James 4:13–5:6 | 16th August 2026

as we come to the Lord's word um and

hear his word this morning. Let's pray.

Lord, we ask that you would help us,

help us to hear your word and to apply

it to our lives.

Lord, I pray that your word would

transform our lives this morning.

I pray Lord that we would follow

your will

that we would turn away from the things

of this world and the desire for riches

and money and we would follow your will.

Lord, help us to apply these truths to

our lives this morning in Jesus name.

Amen.

We live in a world that frequently talks

about both money and profit.

We live in a world that prioritizes

money, don't we? A recent survey shows

that about half of the people who move

jobs move because they go for increased

pay rise.

And the majority of those people get

about a 7 and a half% rise within the

first three months of moving jobs.

There are many surveys, many articles

written and their main focus is how do

you get as much money as possible out of

the job you're in. So they actually

encourage people move job regularly

because you get that little increase as

you move jobs and then the next place

will give you an increase and they

actually encourage people in these

surveys to to move for the sake of

money. This world prioritizes money.

When I was apply when I was applying for

university at 17, all the talk was about

getting a degree that's going to get you

money. So I applied for mechanical

engineering with a base salary of 40,000

generally. Um that was the one for me

although I didn't do much with it. Um

but I did go for that course because um

it was all about the money and the

profit that I was going to make.

How much of our lives do we plan around

money?

One truth that we hear regularly as we

listen and read the word of God, one

truth that we hear regularly is that the

life in God's kingdom.

It is opposite or different to the life

in this world. Let me give you some

examples. This world will tell you if

you get rich, you're sorted.

That's the goal. If you get rich, you're

sorted. But Jesus says, "Blessed are the

poor."

This world tells you, "Get rich quickly

and retire early, and that's the goal."

But Proverbs says that wealth that's

gained hastily will dwindle.

This world says, "Store up all of your

money for yourself."

Jesus says, "Store up your treasures in

heaven." Life in God's kingdom is

opposite to life in this world. Today,

we'll see in James that James is giving

commands that are to alter our

perspective on life. They're to alter

our perspective on life, giving us

kingdom perspective about our money and

our profit and our plans. James is going

to correct this arrogant way of life in

verses 13 to 17. And he's going to give

clear warning to corrupt rich at the

start of chapter 5. James encourages his

Christian audience this morning in these

two things. As he writes to his brothers

and sisters in Christ, he encourages

them in two things. To fully trust in

God's will in this short life and to

fully reject greed which leads to death.

To fully trust God's will in this short

life and to fully reject greed which

leads to death. This world it's full of

greed. It's full of corruption.

It's also full of our own plans and our

own independence.

And we have to see that the way of God's

kingdom is different to the ways of this

world. We have to alter our perspective.

And that's what James is writing about

this morning. So look first as James

corrects and corrects the arrogant

independent mindset and commands the

Christians to firstly fully trust in

God's will in this short life. Look at

verses uh chapter 4. James chapter 4:13

with me. James 4:13.

James 4:13

Come now, you who say, "Today or

tomorrow we will go into such and such a

town and spend a year there and trade

and make profit. Yet you don't know what

your life will bring, what tomorrow will

bring. What is your life? For you're a

mist that appears for a little time and

then vanishes. Instead, you ought to

say, "If the Lord wills, we will live

and do this or that." As it is, you

boast in your arrogance, all such

boasting is evil. So, whoever knows the

right thing to do and fails to do it,

for him it is sin.

I don't know about you, but I actually

love making my own plans. I actually

love making my own financial plans. I

love looking at our budget, looking at

our income and our spendings, looking at

our savings and investments and planning

ahead for the future. I don't know if

you love that kind of stuff. You might

hate it. You might just not want to talk

about money at all and might hate the

fact that I'm talking about money right

now. But I love making financial plans.

