1. Reflect and Recap:
      What stood out to you from this message? Was there something about Jesus’ descent to the dead that was new or surprising to you?

    2. Facing Mortality with Faith:
      The Chapel of Bones says, “We bones here, for yours await.” How often do you reflect on your own mortality? How might remembering that you will die actually help you live more fully for Jesus?

    3. Fear Not:
      Jesus has the keys to death and Hades. He has conquered the grave. Where in your life are you still living in fear? How can the reality of Jesus’ victory over death change your posture in those areas?

    4. Living Resurrection Now:
      If we truly believed that death is not the end and that resurrection life awaits us, how might that shape our generosity, our courage, or our compassion?

    5. Jesus, the Rescuer:
      The sermon described Jesus as the heroic diver, plunging into the deep to bring us up. Where in your life do you need to be reminded that Jesus comes for you—that He’s with you even in the dark?

    6. Proclaiming Victory with Our Lives:
      Jesus proclaimed his victory to every realm—heaven, earth, and under the earth. What does it look like for us to proclaim that same victory in our homes, neighborhoods, and relationships?

    Bonus Question

    Has everyone in our group personally said “yes” to Jesus and been baptized as a public declaration of faith? If not, we would love to take that step with you at our August 24 River Baptism.
    If everyone in your group has already taken that step, who do you know—friend, family, co-worker—who hasn’t yet? How can your group pray intentionally for them this summer?

  • Warm-up:

    • What did your practice of generosity look like this week?

    • How did it feel to invite God into your current framework of generosity? Did anything shift in your mindset or actions?

    • Where did you notice the influence of greed—subtle or obvious—in your life this week?

    • What internal or external obstacles are you currently facing when it comes to living with simplicity and generosity?

    Dive Deeper:

    • As you reflect on Jesus’ parable of the faithful and wise manager (Luke 12:42–48), what emotions surface in you? How does this parable encourage you? How does it challenge you?

    • In your family of origin, what were the views and emotional dispositions toward money? How do you see those early experiences shaping your current relationship with money?

    • Can you share a time when you asked God about a financial decision and tried to listen for His direction? What was the outcome?

    • How might the truth that everything ultimately belongs to God free you to live with a greater sense of generosity and trust?

    The Invitation to Practice:

    The invitation this week is to begin actively listening to God about money and generosity. Carve out intentional time—perhaps in solitude or through journaling—to ask God where He is inviting you to grow. Be specific in your questions and open in your listening.

    How could this group support you as you take this step?

    Closing:

    Take time to pray for one another—asking for ears to hear God’s voice, freedom from fear or control, and faith to live as joyful, faithful stewards of all God has entrusted to you.

  • Warm-up:

    • What spontaneous act of generosity did you practice this week, and how did it go?

    • Were you able to feel the joy of God in your practice?

    • What challenges did you face—emotionally, spiritually, or practically?

    • What new ideas about generosity have been growing in you this last week?

    Dive Deeper:

    • If you were to measure your level of contentment on a scale of 1 to 10—where 1 is feeling the anxiety of greed and desire for more, and 10 is feeling non-anxious and satisfied with what you have—where would you plot yourself right now? Why?

    • Where are you currently experiencing a lack of margin in your life—relationally, financially, or in your schedule?

    • What is one area of your life you sense Jesus might be inviting you to simplify—your calendar, your possessions, your spending, or something else?

    • Name a few of the best things in your life right now. What are you most grateful for?

    • The invitation to practice this week is to sell one of our possessions and give the money to someone in need - or simply to give that item to a person in need.  How are you feeling about this and how could the group encourage you?

    Closing:

    Take a few moments to pray for one another—asking for a deeper contentment in Jesus, courage to simplify where needed, and wisdom to create healthy margin in your lives.

  • Warm-up:

    • How have you engaged with this week's invitational practice of generosity? What has that experience been like for you so far?

    Dive Deeper:

    1. How were money and generosity handled in your family growing up?

    2. What is your primary feeling about money today — fear, desire for more, shame, ambivalence, or something else?

    3. How do you see generosity as a part of your apprenticeship to Jesus?

    4. Whether you were the giver or the recipient, share about a time when you experienced the joy of generosity.

    5. What fears or desires tend to keep you from being generous? (Examples: scarcity mindset, a need for security, greed, etc.)

    6. How do you think your life would be different if you were free from the fear of not having enough?

    7. What is one simple act of generosity you can do this week to counter the fear you may carry?

    Closing:

    • Take a few moments to pray for one another — for freedom from fear, a deeper trust in God’s provision, and a growing joy in generosity.