Rich and Foolish
Big Idea: Money can make you rich or it can make you rich towards God.
You don’t own your money, but your money might own you.
Money is a means, not an end.
Your appetites will always outpace your resources.
What made the Rich Fool rich?
- Our definition of “rich” is someone who has way more than me.
- Jesus’ definition of “rich” is someone who has way more than they need.
When God gives you wealth, it comes with expectations.
What made the Rich Fool foolish?
How can wealth make you rich towards God?
- Give out of gratitude.
2 Corinthians 9:7 - Give until it hurts.
Luke 21:3-4 - Give for the right reward.
Matthew 6:2-3
“Jesus, everything I have is yours. What do you want me to do with it?”
MESSAGE QUESTIONS
Why is it that when people encountered Jesus and decided to follow him, they immediately became wildly generous—to the point of selling all their possessions and sharing with anyone who had need? In short, it’s because Jesus is a wildly generous Savior, and when he gets ahold of your heart, you can’t help but be wildly generous in return. If Jesus wasn’t selfish even with his own life, how can any of his followers justify being selfish with their possessions? In this series we’re looking at three of Jesus’ parables where he taught us to be generous and ask how we can follow him together in putting his generosity on display through the way we live our everyday lives. This Sunday, the big idea is: Wealth can make you rich or it can make you rich towards God. Our passage is Luke 12:13-21.
Use these questions to discuss the message from Sunday, focusing on how you can grow as an everyday follower of Jesus and how you can go accomplish what Jesus calls you to do.
- In vs. 16, we’re introduced to the only character in the parable as a “rich man.” What does it mean to you to be “rich”?
- What motivates the financial behavior of the rich man—vs. 19? What do you think motivates the way you handle your money?
- God calls the rich man a fool in vs. 20. What would wisdom have looked like for the rich man? What does it look like for you?
- How is Jesus calling you to grow in wisdom with however much wealth he has entrusted to you right now?
- The rich man seemed to only think about himself. How practically is Jesus calling you to adopt a “go” mindset in managing your wealth for the benefit of others and not just yourself?
