What you daydream about today becomes your

tomorrow

Idol appears in the Bible 223 times

Then God gave the people all these instructions: “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
“You must not have any other god but me.

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them …” (Exodus 20:1-5, NLT)

This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. … They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns … Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the Lord’s specific and repeated warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves.” (2 Kings 17:7-15, NLT)

“Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God.” (Acts 14:15, NLT)

An idol is

that is more important to you than God … that you ask to give you what only God can give you … that you depend on for happiness … that you can’t bear the thought of losing

Idolatry is “when we

Reveal Answer

anything better than God,

Reveal Answer

anything more than God, and wish to have a God other than the One we have.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Reveal Answer

can become an idol

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. (1 Timothy 4:4, NIV)

How do I know if I’m idolizing possessions?

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” (Matthew 6:24, NLT)

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15, NIV)

Cure:

“It is better to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35, NIV)

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” (2 Corinthians 9:7, NLT)

can become an idol

How do I know if I’m idolizing pleasure?

“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 her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28, NIV)

Run from sexual sin! … Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20, NLT)

Cure:

“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.” (Job 31:1, NIV)

can become an idol

So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. 

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over …” (Genesis 1:27-28, NLT)

How do I know if I’m idolizing power?

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.” (Mark 10:42-44, NLT)

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. (Philippians 2:3-4, NLT)

Cure:

What shall I do with the idols in my life?

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35, NLT)

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. (Gal. 5:24, NLT)

Additional Notes: