1 00:00:04,100 --> 00:00:07,200 Welcome back or to the grace church members podcast, I'm your 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,000 host, Chris rivers. And in this episode, I'm joined 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,600 by my co-host. Scott, Mozingo to discuss, why 4 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:15,800 generosity at Grace Church is a discipleship issue. 5 00:00:16,100 --> 00:00:18,900 If you're a first-time listener, were excited, you've joined us. 6 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,500 The goal of this resource is to address discipleship issues in 7 00:00:22,500 --> 00:00:24,500 the life of Grace Church and discuss. 8 00:00:24,500 --> 00:00:28,300 How to be more fully devoted to God as a Believer. 9 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:30,500 I have the tendency to bring too much. 10 00:00:30,700 --> 00:00:33,600 Of the cultures view of money into my spiritual life. 11 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,200 And if I'm honest, I've played spiritual cut and paste with 12 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,500 what the Bible says about money and in doing so, whilst the 13 00:00:40,500 --> 00:00:42,500 greater narrative, I have to admit. 14 00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:45,600 Even though I am well-intentioned, I'm not always 15 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,900 well, positioned for generosity. And this is one of the many 16 00:00:48,900 --> 00:00:52,100 ideas that I receive from this conversation with Scott. 17 00:00:52,300 --> 00:00:54,700 And I think this is one of those episodes that will help you 18 00:00:54,700 --> 00:00:58,200 rethink the word generosity. I am confident, you will be 19 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,600 challenged and encouraged around this disciple. 20 00:01:00,700 --> 00:01:04,400 The issue as I was be sure to check out our podcast page 21 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,500 located in the show notes. And on this page you can access 22 00:01:07,500 --> 00:01:11,200 past episodes a summary of this episode with Scott and 23 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,400 additional resources to help you move towards discipleship. 24 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,800 Okay, let's jump into our episode on why generosity is a 25 00:01:17,808 --> 00:01:21,300 discipleship issue? Well Scott, good to see you 26 00:01:21,300 --> 00:01:22,500 today. Hi Chris. 27 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:25,600 Yep, glad you're here. So you are the pastor of 28 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,500 generosity and I'm wondering if you could help us understand 29 00:01:29,500 --> 00:01:31,900 what that means through the The lens of discipleship. 30 00:01:31,900 --> 00:01:35,900 If you could also just unpack, this issue of generosity in our 31 00:01:35,900 --> 00:01:38,500 church, this discipleship issue. So maybe you just share a little 32 00:01:38,500 --> 00:01:40,200 bit about those two things. Yeah, sure. 33 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:44,100 Thanks for the opportunity. And yes, my role. 34 00:01:44,100 --> 00:01:47,700 Pastor generosity. Basically, I'm just a champion 35 00:01:47,900 --> 00:01:52,200 for our core value of being courageously generous and that 36 00:01:52,300 --> 00:01:55,200 is that affects everybody in our in our church. 37 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:59,300 So whether someone is making a first-time gift or setting up a 38 00:01:59,308 --> 00:02:04,200 recurring gift, Or whether you have large, give small gifts, 39 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,800 medium gifts, it really does not matter. 40 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,100 We're not hung up on percentages and dollar amounts. 41 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,900 What I'm really driving at is, what does the bible teach us 42 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,700 about stewardship about money, specifically about generosity? 43 00:02:19,700 --> 00:02:25,400 Because that's an area that we don't like to talk about and 44 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,800 what role does it play in discipleship and spiritual 45 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,200 formation? And so My role is everything 46 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,500 from helping with financial Basics, setting up budgets and 47 00:02:36,500 --> 00:02:41,400 getting people to think, well about personal finance to Estate 48 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:43,900 Planning and really everything in between. 49 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:49,000 But really, the main thing is examining, does our view of 50 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:54,300 money align with scripture. And that's why I think it's A 51 00:02:54,308 --> 00:02:58,800 discipleship issue because the Bible talks a lot about money 52 00:02:59,500 --> 00:03:04,500 and I think We pick and choose which verses that we like to 53 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,200 take and apply, and I think that there's a lot more there. 54 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,200 When I say, it talks a lot like, over 2000 versus, so a whole 55 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:14,500 lot. And so, I want us to take the 56 00:03:14,500 --> 00:03:19,300 whole Canon of scripture, if you will, as a relates to money and 57 00:03:19,300 --> 00:03:22,400 make sure that we are being obedient to that. 58 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,100 Yeah, so you said, we don't like to talk about it. 59 00:03:26,100 --> 00:03:28,400 So what do you mean? We don't like to talk about it. 60 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,700 Yeah, I think that that money is like the most private area of 61 00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:37,800 our life and I think some of that is revolved around the 62 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:42,600 American idea of, pull yourself up by your bootstraps and go get 63 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:47,100 what you earn and eat, what you kill, and really work hard. 64 00:03:47,700 --> 00:03:52,800 And it's funny because we live our financial lives out loud. 65 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:57,400 In the That people see what we drive, and we post a bunch of 66 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,700 stuff on social media about vacations, and kids activities 67 00:04:00,700 --> 00:04:03,300 and all of that. But when it comes to being a 68 00:04:03,300 --> 00:04:08,700 Biblical Community, talking about lifestyle savings 69 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:13,400 investing, giving we just kind of draw the line and privatize 70 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,399 those things. It's like we're too proud and 