02-20-2022
02-20-2022
Rev. Trevor Johnston (LOX & Online), Rev. Jose Marrero (WPB), Rev. Efrain Silva (COH Español)
Sermon Series: How Life Works
Week 7: Can you?
English PDF file for printing.
Para imprimir el archivo PDF en Español
1. Read our theme verse from this series, Matthew 7:24 - Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Read Matthew 6:19-34 - “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
2. Notice that Jesus contrasts three sets of two things: two treasures, two eyes, and two masters. With regard to the two types of treasure Jesus mentions in Matthew 6:19-21, what’s a modern version of Jesus’s warning that earthly treasures can be destroyed by moths, vermin, and thieves?
3. Is it wrong to save up extra money for the future? If not, what’s the issue Jesus is addressing?
4. What did Jesus mean when he said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also”?
5. In first century Jewish culture, a healthy eye was an idiom for being generous, and an unhealthy eye was an idiom for being stingy. If you’ve observed that generosity fills a person’s whole life with light, and stinginess fills a person’s life with darkness, share about that.
6. Jesus’s words about two masters is ultimately about relationship. You can’t really be in love with two people at once. Our human heart was designed for singularity of devotion. Read 1 Timothy 6:10 – For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
What does this passage add to your understanding of Jesus’s warnings in his Sermon on the Mount?
7. John Wesley noticed that as Christians got ahead in life and began to acquire wealth, their spiritual growth often diminished. His solution to this problem was to urge Christians to “earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.” How could this advice work against this tendency?
8. Pastor Dale speaks of five levels of giving that gradually loosen the grip that money might on our hearts. Talk about each level listed below, and share how you’ve seen or experienced it.
Self-Interest – This is the normal starting point for giving. You give because the ministry or charity meets a need for you or your family.
Gratitude – This is when you begin to give out of gratitude for what God has done for you.
Obedience – This is when you no longer need an emotional appeal to give. You simply make a plan to give an ongoing specific percentage on a regular basis out of obedience to God.
Spiritual vision – This is where you stop seeing dollar signs and start seeing souls instead. What did Pastor Trevor mean by that?
Love – The ultimate level of Christian giving is when you give lavishly out of your deep love for Jesus. He has absolute first place in your life, and you want to give all you have to his purposes.
9. As you consider these levels of giving, is there a next step you sense God leading you to take?
10. Pastor Trevor said, “God doesn’t need your money, but he wants your heart.” If God doesn’t need our money, why does he ask us to give?
11. “Money makes a wonderful tool but a terrible master.” Whether a person is rich or financially struggling, what helps them keep money from becoming their master?
You may want to be more generous, but you can’t because of debt that has crept into your life. If that’s your situation, we encourage you to attend our upcoming Financial Peace University group. For more information, see the announcements below.
Ready for your next step? – If you would like to take a next step in your faith journey, such as trusting your life to Christ or getting baptized, text the word “Next” to 561-264-6079 and follow the steps there, and we’ll contact you to help you do that.
News and Announcements:
New Here? Let us know who you are by texting “connect” to 561-264-6079.
Financial Peace University – Thursdays, 7-8:30pm Loxahatchee Campus starts March 3 - Dave Ramsey's 9-week class designed to help you get free from debt, save, and invest for your future. Led by John Donegan. Course fee and materials $59.99/family paid directly to Ramsey+ at the following link: fpu.com/1148071. You may attend the first session at no cost to “try before you buy.” Childcare available. Register at https://communityofhope.church/groups/
Women’s Spring Tea - Saturday, March 5, 11am - 1:30pm - All women 16 and older are invited to enjoy brunch, laughter, and fun at our Women’s Spring Tea! Invite your friends, mom, sister, or neighbor to this encouraging and faith-filled event! If you’d like to take part in our DIY Tea Party Hat Competition, wow us and wear your creation to the Tea! Prizes will be awarded for most beautiful, most creative, funniest, most glamorous, and best themed. Leah Johnston is speaking at our Loxahatchee Campus and Haley Weaver at our WPB Campus. Register at https://communityofhope.church/events/springtea by March 2. Childcare available on a very limited basis. Cost is $12 and includes a delicious brunch.
Student Life Camp, July 23-28 - If you have a student who is currently enrolled in 6th - 12th grade, we would love for them to join us for Student Life Camp in North Carolina! Student and adult leader registration is now open at: https://communityofhope.church/studentcamp
Connections - Connections is a 4-week class on how to live the Christian life, and it’s also the best way to get more connected at Community of Hope. You’ll learn about our church’s mission, values, and statement of faith. After the four weeks, you’ll have the opportunity to become a Community of Hope partner, if you wish, which opens more opportunities for leadership and service. Two options for taking Connections are coming soon:
(1) Jose Marrero, our WPB Campus Pastor, is leading a class on Zoom only Mondays, 7-8:15pm starting March 7th.
(2) Kathy Copan, our Executive Discipleship Director, is leading a class at our Loxahatchee Campus and simultaneously over Zoom on Wednesdays, 7-8:15pm starting March 23rd.
Register at https://communityofhope.church/connections
Thank you for your regular financial support, which makes it possible for us to minister to you and to our community! If you haven’t already, consider setting up automated giving to help you be consistent even when you’re traveling. To give to Community of Hope go to https://communityofhope.church/give.