Wk 6 // May 31 & June 1
Wk 6 // LET’S TALK ABOUT IT
May 31 & June 1, 2025
Small Group Study
SERMON RECAP
Spend a few minutes recapping this week's sermon together.
TAP HERE TO VIEW THE SERMON NOTES.
INTRODUCTION
The materialism interwoven into the fabric of our culture leads us to believe we need anything we want. Advertisers push us to buy with the promise that an item will make us happy and bring satisfaction. We buy into this philosophy of greed and discontent, always wanting more and never being satisfied. Contentment happens by moving the focus of contentment from stuff to God.
Both Solomon and the apostle Paul addressed the meaningless pursuit of wealth, materialism’s inability to satisfy, and the real source of contentment. In Ecclesiastes 5:8–6:9, Solomon spoke about the futility of making the acquisition of money and the stuff it buys the goal of life. In 1 Timothy 6, Paul spoke about the value of contentment.
UNDERSTANDING
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ ECCLESIASTES 5:10-14.
An obsession with wealth and possessions is destructive because it leads to the following:
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ ECCLESIASTES 6:7-9.
In these verses Solomon re-emphasized the point made in 5:10—money cannot satisfy. The main thought of verse 7 is that we work to buy food in order to satisfy our appetite, but tomorrow we are hungry again. The word translated “appetite” in verse 7 is the Hebrew word nephesh. This word often is translated “soul.” It’s the same word used in Genesis 2:7, God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (nephesh). Genesis chapters 1–2 teach that we are by nature more than material; we have a spiritual, God-breathed element, too. If our lives consist only in working and eating, then we are being controlled by our physical appetites, and that puts us on the same level as animals. We are made in the image of God; therefore, we must live for something higher. We need to be greater than mere consumers.
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ 1 TIMOTHY 6:6-12
Godliness focuses on what is permanent: God who never changes (Heb. 13:8) and our relationship with Him. Godliness includes an abiding trust in Christ, a trust that is reflected in our contentment with what He has provided.
Christian contentment is Christ-sufficiency, not self-sufficiency. When we have contentment we are independent of outward circumstances. We have inward self-sufficiency, but self-sufficiency is really Christ-sufficiency.
Money is not evil in and of itself. If believers follow the many biblical principles of stewardship, they will be able to glorify God and accomplish much good for His Kingdom. When we love money, however, we are taking our eyes off the One we should be loving—God. Jesus made it clear that we can either love God or we can love money, but we cannot have it both ways (Matt. 6:24).
APPLICATION
PRAYER
Pray that God will free us from being consumed with possessions so that we might find contentment in Him.
—----------------------------------
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY
[for further reading on this passage]
ECCLESIASTES 5:10-14
5:10. The one who loves money is a greedy person who makes the acquisition of wealth the goal of life. The two occurrences of the word loves in this verse render a Hebrew verb form that specifically emphasizes ongoing, unbroken, continuous action. Therefore, what Solomon had in view were people who made it their lives’ ambitions to pursue constantly the accumulation of money and stuff. The result would have been the subordination of all other concerns, including the most important matters of family and God. We note a similar emphasis in Jesus’ teaching (see Matt. 6:24). Jesus clearly stated people cannot serve God and money, or the stuff money buys. The love of money and wealth is vanity. The term vanity (futility) can refer to breath, emptiness, transitoriness, or meaninglessness. The term is often used in the Book of Ecclesiastes to underscore the view that life lived apart from God is meaningless. Without God, life is empty, holds no real meaning, and provides no lasting significance.
5:11. Solomon pointed out some other problems with money and stuff beyond their inability to satisfy us. Amassed wealth attracts outsiders who want to consume it. The idea seems to be that one person’s wealth triggers another person’s greed, resulting in a lust to sponge off of, or to steal, swindle, or defraud the wealthy of their money and stuff. The younger son in the parable of the Prodigal Son had many “friends” when he had wealth. However, none of these companions helped him when his money ran out (see Luke 15:16). The best the wealthy people could do would be to keep their stuff hidden away and privately gaze at their things with their eyes. Ironically, the accumulation of wealth was thought to bring increased public honor; instead, the wealthy had to content themselves with private gazes.
