This small group discussion guide draws directly from Jeremy Wood's sermon “Sunday Morning Service 2-22-26” so you can keep engaging with the message all week. Read, reflect, and share it with your small group or friends.
Small Group Discussion Guide
"United in Generosity: Becoming Kingdom Investors"
Based on Sunday's Sermon from Matthew 6:19-24
A Note to Facilitators: This guide is designed to help your group engage honestly with what can be a sensitive topic — money and generosity. Pastor Scott modeled vulnerability by sharing his own struggles, so feel free to set that same tone of openness. You don't need to have all the answers. Your job is to create a safe space for honest conversation and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. You know your group best, so feel free to skip questions or spend more time where the conversation is richest.
OVERVIEW
In this message, Pastor Scott challenged us to examine where our hearts truly are by looking at where we place our treasure. Drawing from Matthew 6:19-24 and stories from his own financial journey, he made the case that generosity isn't primarily a financial issue — it's a heart issue that reveals who or what is truly sitting on the throne of our lives. When we give freely and cheerfully, we align ourselves with God's character, eliminate comparison, and experience a deeper unity as a church family.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Suggested Total Time: 60–90 minutes (Adjust based on your group's size and how discussion flows)
Materials Needed:
- Printed copies of this guide or access on phones/tablets
- Bibles or Bible app (passages are included below)
- Optional: Pens/journals for the Personal Application section
SECTION 1: ICEBREAKER
(5–10 minutes)
[Leader Tip]: Keep this light and fun — it's designed to get people talking and laughing before diving into deeper territory. Don't let it run too long, but let it breathe if the group is engaging well. This question intentionally avoids money to ease people in gently.
Opening Question:
"Tell us about something you've owned that you were maybe a little too attached to — a car, a piece of clothing, a gadget, a childhood toy. What was it, and why did it have such a hold on you?"
(Pastor Scott shared his own story about the cars he and Lisa purchased — feel free to briefly reference that to get the ball rolling!)
SECTION 2: SCRIPTURE READING
(5 minutes)
Ask a volunteer to read the primary passage aloud while others follow along. After reading, take 30 seconds of silence before moving into discussion.
Primary Passage: Matthew 6:19-24 (ESV)
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." — Matthew 6:19-24 (ESV)
Supporting Passages Referenced in the Sermon:
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)
"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Acts 2:44-45 (ESV)
"And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need."
Acts 4:32-33 (ESV)
"Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belong to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all."
SECTION 3: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(30–45 minutes)
Work through as many questions as time allows. Questions are organized from lighter observation to deeper personal reflection. Feel free to skip questions that don't fit your group, or linger on ones that spark good conversation.
THEME 1: WHERE IS YOUR HEART? (~10 minutes)
1. What was the one idea, story, or moment from Sunday's message that stuck with you the most? Why do you think it landed that way for you?
[Leader Tip]: This is a great opener to the discussion section. It surfaces what the Holy Spirit may already be working on in individual group members. Accept all answers without judgment — there are no wrong responses here.
2. Pastor Scott said, "Jesus doesn't say our treasure follows our heart — he says your heart follows your treasure." What's the difference between those two ideas, and why does it matter?
(In other words: Do we give because our heart is already in the right place, or does our heart move toward whatever we invest in?)
[Leader Tip]: This is a key theological distinction from the sermon. If the group gets stuck, try this follow-up: "Think about something you've invested a lot of time, energy, or money into — a hobby, a project, a relationship. Did your feelings about it grow stronger the more you invested? How does that connect to what Jesus is saying?"
3. Pastor Scott described the "two thrones" — one for our life and one for Jesus. In practical, everyday terms, what does it actually look like when we're sitting on the throne instead of Jesus? What are the signs?
THEME 2: THE GRACE OF GIVING (~10 minutes)
4. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Paul describes generosity as a "grace" — a gift from God — and says God loves a "cheerful giver." The Greek word for cheerful there is hilaros, which is where we get our word "hilarious." What do you think it means to give hilariously or joyfully? How is that different from giving out of guilt or obligation?
