America has a culture that breeds a consumer mentality. People equate vehicles, homes, fashion, and accessories with personal worth. This mindset leads many to pursue a life of accumulating wealth and storing up the newest, most expensive looking items to achieve status. There is nothing sinful about having nice things, but when our love for nice things causes us to neglect meeting the needs of others or giving for the advance of God’s kingdom we are in the trap of materialism.
Read 1 Tim. 6:10
Discuss: How can the “love of money” birth all kinds of evil in our lives?
Confess the sin
Does your spending habits reflect a priority for seeing the gospel impact the nations?
Does your lifestyle prevent you from caring for people the bible describes as the least of these? (Matt. 25:34-46)
Identify the lie
What do you believe that accumulating wealth and material riches will give you that God cannot give you?
What do you believe you NEED to be truly wealthy?
Replace the lie with truth
Read the following passages:
1 Tim. 6:17-19
1 John 2:16
Matt. 6:24
Prov. 11:28
Prov. 13:11
What do these passages say about the futility of a life that pursues riches as its greatest goal?
Apply grace to respond
How have these passages revealed your need for the gospel?
If you have a desire for something material that prevents you from engaging in God’s kingdom work, how can you work towards generosity?
Memory verse
1 Tim. 6:10