Choosing Faith Over Finances: A Community Commitment

Devotional

Day 1: Community as a Foundation for Faith

The church community plays a vital role in supporting families as they raise children to know and love Jesus. This collective effort is not just a responsibility but a privilege, as it strengthens the bonds within the church and ensures that the next generation grows up with a strong foundation in faith. By coming together in prayer and action, the church family can provide the guidance and support needed for parents and children alike. This shared commitment reflects the church's dedication to nurturing faith and fostering a loving environment where children can thrive spiritually. [00:00]

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV): "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Reflection: How can you actively support a family in your church community this week, helping them to nurture their children's faith journey?

Day 2: Celebrating Service and New Beginnings

Recognizing and celebrating the contributions of those who serve in the church is essential. Mariah Martin's dedication to community outreach has been a blessing, and as she transitions to a new chapter as a stay-at-home mom, it is important to honor her service. This transition serves as a reminder of the impact that individuals can have within the church and the importance of expressing gratitude for their efforts. By acknowledging and celebrating these contributions, the church community can inspire others to serve and create a culture of appreciation and encouragement. [05:00]

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (ESV): "We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves."

Reflection: Who in your church community has made a significant impact on your life? How can you express your gratitude to them this week?

Day 3: Money as a Spiritual Challenge

Money is a topic that often raises concerns within the church, yet it is crucial to address because of its potential to become an idol in our lives. Jesus' teachings on money highlight the importance of aligning our financial priorities with our faith, recognizing that earthly treasures are temporary. The cultural obsession with possessions can distract us from spiritual growth, and it is essential to remain vigilant in ensuring that our financial decisions reflect our commitment to God's kingdom. By doing so, we can prevent money from becoming a roadblock in our faith journey. [29:21]

1 Timothy 6:9-10 (ESV): "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils."

Reflection: In what ways have you allowed money to influence your priorities? How can you realign your financial decisions to better reflect your faith?

Day 4: Investing in Eternal Treasures

Jesus calls us to invest in heavenly treasures, where our hearts will follow. This investment in God's kingdom offers a better return, both in this life and in eternity, as it aligns our hearts with His purposes. By focusing on spiritual growth and generosity, we can ensure that our lives are centered on what truly matters. This shift in perspective allows us to experience a deeper sense of fulfillment and purpose, as we prioritize eternal values over temporary gains. [38:33]

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV): "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take this week to invest in heavenly treasures rather than earthly ones?

Day 5: Choosing God as Our Master

We cannot serve both God and money, and Jesus invites us to choose Him as our master. This choice reflects our identity as His children, loved and cherished by our Heavenly Father. By choosing God, we embrace a life of purpose and fulfillment, grounded in His love and grace. This decision requires intentionality and commitment, as we seek to align our lives with His will and invest in what truly matters. By doing so, we can experience the abundant life that God promises to those who follow Him. [53:55]

Joshua 24:15 (ESV): "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Reflection: What steps can you take today to ensure that God is the master of your life, rather than money or other worldly pursuits?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we focused on the profound responsibility we have as a church community to support families in raising children who know and love Jesus. This commitment is not just a promise from parents but a collective effort from the entire church family. We prayed for God's blessings on these families, asking for His guidance and presence in their lives.

We also celebrated Mariah Martin's service as our community outreach coordinator. Her dedication to events like Night to Shine and Trunk or Treat has been invaluable. As she transitions to a new chapter as a stay-at-home mom, we prayed for God's blessings on her family and expressed our gratitude for her contributions.

Our series, "Transferring Trust," continued with a discussion on money, a topic that often raises concerns within the church. We acknowledged the skepticism surrounding church discussions on finances, especially in light of negative portrayals in media. However, we emphasized that Jesus taught about money because it can be a significant roadblock in our faith journey. Money often competes for our attention and affection, becoming an idol in our lives.

We explored the cultural obsession with possessions, illustrated by the proliferation of storage units in our community. This reflects a deeper issue of prioritizing material wealth over spiritual growth. Jesus' teachings in Matthew 6 remind us that earthly treasures are temporary and will ultimately fail us. Instead, we are called to invest in heavenly treasures, where our hearts will follow.

Jesus' message is clear: we cannot serve both God and money. We must choose our master. The tithe, a biblical principle, serves as a tool to prevent money from ruling our lives. However, it's essential to go beyond the tithe and embrace a lifestyle of generosity. We are challenged to consider how we can invest in God's kingdom rather than accumulating wealth for ourselves.

Ultimately, we are reminded that one master calls us slaves, while the other calls us His children. God's invitation is to choose Him, to follow Him, and to invest in what truly matters. This choice leads to a life of purpose and fulfillment, grounded in the love and grace of our Heavenly Father.

