START TALKING

When have you received something small from someone, but it meant a lot to you because it was incredibly generous considering their age or the season of life that they were in? Even though it was small to you, it was big to them!

What examples come to mind from your own life and experience where what was a big sacrifice for you at a time in your life wouldn't be a sacrifice for you now because you are in a different place?

START THINKING

Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-2. What does this verse teach about joy since they have an abundance of joy even though they are being tested and are poor? What does this teach about the difference between happiness and joy? How would you explain the difference?

Read 2 Corinthians 8:3-5. How does this take away the argument that we can't afford to give? What are we really saying if we say we can't afford to give?

Read 2 Corinthians 8:8-9. What does Paul, the writer of this passage, tell us is really the basis of generosity? How does he connect the generosity of Jesus to our growing generosity in this passage?

START SHARING

Read 2 Corinthians 8:7. This verse challenges us to excel (increase, abound) in our generosity. How have you seen your generosity grow throughout your spiritual journey? What was the first step you took to be generous and how have you grown in that since then? How was it hard or challenging then and is it different now?

Read Luke 21:1-4. Who was Jesus most impressed with? Why? How have you been like each of the characters in this story? What does this story show us that God is looking for when and how we give?

How have you experienced the benefit of someone else's generosity to the local church and to the ministry? How have others experienced this because of you?

START DOING

What is the next step of generosity that you can take? Thinking through the points of this message, is your next step to...

1. Identify what I think brings me joy by looking at what I give to.
2. Identify if my giving now is really generosity out of desire or if it is an obligation.
3. Identify if I am proactive in looking for ways to increase my generosity or have I gotten stuck.
4. Identify when I last took a step to be more generous and what my next step of generosity should be.

START PRAYING

Pray for each person's next step that they shared above. Pray that we each experience more and more what it is like to be like Jesus as we give more generously. Pray that just like the Jerusalem church experienced the benefit of the Macedonian church's generosity that there would be people all over Knoxville, East Tennessee and the rest of the world that would experience the benefit of our increased generosity.