71 00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:20,700 then will you know, will quote certain verses about don't let 72 00:04:20,700 --> 00:04:23,000 your right hand know what your left hand is doing and do these 73 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:24,900 things. He's in private, so blah, blah, 74 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,000 blah, but I really, I really think it's a pride issue and I 75 00:04:28,008 --> 00:04:31,200 think it's because we're upside down when we think about how the 76 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:35,000 Bible talks about money in some ways, it's really simple but 77 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:40,600 because of how much weight we put on financial resources and 78 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:45,300 what they mean, for our life to bring us comfort and security 79 00:04:45,300 --> 00:04:48,000 and entertainment and power and pleasure and all of those things 80 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,700 then it gets really complicated really fast. 81 00:04:50,700 --> 00:04:52,800 So what I mean by that is money is pretty simple. 82 00:04:52,900 --> 00:04:56,500 Like, Only about five things you can do with money, you can earn 83 00:04:56,500 --> 00:04:59,500 it, you can spend it, you can save it, you can invest it and 84 00:04:59,500 --> 00:05:01,700 you can give it away. So inside that again. 85 00:05:01,900 --> 00:05:05,600 Yeah, you can, you can earn it work, you can spend it. 86 00:05:05,700 --> 00:05:10,000 Yep, you can save it. Invest it, you can give it away. 87 00:05:11,100 --> 00:05:13,600 It's really about the only things you can do with money. 88 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,900 So when you say it like that you're like yeah, that is pretty 89 00:05:15,900 --> 00:05:18,600 simple. But how you do it and what 90 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:22,600 percentage and What proportion to what end to what goal, that's 91 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:23,600 where it gets a little. A little skewed. 92 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,500 And we tend to take the Bible and we see it through the lens 93 00:05:26,500 --> 00:05:29,200 of provision or personal finance. 94 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:35,000 And so, will cut and paste different verses, and apply to 95 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:39,400 different financial principles that relate to working and 96 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:41,400 earning and saving and investing and giving. 97 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:45,400 And what we're doing is we're playing a spiritual cut and 98 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:50,500 paste game where we're taking Good Financial wisdom and and 99 00:05:50,500 --> 00:05:53,200 applying it to the scriptures. But I think we run the risk of 100 00:05:53,300 --> 00:05:57,700 Divorcing, it from the greater Narrative of how God is using 101 00:05:57,700 --> 00:06:02,200 resources in our lives to drive our devotion to him. 102 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:04,000 And that's really what's most important? 103 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:06,600 How does everything that God gives us? 104 00:06:07,500 --> 00:06:09,700 Which that's what stewardship is stewardship. 105 00:06:09,700 --> 00:06:13,500 Is taking all of God's creation, all of God's resources and 106 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:16,500 managing it for God's purposes and we're called to be good 107 00:06:16,500 --> 00:06:21,400 stewards on every area of our life including money and I think 108 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,700 everybody wants to do that. So, what I like to say is that 109 00:06:24,700 --> 00:06:27,500 we're well-intentioned but we're not well positioned. 110 00:06:28,500 --> 00:06:29,700 Yeah. What do you mean by that? 111 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,700 So mean well-intentioned, but not, well, positioned. 112 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:39,000 What I mean by that is we have too much of the cultures view of 113 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,300 money drug into our spiritual life. 114 00:06:42,900 --> 00:06:46,600 We're taking too much of our cues from the culture, and I 115 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,400 think we're taking versus if we're not careful cutting and 116 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,800 pasting and feeling good about our spiritual approach. 117 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:59,500 So let me compare it to make a couple of Mr. To money, I'll be 118 00:06:59,500 --> 00:07:01,300 helpful money in marriage. Okay. 119 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:07,300 So when I think about marriage, there's a real heightened sense 120 00:07:07,300 --> 00:07:11,800 around the importance of marriage and the erosion of 121 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,800 marriage and Christian values around marriage. 122 00:07:14,900 --> 00:07:19,800 And people seem to be well, attuned to the threat that there 123 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,700 is to marriage to their spirituality, to what are some 124 00:07:22,700 --> 00:07:25,500 of those threats. Well, so, let's, let's just say, 125 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,100 like a data point. Like we looked like to look at 126 00:07:28,300 --> 00:07:31,800 At when it relates to marriage, as we say, the divorce rate in 127 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:35,500 the church, is almost as high as it is outside the church. 128 00:07:35,500 --> 00:07:39,300 Therefore, we're not doing really well in our marriages. 129 00:07:39,300 --> 00:07:39,900 Gotcha. Okay. 130 00:07:39,900 --> 00:07:42,400 So, that's pretty. That's been sad for a long time. 131 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:43,800 This is not a podcast about marriage. 132 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,700 I'm just using that as an example, because if I told you 133 00:07:46,900 --> 00:07:52,100 that the giving rate among Christians is not very different 134 00:07:52,100 --> 00:07:55,600 at all, from the giving rate of non-christians, would you think 135 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:59,800 that we have an epidemic of Formation in our churches. 136 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:01,800 We don't really think about that. 137 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:03,900 Like, there's nobody, there's no alarms going off. 138 00:08:03,900 --> 00:08:05,900 There's no Sirens. There's no buzzers, there's no 139 00:08:05,900 --> 00:08:08,000 all we got to change, we got to do something different. 