August 3rd, Sermon & Ministry Resources

"RICH TOWARD GOD" (Luke 12:13-21)

Lectionary Readings — Eighth Sunday after Pentecost — August 3, 2025

Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9,43; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21

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Call to Worship (based on Luke 12:13-21)

Leader: Come, all who are weary of chasing after worldly treasures.

People: We come seeking the riches that never fade.

Leader: Come, all who have learned that life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.

People: We come to worship the God who gives life meaning and purpose.

Leader: Come, all who desire to be rich toward God rather than rich in earthly goods.

People: We come to offer our hearts, our lives, and all that we have to the Lord.

Leader: For the earth is the Lord's and all that is in it.

People: The world, and those who live in it belong to God.

Leader: Our times are in God's hands, our security rests in His love.

People: Let us worship the God who provides for all our needs.

Leader: Let us lay aside our anxieties about temporal things.

People: And focus our hearts on treasures that are eternal.

Leader: Come, let us worship the Lord with grateful hearts!

People: Let us praise the God who makes us truly rich! Amen!

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Opening Prayer (based on Hosea 11:1-11)

Let us pray:

Loving Father, we come before You remembering that when we were children, You loved us. You have called us to be Your sons and daughters and delivered us from the bondage of sin, yet we confess that like Israel of old, the more You call to us, the more we often turn away, pursuing the false gods of success, security, and control.

We thank You that You are the God who teaches us to walk, who takes us up in Your arms when we stumble. You lead us with cords of kindness and bands of love, bending down to feed us when we are hungry and helpless. Forgive us when we fail to recognize Your healing touch or when we attribute Your blessings to our own efforts.

Lord, we know our rebellion grieves Your heart, yet we praise You that Your mercy triumphs over judgment. Your heart churns within You; Your compassion is aroused on our behalf. You are the Holy One in our midst—not distant, but near to us, Emmanuel, God with us.

This morning, draw us close to You. Help us to follow as You call to us, and may we find our true home in You. Be present with us now as we worship. Speak to our hearts through Your Word and change us by the power of Your Spirit.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, whom You also called out of Egypt, and who calls us to follow Him.

Amen.

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Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].

[Note: All Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.]

Sermon Outline: "RICH TOWARD GOD"

Based on Luke 12:13-21

INTRODUCTION:

• Set the scene: Jesus surrounded by crowds, teaching about life's priorities

• The interruption: a man seeking earthly justice in family matters

• Jesus' response reveals deeper spiritual truths about wealth, security, and what truly matters

• Central question: What does it mean to be "rich toward God"?

I. REQUESTING Earthly Division (vv. 13-14)

A. The Desperate Appeal

B. The Divine Refusal

C. The Revealed Heart

II. REJECTING Greed's Deception (v. 15)

A. The Warning

B. The False Equation

C. The True Perspective

III. REVEALING Life's True Treasure (vv. 16-21)

A. The Parable Setup (vv. 16-17)

B. The Selfish Solution (vv. 18-19)

C. The Divine Verdict (v. 20)

D. The Eternal Principle (v. 21)

Conclusion:

A. The Choice Before Us

B. Practical Applications

C. The Eternal Perspective

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Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers