The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
Week 4: Chapter 3 — Compounding Joy: Giving as Investment
Read Chapter 3 of The Treasure Principle. Primary Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Luke 16:9-13.
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This chapter pushes into the mechanics and the joy of giving — Alcorn wants us to see that generosity has a logic, a rhythm, and a compounding return that no earthly investment can match.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Alcorn introduces the idea that giving earns heavenly 'dividends' — returns that compound over eternity. He's deliberately using financial language. Do you find this motivating or slightly uncomfortable? What does your reaction reveal about your theology of rewards?
2.He refers to Luke 16:9, where Jesus says to 'use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.' This is one of Jesus' most puzzling financial statements. How does Alcorn interpret it? Do you find his interpretation convincing?
3.Paul tells the Corinthians that 'whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously' (2 Corinthians 9:6). Alcorn applies this to both spiritual and, in some sense, material dimensions of life. Where have you seen the principle of sowing and reaping play out — either in your own generosity or in the stories of others?
a.Alcorn distinguishes between giving out of guilt or compulsion and giving as a 'cheerful giver' (2 Corinthians 9:7). What is the difference in your experience?
b.What conditions or circumstances tend to move your giving from joyful to reluctant? What does that reveal?
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