My Role Includes Being Generous to My Church

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My Role Includes Being Generous to My Church The Hope of the World, Part 5

Message by Tom Mercer February 18-19, 2017





Acts 4:31-37, Acts 2:47, Acts 5:1-11

“…one heart and mind.” 1. They care more about people and less about things.

Acts 4:32, Ecclesiastes 5:10, 1 Timothy 6:10

“…one heart and mind.” 2. They understand that their resources are all God’s, not theirs.

Acts 4:32, 1 Corinthians 10:2

“…one heart and mind.” 3. They give to further the mission, not to gain influence in the church.

Acts 4:35, Daniel 1:9, Acts 4:33

Generosity isn’t God’s strategy to build our budget, it’s His strategy to transform your life.

THE HOPE OF THE WORLD—and how you are a part of it...

HDC | small groups ` 1. W  hat differentiates the mutual sharing of believers found in Acts from mere humanitarian acts of charity? Read Acts 4:32-37. 2. W  hat attitudes toward giving do you see reflected in Acts 4:32? What motivated the early Christians’ generosity? 3. W  hat do we learn from Scripture about Barnabas? 4. D  o you think his nickname was related to his generosity? Explain. How would you describe the relationship between generosity and encouragement? Read Acts 5:1-11. 5. W  hat do we learn from these verses about Ananias and Sapphira? 6. W  ere Ananias and Sapphira required to sell their land and give all the proceeds to the church? Why or why not? What was their sin? 7. W  hat do you think motivated Ananias and Sapphira to behave the way they did? What would Ananias and Sapphira gain by lying about the money they received? 8. D  o you think the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira helped or hurt the early church’s witness in their community? Explain. 9. W  hat is the biggest hurdle you face that keeps you from living a life of generosity (fear, worry, a hobby, etc.)? Is there a way you could turn that hurdle into a catalyst for generosity? 10. A  s you look back over this series, how did it help you understand your role in the church? 11. O  f the five obstacles that Tom mentioned, which one does Satan use most often to trip you up?

Share what you learned with your small group! #HDCSmallGroups Visit hdc.mobi/smallgroups to learn more about small groups at HDC.