5:12. Another problem Solomon pointed out involved the anxiety that wealthy people experience. The reference to the sleep of a laborer is meant to focus our attention on those who had no amassed wealth, but rather survived by going to work everyday. The idea of the worker’s sleep being sweet meant he had no problem falling asleep and staying asleep, even if he did not have sufficient money to buy enough food. In sharp contrast, the wealthy person who could live and eat like a king, often had real difficulty falling asleep. The rich went day-to-day tired and lethargic because their abundance permitted no sleep. The anxiety over potentially losing acquired money or stuff negated any advantage of having the stuff in the first place.
5:13. A third problem Solomon pointed out was the wrong approach people were taking to money and stuff. Instead of thinking of money and possessions as a blessing from God to be used for the helping of those who needed it, the wealthy man was hoarding and guarding stuff to his hurt. The term hurt refers to calamity, distress, misery, or injury. His love for riches deprived him of the ability to keep money and stuff in their proper perspective. Things, no matter how much we have, should never displace God and family in our lives. No wonder Solomon referred to this tendency as a grievous evil.
5:14. A final problem Solomon observed was that wealth amassed could also be wealth lost. The word lost renders a graphic verb in Hebrew meaning “to die” or “to perish.” The wealthy estates of the rich could perish just like a person. The bad venture could have been a poor investment choice or an investment lost due to the fraud or deceit of others.
1 TIMOTHY 6:6-12
6:6. Paul commended the benefits of godliness with contentment in v. 6 (see Ps 37:3-5). Paul used the word “contentment” to refer to an attitude of mind independent of externals and dependent only on God. He was not advocating godless self-sufficiency as a source of contentment. Paul believed that true sufficiency is Christ-sufficiency (Phil 4:13). Paul was affirming that those who felt that godliness leads to gain were indeed correct, for there is great profit (spiritual profit) in a brand of godliness that possesses a contentment in the realm of its material possessions. True godliness is a means of much gain, for it promises benefits for this life and the next (4:8). Adding contentment to this godliness would promote gratitude for God’s gracious gifts in this life (see 1 Tim 4:4-5).
6:7-8. Why do godliness and contentment represent great gain? Paul’s “for” clause introduced an eschatological reason for this contentment. Since after a brief stay we shall depart this life as we came in, it is sheer folly to concern ourselves with earthly matters. Material gain is irrelevant, and greed is irrational (see Job 1:21). The second reason (v. 8) is that we must be content when we possess life’s necessities. The term “clothing” is general enough to include both clothing and shelter, but the immediate context favors limiting it to personal possessions such as dress. Paul’s words reflect the teaching of Jesus (Matt 6:25-34; Luke 12:22-31). Paul referred to food and clothing as symbols of life’s necessities. What is actually a necessity will vary somewhat in different societies. However, all of us face the temptation of greedily coveting more than we need.
In these verses Paul warned that godliness is not a trait from which to make material profit (v. 5). True godliness has contentment for its companion (v. 6). Since we cannot take life’s luxuries into God’s presence, we should be content with life’s necessities (vv. 7-8). Greed can find no place in an attitude like this.
6:9-10. Paul spoke the words of vv. 9-10 to those who “want to get rich” (“men who keep planning to get rich,” Williams). There is no condemnation of wealth as such, and the words do not apply to someone who wistfully longs, “It would be nice to have more money.” In v. 9 Paul painted three progressive pitfalls in which the willful wealth-seeker becomes entangled. The “desires” are “foolish” because instead of bringing gain, they only produce harm. Paul supported this warning about wealth with a contemporary proverb. We can make three comments about the proverb. First, it does not condemn money but the love of money. Second, it does not state that all evil comes from the love of money, but such misplaced love can cause a great variety of (“all kinds of”) evil. It is incorrect to say that the love of money causes all sins. Ambition and sexual lust are also fertile breeding grounds of sin. Third, the wandering elders from Ephesus who had sold out to greed were living proof of this maxim. The concern about materialism Paul had expressed in v. 5 had become a reality in the false teachers. Judas and Ananias and Sapphira were New Testament figures who “drowned” because of this inordinate love.
