Small Group Questions

Deuteronomy 8:6-20

Sermon Title: The Wisest Money Mentality

Sermon Series: Treasure Principle #2

Week of 7 May, 2017

THEME/ CONCEPT

Our perspective changes everything. We are especially vulnerable when things are going well. We tend to think we’ve got everything under control. In fact, nothing is under our control. God is the owner of all things and graciously shares them with us for our care. When we realize this, we respond with humble gratitude, especially in times of blessing. If we deceive ourselves, arrogantly taking credit for our financial blessings, there will be a day of “accounting” when we will learn how powerless we are.

Application: God owns everything; I’m His money manager (Randy Alcorn phrase).

Charge: Be thankful for the privilege of being one of God’s money managers.

Opening Question

After making each individual feel welcome to the small group, a question or series of questions like the following can give everyone an opportunity to participate, start thinking about a concept from the passage and gradually share more openly the deep work that God is doing in our lives.

O1. What have been some of your own personal ups and downs with money, wealth, security and happiness? How have those circumstances come along to challenge – maybe even rearrange - your long-range view of these?

Scripture Reference:

Deuteronomy 8:6-20 (NIV)

6Observe the commands of theLordyour God, walking in obedience to himand revering him.7For theLordyour God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills;8a land with wheat and barley,vinesand fig trees,pomegranates, olive oil and honey;9a land where breadwill not be scarce and you will lack nothing;a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

10When you have eaten and are satisfied,praise theLordyour God for the good land he has given you.11Be careful that you do not forgettheLordyour God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.12Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,13and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied,14then your heart will become proud and you will forgettheLordyour God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.15He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness,that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakesand scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.16He gave you mannato eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known,to humble and testyou so that in the end it might go well with you.17You may say to yourself,“My power and the strength of my handshave produced this wealth for me.”18But remember theLordyour God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth,and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

19If you ever forget theLordyour God and follow other godsand worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.20Like the nationstheLorddestroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying theLordyour God.

Background: Deuteronomy is often thought of as Moses’ parting sermon to the Israelites as they get ready to enter the Promised Land. He’s not going in with them, but he loves them dearly and is concerned about how hard-headed, stubborn and prone to rebellion they have proven themselves to be (Deuteronomy 9). So, as best he can, he warns them, giving commands and explaining the new dangers they would face. Imagine - success would be one of their biggest tests, biggest dangers, the new nation would face – perhaps posing as big a threat as their surrounding enemies.

Understanding the Scripture

A question like one of the following may help your group understand the content of the passage. Answering all of these questions exactly as written isn't necessary or recommended. Allow time for the application and Mission Statement questions.

U1. Think back over Moses and the Israelites life together briefly. What were some of their biggest successes and failures together? Why is it important to remember these?

U2. What’s the twofold command in Vs 6 and the reason they should obey Vs 7-9?

U3. What’s the command in Vs 10? When were they to do it?

U4. What is the command and warning in Vs 11-13? What are the circumstances that might lead to actually forgetting that command in Vs 11? Would that turn out to be a legitimate concern in Israel’s future?

U5. If Israel does become forgetful, what does Vs14 say will happen next? (Notice the progression through here.)

U6. Vs15-18 provides some stark contrasts between what God did for Israel and what Israel actually accomplished on their own. What are those contrasts? And what was God’s motivation, from Vs16?

U7. Vs19-20 what does Moses say the ultimate end of forgetting will be? And what does Moses equate forgetting with? (see also Vs 11)

Applying the Scripture

Small groups are a primary way of building a community fully alive in Christ. A small group facilitator can use questions like the following, adapted to the context of the particular small group, to help the group move beyond understanding the passage to allowing Jesus Christ to fully change our lives by the passage.

A1.  Applying Moses command to ”Remember” seems simple enough. Yet it’s really not. Should we, today, rehearse Israel’s history so as to remember God’s faithfulness? Why or why not?

A2.  How about our own history as believers? Why should we obey the command today to remember? Does that same danger exist for us today?

Missional Strategy: Invite, Connect, Grow and Serve

Use questions like the following, adapted to the context of your particular small group, to work toward the milestone for the year.

Milestone: By this time next year each of us will have taken at least one step to become more like Jesus in our upward connection (connect), inner strength (grow) and outward focus (serve).

M1.  Have you ever shared your story of remembering back how God has worked in your life with another? How was it received?

M2.  Is there anyone you know who might seem to be a victim of their forgetfulness? Their own success? Maybe even yourself?

M3.  Often many of us do not step back and take the “Upper story View” of life (Doug’s words). How might we reframe daily life by listening to Moses’ command to remember? What should be our take away here?

Closing Prayer

If your small group prays together, some of the following concepts might be helpful to invite the Holy Spirit to help each member of the group grow in areas that may have come up during the group's discussion.

Pray through

·  For each member of the group, that we would remember better - and so in remembering, not be victims of our own successes.

·  For our faith to be placed squarely in God as the one in whom our success rests solely.

·  For our eyes to be opened to the “Upper Story View” of life through God’s eyes.

·  For clear direction from the Lord for someone to share this take away with as we “Remember”.