CONNECT
If new people have joined your group, take time to introduce yourselves to each other.
Here are a couple of questions to get the conversation rolling:
1. What’s one thing you know now you wish you knew then about relationships? Briefly explain why.
2. What stood out to you from the devotional or your Bible reading this week?

PRAY TOGETHER
Take a couple of minutes to let go of the day's distractions and focus your attention on God. Breathe in and out a few times. Relax your neck and take a moment to let your muscles release any tension you might be feeling.

Then spend a few minutes asking God to meet each of you personally, right where you are. Pray that He would show you new and beautiful things and lead you further along your journey of faith. Allow time for everyone to pray as God leads.

STUDY AND DISCUSSION
This week, we’ll consider eternal things—things that last forever. The goal is to help us focus our time, energy and resources on what truly matters.

Read the following passages, then respond to the questions that follow. Don’t worry if you don’t get to all the questions. Spend time reading and really thinking about what God is teaching and revealing to you.

1. What has hindered or entangled you from running the Christian life with perseverance?

2. What desire, fear or wound might be underneath your struggle to keep running?

3. What’s the race marked out for us, and how is that connected to Jesus being the pioneer and perfecter of our faith?

4. According to this passage, what specific practices will help us finish life well?

5. What does it mean to achieve an eternal glory?

6. What things are temporary and what things are eternal (based on this passage and also other things you can think of)?

7. What does it mean to fix our eyes on what is unseen, and what are practical ways to do that?

8. What did the person in the crowd want Jesus to do?

9. Why do you think Jesus refused to grant the request?

10. What warning did Jesus give?

11. Why did Jesus call the man in the parable a fool? What was he trying to teach?

12. What happens when we focus on money and possessions?

13. What does it look like to be rich toward God?

14. What are the different kinds of treasures mentioned in this passage?

15. What are examples of treasures on earth?

16. What does it look like to store up treasures in heaven?

17. How can you tell what a person treasures?

18. What have you been treasuring most over the past year, and what impact has that had on your relationship with God?

19. How is godliness related to contentment and why is that great gain?

20. What truth is Paul trying to teach Timothy in verse 7?

21. According to this passage, what are the results of loving money?

22. When have you experienced or witnessed the love of money bringing great harm to someone’s life? What happened?

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
Jim Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty

PERSONAL APPLICATION
Looking back over this series on heaven, what one or two ideas or Scriptures have stood out to you the most? Pause and ask God what He wants to say to you. Allow time for Him to speak, being sensitive to thoughts that come to mind. Growing often comes by simply making yourself available to God. Share with the group what you sense God is saying to you.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY
Memorizing Scripture helps us keep God’s life-giving words close to our hearts wherever we go. Here’s a verse to memorize based on this week’s teaching:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

PRAY
Invite someone to close your time in prayer.

App and the Daily Devotional
Spend time with God with the Daily Devotionals available on the App. You can also find Sunday Message resources and videos, leave prayer requests, give and more.

Why Jesus?
If you’ve never experienced God’s forgiveness and grace, we’d love the opportunity to talk with you about a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Email thepastors@brookwoodchurch.org or call 864.688.8200.

Additional Study Tools
For additional Bible Study tools, guides and devotionals, check out bible.com, youversion.com, biblegateway.com and blueletterbible.org.