August_2025_WSUC_sermon_Rich_Before_God.docx

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Our Need: Where God’s Grace Begins

True security is not found in what we can accumulate or control, but in our willingness to admit our need for God. The world often tells us that strength is self-sufficiency, but Jesus teaches that spiritual poverty—knowing we cannot save ourselves—opens us to receive the fullness of God’s love. When we let go of the illusion that we are in charge, we make space for God’s grace to work in and through us.
To be “rich before God” is to recognize that our deepest riches come not from what we possess, but from our dependence on the One who provides all things. In our insufficiency, God’s sufficiency is revealed. When we bring our emptiness, our fears, and our longings to God, we discover that He meets us with mercy and abundance.

“And he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel most insufficient or needy right now? How might you invite God into that space today, trusting Him to meet you there?

Day 2: Generosity as Participation in God’s Abundance

God’s kingdom operates on a different economy than the world’s. Instead of hoarding what we have, we are invited to share freely, trusting that God’s abundance is more than enough. Generosity and service are not just good deeds—they are ways we participate in God’s ongoing work of love and healing.
When we risk serving others, especially in their vulnerability, we reflect the heart of Christ. Our acts of compassion, even when they stretch us, are seeds sown into eternity. The story of Dame Cicely Saunders reminds us that the gifts we receive are meant to be given away, and that our legacy is measured not by what we keep, but by the love we pour out.

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” (Proverbs 19:17, ESV)

Reflection: Who is someone in your life who could use a tangible expression of God’s love today? What is one way you can serve or give to them, even if it feels like a stretch?

Day 3: Trusting God with Tomorrow, Living Fully Today

Fear of the future can quietly rob us of the joy and gratitude available in the present. The rich fool’s mistake was not only in his greed, but in his anxious need to secure his own future, missing the invitation to trust God’s provision day by day.
Faith calls us to open our hands, to live in the present moment with gratitude, and to trust that God’s grace will be enough for whatever comes. When we let go of “what ifs” and choose to rest in God’s care, we find freedom to enjoy His gifts and to respond to life with courage and hope.

“Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34, ESV)

Reflection: What is one “what if” or worry about the future that is weighing on you today? How can you practice entrusting that concern to God and choosing gratitude for what He has given you right now?

Day 4: Prayerful Poverty: Meeting God in Our Emptiness

Prayer is not about bringing God our achievements, but about coming to Him just as we are—empty, needy, and open. Practices like silent prayer or the Jesus Prayer (“Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner”) help us embrace our dependence on God and cultivate spiritual poverty.
In these quiet moments, we lay down our striving and simply rest in God’s presence. It is here, in our emptiness, that God meets us most tenderly. Spiritual poverty is not a lack, but a posture of openness that allows us to receive the riches of God’s love and mercy.

“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling.” (Isaiah 30:15, ESV)

Reflection: Set aside five minutes today for silent prayer. As you sit quietly, repeat the Jesus Prayer or simply invite God to meet you in your emptiness. What do you notice as you rest in His presence?

Day 5: Spending Love Freely: The Inheritance of God’s Children

The wisdom of the world says to save, protect, and hold back, but Jesus invites us to be “fools for Christ” by spending love with abandon. Our true inheritance is not in what we keep, but in the love we give away, trusting that God’s blessings will never run dry.
When we share God’s love—especially when we feel empty or afraid—we discover that there is always more than enough. Each act of love, no matter how small, is multiplied in God’s hands. Our legacy is not measured by our possessions, but by the love we have spent freely in Jesus’ name.

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Proverbs 11:25, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a place in your life where you have been holding back love out of fear or self-protection? What is one step you can take today to spend God’s love more freely, trusting in His abundance?

Sermon Summary

of the Sermon:**

In this sermon, we explored Jesus’ parable of the rich fool from Luke 12:13-21, reflecting on what it truly means to be “rich before God.” While the world measures wealth by accumulation and self-sufficiency, Jesus challenges us to see richness in terms of trust, vulnerability, and generosity. Through the story of Dame Cicely Saunders and the founding of the hospice movement, we saw how true wealth is found in compassion, service, and the willingness to be poor in spirit. The sermon invites us to examine our own fears, our need for control, and our reluctance to depend on God. Ultimately, we are called to embrace our neediness, to trust in God’s mercy, and to spend the love we receive with joy, knowing that God’s abundance is always more than enough.

