Unpacking Truths
Dive deep into God's word and unpack divine truths for today's life journey. In a world where everyone is seeking, join us as we guide you to find hope and power in God's timeless wisdom. If our discussions spark questions or ideas, reach out to us at UnpackingTruths@LOCChurch.com. Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe, allowing us to continue helping people unpack God's truth for their lives! Hosted by Pastor Kendall Koenig and Pastor Maureen O'Connor of Light of Christ Church in Algonquin, IL.
Unpacking Truths
Money Is the Root of All Evil
✝️ Unpacking Truths: Episode 115: Money Is the Root of All Evil!
Join Pastor Kendall and Pastor Mo in another enlightening episode of Unpacking Truths, where they delve into the deep waters of God's Word. In this episode, they tackle the age-old adage "Money Is the Root of All Evil" with insightful biblical wisdom and practical advice.
🔍 Addressing Listener Questions: The episode kicks off by answering a listener's question about why the Jewish people stopped performing sacrifices. Pastor Kendall and Pastor Mo provide historical context and biblical insights, shedding light on this intriguing topic.
💰 Money: A Neutral Tool: They dive into the misconception surrounding the biblical phrase and emphasize that it's the love of money—not money itself—that can lead to various evils. Drawing from Scripture and personal experiences, they explore the complexities of wealth, materialism, and generosity.
📖 Scriptural Reflections: Throughout the discussion, they reference key Bible verses and teachings of Jesus, highlighting the importance of contentment, stewardship, and reliance on God's provision. From Philippians 4:12 to Luke 12:15, they offer profound insights into living a life of faith amidst financial challenges.
🤔 Reflecting on Personal Experiences: Both pastors share personal anecdotes and struggles with money, illustrating how societal messages and childhood teachings shape our views on wealth and possessions. They discuss the spiritual warfare involved in balancing financial security with dependence on God.
🌟 Practical Application: As the episode concludes, Pastor Kendall and Pastor Mo encourage listeners to reflect on their own beliefs and attitudes toward money. They invite viewers to share their thoughts, questions, and experiences in the comments, fostering a community of growth and dialogue.
🙏 Join the Conversation: Tune in to this thought-provoking episode of Unpacking Truths and discover how to navigate the complexities of money with faith and wisdom.
#UnpackingTruths #MoneyTalks #FaithAndFinance #BiblicalWisdom #ChristianPodcast #MoneyManagement #ContentmentInChrist #GenerosityMatters #FinancialStewardship #SpiritualWealth #ChristianLiving #ScriptureReflection #MoneyMindset #GodsProvision #FaithJourney #LivingWithPurpose #FinancialFreedom #LifestyleOfGenerosity #FindingContentment #MindfulMoney
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So, kendall, today we are going to begin our episode by addressing one of the listeners' questions that they sent in. Thank you so much. And it is when and why did the Jewish people stop performing sacrifices? So do you want to take this away?
Speaker 2:Sure, it's a great question. The Jewish sacrificial system of animals and being sacrificed in the temple ended right at 70 AD, so about 40 years after Jesus' death and resurrection, because there was an insurrection among the Jewish people against Roman rule and Rome came and crushed that and destroyed the temple. And once the temple was destroyed, that was the only place you could do the sacrifices. So they shifted to more of the synagogue system where it was teaching and learning but not animal sacrifice.
Speaker 1:No longer sacrifices, and obviously Christians stopped sacrificing because Jesus was the final lamb, right, the pure, the perfect lamb died for our sins, and so no longer do we need to bring something to sacrifice, because one and done. Thank you, jesus.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Jesus, indeed. Hi, I'm Pastor Kendall.
Speaker 1:And I'm Pastor Mo and we are Unpacking Truths.
Speaker 2:Where we unpack God's Word and God's truth for life.
Speaker 1:today, Everyone is seeking, and we are here to help you find hope and power in God's Word.
Speaker 2:Well, we have another topic here. That's just one that no one ever thinks about. It doesn't relate to anyone's life. This just has no relationship, but it is this statement that you hear yeah, money is the root of all evil.
Speaker 1:Oh boy Yep.
