September 19, 2021
Mark 12:41-44
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Matthew 6:2-4
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
In the simplest language possible, tell us what this passage teaches us about giving.
Compare and contrast the widow in this passage with the people Jesus was talking about in Matthew 6:2-4.
For many people, conversations about giving and generosity in the church feel very uncomfortable. Why do you think this is the case?
Giving sacrificially produces a great variety of emotional responses in people. How do you tend to respond? “When challenged to give sacrificially to a worthy cause, I tend to feel
As a group, talk about the idea of tithing (directing 10% of your income to the local church). Where does this practice come from? Is tithing mandatory? How is tithing different from a simple offering given as one feels led?