May 8 | Discovery

Study Questions for Groups

1. How did you receive mercy or care from others during the past week?

2. With whom did you share last week’s lesson?  

Ask two people to read aloud Luke 12:13-34 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to paraphrase what happened in the passage, as if telling it to a 10-year-old.

3. What connection do you see between dividing an inheritance, building larger barns, ravens, and wildflowers?

4. Let’s dig deeper:

• What do you learn from Jesus’ initial response to the man who asked Jesus to intervene in an inheritance matter with his brother?

• Recognizing that we all must “make a living,” how do we strike a balance between earthly possessions and being rich toward God?

• In the parable, what might the farmer have done with the bumper crop so as not to have been called “You fool!” by God?

• Why are heavenly deposits a better investment than earthly deposits?

• What happens when we “take control” of our lives vs. “releasing control” of our lives to God?

• What special meaning do you read into Jesus referring to his disciples as “little flock” (v. 32)? 

5. What do you learn about God from this passage?

6. What do you learn about people?

7. Jesus gave several commands to obey in this passage:

• “Do not worry about your life”

• “Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink . . .”

• “Seek his kingdom.”

• “Do not be afraid.”

• “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.”

Choose one of these and share how you will seek to obey it this week.

8. With whom will you share this passage? 

9. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .”

10. If you were to worry about something this week, what would it be?

• Let’s follow Paul’s good advice and “not be anxious about anything, but . . . by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present [our] requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

For Next Week: Read and reflect on Luke 12:35-48 as we continue studying some of Jesus’ parables. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.