Playlist:

playlist Go to the Material Things, Attitude Toward (topic) playlist

Parable of the Rich Fool

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

Even if we have everything we could ever want or need, when we die, our goods will do nothing for us. Because of wealth, the fool believes he has no need of God.


Be Happy (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by Gary Montgomery

God has made it possible through His Spirit for us to be optimistic and happy even in a world that seems to be crumbling around us.


The Tenth Commandment

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

Covetousness is an insatiable desire for worldly gain and lies at the heart of where most sin originates. The tenth emphasizes man's relationship to man.


Parable of the Treasure

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

Jesus' Parable of the Treasure in Matthew 6:19-21 is designed to get us to evaluate the relative values of material wealth and 'treasures in heaven.'


Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Seven): Contentment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

God desires far more for us than mere satisfaction: He wants to give us real contentment, a state that comes only through a relationship with Him.


Prosperity's Consequences

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Prosperity is not always an emblem of God's approval. God will not prosper us if it would cause spiritual damage, insulating us from seeking His kingdom.


Stuff

Sermonette by Mike Ford

Everybody has the carnal habit of accumulating stuff, cluttering up both our physical surroundings, as well as the inner chambers of our minds.


The Tenth Commandment

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Coveting begins as a desire. Human nature cannot be satisfied, nothing physical can satisfy covetousness, and joy does not derive from materialism.


The Christian and the World (Part Seven)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The best way to attain true wealth and the abundant eternal life is to loosen our grip on worldly rewards and treasures, and single-mindedly follow Christ.


Blessing Promises: Our Spiritual Inheritance

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

When we ask to be blessed, it should be exclusively on God's terms. What God has done in our lives is the best preparation for our future responsibilities.


The Tenth Commandment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Everyone is out to acquire as much as possible for himself. The tenth commandment, however, governs this proclivity of human nature, striking at man's heart.


The Christian and the World (Part Nine)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Anxious care and foreboding are debilitating and faith-destroying. Meditating on what God has already done strengthens our faith and trust in God.


Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Seventeen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Wisdom can be defined as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to the right measure. Wisdom is not given as a whole, but incrementally.


Laodiceanism

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Our love for beauty must be coupled with love for righteousness and holiness. Our relationship with Christ must take central place in our lives, displacing all else.


The Christian and the World (Part Eight)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Having anxiety, foreboding and fretting about food, clothing, and shelter, or being distressed about the future, demonstrates a gross lack of faith.


Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Fourteen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Solomon ruminates about life being seemingly futile and purposeless. A relationship with God is the only factor which prevents life from becoming useless.


The Consequences of Affluence

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

'Affluenza' describes the bloated insensitivity caused by trying to keep up with the Joneses, the stress caused by doggedly pursuing the American Dream.


Joy in Our Time

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Attainment of calm joy does not come from anything earthly, but it comes from God, and is dependent upon inculcating godly love.


The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength!

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The true source of joy does not consist on any worldly commodity, or any self-centered, hedonistic pursuit, but instead a spiritual gift, bestowed by God.


Laodiceanism and Being There Next Year

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Our biggest danger at this time is to be lured into spiritual drunkenness by the pagan Babylonian system. Our God is not what we say we worship but whom we serve.


The Christian and the World (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The prince of the power of the air is responsible for influencing the zeitgeist (dominant mindset of the time), pulling us away from God and His law.


Intimacy with Christ (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We must fight against the world's pulls (including advertising), simplifying our lives, seeking quiet to meditate and build a relationship with God.


Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Fifteen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Our relationship with God is often strengthened through hardship. We must choose to yield to God, living for a much higher goal than raw materialism.


Be There Next Year

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Members of God's church usually come home from the Feast of Tabernacles with renewed strength. Yet, some fall away each year. Here's how to stay the course.


The Commandments (Part Nineteen)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus taught that all outward sin stems from inner inordinate desire. What we desire or lust after automatically becomes our idol.


Micah (Part One): Hope for the Hopeless

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The prophecy of Micah had a delayed effect, taking many years before a reformer emerged on the scene. Jeremiah's life was spared because of the memory of Micah.


Are You Zealous? (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Laodiceans are enthusiastic about being rich, becoming wealthy, and needing nothing. Life is good. They are content. They are zealous for the wrong things.


What Is Your Lentil Soup?

'Ready Answer' by Staff

The story of Esau and his selling his birthright for a bowl of soup is a cautionary tale for today. What we treasure will ultimately determine our destiny.


Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen (Part Seven)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The letters to the seven churches of Revelation warn of losing our first love, heeding false teachers, compromising God's Truth, and forgetting right doctrine.


The World, the Church, and Laodiceanism

Booklet by John W. Ritenbaugh

Laodiceanism is the attitude that dominates the end time. It is a subtle form of worldliness that has infected the church, and Christ warns against it strongly.


Amos (Part Thirteen)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The people to whom Amos writes have the mistaken assumption that because they have made the covenant with God, they can bask in a kind of divine favoritism.


Matthew (Part Eight)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh


On The Value of Joy

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Because we live in a troubling world, our reserves of joy are probably somewhat low, perhaps making us feel that we are deficient in God's Holy Spirit.


God's Rest (Part 4)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Coveting—lust—is a fountainhead of many other sins. Desiring things is not wrong, but desiring someone else's things promotes overtly sinful behavior.