Here are some questions based on last Sunday’s sermon text (Psalm 112), in case they’re helpful to you for personal growth or group discussion…

• [1-2] This Psalm is a (prophetic) description of Jesus as the “blessed man” who “fears the LORD” before it is a description of his spiritual “offspring,” Christians who are members of God’s family by faith. Do you personally fear Yahweh? Do you fear the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you “greatly delight in his commandments”? Do these strike you as things that lead to blessedness/happiness? Why or why not?

• [3] Read Matthew 6:19-21. True wealth is participation in the divine life—blessed communion with the Triune God—which is a gift of God’s grace that cannot be taken away. Do you consider this more valuable than earthly riches? If so, does that show in your life in some way?

• [5-9] If you love earthly riches most of all, your life will be driven by fear of not having enough or fear of losing what you have. If you love God best of all, if you fear and trust him, then you can be fearless when it comes to earthly riches. How do you think this can change you and make you more generous? What obstacles do you detect in your heart to becoming more like Jesus in your generosity? How will you address those obstacles with the Gospel?

• [10] The one who does not fear the Lord, who does not find his happiness in communion with God, who does not delight in God’s commandments, has only one option: he can only desire things that will inevitably be stripped away from him. Therefore he lives in fear and in torment, especially when confronted with the alternative in the true wisdom of Jesus Christ. When he looks at Jesus—or at those who are like Jesus—he can only be frustrated. Do you see Jesus and get angry, feeling he is an impossible challenge to your life? Or do you see Jesus and long for his life to fill you and free you to be gracious, merciful, righteous, and generous like he is?