Don Denyes // Rockford Campus // March 16, 2025

SMALL GROUP
DISCUSSION GUIDE

THIS WEEK’S KEY PASSAGE: Luke 16:19–31

REMINDERS

PARENT CONNECT – TECHNOLOGY (Sunday, March 16 & Sunday, March 23 6:00pm-7:00pm – Rockford Campus) Your phone, your family, and your heart. Join us for a two week conversation on the significant role technology plays in shaping our lives and our call to be active disciples of it in our families.

This is a conversation for our whole community. If you know someone who doesn’t attend Magnify that would benefit from this conversation, reach out and invite them to join you! Programming for birth – High School is offered both nights.

TECH EXPO: On March 23 from 5-5:45pm, check out our tech expo and grab a walking taco in the Auditorium. It’s a time for the whole family to visit different stations and get answers, ideas, tips, and fun facts regarding technology use in the family and home.

TOGETHER IN LIFE

This week, Don began by talking about the power of story. Did you have a favorite story growing up? What did you like about it?

TOGETHER IN THE WORD

THIS WEEK’S KEY PASSAGE: Luke 16:19–31

Note: If you are meeting as a group, we encourage you to read the text together out loud.

KEY QUESTION:

• Where will you spend eternity?

GOING DEEPER:

Jesus tells another story to help the Pharisees understand that money is no savior. The kind of person who is successful by worldly measures but shows no evidence of the Spirit’s work in his life will find that he has failed in the one thing that matters most.

Quality of Life

Jesus paints the picture of two men in sharp contrast. One is rich, well-dressed, living in a palace, and feasting daily. The other is sick and suffering, poor and helpless, dirty and starving. The first man looks like the picture of success, but he has no compassion on the second man, who begs at his gate.

QUESTIONS

• How has our idea of success changed today, and how is it still the same? What kinds of things would mark the best of the best in our culture?
• What would you say are the most basic needs people have? What do you need to survive in 21st century America?
• Where do you think the people with the greatest needs live today? What kinds of help do they receive?

The Life to Come

This life is not all there is, and this turned out to be good news for the poor man and bad news for the rich man. God had compassion on the poor man, who trusted in Him. But the rich man trusted in his money rather than in God, and so instead of finding God’s compassion, the rich man found God’s wrath. The rich man has become the beggar.

QUESTIONS

• Looking at verses 22–25, what does the text say about the new circumstances each man is experiencing? What regrets do you think each man might have had?
• Last week, we talked about serving two masters. Is there anyone or anything competing with your obedience to God? Explain.
• How do you know if your heart it set on something besides God? What would it look like to give that up and trust God to see you through?

Dying Well

Author David Brooks talks about the difference between “resume virtues” and “eulogy virtues.” The rich man had a long list of resume virtues, the kinds of things that make you useful and esteemed in life. But he lacked eulogy virtues, the kinds of qualities that people are likely to reference at your funeral. While the rich man likely had a well-attended funeral and was buried with great honor, it didn’t do him any good. But eulogy virtues can’t help you either. Only putting your faith in Jesus Christ can save you from the punishment your sins deserve.

QUESTIONS

• How does John 3:16 reveal God’s heart for sinners?
• The rich man claimed that the Bible was not enough to help people see the error of their ways and turn to Jesus, but in the story Abraham indicates that the heart that is too hard to receive God’s word won’t likely be turned by anything else. How are you cultivating a tender heart toward the Scriptures? What do you do to stay open and humble to its direction?
• Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ alone, for the forgiveness of your sins? What does that mean to you?
• How does God’s compassion for you show up in the way you treat others?

TOGETHER IN ACTION

If you have not put your faith in Jesus Christ, or if you’re not sure that you have, don’t wait. Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. God stands ready to forgive if you are willing to trust your life to Him.

If you have trusted in Christ, cultivate a compassionate heart toward others by staying tender to God’s word, submitting to Him anything that would compete for your heart. Be prepared to share the Gospel with those in need when God brings them to your gate.

TOGETHER IN PRAYER

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom. 8:32)

Pray for one another that your faith would be strong, that you would be bold to share the Gospel with unbelievers in your life, and that God would give them hearts to accept it. Finally, pray that your love for God would be evident in your compassion and generosity toward others.