American Idols

•    April 15: Respect

•    April 22: Money

•    April 29: Power

•    May 6: Sex

Idols

•    Good things in this creation that our hearts grab hold of, turning them into ultimate things that we build our identities on.

•    In each case we’ll see that idolatry is the pursuit and grasping after these things, violating trust and the “giftness” of them. Idolatry is HOW we pursue them.

The idol of money

•    Isn’t it fairly obvious when someone has money as their primary idol? What are the symptoms?

•    Does anyone ever think they are greedy?

•    How common is it really?

True or False

•    The Bible says “Money is the root of all evil”

Those who want to be rich

•    Fall into (“be caught with fishhooks”, fall into the hands of bandits”)

–   Temptation/trials (Jesus with the devil)

–   Snares, traps (that bring death)

–   Epithumia: inordinate desires (idols)

•   That are many, foolish, and harmful

•   Which sink (like a ship) people into ruin and destruction

Idols

•    Good things in this creation that our hearts grab hold of, turning them into ultimate things that we build our identities on.

•    In each case we’ll see that idolatry is the pursuit and grasping after these things, violating trust and the “giftness” of them. Idolatry is HOW we pursue them.

Money is a gateway idol

•    The glorious thing about money is its ability to translate value from one thing to another

–   It’s not the money, it’s what it gets you

Money serves and enables other idols

•    Security

•    Pleasure/Entertainment/Diversion

•    Control/Power

•    Money gives us a taste of idols we’ve never known, it introduces us to new idols

Idols

•    Good things in this creation that our hearts grab hold of, turning them into ultimate things that we build our identities on.

•    In each case we’ll see that idolatry is the pursuit and grasping after these things, violating trust and the “giftness” of them. Idolatry is HOW we pursue them.

Is it true

•    Money comes to those who work hard

–   If someone has money it’s because they have worked hard

–   Those who don’t have money it’s because they are lazy

Do these look like lazy people?