There is a link between the “faith” of the gospel and the blessedness God promises to his people (6:10b; Ps 1). The denial of one negates the other. Some translations (e.g., “spiked themselves on many thorny griefs,” NEB) capture the intensely painful idea behind the word “pierced.” With these graphic words Paul concluded his description of the heretics, their false teaching, and their false practice. He now turned his attention to specific words of guidance for his beloved Timothy.
6:11. The beginning words, “But you,” show that Timothy’s behavior was to provide an utter contrast to that of the false teachers mentioned in vv. 3–10. The twin commands of v. 11 contain a warning and a challenge. Timothy was warned to flee the heresy, divisiveness, and greed that Paul had denounced in vv. 3–10. He was challenged to “pursue” six virtues mentioned in three pairs. Each trait represents a must to insure Timothy’s effectiveness in his ministry. The term “righteousness” refers primarily to upright conduct before human beings, and “godliness” describes an open and obedient relationship before God. The words “faith” and “love” reflect trust in God and benevolence and goodwill toward others (see 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 2:2). Timothy would need “endurance” in order to guarantee staying power for his difficult task. He needed “gentleness” in order to deal effectively with cantankerous heretics and wavering believers.
6:12. Having urged Timothy to avoid the false vagaries of the heretics and to develop needed Christian graces, Paul gave directives for perseverance. First, he borrowed an image from the athletic sphere to urge Timothy to “keep up the good fight for the faith.” The metaphor can imply either running or boxing or wrestling. The use of the present tense for “fight” suggests a continuous struggle. Second, Paul used a command focusing on eschatology urging Timothy to continue in the contest. Depending on the context, Paul could present eternal life as a blessing to be realized at the end (here and in Rom 6:22) or as a present experience (2 Cor 4:10-12, though the expression differs in this passage). The fact that God had “called” Timothy to eternal life suggests that it was already in his grasp but not completely held. Paul’s command was intended to stir up Timothy to renewed vigor, but it does not imply that Timothy earned eternal life by self-effort. It suggests that “eternal life” is more of a goal toward which Timothy was to orient his efforts rather than a prize that God would give him as a reward for that effort. The fact that God had called him was an incentive for his response.
Paul turned from a series of admonitions to Timothy to give advice to those already rich. The preceding words on wealth in vv. 6-10 were spoken to those who aspired to wealth. As a final thought Paul spoke a word to those who already had it. The constructive advice here balances the more extreme prohibitions of the earlier passage. He did not condemn wealth, but he showed the added temptations the wealthy face. He was vitally concerned that Christians have the right attitude toward their wealth and make the proper use of it (cf. Luke 12:13-21; Ps 52:7).
May 31 & June 1, 2025
Small Group Study
SERMON RECAP
Spend a few minutes recapping this week's sermon together.
TAP HERE TO VIEW THE SERMON NOTES.
- What was one takeaway from this week's sermon for you?
- Were there any stories, ideas, or points that stuck out?
- Was there anything that challenged you?
INTRODUCTION
- If all your possessions were put on display for the world to see, what might be deemed frivolous and materialistic? How do you justify it?
- Why are we not content with just the basic necessities?
- How does our culture fuel discontentment?
The materialism interwoven into the fabric of our culture leads us to believe we need anything we want. Advertisers push us to buy with the promise that an item will make us happy and bring satisfaction. We buy into this philosophy of greed and discontent, always wanting more and never being satisfied. Contentment happens by moving the focus of contentment from stuff to God.
Both Solomon and the apostle Paul addressed the meaningless pursuit of wealth, materialism’s inability to satisfy, and the real source of contentment. In Ecclesiastes 5:8–6:9, Solomon spoke about the futility of making the acquisition of money and the stuff it buys the goal of life. In 1 Timothy 6, Paul spoke about the value of contentment.
