Youth Sermon: Money is a Terrible Master, But a Great Servant

Centralia, Pennsylvania and Money

Ever heard of Centralia, Pennsylvania? Back in 1962, a coal mine fire started there and it's still burning today, right under the ground. Crazy, right? Money is kinda like that fire. It can be used for good stuff or it can cause a lot of damage. When money takes over our hearts, it can burn us up from the inside.

Just like that coal mine fire: 1. Our hearts can be hard to reach. Greed can hide out and be tough to spot or beat. 2. The fuel for money seems never-ending. We always want more, like John D. Rockefeller, who said, 'Just a little bit more.'

Money becomes a problem when it starts bossing us around. But when God is our boss, money becomes our tool.

Breaking Money's Hold

We can't trust in both God and money at the same time. To break money's hold on us, we gotta be generous.

In the stories of the rich young ruler and Zacchaeus, Jesus told them to give away their money to break its hold on them. Giving is like a fire extinguisher to the money fire in our hearts.

Money as a Tool

We often make money decisions without asking God what He thinks. The world tells us to chase money, but God meant for it to be a tool, not the prize. Money should be used to do God's work in our lives.

The amount of money we make isn't the problem; it's what's going on in our hearts. Money shows and boosts our character. It can boost bad habits or help us do more good.

Money is a tool that boosts our character. It's important to have a humble and strong character with good habits. Let's ask God to check out our hearts and help us get our priorities straight. Let's trust in God as our provider, no matter how much money we have. Let's be content, grateful, and smart with the blessings God has given us.

Prayer

This week, think about one way you can use your money as a tool to help someone else. Maybe it's buying lunch for a friend, donating to a charity, or saving up for a future mission trip.

Let's pray: God, help us to see money as a tool, not our boss. Help us to be generous and use our money to make a difference. In Jesus's name, Amen.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. How does money make you feel and why?

2. In what ways can money serve us?

3. How can money control us?

4. How can we ensure that money is a tool and not a master in our lives?

5. Share a time when you felt controlled by money and how you overcame it.

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Money Talks
• Group Activity: The Money Map
• Youth Challenge: Generosity Challenge