Discussion Questions

Sermon Overview

Aim to please God through giving yourself, not serving yourself.

I. What God condemns: self-serving fakery (20:45-47)

II. What God commends: self-giving faith (21:1-4)

Digging Deeper

Read Luke 20:45-21:4

1. This passage teaches that God condemns self-serving fakery (20:45-47). We can all be tempted to pretend (“to act in the presence of certain people in ways we would never act in their absence.”). Are there particular circumstances or people around whom you can find yourself tempted toward pretending to be someone you are not? Why do you think that is?

2. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day made an outward appearance of loving God and living for him, but in reality, they were only loving and serving themselves. Why do you think we can tend to clearly see this in others (and be troubled by it), and yet often fail to see aspects of this in our own hearts?

3. Are there aspects of your life (e.g., your job, your education, your life experience, etc.) that can, if you are honest, incline you to think you are in some way superior to others? Please share.

4. How can we guard our own hearts and help one another in fighting this temptation (of #3 above)?

5. It was said in the sermon, “Hypocrisy isn’t unique to Christianity. But Christianity is unique in its resources to fight hypocrisy.” What does this mean? What are some of the hypocrisy-fighting resources available to us as believers? How might we use these resources to their fullest potential?

6. This passage teaches that God commends self-giving faith. (21:1-4) In what sense was the widow’s offering an act of loving, self-giving faith? What might acts of loving, self-giving faith look like for you?

7. We who are members of CrossWay have, on our membership applications, committed ourselves to using our “God-given gifts, time, energy, and wealth to support this local church.” How would you assess yourself? Are you doing what you said you would do? If there is room for growth, what might be a good next step in pursuing that?

8. What might be some ways for us to assess if our giving is sacrificial in nature, or merely “out of (our) abundance”?

9. Read 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” How does (should) the self-giving of Jesus for our sakes motivate our own self-giving for God’s purposes in the world?

Prayer

Condemnation and Commendation