PAUL SADLER | AUGUST 20, 2023
We’re constantly exposed to images of people with fabulous wealth, and we live at a time when economic injustice is greater than ever. The average person is tempted to envy or despair and sometimes both. This message looks at the comfort and wisdom that God gives to find contentment in an age of more.
James 5:1-6
outline
Giving is a topic that God seems to be more interested in than we typically are. This message helps us to see it in a new light by examining the principles and motivation that drove the generosity of the early church.
Solomon started off with a desire to lead the nation well and to bless those he was called to serve. In the end, he became lost in the pursuit of more. This message examines his life for principles that can nurture our contentment when we can’t seem to get enough.
1 Kings 10:14-29 // [outline]
Intelligence and know-how is rewarded in our society. But when people start to applaud our contribution, we can use our wisdom selfishly and lose sight of who we are and what we’ve been created to do. This message, focused on the Queen of Sheba’s famous visit to King Solomon, gives us 3 questions to ask when people start to applaud.
1 Kings 10:1-13 // [outline]
We all face the pressure of powerful people in our lives; governments, bosses, and popular classmates, but how should we respond to the pressure? Jacob, in Genesis 33, provides us a helpful example, showing us that God’s people walk the path of humility, generosity, and obedience.
Genesis 33:1-20 // [outline]
Money is a subject that almost no one likes to discuss. And prosperity teachers have spread greed in the name of God’s Word and compromised the church’s integrity in this area. But the Bible teaches on this topic extensively and it’s a significant part of how we relate to God. This message looks at God’s teaching on giving and His invitation to those who would taste His generosity.
Malachi 3:6-12 // [outline]
We live in a world of power politics, power couples and power grabs. And it’s distorted the way we see power. This message rethinks our relationship to power from the Bible and shows that we can be content to lend power instead of grabbing it when we know how to wait on it.
Finances are a source of stress for many people, but God promises to provide. This message considers that promise and the attitude toward money that gives peace and security.
Philippians 4:14-20 // [outline]