Small Group
Be Generous
And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.–Micah 6:8
Opening Prayer & Ice Breaker
Share about a time when you witnessed or experienced extraordinary generosity. How did it impact you?
Scripture Passage: Nehemiah 5:1-13 (NIV)
5:1 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. 2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.” 3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.” 4 Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”
6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!”
They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. 9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.”
12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised.
13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!” At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
Sermon Summary
Nehemiah faced a crisis from within Jerusalem—wealthy Jews were exploiting their poor neighbors through exorbitant interest rates and even purchasing their children as slaves. Though legal, this practice was morally wrong and contradicted God's heart for justice. Nehemiah confronted this greed and called the people to generosity, reminding us that loving God must result in loving others.
Discussion Questions
Understanding the Text
1. Read Nehemiah 5:1-13 together. What specific injustices were happening in Jerusalem? Why was this particularly ironic given their situation?
2. How did Nehemiah respond to this crisis? What can we learn from his leadership approach?
3. Pastor Lucas mentioned that this same injustice was why Jerusalem was destroyed in the first place. Why do you think people so easily fall back into the same patterns?
Application and Action
1. Think about the four rules for life mentioned: Love God, Grow Together, Serve One Another (in the church), and Share Our Lives with Others. Which one is easiest for you? Which is most challenging?
2. The sermon distinguished between "not being cruel" and "being kind," between "not being greedy" and "being generous." In what practical ways can you move from the negative (avoiding sin) to the positive (actively doing good)?
3. Nehemiah asked, "Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?" (v. 9). How does your relationship with God inform how you treat others, especially those with less than you?
4. What is one specific way you can practice generosity this week beyond just money? (Consider time, talent, energy, encouragement, etc.)
Going Deeper
1. Pastor Lucas mentioned that some people are "fountains" and others are "drains." Which are you? What would need to change for you to become more of a fountain?
2. How does knowing that "Jesus valued you so much that he was willing to leverage all that he had... to save you" change your perspective on generosity?
3. What would it look like for your small group to collectively address an injustice or need in your community the way Nehemiah did?
Personal Reflection
1. Pastor Lucas commented that the greatest threats we face are always internal. What are the internal threats–e.g., greed, selfishness, indifference to others– you face? How do those compare to external challenges in your life?
2. When have you tried to justify something by saying "it's not technically wrong" or "it's not illegal"? How does the concept of moving from legality to morality challenge you?
3. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your struggle with greed? Why is it so hard to recognize greed in ourselves while we easily see it in others? To paraphrase Jesus (Matt 6:21), "Your heart always follows your money." Where is your money going? What does that reveal about your heart's priorities?
Key Takeaways
Practical Applications
This Week's Challenge:
Choose ONE of the following to put into practice and share your choice with the group:
Option 1: Financial Audit
Option 2: The Generosity Experiment
Option 3: The Giving Increase
Memory Verse
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." – Matt. 6:21
Prayer
Share about a time when you witnessed or experienced extraordinary generosity. How did it impact you?
Scripture Passage: Nehemiah 5:1-13 (NIV)
5:1 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. 2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.” 3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.” 4 Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”
6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!”
They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. 9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.”
12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised.
13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!” At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
Sermon Summary
Nehemiah faced a crisis from within Jerusalem—wealthy Jews were exploiting their poor neighbors through exorbitant interest rates and even purchasing their children as slaves. Though legal, this practice was morally wrong and contradicted God's heart for justice. Nehemiah confronted this greed and called the people to generosity, reminding us that loving God must result in loving others.
Discussion Questions
Understanding the Text
1. Read Nehemiah 5:1-13 together. What specific injustices were happening in Jerusalem? Why was this particularly ironic given their situation?
2. How did Nehemiah respond to this crisis? What can we learn from his leadership approach?
3. Pastor Lucas mentioned that this same injustice was why Jerusalem was destroyed in the first place. Why do you think people so easily fall back into the same patterns?
Application and Action
1. Think about the four rules for life mentioned: Love God, Grow Together, Serve One Another (in the church), and Share Our Lives with Others. Which one is easiest for you? Which is most challenging?
2. The sermon distinguished between "not being cruel" and "being kind," between "not being greedy" and "being generous." In what practical ways can you move from the negative (avoiding sin) to the positive (actively doing good)?
3. Nehemiah asked, "Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?" (v. 9). How does your relationship with God inform how you treat others, especially those with less than you?
4. What is one specific way you can practice generosity this week beyond just money? (Consider time, talent, energy, encouragement, etc.)
Going Deeper
1. Pastor Lucas mentioned that some people are "fountains" and others are "drains." Which are you? What would need to change for you to become more of a fountain?
2. How does knowing that "Jesus valued you so much that he was willing to leverage all that he had... to save you" change your perspective on generosity?
3. What would it look like for your small group to collectively address an injustice or need in your community the way Nehemiah did?
Personal Reflection
1. Pastor Lucas commented that the greatest threats we face are always internal. What are the internal threats–e.g., greed, selfishness, indifference to others– you face? How do those compare to external challenges in your life?
2. When have you tried to justify something by saying "it's not technically wrong" or "it's not illegal"? How does the concept of moving from legality to morality challenge you?
3. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your struggle with greed? Why is it so hard to recognize greed in ourselves while we easily see it in others? To paraphrase Jesus (Matt 6:21), "Your heart always follows your money." Where is your money going? What does that reveal about your heart's priorities?
Key Takeaways
- The greatest threats often come from within, not from outside circumstances
- Just because something is legal doesn't make it right—maturity moves beyond legality to morality
- Greed isn't about how much money you have, but how much hold money has on you
- Your heart always follows your money (Matthew 6:21)
- You cannot love God without loving others—the two are inseparable
- The Christian life calls us beyond "not sinning" to actively doing good
- True generosity flows from knowing all that we have in Jesus
Practical Applications
This Week's Challenge:
Choose ONE of the following to put into practice and share your choice with the group:
Option 1: Financial Audit
- Review where your money went last month
- Ask: What does this reveal about my heart?
- Pray about one area where you could increase generosity
Option 2: The Generosity Experiment
- Commit to one act of unexpected generosity each day this week
- Journal about how it feels and what you learn
- Share your experience with the group next week
Option 3: The Giving Increase
- If you're not currently giving regularly to our church, start giving
- If you are giving, prayerfully consider increasing your giving
Memory Verse
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." – Matt. 6:21
Prayer
- Confession: Areas where we've been greedy or used our resources selfishly
- Gratitude: For God's incredible generosity toward us in Jesus
- Transformation: That God would make us people characterized by generosity
- Specific Needs: For anyone in your group or community facing financial hardship
- The Church: That Easton would be known as a people who make a difference through generosity