Jesus empowers us to serve through our possessions so we can use them to serve and bless others. But the possessions we are given to empower us can easily end up having power over us. Jesus warns us of the controlling power of possessions in Matthew 6. Setting our hearts on earthly possessions will create a life direction that will ultimately become selfish and self-serving characterized by greed. The great danger of greed is that we are largely unaware of its influencing and controlling power (Luke 12:15). The reason our possessions can control us is because of the God-like place it can have in our lives where we look to them for our significance and security. The way we walk in freedom from our possessions is by making Jesus our greatest treasure.

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Discussion Questions:

1. As Christians we live in a materialistic consumer based culture. In what ways has this negatively influenced our view and use of our money and possessions?

2. Jesus uses the analogy of the human eye to convey how an unhealthy obsession with possessions can create deeper inner spiritual darkness (Matthew 6:22-23). How might an unhealthy view of our possessions negatively influence our life direction?

3. Why is greed so difficult to detect (see Luke 12:15)? What might be some evidences that we are being controlled by a spirit of greed?

4. The power of our possessions is rooted largely in our view of our possessions. Why might we be tempted to use our money as a basis for our significance and security? How would this set us up for a life of greed, fear, and anxiety?

5. Instead of making earthly possessions our treasure, we should make Jesus and the hope of heaven our greatest treasure. How do we make Jesus our greatest treasure? What impact would this have on our use and view of our earthly possessions?