Key Takeaways

1. Community Support in Faith: As a church, we are called to support families in raising children who know and love Jesus. This collective effort strengthens our community and reflects our commitment to nurturing faith in the next generation. [00:00]
2. Celebrating Service and Transition: Mariah Martin's dedication to community outreach has been a blessing. Her transition to a new chapter reminds us of the importance of recognizing and celebrating the contributions of those who serve in our church. [05:00]
3. The Challenge of Money: Jesus' teachings on money highlight its potential to become an idol in our lives. We must be vigilant in ensuring that our financial priorities align with our faith, recognizing that earthly treasures are temporary. [29:21]
4. Investing in the Eternal: Jesus calls us to invest in heavenly treasures, where our hearts will follow. This investment in God's kingdom offers a better return, both in this life and in eternity, as it aligns our hearts with His purposes. [38:33]
5. Choosing Our Master: We cannot serve both God and money. Jesus invites us to choose Him as our master, offering a life of purpose and fulfillment. This choice reflects our identity as His children, loved and cherished by our Heavenly Father. [53:55]
** [53:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Commitment to Families
[02:00] - Prayer for Families
[03:30] - Introduction of Mariah Martin
[05:00] - Mariah's Transition
[06:30] - Prayer for Mariah
[08:00] - Series Introduction: Transferring Trust
[10:00] - Addressing Money Concerns
[12:00] - Jesus' Teachings on Money
[15:00] - Cultural Obsession with Possessions
[20:00] - Matthew 6: Earthly vs. Heavenly Treasures
[25:00] - The Principle of Tithing
[30:00] - Generosity Beyond the Tithe
[35:00] - Choosing Your Master
[40:00] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does Jesus say about storing treasures on earth versus in heaven in Matthew 6:19-20?
How does the sermon describe the cultural obsession with possessions, and what example is given to illustrate this issue? [29:21]
According to the sermon, what is the significance of the tithe, and how does it relate to our relationship with money? [49:14]
What does Jesus mean when He says, "No one can serve two masters"? How is this concept explained in the sermon? [53:55]

Interpretation Questions

In what ways does the sermon suggest that money can become an idol in our lives, and how does this relate to Jesus' teachings in Matthew 6? [29:21]
How does the sermon interpret the idea of investing in heavenly treasures, and what practical examples are given to illustrate this? [38:33]
What does the sermon suggest about the role of the church community in supporting families, and how does this reflect the teachings of Jesus? [00:00]
How does the sermon address the skepticism surrounding church discussions on money, and what is the intended message for the congregation? [10:00]

Application Questions

Reflect on your current financial priorities. Are there areas where money might be competing with your faith? How can you realign these priorities to better serve God? [29:21]
Consider the concept of investing in heavenly treasures. What specific steps can you take this week to invest more in God's kingdom rather than accumulating material wealth? [38:33]
How can you actively support families within your church community in raising children who know and love Jesus? What role can you play in this collective effort? [00:00]
Think about a time when you felt skeptical about church discussions on money. How can you approach these conversations with an open heart and mind, focusing on Jesus' teachings? [10:00]
Evaluate your practice of tithing and generosity. Are there ways you can go beyond the tithe to embrace a lifestyle of generosity? What changes can you make to ensure money does not rule your life? [49:14]
Reflect on the choice between serving God and money. What practical steps can you take to ensure that God is your master, and how can this choice lead to a life of purpose and fulfillment? [53:55]
Identify one area in your life where you feel enslaved by possessions or financial concerns. What action can you take this week to break free from this enslavement and choose God as your master? [53:55]

Sermon Clips

"She has just been such an incredible part of our team. But recently, Mariah just came to the point where she recognized God's call on her life with baby number four on the way to be a stay-at-home mom. And so Mariah's going to be transitioning off of our staff team. But we wanted to send her off well. And so first, Mariah, I just want to say thank you so much for the way that you have served Crosspoint, for the way that you've served our community, for how you have represented God's heart to people." [00:25:50] (34 seconds)

"Now, Jesus is not giving out like stock tips for people on how to invest their denarii into the best thing, okay? Jesus is recognizing in the people of his day that money is a major roadblock for them in their faith. It is one of the things that is competing for their attention, for their affection, even for their worship, which I know sounds strange because none of you are like piling piles of money in your living room, at least I hope not, and like bowing down before it and like, oh, wonderful money. Like, but we worship money in different ways." [00:28:36] (37 seconds)

"And we have such a problem with this that our city actually had to like stop issuing new permits to companies that wanted to build storage complex. They had to put a hold on that for a while because there were so many of these that were happening. And after our city did this, I heard people that were like, man, can you believe the hold isn't long enough? It needs to be longer. And I can't believe our city isn't fixing this problem. And the reality is this problem isn't the storage unit company's problem." [00:30:05] (31 seconds)

