How to Be Rich - Chasing Carrots Part 2 with Pastor Craig Groeschel

Chasing Carats: When the Pursuit Is Money and Stuff

Scripture References

• Luke 12:15
• Luke 12:20
• Ecclesiastes 5:19

Overview

Craig Groeschel exposed the cultural lie that “more money and more things will finally make me happy.” Jesus warns that life is not defined by possessions, yet most of us keep chasing that ever-moving line called “rich.” The surprising truth: we already are rich—and that is both wonderful news and a serious spiritual test. God blesses us so we can enjoy His gifts and leverage them for eternal impact, being rich in good deeds and generosity.

Main Points

We Are Already Rich

• Three billion people live on $2 a day; most of us bought a $5 coffee on the way to church.
• Indicators of wealth: streaming any song, driving past dozens of restaurants to reach a preferred one, complaining when fast food is seven minutes late.
• Raising hands exercise: few feel rich, yet almost everyone wants to be.
• Gallup poll: whatever people make, “rich” is roughly double that amount; the target always moves.
• Illustration: Survey on what people would do for $5 million—54 % would listen to country music for life, 42 % would remove all teeth, 50 % would let a stranger die, 24 % would live in solitude for 20 years.

Why Being Rich Is Also Bad News

• Jesus: it’s harder for the rich to enter God’s kingdom than for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye (Luke 12 parable of the rich fool).
• Wealth blinds us to daily dependence on God (“Give us today our daily bread”).
• Rich people are distracted: endless options, schedules, and stress that poorer communities often lack.
• Greater accountability: “To whom much is given, much is required.”

Money Promises What Only Jesus Delivers

• When we believe more stuff will solve problems, we are “under the curse of money.”
• More income cannot heal cancer, cure depression, or restore a marriage—only Jesus can.
• What we need is “more Jesus, not more money.”

God’s Perspective on Wealth

• Luke 12:15—“Watch out… life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
• Ecclesiastes 5:19—God is the One who gives wealth and the ability to enjoy it; it is His gift.
• Enjoying blessings is right, but they are not all for us.

The Apostle’s Charge to Rich Believers

• Paul tells Timothy: command the rich not to be arrogant or to hope in wealth, but to put hope in God, and to be rich in good deeds, generous, and willing to share (reference implied from 1 Timothy 6).
• This is how we “take hold of the life that is truly life.”

Declaration to Reframe Our Wealth

“God has blessed me with more than I need; I’m rich.
I will not trust in my riches but in Him who richly provides.
Because I have more, I will give more and do more.”

Living It Out

• Pay a friend’s rent anonymously; spend a whole vacation on a mission trip; serve through LifeKids or a local partner.
• Story: In a cardboard-and-tin “house” overseas, a woman saved for months to buy meat for Craig—though she hadn’t eaten meat in a year. Her joy in giving made her feel “the richest lady in my community.”

Key Truths

• Rich is a moving line; without Jesus it never satisfies.
• Possessions are a gift from God to be enjoyed, not idolized.
• Wealth creates spiritual hazards—self-sufficiency, distraction, and misplaced hope.
• God blesses His children so they can bless others.
• Real life is found in generosity, not accumulation.

Response

• Acknowledge before God: “I am rich by Your blessing.”
• Shift trust from bank balance to the God who provides.
• Budget for generosity—plan to give more and do more.
• Look daily for ways to share time, gifts, money, and encouragement.
• Declare the truth over your heart when envy or discontent surfaces.

Closing

Craig urged every listener to replace the endless chase for more with purposeful generosity: enjoy what God has given, yet refuse to be ruled by it. Rich people—us—are commanded to overflow in good deeds so we can finally “take hold of the life that is truly life.”

“Let’s do something that matters, something that lasts. Because we have more, we will give more and do more.”

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Jesus, save me, forgive all my sins, and make me brand-new. Fill me with Your Spirit so I can live for You—doing good, living generously, and showing Your love as You’ve shown it to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.”