WEBVTT 00:00:28.989 --> 00:00:31.309 All right, Riley, what's up? 00:00:32.509 --> 00:00:34.109 You guys look good this morning. 00:00:34.189 --> 00:00:36.109 I'm super glad that you're here tonight. 00:00:36.269 --> 00:00:42.429 This morning is gonna be a little bit different than the last few weeks, even though you never know what to expect in the summer. 00:00:42.509 --> 00:00:52.189 In fact, I think that's been our number one complaint about this series is that everybody wants to know what order we're going in, which commandment are we gonna talk about so you can know which one to skip. 00:00:52.429 --> 00:00:53.950 I know, I know you guys. 00:00:54.189 --> 00:00:56.509 Um welcome to church today. 00:00:56.590 --> 00:00:57.469 I'm glad you're here. 00:00:57.710 --> 00:01:02.829 If you are a guest, if you are just kicking the tires of relate, trying to figure out what we're about. 00:01:02.990 --> 00:01:04.909 I love that we are a church that you can do that. 00:01:04.990 --> 00:01:06.509 We have a no-hassle guarantee. 00:01:06.590 --> 00:01:09.390 We'll never hassle you about giving or serving. 00:01:09.469 --> 00:01:17.390 We just want you to figure out where the Lord wants you to be, what God, the things that God has for you, that is um that's our pleasure. 00:01:17.549 --> 00:01:21.870 We love to do life together and to worship the Lord together. 00:01:21.950 --> 00:01:24.189 And this morning we'll be studying together. 00:01:24.269 --> 00:01:29.310 Uh, I want to look at the camera and say welcome to all of those who are joining us online and clicking in. 00:01:29.469 --> 00:01:37.150 If you're on demand or streaming this morning on Sunday morning or anytime, we love that you're doing that with us, and uh, it means a lot to us. 00:01:37.310 --> 00:01:45.549 I know it takes a lot to uh to try something new or to even if you if you braved the weather this morning. 00:01:45.629 --> 00:01:52.670 I I just figured out that rain during the first service, but it was over by the time service was finished and started after. 00:01:52.750 --> 00:01:54.030 So I was shocked. 00:01:54.269 --> 00:02:04.349 But anytime we get any rain, our parking lot out here is just it turns into it's okay when it's not raining, but then as soon as it rains, it's just like quicksand out there. 00:02:04.670 --> 00:02:11.310 So uh I want to say thank you for braving the uh the parking lot and the and the weather. 00:02:11.469 --> 00:02:22.750 And for those online, um just doing something different is hard sometimes, but the payoff is is incredible when you get to connect with people and you get to connect with God's purpose and his plan for you. 00:02:22.829 --> 00:02:30.829 And I know that's gonna happen in today's message, so I'm gonna kind of get out of the way if I can and just uh introduce what's gonna happen today. 00:02:30.909 --> 00:02:42.750 It's a little bit I already told you it's different, but uh this week, I won't tell you what the what the commandment we're looking at, but every week we've looked at a different one of the ten commandments. 00:02:42.829 --> 00:02:50.589 We started with putting God first, and um we're gonna keep that going with another commandment today. 00:02:50.670 --> 00:02:57.389 But I want you to understand this that the commandments that God has for us, it's not a prison that rule, here's some more rules that you need to follow. 00:02:57.629 --> 00:03:00.430 It really is a way for God to bless us. 00:03:00.589 --> 00:03:09.949 And it when we live the way he wants us to live, the way he designed us to live, when we look at his commandments and his desires for us, it really sets us free. 00:03:10.110 --> 00:03:15.629 It puts us into a place where our relationship with him can be blessed. 00:03:16.350 --> 00:03:30.589 And as you look at the different commandments, the first four are about our relationship with him, and then the next six are about how we relate to each other, and it helps us to relate in a way that's healthy and uh create creative and blessed. 00:03:30.670 --> 00:03:35.389 And so we want God's favor on our relationship with him and with each other. 00:03:35.629 --> 00:03:40.990 So that's what we're looking for in the uh in the commandments, and it's it really is like a forge. 00:03:41.069 --> 00:03:42.750 So today, pull out your notes. 00:03:42.829 --> 00:03:46.750 We are a note-taking church because that is one way that it sticks with us. 00:03:46.829 --> 00:03:58.509 It it helps us to be molded and shaped by his will and his word and his spirit and not just somebody said amen, not just our feelings, our thoughts, our desires. 00:03:58.910 --> 00:04:02.670 That is not what we're gonna be molded and shaped by and sharpened by today. 