ANNOUNCEMENTS

Goals for the Evening:

• Continue to build relationships
• Pray together

Life Group Leader / Hosts Community Gatherings / MID-QUARTER TRAINING
Vista Campus and San Marcos/Escondido Campus scheduled now / Other Campuses coming soon
Click on this link for more info, dates and to RSVP.

COMING SOON: SERVE YOUR CITY
In the next week or so, you will be getting an email letting you know how you and your group can participate in Serve Your City, coming this spring!

DISCUSSION SUGGESTIONS

• Remember you don’t have to answer every question!
• Choose questions best suited to your group.
• Listen to the Audio Guide/Podcast for more discussion suggestions.

PRAYER

• Take prayer requests
• If you haven’t divided into male/female groups already, you may want to do so for the Taking It Home section and prayer.

ATTENDANCE Submit your group’s attendance online at northcoastchurch.com/attendance. If you’re not sure how to post attendance, you can check out the guide here: lifegroups.northcoastchurch.com/how-to-post-attendance ONLINE GROUPS Check out our Tips and Tutorials for Online Groups here: https://lifegroups.northcoastchurch.com/pro-tips/   White Water Vacation Adventure for Leaders & Hosts! July 19-23!Join us for an adventure of a lifetime whitewater rafting down the Klamath River! Led by Life Group Pastor Dave Enns and his wife Koreena, enjoy nature, community, and a time to be refreshed and encouraged spiritually! Click HERE for more info.

Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or something that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

1. Can you think of a family member or friend who brings you genuine joy when you see them execute a talent, perform or produce something specific to their gifting, ability or role?

This could be a child who plays a particular sport or performs in a school play. This could also be a spouse who succeeds at their work. Think of friends who use their gifts to bless you and others.

2. Can you identify a unique gift, quality or character trait from someone in your group that you have seen God use as a sign that points to Jesus?

Discussion Note: This question can be tricky if your group is still getting to know each other. If you think it would be beneficial and uplifting, use this question. This could be a really great opportunity to encourage some in your group. This doesn’t need to be one that everyone answers or that includes everyone. If you are concerned there could be awkwardness or hurt feelings, just skip it and/or challenge group members to individually share with others.

1. In this weekend’s message, Pastor Chris talked about stewardship of our gifts and resources – meaning, how we manage or oversee what we have been given or what has been entrusted to us. Read Matthew 25:14-28. Note your observations – what was given, what was done with it, how did each servant view it, and how did the master respond?

Matthew 25:14-28 New International Version (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, 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.

 

Servant #1                                            Servant #2                                Servant #3                                The Master

 

Each of the servants in the story starts with what they have been given by the master, who gave to them according to their abilities. Take a moment to fill in the chart with the talents and platforms God has given you to steward.

This list is broken into two parts according to the terms Chris used in the message. You can also call this our time, talents, treasures, which might be a familiar breakdown. Specifically for the platform column, encourage group members to think of it as sphere of influence and who they interact with on a regular basis.

TALENTS (gifts/abilities/resources)	PLATFORM (relationships/influence)

 

When you look at your list, are you pleased? Do you ever find yourself wanting different talents or platforms? Are you ever tempted to compare what you’ve been given with someone else or limit yourself because you don’t believe your gifts are as great as someone else’s?

Additional Questions:

• What are some reasons we are fearful or hesitant to invest our resources?
• Is there a gift or resource you have that you have buried like servant #3?
• Have you ever struggled with feelings of inferiority when it comes to your areas of giftedness?
• Do you catch yourself wanting to switch platforms with someone else?

Additional Verses:

• Romans 12:6-8
• 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
• James 1:17

Often our minds go to the biggest areas of influence that are more obvious for us to identify. Are there any smaller or seemingly less significant examples of influence/platform that are easy for you to overlook or undervalue? What might it look like to have a proper view of these gifts considering the purpose Chris talked about this weekend?

Discussion Note: There is no such thing as small in God’s economy. Challenge group members to think about what might seem mundane or small and find the value and worth in those things. For example, college students and young adults who live with roommates have a unique platform and opportunity for influence living with others that are not their immediate family. Or another example could be the marketplace job where you gather for lunch in the breakroom and have opportunities with coworkers for 30 minutes each day. Or another might be the opportunity to speak life into a parent who is a senior in a season where they might be more open to hear and really listen to encouragement from an adult child. Hopefully this sparks some good discussion around the things we do every day and viewing them through the lens of our purpose to make Jesus greater and more visible.

The servants who invested their “bags of gold” felt a responsibility to do something with what the master entrusted to them. As you reflect on your own life, what are some ways you can invest what God has given you?

Additional Questions:

• How do you view these gifts as purposed for God?
• Do you view them with a sense of responsibility to increase their value in the way that you steward them?

Additional Resource: Christine Caine Equip & Empower Podcast Episode

What is one specific area you could focus on stewarding? Is there anything that needs to happen for you to carry this out?

The hope here is an application to focus on one area (home, finances, relationship with daughter, free time) and think through practical steps to attempt better stewardship or management of that one area. This could bring up some good ideas. Be aware that this may be a time other group members will want to offer advice, but try and stick to just allowing a sharing time vs. other group members solving problems.