Beware of Greed: Living with Generosity and Gratitude

Today’s gathering began with a beautiful moment of baby and child dedication, a reminder that our church is a family committed to walking alongside parents as they raise their children to know and love Jesus. Parents were encouraged to see this not as a day of salvation for their children, but as a day of commitment—to pray for, teach, and model Christ to their kids, trusting that one day, each child will make their own decision to follow Jesus. The church family was invited to join in this commitment, extending hands in prayer and support, affirming that no parent walks this journey alone.

We also took time to honor our veterans, recognizing the cost of freedom and expressing gratitude for those who serve and have served. This spirit of gratitude set the stage for a deeper conversation about generosity, resources, and the dangers of greed.

Turning to Luke 12, we explored Jesus’ parable about a rich man whose abundant harvest became a problem, not because of the abundance itself, but because of his attitude and lack of gratitude. Jesus warns us to “beware of greed,” teaching that life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. Greed, Jesus shows, is not just a financial issue—it’s a heart issue. It can keep us from hearing God’s voice, distort our blessings into burdens, and lead us to follow the patterns of a culture that constantly breeds discontent.

We saw that stewardship is the antidote to greed. God entrusts us with resources not just for our own needs, but so we can be a blessing to others. The story of Rick Warren’s reverse tithing challenged us to decide ahead of time what we will do with any abundance God gives us. If we don’t, greed will quietly consume whatever extra we receive, robbing us of the joy of generosity and the impact we could have for God’s kingdom.

Ultimately, Jesus’ parable ends with a sobering reminder: without Him, our souls never find rest. No amount of possessions or achievements can satisfy the deep longing of our hearts. Only Jesus can give us true peace, both now and for eternity. Today, the invitation is to examine what drives our decisions—greed or gratitude, self or stewardship—and to let Jesus put our souls at rest.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Greed Blocks Us from Hearing God Greed is not just about money; it’s a spiritual barrier that can keep us from truly hearing and receiving the words of Jesus. Even in the presence of profound truth, a heart enslaved by greed will be distracted and disconnected. If God’s voice seems distant, it’s worth asking if greed has built a wall around your heart, making it hard for His words to penetrate. [34:11]
• 2. Without Gratitude, Blessings Become Burdens Abundance is not the problem—our response to it is. When we lack gratitude, even God’s gifts can feel like problems, leading to anxiety and self-centeredness. Gratitude shifts our perspective, helping us see every resource as an opportunity to worship and serve, rather than something to hoard or worry over. [36:44]
• 3. Predetermine Generosity to Defeat Greed If we don’t decide ahead of time how to steward abundance, greed will quietly consume it. Setting boundaries—knowing when “enough is enough”—frees us to use extra resources for God’s purposes. This intentionality transforms wealth from a source of temptation into a tool for blessing others and advancing God’s kingdom. [46:32]
• 4. Only Jesus Brings Rest to Our Souls No possession, relationship, or achievement can satisfy the deepest needs of our souls. Greed promises fulfillment but delivers restlessness. True peace comes only from Jesus, who offers rest for our souls both now and forever. Surrendering to Him is the only way to break free from the endless cycle of wanting more. [54:19]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:44] - Introduction of Families for Dedication
• [03:30] - Commitments to Parents and Church
• [05:47] - Prayer of Dedication
• [06:32] - Celebrating Families and Community
• [22:03] - Honoring Veterans
• [23:10] - Series Introduction: Pacesetters
• [24:44] - Principle of First and Best
• [25:36] - The Defense Against Generosity: Greed
• [27:24] - Setting the Context of Luke 12
• [29:35] - The Interruption: Inheritance Dispute
• [32:13] - Jesus’ Warning: Beware of Greed
• [33:36] - Greed Blocks Hearing God
• [36:44] - Without Gratitude, Blessings Become Problems
• [40:02] - Following Culture Without God’s Guidance
• [44:33] - Missing the Blessing of Being a Blessing
• [47:01] - Rick Warren’s Example of Generosity
• [53:49] - The Parable’s Sobering Conclusion
• [54:19] - Only Jesus Brings Rest
• [56:36] - Invitation to Salvation and Prayer
• [58:24] - Worship and Celebration

Bible Reading

Luke 12:13-21 (NIV) — 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.
19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Observation Questions

1. In the parable Jesus tells, what is the rich man’s first reaction to his abundant harvest? What does he decide to do with his extra crops? (Luke 12:17-18)
2. According to Jesus, what is the real issue behind the man’s request about the inheritance? ([32:13])
3. How does Jesus describe the outcome for someone who stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God? (Luke 12:20-21)
4. What does the sermon say is the difference between stewardship and ownership when it comes to our resources? ([37:22])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Jesus warn the crowd to “be on your guard against all kinds of greed”? What does this reveal about the dangers of greed in our lives? ([32:13])
2. The sermon says, “Without gratitude, even our blessings become problems.” How does a lack of gratitude change the way we see what God has given us? ([36:44])
3. The rich man in the parable never consults God or others about his abundance. What does this say about his relationship with God and his view of his possessions? ([38:53])
4. The sermon mentions that only Jesus can bring true rest to our souls. Why do possessions, achievements, or relationships fail to satisfy our deepest needs? ([54:19])

Application Questions

1. The sermon talked about how greed can block us from hearing God’s voice. Is there an area in your life where you feel God’s voice has been distant? Could greed or a desire for more be part of the reason? ([34:11])
2. Think about a recent blessing or abundance you’ve received—big or small. Did you respond with gratitude, or did it quickly become a source of stress or worry? How could you shift your perspective to see it as an opportunity to worship and serve? ([36:44])
3. The idea of stewardship means seeing ourselves as managers, not owners, of what we have. What is one practical way you could practice stewardship this week with your time, money, or talents? ([37:22])
4. The sermon challenged us to “predetermine generosity”—to decide ahead of time what we’ll do with any extra God gives us. Have you ever set a boundary for “enough is enough” in your life? What would it look like for you to do that? ([46:32])
5. Rick Warren’s example of reverse tithing was shared as a way to defeat greed. What is one step you could take to increase your generosity, even if it’s small? ([47:01])
6. The parable ends with a warning that our souls will never find rest apart from Jesus. Are there things you are chasing—possessions, achievements, approval—that you hope will bring you peace? What would it look like to surrender those to Jesus and let Him give you rest? ([54:19])
7. The church family was invited to support parents in raising their children to know Jesus. Is there a family or individual in our church you could encourage or pray for this week as part of living generously? ([06:04])