140 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,500 Yeah. And so here would be, it would 141 00:08:10,500 --> 00:08:14,700 be another example. Like if I told you that I was 142 00:08:14,700 --> 00:08:18,300 having trouble in my marriage and that I was thinking about 143 00:08:18,300 --> 00:08:22,700 going outside my marriage in an extramarital affair or that I 144 00:08:22,708 --> 00:08:26,100 was addicted to pornography and I just talked openly and 145 00:08:26,100 --> 00:08:29,200 callously about that. And I was just Degrading my 146 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,800 marriage and my relationship with my wife because I'm 147 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:36,100 pursuing other things coveting. Other things that are going to 148 00:08:36,100 --> 00:08:38,600 make me happy, you would be, like, stop right there. 149 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:40,299 What are you doing, Scott? I mean, you would tackle me. 150 00:08:40,299 --> 00:08:41,900 You would not let me get out of this room. 151 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,600 You would say, we've got to do something about this. 152 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:46,300 We've got to call a pastor. We've got to call your wife with 153 00:08:46,300 --> 00:08:49,100 you. This kind of thinking Behavior. 154 00:08:49,100 --> 00:08:51,600 Cannot go, unchecked. You are doomed for Destruction. 155 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:53,400 You would feel that way, right? Absolutely. 156 00:08:53,900 --> 00:08:58,800 But if I started thinking about how maybe I should change, Jobs 157 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:03,900 change careers, get a new house, go on a big adventure, go buy a 158 00:09:03,900 --> 00:09:08,900 boat, go set sail on the lake, do something material to fill my 159 00:09:08,900 --> 00:09:12,500 life because I saw a friend, I saw a neighbor, they got 160 00:09:12,500 --> 00:09:14,300 something new, and I don't have it. 161 00:09:14,300 --> 00:09:17,200 And so I don't feel like I'm enough. 162 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:19,600 I don't feel like I have enough. I feel like I'm lacking. 163 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,300 I feel like I need more. If I only had any of these 164 00:09:23,300 --> 00:09:27,500 number of things and pulled them into my life, I would be happy. 165 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,500 So, it's not okay to covet my neighbor's wife, but it's okay 166 00:09:31,500 --> 00:09:36,400 to cover my neighbor's car, my neighbor's lawn, my neighbor's 167 00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:41,000 kid's, my neighbor's job coveting is coveting. 168 00:09:41,900 --> 00:09:47,400 And so, when it comes to this world of money materialism, I 169 00:09:47,408 --> 00:09:49,800 don't think we have the same kind of urgency the same kind of 170 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,300 checks and balances. We don't see it as a threat 171 00:09:52,300 --> 00:09:55,500 because we tend to view what the Bible says about money through 172 00:09:55,500 --> 00:09:58,100 the lens of personal finance, and livestock. 173 00:09:59,100 --> 00:10:02,700 And personal provision and so, you know, it's like okay, well 174 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:07,700 God provides I agree with that. He gives me certain things, I'm 175 00:10:07,700 --> 00:10:12,200 supposed to Steward them. Well and so I want to I'm going 176 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:14,000 to work hard. I'm going to buy a home, stay 177 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,600 out of debt. I'm going to save for a rainy 178 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,300 day and vest. I know if I'm lucky, I can build 179 00:10:19,300 --> 00:10:22,200 wealth. And then I can be generous, and 180 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:26,000 we tend to put a halo over all that and sanctify, that and say, 181 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,300 that's a Christian approach. And I would say, I don't need 182 00:10:30,300 --> 00:10:34,100 Jesus to make that work. And if there's any part of the 183 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:38,500 way that I think about the scripture teaching on money and 184 00:10:38,500 --> 00:10:43,200 finances that doesn't involve Jesus, then what good is it? 185 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:45,800 Yeah. And so what does it look like to 186 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:49,600 have a gospel centered approach? That takes the whole Narrative 187 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:52,100 of scripture as it relates to money? 188 00:10:52,100 --> 00:10:53,900 And so I'll give you I'll give you one more example. 189 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,300 If I said, hey Chris tell me what the Bible says about 190 00:10:59,300 --> 00:11:02,300 marriage. And if you said well, I think it 191 00:11:02,300 --> 00:11:06,200 says marriage is good. You should find someone. 192 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,500 If you can of the opposite gender you should only be 193 00:11:09,500 --> 00:11:11,800 married to one person at one time and you should stay 194 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,900 married. As long as you can like, that 195 00:11:14,900 --> 00:11:18,500 would not be very helpful to me. There would be a lot. 196 00:11:18,500 --> 00:11:20,000 I mean, it does. It say those things? 197 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:21,800 Sure. But there is a lot that you're 198 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,800 leaving out, there's the richness. 199 00:11:25,500 --> 00:11:31,500 Of God's intention for marriage as it pertains to the gospel as 200 00:11:31,500 --> 00:11:33,400 it pertains to God's Plan of Redemption. 201 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,000 That really is the heart of marriage that you would just be 202 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,900 completely leaving out. I think we do the same thing 203 00:11:38,900 --> 00:11:42,800 with money. I think we completely miss out 204 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:46,900 on the bigger intentions. And so we talked about. 205 00:11:46,900 --> 00:11:50,400 Yes, God is the giver. So therefore I need to give 206 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:55,100 something back and then we have a question of how much and how 207 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,600 How much is enough to live off of and how much should I give 208 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,300 back? And where do I invest this? 209 00:12:00,300 --> 00:12:03,300 So that the kingdom can have the greatest gain? 210 00:12:03,300 --> 00:12:06,900 And I would say that all of that is good. 211 00:12:07,500 --> 00:12:10,800 It's not that it's incorrect, but I think it's incomplete. 