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Truth or Dare (Part 2)

Lesson 5: The Truth About Money

Lessons in this series: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Overview Lesson Index

Lesson Workbook Click here
It's My Money (Activity) Click here

LESSON OBJECTIVES
Goals

1. To help students realize they are idol worshippers, typically of their possessions
2. To examine what Scripture says about money
3. To show students a Godly way of using their money

Topics

Contentment, Coveting, Greed, Idols, Sharing, Stewardship, Treasures, Worship

Scripture Memorization

Matthew 6:24

OPENING PRAYER (5 to 10 minutes)

GROUP BUILDING (15 minutes)

It's My Money (Activity) Click here

GETTING STARTED (10 minutes)

This week we’re going to start with a story.

Mark Driscoll, a preacher in Seattle, tells about a time he was in India working as a missionary. While traveling through a remote place, they happened upon a temple where the local people worshipped idols. There was chicken blood and evidence of idol worship everywhere.

His story is accurate to the situation in that country. There are temples to other gods, there are Muslims and Buddhists and all kinds of other idolatrous religions. However when Mr. Driscoll asked a native, who had visited the United States of America many times before, what he liked least about America, the native responded that he could not handle the idolatry.

• What do you think of that story?
• Do you believe that America is an idolatrous place? Why/why not?
• Have you ever thought of yourself as an idol worshipper?

The truth is, we are idol worshippers in one way or another. We may not sacrifice chickens or build golden statues, but we worship things other than God. Usually, our idolatry has something to do with money.

DIGGING IN (30 minutes)

The Bible is clear: we can’t serve God and money. We will always worship one more than the other. The Bible is also clear on the fact that we should worship nothing other than God.

Read Matthew 6: 24.

Discussion Questions:
1. What is the problem with trying to serve two masters?
2. Who or what "masters" are trying to gain your loyalty right now?

"He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money."

Benjamin Franklin

Read Exodus 20:4,5a; Ezekiel 36:18 and 1 John 5: 21 (Have different students read each verse.)

Discussion Questions:
1. What does God say about serving idols?
2. In today’s world, how can we keep ourselves from idol worship practically?

One of the biggest problems with idols is that they can never completely satisfy our desires. God wants us to serve Him, not to ruin our fun, but because only He knows what's best for us. Idols, on the other hand, especially money, never have our best interest in mind.

Read Ecclesiastes 5:10,11

Discussion Questions:
1. How important is money to you? Does it show?
2. What do these verses say about contentment?

"Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants."

Benjamin Franklin

I want to change the tone of our conversation and stop asking the question “What do you think of money?” Instead, I want to ask and answer the question “What does God think of money?” Furthermore, what are His expectations on how we treat and think of it?

Read the following passages:
(Ask each of the discussion questions after reading each passage. The questions are meant to define money and possessions from a Scriptural perspective. Some may not apply to each Scripture.)

Matthew 6:19-21
Luke 6:20
Acts 5:1-6
James 1:9-11

Discussion Questions:
1.  What does that Scripture say about the use of money?
2.  From where does money come?
3.  How should we use money based on this passage?
4.  Which is better—to be rich or to be poor? Why?
5.  What is the danger of being too tied up in our monetary wealth?

Some of you may not think you have an unhealthy attachment to money. Some of you may not think you worship stuff. But let’s break this down and make it real.

MAKING IT REAL (10 minutes)

To see where each of us are regarding our attachments to money, spend some time now answering the questions in your workbook under "How Important is Money?" Answer as honestly as you can.

Workbook Activity

How Important is Money?

• If you had to give up all your stuff today, could you do it? ____ Yes ____ No

• If you lost or gave up all your stuff, how would it make you feel? ________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

• When you hear iPhone, Wii, Mercedes, or Gucci, what comes to mind? ________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Use the scale on the left to answer the following questions, with 1 being very little and 6 being very much.

1 2 3 4 5 6 • If you lost a twenty dollar bill, how upset would you be?

1 2 3 4 5 6 • When something newer and better comes out, how much do you want it?

1 2 3 4 5 6 • How much do you feel success is determined by money?

1 2 3 4 5 6 • How much do you depend on money?

1 2 3 4 5 6 • How much do you like or enjoy having money?

The truth is, money in itself is not bad, evil, or wrong. But when we have an unhealthy attachment to it or the things we can buy with it, then our worship moves from God to money. Money can not buy contentment. That can only come from God. If you did not select numbers 1 or 2 for any of the last five questions, you need to seriously think about how you view money.

CLOSING PRAYER (2 minutes)

I think we need to do some repenting. We’re going to take some time for personal prayer. If you need to talk to someone about your struggles, please do. Otherwise, let’s spend some time praying that God owns us and our stuff does not. That way we can worship Him and not money.

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