Playlist:

playlist Go to the Materialism (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.


Spiritual Satisfaction

Sermonette by Martin G. Collins

The Parable of the Rich Fool illustrates that, when one has all the material possessions he could want, he may still not be rich toward 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.


Gambling: A Question of Motive

Commentary by Martin G. Collins

The addiction of gambling comes from the lure of effortless profit and the way of get, motivated by covetousness, which militates against contentment.


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.'


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Five): Comparisons

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Solomon provides these comparisons to indicate the choices we should make to live better lives in alignment with God, even in an 'nder the sun' world.


The Philosophy of Black Friday

Sermonette by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Black Friday stirs up greedy, materialistic, covetous attitudes. When a nation reaches a materialistic mindset, it is on its way to oblivion.


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.


A Warning from Jude (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Blinded by greed, Balaam used whatever mental gymnastics necessary to arrive at the answer he wanted. He turned the grace of God into a license for evil.


Benefits of Thanksgiving

CGG Weekly by Gary Montgomery

Do we thank God daily for all His blessings? Do we thank Him for only the nice things? He wants us to thank Him for His benefits, mercy, and graciousness.


Wisdom for the Young (Part Three)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Solomon already lived the wild side, considered it deeply over, and reported on it. If we will listen to what he says, we can avoid all kinds of heartache.


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.


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.


Balaam and the End-Time Church (Part 2)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Balaam, motivated by self-interest, believing that the ends justify the means, willing to do anything to get his way, is spiritually inferior to a donkey.


Hebrews 12 and 13: Advice for the End Time

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We must lay aside every weight, accept God's chastening, receive encouragement from those who have gone before, and get back into the spiritual race.


What Does God Really Want? (Part 5)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

What God really wants is for us to see things from His point of view, making the right choices, striving to build character, developing into His image.


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.


The Seven Laws of Success

Herbert W. Armstrong Booklet

WHY are only the very few—women as well as men—successful in life? Just what is success? Here is the surprising answer to life's most difficult problem.


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.


Strategies for Interfacing with Babylon Without Becoming Assimilated (Part Two)

Sermon by David F. Maas

There are three basic causes for discontentment and three strategies to contentment, enabling us to emulate the apostle Paul's content state of mind.


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.


The Entertainment Craze

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Elizabeth Taylor exemplified the hedonistic, pleasure-mad lifestyle that destroyed the ancient Roman Empire.


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.


Joy

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

True joy is based neither on material accumulation, nor in extraordinary physical accomplishments, but in the hope of salvation and the promises of God.


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.


God's Rest (Part 3)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Lust begets a guilty conscience, agitation, anxiety, depression, grief, torment. Wrong desire leads to lying, adultery, and murder—eventually leading to death.


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.


The Thinking Mind

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

In the current toxic culture, we have been warned not to be conformed to the world, but to become transformed into the glorious likeness of Christ.


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.


Why is Life So Hard?

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

The rigors God puts us through are not to crush us, but to shape us, transforming us into His image. True gain is walking through the anguish in victory.


A Bed Too Short (Part 1)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Charles Whitaker

Our society is too connected with the present, too enamored of technology, too surfeited on abundance to pay attention to basic laws of cause and effect.