1. Read John 6:1-13.  Imagination can help us move from an intellectual place to a place of heart.  If you imagine yourself in the story as a disciple, what would your experience be?   How did you experience Jesus?
  2. When you were growing up, what was your family’s practice around generosity?  How has that influenced you?
  3. It was suggested that generosity applies to time, the gift of ourselves, love, forgiveness, and abilities.  Are there other ways to be generous?  Are some of these easier to be generous with then others?  Why makes some be easier or more difficult?
  4. In Ephesians 2:4-10 talks about how we are saved by grace and there is nothing we have done that could have earned that grace.  Then in verse 10 it talks about how we are created for a life of good deeds.  Why do you think this section ends talking about good deeds even though they have no effect on God’s grace to us?
  5. In light of two messages in a row that talked about money, did you hear a theme of trust, faith and obedience or that the church wants your money?  How would you frame the discussion between trust, spiritual discipline and money?
  6. Psalm 13:5 says, “As for me, I trust in the Lord’s everlasting love.”  What do you do when your trust is thin or non-existent and you are in a place of fear so that you are not feeling the confidence of the Psalmist?  I suggested three responses for such times of distrust.  They were contemplative pray, community, and worship. 
  • Have you tried any of these? 
  • How did they work? 
  • What other practices have you used that you have found helpful.

Resources

First Things Frist.  This is a really practical and balanced personal budgeting workbook.  The assumption is that until we are intentional

http://www.mennofoundation.ca/resources/publications/first-things-first