Weekly Teaching Reflection
September 6th Reflection
Discussion Questions
What part of this teaching challenged, encouraged, or unsettled you the most? Why?
The teaching says that generosity isn't simply about giving more, but about seeing people differently. Who are the people you tend to overlook or whose needs you might be tempted not to see?
Jesus identifies fear as something underneath our relationship with money. What fears can make us want to hold tightly to what we have? Where do you see the tension between trusting God and wanting to create your own security?
“The poor can live somewhere else. ‘Anyone who has need’ might be the person sitting next to you.” How does that change the way you think about generosity? Who comes to mind when you hear the phrase “anyone who has need”?
Acts describes a community where “there were no needy persons among them.” What might it look like for Restoration to increasingly become a community where people notice needs and respond to them?
Think about what God has already placed “in your hands.” What resources do you have besides money (time, food, a home, skills, transportation, relationships, influence, space)? How might God be inviting you to make one of those resources available to someone else?
The Kingdom of God creates a people who notice need and reflexively move toward it. What would it look like for that to become more of a reflex in your everyday life?
Martin Luther spoke of a “conversion of the heart, a conversion of the mind, and a conversion of the purse.” Where do you sense Jesus inviting you into a deeper conversion in your relationship with resources and generosity?
For Practice This Week: Notice, Ask, Respond
For one week, intentionally practice the question:
“Who has a need that God is inviting me to notice?”
Then pay attention. Don't try to solve poverty or fix everyone's problems. Simply become more attentive to the people God puts in your path.
When you notice a need, ask a second question:
“What has God already put in my hands that I could offer?”
That might mean buying someone a meal, giving $20, offering a ride, inviting someone into your home, sharing something you have, helping with a bill, or simply taking the time to listen.
The goal isn't to do something impressive. The goal is to become the kind of person who sees and moves toward need.