Week 1 – Myths about Money
Read: your notes from Sunday morning’s sermon.
Intro: This week at church we talked about some of the myths regarding money that we often believe. Let’s recap that a bit:
Myth 1: The church only talks about money
Myth 2: God thinks money is evil
Myth 3: God wants me to be poor
Myth 4: If I have more money, I’ll be happy
These myths come from many different places and are often just long held ideas and beliefs that we’ve held onto for no good reason. A few things that Rob mentioned to keep in mind as we begin this study on finances are:
1.God is the ruler of all! Even our finances.
- If you put God first, He provides for every need you have by multiplication.
- If you put God first, He takes care of you in abundance.
Questions:
- How do you think we can get the correct perspective or view about money?
- How does the way we use money reveal what we believe about ourselves or our identity? For example, what might someone believe about themselves if they spend money in a flaunting and boastful way? Or what might someone believe about themselves if they try to hide the fact that they don’t have much money?
- What do you think God wants us to know about money?
Feel free to discuss or ask additional questions as they arise
Spiritual Practice: Prayer Week 4 – Learning to Pray – part 2
Last week we talked about the importance of praying with expectation. We looked at examples from Daniel, Moses, and more. We talked about how the disciples prayed with such expectation because they often knew what God’s will was. Praying expectantly is only half of the equation. The other half is listening to God. When praying for others, we first have to listen for guidance. Have you ever prayed for something over and over because it was something that you or someone you knew really wanted or needed? You may have even prayed faithfully for something to change. Just the act of praying shows that we have faith, otherwise why would we pray? In Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Dicipline, he says: “Listening to God is the necessary prelude to intercession.” We have to shut out all the other voices of authority in our minds and make room for God’s thoughts. That is why we first studied meditation and why it is such an important part of prayer. We have to be able to leave our preconceived notions at the door and open ourselves up to what God wants us to pray for. When combine that with the faith we already have we will start to learn how God’s power operates. This week in your prayer time, listen first to what God has to say to you. Start your prayer asking God what He would have you pray for. Don’t be afraid to take several moments to just be silent. There is no need to fill awkward silences when speaking with God.
Closing verse: Matthew 6:7-8 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
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