Learning To Reap In Stewardship

Small Group Discussion Guide

1. SERMON RECAP

Pastor Willie Russell challenged the congregation to shift their focus from only thinking about sowing seeds to actively expecting and pursuing the harvest God has promised. He outlined three key principles: planting according to the harvest you want to reap, expecting multiple harvests, and never sleeping on the Word of God. He reminded us that reaping requires intentional effort, clear expectation, and a vision of the end in mind.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (NKJV)

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted."

3. ICE BREAKER

Think about a garden, a farm, or even a houseplant you have seen or tended. What is the most satisfying part of the growing process, and why?

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Seeing the harvest before you sow Pastor Willie pointed out that a farmer always sows with the harvest in mind. He asked the congregation directly, "If I asked you what your harvest looks like, could you tell me?" How clearly can your group members describe the specific harvest they are believing God for right now, whether in their finances, relationships, health, or calling?

2. Beginning with the end in mind Pastor Willie shared how he and his wife decided to become debt-free and then worked backward to figure out what seeds they needed to sow, including tithing, living on a spending plan, and helping others with their finances. What does it look like practically to reverse-engineer a spiritual or financial goal in that same way? What steps might your group members be skipping?

3. The widow's two expectations In 1 Kings 17, Pastor Willie observed that Elijah and the widow of Zarephath both had expectations, but they were completely different. Elijah expected provision; the widow expected death. He noted that sometimes we need to allow the Word of God, or a trusted voice, to show us something in our hands that we cannot see ourselves. Has there been a time when someone else saw potential or provision in your life before you did? What happened?

4. Sleeping on the Word Pastor Willie used the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13 to make a sobering point: it was not the sower who fell asleep, it was the people who heard the word. The enemy planted doubt, unbelief, and fear while they were not paying attention. In what practical ways do people in your group find themselves sleeping on a word they have already received? What helps them stay awake and attentive to what God has spoken?

5. The work of reaping He made a clear distinction between sowing and reaping, saying that sowing takes obedience, but reaping takes effort, obedience, and time. Why do you think so many believers are comfortable with the idea of sowing a seed but resist the sustained effort that comes with actually going out to reap the harvest?

6. Identifying your season Pastor Willie drew from Ecclesiastes 3 and reminded the group that knowing what season you are in changes what you should be doing. He shared that he personally chose to sow his time into the usher ministry because he sensed it was his season to do so, even when others misread it. How do you personally discern what spiritual season you are in, and how does that shape the seeds you are currently sowing?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

Before the group meets again, each member should take one specific harvest they are believing God for and write it down in one clear, concrete sentence. Underneath that sentence, they should list two or three seeds they can intentionally sow this week that directly correspond to that harvest. This could include a financial gift, volunteering time in a ministry area, studying a related scripture, or taking a practical step like making a budget or researching a goal. Members should bring what they wrote to the next gathering and briefly share what they discovered about the connection between their seed and their harvest.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray that each group member would receive a clear and God-given vision for the specific harvest He has placed in their heart, and that fear or vague thinking would not keep them from pursuing it.

• Pray that the group would remain alert and attentive to the Word of God, refusing to sleep on what has already been spoken over their lives, and that doubt, unbelief, and confusion would be bound and removed.

• Pray for the courage and sustained effort required to go out and actively reap, trusting that because the seed sown has been good seed, the harvest is already growing and waiting to be gathered.

7. MEMORY VERSE

Psalm 92:13-14 (NKJV)

"Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing."

Prepared for small group use at World Harvest Church