Opening
Icebreaker: If you had $100 dollars and you had to spend it in the next hour, what would you do with it?
Worship
How was your bible reading in the last 2 weeks, share something from your readings with the group!
Word
Matthew 25:14-30 NIV
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a]each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Discussion
Sermon Review
- Core theme: Everything you have (your time, talents, and treasures) belongs to God, and you are called to faithfully invest it all in His mission.
- Main Takeaway: We must surrender our entire lives to God, seeking to understand our unique role in His plan and using everything He has entrusted to us to advance His kingdom locally and worldwide.
- Sermon Review questions:
- What were the wrong views of God that the 3rd servant have?
- What is God’s core mission for us?
- Discussion Questions:
- Introductory
- What is your purpose: How are you currently seeking meaning and purpose in your life?
- Are you Content?: Do you experience God’s abundance?
- Exploratory (4-6 people)
- Investing in God’s treasures:
- Adults: are you investing your time, talent, treasure to build God’s Kingdom through your career and family?
- Young Adults: are you investing your time, talent, and treasures into discovering your calling to advance God’s Kingdom through your career?
- Retired: how are you investing all the time, talent, and treasures God’s given you to advance God’s Kingdom?
- Investing in God’s treasures:
- In Depth (2/3 people)
- How do we see God? Do we have the wrong view of self, God, or His belonging like the 3rd servant?
- How might I be wrestling with seeing the time, talents & treasures entrusted to me as belonging to God instead of me?
- Introductory
- Additional questions:
- What purposes does my time, talents and treasures serve?
- How might I be wrestling with seeing the time, talents and treasures entrusted to me as belonging to God?
- Am I ready to surrender more of my time, talent and treasures to God’s mission?
- How is our time used for God?
- How is our other resources used for God?
Witness
- Urbana: Are you a young adult interested in missions and discovering God’s plan and purpose for you? Join the team going to Urbana this year and reach out to Pastor Santos for more details!
- Thanksgiving Event: Dinner at Church on October 10th 6:30 – 9:30 pm
- Sign up for the Thanksgiving event here via this Form
- Help Needed for Adult Zone:
- Administration – Help organize zone wide information
- Cell Planners – help review sermons and create biweekly cell plans!
- Bible Reading:
- This year, we will be going through a 2 year bible reading plan together. Access to plan at gcgcny.link/readbible. Use this to share regularly in your cell about what you’re hearing from God.
- More details to come via Sunday announcements
- Prayer and Outreach
- New Outreach Chat to invite others along when you are looking to do something with friends
- Establish prayer partner rotations