A Life of Generosity
A Life of Generosity is a four-week eGroup series exploring what it looks like to live generously in every area of life, not just with our finances. Joined by Pastor Mark Collard, we'll discover that generosity flows from the very character of God, who has been endlessly generous to us in creation, in relationship, and ultimately at the cross.
Over these four weeks we'll look at generosity through the lens of our words, our gifts, our hospitality, and our response to God and to those who lead us. Our hope is that by the end of this series, you'll have a fuller picture of what a generous life looks like, and a few practical ways to grow in it.
This isn't about performance or ticking boxes. It's an invitation to reflect the generous heart of our Father to the people around us, and to discover that living generously actually makes our own world bigger too.
WEEK 1 - WHAT GENEROSITY REALLY IS
One-phrase summary: Generosity starts with understanding how relentlessly generous God has already been to us.
Leader Prayer Prompt
Pray that group members would see and be inspired by the depth of God's generosity toward them, and would begin to recognise generosity as a spirit to be cultivated in every area of life.
Discussion
Q1 - When you hear the word “generosity,” what's the first thing that comes to mind, and where do you think that picture came from?
Q2 - Pastor Mark talked about the world around us, our relationships, and ultimately the cross as expressions of God's generosity to us. Which of these makes God's generosity feel most real to you, and why?
Q3 - Proverbs 11:24 says the generous keep getting bigger while the stingy get smaller. Is there an area of your life right now where you sense God inviting you to scatter rather than hold on tightly?
Challenge (Optional)
As we close today, I invite you to spend a few minutes this week simply noticing God's generosity toward you, in creation, in the people around you, in the freedom you have because of the cross. Optional: write down three things you notice and bring them to share next time. This isn't about getting it right, it's about opening your eyes a little wider to how generous our Father already is. If you forget or don't get round to it, no worries, just pick it back up whenever you remember.
Guided Prayer
“Father, thank You for being relentlessly generous toward us, in the world You made, the people You've placed in our lives, and above all in the gift of Jesus. Open our eyes this week to see Your generosity more clearly, and stir in us a genuine desire to reflect it. Amen.”
WEEK 2 - GENEROSITY WITH WORDS AND GIFTS
Our words and our gifts are two of the most everyday places generosity gets to show up.
Leader Prayer Prompt
Pray that group members would grow in awareness of the power of their words, and would recognise and want to use the gifts God has given them to bless others rather than keep them to themselves.
Check-In
Spend a couple of minutes before playing this week's content giving people the chance to share what they noticed about God's generosity toward them this past week.
Discussion
Q1 - Can you think of a time someone's words genuinely built you up or changed how you saw yourself? What did they say, and why did it stick?
Q2 - Proverbs 16:24 says pleasant words are like honey, sweet to the soul and bringing health. Pastor Mark said our words are usually doing one of two things: building up or pulling down. Which one do your words tend toward at the moment?
Q3 - Think about a gift or ability God has given you. Are you using it mainly to bless others, or mostly for yourself? What's one way you could be more generous with it this week?
Challenge (Optional)
Before we close, I invite you to choose one person this week and be specifically generous with your words, tell them something true and encouraging that you might normally keep to yourself. Optional: also look for one small way to use a gift or skill you have to bless someone outside your usual circle. No pressure to get this perfect, just take one step. We'll check in next time, not to measure how well you did, but to celebrate what God did through it.
Guided Prayer
“Lord, thank You for the gifts and words You've entrusted to us. Help us to speak life, not just to those closest to us, but to everyone we meet this week. Show us how to use what You've given us to bless others generously. Amen.”
WEEK 3 - GENEROSITY WITH HOSPITALITY
Hospitality is generosity that goes beyond the biscuits, it's opening our world to others.
Leader Prayer Prompt
Pray that group members would see hospitality as a heart posture available to everyone, not just a skill for a few, and that God would highlight one person they could open their world to this week.
Check-In
Spend a couple of minutes before playing this week's content, hearing how people got on being generous with their words or gifts last week.
Discussion
Q1 - Think about a time someone's hospitality, a meal, a coffee, someone opening their home, made you feel truly welcomed. What did that mean to you?
Q2 - Psalm 23 says God prepares a table for us even in hard seasons. How does knowing God is a hospitable, welcoming God change how you think about opening your own home or life to others?
Q3 - Pastor Mark said hospitality is a heart posture more than a skill. What's one small step you could take this week, a coffee, a meal, an invitation, to open your world to someone?
Challenge (Optional)
As we close, I invite you to reach out to one person this week, maybe someone new, maybe someone you haven't connected with in a while, and invite them for a coffee, a meal, or just some time together. Optional: if you already have the gift of hospitality, consider showing someone else the ropes. It doesn't need to be elaborate, it's about the heart behind it. If it doesn't happen this week, that's okay, just keep the door open for next time.
Guided Prayer
“Father, thank You for being a welcoming and hospitable God, even preparing a table for us in our hardest seasons. Give us hearts that open our homes and our lives to others this week. Help us reflect Your welcome to everyone we meet. Amen.”
WEEK 4 - GENEROSITY WITH OUR RESPONSE
Generosity with our response, our amens and our yeses, is generosity too, and it opens the door for others.
Leader Prayer Prompt
Pray that group members would grow in freedom to respond wholeheartedly to God, and would see their response as a generous gift to those around them, not just a personality trait.
Check-In
Spend a couple of minutes before playing this week's content, hearing how people got on opening their world to someone in hospitality last week.
Discussion
Q1 - Have you ever been impacted, maybe visiting a different church or a new place, by the positive, generous response of the people around you? What was that like?
Q2 - Response isn't always something we feel, it's sometimes something we choose to offer, on purpose, even on a day we don't feel like it. Where might God be asking you to go beyond how you feel and respond intentionally anyway?
Testimonies
Looking back over these four weeks, where have you noticed your world getting bigger as you've grown in generosity?
Is there a moment from this series, a story, a scripture, a conversation, that has stayed with you? What shifted in you because of it?
Challenge (Optional)
As we close this series, I invite you to choose one way you'll be generous with your response this week, whether that's a yes and amen in a service, encouragement to someone leading, or simply showing up fully present. Optional: write down one thing from this whole series you want to keep growing in. No pressure, this is simply an invitation to keep the journey going beyond these four weeks.
Guided Prayer
“Father, thank You for this series and everything You've stirred in us. Help us respond to You wholeheartedly, with our words, our gifts, our hospitality, and our yes and amen. Let our generosity keep making our world bigger, for Your glory. Amen.”
