Summit Church
The Kingdom Way Pt 9 | What God Thinks of My Ambitions | Jim Ladd
Locations & Times
Summit Church
7200 S Clinton St, Centennial, CO 80112, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
Baptism is a meeting place of faith and grace. It is where the Spirit confirms the placement of your life into Christ Jesus.
The Big Idea: There are only two options for my ambitions: folly or wisdom.
Three Choices and Two Outcomes:
1. Two Treasures
““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
1. Two Treasures
““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
2. Two Visions
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 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!”
Your choice is to have a Vision of abundance and generosity or a Vision of scarcity and greed.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 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!”
Your choice is to have a Vision of abundance and generosity or a Vision of scarcity and greed.
3. Two Masters
“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.”
“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.”
Two Outcomes:
Worry is the natural outcome of foolish ambitions.
Worry is the natural outcome of foolish ambitions.
Matthew 6:32-33 is the antidote to worry and the source of peace:
“For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
“For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Psalms 37:1-7, 10-11, 16-19, 21-29, 35-36, 39-40
“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed. The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; the offspring of the wicked will perish. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”
“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed. The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; the offspring of the wicked will perish. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”
Response:
- Talk to God and confess if will you hand your priorities to Him or not.
- What worrier in your Oikos needs to hear from you?
- Talk to God and confess if will you hand your priorities to Him or not.
- What worrier in your Oikos needs to hear from you?
Community Group Discussion Guide
WARM UP QUESTION:
- What is your greatest fear in life? How do you cope with it?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What, according to Jesus, are the most important things in life?
2. What is the difference between planning for the future and worrying about the future? Or the difference between managing money and serving it?
3. Practically speaking, how can we store up treasure in heaven?
4. Many people hold two jobs and satisfy two bosses. Why would Jesus say it is impossible to serve two Masters - God and money?
5. What power has materialism held over you?
6. What does it mean to have spiritual vision? How would you describe your own spiritual vision?
7. How does worry reveal a lack of faith? How are you doing in this regard?
8. How has this passage challenged you to reexamine your goals and ambitions?
9. What does most of your time, energy, and money go toward?
10. What is one thing in your life that would visibly change if you more diligently pursued God’s Kingdom and His righteousness? Will you?
Pray for one another.
- What is your greatest fear in life? How do you cope with it?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What, according to Jesus, are the most important things in life?
2. What is the difference between planning for the future and worrying about the future? Or the difference between managing money and serving it?
3. Practically speaking, how can we store up treasure in heaven?
4. Many people hold two jobs and satisfy two bosses. Why would Jesus say it is impossible to serve two Masters - God and money?
5. What power has materialism held over you?
6. What does it mean to have spiritual vision? How would you describe your own spiritual vision?
7. How does worry reveal a lack of faith? How are you doing in this regard?
8. How has this passage challenged you to reexamine your goals and ambitions?
9. What does most of your time, energy, and money go toward?
10. What is one thing in your life that would visibly change if you more diligently pursued God’s Kingdom and His righteousness? Will you?
Pray for one another.