00:04:02.750 --> 00:04:05.069 We're gonna be we are gonna be sharpened by his word. 00:04:05.389 --> 00:04:11.629 So pull out your notes, and today is gonna be like a tag team or a relay relay race. 00:04:11.709 --> 00:04:13.550 This is our young communicators Sunday. 00:04:13.629 --> 00:04:28.430 So there are we're gonna bring up four different uh young people, young adults, and um you're gonna learn a little bit about them, hopefully uh a lot more about the word and and the things that God has been speaking to them about today's message. 00:04:28.589 --> 00:04:30.829 But I can tell you this about all four of them. 00:04:30.990 --> 00:04:37.230 They love the Lord, they are in love with Jesus, they love his word, and they are passionate about serving today. 00:04:37.310 --> 00:04:38.509 So, y'all help them out. 00:04:38.589 --> 00:04:41.870 Come on, Jackson, come up first, get us started. 00:04:42.270 --> 00:04:43.870 Y'all can do a little bit better than that. 00:04:44.030 --> 00:04:44.830 Come on. 00:04:45.310 --> 00:04:46.670 All right, here we go. 00:04:47.150 --> 00:04:48.590 What's up, guys? 00:04:48.830 --> 00:04:49.710 Guess what? 00:04:49.949 --> 00:04:53.550 Y'all look beautiful, y'all are so good looking, always. 00:04:53.870 --> 00:04:57.310 So, my name's Jackson, for those of you that don't know. 00:04:57.470 --> 00:05:04.189 Uh, and I'm gonna kind of take a little page from Susan's book last week where y'all are gonna say do not, and then I'll tell you what we're going over. 00:05:04.350 --> 00:05:06.350 So, on three, y'all say do not. 00:05:06.590 --> 00:05:06.910 Ready? 00:05:07.150 --> 00:05:08.830 One, two, three. 00:05:09.710 --> 00:05:15.069 Cove it! Yeah, it's a good one. 00:05:15.150 --> 00:05:15.710 It's fun. 00:05:15.949 --> 00:05:22.990 So I'm gonna go ahead and jump in and get us started with a top 10 list of Amazon products so far in 2026. 00:05:23.150 --> 00:05:25.949 These are the top 10 items from Amazon, okay? 00:05:26.430 --> 00:05:29.069 These are what people are needing right now. 00:05:29.870 --> 00:05:33.069 Number one paper plates. 00:05:33.310 --> 00:05:36.030 Yeah, that's a that's a big thing in my household, actually. 00:05:36.189 --> 00:05:38.270 You don't have to you don't have to do dishes, guys. 00:05:38.430 --> 00:05:40.430 It's like so much time saved. 00:05:41.150 --> 00:05:43.629 Number two, we have a lotion. 00:05:43.790 --> 00:05:45.470 You gotta stay moisturized, alright? 00:05:45.550 --> 00:05:47.949 You can't dry out, alright? 00:05:48.270 --> 00:05:51.069 Number eight, toilet paper. 00:05:52.670 --> 00:05:54.350 That's always gonna be a big one, alright? 00:05:54.990 --> 00:05:58.830 Number seven, a personal favorite, the air fryer. 00:05:58.990 --> 00:05:59.310 Yeah. 00:06:00.030 --> 00:06:01.150 That's a good one, right? 00:06:01.470 --> 00:06:04.430 And then we have at number six, the Stanley Cup. 00:06:04.670 --> 00:06:06.430 You'll see why that's funny in a little bit. 00:06:06.750 --> 00:06:09.629 Number five is the Amazon Fire TV stick. 00:06:10.270 --> 00:06:11.230 Pretty solid purchase. 00:06:11.310 --> 00:06:14.670 I think Amazon's plugging a little bit right there, though, so I don't know about that one. 00:06:14.830 --> 00:06:16.990 Number four, double A batteries. 00:06:17.069 --> 00:06:18.270 We don't do triple A. 00:06:18.509 --> 00:06:20.350 Don't trip triple A's out, guys. 00:06:20.509 --> 00:06:21.870 Triple A's done for. 00:06:22.430 --> 00:06:25.150 Number three, paper towels. 00:06:25.310 --> 00:06:27.949 All right, so we have toilet paper and paper towels, okay? 00:06:28.910 --> 00:06:31.150 Number two, AirPods. 00:06:31.389 --> 00:06:31.710 Yeah? 00:06:31.790 --> 00:06:32.430 That's a big one. 00:06:32.509 --> 00:06:34.030 I use that, I use those every day. 00:06:34.430 --> 00:06:39.150 At number one on Amazon, the Awala water bottle. 00:06:40.750 --> 00:06:44.830 Two different water bottles on the same top ten and the same website, guys. 00:06:44.910 --> 00:06:45.710 What are we doing? 00:06:45.870 --> 00:06:46.430 Get one. 00:06:46.590 --> 00:06:47.629 And then it's the Awala. 00:06:47.790 --> 00:06:49.069 You need the Awala now. 00:06:49.949 --> 00:06:52.270 Stanley Cups are over with. 00:06:52.750 --> 00:06:56.350 So without further ado, I'm gonna go ahead and jump into our message. 00:06:56.509 --> 00:06:59.470 Um, I'm gonna start in Exodus 20, 17. 00:06:59.790 --> 00:07:09.310 You must not covet your neighbor's house, you must not covet your neighbor's wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey or anything else that belongs to your neighbor. 00:07:09.550 --> 00:07:09.870 Okay? 00:07:10.430 --> 00:07:14.270 So, coveting it we'll kind of look at it as a as a gateway. 00:07:14.430 --> 00:07:17.949 It's a gateway to for temptation and sin to get in. 00:07:18.110 --> 00:07:23.470 So, for lying, stealing, and murder, Pastor Susan went over murder last week and she said it starts in the heart. 