Speaker 2:Joy. We're going there, mo, all right, we're going to have fun with this one, all right. And I think the first thing we got to get clear is we hear that statement used but that actually, and people say it's from the Bible, but it's not quite accurate of the way the Bible says it, because Scripture, from 1 Timothy 6, it says for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils, and there's a key distinction the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils and there's a key distinction. Scripture, god's word, doesn't say money is, but the love of money, the pursuing of money, the passion, all about money, is the root of many evils.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and you know Jesus talked about generosity, wealth, materialism, a lot.
Speaker 1:Yes, he did Like in over half of his parables address this in some way or fashion, and I love that you clarified that. Because we make by saying money is the root of all evil. It makes money evil right, and so money in itself isn't evil at all and actually money can be used for a lot of great things. You know, to care for one another. And yet we know right from many verses Matthew 15, 19, romans 5, 12, james 1, 15, the Bible makes it clear what is evil and it's sin, and we see it in those verses. So sin, missing the mark of the way we're called to live, is the evil thing. But yeah, so speak more into some things that you think.
Speaker 2:Well, I did some thinking about it this past week and again in preparation for this, and I said so. Why is the love of money the root of all evils? And I came up with four things pretty quickly. One thing is and we can talk about these in detail as we go on but one is that it bends our attention to worldly things, that we're so caught up in our stuff that we lose sight of God. So that's one, I think. The second thing is it can lead us to shift our morals, our ethics. That we're filming this I don't know when it's going to be aired, but we're filming this in sort of the middle of tax season, and it's a time when a whole lot of us are tempted to go like well, do I really include that? Oh, maybe I don't include that number or name that it shifts our morals because I don't want to give it up, and so that's why the love of money can do it Justifying why we're writing certain things off, you bet.
Speaker 1:I mean, is it a sin?
Speaker 2:No, just kidding, not being honest is always a sin. Another thing is the love of money can lead us to never feel content.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Love it so much I want more. I'm never content with what I have because I'm always pursuing more.
Speaker 1:Or we covet right we want what others have Absolutely, and that drives us on Insatiable desire.
Speaker 2:And the fourth one that I just came up with was the love of money can also lead us off of our true path. That maybe we really feel called to a certain type of career, but we want to make this amount of money and this career doesn't. So we end up going like, well, I'm not going to do what God's really wired me for, what I'm gifted for, because I want to make money, and so I go there, and so the love of money gets me off of the path that would be best for my life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that because the path that God created you for, because you know, and that's like a real struggle, right Like so, when I was in sales in my 20s and I was actually bi-vocational too in in my the end of my twenties and thirties and working ministry work as well as I was a liquor rep, I was in sales at different companies and the potential to make a lot of money was there, right, and so I did.
Speaker 1:I had this like moment where it was like I knew my soul, I was called to do this work, and yet I also knew the gifts God gave me of relationships and talking with people and persuasion. What am I using that for? Right, um could make me a lot of money, and so I was torn back and forth, like, and it took me a while actually to just let go of that second part, and even when I was working at other churches, I would often have them sign something that allowed me to be bivocational, and we made agreements on that because it was hard to let go of that and have full faith. So I also think it, you know, money actually can dampen our dependence on God. I didn't trust God enough if I just committed myself to what I knew I was created for, which was to pastor, and I got to have this on the side. Here's my side gig.
Speaker 2:You know, I had to wrestle with that at one point early on. I had to wrestle with that at one point early on. Someone close to me is an engineer, a good one, doing well, doing well financially and some of my aptitudes in school. I was a math major in college and that and I said to this person in sort of this way, because I was sort of caught in this sense of like, well, I could have done what you did, and then I could be making more.
Speaker 1:But I'm closer to God now with my job.
