LEADERS: There is no pressure to get through all the questions; we suggest prayerfully planning your choices for your group. Your leadership of sharing and questioning will determine how deep your group goes with each question.

 

1. What stood out to you in the sermon this week?

2. What did God reveal to you in the scriptures (James 5:1-6) this week, maybe for the first time?

 

• Read James 5:1-2

1. Who is James writing to in these verses? (James is warning believers. Jesus is not concerned with who is wealthy and poor but who is godly and ungodly. In Matthew 6:21, Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” How you spend your money points to what is most important to you.)

 

2. When was the last time you wept over how you spend your money? (When you put your treasure in earthly things, that’s the evidence you don’t believe in Jesus and eternity. That’s the evidence you don’t truly believe that only Jesus fully and finally satisfies. Stuff becomes your savior. What if you viewed what is temporary in light of what is eternal and leveraged what will only last for a minute for what will last forever?)

 

• Read James 5:3-4.

3. Where are you stealing or defrauding someone or God? (We like to think that we never steal, but have you ever used someone else’s Netflix password, called in sick when you weren’t, taken some office supplies home or not paid your employees what they were worth? When you steal, you’re saying you’re more important than other people. You’re acting like the enemy and you’re not trusting God to provide.)

 

4. How do gratitude and good stewardship go together? (Gratitude to God leads to generosity as an act of worship, the opposite of hoarding your wealth. Godly, grateful people manage their resources well and build opportunities for generosity.)

 

• Read James 5:5-6

5. What luxury resources do you use in your life?

 

6. How are you using those resources to glorify God?

 

7. What is your plan for funding God’s kingdom on Earth? 

 

• ACTION STEP

 

If you are new to budgeting, check out the budget resources at ramseysolutions.com/tools.

If you already have a budget, ask God to show you where you need to make adjustments so you can

continue to steward what He has given you for the advancement of His Kingdom.