I'm In: Discussion Questions Week 4

Invested: Moving From Scarcity to Abundance

Scripture References

• Matthew 6:16-19

Overview

Our hearts chase whatever we back with our resources. Jesus ties treasure and heart together, and this talk presses us to examine whether we invest with a scarcity mindset—“there’s never enough”—or an abundance mindset that trusts God’s endless provision. Through personal stories, the alabaster-jar account, and the faith-stretching practice of tithing, we’re invited to shift from storing blessings to pouring them out so God’s goodness can flow through us.

Main Points

1. Where Your Treasure Goes, Your Heart Follows

• Buy a single share of stock and you suddenly track that company; purchase season tickets and you follow the team—the same dynamic shapes spiritual life.
• Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 call attention to how investment directs affection.
• The church is not just something we attend; we are “invested” in it.

2. Scarcity Mindset vs. Abundance Mindset

• Scarcity says there is one limited pie; if someone else gets a slice, mine is smaller.
• Result: fear, reluctance, and difficulty giving.
• Abundance isn’t prosperity-gospel math (“give $1 000, get $10 000”) but confidence in God’s character: He owns everything, loves to bless, and never lacks.
  • Illustration: The sinful woman breaks her most valuable possession, an alabaster jar, to pour perfume on Jesus—pure abundance. Judas objects, revealing scarcity, and later betrays Jesus for money.
• Question for discussion: “Did you grow up with scarcity or abundance, and how has that shaped you?”

3. Stories of God’s Provision When We Pour

• Story: Speaker and spouse gave saved vacation money so friends could complete an international adoption. Soon after, another couple—unaware of the gift—offered their Colorado condo for free vacations, a blessing that has continued for over a decade.
• Listeners were prompted to recall personal moments when generosity unlocked unexpected provision or joy.

4. The Principle of the Tithe

• Hebrew root מַעֲשֵׂר means “tenth”; tithing is worshiping God with 10 % of income.
• Faith stance: God can make the remaining 90 % go further than the un-tithed 100 %.
• Story: As a 19-year-old, the speaker tithed money saved for a car. Shortly after, his grandmother gave him a car, freeing him to use the savings to buy a first rental house—an early marker of God’s faithfulness.
• Clarifications:
  • Tithing is not a salvation requirement.
  • Blessings aren’t always financial, but God always proves faithful.
• Group invitation: Tithers share faith-building experiences; non-tithers share where they are on the journey.

5. We Don’t Store, We Pour

• God is the most generous giver—He gave His Son.
• We are conduits: heart, time, mind, body, and finances are all channels for His blessing, never cul-de-sacs.

“God blesses me to be a blessing to others.”
“We don’t store, we pour.”

Key Truths

• Investment directs affection; money is a discipleship issue, not just a budgeting one.
• Scarcity stifles generosity; abundance springs from trusting God’s limitless provision.
• Extravagant worship looks irrational to scarcity but delights Jesus.
• Tithing is a concrete act of faith that invites God’s involvement in every dollar.
• Blessings are meant to flow through us, not terminate on us.

Response

• Examine your upbringing and identify whether scarcity or abundance shapes your giving habits.
• Trust God’s character and choose one act of generosity this week that stretches you.
• If you have never tithed, pray and set a first-step plan toward giving the first tenth.
• Share a personal provision story with your group to build collective faith.
• Regularly remind yourself: “I am a vessel—today I will pour, not store.”

Closing

The conversation ends by spotlighting God’s unmatched generosity and our privilege to mirror it. We are invited to stay sensitive to the Spirit’s nudge, ready to let blessings flow through us rather than hoard them.

“We are vessels for His blessings to flow through… We don’t store, we pour them out.”