I love thinking about if we save this

amount of money for the next 6 months,

we might be able to uh we might be able

to earn own that bigger house or if we

eat out less, we might be able to get

that better holiday. I love thinking

about these plans. I really enjoy

thinking about financial plans,

but there's one issue when I'm making

these plans.

And that issue is typically

that I think that I can guarantee my

financial plans. I think that I can

guarantee what my plans are going to

come to. I create these models and this

kind of control. I automate my savings

and uh with that I feel like I get some

sort of control.

But I don't remember how fragile things

in this world really are.

I don't remember that at any moment my

whole world could just be thrown upside

down.

And that's exactly what's happening to

the people in this the people that James

is addressing. They're saying, "I'm

going to move to this place.

I'm going to live there and I know for

certain that I am going to make a

profit. I'm going to move. I'm going to

make profit. I'm going to make money and

I know that I'm going to do it." These

people forget how fragile their life is

and that really they don't have control

over it at all.

When we make our plans, we can forget

that things in this world, they're so

fragile and they can just go in a

moment.

In this world, we're led to believe this

illusion of independence.

That I can determine my steps.

That I can determine what will happen.

That I can put food on my table.

I can get the job. I can fix the house.

I can raise the kids. I can move

wherever I want. And I can do whatever I

want. That is the illusion that this

world continues to push for us. But the

reality is that we cannot guarantee

anything. Look at verse 14.

Yet you don't know what tomorrow will

bring. What is your life?

For you are a mist that appears for a

little time and then vanishes. We don't

have any idea what will what tomorrow

will bring.

We are like a mist like the morning dew.

You know the the water that sets on the

grass in the morning. The morning dew

that you see in the morning and then

when the sun appears the the dew

evaporates and it's like a mist. It

disappears.

One illustration I read went like this.

Do you remember the dew that fell on the

morning of the 23rd of September 2019?

It was beautiful. That was some

beautiful dew that morning. Or what

about the the the dew that fell on the

20th of June 2025? That that that was a

morning to remember.

No matter how beautiful that dew was in

that morning and how the sun glimmered

in the grass, it is unlikely that you

remember the dew that was there that

morning.

It looks beautiful in the morning, but

then as the sun comes up, the sun's heat

evaporates the water and it disappears

and it's gone. It's a mist. It vanishes.

It's gone. James is saying that's what

our lives are like.

Our lives are here today and gone

tomorrow. I wonder who remembers the

name of their great greatgrandfather.

I don't I don't know the name of my

great great-grandfather.

They're gone.

Even if we think about just the world

around us, the brevity of the world

around us for a second, in a day this

world could just be brought to a

standstill. We saw that in CO, didn't

we?

That truly we didn't have that much

control. Even in England right now,

they've claimed that threequarters of

the country is in a drought because of

the lack of rain and the amount of heat.

One BBC article writes that this could

be the worst summer on record for

farmers in England. These farmers lives

could be ruined because of heat because

of the sun that scorched their crops.

Their crops actually in the supermarket

they're saying their crops will get

smaller and the prices will get higher.

So the standard the the the living

expenses will get higher and these

farmers will not be able to sustain

where they're at.

Things in life they can be here today

and gone tomorrow. There is no

guarantee. What about financial

recession? When markets collapse and

investments plummet, jobs are lost,

houses are taken, what do we do?

Even just thinking about our bodies,

they're so fragile, aren't they? When an

organ stops working in our body and we

start to uh we we stop to function, we

stop functioning properly. What happens

to us? Eventually, we're going to die.

We're so fragile.

And yet, we keep this illusion of

independence.

We hold this thought about being self-

sustaining.

We think that we're in control.

And that is what James is fighting

against in this first point.

He says in verse 16

that this way of living, it's arrogant

as it is. You boast in your arrogance

and all such boasting is evil. It is

arrogant. It's prideful to think in this

independent mindset. So James corrects

this arrogant independent mindset and

commands believers to trust not in their

plans but trust in the will of God in

this short life. Trust in God's will in

this short life. Look at the corrective

command that James gives in verse 15.

Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord

wills, we will do this or that."

You ought to say, you must, you ought

to. Even if you just look at the opening

of this in verse 13, he says, "Come

now." That's like a Now, listen. These

are important words that I'm going to

say to you. Listen to this. You ought to

say this. You ought to change your

perspective on life.

You must hear these words

and change your perspective.

We must say if the Lord wills, we will

do this or that. If the Lord wills, if

God is the one who determines. James

isn't saying it is just arrogant and

foolish to make plans.

Of course, we should make plans. We

should make the financial plans. We

should make the work plans, family

plans, house plans, etc.

But we must not think that we're in

control.

We must not think that we can achieve

anything without God allowing it. We've

been fed this lie, this this illusion of

independence when really we don't have

control. How do we know that God's in

control of all things? Well, even if we

just go back to Genesis chapter 1 and we

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

watch what God did, God spoke and the

world came into existence. God spoke and

there was light. God spoke and there was

land. God spoke and there were animals.

God spoke and you were created. Man was

created. God spoke and it happened and

God is the one who created it. Hebrews

Hebrews 1:3

1:3 talks about Jesus who is God is the

radiance of the glory of God and the

exact imprint of his nature and he

upholds the universe by the word of his

power.

Jesus God is upholding this world. That

means that God is sustaining this world.

What God has created, he now sustains.

He's the one of who is in control of

what goes on in this world. So when

we're making our plans, James is writing

that we must rely on him, the creator

and sustainer of the world. Rely on God

before we rely on our own independence.

Christians are to fully trust in God's

will in this short life. But something I

find interesting as well is if you look

at verse 15, James, he doesn't mention

anything about profit. That's not the

focus.

That's not what James is focusing on.

He's focusing on living and doing this

or that. He's not focusing on getting

rich quick.

His key focus is not about the best

business model to get rich with God's

will. It's about living and doing life

in accordance with God's will.

One of the biggest questions we tend to

ask in our lives is what is God's will

for my life?

It's one of the biggest questions that I

get asked when I lead youth. It was one

of the biggest questions I had when I

was a teenager. What is God's will for

my life? It was one of the biggest

questions that I had when I was on board

the Logos Hope. What is my what is God's

will for my life after this? We

frequently say when we make our plans,

Lord willing, we'll do this or that. But

we really don't know or have an audible

voice of what God's will is going to be.

At no point did I ever have an audible

voice telling me this is what you're

going to do. But what I did see and what

I do see in scripture and what I'm going

to argue now is that God's will for your

life is for you to know him and love him

to be sanctified to be more made more

like Christ by him and to trust in him

in our plans. That is what God's will

for your life is. God's desire for your

life is first to know him and to love

him. 1 Timothy 2:4 says this, "God

1 Timothy 2:4

desires for all people to be saved and

come to knowledge of the truth." God's

desire for your life is for you to know

him and to love him. Do you know God?

I don't mean just intellectually. James

argued, as we read a few weeks ago, that

intellectual faith is not enough, but

you are you in a life-changing

relationship with God. God the creator

and sustainer. He desires to know you.

He wants to know you. He wants to be in

relationship with you. God wants you to

be adopted as sons and daughters into

his family.

God wants you to follow his will of

salvation

in this short life.

This life, it is it is short. It's a

mist, right? Our lives, it could be gone

tomorrow.

Your life could be gone tomorrow.

Being saved by God means that when this

short life ends,

you will be with God and not separated

from God

forever.

When this short life ends, we will be

with God for ever. Do you desire that?

God desires that for you.

God wants you to be with him and come to

knowledge of the truth.

And how that happens is through hearing

his word and believing in his word. And

that believing creates action.

Hear that God wants to extend your short

life into eternal life with him. He

desires for that.

hear that God sent Jesus,

the perfect one, to die in your place as

a sacrifice in your place.

