The Well Church of the Nazarene

The god of Love

The god of Success

Luke 18:18-30 shares the Parable of the Rich Ruler, who was faced with a choice--he could serve God or money, and he could not choose both. 

We often look to money to do the very things for us that God wants to do. Money itself isn't the problem. It's the love of money--the god of success--that is the problem. It's become our source of satisfaction, our measure of worth, our security, and we find ourselves resting our hope in money or success instead of God. 

What are you holding on to that you need to let go of?

The god of Pleasure

The gods of pleasure often begin as good gifts from the Lord God--food, entertainment, sex, relaxation, etc. These are good things God gave us out of his love, but too often we find ourselves living for these pleasures. They become what motivates us to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. They're what our relationships, our time, and our money often revolve around.

Without even realizing it, we find that we're worshiping the gods of pleasure instead of the God who has given us such gifts. Instead of having a throne in our hearts where God reigns, we often have a loveseat, where God is expected to share the space with something--or someone--else.

The gods of pleasure are a cheap imitation for what the Lord God has for us. They are at war within us, taking everything and giving nothing.

Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Gods at War

We come together every week weary, tired, frustrated, discouraged, alone, wounded, and we search for answers to our symptoms believing they're the real issues we're facing. But over the next 7 weeks, we're going to look past the symptoms and get right to the disease, engaging the gods at war within our lives. 

The beauty in this conversation is not about guilt, but about recognition. When we realize the war--the battles, the gods--we become aware of the separation between us and the one in whose image we are created, and can begin turning our hearts back to the ONE GOD who loves us unconditionally. 

Reset My Hands

Reset My Voice

Reset My Mind

Reset My Heart

Unexpected Love

From our 2022 Advent series, "An Unexpected Christmas."

Unexpected Joy