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There’s a difference between believing God wants His people to prosper and believing God gives prosperity to those who do certain things for God.
Micah challenges the listener to consider that Acts 4 describes how God caused humanity to prosper through Jesus’ suffering. What God allowed Jesus to go through provided prosperity.
Referencing Tim Keller’s writing on the subject, Micah talks about how any idol (not just money) is often a good thing that has become a “god thing” in someone’s mind and heart.
Ultimately, any motivation that does not have God as the final goal is a problem. Referencing Dallas Willard, Micah states that “God does not have a problem with effort; he has a problem with earning.”
Why are you obedient? What is your motivation?
Be sure to Tweet your questions and comments to us: @LifeWayResearch and individually: @smcconn, @statsguycasey, and @lizettebeard. Join us next time for another edition of Keep Asking.
Micah Fries (pronounced Freeze) is the Senior Pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN. Prior to serving at Brainerd, he served as the Vice President of LifeWay Research in Nashville, TN and as a frequent speaker in churches and conferences. He has served as a Senior Pastor in Missouri and an international church planter in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Micah is currently a Ph.D. student, studying North American Missiology at Southeastern Seminary.