Envy

Message Notes:

Byron begins his message with three Biblical stories about envy.

•Cain and Abel, Genesis 4

•The two prostitutes and King Solomon, 1 Kings 3

•Jacob, Joseph and the brothers, Genesis 37

•Main points: Envy is a deadly sin. And, when we are infected with envy, we will sin in ways that are unexpected.

Next, Byron will describe “Envy Steps.”

•It usually starts with something “painful” — an experience of grief, sadness, injustice or feelings of inadequacy

•Then, envy, jealousy or covetousness arrives as a “second emotion” or reaction

•Third — what makes envy dangerous, is it grants self-righteous permission (justification) to act sinfully

•Illustrated through the three stories above.

There are similarities and dissimilarities between envy, jealousy and covetousness. The differences are subtle but technically real.

Two Bible verses related to envy:

•James 3:16 — envy leads to evil

•Proverbs 14:30 — envy makes us miserable

Five elements of envy:

•Self-absorbed

•Insecure

•Discontented

•Constant comparisons

•Competition

Close with testimony of Paul — Philippians 4:11-13

Discussion Questions:

Describe a time when envy infected my own soul. Describe a time when someone else’s envy disrupted my life.

Spend some time meditating on the Bible passages related to envy and contentment.

•James 3:16

•Proverbs 14:30

•Philippians 4:11-13

Look at Byron’s list of the five elements of envy and pray about how some of those may be negatively impacting your life.