Speaker 2:No, that's not what I said, I just said it like that, and this person had the perfect response for me. They said but that's not what you chose. And it just sort of caught me up. But it just goes like yeah, Kendall, if that you know, you could have done that. You did this. You made this choice, this is what you're doing, and so don't get caught in that love of or that covetousness. And it was just the word that I needed to hear. It's like this is my choice, this is what I heard God calling me to, and I'm grateful for it. And it's provided and it's provided. But we're talking about this in all of our lives, and you're right. Jesus had so many things to say about it. You know. He said no one can serve two masters. For you, you will either love one and hate the other. You know you cannot serve both God and be enslaved to money.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:There's something's going to drive you when you're forced to decisions. Which is going to make the choice for you? Yeah, I do. I think it's so easy for money to become our God without us even realizing it, or the striving for money right, the allowing ourselves to not live into the path that God maybe created us for because, oh, I need these things, right. And how do you get these things? You need the money to get the things. And Jesus. You know Jesus speaks into this left and right and you know we're told we're to have no other gods. So anything that gets in our way of depending on God fully, of putting God first, needs to go right. But money is one for sure. Mark 10, 25,. Jesus says it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.
Speaker 1:And what is so powerful about this is that when I didn't have much, it was really easy to throw that money in that basket that used to old school, get passed around, you know, before online giving. And the more I had, the harder it was to give. And it was the weirdest thing, you would think, because you're like well, not me, maybe not you, but I was like, oh God, please just help me to make lots of money so that I can help this person and do this. And you always hear people well, you might not, but if you win the lottery, oh, I'll take care of that, if I win the lottery, or I'll help you, but would you Really? Because I have found there is a spiritual warfare that goes on inside. The more money I had, the harder it was to let go of. It was really strange.
Speaker 2:Well and that's the thing that you said earlier, Mo that I think is true, but also subtly not true that money is a neutral thing, that at some level it's neutral, but I think money ends up having a spiritual power.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:And the to the point that you just made. But one of my favorite analogies for this and one of my favorite movies, series of movies all time, shout out for all Lord of the Rings fans.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, nerding it out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you betcha. Uh, is that the analogy of that ring? That ring that gave power, but that gave his whole life to destroy this ring and when it came to the final moment he was supposed to do it, he couldn't let it go. No, because it cause he it had not. It wasn't something that he had power over. It had taken power over him. And I think money has that subtle way of like, even when we're thinking we're in control of it, it starts taking subtle control of us.
Speaker 1:I think you're right. I think because I recall like it's like the more they put on the ring right, the more they lost themselves. Yes, and so it does. I think money gives us a sense of power, which then gives us, you know, an idea of status for ourselves of importance or false security right and we all know like money can go away really quick One diagnosis, one illness and you're no longer working at your job. Bills are coming in left and right. Life can change in a second it can.
Speaker 1:And so I think that's why Jesus talks about detaching ourselves from possessions and money In Matthew 19, 21,. He says if you want to be perfect, if you want to be whole right, like God in the image in which we were created, go and sell what you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And then come follow me.
Speaker 2:Okay, I want to just push on that, though. Because you named that as sort of a Jesus statement for all of us, that was a Jesus statement to one man who came to him Right, and because I think that's also important for us to wrestle with, that we shouldn't tell anyone out there, or I shouldn't tell you, or you should tell me. Here's exactly what you need to do, because Jesus spoke that to that person.
Speaker 1:Right and detachment was my point. Not everybody getting out and selling everything they have and living whatever looks like following me right, St Francis of Assisi or some of the other?
Speaker 1:Detachment Like can you, if you feel called by God, right, Mo, can you leave the sales job where you'll make twice, if not more, the amount that you'll make as a pastor? Can you let go of that and turn and follow me? That's the detachment and the trusting, not that I'm going out and selling everything, and I mean everybody's called to different things, so I don't know what it looks like for everyone, but I think it's just the attachment.
Speaker 2:Or, if you can't right why there's a spiritual thing happening there, you bet and some of these are messages we got from childhood like you'll never have enough. You have to. Charity starts at home. You always have to take care of and sometimes I think we have to take. Money is such a there's such a complicated relationship with a lot of people the money out of their family of origin, out of what they've seen in the world, out of what they've seen in the world. I mean, you just look at people who went through you know grandparents' age, who went through the Great Depression.
