This small group discussion guide draws directly from the sermon “Showcase - Why Won’t God Bless the Mess in Your Finances? | Tauren Wells” so you can keep engaging with the message all week. Read, reflect, and share it with your small group or friends.
First Things First: Putting God at the Center
Small Group Discussion Guide — Week 2
Based on the sermon "Don't Take God's Test" by Pastor Torren Wells
📋 LEADER OVERVIEW
Before Your Group Meets: Read through this entire guide and choose which questions best fit your group. You don't need to use every question — it's better to have a great conversation around a few questions than to rush through all of them. Pray for your group members by name before they arrive.
Estimated Total Time: 60–90 minutes Recommended Group Size: 4–12 people
🎯 SERMON OVERVIEW
For leaders to read aloud or paraphrase as an introduction:
This week, Pastor Torren Wells challenged us to examine who — or what — sits at the center of our lives. Using the historical shift from the geocentric model (the belief that everything revolves around the earth) to the heliocentric model (the sun at the center), he drew a powerful parallel: just as the earth was never meant to be the center of the universe, we were never meant to be the center of our own lives. God is. From that foundation, Pastor Torren explored how God works through principles, patterns, and promises — and how the biblical practice of tithing is one of the clearest invitations God gives us to put him first. The central challenge of the message was this: tithing isn't a test God gives us to pass. It's a test we give to God — an act of trust that says, "I believe you are who you say you are."
🧊 ICEBREAKER
(5–10 minutes)
Choose one of the following to open your time together:
Option A (lighter, fun):
"Think about a rule you had growing up that seemed pointless at the time but now makes total sense. What was it, and when did you finally 'get it'?"
Option B (slightly deeper):
"What's something in your life right now that you'd say genuinely has your full attention — the thing that gets your best time, energy, or money? It doesn't have to be a spiritual answer — just be honest!"
[Leader Tip]: Don't overthink the icebreaker. Its job is simply to get people talking and laughing before you go deeper. Affirm whatever people share and resist the urge to turn their answers into a sermon illustration right away. Let it breathe.
📖 SCRIPTURE READING
(5 minutes)
Ask a volunteer to read each passage aloud. Encourage the group to listen for a word or phrase that stands out to them.
Passage 1 — The "First Things First" Principle:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." — Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Passage 2 — The Tithe and God's Invitation:
"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.'" — Malachi 3:10 (NIV)
Passage 3 — Where Your Heart Follows:
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." — Matthew 6:21 (NIV)
Passage 4 — Faithful Stewardship:
"To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away." — Matthew 25:29 (NLT)
Brief Context for Leaders: The Malachi passage comes from a time when God's people had drifted — they were going through religious motions but holding back from God in their finances and their hearts. God's response isn't anger; it's an invitation. "Test me," he says. That's an extraordinary statement from the Creator of the universe. Pastor Torren's insight was that this reframes the entire conversation: the tithe isn't a burden God places on us — it's a door he opens for us.
💬 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(30–45 minutes)
Work through these questions at a pace that fits your group. You don't have to cover every question. Questions are organized from lighter to deeper — feel free to skip ahead if your group is ready.
SECTION 1: The Center of Our Universe
(Observational & Interpretive — 10 minutes)
1. Pastor Torren opened with the story of Nicolaus Copernicus, who proved that the earth revolves around the sun — not the other way around. He said the "me-o-centric model" is alive and well today. In your own words, what does it look like when a person (or even a church) lives as if they are at the center of their universe?
2. Pastor Torren said: "God's principles reveal his nature. God's patterns reveal his ways. God's promises reveal his faithfulness." Looking at your own life, which of those three — principles, patterns, or promises — do you feel most connected to right now? Which feels most distant?
[Leader Tip]: If the group is quiet on Question 2, share your own honest answer first. Vulnerability from the leader gives permission for others to be real. There's no wrong answer here — the goal is self-awareness, not performance.
SECTION 2: Order Before Overflow
(Interpretive & Personal — 10 minutes)
3. One of Pastor Torren's key insights was: "Organization precedes multiplication" and "God prepares and orders what he plans to fill." He pointed to examples from the Bible — Noah's ark, the tabernacle, the feeding of the five thousand. What does this pattern suggest about how God works in our lives? Does this resonate with anything you've personally experienced?
