Laodiceans think of themselves as rich, while God sees them as poor. But Smyrnans see themselves as poor, yet God says they are rich! What are true riches?

God does not measure prosperity by the ownership of physical possessions but with the depth of a person's relationship with Him.

Those who view religion as a life of gloom and deprivation are too short-sighted to realize that the world's entertainments do not satisfy the deepest need.

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.'

In Proverbs 30:7-9, Agur asks God to cushion him from the extremes of poverty or excessive wealth, allowing himself to live a balanced life of contentment.

In the important things in life, money is powerless. Wealth cannot buy forgiveness, eternal life, or God's Spirit. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath.

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.

We must learn to be content to be weak and powerless, realizing that, when we are poor in spirit, we receive power from God's Holy Spirit.

We must be careful in our approach to our spiritual riches so we do not fall into the same trap that people with abundant physical wealth fall.

Christ is uncertain how much the Laodiceans really desire what He has offered them. Other things are competing for their attention. Will they open the door?

Being poor in spirit is a foundational spiritual state for qualifying for God's Kingdom. Poor in spirit describes being acutely aware of one's dependency.

In Laodicea, the people judge, but they are judging according to themselves. They are not seeking the will of Christ, and thus their judgment is distorted.

The Laodicean congregation had a penchant toward materialism, which sidetracked them from their primary goal of following Christ.

Jesus Christ's letter to the church in Smyrna contains a rarity among the seven churches: He levels no criticism! What makes the Smyrnans so acceptable?

While the Parable of the Ten Virgins highlights preparation for Christ's return, the Parable of the Talents portrays Christians engaged in profitable activity.

Contrary to Protestant understanding, our works emphatically do count - showing or demonstrating (not just telling) that we will be obedient.

The biblical city of Smyrna may be one that many know the least about. The city's name reveals the themes that the Head of the church wants us to understand.

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.

Christ prepared the members of Smyrna for martyrdom, promising them eternal glory for enduring a relatively short time, looking at things from a hopeful perspective.

The gift of the Holy Spirit, leading to an intimate relationship with God, eternal life in the God family as called out firstfruits, is priceless.

Biblically, a talent has nothing to do with ability, skill, or aptitude. The Parable of the Talents goes far beyond making use of skills and abilities.

The Laodiceans fail to reciprocate Christ's love for them. The comfort of prosperity blinded them to their spiritual condition, especially their need for Christ.