UNDERSTANDING
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ ECCLESIASTES 5:10-14.
- Does the vanity of accumulating money and stuff mean that it’s wrong to have an ambition to get ahead or to improve your financial situation? Explain.
- Looking at verses 10-14, what problems did Solomon identify for those who are consumed with acquiring wealth and possessions?
An obsession with wealth and possessions is destructive because it leads to the following:
- Discontentment (v. 10)—The one who loves money can never get enough of it so it’s completely futile to think money brings happiness.
- Strained relationships (v. 11)—One person’s wealth triggers another person’s greed. When a person accumulates stuff, their capacity to engage in personal relationships with others can diminish.
- Anxiety (v. 12)—Those who depend on money for happiness lose the most sleep wondering how to take care of it all or worrying that someone will steal it. They put disproportionate attention on stuff.
- Wrong motives (v. 13)—The love for riches deprives people of the ability to keep money and stuff in proper perspective. As a result, they make poor decisions based on acquisition rather than ethics.
- Loss (v. 14)—Whether the result of bad investment, the deceit of others, or spending more than we have, wealth can and often does perish.
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ ECCLESIASTES 6:7-9.
In these verses Solomon re-emphasized the point made in 5:10—money cannot satisfy. The main thought of verse 7 is that we work to buy food in order to satisfy our appetite, but tomorrow we are hungry again. The word translated “appetite” in verse 7 is the Hebrew word nephesh. This word often is translated “soul.” It’s the same word used in Genesis 2:7, God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (nephesh). Genesis chapters 1–2 teach that we are by nature more than material; we have a spiritual, God-breathed element, too. If our lives consist only in working and eating, then we are being controlled by our physical appetites, and that puts us on the same level as animals. We are made in the image of God; therefore, we must live for something higher. We need to be greater than mere consumers.
- Is doing God’s will as essential to you as eating food? Why?
- What do you think Solomon meant when he said, “Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite” (v. 9)?
- How can we learn to be satisfied with what we have?
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ 1 TIMOTHY 6:6-12
- According to verse 6, where can we find great gain?
- What’s the connection between godliness and contentment? Why must godliness be part of the equation?
Godliness focuses on what is permanent: God who never changes (Heb. 13:8) and our relationship with Him. Godliness includes an abiding trust in Christ, a trust that is reflected in our contentment with what He has provided.
Christian contentment is Christ-sufficiency, not self-sufficiency. When we have contentment we are independent of outward circumstances. We have inward self-sufficiency, but self-sufficiency is really Christ-sufficiency.
- How is verse 10 often misquoted? What’s the difference in meaning between the way it’s misquoted (“Money is the root of all evil”) and the way it actually reads? Why is this difference important?
Money is not evil in and of itself. If believers follow the many biblical principles of stewardship, they will be able to glorify God and accomplish much good for His Kingdom. When we love money, however, we are taking our eyes off the One we should be loving—God. Jesus made it clear that we can either love God or we can love money, but we cannot have it both ways (Matt. 6:24).
- How can we keep away from the love of money? How do verses 11-12 help answer that question?
APPLICATION
- How is your life a reflection of the truth that contentment comes to those whose lives are absorbed in the things of God?
- What change needs to take place in your life to show spiritual growth in the way you view money and stuff?
- What reasons do you have to be content? What specific actions could help you be content with what you have?
PRAYER
Pray that God will free us from being consumed with possessions so that we might find contentment in Him.
