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Jesus on Generosity (Matthew 6:19-24)

Ready for Impact (5 Minutes)

Catch up on how things have been since the last time your Impact Group met. Allow anyone new to introduce themselves. Then ask group members:

  • What are some of the possessions that are most precious to you?

Ask for a volunteer to read Matthew 6:19-21 to the group, praying a short prayer that however much they’ve come to know Jesus, they’d get to know him better because of your time together.

Impacted by the Word (15 minutes)

Watch Video One

Download this video to watch offline or read the transcript here.

Our possessions are never just ‘things’. We look to them for security and protection.

  • What might be motivating someone who wants to ‘store up for themselves treasures on earth’?
  • What does Jesus emphasise about our possessions?
  • If Jesus is right about our possessions, what emotions might someone ‘storing up treasures on earth’ have?
  • What attitudes might they have towards other people?

Jesus offers another way: store up treasures in heaven. Jesus has called his kingdom of love, justice and generosity ‘the Kingdom of heaven’.

In his kingdom, Jesus provides for his people’s deepest need: he forgives them and reunites them to himself. And having experienced this provision, his people can then live for the precious things of his kingdom.

  • What emotions or attitudes might someone ‘storing up treasures in heaven’ have?
  • What do you think Jesus’ words in verse 21 mean?

What does Jesus mean when he says ‘store up treasures in Heaven’?

Jesus has called the kingdom that he is bringing ‘the Kingdom of Heaven’. To ‘store up treasures in heaven’, then, is to store up treasures in Jesus’ kingdom. The chief treasure of belonging to Jesus is knowing his love and forgiveness; he has provided for our deepest need.

Having experienced that provision we no longer need to hoard ‘treasures on earth’. Instead, we can live for the precious things of his kingdom: living generously, pursuing justice, showing love. He calls us not to ‘store up’ earthly possessions, but to ‘store up’ the things of his kingdom.

And what will be the result? Jesus says that these heavenly treasures will never fade away. We can know Jesus’ love and provision today. We can also know the satisfaction of experiencing his kingdom breaking-in today.

But one day we will know these things perfectly. When Jesus returns and his kingdom comes fully and finally, storing up treasures in heaven will be shown to have been totally worth it.

Impacted by the Word Two (15 Minutes)

Ask for a volunteer to read Matthew 6:22-24.

Watch Video Two

Download this video to watch offline or read the transcript here.

A person with a ‘healthy’ eye focuses on God and others and so lives generously. A person with an unhealthy eye does the opposite.

  • What does Jesus say is the result of having a ‘healthy’ or an ‘unhealthy’ eye?
  • Jesus says that the things we give our attention to can affect us in big ways. How do you respond to this idea?

Jesus uses one more metaphor to describe our relationship to our possessions. A ‘master’ is the head of a household - they had control and influence over others.

  • Why do you think Jesus calls God and Money ‘masters’?
  • How does what we've read show God as a different kind of ‘master’ to Money?
  • What does Jesus’ warning suggest about how our possessions might be affecting our ability to love God?

Impacting our Hearts (15 Minutes)

In verse 21, Jesus says the things we treasure shape our hearts. They change who we are as a person.

  • What are some of the things you most treasure? (What do you give your time to? What do you daydream about? What are you most fearful of losing?)
  • How is treasuring these things forming you as a person?

Jesus’ death means that if we’re in his kingdom we can know the security of his forgiveness, love, and eternal life. You can’t get any more secure and safe if you have these things.

  • In what way would treasuring Jesus be better than treasuring these other things?

Impacting the University (10 Minutes)

As Jesus shares his vision of his kingdom, he’s speaking to a crowd of people. He’s inviting them to live lives of generosity together.

  • What would people in a generous community do, think, and experience?

Think about your money, your possessions, and your time.

  • As individuals, and as a group, what are some ways that you could be extravagantly generous in the weeks ahead?

Spend some time praying that God would give you eyes to see the day-to-day opportunities your group has to be generous. Ask God that as people experience your generosity, it would be the first step in them coming to know Jesus’s generosity.

Wrap-up – TACOS 🌮

Thank You – Thank everyone for coming, and ask someone to thank God for your time together in prayer.

Ask – Ask those who are new to reading the Bible if they’d like to explore Uncover, a set of sessions in Mark’s Gospel, allowing them to investigate one of the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life alongside one of you.

Church and CU – What does the CU have planned ahead? And what help would group members value in finding a local church?

Others – Who else could you invite to join your CU Impact Group next week? These friends don’t need to be followers of Jesus and may really appreciate being invited.

See You Soon – Tell the group where and when you’ll meet next week, and arrange who will bring snacks. (You might like to alternate healthy and less healthy weeks!). See if anyone would be up for sharing a meal or just hanging out in the meantime!