Know then that God asks you to turn from

this life in this world, this life of

sin that we live in and run to him in

repentance and faith. Turning away and

running to Jesus.

Repent then and turn and be made

completely new.

That's what Jesus does. He washes you

completely of all the wrong that we've

done makes us right before God.

And know that through that repentance in

this new life,

you're to live in that. And you're

guaranteed eternity with God. You're

safe and secure. God secures you and

you're with him.

God desires that you would be saved.

What's God's will for your life? That

you would be saved and brought to

knowledge of the truth.

And I hope that you know and believe

that truth this morning.

What is God's will for those who believe

then? Well, his will is for you to be

sanctified, to be made more like Christ.

First Thessalonians 4:3 says this, "For

1 Thessalonians 4:3

this is the will of God, your

sanctification."

Sanctification. It is the process of

being made more like Christ. Throughout

your life, we are being made more like

Christ. running from sin, fleeing from

greed and gossip, abolishing sexual

immorality, running from the sinful

reality in of this world that we live in

and running to Christ. Romans 12:2 says,

Romans 12:2

"Don't be conformed to the pattern of

this world, but be transformed by the

renew renewal of your mind that by

testing you may discern what the will of

God is, what is good and acceptable and

perfect." What is the will of God? It's

for you to become more like Christ

and follow his commands. Become more

like Christ. Colossians 3, which I read

a few weeks ago, put on then as God's

chosen ones, holy and beloved,

compassionate hearts, kindness,

humility, meekness, and patience,

bearing with one another.

So to follow God's will, it's not

something mystic or secret.

It isn't something that will be revealed

as you stare up into the clouds.

Following God's will is to do exactly as

he has asked us to do in his word.

Be sanctified. Be made more like Jesus

by his spirit who lives in you.

Following his commands and living for

him. Let's even just think about it in

the context of church. I was recently

chatting to my father-in-law about a

role that he was he's considering taking

up in the church and he mentioned that

he wasn't sure if he was if he wasn't

sure if this was God's will for his

life.

Don't many of us end up in that place

that we're not sure if this next step is

God's will for our life

when we're given an opportunity to serve

God. We wonder, is this really what God

wants for me? But I think if if you're

serving God with the gifts that he has

given you in the ways in which he's

gifted you and you're following his

commands, you are following God's will.

We are in one body in this church, one

group of people with many different

gifts.

1 Corinthians 12. It's a popular passage

and there's an illustration in it that

talks about the church as a body and

I'll read a bit of it for us. 1

1 Corinthians 12:14

Corinthians 12:14. For the body does not

consist of one member but of many. If

the foot should say because I'm not a

hand, I don't belong to the body. That

wouldn't make it any less part of the

body. And if the ear should say because

I'm not an eye, I don't belong to the

body. That wouldn't make it any less of

a part of the body. If the whole body

were an eye, where would the sense of

hearing be? If the whole body were an

ear, where would the sense of smell be?

But as it is, God arranged the members

in the body, each of them as he chose.

If all were a single member, where would

the body be? As it is, there's many

parts, but one body. Christians, you are

part of one body, and that is this

church.

And so God's will for your life is for

you to serve within your local church.

Serve within this church. Use the gifts

that he's given you by his spirit.

God by his spirit has equipped every

single believer individually with

different giftings and we are to serve

him in those specific roles.

could be the gift of administration or

hospitality,

of teaching, of giving, of of music, of

evangelism, of exhortation, of helping.

What is God's will for your life?

To serve him faithfully,

with the gifts that he's given you.

And as you serve him, let's trust in

him. Trust in the will of God in this

short life. That is the point that James

is making in this point. Trust in the

Lord.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him and he

will make straight your paths. Proverbs

Proverbs 3:5

3:5 and 6. That is wisdom

to trust

and he will direct your paths. He will

show you the way. Do not make our plans

and say, "Oh, I'm going to do this and

I'm going to make such and such a

profit."