Speaker 2:You look at college students who came out just as the Great Recession was happening, and those experiences in life shape that. But I think we have to take those experiences and those feelings, our reactions to that, those messages we've learned, and take it back to Jesus and to say, okay, what of this is important for me to learn and what of this is unhelpful Right.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Well, I mean, and Jesus does say in Luke 12, 15, watch out, be on guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. And so it's so true because if you've ever walked alongside someone who's dying which I know you have never, ever, ever have they talked about the things they had in their last moments, in their last days. They talked about stories of relationships, regrets, things they'd hoped they'd done and wished they'd done, and actually, a lot of times they talk about how they pursued things and how they really regret that A life of too much work, a life of not enough time with family and loved ones, and pouring into people the way they'd wished they would have and didn't because they thought I need to make sure we have this kind of house or these extra things. And so Jesus speaks some real wisdom here in being on guard about that.
Speaker 2:He does. I think there can also be a danger on the other side. To me, what Jesus says it is a tool. Don't get fixated on it, because sometimes people are so fixated on their frugality or on this or that that they lose sight of joy and delight. And there's also a balance piece there too, because Jesus was also known for going to parties.
Speaker 1:Yes, he was. Jesus partied it up, I party like Jesus. Well, with that bug. Jesus partied it up, I party like Jesus. Well with that mug, I don't know that you're that's just scary. You should show your mug over there.
Speaker 2:Well, I do. This is the one that my wife, this tiny, shout out to you. You gave me this mug.
Speaker 1:For those of you just listening, kendall has a mug with his beautiful wife in him and he's got this really styling stash from like the 70s or something. I don't know if that's my soul patch. Yeah, your soul patch, that's uh well, you know, I was in soulful, all right I was in.
Speaker 2:Where were we in universal studios or years ago and when I had this, because I obviously don't have it now? Yeah and uh, this band was playing and they saw me. I mean there were only like 30, 40 people in front of them, but and they go frank zappa's's back and so I don't know. That's what I got called one time.
Speaker 1:So shortly after that.
Speaker 2:I shaved it off.
Speaker 1:You need to bring the soul patch back. That's what I think Say it's the Lord. It's in scripture.
Speaker 2:You know, one of the I was going to save this to the end but one of the lines of wisdom that my dad always said, that I just really resonated in my soul and I think just included a lot of wisdom as he said this line. He said you know, just remember, don't cry over anything that won't cry over you. And what he was trying to tell me my siblings was you know, stuff is important. You know treat. You know, make sure you get oil changes in your car, treat your house well, but don't cry over stuff. Stuff comes, stuff goes. It's people that matter.
Speaker 2:Cry over people that are important to you. But if you get in an accident and go oh no, I lost my car, it's a thing. It's a thing, and don't cry over things that won't cry over you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, there's a lot of wisdom in that and that's beautiful and I can't help, but still also think about this space. That's so hard, I think, especially for people who don't have Right. Yeah, because you know, having been, you know poverty level. There's something that says things help equate, like are my worth Right? So if I have this, this nice purse, or these, this brand, like then I'm finally somebody Right, because the world's already telling me I'm nobody. And so I think that's part of the struggle too is that it's easier to say when you have and when you don't have, a car to get to work, it's really hard to say like don't worry, you know, don't cry or worry about this, but at the same time you know just that's where that relying on God comes in. Right, above all things.
Speaker 2:You bet and Mo, that's a great point. All things you bet and Mo, that's a great point. And it can be that it's one thing for people who you know, I know where I'm sleeping tonight.
Speaker 2:I know that I have enough to be able to get food this week for our family. I'm not having to worry about that, and so money in my life plays a different role. I have to worry about it becoming a God, but it does. I also have to be careful about sitting here and pontificating about, because I'm not in a place of desperate need right now, and so that's a great reminder there.
Speaker 1:Great reminder there. Well, yeah, and it's just a real spiritual struggle, right, like money does signify to a lot of people, power and I don't know, just a sense of a good sense of worth, right, it's really, it's a lie, you know.
Speaker 2:Well, one of the lines I heard I was going to bring up at some point is the old line that someone added onto it money can't buy you happiness, but it can allow you to look for it in more places. Yeah, right which is kind of kind of true. Yeah, it's not going to guarantee it, but you can go search for it in more places.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like experiences. Money will bring lots of those great experiences and fun, you know.