[Leader Tip]: Many people in your group may have complicated feelings about giving, especially if they've experienced pressure or manipulation around money in past church experiences. Acknowledge that tension gently. Pastor Scott mentioned he grew up believing "the church just wants your money" — others in your group may carry that same wound. This question is an opportunity to reframe giving as a gift rather than a demand.
5. Pastor Scott and Lisa started their giving journey by tithing a quarter — literally a twenty-five cent coin — because that's what they had. What does that story tell us about how God views our giving? How does it challenge the idea that generosity is only for people who have "enough"?
6. Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 again. The passage says we reap in proportion to how we sow. How have you seen this principle play out — not necessarily just with money, but in any area of life where generosity produced something unexpected?
THEME 3: GENEROSITY AND COMMUNITY (~10 minutes)
7. Pastor Scott said that generosity does three things for a church community:
- It eliminates competition and comparison
- It creates an "all-in-together" mindset
- It aligns us with mission, not personal comfort
Which of these three do you think is most needed in your own life right now? Which feels most challenging? Why?
[Leader Tip]: This question works well in pairs or triads if your group is large. Give people 2 minutes to discuss with a partner, then invite sharing with the whole group. It lowers the barrier for quieter members to engage.
8. Look at Acts 4:32-33 again. The passage says "great grace was upon them all" — and it comes right after describing a community that practiced radical generosity and unity. What do you think the connection is between generosity, unity, and experiencing God's grace? Do you believe that's still possible for a church today?
9. Pastor Scott challenged us with three levels of next steps:
- If you've never given consistently — start somewhere, even small.
- If you give occasionally — move toward giving consistently.
- If you give consistently — ask God what your next step is.
Without pressure to share specific numbers, which of these three categories do you find yourself in? What feels like the biggest obstacle to moving to the next level?
[Leader Tip]: Be sensitive here. Some group members may be in genuine financial hardship. Affirm that God honors faithfulness at every level, and redirect any conversation that starts to feel comparative or shaming. The goal is honest self-reflection, not public accounting.
SECTION 4: PERSONAL APPLICATION
(10–15 minutes)
These questions are more reflective. You can invite people to journal silently for 2-3 minutes first, then share as they feel comfortable — or simply discuss as a group.
1. Pastor Scott said, "We say Jesus is Lord, but lordship is revealed by what we won't move." If someone could look at your bank account, your calendar, and your habits over the last month — what would they conclude is most important to you? Does that match what you say you believe?
(This isn't meant to produce guilt — it's an invitation to honest self-examination, just like Pastor Scott modeled with his own car story.)
2. Is there something specific — a possession, a financial habit, a fear about money, a past wound around giving — that you sense the Holy Spirit nudging you to surrender or examine more closely? You don't have to share the details, but what would it feel like to release that to God?
3. The sermon ended with Pastor Scott praying: "Lord, show each of us what we're still holding on to. Search our hearts and reveal where our treasure really is." Take a moment to sit with that prayer personally. What comes to mind when you ask God that question?
✅ THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE
Choose one of the following to put into practice before your group meets again:
For Everyone: Read Proverbs 22 this week (Pastor Scott's recommended passage on the heart and money). Write down one verse that challenges or encourages you and bring it to share next time.
For the Curious: Read the full story of the Macedonian church in 2 Corinthians 8:1-9. Notice what they did first before giving financially. Reflect on what "giving yourself first to the Lord" looks like in your own life.
For the Brave: Have an honest conversation with God (and maybe a trusted person in your life) about your relationship with money. Where is there fear? Where is there freedom? Where might God be inviting change?
For the Ready: Take one concrete step in generosity this week — whether that's setting up a consistent giving plan, serving somewhere at Oasis, or meeting a specific need for someone in your life.
SECTION 5: PRAYER FOCUS
(5–10 minutes)
Close your time together in prayer. You can use the prompts below to guide your prayer time, or invite group members to pray spontaneously around these themes.
Suggested Prayer Themes:
🙏 Surrender — Ask God to reveal anything we're holding onto more tightly than we're holding onto Him.
🙏 Freedom — Pray for freedom from fear, comparison, and the grip of materialism — for ourselves and for our church family.