212 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:12,400 Yeah. And I think that the bigger 213 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:18,000 Narrative of scripture related to money, causes us to think 214 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,700 more deeply and I just don't know that we're doing that. 215 00:12:20,700 --> 00:12:24,300 Yeah, so does is why I think it's the greatest discipleship 216 00:12:24,300 --> 00:12:25,800 opportunity for us. The church. 217 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,400 Yeah, so I want to get to some passages that you think are 218 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:33,900 helpful but talk to us about spiritual mature disciples 219 00:12:33,900 --> 00:12:36,500 versus immature disciples. Because that's what we're trying 220 00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:39,600 to become, we're trying to become mature disciples, right? 221 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:43,700 So in terms of this idea of generosity, like what are some 222 00:12:43,700 --> 00:12:46,500 things that we need to be doing to have this kind of mindset 223 00:12:46,500 --> 00:12:48,700 that you're talking about? Yeah, so I think when you go 224 00:12:48,700 --> 00:12:53,300 back to the scriptures and you say do I care about the same 225 00:12:53,300 --> 00:12:57,600 things that God cares about so God gives resources for us to 226 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:05,100 enjoy but through the lens of contentment and our world is 227 00:13:05,100 --> 00:13:08,200 constantly telling us that we should be discontented therefore 228 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:13,100 we should go get more to help ease that discontentment and so 229 00:13:13,100 --> 00:13:17,200 there's a real there's a real battle therefore contentment and 230 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,000 in the fall we had in Ecclesiastes study and what I 231 00:13:20,008 --> 00:13:23,200 loved about Ecclesiastes Is it kept telling us about these 232 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,500 things that God had given us to enjoy. 233 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:30,100 But enjoy them in the proportion that they have been given to you 234 00:13:30,100 --> 00:13:33,300 and find contentment. In those and contentment is a 235 00:13:33,300 --> 00:13:39,300 huge part of being spiritually mature and so part of the battle 236 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:44,400 is to not covet in to find contentment to not be prideful 237 00:13:44,500 --> 00:13:48,000 but to have real gratitude around what God has given me to 238 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,700 not be anxious but to trust in him to continue, Provide and 239 00:13:52,700 --> 00:13:57,400 then see the world through the lens that he sees them, which is 240 00:13:57,500 --> 00:14:02,200 he wants us to use our resources to evangelize disciple, and care 241 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,600 for the poor. Those are really three big areas 242 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,600 when he talks about how to use your resources for evangelism 243 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,100 discipleship building at the Kingdom, caring for the poor. 244 00:14:10,900 --> 00:14:14,200 And so do we have that view because it's very different than 245 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,500 what I just said. Meaning viewing the Bible mainly 246 00:14:17,500 --> 00:14:18,900 through the lens of personal finance. 247 00:14:19,100 --> 00:14:21,200 But what does it look like The View? 248 00:14:21,300 --> 00:14:24,600 The Bible teaching on money through the lens of God's 249 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,200 purposes for money. And so I think Kingdom building 250 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,700 is one but I think the second and the third we need to talk 251 00:14:31,700 --> 00:14:34,800 more about which is God wants to use resources to guard us 252 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:39,200 against sin, to guard us against the desires of the flesh, which 253 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,900 is greed Pride, Envy, coveting jealousy. 254 00:14:43,900 --> 00:14:46,600 Discontentment like, those things are real, whether you 255 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:51,700 have a little or whether you have a lot and they will, Troy 256 00:14:51,700 --> 00:14:56,600 you of your spiritual power and spiritual maturity if you let 257 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,900 them run amok in your life. And so God has given us 258 00:14:59,900 --> 00:15:03,200 resources. And it's interesting that the 259 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,900 way out of this this battle against sin is to take those 260 00:15:06,900 --> 00:15:10,600 resources that he has given us and to be open handed with them. 261 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,500 Because when we're open-handed with them were releasing the 262 00:15:14,500 --> 00:15:17,400 power that they want to control our life. 263 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,900 We're giving that power away and we're saying, I'm not going to 264 00:15:20,908 --> 00:15:24,300 let it Control me I'm going to release it so guarding against 265 00:15:24,300 --> 00:15:27,500 sin is a second big part of being a spiritually mature 266 00:15:27,500 --> 00:15:32,400 disciple and then the third is mimicking God literally like 267 00:15:33,100 --> 00:15:38,500 being conformed to God's image because God is a giver think 268 00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:41,900 about this Chris first verse you and I ever memorized John, 3:16 269 00:15:41,900 --> 00:15:44,100 for God. So loved the world that he gave 270 00:15:44,700 --> 00:15:47,700 Jesus gives up his Divine privileges. 271 00:15:47,700 --> 00:15:50,500 Philippians 2 leaves, having comes down to earth so that he 272 00:15:50,500 --> 00:15:53,300 can identify Us. He becomes poor so that we can 273 00:15:53,300 --> 00:15:56,100 become rich. The Holy Spirit, where we see 274 00:15:56,100 --> 00:15:57,500 the Holy Spirit, what's he doing? 275 00:15:57,500 --> 00:16:00,800 He's giving. He's giving gifts, he's giving 276 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:02,100 the sermon. He's giving wisdom. 277 00:16:02,100 --> 00:16:06,600 He's giving the ability to read and Obey scripture mean so in 278 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:09,200 all aspects of the Trinity. God is giving. 279 00:16:10,100 --> 00:16:12,700 So, how am I ever going to become more like Christ? 280 00:16:13,100 --> 00:16:16,500 Be conformed? More into the Holiness of God? 281 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:20,200 If I'm not generous I just don't think that's possible. 282 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:23,600 Yeah. And so I don't know and I'm 283 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:28,700 getting more and more convinced of this as I study scripture and 284 00:16:28,700 --> 00:16:32,200 teach it and have these kinds of conversations as I do not know, 285 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:36,100 spiritually, mature, people who aren't generous. 