Speaker 2:And so it is. I think, something to to, I think, all things in life, and I don't know that this is a scriptural truth, but there's not a verse in scripture. But for us to hold on to things loosely, to receive, to live life with open hands, to receive the blessings that God brings and to delight in those to be able to share, but to hold on loosely that when we hold on too tight, that's that love, that's that when I'm grasping at things and gripping onto it, that's when it gets to. Then I think I'm gripping it, but it's actually gripping me.
Speaker 1:Right, it's like that parable Jesus told with the man who stored up everything in his barn right, like he's like oh, I just need more and more, and more until I retire, and then I can enjoy and live life.
Speaker 1:And it's like you, fool, you're dying tonight and so letting go. We are to be a people that are to live out of generosity, and so, and the reality that we are not manufacturers of anything Like, everything we have is God's and we are merely stewards. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, psalm 24.1. And so what does that mean? If I have? Okay, so I had. I just bought a new car and I had another car right and I remember an old car. It was like a beater though I was like, but it ran, it ran great, and I was like I'm going to sell it.
Speaker 1:And then I came across a friend who was the head of a nonprofit and really they weren't making much money and they helped Immigrant Solidarity, dupage, they helped the immigrant community, and he didn't have a car and he has two little girls and he was walking everywhere with them and like, and I was just, I felt God put it on my heart to give him my car and that was, and I remember the a little bit of that struggle. But I thought, wait a minute, I. And then it hit me that this I, it's like I heard God's voice say this isn't your car, like it's not yours, and it's that perception, it's the renewing of our minds, to see things in God's truth, that nothing we have is ours anyway. So to give back this percentage to the work of God, to give back, you know, when people are in need, that is the way of God in the world and it's transformative.
Speaker 2:It is, you know, one of the other things that I named and I just what you just said is so powerful I was just also struck by that one that one of the struggles of the love of money is it leads us to never feel content, absolutely. I just wanted to read these words from Philippians that Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, where he said For I have learned to be content with whatever I have.
Speaker 2:I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. And then he has this line that we all quote in other settings. But he said for I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. That I can do everything isn't about I can do whatever I want, but I've learned how to find contentment in Christ and that I can do what God is calling me to do and to live my life in that contentment that I have.
Speaker 2:And that's, I think, one of those reasons why Paul, in the other place, said the love of money is the root of all evils, because it leads to a discontentment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And God wants us to know contentment.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And that quickly reminds me of CS Lewis and how it wasn't until he died that we realized he lived on 20% of his income and gave away the other 80% and he led a wonderful life. And what does that mean? And there were other things we learned, like he took care of his college roommate's mom when his roommate had passed away and he was financially helping his own mom. And then, when he died, cs Lewis took over helping this young man's mom, and no one knew about this stuff until he died. Right, he led this life of generosity and understanding that everything he had wasn't his own, it was God's, and how do you bless others with it? And God took very good care of him. And so to live a life like that, yeah, to be content in all things.
Speaker 2:You know, one of the things I'd like to ask of all of you who are listening to this what are some statements about money that you have found that are healthy and helpful for you, or what are ones that messages maybe you learned growing up that were not helpful or healthy and that have caused challenges in your life? I think it'd be interesting for us to see the good ones and some of the struggle ones, because they may be some of the scripts that are playing in our own brains too. So thanks for joining us this week. Hope this has been helpful as we wrestle with just the reality of how do we apply scripture in our lives and deal with real issues that we all face.
Speaker 1:Unpacking Truths right.
Speaker 2:UnpackingTruthscom With.
Speaker 2:God's help right unpackingtruthscom with god's help next time. On unpacking truths. Hebrews, one where that whole idea of guardian angel came from, where it says therefore, angels are only served. Well, the writer of hebrews spends the whole first chapter just talking about saying jesus is greater than the angels, because there must have been some controversy at that time that some people were saying, well, are the angels bigger or Jesus more important? And the writer of Hebrews spent the whole first chapter saying, no, jesus is greater. And at the end of that chapter he says therefore, angels are only servants, spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.
Speaker 1:I think that's where the guardian angel, the idea that there are angels that watch over.
Speaker 2:Yes, thanks for tuning in. If anything we said brought up any questions or ideas, let's keep the conversation going in the comments below or email us at unpackingtruths at locchurchcom.
Speaker 1:And don't forget to like, share and subscribe so we can continue helping people unpack God's truth for their lives.
