1. Who taught you how to manage money? What were some foundational principles you learned from them? Do you feel you are financially healthy right now? Why or why not? What would you change if you could? How is God being honored in how you are handling your finances?

Read: Matthew 25:14-30
2. Who owned the wealth or property described in v.14? In this parable, who does the man going on a journey represent, and who do the servants represent? Why might it be challenging for some to accept the concept that all our possessions belong to God?

3. According to v.15, what process did the man going on a journey use to decide how to allocate his money? In the story, each servant received a different amount, but each servant received something. In what ways is this an analogy to our lives today if we consider that the servants in this story represent us? What does it mean to be a steward of what God has entrusted to you?

4. In v.19-20, what objective does the master of the servants have? Who does the servant in v.24-25 blame for his behaviour? What are current examples of people blaming other individuals or institutions for their own failures? How are you impacted by the fact that God will hold you accountable for how you stewarded His resources?

5. What does v.27 reveal about the master’s expectation of the servant with regard to stewarding his (the master’s) money? What are we really doing when we “bury” something? When we think of the three servants, which one is more likely to do nothing with what God gave him? Why do you think that is so? Do we have to be a superstar to make a contribution with our talents? What problems do you see with “playing it safe”? Why do so many sit on the sidelines?

6. In v.25, what reason did the third servant give for not investing the master’s money? Why is fear the opposite of faith? What are some manifestations of fear in our lives? What happens when we give in to fear? Talk about the kind of fears that can bury our talents. How can we move against those fears? What was the master’s reaction to the third servant in v.28-29?

7. We’ve all the heard the expression that if we don’t use it, we’ll lose it. It’s a universal law. How is the story of the third servant an example of that truth? Why do you think some people seem to get less and less in life? What does God promise us in Hebrews 13:21?

8. As a reward for their wise management of his resources, the master offered the first two servants affirmation, promotion, and celebration (v.21). Why do you think both these servants earned the same reward? How does this verse encourage you to be a better steward of all that God has given you?