Do not make these plans that we think's

a guarantee. Don't have the arrogant

mindset of independence.

God knows the will that he has for you.

Trust in him and he gives far more

abundantly than we could ever ask or

imagine.

Instead of arrogantly, pridefully

trusting in ourselves and our own

independence, let's trust God, the one

who sustains the universe.

And then James as he concludes this

section gives a little verse on the

conscience. In verse 17, he says this.

So whoever knows the right thing to do

and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James in these first few verses has

given us this first handful of verses

has given us the way to live. What

what's the good way? What's a good

perspective to have on life? What is the

right way to view life?

He's given us the good perspective

inspired by God to trust the will of God

in this short life.

And now James is encouraging us that

those who who know this truth and yet

don't live in it, it is sin. So So let's

live in that truth. Believers fully

trust God's will

in this short life.

this world it has the opposite

perspective of that and a lot of the

time people try to earn money in

whatever way they can. So in light of

that fact then James moves to giving a

warning for the corrupt rich in chapter

fives and he encourages believers in the

second point to fully reject greed which

leads to death. Look at chapter 5 verse

1 to6 with me.

Come not you rich,

weep and howl for the miseries that are

coming upon you. Your riches have rotted

and your garments their moth eaten.

Your gold and silver have corroded.

Their corrosion will be evidence against

you and will eat your flesh like fire.

You have laid up treasure in the last

days. Behold, the wages of the laborers

who mowed your fields which you kept

back by fraud are crying out against

you. And the cries of the harvesters

have reached the ears of the Lord of

Hosts.

You've lived on the earth in luxury and

self-indulgence. You've fattened your

hearts for the day of slaughter. You've

condemned and murdered the righteous

person. He does not resist you.

James again opens this section with

come. He wants his audience to listen.

Listen to this. That's what he's saying.

Hear this. But one major question comes

up in this section. Who is James'

audience?

Who is his intended audience? We know

that James James wrote this letter to

believers, right? We've heard that

throughout that this is to the brothers

and sisters in the dispersion to to

believers. But what he's writing here

doesn't seem like it's addressed to

believers.

He condemns these corrupt rich and he

tells them to weep and hil for miseries

that are going to come upon them. He

says that they've fattened themselves

for the day of slaughter.

This can't be addressed to believers,

can it?

Well, the warning that that they that

they'll weep and they'll they'll hoil

and that they'll be slaughtered, it

can't be for believers. This weeping and

this slaughter, it's it's really it's

talking about hell.

You see at the end of verse three that

he's talking about these last days.

These last days are the days between

Jesus ascension back into heaven and

before Jesus will return again to this

earth.

And when that last day when Jesus comes

that ultimate last day when Jesus comes

he will judge the earth and those who

are his people will be secure in him and

safe and will be with him forever.

But those who are not his people will be

destroyed, slaughtered,

separated from God, suffering for

eternity.

So James can't be talking about

believers because believers are safe and

secure in Jesus. They're not going to be

slaughtered.

They're safe and secure because of

Christ's sacrifice. They will not face

this final judgment.

James is not talking about believers,

but he is writing to believers.

He writes to believers as a warning

so that they won't be tempted into

following the corrupt ways of some in

this world.

He is writing to believers.

Because while we can sit here today and

say that I'm content with what I have,

that I trust God's will in my life,

God knows deep down that we're not

always content with what we have.

That we desire,

we sometimes desire

this other life. I know I'm not always

content with what I have. I know I check

my bank account too much. Or I look for

a comfort more than I should.

I look at the new cars and I wish I

could have one. Or I look at houses with

back gardens and I sit in my apartment

and I wish that I could have one.

I wish that I h wouldn't have to worry

about finances ever again and be

financially secure forever.

James is saying, "Hey, wake up.

