CONNECT: What’s one way that confidence of eternity transforms your today?

WARM-UP  Question  

1. When has someone done something that has caused you really give thanks?
2. Do you find it easy or challenging to be thankful to God?

READ 2 Corinthians 8:1-9

1. What is the context of this passage with regard to the Macedonians and the Corinthians? What was Paul trying to encourage the Corinthians to do?
2. What were the challenges that the Macedonians were facing? How did this compare to the Corinthians?
3. What was the cause of the Macedonian’s great generosity? What did that look like in practice?
4. How did Jesus enter into our poverty? How was this for our sake?
5. Through Christ becoming poor, in what ways did we become rich?

READ 2 Corinthians 9:12-15

1. What should be the ultimate cause of our gratitude? In what way is God’s gift to us indescribable?
2. What are you most thankful for about who God is and what he has done? How is gratitude really only made complete when it is directed to the giver?
3. Have you ever known someone who, because of their great clarity of all that Jesus had done for them, continually seemed to exude gratitude? What were they like to be around?
4. What are the regular rhythms of your life that help you to grow in gratitude to God? What are the things which inhibit gratitude? What would help you (to stop or start) in order to grow in gratitude to God?
5. Why is it important that gratitude is actually expressed as action? What do you think were the ‘many expressions’ of thanksgiving that Paul points to here? 
6. What are some of the ways that you think you could demonstrate more gratitude to God in your life?
7. What does Paul indicate are some of the main effects of the Macedonian’s expressing their gratitude to God through generosity? How can expressed gratitude be a form of evangelism?
8. What is a frontline in which you could express more gratitude this coming week? Can you pick one particular way that you could demonstrate gratitude there in order to point people back to God?
9. How is gratitude one of the key signs that grace has taken hold of your life?

APPLY:  What’s one practical way that you can express gratitude to God this week?

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On Your Frontline This Week: Have you ever asked your friends, colleagues or family what they think about Jesus? Whatever their position, they are welcome to join us on Alpha Online: stbarts.com.au/alpha 

For Families: Download some of the family resources to use at home

Listen and Watch:          

• Christian Giving (William Taylor)
• Generous Grace (Simon Manchester)
• The Language of Gratitude
• Radical Generosity
  

Read:

• Gratitude on the Gospel Coalition