Sermon: Immaterial ("Comfort Not Guaranteed" series)

Money is one of the few subjects that is sure to make people feel uncomfortable in church. It is probably the most ever-present worldly thing that we interact with and are therefore the most hesitant to give up. The trap many of us fall in is one where we fool ourselves, suggesting that our wealth comes from our own work and that we have claim to it. We forget that our talents and opportunities were never assured. We are not entitled to our jobs or possessions, and if God's plan found it necessary to take everything away from us we would have no legitimate counter-argument. In many ways, our attitudes on money indicate how seriously we take our devotion to Christ. It's not so much that "if you give more, you are more devoted" as much as "if you're afraid you might have to give to a new or calling, that fear may indicate what worldly things are holding your spiritual growth back."