00:07:23.629 --> 00:07:25.389 It starts when you start coveting. 00:07:25.710 --> 00:07:27.629 You covet, it starts in your heart. 00:07:27.870 --> 00:07:34.350 And with coveting, it's not like other sins with where it's it's action and behavior based. 00:07:34.590 --> 00:07:38.350 This is uh it focuses on desire. 00:07:38.509 --> 00:07:44.110 It it's it's more of an internal desire rather than actual action, like lying, stealing, and murder. 00:07:44.270 --> 00:07:45.550 It starts in here. 00:07:46.270 --> 00:07:54.830 So whenever I was like, I don't know, it was like four years ago, I worked for a home building company and I was on a project that I wanted to be on. 00:07:54.910 --> 00:07:56.350 Uh we were building a model home. 00:07:56.509 --> 00:07:57.470 It was a big model home. 00:07:57.710 --> 00:07:59.629 We were getting started, and it was it was a big thing. 00:07:59.790 --> 00:08:01.710 I wanted to be on it because it had to be done. 00:08:01.790 --> 00:08:02.750 And I was like, you know what? 00:08:02.830 --> 00:08:04.430 I feel like I can contribute. 00:08:04.750 --> 00:08:07.150 So, afterwards, the project gets finished. 00:08:07.389 --> 00:08:09.310 There's a bunch of people that worked on it. 00:08:09.710 --> 00:08:12.189 But Big Boss sends out an email to everybody. 00:08:12.350 --> 00:08:15.389 Hey, thank you guys for for enlisted every single person. 00:08:15.550 --> 00:08:16.990 Thank you guys for doing this. 00:08:17.069 --> 00:08:17.870 This is amazing. 00:08:18.270 --> 00:08:23.949 They all got a little raise, they all got a gift card, and they all got mentioned in the email. 00:08:25.470 --> 00:08:26.750 Not this guy. 00:08:27.790 --> 00:08:29.870 So that sucked. 00:08:30.189 --> 00:08:33.949 But I could I could have gone home and been like, you know what? 00:08:34.590 --> 00:08:35.710 I don't need them. 00:08:38.189 --> 00:08:42.110 I could have gone home and said, I'm mad. 00:08:42.269 --> 00:08:45.069 Now I'm I'm gonna quit because I'm angry at this. 00:08:45.230 --> 00:08:48.189 I'm gonna go find a new job where they will respect me. 00:08:49.069 --> 00:08:51.470 Or he just forgot to add my name. 00:08:51.710 --> 00:08:55.230 And I know that I did it because it had to be done. 00:08:55.389 --> 00:09:02.590 I didn't do it because, oh, he might send out an email, he might give a couple raises and some gift cards, I'm gonna be part of that. 00:09:02.909 --> 00:09:04.990 That was not that was not my mentality going in there. 00:09:05.149 --> 00:09:10.029 My mentality was hey, this needs to be done, I want to be part of it because it needs to be done. 00:09:10.269 --> 00:09:12.590 It's the right thing to do, so I did it. 00:09:12.830 --> 00:09:14.269 Not for the reward. 00:09:15.310 --> 00:09:21.470 So, in uh with coveting, it's like I said, it's more of a desire. 00:09:21.710 --> 00:09:28.350 So, those desire for those rewards, the the desire for the things of this world do take control of you. 00:09:28.509 --> 00:09:32.190 Desire takes hold of you, it controls you. 00:09:32.430 --> 00:09:41.070 So, today we're gonna be talking about what coveting is, what the real damage it is, uh, what the real damage from it is, and how we overcome it. 00:09:41.310 --> 00:09:44.190 So, I'm gonna tell you a little bit about what is coveting. 00:09:44.269 --> 00:09:47.149 So, your first point is what is coveting? 00:09:47.550 --> 00:09:51.070 Coveting is not simply wanting something. 00:09:51.310 --> 00:09:56.269 It's not just I feel like I want Whataburger today. 00:09:56.590 --> 00:09:58.110 That's not what coveting is. 00:09:58.430 --> 00:10:08.909 Coveting uh sorry, God does not forbid ambition or achievement or success or possessions or wise planning or or hard work. 00:10:09.230 --> 00:10:13.870 He doesn't forbid those because you can actually have all of those in a godly way. 00:10:14.110 --> 00:10:16.350 There is such a thing as godly ambition. 00:10:16.590 --> 00:10:19.870 You can't you you can succeed in God through God. 00:10:20.269 --> 00:10:25.789 God will work through you, but you have to be very careful that it is through God. 00:10:26.110 --> 00:10:33.470 So in Proverbs 6, 6 through 8, it says, Proverbs is funny because I get to use words like lazy bones. 00:10:33.550 --> 00:10:34.110 You ready? 00:10:34.269 --> 00:10:37.149 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy bones. 00:10:37.870 --> 00:10:40.110 Learn from their ways and become wise. 00:10:40.269 --> 00:10:47.710 Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. 00:10:47.950 --> 00:10:52.909 Now, you may you may be thinking, why are some ants getting so much praise right now? 00:10:53.310 --> 00:10:57.870 Because it's wisely preparing and it's working without being forced. 