—----------------------------------
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY
[for further reading on this passage]
ECCLESIASTES 5:10-14
5:10. The one who loves money is a greedy person who makes the acquisition of wealth the goal of life. The two occurrences of the word loves in this verse render a Hebrew verb form that specifically emphasizes ongoing, unbroken, continuous action. Therefore, what Solomon had in view were people who made it their lives’ ambitions to pursue constantly the accumulation of money and stuff. The result would have been the subordination of all other concerns, including the most important matters of family and God. We note a similar emphasis in Jesus’ teaching (see Matt. 6:24). Jesus clearly stated people cannot serve God and money, or the stuff money buys. The love of money and wealth is vanity. The term vanity (futility) can refer to breath, emptiness, transitoriness, or meaninglessness. The term is often used in the Book of Ecclesiastes to underscore the view that life lived apart from God is meaningless. Without God, life is empty, holds no real meaning, and provides no lasting significance.
5:11. Solomon pointed out some other problems with money and stuff beyond their inability to satisfy us. Amassed wealth attracts outsiders who want to consume it. The idea seems to be that one person’s wealth triggers another person’s greed, resulting in a lust to sponge off of, or to steal, swindle, or defraud the wealthy of their money and stuff. The younger son in the parable of the Prodigal Son had many “friends” when he had wealth. However, none of these companions helped him when his money ran out (see Luke 15:16). The best the wealthy people could do would be to keep their stuff hidden away and privately gaze at their things with their eyes. Ironically, the accumulation of wealth was thought to bring increased public honor; instead, the wealthy had to content themselves with private gazes.
5:12. Another problem Solomon pointed out involved the anxiety that wealthy people experience. The reference to the sleep of a laborer is meant to focus our attention on those who had no amassed wealth, but rather survived by going to work everyday. The idea of the worker’s sleep being sweet meant he had no problem falling asleep and staying asleep, even if he did not have sufficient money to buy enough food. In sharp contrast, the wealthy person who could live and eat like a king, often had real difficulty falling asleep. The rich went day-to-day tired and lethargic because their abundance permitted no sleep. The anxiety over potentially losing acquired money or stuff negated any advantage of having the stuff in the first place.
5:13. A third problem Solomon pointed out was the wrong approach people were taking to money and stuff. Instead of thinking of money and possessions as a blessing from God to be used for the helping of those who needed it, the wealthy man was hoarding and guarding stuff to his hurt. The term hurt refers to calamity, distress, misery, or injury. His love for riches deprived him of the ability to keep money and stuff in their proper perspective. Things, no matter how much we have, should never displace God and family in our lives. No wonder Solomon referred to this tendency as a grievous evil.
5:14. A final problem Solomon observed was that wealth amassed could also be wealth lost. The word lost renders a graphic verb in Hebrew meaning “to die” or “to perish.” The wealthy estates of the rich could perish just like a person. The bad venture could have been a poor investment choice or an investment lost due to the fraud or deceit of others.
1 TIMOTHY 6:6-12
6:6. Paul commended the benefits of godliness with contentment in v. 6 (see Ps 37:3-5). Paul used the word “contentment” to refer to an attitude of mind independent of externals and dependent only on God. He was not advocating godless self-sufficiency as a source of contentment. Paul believed that true sufficiency is Christ-sufficiency (Phil 4:13). Paul was affirming that those who felt that godliness leads to gain were indeed correct, for there is great profit (spiritual profit) in a brand of godliness that possesses a contentment in the realm of its material possessions. True godliness is a means of much gain, for it promises benefits for this life and the next (4:8). Adding contentment to this godliness would promote gratitude for God’s gracious gifts in this life (see 1 Tim 4:4-5).
6:7-8. Why do godliness and contentment represent great gain? Paul’s “for” clause introduced an eschatological reason for this contentment. Since after a brief stay we shall depart this life as we came in, it is sheer folly to concern ourselves with earthly matters. Material gain is irrelevant, and greed is irrational (see Job 1:21). The second reason (v. 8) is that we must be content when we possess life’s necessities. The term “clothing” is general enough to include both clothing and shelter, but the immediate context favors limiting it to personal possessions such as dress. Paul’s words reflect the teaching of Jesus (Matt 6:25-34; Luke 12:22-31). Paul referred to food and clothing as symbols of life’s necessities. What is actually a necessity will vary somewhat in different societies. However, all of us face the temptation of greedily coveting more than we need.