When we get into this daydream about

wanting these riches in this world that

wanting to be like these rich people,

looking at the corruption, the corrupt

rich people that James is writing about,

he's saying, "Wake up. If they don't

have Christ, they have nothing."

That is ultimately the truth that if

they don't have Christ, they will be

destroyed. And and we don't want that

for our lives.

You don't want that.

And so we should fully reject greed

which leads to death.

Look at what the rich did. They stored

up their riches. And can't we be tempted

to do the same? Look at verses 2 and

three. Your riches have rotted and your

garments are motheaten. Your gold and

silver have corroded and their corrosion

will be evidence against you. You and

will eat your flesh like fire. You have

laid up treasures in these last days.

They've stored up all of their treasures

and their treasures have now been moth

eaten and corroded. James is clearly

showing here that the riches of this

world, they're they're actually

worthless.

They're just going to be corroded and

they're just going to be moth eaten one

day. One day everything in this world

will pass away.

In fact, that corrosion literally gave

witness, gave testimony against these

rich people that they prioritized money

over God.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19, "Do not lay

Matthew 6:19

up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy, where

thieves break in and steal, but lay up

for yourself treasures in heaven, where

neither moth or rust destroy, and where

thieves do not break in and steal. For

where your treasure is, there your heart

will be also. where your treasures are

shows exactly where your heart is. And

that's what happened to these re these

rich people. God sees where their heart

is. As their riches corrode, they give

testimony against these corrupt rich

that their heart. It isn't for God.

It's for the riches of this world. And

so they should be weeping and howling

for miseries that are going to come upon

them. Look at what else they did in

verse four. They they held back wages,

the wages of the laborers who mowed your

field, which you kept back by fraud.

And then in verse six, they they

murdered uh they've condemned and

murdered the righteous person. These

righteous people that they murdered are

these suffering believers in in James's

time who who were murdered by these

corrupt rich people. This isn't just

talking about any rich people. These are

corrupt rich people.

And I know some of you come from

seriously corrupt countries. I have been

to at least one of them. Um I've driven

through Rio where you see skyscrapers

down one street and then FLLAS in

another

where children are sleeping rough and

their houses are made out of nothing.

I've seen guys who are working

themselves to the bone just to sell some

coconuts on the beach for like €10 a

day.

There's corruption. A government that

doesn't care. Employers that underpay

and hold back wages.

police that just don't intervene.

Corruption is what these believers were

facing.

And for some of them, they weren't they

weren't given the money that they

deserved.

But there is encouragement in this for

believers.

As we look at the end of verse four,

their cries, the crying uh the the cries

of the harvesters have reached the ears

of the Lord of hosts.

That is the Lord of armies. God, the the

just God who will bring judgment and at

any moment could command a legion of

angels to destroy these corrupt. One day

he will punish those who have not

repented and turned away.

But the Lord hears the cries of his

people. We see that throughout

scripture. The Lord hears the cries of

his people. Believers, I don't know what

you've been through in your life. And I

don't know, I don't imagine it was as

severe as some of the suffering in

James' time.

Some of you have been mistreated.

And know this that the Lord, he hears

your cries.

The Lord, he hears you. The Lord of

armies is with you, believer.

And the final thing that the rich did

that I want to point out is it was just

pure greed. Look at verse five.

You've lived on the earth in luxury and

in self-indulgence. You've fattened your

hearts for the day of slaughter. They

indulged and they lived in luxury,

but really they were fattening

themselves

like chickens

who are in a coupe and just fed grain

all the time. And they keep eating the

grain and they keep eating the grain and

they get fatter and they keep eating the

grain and they get fatter and one day

they'll be fat enough to just be

slaughtered.

There's a movie that I really like

called Chicken Run. I don't know if

you've ever seen it. I really enjoy it.

