Af-flu-en-za n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that

results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of

stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of

the American Dream. 3. A spiritual illness that Jesus counsels his

followers to avoid at all costs

As Westerners, we live in a society of unprecedented affluence, a

culture of luxury that teaches us to buy, spend, and consume from

early on. Yet Jesus warns his followers "Watch out! Be on your guard

against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the

abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12.15).

How do we live in a world that says luxury, leisure and consumption

are the means to lasting happiness? Listen in as Pastor Tim discusses

the Affluenza bug in the message series "Why the Devil Takes

MasterCard: Jesus on Money and Your Stuff."