Andy Stanley - How rich torrent

How to Be Rich: A Four Part Series by Pastor Andy Stanley of Northpoint Community Church

Most of us spend our entire lives trying to get rich, and yet we never stop to consider how to be rich. Enticed by our culture, we focus so much on achieving an ever-increasing standard of living that we never realize when, in fact, we become rich. Because the reality is that if you have more than enough–including food in the pantry, money in a savings account, or clothes in your closet–then you are rich. In this four-part series, Andy Stanley explores a passage of Scripture written specifically to the rich, in order to help us learn how to be rich.

Part One: Congratulations

We spend most of our lives trying to get rich. We work and scheme and worry in pursuit of this ever-elusive goal. And yet while we accumulate more and more stuff, and the worries that come with it, we never feel rich. But what if we’ve already achieved that goal, and we don’t even realize it? What if the thing we’re chasing is already in our hands? In this session, we’ll discuss the seemingly preposterous question: “What if you are, in fact, rich?”

Part Two: Daddy’s Money

In our affluent society, the excesses of wealth are out in full display. As a result, we don’t usually think of ourselves as rich, because there is always someone who has more. But the truth is, if we have more than we need, then we are rich. And as those who are rich, we have certain temptations that are specific to us. In this session, we’ll discuss a passage written directly to rich people and the subtle temptation that it addresses.

Part Three: Dollar Cost Living

Who wants to be average? Well, apparently, rich people. Survey after survey reveals that when it comes to generosity, rich people rank equal to, if not below, those with fewer resources. But as people who have been blessed with both extra time and money, this should not be. Those who have margin have the extra responsibility to be more than average when it comes to using what they have to serve others.

Part Four: Diversify

Ultimately, feeling guilty about our wealth or becoming more aware of others’ needs has a relatively small impact on our generosity. Instead, they are short-term motivators for giving. The longstanding factor that alters our attitudes about money is viewing wealth through the lens of eternity; looking at our wealth in the context of eternity loosens our grip on our stuff, which loosens its grip on us.