Love, Trust, and Something to Work With

In one paragraph

This message was the final week of a three-part conversation on tithing. Brian walked through why Jesus connects our finances so directly to the condition of our hearts, and what it actually looks like to worship God with our money rather than just our songs and service. The through-line was three words: love, trust, and something to work with. Brian opened by reminding the Tribe fam that Jesus...

Read together

1. Matthew 6:19-34 main passage read aloud, covering treasures in heaven, the lamp of the body, serving two masters, and not worrying
2. Luke 7:47 quoted to show the connection between how much one has been forgiven and how much one loves
3. John 6:5-13 read aloud as the feeding of the five thousand, used to illustrate giving the Lord something to work with
4. James (unspecified verse) cited to make the point that breaking one point of the law makes a person guilty of the whole law
5. Isaiah (unspecified verse) referenced with the phrase no one is righteous, not one
6. Hebrews (unspecified verse) paraphrased as without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins
7. Romans 3:23 paraphrased as for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Talk about it

1. Brian said that Jesus talks more about finances in the Gospels than he does about health, because he understands the connection between the affections of our heart and our bank card. Where do you see that connection most clearly in your own life?
2. The group talked about the Pharisees showing little love because they believed they had only been forgiven a little. Brian described this as a false accounting system where we compare our sins to other people's sins rather than measuring them against God's standard. Have you ever caught yourself using that kind of comparative accounting, and what did it cost you?
3. Brian said that giving disciplines our flesh and reflects our heart, and that the degree of our generosity is connected to our love for Jesus. How does that land with you, and is there any part of it you want to push back on or sit with longer?
4. Connor pointed out that when Jesus asked Philip where they could buy bread, the text says Jesus already knew what he was going to do, and that Philip could have tried to solve the problem in his own strength instead of surrendering it. Where in your life right now are you most tempted to take the wheelbarrow yourself rather than get in it?
5. Ashlyn shared from her time in Mozambique that the multiplication happened after the decision that what God was doing there mattered more than her own immediate need. Brian connected this to giving the Lord something to work with. What would it look like practically for you to give God something to work with in a specific area of your life this week?