Page 70 - Pastoral Epistles student textbook

dying quietly in relative obscurity while most of the world ignores them. We live as if they don't even
exist. We must open our eyes to the urgent spiritual and physical needs in the world.

Would you describe yourself as being content – or do you want more? And if so, more of what?

In 1 Timothy 6:8, Paul tells us that God has called His people to a life marked by
contentment.

How do we gain contentment?
How do we become content when we live in cultures that promote wanting more?

Two principles.
1. Contentment comes from having the priority of godliness not gain.

2. Contentment comes from having the perspective of the eternal, not the temporal!
Luke 12:15. Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of
greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

 What does a life look like that is marked by the eternal perspective?

Are we seeking God’s kingdom?
(1) What do I want most in life? When I reach the end, what do I want to look back and see that God
did with my life above all else?

(2) What do I think about the when alone? We all have a lot to think about —family, jobs, future, the
news, school, friends. But what occupies your mind when you are alone? Do you think about the cause
of Christ and how you fit in?
(3) How do I spend my spare time?

(4) How do I spend my finances?

Many people claim to be Christians but are they content, or do they continue to
pursue more of what the world has to offer?

 God has called His people to a life marked by contentment.
• Why is it not possible to serve both God and money?

Matthew 6:24. No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the
other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both
God and money.
• What does a simple desire look like? Is it the same for all Christians?

1 Timothy 6:9-10. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into
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many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For
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the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have
wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

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