Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

• Summarize what we’ve seen concerning giving/tithing in the past two weeks from 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 and the Old Testament.
• Read Matthew 23:23-24. In what context is Jesus rebuking the Pharisees? What is he rebuking them for here? What does this reveal about the Pharisees’ perspective concerning tithing? What is the corrective to this view Jesus offers here? Does Jesus tell them tithing isn’t a big deal – what instruction does he give concerning tithing here?
• Read Hebrews 7:1-10. What point is the author making in this section? What does this section teach us about giving and tithing?
• Skim through 2 Corinthians 8-9. What do these chapters specifically apply to in their context? What do these chapters teach us about how we should give to specific, pressing ministry needs?
• The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes to help study this passage. Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

• What do the passages above teach us about how we should give? What do the passages above teach us about tithing?
• How have you been giving? Why have you chosen to give in the way you have? What is motivating your giving?
• Consider the examples given in 2 Corinthians 8-9. How did the Macedonians give? How did Christ give? How can you follow these examples this week?
• What is the goal of giving described in the second half of 2 Corinthians 9? Is this a goal worth giving toward? Why or why not?