4. Pastor Torren said many of us try to "put in an order with God like he's Amazon Prime" — asking God to bless our plans — when God is actually asking us to put things in order first. Where in your life do you sense God might be asking you to bring something into order before he fills it?
This might relate to a relationship, a habit, a financial decision, a schedule, or a long-delayed conversation. There's no pressure to share anything too personal — just let the question sit with you.
[Leader Tip]: Question 4 can surface some tender areas — finances, marriage, parenting, career. Create space for honesty without pressure. Remind the group that this is a safe place and that everyone is somewhere on the journey. Avoid letting one person dominate with a long personal story — gently redirect if needed.
SECTION 3: The Tithe — More Than Money
(Deeper Application — 15 minutes)
5. Pastor Torren made a distinction that many people haven't heard before:
"Your budget is about stewardship. Your tithe is about lordship."
What do you think he meant by that? How does that distinction change the way you think about giving?
6. He also said: "Abram didn't tithe to be blessed. He tithed because he recognized the blessing of God that already existed in his life." How does this reframe the way we typically think about giving to God? What's the difference between giving to get something versus giving because of what you've already received?
[Leader Tip]: This is a great moment to acknowledge that tithing is a topic people have complicated feelings about — some have been hurt by churches that misused money or used guilt to manipulate giving. Validate that honestly. The goal of this discussion isn't to pressure anyone but to explore what the Bible actually says and what it might mean for each person's journey.
7. Pastor Torren used a vivid illustration about a husband who sends $10,000 a month to three friends, asking each to send $1,000 to his wife while he's away. One sends exactly $1,000, one sends $2,000, and one sends less and less until he sends nothing. He connected this to Matthew 25:29. What does this illustration reveal about God's heart — not just his expectations, but his character as a provider?
8. One of the most memorable lines from the message was:
"Don't take God's test. The tithe isn't a test you take. It's a test you bring."
What do you think it means practically to "bring the test" to God? What would it look like for someone to step into that kind of trust for the first time?
SECTION 4: Worship with Open Hands
(Personal Reflection — 5–10 minutes)
9. Pastor Torren closed with this challenge:
"We can't just be comfortable worshiping God with lifted hands. We have to grow in our faith to the point that we're willing to worship God with open hands."
What's the difference between worshiping with lifted hands and worshiping with open hands? What areas of your life feel the hardest to hold with open hands right now?
10. At 23, Pastor Torren said something shifted in his heart. He stopped asking, "God, can I trust you?" and started asking, "God, can you trust me?" What would it look like for that to become the posture of your heart — in finances, in time, in relationships?
[Leader Tip]: Questions 9 and 10 are the emotional and spiritual heart of this discussion. Give them room. If your group is quiet, that's okay — silence can mean people are genuinely reflecting. After a pause, you might say, "Take a moment and just sit with that question. You don't have to answer out loud."
🪞 PERSONAL APPLICATION
(10–15 minutes)
These questions are for individual reflection. You can share with the group or simply sit with them quietly. Leaders, read each one slowly and give people a moment before moving to the next.
1. If you're honest with yourself, what currently competes most with God for the center of your life — time, money, attention, approval, ambition, comfort, or something else?
2. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does your financial life reflect that God is first? What would it take to move that number up by even one point?
3. Is there an area of your life where you've been waiting for God to bless before you're willing to bring it into order? What's one small step you could take this week to begin putting that area in order?
4. Pastor Torren's father laid his tithe check out every Friday after work. That image became a living lesson for his son. What financial or spiritual practices are the people around you — your kids, your friends, your community — learning from watching you?
5. If God were to say to you today, "Can I trust you?" — what would your honest answer be? What would need to change for that answer to be a confident yes?
✅ THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE
Choose one (or more) of the following:
🟢 Starting Point: This week, write down every financial transaction you make — every purchase, every bill, every coffee. At the end of the week, look at the list and ask: What does this tell me about what I value most?
🟡 Next Step: If you've never tithed before, research what 10% of your monthly income would look like. Pray about it. Talk to God about the fear or hesitation you feel. Ask him to give you the courage to take one step of faith.
🔴 Going Deeper: If you already tithe, consider asking God this week: "Is there another area of my life — time, attention, relationships — where you're asking me to put you first?" Then listen, and respond to what you hear.
💛 Community Challenge (for the whole group): In connection with Life Church's Neighbor Week, pray for one specific person in your life this week — someone who doesn't yet know Jesus. Write their name down. Ask God to open a door for a natural conversation. Be willing to simply say, "How can I pray for you?"
