The Temple of Your Treasure

Many of us spend a large portion of our week with money in our everyday lives. Money is involved in the way we decide what to buy for lunch, how we experience fun and how we plan into the future. We are entering a time of the year where many of us will be thinking about our finances as we lodge our own tax returns or some of us go to accountants for advice, or guidance in our decision making in the area of money. But what if we came to God as our accountant, seeking His advice and guidance from His Word about the value and practice of finances in our lives? How would the Bible guide us in the way we think, plan and decide about the use of money in our lives? Come join us as we explore how we can represent Jesus in the area of money.

Read Psalm 23

• What do these passages tell us about God?
• What do these passages tell us about you and your life?
• What would your life look like if this Psalm was true for you? How would your life be different?
• What would our life group look like if this Psalm was true for us? How would your life group be different?

Psalm 23 describes how God is actively at work in our everyday lives making us, leading us, restoring us and guiding us so that our souls can be at rest. The issue is not if God is at work, but how is God at work. Often in our internal hurry, we miss God’s shepherding in our everyday lives.

Ps Chee shared four practical areas of ‘unrest’ that God is actively at work:

1. He makes me lie down in green pastures (v 2)

We are at unrest because we refuse to let God make us down in the green pastures that He has placed us in.  We say to ourselves, ‘it’s not enough’.

2. He leads me beside quiet waters (v 2)

We are at unrest because we refuse to let God lead us to quiet still waters and take physical rest. We say to ourselves, ‘I don’t need it’.

3. He restores my soul (v 3)

We are at unrest because we refuse to let God restore our soul by confronting with our brokenness. We say to ourselves, ‘it’s not me,  it’s them’.

4. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (v 3)

We are at unrest because we refuse to let God guide us in the path of repentance and faith. We say to ourselves, ‘I’m afraid’.

Discuss one or more of the following relevant questions.

• Is there an area of ‘unrest’ in your life? Can you identify with one of the four areas of ‘unrest’ in your life? What have you done to find rest in your soul?
• Read Hebrews 3:19-4:11. A restless soul is a soul that thinks it is in control and needs to take care of everything. Finding true rest begins with the question WHO we trust rather than WHAT or HOW we find rest. Do you agree? Discuss.
• Reflect on your week. Have you noticed God’s shepherding in your life? Have there been moments where He has made you lie down in green pastures, led you to quiet waters, restored your soul or guided you in paths of righteousness? Share with one another.
• Sometimes we are in a constant of hurry and preoccupation with ourselves that we don’t stop and notice God is actively at work in our lives. What practical things can you do slow down, stop and notice God’s shepherding in your everyday life?

Ps Chee shared that when we are at unrest, we can pray Psalm 23 to help reorientate ourselves to notice and trust God’s shepherding in our lives. Read the prayer here. How is praying this Psalm helpful in finding rest?

1. Is there a truth that God wants you to obey?
2. What will you do to obey this? I will…