Key Themes: Pride, Self-Dependence
[Core Gospel Concepts: Sin, Repentance, Intimacy with the Father]
One day Jesus was teaching crowds of people, and someone said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But Jesus said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Then he told them a parable, saying,
“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And then I'll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God . . . Instead, you should first seek God’s kingdom, and these other things will be given to you as well . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Optional Memory Verse: Revelation 3:20 - “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”