Church Blog

The Good Recession: Application

Yesterday I preached a message called “The Good Recession” from the Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12. In it, I asked the question, “How should Christians who believe in a sovereign God think about these times—how can God use a bad economy for our spiritual good?”  The bottom line was this: God can use this recession for our spiritual good if we let it awaken us to the folly of greed and covetousness.”

You can listen online or download the message here.

And here are the application questions, prepared by pastor Adam Malcolm:

1.  Josh defined covetousness as, “a strong desire to possess something—usually something that somebody else has.”  He went on to say that “it’s built on the lie that the quality of your life is measured by how much you have.”  Where might this lie be at work in your own heart and life? 

2. The Rich Fool built his life around this hope.  His driving motivation was his own selfish indulgence.  Which of the following warning signs that Josh spoke of would most apply to your life currently:

-A greater concern for self than the needs of others.
-A preoccupation with this life and its comforts and pleasures.
-A pride in your possessions.
-A disregard for your soul and eternity.

3.  Ultimately, God works all things for our good (Romans 8:28-9).  He is faithful to sanctify us as His dearly beloved children.  Josh reminded us that if we allow a shaken financial system to shake our trust in money and possessions, that’s a good thing.  How is God already at work in your life in this area? 

4.  In closing, give God thanks for where you are aware of His grace towards you now, and end your time together praying that God would use the recession to teach us:

-That He is our only hope
-The danger of covetousness
-That our lives do not consist of the abundance of our possessions
-That we need to weep over the sin of greed