VALUABLES

Good Evening To All!

Before we get started on our Bible Seeds tonight, let me apologize for being so terribly late. I had big plans for my blog tonight, but I couldn't get them to come together. As you can see, I added a music player, but as of right now there is no music because I didn't like the way You Tube sounded on it and it took forever to download. I am trying to figure out how to upload my own music from my library to it, but no luck as of yet. Also, I am trying to figure out how to do glitter text. I checked out Glitter-Fly, downloaded Webfetti, but I can't figure out how to "glitterize just a simple sentence. It says I have to upload an image, and text is not an image, so I finally gave up on that. I am also in the process of checking into hopefully making my Bible Challenges interactive so they can be done right on the post, instead of having to write the answers down, and will hopefully get the answer to that before I type it tomorrow night. (I promise it won't be nearly as late as it is tonight. I just let time get away from me somehow. Anyway, on with the important part of the post. What do you consider valuable? What are your priorities?

Tonight's Seed: "Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'"
(Luke 12:15 NIV)

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If you became independently wealthy, what would you do with the money>? Would you travel, buy a big home, or retire on a Pacific island? Isn't it fun to dream about the possibilities? In the early morning, TV infomercials hawk the wares of someone who has struck it rich. Tragically, innocent fantasy becomes an obsession with millions of people who are desperately grasping for money and possessions.

Jesus understood human nature. He knew that our hearts would long for things of value, so he said that we should watch out for what's valuable and what's not. An antique ring that belonged to your grandmother may not have any value if appraised by a jeweler, but if she took it from her wrinkled fingers and placed it into your tiny girlish hand, no one could calculate it's value to you.

Things will not delight our soul, satisfy its desires, supply its needs, nor last as long as it will last. The problem is that we can never find contentment in things because as soon as we obtain one thing, we long for another. Possessions will not prolong life, prevent tragedy, or heal illness. So do we tend to depend on possessions? God does not promise to give us the abundance of things. He promises abundance of life. So every person can be rich.

Dig Deeper: The Greek work for "life" is zoe, which not only means breathing and being alive, but also means a genuine active and vigorous life.

Weed & Water: It is easy to get caught in the trap of grabbing for more and more. If we work so many hours that we don't see our family, we have lost sight of what's valuable. If we spend every extra dollar on new clothes and jewelry, we may have missed the joys of a simpler lifestyle. The best things in life cannot be counted. Think before you buy something new. Our motto should be "Don't get your values wrong."

Sprout & Scatter:We can help our friends become more aware of the true worth of life by focusing on values rather than possessions. When conversations turn to shopping for expensive items, try talking about the needs of children's ministry at church. Instead of lunch at the most expensive restaurant in town, take a brown bag to the park and talk about your families. Invite friends to bring family pictures to a party. Share memories in place of expensive food and entertainment.


Think about it: What possessions held great appeal to you until you realized they had no lasting value?

How can you keep your desires in control?

Prayer Pot: Lord, free me from the grasp of possessions and show me the value of . . .



Take-Away Idea: The best things in life are not things.


Good Night and May God Bless!