Mark
12:35-44 (ESV)
And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great
throng heard him gladly. Beware of the Scribes. And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
1. Money tells a story. Matthew 6:21
Never let treasures in this life be your only story. Where our money is, our heart is.
Keep your eyes on eternity.
2. The sound of the gift is meaningless.
A large gift gets more attention from others, but it can make us more detached if our heart isn’t in it.
The amount is not the point - the spirit in which it’s given is. The gift can be large but not be meaningful to us. Or it can be small by comparison to others, but if it’s as much as we can give, if we are acting in faith, it can be very meaningful to us. Our heart is what captures God’s attention, not the amount of the gift.
3. I like giving money. Prov. 11:24-25; 2 Cor. 9:6-11
Generosity is a heart issue.
God has not called us to give away all our money and have nothing. A life of generosity is not characterized by lack - it’s characterized by peace, joy and blessing. It’s about trusting God to supply.
Giving financially is not a box to check - it’s an adventure to explore.
1. What does our society tell us about money? How does it compare to what the Bible tells us?
2. Has the amount of money you could afford ever kept you from giving because it seemed too small to matter? How can a larger contribution actually make us more detached than a smaller gift?
3. Pastor Chris talked about how our brains respond when we give in a way that’s meaningful to us. Have you ever experienced the “giver’s glow” he talked about? On the other side, have you ever given out of obligation rather than a genuine desire to give? Did it feel the same? If not, how was it different?
4. Pastor Chris said financial giving is not a box to check - it is an adventure to explore. How does this influence the way we think about giving?
5. What would you like to do differently from now on because of this week’s message?