Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
Ice-Breaker:
What is something in your life that you were willing to work hard for, sacrifice anything to achieve?
Scripture:
1 Chronicles 29
10 Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly:
“O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
13 “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! 15 We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.
16 “O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! 17 I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.
18 “O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. 19 Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.”
10 Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly:
“O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
13 “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! 15 We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.
16 “O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! 17 I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.
18 “O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. 19 Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.”
Discussion Questions:
- In 1 Chronicles 29, David has a real heart for seeing the temple of God built. God has told him it will be his son, Solomon, that will build it, but David is still committed to being a part of it. So much so that in verse 3 he says that he is giving ALL of his private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. He voluntarily, willingly and cheerfully wanted to give! Why would David be so willing to give his all? Because God is WORTHY of ALL. He's worthy of all, not just because of what He's done for us, but simple because of WHO HE IS. We give in light of the fact that Jesus is pre-eminent and first in all things. If God were to give you a little life review, showing you how you typically spend your time, energy and money, would it be obvious that He is first in your life?
- In 1 Chronicles chapter 17, David is moved and overwhelmed by all that God has done for him. God made the first move! He came to us! He went first! God GAVE His ALL. So, we live and give in light of the fact that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. We surrender to the One who loved us first. Plainly put, we live and give in light of the gospel. God gave His all, so we give our all back to Him. How easy is it to take the things God has done for us for granted? How important is it to keep the gospel at the forefront of our minds and attitudes, and how might our lives look different if we did?
- In 1 Chronicles 17 verse 16, David says, "“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty!" Once again, David is overwhelmed by what God has done for him. He's basically saying, "God, YOU brought me to this place! You built a house for me! You've given me a future!" And in chapter 29, he's saying that everything in heaven on on earth belongs to God and that all riches come from Him. This should be our attitude as well! We must realize that God PROVIDES ALL... everything we have comes from Him. If truly believe that, it will affect the way we choose to use what He's given us. Where and how we spend reveals our heart in this area. Our investment in God's economy before the world's economy is a reflection of where our trust really lies. When it comes to your money and all your stuff, do you truly behave as if it all comes from Him? What is your level of trust in God when it comes to money?
- One thing that is clear throughout scripture is that God is after undivided hearts. He wants us to worship no one and nothing else in this world. He won't tolerate any idols! And we can make idols out of just about anything in our lives. Money is one of those areas. Jesus said in Matthew 6 that we should store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. And He said that where our treasure is, our heart will also be. In other words, money reveals what we treasure and where our idols are. God is after our hearts AND where we spend and don't spend money. What are some idols that you have to fight to tear down in your own life? What would your bank account reveal about where your heart is?
- The bottom line is, our DEVOTION determines DIRECTION. We've talked a lot about where we give from, and how it's all about what's in our hearts. We should constantly be examining our heart's direction and reconsecrating ourselves to the Lord. The challenge on Sunday was, "ALL ALL IN..." not some giving all or all giving some, but ALL of us ALL IN. Our church is a story of how groups of people have come together at different points in our history to give their all in order to see the Lord move in and through us. It's time for a NEW core group of people at The City that are filled with DEVOTION for their God and that are willing to get uncomfortable and give their all. We all want to get to the end of our lives and know that we did more than just pay bills, occupy space and consume resources. God has given us all a desire to live for something bigger than us.. that is, the glory of God! What is He speaking to you today? Is there a lack of trust in God when it comes to money? Does there need to be a shift in priorities? Where are you holding back? And what are you going to do about it?
Prayer Topics:
- That we would behave, think and spend like we believe that God owns it all.
- That we would give our all for Him.
- That God alone would have our hearts.
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