Yesterday in worship we talked about Stewardship and the Biblical practice of tithing. Adam Hamilton illustrated this for us with the idea that God gives us 10 apples. Nine of those apples are for us to use for food, shelter, entertainment, etc. One of those apples is for us to give back to God. Too often, though, we think we can't live on nine apples. We begin to take bites out of God's apple because we think we need to.... to take that vacation or buy that new car or pay for an emergency we didn't plan ahead for. Before we know it, God's apple is all gone!

As we continue thinking about Stewardship and our practice of giving, here are a few questions to consider:

Read Mark 12:41-44. What does it mean to give sacrificially? Has anyone ever sacrificed something so that you could have something? What was that like for you? How has this generous person affected your own vision of what matters in life?

Read Matthew 25:34-40. What moves you or motivates you to be generous?

Read Luke 12:41-48. How much do you believe you have been given? How close are you to doing all that you can do with what you have been given? What practical steps can you take to increase your generosity in the next twelve months?