The Things that are God’s

DOWNLOAD Small Groups Resources for 'The End in Sight' (PDF)

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal).

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, look around you, then discuss, “What belongs to God in the room/space?”

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes). Read Exodus 33:12-23 and Matthew 22:15-22.

• In the Exodus passage, Moses's relationship with God was like a friendship. He was able to engage God with questions, and Moses reminded God that he needed help with his assignment of leading the Israelites. What might it look like if you received a mission from God and you did not know how to proceed? Have you had such an experience?
• God said to Moses, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, 'The LORD'” (Exodus 33:19a). “Goodness is not some ethical standard, some state of being, it is the empowering force that equips us to live as God’s people. It is a blessing. God blessed Moses on that mountaintop, just as God blesses us any time we let the Spirit fill us. ‘Filled with my goodness,’ God says to us, ‘you can be who I created you to be. Filled with my goodness.’” (October 22 Preaching Notes). What would it look like to live “filled with God’s goodness?”
• What did the Pharisees and the Herodians try to do to Jesus? (Matthew 22:15-16) [They tried to put Jesus to the test; see Matthew 22:18.] Jewish people had to pay taxes to the emperor. If Jesus said it was lawful to pay taxes, the Jewish people might be upset. If he said it was not lawful, he might have been seen as encouraging Jewish people not to pay taxes and rallying them against Rome.
• Jesus said, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21b). What does this mean to you personally?
• “Give to God the things that are God’s. What is the logical next question after that? What are God’s things? There were hundreds of laws and stipulations determining what was sacred – fit for use in the service of God— and what was mundane – of this earth and therefore not sacred and not fit for use in God’s service. But Jesus wants us to take a different look. Everything is sacred and fit for use in the service of God. Everything, starting with us and everyone around us, belongs to God and therefore is a part of our calling to surrender ourselves to God” October 22 Preaching Note). How do you feel about the statement, “Everything, starting with us and everyone around us, belongs to God?” What might it look like to give God the things that are God’s in your life?

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End with the following prayer, a similar prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer:

Wonderful God, you remind us that you have chosen us and favored us, and your goodness has passed before us. Help us to use your love in its many forms: chosen, favored, goodness, and more to help others experience your favor and goodness in a world that will try to deny your love and presence on earth.

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Rev. Dawn Wright is an elder in the North Georgia Conference. She currently pastors STAR Community United Methodist Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Her passion is helping all people experience God through different lenses because she believes there are no boundaries in experiencing God. Dawn served at Impact Church as Chief Operating Pastor, and she is a Level 2 in Pastoral Care and Counseling.

Rev. Motoe Yamada Foor, Director of Adult Discipleship, served in local churches for twenty years. She has a wealth of experience at various organizational levels of The United Methodist Church and in ecumenical organizations such as the World Council of Churches (WCC). She also enjoys serving as a coach to help people grow as disciples.