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Key Takeaways

1. True Riches Are Found in Dependence, Not Self-Sufficiency: The parable of the rich fool warns against the illusion that security comes from storing up wealth. In God’s economy, our greatest richness is found when we acknowledge our need for God and allow our insufficiency to become the space where God’s grace can work. Spiritual poverty—being poor in spirit—opens us to receive the fullness of God’s love.
2. Generosity and Service Are the Currency of God’s Kingdom: The story of Dame Cicely Saunders reminds us that the gifts we receive are meant to be shared. When we risk serving others, especially in their vulnerability, we participate in God’s abundance. Our acts of compassion and care, even when they stretch us beyond our comfort, are investments in a legacy that outlasts material wealth.
3. Fear of the Future Can Rob Us of Present Joy: The rich man’s folly was not just greed, but a deep-seated fear that led him to hoard rather than trust. When we live in “what ifs,” we miss the invitation to gratitude and trust in God’s provision. Faith calls us to respond to life with open hands, confident that God’s grace is sufficient for every need.
4. Prayer and Contemplation Cultivate Spiritual Poverty: Practices like silent prayer and the Jesus Prayer (“Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner”) are ways of embracing our dependence on God. In these moments, we bring nothing but ourselves, trusting that God will meet us in our emptiness. This spiritual poverty is not a lack, but a posture that makes us truly rich before God.
5. Our Inheritance Is to Spend God’s Love Freely: The world’s wisdom says to save and protect, but Jesus invites us to be “fools for Christ” by spending love with abandon. When we share God’s love—especially when we feel empty or afraid—we discover that there is always more than enough. Our legacy is not in what we keep, but in the love we give away, trusting that God’s blessings will never run dry.

Bible Study Guide

**Small Group Bible Study Guide: “Rich Before God”**

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### Bible Reading

**Luke 12:13-21**
(The Parable of the Rich Fool)

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### Observation Questions

In the parable, what does the rich man do with his abundance of crops and wealth?
How does God respond to the rich man’s plans for his future?
According to Jesus, what is the danger of storing up treasures for oneself?
What phrase does Jesus use to describe the kind of wealth that truly matters?

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### Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus refuse to settle the dispute about the inheritance, and what does this reveal about his priorities?
The sermon suggests that the rich man’s real problem was not just greed, but fear. How does fear show up in his actions and decisions?
The story of Dame Cicely Saunders was shared as an example of being “rich before God.” What qualities or actions made her life an illustration of this teaching?
The sermon talks about being “poor in spirit” and embracing our neediness before God. How does this attitude differ from the world’s idea of strength and success?

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### Application Questions

The rich man believed he could secure his future by saving and storing up wealth. In what ways do you try to control your own future, and how does this affect your trust in God?
The sermon invites us to examine our fears and our need for control. What is one area of your life where fear or anxiety about the future keeps you from living with open hands?
Dame Cicely Saunders used her gifts to serve others, especially those who were vulnerable. What is one gift or resource you have that you could risk sharing more generously this week?
The practice of silent prayer or the Jesus Prayer (“Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner”) was recommended as a way to embrace spiritual poverty. Have you ever tried this kind of prayer? If not, what might hold you back? If yes, how has it shaped your relationship with God?
The sermon says that “our legacy is not in what we keep, but in the love we give away.” Can you think of a time when you gave or received love in a way that felt risky or costly? What was the result?
When you feel empty, exhausted, or afraid, what helps you remember that God’s abundance is more than enough?
The world tells us to save and protect, but Jesus invites us to “spend love with abandon.” What is one practical way you could “spend” God’s love this week, even if it feels foolish or uncomfortable?

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Sermon Quotes

To be rich before God, we must be willing to be poor—poor in spirit, vulnerable, and dependent on God’s providence. Our neediness is not a weakness, but the foundation of a relationship of love and grace with God.

The rich fool thought he was self-sufficient, but in the end, he had nothing. In a life of faith, our dependence on God is what truly makes us rich.

Sharing our gifts makes us very rich, because we draw from a deep well of Spirit that gives us fullness of life and shapes us into the person we are created to be.

We leave life the way we come into it: with nothing. In the end, it doesn’t matter if we are rich or poor. What matters is how we have loved and trusted God.

God calls us and equips us to serve, often stretching us beyond our comfort zone. He uses a different currency than the world’s riches—everything is based on trust and mercy.

The real sin of the rich fool wasn’t just greed or pride, but fear. He lived so afraid of the future that he couldn’t trust that a generous heart leads to freedom.

We are rich, not because we are successful or self-sufficient, but because our insufficiency makes space for God to fill our lives. God’s love makes us rich.

Accepting God’s love, spending it with our whole hearts, and trusting that there is always more than enough—this is what makes us rich before God.

The world needs us to spend this love every day. This is how God’s economy works. Be a fool for Christ and spend this love with joy!

Ask yourself, “What makes me rich toward God?” The true answer comes not in easy times, but when you are exhausted, afraid, and alone—when only Christ can reassure you that your life has meaning.

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August_2025_WSUC_sermon_Rich_Before_God.docx

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Our Need: Where God’s Grace Begins

Day 2: Generosity as Participation in God’s Abundance

Day 3: Trusting God with Tomorrow, Living Fully Today

Day 4: Prayerful Poverty: Meeting God in Our Emptiness

Day 5: Spending Love Freely: The Inheritance of God’s Children

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Quotes

Chatbot

August_2025_WSUC_sermon_Rich_Before_God.docx

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