To 160th Ave Church of Christ

160thavechurch.com

Holiday Spending

• Americans are expected to spend $469 billion shopping this holiday season. (Fox21News)

• According to a Gallup survey that was just released, the average U.S. adult plans to spend 781 dollars on Christmas gifts this year, which is significantly up from 704 last year (infowars.com, statista.com, and business insider.com)

Forbes: Average Expense on Gifts• Family members: $431• Themselves: $119.82• Friends: $94.52• Miscellaneous: $43.50• Co-workers: $26.70

• Total: $750.68

Forbes: Additional Costs • Christmas Tree: $41.50• Cards And Postage: $32.43• Floral Arrangements: $22.61• Food And Candy: $95.04• Decorations: $51.43

• Total: $243.01

“Tis the Season… to be GREEDY?”

A Lesson On MATERIALISM

Is it Wrong to Give and Receive Gifts?• No

– Gen. 24; gifts for rebekah– 1 Kings 10: Queen of Sheba gives Solomon gifts. – Matt. 2:11 “gold, frankincense, and myrrh”– John 12:3 “costly perfume”– No, it is not wrong in and of itself!!!!

• But depending on how we give, It can be dangerous!!!– It can feed to materialism– It can feed to greed– It can feed to entitlement– It can feed to a lack of appreciation

A Few Reminders about Materialism:• Heb. 13:5 “be free from the love of money…be

content”• 1 John 2:16 “pride in possessions”• 1 Tim. 6:6-10 “the love of money is a root of all

kinds of evil”• Luke 12:15 “guard against all covetousness”

Parents: Have concern for what you may be teaching your kids

• What message am I sending???– If I place extreme importance on material gifts and gift-

giving?– by giving them everything they want? By giving gifts to an

excessive extent? (Prov. 13:22; Prov. 20:21)– if I’m giving despite lack of appreciation and complaining?

• Ex. Videos of kids throwing fits.• “I don’t want to be a bad parent by not giving what they want.”

(Eccl. 5:10)

• Would your family be ok if there weren’t any gifts for the holidays??? (Matt. 19- Rich young ruler).

Parents: Have concern for what you may be teaching your kids

• Many kids do not grow up materialistic but are taught to be that way– Ex. The gift box. – Ex. “What is it”

• We may be helping teach materialism by giving incredible riches!!!– While it is the attitude and the love of money

that is wrong, being rich presents difficulty – Matt. 19:23-24

A Reminder of Who is Rich:• “Rich” is a relative term!• Some statistics that might shock you!– If you have sufficient food, decent clothes, live

in a house or apartment, and have a reasonably reliable means of transportation, you are wealthier than 85% of the world!**

– If your family’s income is over $25,000 per year, you are wealthier than approximately 90 percent of the world's population!

A Reminder of Who is Rich: More Statistics• If your family’s income is over $50,000 per year,

you are wealthier than 99 percent of the world!• There are over 6.7 billion people on earth.

Almost half of the world’s population lives on less than two dollars a day (according to World Bank).

• 1.2 billion people lack access to a reliable water source that is reasonably protected from contamination (according to World Bank).

A Word to Children this holiday Season:• Be GRATEFUL to parents and others!!!• Be thankful that you have more than you need!

– 1 Tim. 6:6-8• Don’t compare yourself to friends!!!

– Comparison is an enemy of contentment. (1 Cor. 12)– There is always someone who will have more– There will always be something better that will come out later– A true comparison

• Don’t boast in what you have• Remember what is most important!!!

Give what you can afford• Many take on great debt to give gifts– Prov. 22:7

• “That’s true sacrifice” – No that’s true foolishness. – Sacrifice is saving and not spending on self to

be able to afford

The Best Gifts We Can Give: • Father’s instruction and mother’s teaching– Proverbs 1:8-9

• Wisdom– Proverbs 3:22; 4:8-9; 8:11

• The Law of the Lord– Psalm 19:7-10

• The gift of Salvation– Rom. 6:23