In these verses Paul warned that godliness is not a trait from which to make material profit (v. 5). True godliness has contentment for its companion (v. 6). Since we cannot take life’s luxuries into God’s presence, we should be content with life’s necessities (vv. 7-8). Greed can find no place in an attitude like this.
6:9-10. Paul spoke the words of vv. 9-10 to those who “want to get rich” (“men who keep planning to get rich,” Williams). There is no condemnation of wealth as such, and the words do not apply to someone who wistfully longs, “It would be nice to have more money.” In v. 9 Paul painted three progressive pitfalls in which the willful wealth-seeker becomes entangled. The “desires” are “foolish” because instead of bringing gain, they only produce harm. Paul supported this warning about wealth with a contemporary proverb. We can make three comments about the proverb. First, it does not condemn money but the love of money. Second, it does not state that all evil comes from the love of money, but such misplaced love can cause a great variety of (“all kinds of”) evil. It is incorrect to say that the love of money causes all sins. Ambition and sexual lust are also fertile breeding grounds of sin. Third, the wandering elders from Ephesus who had sold out to greed were living proof of this maxim. The concern about materialism Paul had expressed in v. 5 had become a reality in the false teachers. Judas and Ananias and Sapphira were New Testament figures who “drowned” because of this inordinate love.
There is a link between the “faith” of the gospel and the blessedness God promises to his people (6:10b; Ps 1). The denial of one negates the other. Some translations (e.g., “spiked themselves on many thorny griefs,” NEB) capture the intensely painful idea behind the word “pierced.” With these graphic words Paul concluded his description of the heretics, their false teaching, and their false practice. He now turned his attention to specific words of guidance for his beloved Timothy.
6:11. The beginning words, “But you,” show that Timothy’s behavior was to provide an utter contrast to that of the false teachers mentioned in vv. 3–10. The twin commands of v. 11 contain a warning and a challenge. Timothy was warned to flee the heresy, divisiveness, and greed that Paul had denounced in vv. 3–10. He was challenged to “pursue” six virtues mentioned in three pairs. Each trait represents a must to insure Timothy’s effectiveness in his ministry. The term “righteousness” refers primarily to upright conduct before human beings, and “godliness” describes an open and obedient relationship before God. The words “faith” and “love” reflect trust in God and benevolence and goodwill toward others (see 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 2:2). Timothy would need “endurance” in order to guarantee staying power for his difficult task. He needed “gentleness” in order to deal effectively with cantankerous heretics and wavering believers.
6:12. Having urged Timothy to avoid the false vagaries of the heretics and to develop needed Christian graces, Paul gave directives for perseverance. First, he borrowed an image from the athletic sphere to urge Timothy to “keep up the good fight for the faith.” The metaphor can imply either running or boxing or wrestling. The use of the present tense for “fight” suggests a continuous struggle. Second, Paul used a command focusing on eschatology urging Timothy to continue in the contest. Depending on the context, Paul could present eternal life as a blessing to be realized at the end (here and in Rom 6:22) or as a present experience (2 Cor 4:10-12, though the expression differs in this passage). The fact that God had “called” Timothy to eternal life suggests that it was already in his grasp but not completely held. Paul’s command was intended to stir up Timothy to renewed vigor, but it does not imply that Timothy earned eternal life by self-effort. It suggests that “eternal life” is more of a goal toward which Timothy was to orient his efforts rather than a prize that God would give him as a reward for that effort. The fact that God had called him was an incentive for his response.
Paul turned from a series of admonitions to Timothy to give advice to those already rich. The preceding words on wealth in vv. 6-10 were spoken to those who aspired to wealth. As a final thought Paul spoke a word to those who already had it. The constructive advice here balances the more extreme prohibitions of the earlier passage. He did not condemn wealth, but he showed the added temptations the wealthy face. He was vitally concerned that Christians have the right attitude toward their wealth and make the proper use of it (cf. Luke 12:13-21; Ps 52:7).