WEEK 4 SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR GROUPS

The power to change: You in five years

Introduction:

We all have goals, plans, hopes, and dreams for our future. Things we want to start—or maybe stop—doing. But how do we get there? What changes can you make now to become who you want to be in five years? Because the way you’re living today shapes who you become tomorrow. And you know it’s true because who you are today, for the most part, is a reflection of the habits and the lifestyle you lived five years ago, and they have been pointing to the person that you become today. In this message, we’ll learn how consistency can make our results last for good.

Bottom Line: How can I change when I fall so often?

Something To Talk About:

You reap what you sow: You cannot drive anywhere without coming across a farm. Every time you drive by a farm you will find they rarely look the same. Small seeds were planted, fertilized, cultivated, watered, and turned into a harvest. Much like a farmer, if you’re a disciple of Jesus Christ, our spiritual growth takes a similar path to farm crops. We reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow. However, make no mistake, we will reap what we sow. It just depends on what type of harvest you are seeking. Always remember: You will reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow. Sow wisely. Jesus is teaching us that if we want to change what we are getting, then we must begin by giving what we want to receive, whether that is love, time, energy, commitment, teaching, intercessory prayer support, and whatever else we want to get. This is a Biblically-based promise, “…you will always harvest what you plant.” (Galatians 6:7); 2 Corinthians 9:6 adds, “Remember this–a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.”
You reap more than you sow: We reap more than you sow because when you sow, what does God do? God multiplies it. In Mark 4:20, Jesus said:” And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” One seed can reap a hundred times as much as was planted. You plant a seed, you get a tree, and the tree creates fruits, and the fruit has more seeds, and you can plant the seed to the ground, and you get more fruit from the trees because you reap more than you sow. This is true in every area of life. You’re nice to a lot of people, and they’re nice back.
You reap after you sow: If you plant seeds in the fall, you don’t reap in the fall. You reap in spring. And this is why sometimes we get so discouraged because we don’t see progress fast enough, right? You pray every day for five days, and at the end of five days, you don’t feel that much different spiritually. Where’s the change? Or you go to the gym every day for two weeks, and at the end of going there for two weeks, you still can’t run a whole mile. You’re going, what’s wrong with me? I’m doing the right thing. We wrongly conclude that small decisions don’t matter much, but we have to understand that, for the most part, our lives are the sum total of all our small decisions. Because in every action you take, you’re choosing direction. It’s not intentions that determine direction, it’s the habits and the way you live your life. What habit do you need to start based on who you want to become? And based on who you want to become, what one habit do you need to stop to hit your goals in five years?

Discussion Questions:

Message summary: We reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow. Agree or disagree and why.
Think about your habits. How have they shaped who you are today?
Read Galatians 6:7-9. What are some of the good things you’re currently doing? How could God use those habits to impact your future positively?
How have you seen the principle of multiplication active in your life?
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6. What things stand in the way of believing that generous sowing will result in generous reaping? What in this message will help you counter those ideas or experiences?
Another part of the reap/sow principle is that you reap later and more. Give examples from your own life where you have seen this. In relation to later, the Bible encourages us to “not grow weary” – see Galatians 6:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13; Hebrews 12:3. Why is this such an important reminder?
As you reflect on what you’ve sown this past year, what kind of harvest are you expecting? Weeds? Bumper crop? Delicate plants? Why? What might you change in relation to this principle?
Talk about how you want your life to look in five years. What small habits can you start today to move in that direction?
What was your main takeaway from this week’s message?

Take One Thing Home with You:

Whatever we sow, we will reap. From this, we know we can change our lives by paying attention to the seeds we sow. Seed is anything in your life that can multiply into more. Love is a seed. So is money. So is studying, preparation, planning…the list goes on.

Everything you possess can be planted back into the world as a seed. Your harvest is anything God gives back that benefits you: peace, love, joy, a friend, strong finances, new opportunities, etc. All that we have comes from God’s hand and is the harvest He ensures, whether good or bad, when we plant seeds.

Sowing a seed in faith is using what you have been given to obtain what God has promised. Jesus taught that giving was the beginning of blessings: Luke 6:38 says,
“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”