286 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,800 And so here's the trick to that. Like, I'm not defining what that 287 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:43,500 is. We have to put generosity back 288 00:16:43,500 --> 00:16:46,900 into a relationship where you are talking to God about the 289 00:16:46,900 --> 00:16:50,400 things that he has given you, and what he wants you to do with 290 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,800 those things. Things to glorify him and for 291 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:54,800 you to grow. Yeah. 292 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,800 And it can't be reduced down to a dollar amount and a 293 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:01,300 percentage. I mean in, yes, we can be 294 00:17:01,300 --> 00:17:03,900 generous with our time we can be generous with our talent all 295 00:17:03,900 --> 00:17:05,300 that all that's a given right now. 296 00:17:05,300 --> 00:17:07,599 We're talking about something that we don't really like to 297 00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:10,400 talk about. And so, when I think about 298 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,599 spiritual maturity, I think about those three things that it 299 00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:16,900 forces us to be Kingdom Minded that everything that God gives 300 00:17:16,900 --> 00:17:21,300 us is not for us. Is to be used to help Kingdom 301 00:17:21,300 --> 00:17:26,000 purposes to God gives us resources to guard us against 302 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:28,700 sin by being open handed and being generous, there's a 303 00:17:28,700 --> 00:17:32,300 practice their of spiritual formation and then the third, we 304 00:17:32,300 --> 00:17:36,300 are literally growing and changing as we model. 305 00:17:36,300 --> 00:17:39,400 The gracious generous character of our God. 306 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,600 I mean, so it is by grace that we have been saved. 307 00:17:43,700 --> 00:17:46,500 That is gift. That is generosity. 308 00:17:46,900 --> 00:17:50,300 Yeah, our whole really Faith. The whole gospel is built around 309 00:17:50,300 --> 00:17:54,100 this concept and I think we're going to keep beating that 310 00:17:54,100 --> 00:17:55,900 horse. That when we go back and only 311 00:17:55,900 --> 00:17:59,400 see the Bible's teaching on money through the lens of 312 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:04,800 provision personal lifestyle, we we miss, we miss out on a great 313 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,700 and Grand Story is there a particular passage that would be 314 00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:10,700 helpful for us to think about generosity? 315 00:18:11,300 --> 00:18:14,500 Well, I'll tell you one particular, passage that I like 316 00:18:14,500 --> 00:18:17,700 a lot and it, Seems to resonate because it's a parable and it's 317 00:18:17,708 --> 00:18:22,400 something that I think about a lot and it's the parable of seed 318 00:18:22,500 --> 00:18:26,600 and the soils and particularly Mark chapter 4, I like the way 319 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:32,900 that Mark for reads and so you have for soil for seeds that 320 00:18:32,900 --> 00:18:35,600 fallen for different soils. And particularly I'm thinking 321 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,900 about the third seed and the fourth seed and let me let me 322 00:18:38,900 --> 00:18:43,300 read to you, what it says about the third seed, it says the 323 00:18:43,300 --> 00:18:48,600 third seed fell among Thorns. And that represents those who 324 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:53,700 hear God's word, but all too quickly, that message is crowded 325 00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:58,300 out by the worries of Life, The Lure of wealth and desire for 326 00:18:58,300 --> 00:19:01,200 other things. So, no fruit is produced. 327 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,300 The soil is good. The soil also comes with weeds 328 00:19:06,300 --> 00:19:11,400 and thorns. That soil can be cultivated can 329 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,400 be tilled those thorns and weeds. 330 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:17,400 They can be we can be protected against those but we have to 331 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:20,200 guard against those and if we don't they are just going to 332 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:23,900 take over anybody who's planted anything can see this in their 333 00:19:23,900 --> 00:19:26,400 mind. And so imagine us having this 334 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,700 good soil and this powerful seed and yet all of what does it say? 335 00:19:31,900 --> 00:19:36,800 It says the worries of this life, The Lure of wealth and to 336 00:19:36,808 --> 00:19:40,800 desire for other things. I mean that is what our world 337 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:46,600 teaches us, other things worries, lure of wealth. 338 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:52,000 And it's like literal Thorns that are choking out the life. 339 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,600 The maturity, the goodness that supposed to come from this. 340 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:59,300 This gospel seed in our life and so you go, well, that sounds 341 00:19:59,300 --> 00:20:02,200 pretty bad. Yeah, it gets worse because the 342 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,000 seed that fell on the fourth soil represents those who hear 343 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,200 accept God's word and produce of harvest. 344 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:12,800 Of 30 60 and even 100 times as much as been planted. 345 00:20:13,700 --> 00:20:17,900 So what's the potential 30? 60 100 fold. 346 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,600 What are we not experiencing that? 347 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:24,500 Thirty sixty and a hundredfold? Because our seed has been choked 348 00:20:24,500 --> 00:20:29,600 out and choked out, and it's why so many of the teachings around 349 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:31,900 money fall, right. Up against teachings, on 350 00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:38,000 anxiety, because anxiety comes a lot of anxiety ties to concerns 351 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,300 about not having enough, and what's going to happen in the 352 00:20:41,300 --> 00:20:43,900 future. And it's got going to provide 353 00:20:43,900 --> 00:20:47,900 for me and look what others have and God ties. 354 00:20:47,900 --> 00:20:50,000 Those two. Concepts together a lot because 355 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,500 this is common. This is common and that's why 356 00:20:52,500 --> 00:20:57,100 he's warning Us in this In this passage and so boy I do not want 357 00:20:57,100 --> 00:21:02,000 us to be third soil. Choked out Believers. 