"so we have more space for less people and we still can't fit all our stuff it balloons out first into the garage right I heard a pastor this week that was talking about this he's like look you built a house for your car and then you made your car homeless because you needed to put your stuff in your car's house right and let's be honest there's probably a few of you but I'm like I'm actually curious how many of you that have a two-car garage currently have two cars in your garage a few of you all right congratulations all right I'll be transparent my parents did I don't all right we have a stuff problem we have a possessions problem we have a money problem that we seem to believe that if we can get enough it will fill us up we buy into these lies over and over again and it makes sense that we buy into them it really does because people spend thousands and thousands of dollars getting years of training they get they get degrees college degrees in marketing right a four-year degree and like I know how to sell people stuff and then literally billions of dollars are pumped into this industry of marketing to put messages in front of our faces all day every day telling us that if we just had this it would meet our need it would fix our problems if we just got that new car right if we could just get that new car" [00:32:23] (112 seconds)

"and we chase after something that will fail us do you guys know that after your household income reaches 75 000 a year the rates of suicide and income rise together proportionately in our country because as we continue to gain more and more and more things we come to a point where we have to recognize the truth that it's all a lie and that there's no hope in this stuff and so jesus recognized this problem that exists for us and he spoke into it i think jesus presents us with the the answers to our problem and so jesus teaches about money in many places in the new testament but but i want to study specifically some teachings of his in matthew chapter 6. so would you guys open up with me there we spent some time in matthew 6 last week but i want to jump ahead to something that jesus says in verse 19 here it's a famous passage jesus says this don't store up treasures on earth where moths eat them and rust destroys them and thieves break in and steal jesus here says look it will fail i know we've been talking about that for a while already but like jesus right off the bat here is he's he's teaching on money he's like hey i i need you to know it will fail i need you to know this thing that you already know that that new piece of technology will break i need you to know that even though that new iphone has 76 cameras on the back of it it's still gonna fail eventually a couple years after you got that bad boy its battery is barely gonna make it through the day right he says look everything here ends our earth is in decay our world is in decay our stuff is in decay and jesus says the obvious thing here you can't take it with you don't invest here it's temporary it continues in verse 20 here store your treasures in heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy and thieves do not break in and" [00:34:52] (160 seconds)

"And Jesus says to us, hey, you want your heart to be for the kingdom of God? Invest there. In fact, invest there not just so that your heart will be for it, but invest there because it's a better investment. You see, because the investment you can make here on earth, eventually it will fail. Eventually it will let you down. The investment that you can make in the kingdom of God will go on. It's a better ROI, right? I don't really know what that means. I'm kidding. It's a better return on investment, right?" [00:39:14] (38 seconds)

"And Jesus says, look, the things there end. They are temporary, but there's a better place to invest. And while you usually invest in things that you are passionate about, the reverse is also true. That where you invest your treasure, your heart will follow that, right? It will follow. You want to care about what is going on in some city you've never heard of in Honduras? Start to invest financially in a church there. And all of a sudden, you'll start to really pay attention to what's happening in Honduras on the news." [00:38:08] (43 seconds)

"Jesus says this, no one can serve two masters, for you will hate one and love the other. You'll be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. That's right. Jesus says, I promise you can't do both. I know you're going to be tempted to do both. I know you're going to try to convince yourself that, hey, I'm doing both here. I'm making it really good financially, but I'm not, you know, both. He says, you can't. You cannot serve two masters." [00:47:06] (48 seconds)

"And this tithe happens through the Old Testament. Jesus talks about it in the book of Luke and really says, like, hey, you're right to do that. We don't have anywhere in the New Testament where there's a clear moment that they say, hey, the tithe is over now. If anything in the early church, they were giving significantly more than 10%. They were incredibly generous in the early church. It says that they were selling everything they had to meet the needs of other people." [00:49:14] (26 seconds)

"That God was giving them a tool to help them live in a way that honored Him. They do this with all kinds of things, right? They did this with the Sabbath. They did this with so many different laws. And I think sometimes we are guilty of this with the tithe. That we give 10%. But when we go out to eat, we are notoriously terrible tippers. We go out with friends, right? We are rarely the one who's like, hey, I got it tonight, guys." [00:51:19] (32 seconds)

"See, that almighty, perfect, holy, righteous God loves you enough that he sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins, because he loves you, because he wants to be in relationship with you, because he cares about you, because he doesn't want that far-off relationship. He calls you his son or his daughter. He's adopted you as a family member." [00:55:38] (32 seconds)

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