Basic Christianity: Idolatry with Kris Emerson

Balancing the Christian Life

What happens when good things take God's place in our lives? In this conversation with Kris Emerson, we pull back the curtain on idolatry, revealing its subtle forms in the 21st century. We discuss how finances, family, and even our own righteousness can become idols if we're not careful, and how easily we can replace God's plan with our own. Ultimately, we explore the challenge and freedom of surrendering to His will.

Seven Key Takeaways:

1. Idolatry is anything that replaces God: It's not just about physical idols; anything we prioritize over God becomes an idol. As Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)
2. Modern idolatry is often subtle: We may not bow down to statues, but we can still prioritize comfort, security, or control over God.
3. Idolatry can stem from good things: Even good things like family or financial security become idols if we place them above God.
4. Our own righteousness can be an idol: Pride in our goodness can lead us to replace God's judgment with our own.
5. Idolatry is often rooted in impatience: We may turn to idols when we lack the patience to trust in God's timing.
6. Surrender is essential to combating idolatry: We must surrender our desires and control to God.
7. God's power is limitless: True faith recognizes God's power and provision.

Twelve Quotes:

1. "Idolatry is when you find those things in places that are not God." - Kris Emerson
2. "He is the one-stop shop. He is going to provide for every deficiency and hole in our lives." - Kris Emerson
3. "Sometimes your idols have to fail you in order for you to recognize that you've been putting your future, your daily peace in the wrong places." - Kris Emerson
4. "Idolatry is more than just replacing God with something else, it's replacing the will and the way of God with something that is designed to fit me, not designed to glorify Him." - Kris Emerson
5. "It really boils down to either God rules or you rule." - Kris Emerson
6. "Be careful replacing God, yes. Be careful creating your own path to God, yes. But be careful becoming God." - Kris Emerson
7. "You put him in his place and life will be as good as it's ever gonna get." - Kris Emerson
8. "I sure am putting a lot of faith in that 403B." - Kenny Embry
9. "There's a lot of insurance that if it's real or if it's not real, I'd like that insurance." - Kenny Embry
10. "I like being right, Emerson...I like being on the right side of history." - Kenny Embry
11. "The older brother...was basically resting on his righteousness...he worshiped his dad's stuff more than he worshiped his dad." - Kenny Embry
12. "He promises that he will take care of us, but we don't get to dictate the terms that we're taking care of." - Kenny Embry

Four Applications:

1. Reflect on your own life: Take time to examine your heart and actions. What are you prioritizing? Are there any areas where you need to surre

If you would like to sign up for the 2024 Balancing the Christian Life Conference, go to www.balancingthechristianlife.com and click the menu at the top.

Support the show

Luvut

1. Avoiding Idolatry in the Digital Age (00:00:00)

2. Understanding and Avoiding Idolatry Shift (00:13:41)

3. The Dangers of Idolatry and Self-Righteousness (00:20:13)

4. Recognizing and Overcoming Religious Idolatry (00:24:47)

5. The Dangers of Self-Exaltation and Idolatry (00:35:12)

6. Online Christian Conference Announcement (00:48:46)