2026.08.30 Sermon: Rival Gods

Westside Family Church

Rival Gods

Pastor: Jonathan Hansen

Notes: 

Jesus talks about money more than anything else: our heart, forgiveness, heaven/hell, etc.

Money is a heart issue!  He wants us to see that everything in our lives flows from our hearts.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Matthew 6:19–24

Matthew 4:17:

Notes: 

 Repent in GreeK: mentanoia (changing your mind)

verb μετανοέω (metanoeó), 

Jesus wants us to rethink your total strategy for life.

Matrix-NEO-red-pill-blue-pill

Ignorance is Bliss!

Neo chose reality even though it costs him something.

Mammon represents money, possessions, material resources, possessions. (Same sentence has God).

Money has the power to become our functional savior.

Greed is difficult for us to admit!

We tend to diagnose greed by looking around and seeing someone else.

"It's someone else's problem."

It's not about how much you have or don't have.

It's about how tightly what you have is holding you.

Everyone in this room is in the top 1% richest people in the world.

Generosity should re-arrange our lives!

Christian generosity never begins with guilt.  Should be the overflow of Joy!

I want to give joyfully!

Faith and Finances working together

(Read Malachi) - only time God says "TEST ME!".

Repentence looks like reorganizing your life.  We want to step in and give towards the church, towards God!

Step into sacrificial generosity!

Lord, show me you are my provider!  MOney is not my savior - YOU ARE!

Baptism Sunday, two weeks from now for baptism.