Generosity as a Core Biblical Value

THE TEXT: 2 Corinthians 8:1-7; 9:6-15.

Generosity is not about an ; it’s about an .

Why develop generosity?

• Generous people have more .

| 2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV |

• Generous people have more .

| 2 Corinthians 8:14 NLT |

• Generous people have more .

| 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NLT |

• Generous people have more .

| 2 Corinthians 8:3 NLT | 2 Corinthians 8:8 NLT | 2 Corinthians 8:12 NLT | 2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT |

• Generous people produce more .

| 2 Corinthians 9:12-13 NLT | 2 Corinthians 9:9 NLT | Psalm 112:9 |

How can we cultivate generosity?

1. Start with giving my to God.

| 2 Corinthians 8:5 NIV | 2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV |

2. Get about generosity.

| 2 Corinthians 8:11 NIV | 2 Corinthians 9:2-4 NIV |

3. Give .

| 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV |

4. generosity with your front row.

| 2 Corinthians 9:12-13 NIV |

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

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What Do You Think?

1. Read through the sermon points from Sunday’s message to jog the group’s memory.
2. From Sunday’s message, what particular point stood out to you, challenged you, or raised a question for you?

The Story of Your Life.

Tell about a time in your life when you tangibly felt God’s provision.

Digging Deeper in God’s Word.

1. As a response to God’s radical generosity to us, God expects Christians to be generous in many aspects of life (with the church, with others in need, with our family/friends, etc.). However, that ability doesn’t just magically show up one day; it’s a muscle that has to be trained and exercised. Perhaps the starting point is to recognize God as our Provider. Today we are going to delve deeper into what that means. “Jehovah Jireh” literally means “God our Provider” and is one of the names of God in the Old Testament first seen in Genesis 22. Read Genesis 22:1-19 as a group, recap the main points and then answer the following questions.
   1. What does this passage tell us about God? God as Provider? People? You?
   2. In light of this, is there anything you need to do differently?
2. In Matthew 6:19-34, Jesus directly combines the concepts of trusting God financially with physical worry. The Lord was prepping for the fact that the two go hand-in-hand. Read it together, have a few members of the group recap the main tenets and then answer the following questions.
   1. What does this passage tell us about God? God as Provider? People? You?
   2. In light of this, is there anything you need to do differently?
3. The following verses offer different insights as to what it looks like for God to be our Provider. Take your time to read through them one at a time. Then share a facet of God as your Provider that struck a chord with you.
   1. Deuteronomy 2:7.
   2. 2 Corinthians 9:8.
   3. Ephesians 3:20-21.
   4. Philippians 4:19.
   5. 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
   6. James 1:17.

Personal Reflection and Application.

1. Have everyone share one thing someone else said during this discussion that struck a chord with you.
2. Break up into smaller groups and pray with one another (preferably men with men and women with women if possible).