Kingdom Over Everything

Idolatry: The worship of a physical object, person, or concept as a deity, or the excessive devotion to anything other than the Creator. It is often defined as replacing God with created things.

He doesn’t say that we cannot enjoy His creation; however, once we make the created person, place, or thing our source instead of Him, we lose our identity and true purpose.

Christ Brings Division

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” — Matthew 10:34-39

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.” — Matthew 6:24

God will not allow us to be divided. He is telling us we must choose one thing or the other; He wants our full devotion.

Sexuality

Sexuality is essential to creation and something to which God gave specificity for a reason from the beginning. When handled correctly, it produces the continuation of mankind and gives insight into who someone is. God even created an act called "intercourse" for pleasure between two married human beings.

However, when this is confused and used in perverted ways, it causes immeasurable damage to society: sex trafficking, sexual abuse, broken families, the objectification of the male and female (who were made in God’s image), and much more.

• Leviticus 18:22

• Leviticus 20:13

• Romans 1:26-27

Gender War: Feminism vs. Toxic Masculinity

From the moment He made Adam and then Eve, God designed us to be in unity. The divide of constant tension—manifested in the modern world as hate, transactional, shallow, and pessimistic perceptions of one another—is a scheme of the enemy. This tension, partly due to the Fall in the Garden, seeks to divide and move us away from our original design: to work together in bringing forth the Kingdom of God on Earth, making His presence known, and being a representation of Jesus.

• Genesis 2:15, 18, 20-21 

• Corinthians 12:12-27

Patriotism & Cultural Idolatry

The culture and place that God has placed you in from birth are intentional and should be recognized and honored. However, these are only things meant to ultimately point people to the true source of power and identity: the Kingdom of God.

• Matthew 22:15-2

• 1 Peter 2:11-17

• 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Witchcraft & Divination

This involves seeking knowledge and power apart from God.

• Deuteronomy 18:10-11

• Galatians 5:13, 19-20.

Being Your Own Savior

The world will always point to you as the person who needs to get yourself out of a situation: work your way through it and grind until you can’t anymore. While Scripture says "faith without works is dead," this concept has consumed society. As a believer, you are called to lean completely on God in humility. Achieving success by the world's standards is deceitful if you did it apart from Him and did not consider Him.

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” — John 15:1-8

Materialism

Things will never fulfill you. They bring only temporary satisfaction, eventually leaving you shallow externally and empty internally.

• Ecclesiastes 2:7-11

Final Charge to Timothy

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness,faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.” 

— 1 Timothy 6:9-12