In New Testament times, as today, some people saw religious teaching as simply one
more chance for profit. The solution to their greed, and ours, this letter says, is not
just outward changes in behavior. The key is inside of us. True wealth comes from a
contented spirit, not our wallet or our bank account.

• Verse 7 states a basic premise for the whole Bible’s teaching about greed. How “permanent” do some of your main possessions feel to you? How vital is that sense of permanence to your inner security? How has your inner “need” for your possessions changed during the current economic crisis?
•  In verse 10, we read that “the love of money” (not money itself) is the root of all kinds of evil. Whom have you known who had plenty of money but seemed free of “the love of money”? Have you known (or been) a