358 00:21:02,300 --> 00:21:04,400 I want our church. I want us to be fourth soil 359 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,500 Christians. Fourth soil Christians seeing 360 00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:13,000 that 30 60 100 fold Harvest. And so that's really when I, 361 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,300 when I have this image of of why this is such a strong 362 00:21:16,300 --> 00:21:19,400 discipleship issue for our church, it's because I feel like 363 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:23,200 the, the tension between that third and fourth soil is very 364 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:24,400 real. A see it everyday. 365 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,300 I see it in my own life and we just have to fight. 366 00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:31,800 We have to contend and we start by naming it so that we can 367 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:33,400 battle against it that makes sense. 368 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,100 Yeah. I mean what you're saying is 369 00:21:35,100 --> 00:21:40,100 that in As we boil this down as that, when I release my money to 370 00:21:40,100 --> 00:21:42,200 God, I'm telling God that I'm not greedy. 371 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:48,300 Yes, because it's not money, it's not the problem, it's the 372 00:21:48,300 --> 00:21:49,800 love of money. That's the problem. 373 00:21:50,500 --> 00:21:55,300 And so the love of money grows in the soil of discontentment, 374 00:21:55,300 --> 00:21:59,600 that's part of that third soil. And the, the challenge is real 375 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,000 between the third and the fourth soil because Jesus was very 376 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,000 strong in Matthew 6. When he said, you can't sir Have 377 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,400 both, you can serve one or the other. 378 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,500 You got to pick. You can serve God or you can 379 00:22:11,500 --> 00:22:17,600 serve Mammon money. And that's a really strong 380 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:20,100 warning that I think we need to take more seriously. 381 00:22:20,100 --> 00:22:23,500 Yeah, I really do think we need to take more seriously and it's 382 00:22:23,500 --> 00:22:26,400 just a conversation that we got to have with God and we got to 383 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,400 have with each other and recognizing that something 384 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:30,800 really might be at stake. Yeah. 385 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:33,400 Giving it guards, my heart against this contentment which 386 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,800 is what you were just saying. That's right when I Of I'm 387 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,500 growing and I'm conforming to God's character because he is a 388 00:22:40,508 --> 00:22:43,000 giver. So the opposite of that is the 389 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:44,600 greed. That's why I said greed, because 390 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:49,400 if I am always trying to consume something for myself, that's 391 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:53,700 very dangerous because then it becomes about Chris Rivers, 392 00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:56,000 being the Creator. Going back to what you were 393 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,400 saying, like, we need to conform to the image of God. 394 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:03,800 So a way for me to fight that Creator creature sin, desire 395 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,700 that I sometimes have is that That I need to give. 396 00:23:06,700 --> 00:23:10,800 I need to give of my money, not just of my resources. 397 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:12,800 So I think that's another thing we talked about to itch. 398 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:15,400 I don't know if you want to touch on because many people 399 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:17,500 could say, oh well, you need to just give of yourself in 400 00:23:17,500 --> 00:23:20,500 surveying, or you just need to, you know, talk about leadership. 401 00:23:20,500 --> 00:23:21,900 But this isn't about those things. 402 00:23:21,900 --> 00:23:26,200 This is about money, this is about what the Bible talks 403 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:27,300 about. That's right. 404 00:23:27,300 --> 00:23:29,100 I mean, does it talk about those other things? 405 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:33,800 Sure in proportion. Very little compared to finances 406 00:23:34,300 --> 00:23:37,800 and we can't we can't hide behind Those things and we can't 407 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:42,400 substitute those things because God gave us resources, that 408 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,400 could either rule our heart. Yeah. 409 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:49,400 Or could be used to serve the master and in some ways it's 410 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,600 very much a test that God, that God gives us. 411 00:23:52,700 --> 00:23:55,500 Yeah. And so yeah, I've been doing 412 00:23:55,500 --> 00:24:00,300 this work for almost 20 years and never once have I had 413 00:24:00,300 --> 00:24:03,500 someone come and say you know what, my course struggle is, you 414 00:24:03,500 --> 00:24:06,700 know what I'm in recovery over. Yeah we Talked about recovery 415 00:24:06,700 --> 00:24:09,200 and last month's episode. No one's ever said. 416 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,100 I'm in. Recovery over agreed. 417 00:24:12,300 --> 00:24:14,300 Yeah. I'm just really greedy. 418 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:19,100 I want and I want, and I want no one's ever said that. 419 00:24:19,700 --> 00:24:22,200 Do we struggle with it? Of course, we do all of us do. 420 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:26,500 Luke 12 is a great example of someone who took God's blessing, 421 00:24:26,900 --> 00:24:29,300 didn't acknowledge God, and just stored it away. 422 00:24:29,900 --> 00:24:33,800 And God says you fool, because you're going to have to give an 423 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:35,300 account. Yeah, you have to give an 424 00:24:35,300 --> 00:24:38,000 account of where It all came from and what you did with it, 425 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:39,100 because you can't take it with you. 426 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:40,900 I mean, that's the one universal truth. 427 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:45,400 We can't, we can't take it with us and so, yes, greed, coveting 428 00:24:45,900 --> 00:24:49,800 Pride. All those are real dangers and 429 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,200 again, it doesn't you can have a little or you can have a lot and 430 00:24:52,300 --> 00:24:55,500 it's just so ironic to me that the way out from those struggles 431 00:24:55,500 --> 00:24:58,200 is by using the very resources that God has given us, that 432 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,400 could create those struggles by being open handed and giving 433 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:02,400 them away. Yeah. 434 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,200 And the only way to cultivate that relationship on what that 435 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:11,300 looks like is to be devoted to God to depend on him and to be 436 00:25:11,300 --> 00:25:14,800 in community with other people and this to be praying about it 437 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:16,600 to be thinking about it to be talking about it. 438 00:25:16,700 --> 00:25:19,600 And so when we privatize it going back to our very beginning 439 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,000 when we privatize it, we are not allowing God to use this Rich 440 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:24,300 resource in our life. Yeah. 441 00:25:24,700 --> 00:25:27,300 So let's talk about how we unprofitable, is it? 442 00:25:27,300 --> 00:25:32,700 Because on this podcast, these episodes we want to not just 443 00:25:32,700 --> 00:25:34,600 listen. Listen but we want to go have a 444 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:37,400 conversation with someone else about these ideas so that we can 445 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,000 move and we can change. So is there a particular tool 446 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,700 that you would find helpful for us to have that conversation? 447 00:25:45,500 --> 00:25:46,700 Yeah. I'll give you three things. 448 00:25:46,700 --> 00:25:49,100 Yep, I think. The first is I would just 449 00:25:49,100 --> 00:25:53,600 encourage people to just go read some scripture, don't just pull 450 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:55,600 versus out. Cut and paste. 451 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:59,900 Proverbs go read scripture about what God says about money. 452 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:00,900 I think that'd be the first thing. 453 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:03,900 I think the second thing would be to You challenge your 454 00:26:03,900 --> 00:26:06,900 assumptions, where do I get my beliefs about money? 455 00:26:06,900 --> 00:26:11,600 And why where do I get my beliefs about lifestyle about 456 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:14,200 savings about retirement about giving? 457 00:26:14,500 --> 00:26:18,400 Like, how did those thoughts get cemented in my brain? 458 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,600 Where did they come from? Did they come from the culture? 459 00:26:22,300 --> 00:26:25,100 Did they come from a family? Did they come from God's word? 460 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:28,100 I think you would have to do those two things in order for 461 00:26:28,100 --> 00:26:30,400 anything in that third category to make sense. 462 00:26:30,700 --> 00:26:33,300 So, when you look at a tool only what we've really, Tried to 463 00:26:33,300 --> 00:26:37,500 provide and we have this on our website, it was in, it's in the 464 00:26:37,500 --> 00:26:40,200 although we choose books that were distributed at the campuses 465 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,900 this fall, but really it's just a giving guide where we just 466 00:26:43,900 --> 00:26:48,000 give five words that we think are fairly representative of our 467 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,600 church when we talk about consuming as a primary attitude, 468 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,500 casual reluctant intentional or courageous. 469 00:26:54,900 --> 00:26:59,000 And we chose the word courageous specifically because it is such 470 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:03,900 a lofty goal. Like, I'm not a courageous 471 00:27:03,900 --> 00:27:04,900 Giver. I want to be. 472 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:07,800 I'm still on the road. I'm still on the journey. 473 00:27:08,500 --> 00:27:10,400 I would say I'm a very intentional Giver. 474 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:14,400 So like, for me what keeps me from moving from intentional to 475 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:16,100 Courageous? You know, what am? 476 00:27:16,100 --> 00:27:19,900 What am I afraid of as passionate as I am about this, 477 00:27:19,900 --> 00:27:23,600 as many stories as I've seen, what does that even look like 478 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,900 for me? And what keeps me from moving 479 00:27:27,500 --> 00:27:29,200 for someone? Who's a consumer? 480 00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:33,700 How can we get off of that? Shannon and believe Kingdom 481 00:27:33,700 --> 00:27:36,300 overconsumption the person who's casual, the person who's 482 00:27:36,300 --> 00:27:39,500 reluctant. There's several synonyms that 483 00:27:39,500 --> 00:27:42,100 can if those words don't connect with you, maybe one of those 484 00:27:42,100 --> 00:27:44,800 synonyms will. But really what we want you to 485 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:46,400 do is just be honest. Yeah. 486 00:27:47,100 --> 00:27:50,000 And then we want you to tell somebody and just say hey I need 487 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,700 your help. I need your accountability and I 488 00:27:52,708 --> 00:27:55,200 want us to study see what God says. 489 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:57,800 I want to challenge these presuppositions of why I believe 490 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,100 what I believe and then I want to move. 491 00:28:00,500 --> 00:28:02,900 I want to move because Here's the thing. 492 00:28:02,900 --> 00:28:07,000 Like, as I hope you have heard like I don't want anything from 493 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,100 you. God does not want anything from 494 00:28:09,100 --> 00:28:10,800 you. God wants something for you. 495 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,300 He wants you to experience this joy that comes from being 496 00:28:14,300 --> 00:28:19,200 generous this power over sin in your life and this spiritual 497 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,400 transformation of becoming more like him. 498 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,700 In addition, to being able to see all the kingdom building 499 00:28:24,700 --> 00:28:27,300 that happens. But it's such a much more of a 500 00:28:27,300 --> 00:28:30,900 bigger picture than I am losing something. 