rec0901-113355<\/a><\/p>\n \n Proverbs 30:15<\/strong><\/p>\n The leech has two suckers that cry out, \u201d\u02dcMore!\u00a0 More!\u201d\u2122. (NLT)<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don\u201d\u2122t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. <\/strong>(NLT)<\/p>\n The leech of \u201cmore\u201d can be removed by enjoying God\u201d\u2122s grace in Jesus with the result that we practically love others!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 You and I must understand that greed is the deadly worship of the \u201cstuff\u201d of this world.<\/strong>\u00a0 (Colossians 3:5b)<\/p>\n Luke 12:13-21<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThen someone called from the crowd, \u201d\u02dcTeacher, please tell my brother to divide our father\u201d\u2122s estate with me.\u201d\u2122\u00a0 Jesus replied, \u201d\u02dcFriend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?\u201d\u2122\u00a0 Then he said, \u201d\u02dcBeware!\u00a0 Don\u201d\u2122t be greedy for what you don\u201d\u2122t have.\u00a0 Real life is not measured by how much we own<\/em>.\u201d\u2122<\/p>\n And he gave an illustration:\u00a0 \u201d\u02dcA rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.\u00a0 In fact, his barns were full to overflowing.\u00a0 So he said, \u201d\u02dcI know!\u00a0 I\u201d\u2122ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones.\u00a0 Then I\u201d\u2122ll have room enough to store everything.\u00a0 And I\u201d\u2122ll sit back and say to myself, \u201d\u02dcMy friend, you have enough stored away for years to come.\u00a0 Now take it easy!\u00a0 Eat, drink, and be merry!\u201d\u2122\u00a0 But God said to him, \u201d\u02dcYou fool!\u00a0 You will die this very night.\u00a0 Then who will get it all?\u201d\u2122\u00a0 Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God<\/em>.\u201d (NLT)<\/p>\n Proverbs 30:7-9<\/strong>\u201d\u201d\u201cO God, I beg two favors from you before I die. \u00a0First, help me never to tell a lie.\u00a0 Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!\u00a0 Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.\u00a0 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, \u201d\u02dcWho is the Lord?\u201d\u2122\u00a0 And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God\u201d\u2122s holy name.\u201d<\/p>\n 1 Timothy 6:9-10<\/strong>\u201d\u201d\u201cBut people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.\u00a0 For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil.\u00a0\u00a0 And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.\u201d (NLT)<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 You and I must rip the leech of \u201cmore\u201d from our hearts.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Colossians 3:5a<\/strong>\u201d\u201d\u201c So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.\u201d<\/p>\n How can we rip greed loose from our hearts?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n a)\u00a0 Focus your thoughts on your true wealth in Jesus!<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 (1-3)<\/p>\n Colossians 3:1-5a, 6, 9-10<\/strong>–\u201cSince you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God\u201d\u2122s right hand in the place of honor and power.\u00a0 Let heaven fill your thoughts.\u00a0 Do not think only about things down here on earth.\u00a0 For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.\u00a0 And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.<\/p>\n Colossians 3<\/strong> (cont.)<\/p>\n So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you . . . God\u201d\u2122s terrible anger will come upon those who do such things . . . for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds.\u00a0 In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you.\u201d<\/p>\n 1 John 3:2-3<\/strong>\u201d\u201d\u201cYes, dear friends, we are already God\u201d\u2122s children, and we can\u201d\u2122t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns.\u00a0 But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.\u00a0 And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure<\/em>.\u201d (NLT)<\/p>\n 1 John 2:15-17<\/strong>\u201d\u201d\u201cStop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you.\u00a0 For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions.\u00a0 These are not from the Father.\u00a0 They are from this evil world.\u00a0 And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves.\u201d (NLT)<\/p>\n How can we rip greed loose from our hearts?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n b)\u00a0 Replace the selfishness of greed with enjoyment of God\u201d\u2122s grace in Jesus that results in practical love for others!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Colossians 3:12-14<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cSince God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other\u201d\u2122s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.\u00a0 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.\u201d\u00a0 (NLT)<\/p>\n Luke 12:21<\/strong>\u201d\u201d\u201cYes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God<\/em>.\u201d (NLT)<\/p>\n Luke 12:31-34<\/strong>\u201d\u201d\u201cHe will give you all you need from day to day if you make the kingdom of God your primary concern<\/em>.\u00a0 So don\u201d\u2122t be afraid, little flock.\u00a0 For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the kingdom<\/em>.\u00a0 Sell what you have and give to those in need<\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 This will store up treasure for you in heaven!\u00a0 And the purses of heaven have no holes in them.\u00a0 Your treasure will be safe\u201d\u201dno thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.\u00a0 Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be<\/em>.\u201d (NLT)<\/p>\n 1 John 4:7-12<\/strong>\u201d\u201d\u201cDear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.\u00a0 Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God.\u00a0 But anyone who does not love does not know God\u201d\u201dfor God is love<\/em>.\u00a0 God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.\u00a0 This is real love.\u00a0 It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice<\/span><\/em> to take away our sins.\u00a0 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.\u00a0 No one has ever seen God.\u00a0 But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us<\/em>.\u201d (NLT)<\/p>\n The leech of \u201cmore\u201d can be removed by enjoying God\u201d\u2122s grace in Jesus with the result that we practically love others!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Message by Chad Kelly rec0901-113355 Proverbs 30:15 The leech has two suckers that cry out, \u201d\u02dcMore!\u00a0 More!\u201d\u2122. (NLT) The Leech of \u201cMore\u201d Colossians 3:5b Don\u201d\u2122t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. (NLT) … Continue reading The Leech of \u201cMore\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n
<\/em>Colossians 3:5b<\/strong><\/h3>\n