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ISMS that Poison the Soul
Materialism | Part 3
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
May 11, 2025

Materialism is not about the amount, it’s about our attitude. When Jesus addressed materialism in the Sermon on the Mount, He spoke of necessities not luxuries. He also gave us the surest sign of materialism and that’s worry. This Sunday, we’ll learn how to be set free from this toxic “ISM”.

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Discussion Questions:

1. Some Christians define sin in terms of sinful acts (observable external behaviors). In this way, we are much like the Pharisees who did the same. But Scripture has always been careful to define sin primarily as desires gone awry – that our internal want is broken. So whether you’re talking about lust, greed, or coveting, before we ever commit an external act, we crave something internally first. Why do some Christians define sin in terms of external observable acts alone? Why are we so reluctant to admit that our desires are the real problem? Why do we try to justify our coveting or explain it away? Why do we only deal with the fruit instead of the root?

2. Rate yourself as a worrier. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being “not worried at all” and 10 being debilitating worry. Where would you put yourself on that scale? What tends to be your biggest worries? What, if anything, did you learn in today’s message that might help you better deal with worries when they arise?

3. Real wealth is determined not by our houses, cars or money in the bank but by our character, contentment, generosity and relationships. Why do these things matter more than the other things? Have you known people who were rich in one or more of these areas? What were they like? What did you learn from them? How do they inspire you to be rich where it counts?

4. To be truly rich in relationships is to be rich in our friendships, marriage and with God. Where are you strongest? Where are you weakest? What practical steps can you begin to take to make incremental improvements in all of your relationships?