501 00:28:30,900 --> 00:28:33,000 When I give it away, I don't Don't know, people that have 502 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:34,900 generosity regret. I really don't. 503 00:28:35,300 --> 00:28:37,800 I don't have people that say, you know what, that hundred 504 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:42,400 dollars that $500 $1000, man. Are sure wish I had that back, I 505 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:46,300 mean I know God gave it to me and then I gave it back as a 506 00:28:46,308 --> 00:28:48,900 means of worship and good things happen with it. 507 00:28:49,100 --> 00:28:51,700 But boy, I sure do wish I could have done this and that with a 508 00:28:51,708 --> 00:28:54,600 people don't say that. Why? 509 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:57,200 Because they were designed by God. 510 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,300 To be givers. And when we are doing that, we 511 00:29:01,300 --> 00:29:05,300 are more Godlike. We really are. 512 00:29:05,300 --> 00:29:08,300 It just it's funny how that works, it's funny how it works. 513 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,300 And so I would say the giving guy can be a tool. 514 00:29:12,500 --> 00:29:16,700 We have a number of books from different angles that talk about 515 00:29:16,700 --> 00:29:19,400 different aspects of money and generosity. 516 00:29:19,700 --> 00:29:23,600 Money Matters is a class that is really designed to be like a 517 00:29:23,608 --> 00:29:25,900 financial 101. Hey what? 518 00:29:25,900 --> 00:29:27,500 What is a sampling of what the Bible. 519 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:31,100 Says, how do I get started having a budget and a limited 520 00:29:31,100 --> 00:29:36,000 lifestyle, how do I flip the priority and give first and then 521 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:40,100 save and then determine my lifestyle as opposed to the 522 00:29:40,100 --> 00:29:42,900 opposite. So there's a lot of practical 523 00:29:42,900 --> 00:29:46,100 tools out there but that at the end of the day, Chris we have to 524 00:29:46,100 --> 00:29:50,500 be motivated by The Good News by the gospel. 525 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:55,900 In order to want to become more like Jesus, follow his word, 526 00:29:56,100 --> 00:29:58,200 which I think is going to take us down, On a more generous 527 00:29:58,200 --> 00:29:59,700 path. Yeah, that's good. 528 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,500 Well, as we land the plane here, is there anything else you want 529 00:30:02,500 --> 00:30:05,900 to add? Yeah, I would say. 530 00:30:06,100 --> 00:30:10,800 I am incredibly encouraged by the generosity of our church. 531 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:17,100 Yeah, this is an exhortation that comes not from scarcity, 532 00:30:17,900 --> 00:30:24,500 but comes from a desire that we take more of what God offers us 533 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:29,500 in terms of spiritual growth. I have been so encouraged by the 534 00:30:29,500 --> 00:30:32,400 number of people who are generous were growing in 535 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:37,400 generosity who are challenging their presuppositions who are 536 00:30:37,500 --> 00:30:41,800 moving up that giving guide. I hear lots of stories. 537 00:30:41,900 --> 00:30:44,800 Trees. And it is just amazing how God 538 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:48,800 is moving, but I believe the power of His spirit and and my 539 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:53,100 goal is I would like for this current generation to be the 540 00:30:53,100 --> 00:30:56,100 most generous generation that our church has ever seen. 541 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:01,100 And not because we need the money because we have things 542 00:31:01,100 --> 00:31:05,300 that we want to go do. Like money is not the problem. 543 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:11,500 Love of money is the enemy and seeing the Redemptive blessing 544 00:31:11,500 --> 00:31:14,900 of money and how it can be Unleashed for good in our life. 545 00:31:14,900 --> 00:31:19,500 And God's glory is really the goal and so I see us growing and 546 00:31:19,500 --> 00:31:26,400 maturing, but I do have real concern because the power of the 547 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:29,800 world and the values of the world, it is unrelenting. 548 00:31:30,300 --> 00:31:33,200 We are not going to get a break and the world is going to 549 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:38,100 consistently push us to Take more for ourselves because we've 550 00:31:38,100 --> 00:31:40,100 earned it because we deserve it because that's what's going to 551 00:31:40,100 --> 00:31:43,200 make us happy. And so if we don't have the 552 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:47,300 tools for the battle, we are going to be spiritually 553 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:52,300 powerless and I'm really, really, really jealous that we 554 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:57,000 continue to push forward in this regard and I think God has given 555 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,700 us the tools and I think the time is now, what's good? 556 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:03,300 Well, this is you given us a lot to think about. 557 00:32:03,300 --> 00:32:06,700 So as we connect with others and Log around. 558 00:32:06,700 --> 00:32:09,000 This will have some things in the show notes for people, but 559 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:10,900 this has been great, man. Thanks so much. 560 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:12,200 Yeah, thanks for the opportunity. 561 00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:14,300 Yep. Well as we wrap up today's 562 00:32:14,300 --> 00:32:16,400 conversation, we want to thank you for joining us. 563 00:32:16,700 --> 00:32:20,000 We realize that listening to a podcast episode can be an 564 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,300 individual experience which we believe is only enhanced by 565 00:32:23,300 --> 00:32:25,700 talking through it and applying it to life. 566 00:32:25,700 --> 00:32:28,000 And this is something that we believe lots of people don't 567 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,900 naturally seek out or have built into their lives. 568 00:32:31,500 --> 00:32:34,000 So we want to encourage you to share this episode with someone 569 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:37,600 else and ask them to share with you Takeaways, they receive from 570 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:39,800 listening. 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