Um, but this movie follows these

chickens who uh who are living their

life in a chicken coop

and they have all the food that they can

eat and they're eating the food and

they're eating the food and they're

getting fatter and they get fatter and

then as the movie progresses, the main

characters, they realize that they're

just getting fatter because one day

they're going to be slaughtered and so

they they they try to stop all of the

chickens eating this food and they try

to escape so that they're not getting

fattened and killed. They form this

escape plan. But as you watch, there are

some chickens that just want to keep

eating the grain.

They just want to keep eating the grain.

They just want to keep eating it and

fattening themselves. And they end up

fattening themselves and fattening

themselves. And then one day they'd be

gone slaughtered

using a chicken pie.

Similar happens to people here in this

world.

We can be so caught up in material

things

that we're just fattening ourselves with

materialism,

enjoying this world rather than looking

forward to life with Jesus, having the

perspective of all of the riches of this

world and just staring at that and

indulging in that. We follow this world

rather than following Jesus.

That's what happened to these corrupt

rich. And that's what happens to us as

we self-indulge in materialistic things

and get trapped.

If you're not in Christ, then you're

trapped just waiting for the day of

destruction.

If you're not a believer and you're

trapped in that God, he desires for you

to be with for for you to be with him to

turn from our lives where we just love

these self-indulge in these

materialistic things and forget about

the reality that there is an eternity

after. But God wants you to turn to him

and know him and then you will be with

him forever safe and secure in him.

James is then warning believers that

life of the riches is not the life you

want.

He's encouraging them to fully reject

greed which leads to death. The life of

materialism is not the life that we

should desire.

But it's just so easy to get caught up

in materialism, isn't it? Especially in

the world we're living in at the minute.

I think it was probably in every

generation, but we feel it now a lot.

So easy to want the next thing, the next

do the next gadget, to self-indulge

watching Tik Tok or Instagram or sports

or whatever.

We self-indulge and we think about no

one but ourselves.

The focus of this world, it's it's it's

all about ourselves and money and

profit. And that leads to death. That's

fattening ourselves for the day of

destruction.

The focus of this world that leads to

death. Let's change our perspective.

The life of the rich is not the life for

us. The life of these corrupt is not the

life of us.

So fully reject greed which leads to

death.

But we do live in a world where we do

have a lot of materialistic things and a

lot of money. We do live in a world

where God has given us a lot of riches.

So what do we do with them

to fully reject greed? What are we to do

with these monies? uh this money and

riches.

Well, trust in the Lord's will with your

money and riches. And let's give.

Let's give.

The Lord asks us to give generously and

joyfully and loves a cheerful giver who

gives. Give to the work of God's

kingdom.

Give to something that has eternal

impact

to someone who is serving the Lord in a

country that maybe has never heard the

gospel before.

Give to our missionaries that we pray

for regularly. Give at the box at the

back. Give regularly online. Give to the

work of the Lord.

give of our materialistic things and not

store up our treasures on this world.

Store up our treasures in heaven.

This world focuses a lot on money and

profit.

God's kingdom is opposite to the kingdom

of this world.

So fully reject greed which leads to

death.

Come to God who desires to know you.

Fully trust in God's will in this short

life.

that leads to a full and good life.

Follow God's will, which means to be

sanctified and to serve him fully.

Serve him faithfully and fully trust in

God's will in your short life. Let's

pray.

Lord, we we ask that you would help us

this morning to live out this truth,

to apply this truth to our lives,

to fully trust in your will,

to fully reject greed, would our would

our perspectives be altered and

transformed?

Would we not live for the things the

materialistic things of this world?

Would we be be transformed by the

renewal of our minds and live for

Christ? Would we serve you faithfully in

this church in the giftings that you've

given us and follow your will to serve

you faithfully?

Help us to do that, Lord.

Help us to give freely of the of the

money and materials that you've given us

to trust your will in that

to lean not on our own understanding

but to not be foolish

to not be prideful or arrogant. Help us

to fully trust in you today in Jesus

name. Amen.