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A NEW WAVE OF SACRIFICEA sacrifice on earth is a deposit in eternity.
PRAYER God, guide our discussion today. Help us to understand your heart of sacrificial living. Amen. Discuss: What does the word “sacrifice” mean to you? Think of a time in your life where you made a personal sacrifice for the sake of someone else. What was the sacrifice? What difference did that sacrifice make in the life of the other person? In your own life? SCRIPTURE Read Mark 10:17-31, Philippians 2:5-11 and 2 Corinthians 8 What really stands out to you from these passages? 2 Corinthians 8:7 encourages us to “grow in the grace of giving.” What does that phrase mean to you? How is giving with this kind of mentality different than giving out of obligation or duty? What has been your attitude toward this kind of sacrifice in the past? JOURNEY We just looked at the account in Mark’s gospel where Jesus taught about money, sacrifice, and the Kingdom of God. This is an intriguing story of a rich young ruler. He came to see Jesus and asked what it would take for him to “inherit eternal life.” Jesus then told him that he must sell all of his possessions. The man walked away sad because he owned so much. But really, the man missed the point Jesus was ultimately trying to make. It wasn’t ultimately about possessions—it was about the man’s heart. Jesus saw into the man’s heart and saw that while he followed all the rules, he wasn’t willing to give anything and everything for Christ. There were still areas in his life that were “off limits” to God. Jesus was asking the man to be willing to give it all up if he were asked—to be willing to use what God had given him for God’s purposes. This passage can help us gain insight into to what God asks of us as we follow Jesus today. When we willingly sacrifice something that is important to us for God’s purposes, God finds delight. And the funny thing is that as time goes by, we may find that we no longer miss that which we sacrificed. In fact, we will likely be more satisfied after the sacrifice than we were before. True sacrifice will require utter dependence on God, trusting that he will provide for whatever it is we need. This doesn’t make sacrifice easy, but when we see our time, talent, and resources used for God’s purposes, we will experience the blessing of seeing life change happen in our church, in our community and in the world. REFLECTION AND APPLICATION What are you holding on to right now that might be keeping you from a closer relationship with God? (It may be a possession, an attitude, or a sinful behavior that you have to let go of and let God take control.) Take a look at your notes from this weekend’s message (Not Without Sacrifice), as well as your notes in the Personal Journal to help you as you answer the following questions: How am I challenged by what I heard? How will I apply what I have learned? This upcoming weekend (April 2), each individual will be asked to respond to God’s leading. Take time this week to reflect on how God has been guiding you through this journey and listen for his voice. How is God leading you to sacrifice for the work that he wants to do in and through this church? PRAYER God, we admit that sacrifice is a scary thing. But we know that a sacrifice for you here on earth is an investment for eternity. Give us the faith and courage to respond to how your Spirit has been guiding us over the past four weeks, so that your Kingdom would expand in our neighborhoods. Amen. MEMORY VERSE |
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Psalm 4:5
Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.
Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.