🙏 PRAYER FOCUS
(5–10 minutes)
Close your time together in prayer. You can use one of the formats below:
Option A — Popcorn Prayer: Invite anyone who wants to pray aloud to do so in a sentence or two. Suggested themes:
- Gratitude for God's generosity toward us
- Honesty about areas where we've put ourselves at the center
- Courage to take a step of faith in finances or another area
- The specific person each group member is praying for this week
Option B — Guided Prayer (leader reads aloud):
Lord, we come to you with open hands today. We confess that it's easy to put ourselves at the center — to want your blessings without putting you first. Forgive us for the times we've treated you like a vending machine instead of our King.
We thank you that you are not just asking us to follow rules — you're inviting us into a relationship built on trust. You've already proven yourself faithful. Help us to prove ourselves trustworthy.
For anyone in this room wrestling with finances, fear, or doubt — meet them in their honesty. Give them the courage to bring the test to you and experience your faithfulness firsthand.
And God, put one name on each of our hearts this week — someone who needs to know you. Give us the words, the courage, and the love to reach them.
We put you first today. In Jesus' name, amen.
🔍 OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE
(For groups wanting to go further — 15–20 additional minutes)
Bonus Question 1 — Old Testament Roots: Read Genesis 14:17–20 (Abram's tithe to Melchizedek) and Genesis 4:1–7 (Abel and Cain's offerings). What do these two stories, taken together, teach us about how we give — not just what we give? What's the significance that both of these examples come before the Law of Moses was given?
Bonus Question 2 — Lordship vs. Legalism: Pastor Torren said: "Tithing isn't about transaction. Tithing is about transformation." Read 2 Corinthians 9:6–8:
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
How does Paul's language here — "decided in your heart," "not reluctantly or under compulsion," "cheerful giver" — shape the spirit in which we're meant to give? How does this passage interact with the structure of the tithe? Is there tension here, or do these ideas fit together?
Bonus Question 3 — The Bigger Picture: Pastor Torren said, "If God was going to send it to someone, he had to first send it through someone." Read Luke 16:10–13:
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
According to Jesus, what is the relationship between faithfulness with money and faithfulness in other areas of life? What do you think Jesus means by "true riches"? How does this raise the stakes of the conversation beyond just finances?
📚 ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES FOR FURTHER STUDY
For individuals or groups who want to continue exploring this week's themes:
| Topic | Passage |
|---|---|
| Seeking God first | Matthew 6:25–34 |
| First fruits principle | Proverbs 3:9–10 |
| Generosity and the heart | Luke 21:1–4 (the widow's offering) |
| God's ownership of everything | Psalm 24:1 |
| Cheerful giving | 2 Corinthians 9:6–15 |
| The rich young ruler | Matthew 19:16–26 |
| Storing up treasure | Matthew 6:19–24 |
📝 LEADER NOTES & TIPS
On Tithing Conversations: This topic can bring up complicated emotions — guilt, shame, financial stress, past church hurt, or skepticism. Your job is not to convince anyone of anything. Your job is to create a safe space for honest dialogue around what Scripture says. Trust the Holy Spirit to do the convicting. If someone pushes back strongly, acknowledge their perspective: "That's a really honest reaction, and I appreciate you sharing it. What do others think?"
On Quiet Groups: If discussion stalls, try one of these:
- Share your own honest answer first to model vulnerability
- Ask a simpler follow-up: "What word or phrase from the sermon stuck with you?"
- Break into pairs for 2 minutes, then share back with the group
On Time Management: If you're running short on time, prioritize Questions 5, 8, and 9 — they hit the core of the sermon's message. The Personal Application section can be done individually and reflected on during the week rather than in the group setting.
On New Believers: If your group includes someone who just said yes to Jesus recently, honor their journey. The tithing conversation may feel overwhelming — remind them that following Jesus is a lifelong journey of growth. Encouragement and grace go a long way.
On Neighbor Week: Don't skip the Neighbor Week challenge at the end. This is a natural, low-pressure way to help your group members take their faith into their everyday lives. Even just asking, "Who is one person you're going to pray for this week?" and writing names down together can be powerful.
"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." — Matthew 6:21
This guide was prepared for small group use at Life Church. Permission granted to reproduce for ministry purposes.