🙏 Generosity — Ask God to grow in us a joyful, hilarious, Spirit-led generosity that reflects His own character.
🙏 Unity — Pray that as Oasis grows in generosity, it would also grow in unity — that we would truly become a community where "your need is my concern."
🙏 Marriages and Families — Pastor Scott closed the service praying over marriages. Pray for the couples and families in your group — that God's grace would strengthen every covenant in the room.
Suggested Closing Prayer (for facilitators who'd like a guide):
Father, we thank You that this isn't really about money — it's about our hearts. We confess that we hold on too tightly sometimes, and we're afraid to trust You with everything. Search us, Lord, just like David prayed in Psalm 139. Show us where our treasure really is, and gently move our hearts toward You. We want to be generous because You are generous. We want to give freely because You gave everything. Help us take one step this week toward trusting You more. In Jesus' name, Amen.
SECTION 6: OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE
(For groups with extra time or wanting to go further)
These questions are for groups that want to wrestle more deeply with the theology and implications of the sermon.
Deep Dive 1: The Rich Young Ruler
Read Mark 10:17-22 together:
"And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.' And he said to him, 'Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.' And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."
- Notice that the text says Jesus loved him before giving him this hard instruction. How does knowing that change how you hear Jesus' words about money and generosity?
- Pastor Scott said the rich young ruler's "external wealth masked an internal poverty." What do you think he meant by that? Have you ever experienced a version of that — where something external was covering up an internal need?
- Jesus didn't give this same instruction to everyone He met. What does that tell us about how God deals with each of us individually when it comes to our finances and possessions?
Deep Dive 2: The Early Church and Radical Generosity
Compare Acts 2:44-45 and Acts 4:32-33 with the way most modern Western Christians (including ourselves) relate to money and possessions.
- What was the relationship between the early church's generosity and the "great power" and "great grace" described in Acts 4:33? Do you think that connection is still active today?
- Pastor Scott was careful to say he didn't want us to think we all need to literally sell everything and pool our resources. But what principles from the early church's example do you think God is calling your small group — or Oasis as a whole — to take seriously?
- What would it look like for this small group to practice a version of Acts 2:44-45 in a real, practical way? What would need to change?
Deep Dive 3: Lordship and the Two Masters
Jesus says in Matthew 6:24, "You cannot serve God and money." The word used for "money" here is mammon in Aramaic — it carries the sense of a false god or an idol that promises security and significance.
- In what ways does our culture treat money as a god — something that promises identity, safety, and meaning?
- Pastor Scott described the journey of surrendering lordship as a process — it happened gradually for him and Lisa through many steps and circumstances. What does that tell us about how patient God is with us in this area? Does that encourage or challenge you?
- If money is a "spiritual thermometer" (as Pastor Scott described) that reveals the temperature of our devotion, what would it mean to regularly take your own temperature in this area? What would that practice look like?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
For Personal Study This Week:
- Proverbs 22 — The whole chapter deals with wealth, generosity, and the heart (Pastor Scott's personal daily reading)
- 2 Corinthians 8-9 — The full context of Paul's teaching on generous giving
- Luke 12:13-34 — The Parable of the Rich Fool and Jesus' teaching on worry and treasure
- Psalm 139 — The prayer Pastor Scott referenced: "Search me, O God, and know my heart"
For Deeper Reading:
- The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn — a short, accessible book on biblical generosity
- Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn — a more comprehensive treatment of the same themes
FACILITATOR CHECKLIST
Before your group meets, review these quick reminders:
- Read through the entire guide at least once
- Pray over your group members by name
- Choose which questions you'll prioritize (you won't get to all of them — that's okay!)
- Decide how you'll handle the Personal Application section (group discussion, silent journaling, or pairs)
- Be ready to share a brief personal response to at least one question — your vulnerability invites others to be vulnerable
- Have the scripture passages accessible (printed or on screen)
- Download the Oasis app if you haven't already — it includes the sermon notes and Bible reading plan for this week's follow-up
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." — Matthew 6:21
This guide was prepared for Oasis Community Church small groups. Questions? Contact your group coordinator or church office.