Judah Smith Asks: Are Material Things Weighing You Down?
Pastor Judah Smith, who is known for spiritually mentoring celebrity singer Justin Bieber, explains in a message what it means to not love the world or the things in the world, and how to move away from a life that is characterized by perpetually finding something new to want.
Smith, lead pastor of The City Church in Seattle, Washington, started his sermon last week by reading 1 John 2:15, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
The verse doesn't say love "for" the Father, but "of" the Father, he underlined, and continued to read verses 16 and 17: "For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."