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The Secret of Contentment

Chris Hearty
Philippians 4:10-20

Contentment can never be achieved by always getting what you want. It must be learned through practice. Paul had learned the secret to contentment regardless of his circumstances, whether good or bad. He learned this through the Holy Spirit who strengthened him. Paul connects the state of contentment with the act of giving. When we are content, with or without, we are not afraid to give generously because we know God will provide for us. Paul calls this trusting generosity worship, a pleasing and fragrant offering to God

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Paul's Greatest Secret

Dennis McCallum
Philippians 4:10-20

Paul's greatest secret was having learned to be content in all circumstances. He didn't learn this secret in one momentous moment but it came to him over time, bit by bit. God had to stress his faith in order to make it grow. Growth comes in the areas of life when no one is watching. Your little steps of faith grow over time and you learn to to trust God with the bigger things. When we learn to trust God with our money and start giving it away as a "sweet-smelling offering" God will reimburse us. Just as the Philippians had no idea their simple monetary gift resulted in untold number of people benefitting from the prison epistles Paul wrote, we have no idea how our giving freely may be used by God to bless people we have never met.

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Wealth, Anxiety, and the Eternal Perspective

Ryan Lowery
Matthew 6:24-34

It's easy to put things like material possessions above God, thinking that they will make you happy. But Jesus says putting God first, investing His priorities, will allow Him to take care of our needs and will fulfill us more than any other goal we might have. This approach promotes a healthy basis for self-worth and also resolves the problem of anxiety.

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Religious Theater or Heartfelt Devotion

Ryan Lowery
Matthew 6:1-13

In this passage Jesus addresses people who have substituted heartfelt devotion to God with religious "theater." He calls on people to not act out of a desire to impress God or others, but to act out of a true appreciation of all God has done for them. One of the clearest ways this expresses itself is how we give financially--do we do it for recognition and influence or to gratefully share as God instructs? He also applies this to prayer.

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Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler

Ben Foust
Mark 10:13-31

When Jesus encounters the rich young ruler, he seems to deal with him differently than the others he has interacted with. Here, he seems to be pointing him back to the Law as the way to inherit eternal life. But in reality, he is pointing out to the young man that he is attempting to keep the law by watering down the requirements of the Law. He thinks he has kept them since his youth but Jesus shows him the Law requires perfection and he does not live up to that standard. Instead, he must receive the kingdom of heaven as a child receives a gift, with no expectation of deserving the gift.

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The Perils of Wealth

Ryan Lowery
James 5:1-6

In chapter 5, James describes the mature believer as one who understands the perils of wealth. This teaching discusses the common pitfalls that affluence brings.

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Spiritual Wealth in a Time of Financial Volatility

Gary DeLashmutt
Ephesians 1:1-14

Even as our economy is rocked by the coronavirus crisis, God is offering us a spiritual wealth that is totally secure and far more precious than money. What are some features of this spiritual wealth? Why is it so important, especially in a time of crisis? How can we lay hold of it? Join us as we explore the apostle Paul's answers to these questions.

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Compassion Amidst Crisis

Conrad Hilario
Luke 5:12-15

A recent article highlights the historical tendency of people to exhibit heartless cruelty and self-preservation during epidemics. By contrast, Jesus calls his followers to rise above this self-protectiveness and cruelty found in past pandemics. In a day when most people in America associate Christianity with hypocrisy, corruption, and hatred, maybe believers' selfless response to this epidemic will change people's perception of the church and ultimately Christ.

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Pitfalls of Wealth

Conrad Hilario
James 5:1-6

James warns rich believers of the pitfalls of wealth such as numbing us to our need for God, tempting us to place security in money instead of Christ, increasing our anxiety, an causing us to neglect the poor. To escape these pitfalls, we must invest in things with eternal value, learn to live simply, and embrace generous giving.

Keywords

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