Week 1: Preface & Introduction — Buried Treasure

1.Alcorn opens by describing a dramatic shift in his own relationship with money and possessions. What circumstances forced that shift, and what does he say he discovered on the other side of it? Had you heard his story before reading this book?

2.The book's premise is that most Christians in wealthy Western cultures have absorbed the world's view of money almost without noticing. Do you think that's a fair diagnosis? What evidence for it do you see in your own life or in your church?

3.Jesus talked about money more than almost any other topic in the Gospels. Why do you think that is? What does the sheer volume of Jesus' teaching on wealth tell us about its spiritual danger — or its spiritual potential?

4.Alcorn introduces the image of a treasure chest — specifically the idea that we are always storing treasure somewhere, whether we think about it consciously or not. Where, honestly, have you been storing your treasure? What evidence from your checkbook or bank statement would support your answer?

5.The subtitle promises 'immediate pleasure and eternal rewards' as a result of joyful giving. Does that sound too good to be true to you, or does it ring true to any experience you've already had? What is your level of skepticism as you begin this book?

6.What is one assumption about money or generosity that you hope this book will challenge or confirm? Share it with your group so you can return to it at the end of the study.