00:10:58.110 --> 00:11:01.789 It doesn't have a ruler, it doesn't have a governor, they're not being forced to work. 00:11:01.950 --> 00:11:04.269 They are doing it because it needs to be done. 00:11:04.430 --> 00:11:06.669 It is the right thing to do for their calling. 00:11:06.990 --> 00:11:11.310 They're not they're not making their decisions based on somebody else. 00:11:12.509 --> 00:11:19.149 So, your second your your little second sub point uh is coveting is an inordinate desire. 00:11:19.389 --> 00:11:25.310 Inordinate, I looked it up and it says unusually large in size or degree. 00:11:25.629 --> 00:11:32.110 So it's not just any kind of desire, it's not just wanting something a little bit, it's you have to have it. 00:11:32.350 --> 00:11:38.269 It is it's an absurd amount of like it's just an absurd amount. 00:11:38.830 --> 00:11:44.669 So it's an it's also an obsession, an obsessive compulsion to possess something. 00:11:44.909 --> 00:11:46.350 You have to have it. 00:11:46.590 --> 00:11:50.669 A desire that takes over, the desire that takes hold of you. 00:11:50.909 --> 00:11:57.470 You need it so bad that you don't focus on anything else because it's a craving that pushes aside other values. 00:11:57.789 --> 00:12:05.389 God's word that you have written on your heart gets pushed aside whenever whenever you covet, whenever you need those things, whenever you desire for those things. 00:12:05.550 --> 00:12:09.149 It pushes that out of the way and it takes it takes the first action. 00:12:09.550 --> 00:12:18.190 So kind of a like a little example is envy of another person's status or values or possessions or possessions. 00:12:19.070 --> 00:12:22.750 Just seeing what somebody else has and being like, I need that. 00:12:22.909 --> 00:12:24.509 And it takes control of you. 00:12:24.590 --> 00:12:32.750 And so coveting is wanting something so badly that you cannot be content without it. 00:12:33.789 --> 00:12:37.870 Coveting is wanting something so badly that you can't be content without it. 00:12:37.950 --> 00:12:40.029 You have to have it to survive, you feel like. 00:12:40.190 --> 00:12:42.190 You feel like you need to have it. 00:12:42.430 --> 00:12:49.389 So the issue doesn't come from just wanting something, it's that you cannot produce good fruit from it. 00:12:49.629 --> 00:12:51.389 Your life relies on it. 00:12:51.950 --> 00:12:55.710 You can't produce good fruit without this thing that you have to have. 00:12:56.190 --> 00:12:59.950 So, a little illustration, a blueberry donut. 00:13:00.909 --> 00:13:02.590 They're the best ones, right? 00:13:03.629 --> 00:13:05.629 I need this blueberry donut, right? 00:13:06.029 --> 00:13:10.909 Let's let's say let's say that you that you get to church early because you need this blueberry donut to start your day. 00:13:10.990 --> 00:13:13.470 It's the only thing that makes church right for you. 00:13:13.629 --> 00:13:14.909 You have to have it. 00:13:16.830 --> 00:13:18.509 No, you can't do that. 00:13:18.669 --> 00:13:20.590 The issue is not just, you know what? 00:13:20.669 --> 00:13:23.550 I want I want to show up to church a little early and get a blueberry donut. 00:13:23.950 --> 00:13:24.909 That's not the issue. 00:13:25.950 --> 00:13:29.789 The issue is whenever you let that let somebody else coming in. 00:13:30.029 --> 00:13:34.350 If you walk in and see me take the last blueberry donut, the issue isn't you wanting the donut. 00:13:34.669 --> 00:13:37.470 The issue is whenever it does it controls your day. 00:13:37.710 --> 00:13:43.230 You walk out of here, you you walk into worship, and the only thing in your mind is that blueberry donut that I took. 00:13:44.830 --> 00:13:45.950 You can't worship God with it. 00:13:46.029 --> 00:13:47.470 It's pushing the values aside. 00:13:47.550 --> 00:13:51.629 You know that you're here for worship, and it's not letting you worship the Lord. 00:13:52.430 --> 00:13:54.350 So, I'm gonna leave it with this. 00:13:54.509 --> 00:13:58.669 The issue is not the desire, the issue is the desire taking over. 00:13:58.990 --> 00:14:04.590 Coveting is wanting something so badly that you cannot be content without it. 00:14:11.629 --> 00:14:14.029 Good morning, everybody. 00:14:16.350 --> 00:14:19.230 I'm so happy and excited to be here with you guys. 00:14:19.310 --> 00:14:23.710 My name is Leonardo Ezequiel Carrillo, but but I know, I know, right? 00:14:23.870 --> 00:14:24.590 I know, right? 00:14:24.750 --> 00:14:26.029 Just call me Leo. 00:14:26.110 --> 00:14:27.310 It's a lot simpler. 00:14:27.470 --> 00:14:28.350 It's a lot simpler. 00:14:28.509 --> 00:14:29.149 Just Leo. 00:14:29.310 --> 00:14:32.190 Um, thank you, Jackson, for shedding some light on what coveting is. 00:14:32.350 --> 00:14:35.470 Basically, what I'll be going over is why is it a struggle? 