Twisted - Part 4: "Money is the Root of All Evil" with Craig Groeschel - Life.Church

For the Love of Money and the Life That Is Truly Life

Scripture References

Primary text

• 1 Timothy 6
• 1 Timothy 6:10

Other references

• Ecclesiastes 5:10
• Deuteronomy 8:18
• Matthew 23:23

Overview

Paul’s words to Timothy expose the real danger we face: not money itself, but loving it. Craig Groeschel shows how the craving for “a little more” quietly steals our contentment, twists our faith, and blinds us to the life God actually offers. By grounding us in 1 Timothy 6, he contrasts the empty promises of wealth with the true security of godliness, contentment, and radical generosity.

Main Points

1. A Verse We Keep Twisting

• Common misquote: “Money is the root of all evil.”
• Correct reading: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
• Illustration: Tip-jar sign—“Money is the root of all evil; free yourself from some evil and leave us a tip.”

2. How to Tell If We Love Money

• Ecclesiastes 5:10 defines it: whoever loves money “never has enough” and is “never satisfied.”
• Reveal question: “How much would you need to be happy or secure?” Most answer, “A little more.”
• Discontentment can make a rich person poor; contentment can make a poor person rich.

• Story: Craig’s own moving “salary line” kept shifting upward as income increased—proof that “enough” never stays put.

3. Context & Big Idea of 1 Timothy 6

• Paul writes to his spiritual son Timothy; theme is godliness, not money.
• Key line: “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
• We entered the world with nothing and will leave with nothing.

• Illustration: The wealthy man who stored cash in the attic, hoping to grab it on the way to heaven—his wife found it still there.

4. The Trap of Wanting to Get Rich

• “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation… ruin and destruction.”
• Money is the number-one competitor for our hearts; Jesus: “You cannot serve both God and money.”
• Money promises happiness, security, significance—but only God delivers those.

5. Avoiding Two False Gospels

• Prosperity gospel: “If I’m godly, God must make me rich.”
• Poverty gospel: “If I’m godly, I must be poor.”
• Biblical balance: God “gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18), but wealth is a stewardship, not proof of spirituality.

6. What God Commands the Rich (That’s Us)

“Command those who are rich in this present world… to put their hope in God.”

• Most listeners are globally rich: smart phones, cars, climate-controlled homes, walk-in closets.
• Instructions:
  • Do good.
  • Be rich in good deeds.
  • Be generous.
  • Be willing to share.
• This lays up treasure for the coming age and lets us “take hold of the life that is truly life.”

7. Breaking the Power of Money Through Generosity

• Story: The first tithe check—hands shaking, but a flood of relief and faith.
• Story: “All-in” seasons when Craig & Amy emptied savings to launch Life.Church and later to expand it—deeply emotional, never regretted.
• Story: Amy’s Branch 15 transition home; seeing changed women at a banquet reminded Craig why generosity matters.

• Antidote to loving money is not more money; it is giving.
• Tithing is a training ground: the first 10 % back to God declares trust and breaks greed.

Key Truths

• Loving money—not money itself—produces all kinds of evil.
• The richest people are those who need the least.
• Money keeps moving the finish line; godliness with contentment never does.
• Wealth is uncertain; hope placed in God is secure.
• Generosity is the God-given cure for greed and the doorway to “the life that is truly life.”

Response

• Recognize where “a little more” has become your idol.
• Practice contentment: thank God for food, clothing, and shelter today.
• Break money’s grip by returning the tithe and giving beyond it.
• Put your hope in God, not in paychecks, portfolios, or possessions.
• Look for daily ways to “be rich in good deeds” and share with those in need.

Closing

Money keeps whispering that happiness, security, and significance are one purchase away, but it can never deliver what it promises. Paul’s charge still stands: refuse to anchor your hope in wealth; anchor it in God and leverage every blessing for eternal good.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Prayer

Craig thanked God for blessing His people, asked for faith to honor Him with the tithe, and prayed that followers of Jesus would be “rich in good deeds, generous, and willing to share,” placing their hope firmly in Him rather than in wealth.