Shift Your Focus

May 21, 2023    Pastor Logan Ames

The Beatles once sang that money "can't buy me love". When I was a young man, there was a rap song by The Notorious B.I.G. and his friends simply titled, "Mo Money, Mo Problems". And the great Dolly Parton sang that even "working 9 to 5" resulted in "barely getting by". Even our pagan culture knows there is so much more to life than material wealth, yet it still consumes much of our thoughts and our time. Especially in western civilization, we have convinced ourselves that we can follow our Lord and live obediently to Him while still being in love with our bank accounts. Yet, His word tells us that the love of money is the root of all evil. Contentment with what we have and generosity toward the needs of others are clear marks of the Christian faith. Our Lord Himself warns us about storing up for ourselves treasures on earth, where lots of things can happen to destroy them. Even if we are fortunate enough to keep them for this lifetime, we cannot take any of it with us. Instead, He commands us to store up treasures in heaven, which has the best security there is. This week at Friendship, we'll talk about these words of Jesus and how He wants you to "Shift Your Focus" away from this life and toward eternity. More contentment equals less worry. And why would we find such value in something like gold that is used to paved roads in heaven? Join us and get ready to change your outlook regarding all your "stuff".