DON'T MISS THIS. SERVING is part of our journey with Jesus. It's not an obligation, but a gift. God knows something about how he made you: you flourish when you give yourself to others. You were created, called, and gifted to serve. This is your invitation to step into the life God has been leading you toward all along. Learn more and find your place to serve HERE.

GROUP VALUES. This month, we begin our focus on the value of SERVING. Scripture tells us that whatever gift we've received, we're meant to use it to serve others, "as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:10b). As a group, part of loving each other well is helping one another recognize the gifts God has given us and encouraging each other to actually use them. Talk as a group about the gifts you see in each other and what the next step in serving with that gift could be.

GROW AS A LEADER. Money is one of the topics people are most guarded about, so before you jump into today’s questions, name that out loud. Something as simple as, "This can be one of the harder topics to talk about honestly—no pressure to share numbers or specifics, just be honest about the heart behind it," gives people permission to engage without feeling exposed. Naming the discomfort up front often does more to open a group up than any single question will.

ICEBREAKER

If you could never buy anything "new" again in one category of your life (clothes, gadgets, cars, home decor), which category would be easiest to give up?

THIS WEEK'S TEXT

Have someone read Luke 12:13–21 aloud.

What does the man in the crowd ask Jesus to do?

What words or phrases stand out to you in this parable?

What happens to the man in verse 20, right after he finishes making his plans?

THIS WEEK'S SERMON

This week, Pastor Aaron Buer continued our PARABLES series by exploring the Parable of the Rich Fool and the danger of greed. As a group, recall some of the sermon's big ideas and main points.

Our culture often equates having more stuff with having a better life. Where does this message of
“more equals better” show up most in the world around you?

Greed is a sin that can be easy to spot in others but hard to see in ourselves. Where are we most likely to overlook greed in our own lives?

Jesus said to watch out and be on guard against all kinds of greed. What are some ways we can guard against greed in the areas named above?

The rich man's solution to his abundance was to build bigger barns and hold onto everything for himself. If you're honest, do you lean toward saving and holding on to what you have or spending it as quickly as it comes in? Why?

Jesus calls the rich man a "fool" not because he lacked intelligence, but because he lived as if God had no say over his life. What's a decision you've made recently that, looking back, left God out of it?

 Stewardship means recognizing that everything we have belongs to God and is entrusted to us for management. What's one area—your calendar, bank account, talents, possessions—where you most need to make that mental shift from "owner" to "manager"?

The rich man's real problem wasn't his wealth—it was hoarding it instead of using it for others. What's one practical way you could give or serve this week that would loosen your grip on something you're holding onto tightly?

WRAP UP

This week, we saw how easily "more" becomes an idol and how differently we live when we remember that what we have is God's, not ours. What's one thing from the text or the conversation that you want to carry with you this week?