Life Group Questions – Aug 28st & Aug 29st, 2021

This weekend Pastor Nathan shared a message with us from Mark 12:41-44 about the widow tithing her two mites.

Pastor Nathan entitled this massage “A Worthy Sacrifice” and went into detail about what the right sacrifice looks like for Christ, talking about the Sacrifice of Priority, Sacrifice of Commitment and Sacrifice of Dependance.

Think of some sacrifices you have made recently; do you think these were worth it? Do you first evaluate if sacrificing for God is worth it, or do you act in KNOWING they are worth it?
Identify some times when Jesus made sacrifices and acknowledge some take aways from them. What are some of the significant sacrifices Jesus made?

The first of Pastor Nathans three pillars of sacrifices he mentioned was Sacrifice of Priority.

What has been your driving reason in tithing or serving up to now, does it need to change? How does it need to change in light of the story of the widow and the two mites?
Looking at the widows “free will” giving and contrasting it to “obligatory” giving, what do these reveal about our hearts? Read Matthew 6:1-4, can this be done in both ways, by free will or obligation?

Pastor Nathans second pillar of sacrifice he shared was Sacrifice of Commitment.

How is sacrifice fundamental to our relationship with Christ? What is the point to the seasons of life where we have to sacrifice convenience, comfort, time, or peace of mind?
Read James 1:2-4, Is there a trial that you are fearful of? Or maybe not fearful of the trial itself, but fearful of not being able to “count it all Joy” when you are in the trial?

In the last section Nathan shared with us the Sacrifice of Dependance.

Is there anything in your life that you are not dependent on the Lord in? Has there been anything particularly difficult to surrender to the Lord?
We often see in modern times and in the Bible (2 Corinthians 8) that believers in poverty give more joyfully and genuinely than those in wealth. Why might this be the condition of their hearts? What can we learn from these examples, both in our sacrifices and dependance on God?

Pastor Nathan wrapped things up by saying that tithe is not about the amount we give but rather then condition of our hearts.

We see in scripture that the officials in the temple at this time were committing injustices and disobeying God’s will, yet, despite this, the widow still makes her offering at the temple to the Lord. Is the specific location or fund as important as the act of faithful giving? Despite the injustice, what does honoring Gods commands do for your heart and the people around you?
Think of the old testament voluntary sacrifices and discuss how, post cross, it relates to our current relationship with Christ and our actions in Him?