S50 E6 | Greed | Pastor Joel Rainey | Covenant Church
All sin separates us from God. Some sins—pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, lust, gluttony—can destroy us. Jesus gives us virtues that overcome these vices.
This 8-week series examines the Seven Deadly Sins not to shame, but to reveal our need for grace. Each week shows how these sins infiltrate life, harm relationships, and distance us from God—and how Jesus provides the way out. The final week focuses on virtue and victorious life in Christ.
Today we focus on greed as a deadly sin rooted not in wealth itself but in a heart of disordered desire and scarcity. Pastor Joel argues that modern consumer culture fuels constant craving, convincing us we never have enough. Challenging the myths that greed only affects the rich or can be virtuous, the message warns that greed ultimately destroys individuals and societies. Using Scripture, especially the parable of the rich fool, it calls believers to choose contentment and generosity, finding true satisfaction in God rather than in accumulating more.
Let’s listen in…
LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:
Dr. Rebecca DeYoung Glittering Vices and other recommended reading for this series
Avarice (Greed)
Thomas Aquinas, Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD), Wallstreet movie, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Plutocricy
Augustine of Hippo “…our hearts are restless until they rest in you”
CS Lewis “He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only.”
Scripture References:
Luke 12, verses 15-21; 1 Timothy 6, verses 6-10; Proverbs 15, verse 27; Proverbs 11, verse 28; Proverbs 15, verses 16-17; 2 Corinthians 9, verse 7
Download the transcript here