Luke 19:13, 16)? Why should we invest our lives in God s kingdom (building up His people, sharing His gospel)? What motivations does God offer us in each of the following passages? o Matthew 6:19-20 o Luke 19:17 o 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
o 2 Corinthians 4:17 o 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 4:10-11 o 1 John 2:28 o Revelation 2:26 Apply it to your life: How does God s ownership of everything affect your perspective on life (Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalm 24:1; 89:11)? Which of the motivations and rewards above most encourage you to faithfully invest your life in God s Kingdom? What specific resources has God entrusted to you for investing in His Kingdom? What will you do this week to increase your investment in God s Kingdom? Memorize: 2 Corinthians 4:17 Additional Questions Interpret: Why did the third slave fail to invest his master s mina (Luke 19:20-21)? Do we ever fall into this trap?
Apply: How do you know when you are investing for your own kingdom and when you are investing in God s Kingdom? Why are we frequently tempted to avoid investing in God s Kingdom?
Questions for Invest Sermon #2: Invest Your Talents These questions are designed to help individuals, families, and small groups dig deeper into our Invest Sermon Series. Leaders: don t limit yourself to these questions or feel that you need to answer all of them. Pick and choose and create your own based on the needs of your group. Review Read 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. o Define steward. o What is a steward responsible to do (Luke 19:13, 16)? Why should we invest our lives, including our talents, in God s kingdom (building up His people, sharing His gospel)? What motivations does God offer us in each of the following passages? o Matthew 6:19-20 o Luke 19:17 o 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 o 2 Corinthians 4:17 o 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 4:10-11 Observe & interpret the passages: Read Psalm 139:13-16 List the words and phrases this passage uses to describe how God created you. What does this tell you about yourself?
According to this passage, when did your life begin? How should this passage affect your relationship with God? How should it affect your use of your talents, skills, ability, and intellect? Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Ephesians 4:11-16, and 1 Peter 4:10-11 What are spiritual gifts? How would you define them? In what ways are they similar to or different from natural abilities and learned skills? What are the primary purposes for which God has given spiritual gifts? What are we meant to do with them? Apply it to your life: What are your natural abilities (skills or aptitudes you were born with)? What knowledge and skills have you accumulated during your life?
What are your spiritual gifts? List specific ways you can use each of these for the good of... o your family o the Body of Christ o the Lost Memorize: Psalm 139:13-14 Additional Questions: When did God decide to uniquely create you (Ephesians 1:4; Romans 8:29)? How should Psalm 139:13-16 affect our relationships with other people? Are the sign gifts (prophecy, tongues, healing, miracles) still given to God s people today? Why or why not? If so, in what contexts would you expect to see them based on biblical/historical patterns?
Questions for Invest Sermon #3: Invest Your Wealth These questions are designed to help individuals, families, and small groups dig deeper into our Invest Sermon Series. Leaders: don t limit yourself to these questions or feel that you need to answer all of them. Pick and choose and create your own based on the needs of your group. Observe & interpret the passages: Money is not evil; but it is dangerous. What dangers does wealth present? How do we avoid these dangers? See Matthew 6:21,24 and 1 Tim 6:9-10. List the reasons, both positive and negative, why we should learn to give our wealth generously to God according to each of these passages. o Malachi 3:8-9 o Matthew 6:19-20 o Matthew 6:21 o Luke 16:9 o Luke 16:10-12 o Philippians 4:18 o 1 John 3:17-18 o Can you think of others? To whom or for what purposes/causes should we give? o 1 Tim 5:8 o Gal 6:6
o Gal 2:10; 1 John 3:17-18 o Rom 15:23-24 Is it sin to spend money on yourself? Is it a sin to enjoy the possessions and comforts your money can buy? See 1 Tim 6:17? Apply it to your life: How should we give to God according to each of these passages? In each case, how are you doing in applying what the passage teaches? o 2 Cor 9:6-7 How I should give: How I am doing in applying this when I give: o Matthew 6:2-4 How I should give: How I am doing in applying this when I give: o 1 Cor 16:1-2 How I should give: How I am doing in applying this when I give:
o Mark 12:41-44; 2 Samuel 24:24 How I should give: How I am doing in applying this when I give: Prayerfully consider your own giving to God and His church. How are you doing? Are you giving regularly and sacrificially? What giving goal will you set for yourself for this calendar year? Memorize: Matthew 6:19-21 Additional Questions: Describe the relationship between wealth and worship (Matthew 6:21, 24; 1 Tim 6:9-10; Philippians 4:18). Why should we give generously according to Matthew 6:22-23? Read Luke 16:1-9. o What is the primary lesson we are to learn from this parable? o Who are the potential friends in 16:9? How do we win these friends?
Questions for Invest Sermon #4: Invest Your Time These questions are designed to help individuals, families, and small groups dig deeper into our Invest Sermon Series. Leaders: don t limit yourself to these questions or feel that you need to answer all of them. Pick and choose and create your own based on the needs of your group. Review Read 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. o Define steward. Observe & interpret the passages: Read Psalm 139:13-16 List the words and phrases this passage uses to describe how God created you. What does this tell you about yourself? Apply it to your life: What are your natural abilities (skills or aptitudes you were born with)? o your family Memorize: Psalm 90:?? Additional Questions: When did God decide to uniquely create you (Ephesians 1:4; Romans 8:29)?