Luke 15:11-16
Matthew 4:8-10
“Enough: Simplicity & Financial Wisdom”
Preached Sunday, September 28, 2025
Today begins a three-week sermon series called, “Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity.” And I’d like to set the scene for this sermon series… As of June 2025, SSRS reports that 74% Americans are worried about the economy and 58% believe we are headed towards a recession. As of May 2024, PEw reports that only 4 in 10 Americans think they are in a good or excellent financial position.
We may hear the evening news or read the headlines and ask: How can we talk about “Enough” at a time like this? I would say that in uncertain times like these, these topics of conversation are more important than ever.
This sermon and worship series is not going to ignore that there are systemic issues that affect our cost of living, income, and overall well-being. By just our location in this country and in the global economy, we are put into a system that is beyond our control, and often has us in over our heads…and many of us are truly doing our best with the hand that was dealt to us.
And, it is at times like this, when the system is stacked against us - to consider what personal choices we can make and what voices we should be listening to - to cultivate contentment, joy, and generosity - in a world where the odds stacked against us.
We might need to acknowledge that the American Dream, for many, has become the American Nightmare.
By the American Dream I am not referring to the founding father’s dream of the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I am not referring to the inscription on the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free…” I am not referring to Martin Luther King Jr’s dream of equality shared in his famous, “I have a dream…” speech. These are all “American dreams…” but when people talk about “THE American Dream” - it is usually in reference to suburban houses, white picket fences, and achieving a personal level of success where life is more than comfortable - where we have everything we need and more.
Alexis de Tocqueville, wrote in the 19th Century about Americans: “[they] are extremely eager in the pursuit of actual and physical gratification. As they are always dissatisfied with the position which they occupy…they think of nothing but the means of changing their fortune, or of increasing it…” While this was written almost 200 years ago, it could be said of us today.
Indeed this ideal of the American Dream and the pursuit of wealth in happiness brings us to the temptation of Jesus that we heard in the Gospel of Matthew today: “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, “All these I will give you…’”
Every single day, multiple times a day, we are tempted to try and achieve all the kingdoms of the world and their glory…We are tempted by the American Dream of success being tied up with what we earn, what we spend, what we have.
Consider how many ads we see in a day. This week in response to getting a text message ad my one friend said, “I am tired of always trying to be sold something.” I get a bunch of text message ads so it made me wonder…how many ads do I see in a day? As I am writing this sermon I have several tabs open on my computer - social media, Google, the Bible gateway…my phone is sitting next to me. I decided to spend ten minutes looking at my open internet tabs and phone and counting every advertisement I saw. Friends, after three minutes, I was at 50 advertisements. I was so weary, I could not go 7 more minutes…I regularly look at my phone and computer much longer than this…but I have never stopped and counted the ads before. And here’s the really sad thing, I took a typical day of phone use and saw that I was on social media for about an hour and a half abd on Google for a half hour…so just on my phone usage alone that would even out to maybe…1500 ads a day. That is not even counting “Influencers” - people whose whole job it is to create posts on social media to sell your products or ideologies in ways that don’t look like ads. In addition, the day before writing this sermon I got half a dozen ads via text, and 50 promotional emails. Now, before you say, “I’m not on social media” - consider the ads you see on TV, the product placements, billboards, radio commercials, and more… Google will tell you that we see or hear anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 ads a day.
This is part of what makes the American Dream, the American Nightmare. We are constantly being sold something. But behind each advertisement we see is the voice telling us: if we just bought this product, if we just signed up for this service…we could finally be happy. We could finally have enough. We could have finally made it…but of course, that’s not how any of this works. The promise of more never stops. We spend beyond our means, hoping this next purchase will finally be the one…it never is. As a society, we have so much stuff, too much stuff, that we can’t even store it all in our homes. In 2025, there is 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage space in America. In Boardman, we see how many self-storage facilities there are in our area alone. This drive for more is called “Affluenza” - and it is being facilitated by another illness - credit-itis. As of mid-2025, total U.S. credit card debt is around $1.21 trillion. I literally gasped when I first read this number.
We become wasteful in our pursuit of happiness. In pursuit of “enough.”
Which brings us to the second Scripture we read today, “The prodigal son.” We often think that “prodigal” means one who wanders…but Prodigal means “wasteful” - a son who thought he could finally be happy, go and have fun - and maybe we did for a time, but before long, his wastefulness left him lost, alone, and hungry…
There are more statistics I could share…These illnesses of affluenza and credititis - along with the systemic issues of inflation and a growing class gap - have left us wrung out, in dire straits, and unhappy in body and spirit. We may have to admit that not only is our system broken, but the sin inside of us, which distorts our desires, leaves us broken on the inside as well. We talk about the seven deadly sins and at least three of them are related to money and possession - envy (wanting what another has), greed (an intense desire for more), and gluttony (the desire to keep on consuming). We are valuing wealth, material goods, the pursuit of external happiness…over what Christ has to offer: gratitude, thanksgiving, contentment, joy - and yes, even generosity - for generosity can happen in any financial situation - what Christ offers us is simply “enough.”
When the devil offers Jesus the riches and Kingdoms of this world…the same offer is being made to us every day. And when we say yes, it enslaves us to sin. It puts a chokehold on us that cuts the Good News and the freedom of the Gospel out of our lives. This is what Jesus meant by the parable of the sower when he said some seeds fell among the thorns and weeds. Jesus says, “As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”
So…what’s the solution?
It’s 2-Fold, practical and spiritual.
For the practical - look at what is within your control.
Plan for generosity first. Put God first in your budget and planning.
1. Create a budget - a plan for both where you need and want your resources to go.
2. Simplify your life. Look for ways to live below your means.
3. Work towards establishing an emergency fund to help cut down on credititis.
4. Look closely at the ways you use credit cards - create a plan to pay off debt.
5. Find ways to save for the future.
On the practical end, for myself, this week was a wake up call to how much I am the target of the constant bombardment for more. I am going to be installing ad blockers, setting screen time limits on my phone (again), and work on having intentional phone free Sabbath time. I am tired of being seen only as a consumer. I want to be seen as a child of God. This ties the practical to the spiritual. The world we live in will often reduce my worth to what I earn, what I consume, and thus how much I drive the economy. This has a negative effect on my soul. I was not made by God to just be a maker and spender of money. United Methodist pastor, Adam Hamilton writes, “We were created to care for God’s creation. We were created to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We were created to care for our families and those in need. We were created to glorify God, to seek justice, and to do mercy….if this is our life purpose, then our money and possessions should be devoted to helping us fulfill this calling. We are to use our resources to help care for our families and others - to serve Christ and the world through the church, missions, and every day opportunities.” This understanding bridges the practical and the spiritual.
And, of course, the spiritual solution:
1. Admit to God that we all need help. That we have placed the pursuit of happiness in material gain over love of God and love of neighbor.
2. Seek God first. Seek God’s Kingdom and strive to do God’s will.
3. God’s will for us is to glorify God, seek justice, and do mercy. Look hard at your whole life as to how you are using all that you are and all that you have to achieve this.
4. And perhaps, most radically, start praying to God for contentment. Acknowledge that all that you already have - may be more than “Enough.” Indeed, if we only had Christ - it would be enough.
May it be so. Amen.
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