00:14:35.710 --> 00:14:39.070 So let's go back to our reference verse, Exodus 20, 17. 00:14:39.230 --> 00:14:49.629 It says, You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not cover your neighbor's spouse or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor. 00:14:49.870 --> 00:14:57.870 Let's go verse uh line by line and kind of break down what this means because a lot of people think baseline thinks that uh coveting, you can only covet possessions, right? 00:14:57.950 --> 00:14:58.990 But it's actually deeper than that. 00:14:59.149 --> 00:15:00.269 So let's go to the first line. 00:15:00.430 --> 00:15:02.430 Do not cover your neighbor's house, right? 00:15:02.590 --> 00:15:04.350 This is pretty standard and straightforward. 00:15:04.430 --> 00:15:09.230 Uh basically, it means that we should not covet a person's home or their land, right? 00:15:09.389 --> 00:15:10.990 A place where they rest their heads. 00:15:11.230 --> 00:15:14.669 We should actually be um accepting of what we have, right? 00:15:14.830 --> 00:15:21.710 So the connection here is wishing your house was bigger, wishing you had a nicer kitchen because you've seen that your neighbor maybe got theirs remodeled, right? 00:15:21.950 --> 00:15:25.789 Maybe you're hot outside and you wish you had a pool like your neighbor's house, right? 00:15:25.950 --> 00:15:33.710 It's basically like looking over a fence to your neighbor's house and seeing they have greener grass on their side while neglecting your own is essentially what it is. 00:15:33.870 --> 00:15:37.950 And instead of doing this, we should respond positively to other people's blessings. 00:15:38.110 --> 00:15:43.870 Be grateful for what you have because it's very easy to lose ourselves when we compare and contrast. 00:15:44.190 --> 00:15:45.149 Let's go to the next line. 00:15:45.230 --> 00:15:48.029 It says, Do not covet your neighbor's spouse. 00:15:48.190 --> 00:15:50.750 And the meaning behind that is falling into temptation. 00:15:50.830 --> 00:15:52.269 That's baseline where it goes. 00:15:52.350 --> 00:15:54.430 It connects directly into adultery, right? 00:15:54.590 --> 00:15:56.830 And we all, as we know, that adultery is a sin. 00:15:56.990 --> 00:15:58.190 That's another one of the commandments. 00:15:58.269 --> 00:16:09.789 And in Matthew 5, 28, it says, You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery, but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with his heart. 00:16:10.029 --> 00:16:14.509 So basically, what that means is um when we're coveting our neighbor's spouse, right? 00:16:14.669 --> 00:16:19.629 It it uh it is baseline attractiveness that is opening the door to further sin. 00:16:19.710 --> 00:16:20.669 And we shouldn't be doing that. 00:16:20.750 --> 00:16:24.509 We should be appreciating our partners because they are bestowed to us by God. 00:16:24.590 --> 00:16:28.750 They they don't come into our lives on accident, they come into our lives for a purpose, right? 00:16:29.230 --> 00:16:33.950 It also can connect into not just baseline attractiveness, right? 00:16:34.029 --> 00:16:38.830 It could also go into coveting the actions that maybe your neighbor's spouse is performing. 00:16:38.990 --> 00:16:47.389 For example, let's say that your neighbor's spouse is making them breakfast every day or giving them affirmations every day, and you're not receiving that, right? 00:16:47.470 --> 00:16:52.590 We shouldn't covet those things because we need to be grateful for the relationship that we have. 00:16:52.909 --> 00:16:54.190 Let's go to the next line. 00:16:54.350 --> 00:16:57.070 Uh it says, do not covet your neighbor's servants. 00:16:57.230 --> 00:16:59.710 Obviously, we don't have servants anymore, right? 00:16:59.950 --> 00:17:03.149 But there's a lot of us in here that are in positions of leadership. 00:17:03.310 --> 00:17:11.069 For example, you might have uh you might be a COO and you might have employees, you might be a team lead, or you could be a team member, right? 00:17:11.149 --> 00:17:14.349 You may not be the lead, you might be within the team itself. 00:17:14.509 --> 00:17:22.990 And basically what this line means is coveting someone's blessings, their family support systems, their positions of power, their influence, or even their opportunities. 00:17:23.149 --> 00:17:25.549 I know it's very easy, and we don't even think about these things. 00:17:25.629 --> 00:17:33.949 I know sometimes that we find ourselves in worship and we're seeing the praise team and they're worshiping so well, and we think to ourselves, man, I if only I could be up there, right? 00:17:34.029 --> 00:17:36.109 I could do just as good as a job as them, right? 00:17:36.269 --> 00:17:37.389 I could definitely do that. 00:17:37.469 --> 00:17:38.029 And you know what? 00:17:38.109 --> 00:17:40.029 I might even be better than them, right? 00:17:40.189 --> 00:17:41.869 And it goes it goes like that. 00:17:42.109 --> 00:17:56.269 And another example of this, it could be um being upset because you and your coworker may have started at the same time, you may have had the same amount of experience, but they got the promotion instead of you, and you're coveting that instead of you, they got it, right? 00:17:56.429 --> 00:18:00.750 Another one could also be that you're coveting somebody's relationship with their parents. 00:18:00.909 --> 00:18:04.509 Maybe they have both parents in their lives and they have good relationships with them. 00:18:04.669 --> 00:18:05.949 We shouldn't be coveting that. 00:18:06.109 --> 00:18:11.069 We should be accepting of what we have and focusing on our own purpose and relying on God's plan. 00:18:11.229 --> 00:18:15.949 It's very easy to get distracted and unfocus ourselves, right? 00:18:16.029 --> 00:18:20.829 Because how can you focus on God's purpose for your life if you're distracted by other people's blessings, right? 00:18:20.990 --> 00:18:23.229 We can't look at two things at the same time. 00:18:23.549 --> 00:18:24.669 Let's go to that next line. 00:18:24.750 --> 00:18:28.990 It says, Do not covet your neighbor's ox, donkey, or anything that belongs to him. 00:18:29.229 --> 00:18:31.789 This is where it comes down to baseline possessions, right? 00:18:31.949 --> 00:18:38.109 So we can uh covet over somebody's cars, somebody's vacations, their clothing, their lifestyle, even their money. 00:18:38.429 --> 00:18:45.229 The connection with this is wishing that you had more money so you can buy better branded clothes and fit into the fashion trends, right? 00:18:45.309 --> 00:18:47.389 Um, you could wish that you had your neighbor's car. 00:18:47.469 --> 00:18:52.990 Like maybe your neighbor just got a new Lambo and you're like, bro, I still got the Toyota Corolla 98. 00:18:53.229 --> 00:18:54.750 My thing broke down. 00:18:55.229 --> 00:18:57.549 Bob's over here flexing, you know what I'm saying? 00:18:57.789 --> 00:19:03.949 Instead, right, instead of doing that, we should realize that the culture of the world worships false idols, right? 00:19:04.349 --> 00:19:08.509 The Lambo doesn't make you a better person, the Lambo doesn't make you more respectable, right? 00:19:08.750 --> 00:19:12.990 We need to go against those cultural norms and not worry about what others have. 00:19:13.149 --> 00:19:16.829 We should rather be grateful for what has God has blessed you with, right? 00:19:17.069 --> 00:19:18.269 Because everything is a gift. 00:19:18.750 --> 00:19:22.189 And so I like to tie that into Matthew 6, 28 through 33. 00:19:22.269 --> 00:19:24.829 And it says, Why worry about your clothing? 00:19:24.990 --> 00:19:27.629 Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. 00:19:27.869 --> 00:19:34.669 They do not work or make their clothing, yet Solomon and all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 00:19:34.829 --> 00:19:42.509 And if God cares so wonderfully for the wild flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. 00:19:42.750 --> 00:19:45.069 Why do you have so little faith? 00:19:45.389 --> 00:19:48.589 So don't worry about these things, saying, What will we eat? 00:19:48.750 --> 00:19:49.629 What will we drink? 00:19:49.789 --> 00:19:50.669 What will we wear? 00:19:50.909 --> 00:19:53.789 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers. 00:19:54.109 --> 00:19:57.149 But your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 00:19:57.389 --> 00:20:03.309 Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and he will give you everything that you need. 00:20:04.750 --> 00:20:13.389 Another illustration that we can look at is uh coveting is like reaching out for another person's blessings while letting your own slip through your fingers. 00:20:13.869 --> 00:20:14.189 Right? 00:20:14.669 --> 00:20:21.149 Now, now that we've gone over um those four parts, let's go over why coveting is so hard on our culture specifically. 00:20:21.389 --> 00:20:24.750 So the first one being advertising stimulates coveting, right? 00:20:24.909 --> 00:20:26.029 Ads are everywhere. 00:20:26.349 --> 00:20:29.069 Jackson just gave an ad for a Walla Cubs not that long ago, right? 00:20:29.149 --> 00:20:33.309 Now everybody's thinking about Awala Cubs, everybody's about to ditch their Stanley Cub, right? 00:20:33.789 --> 00:20:34.750 And why? 00:20:35.149 --> 00:20:37.069 Advertisements, it's impossible to ignore. 00:20:37.149 --> 00:20:38.109 It's right in your face. 00:20:38.269 --> 00:20:42.189 Everybody has a cell phone, everybody's online, everybody is watching TV. 00:20:42.349 --> 00:20:48.029 Man, if you watch the World Cup right now, there's at least 15 different commercials within the first 30 minutes, right? 00:20:48.349 --> 00:20:49.869 It's impossible to ignore. 00:20:50.029 --> 00:20:55.229 And these ads are always throwing comparisons in front of your face and keeping you distracted, right? 00:20:55.389 --> 00:21:00.269 The ads usually follow trends that make us feel alienated if we're not keeping up with them, right? 00:21:00.349 --> 00:21:04.669 It's easier to feel like you're not a part of the team if you're being left out. 00:21:04.909 --> 00:21:18.669 And basically, what the ads give value to, usually the ads like to use models that have unique or ideal quotations, uh, character traits, for example, body types, hair texture, skin texture, and things like that. 00:21:18.829 --> 00:21:19.149 Right? 00:21:19.389 --> 00:21:24.509 Usually we see a model and they have like the super glossy skin, and you're just like, man, why don't I have that? 00:21:24.589 --> 00:21:25.149 You know what I mean? 00:21:25.309 --> 00:21:28.349 I'm getting a little old, I'm starting to brinkle up a little bit. 00:21:28.429 --> 00:21:31.149 And that's and then the ads, you know, that's what they're promoting. 00:21:31.229 --> 00:21:33.069 That this is what you should be looking like. 00:21:33.229 --> 00:21:35.869 Uh ads also give promises of happiness. 00:21:36.029 --> 00:21:39.869 For example, people will like and respect you more if you had a Lambo. 00:21:41.309 --> 00:21:43.949 Ads also use emotional manipulation. 00:21:44.109 --> 00:21:46.909 Um, usually for men, I know I can speak for this. 00:21:46.990 --> 00:21:54.109 Um, men usually feel weak or powerless if they don't have like the big muscles, the big cars, the big watches, the big trucks, right? 00:21:54.349 --> 00:21:56.109 And it makes us feel less confident. 00:21:56.189 --> 00:21:59.229 And we feel like we need all that things to be more confident. 00:21:59.389 --> 00:22:05.069 And for women, usually what it is is that women want to be seen, they want to feel beautiful and they want to feel appreciated, right? 00:22:05.309 --> 00:22:08.509 But what ads tell us is that women aren't enough the way that they are. 00:22:08.669 --> 00:22:16.189 You need the better makeup, you need the better clothes, you need to change your figure in a certain way in order to be appreciated and valued, right? 00:22:16.429 --> 00:22:20.750 And basically, ads are telling us that what we have is not enough and we need more. 00:22:20.990 --> 00:22:25.869 When we see others with more, we feel like we are less, and that creates that in that animosity. 00:22:26.189 --> 00:22:26.829 In our hearts. 00:22:27.629 --> 00:22:31.149 Our second point, our culture connects self-worth to possessions. 00:22:31.389 --> 00:22:34.750 So in our culture, worth is often measured by what you have, right? 00:22:34.909 --> 00:22:37.069 And this is like what we baseline already know. 00:22:37.229 --> 00:22:40.109 And the more that somebody has, the more important that they are. 00:22:40.269 --> 00:22:41.869 The flashier, the better. 00:22:42.029 --> 00:22:43.549 The bigger, the better, right? 00:22:43.629 --> 00:22:44.990 Everything's bigger in Texas. 00:22:45.149 --> 00:22:46.109 You know what I'm saying? 00:22:46.589 --> 00:22:49.149 Um, so common examples are what do you drive? 00:22:49.309 --> 00:22:50.750 What kind of clothes do you have? 00:22:50.909 --> 00:22:52.109 Is your hair nice? 00:22:52.349 --> 00:22:54.990 Is your uh how many designer pieces do you wear? 00:22:55.149 --> 00:22:56.509 Are your kids dressed nicely? 00:22:56.669 --> 00:23:02.349 And then it goes deeper into being like, um, how big is your house? 00:23:02.509 --> 00:23:03.869 What neighborhood do you live in? 00:23:04.029 --> 00:23:05.069 What job do you have? 00:23:05.309 --> 00:23:06.349 Did you go to college? 00:23:06.509 --> 00:23:08.029 How much money did you make? 00:23:08.189 --> 00:23:08.669 Right? 00:23:08.909 --> 00:23:14.349 And our last point goes into the dangers of tying that worth into possessions, right? 00:23:14.509 --> 00:23:20.109 So if your worth is based on what you have, then the moment someone has more than you, you feel like you're less. 00:23:20.349 --> 00:23:25.549 And you put yourself in a position of vulnerability and you forget to be grateful for what you have. 00:23:25.789 --> 00:23:31.709 You fail to recognize what so many people have less than you, and they would be happy to be in your position, right? 00:23:31.869 --> 00:23:33.949 There's always gonna be someone with less than you. 00:23:34.029 --> 00:23:38.029 So we should be grateful that God has blessed us with what he has, right? 00:23:38.349 --> 00:23:39.709 So I leave you with this thought. 00:23:39.949 --> 00:23:41.549 I leave you with this thought. 00:23:41.789 --> 00:23:52.109 When you scroll on the social media and you're watching TV and you're seeing all these things in our culture, you know, you were grateful for your house until you saw your neighbor's kitchen, right? 00:23:52.269 --> 00:23:56.269 You liked your outfit until you saw a celebrity at the Met Gala, right? 00:23:56.589 --> 00:24:04.029 You were content with your figure until you saw a Peloton cyclist or a Pilates instructor or a Jim Bro, right? 00:24:04.189 --> 00:24:09.389 We're always doing this compare and contrast, but really the reality is you were happy until you scrolled. 00:24:09.629 --> 00:24:10.349 Thank you. 00:24:18.509 --> 00:24:20.269 Hello and good morning. 00:24:20.509 --> 00:24:21.789 I'm Izzy. 00:24:22.429 --> 00:24:26.509 Um my leading question today is why is it wrong to covet? 00:24:26.750 --> 00:24:29.149 Coveting destroys all gratefulness. 00:24:29.309 --> 00:24:36.109 It takes all contentment you have in life and flips it, creating an unhealthy desire for more. 00:24:36.429 --> 00:24:38.829 I have four points I'll be talking about today. 00:24:38.990 --> 00:24:41.789 And my first one is coveting destroys contentment. 00:24:42.429 --> 00:24:49.309 Ecclesiastes chapter six, verse nine says, Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. 00:24:49.469 --> 00:24:52.829 This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 00:24:53.549 --> 00:24:58.990 This verse paints a vivid picture of contentment being consumed by craving. 00:24:59.789 --> 00:25:06.429 When you compare yourself to others, you create a perception in your head that what you've gained is not enough. 00:25:06.750 --> 00:25:12.429 You become stuck in an endless cycle where satisfaction is always just out of reach. 00:25:13.069 --> 00:25:23.309 And you become distracted with the less important aspects of life, which begin to lead to worry, stress, and then you envy over matters of the heart. 00:25:23.949 --> 00:25:26.750 And as hard as it is to hear, there's a simple truth. 00:25:26.909 --> 00:25:33.549 There will always be someone stronger, someone more talented, or someone funnier than you. 00:25:34.750 --> 00:25:47.309 But if you take the time, but if you take the time to focus on the goodness of God and thank him for what he has given you, then thanklessness can become thankfulness. 00:25:48.109 --> 00:25:54.509 God causes to lean into him and praise his name, choosing joy in every circumstance. 00:25:55.309 --> 00:25:58.509 My second point is coveting ruins relationships. 00:25:59.309 --> 00:26:03.469 James 4 says, What causes fights and quarrels among you? 00:26:04.029 --> 00:26:07.469 Don't they come from the desires that battle within you? 00:26:07.789 --> 00:26:10.829 You desire, but you do not have, so you kill. 00:26:11.309 --> 00:26:15.549 You covet, but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. 00:26:16.189 --> 00:26:19.709 You do not have it because you do not ask God. 00:26:20.509 --> 00:26:24.829 On a personal note, coveting festered a lot in my time in social media. 00:26:25.309 --> 00:26:31.069 I was constantly comparing myself to others, and it led to a feeling that I was behind in life. 00:26:31.549 --> 00:26:35.869 Maybe I should get a newer car, maybe my job didn't have enough purpose. 00:26:36.029 --> 00:26:39.789 And if I didn't keep up with the latest trend, then I was out of the loop. 00:26:40.909 --> 00:26:46.269 And this led to feelings of anger, sadness, and uh alienation. 00:26:46.669 --> 00:26:53.469 And I started disconnecting from my church, from my community, from my family, and from my friends. 00:26:57.309 --> 00:27:00.669 But those internal feelings, they never stay internal. 00:27:00.909 --> 00:27:04.429 They eventually leak into your relationships with family and friends. 00:27:09.229 --> 00:27:12.509 And then uh your family and friends become your competitors. 00:27:13.709 --> 00:27:16.990 My third point is coveting devastates budgets. 00:27:17.309 --> 00:27:24.029 Galatians 5, 16 says, walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 00:27:24.589 --> 00:27:30.189 Financial stress is often not only an income problem, but it's often a desire problem. 00:27:30.829 --> 00:27:33.309 Many financial problems begin with coveting. 00:27:33.549 --> 00:27:40.829 We see something we don't have, we convince ourselves we need it, and then we spend money we shouldn't trying to get it. 00:27:41.069 --> 00:27:42.349 And we've all been there. 00:27:42.509 --> 00:27:50.509 There's the I just have to have it purchase, the it's too cute to pass up, or my personal favorite, I deserve a sweet treat. 00:27:54.750 --> 00:27:59.709 But God doesn't call us to give in to every desire our hearts craze. 00:28:01.069 --> 00:28:12.509 You have to fully trust God with every part of your life, including your finances, keeping them at the center and asking to help control the impulse bias in life. 00:28:12.990 --> 00:28:22.829