The Wired Word for 09/20/2026  🔗 **Source:** [The Wired Word for 09/20/2026]() > [!note]+ Document Notes > --- > tags: [inflation, energy-prices, economic-justice, bible-study, wage-theft, the-wired-word] > author: The Wired Word (Communication Resources, Inc.) > source: thewiredword.com — email edition > reference: "The Wired Word for 09/20/2026 — 'Inflation Feeds Angst, Deflates Hope'" > date created: 2026-09-19 > --- > > [!info] Generated analysis — not the author's words. Sections below are machine-written > > from the captured source. Only text inside `> [!quote]` blocks is verbatim from the author. > > Do not quote or attribute any other line to the named author. > ## 🏷️ Title > **Inflation Feeds Angst, Deflates Hope** — *The Wired Word* for the Week of September 20, 2026. > A weekly current-events Bible-study lesson for adult classes. It takes a news story about diesel, fuel and grocery inflation and runs it through four scripture texts (2 Kings 6, Haggai 1, James 5, Revelation 6) to ask how a congregation should think, budget, and act during an inflationary squeeze. Teacher-facing email; copyright 2026 Communication Resources. > ## 🧭 Table of Contents > 1. 🏷️ Title > 2. 🧭 Table of Contents > 3. 🔗 References (in-page) > 4. 📝 Summary > 5. 📖 Main Content → 🗒️ Notes > 6. 📚 References > 7. 🗣️ Paraphrase > 8. 📰 Newsletter > 9. ✅ Action Items > 10. 🧪 Hypotheses > 11. 📊 Methodology > 12. ❓ Questions > 13. 🔮 Future Research > 14. 💡 Implications > 15. 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment > 16. 📊 Accessibility Assessment > 17. 🌍 DEIB Assessment > 18. ✅ Logical Validity > 19. 🛡️ DARVO Analysis > 20. 🎯 Conclusion > 21. 🔄 Refactor Appendix > The source's own structure, for orientation: cover note to class members → *In the News* → *More on this story can be found at these links* → *Applying the News Story* → *The Big Questions* (5) → *Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope* (4 passages, each with commentary + discussion questions) → *For Further Discussion* (3) → *Responding to the News* → *Prayer*. > ## 🔗 References (in-page) > The lesson is densely linked. Every external link in the captured email is wrapped in a SendGrid click-tracking redirect (`u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?...`), so the raw hrefs are opaque; the link *text* is what identifies the destination. Captured link anchors, in document order: > - "a September report from NPR's Planet Money" — cited for the 75%-stressed-about-money figure. > - "U.S. Diesel Prices Soar Past $6 a Gallon, Deepening Strain for Hauling Everyday Goods." → *AP News* (headline and publication are two separate tracked links). > - "Oil Prices Jump More Than 2% After New Strikes on Saudi, Strait of Hormuz." → *Reuters* > - "Diesel Costs More Than $6 a Gallon for the First Time. Here's How That Affects You." → *CNN* > - "U.S. Inflation Accelerated Last Month as Gas Prices Spiked, Squeezing Americans' Finances." → *PBS NewsHour* > - Scripture context links: 2 Kings 6:24-33; 7:1 · Haggai 1:1-15 · Proverbs 23:4-5 · Proverbs 11:28 · James 5:1-6 · Deuteronomy 25:4 · Deuteronomy 24:14-15 · Malachi 3:5 · Jeremiah 22:13-14, 17 · Luke 10:7 · 1 Corinthians 9:9-10 · 1 Timothy 5:18 · 2 Timothy 2:6 · Romans 4:4 · Revelation 6:1-8 · Amos 8:4-6 > - "a recent YouGov survey" — conducted for Ally Bank, 5,000+ U.S. adults. > - "an article" — an unnamed piece offered under Further Discussion #3 on avoiding financial anxiety. This is the one link whose destination cannot be inferred from its anchor text. > - "Unsubscribe From This List" — list-management chrome. > This source is emphatically **not** uncited. It carries four named news outlets, two named surveys, and sixteen scripture citations. > ## 📝 Summary > **What happened.** U.S. diesel hit a record of nearly $6.06/gallon on September 11, up more than 63% year over year from $3.71, per AAA. Regular unleaded reached roughly $4.30, up 34% year over year, with U.S. crude above $100/barrel. The lesson attributes the spike primarily to energy-market volatility from the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran launched in late February, which bottlenecked tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz; secondarily to Russia's war with Ukraine and to Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities. A Saudi workaround — an east-west pipeline routing crude to the Red Sea near Bab el-Mandeb, up through Suez and around Africa — is described as now closed after a drone strike originating in Iraq, with Houthi control of key Red Sea coastline further curtailing supply. > **Why it matters (as the lesson frames it).** Diesel is an input cost to nearly everything physical, so the lesson lists an unusually long downstream impact set: agriculture, fishing, airlines, hospitality, grocery, trucking, freight rail, shipping, e-commerce, public transit, wireless, appliances, car repair, clothing, furniture, construction. Household-level evidence: Brown University's Watson School puts the added diesel cost to Americans at $45B+ since the Iran war began (~$350 per household); a LendingTree July survey of 6,000+ consumers found 29% now borrow to buy groceries; 91.5 million Americans use buy-now-pay-later for essentials like food, health care and child care; NPR's Planet Money reports 75%+ are stressed about money. Internationally the shock is worse: diesel up 90%+ in Nigeria, 87% in Indonesia, 80% in Lebanon since late February, with Hong Kong at $17.78/gallon. > **Stakeholders.** Wage earners whose pay is not indexed to prices; households on diesel home heat (5 million in the U.S.); SNAP recipients facing benefit reductions; grocers (Kroger CEO Greg Foran describes a "disciplined" consumer buying "more on need"); truckers and freight operators; energy producers and insurers absorbing war-risk costs; and — the lesson's actual audience — congregations deciding how to teach stewardship and how to run benevolence during a squeeze. > **Risks the lesson surfaces.** Theologically: that anxiety displaces trust, that scarcity hardens people toward one another, and that the wealthy rationalize wage suppression. Economically: Fed rate increases putting mortgages and cars out of reach; wage stagnation; debt taken on for consumables. Pastorally: a class in genuine financial distress being handed a text (2 Kings 6) whose imagery is famine cannibalism, without a facilitator warning. > **Bottom line.** The lesson's claim is that scripture already contains a vocabulary for inflation — siege scarcity (2 Kings 6), futile labor (Haggai 1), withheld wages (James 5), and a day's wage buying a day's grain (Revelation 6) — and that the faithful response is a twofold one: personal reordering of priorities *and* prophetic accountability toward those who profit from scarcity. Notably, it does not land on a purely individual-piety answer; it ends on "What message, if any, should the church convey to those with surplus resources?" > ## 📖 Main Content > ### 🗒️ Notes > **1. Cover note and framing.** The teacher email opens with a one-line thesis: the lesson uses rising prices "to consider what our faith teaches about wise and hopeful living during boom and bust economies." Note the boom-and-bust pairing — the lesson intends the same discipline to apply in good times, which is why Big Question 5 asks about resource handling "when times are easy." > **2. *In the News*.** Eight paragraphs, structured as: (a) the diesel number and its pass-through, (b) a forecast to $7/gallon from Andy Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates plus the 5-million-homes heating exposure, (c) the Brown Watson School aggregate cost, (d) international comparison, (e) gasoline and crude, (f) household stress and Fed-rate anxiety, (g) borrowing behavior (LendingTree, BNPL), (h) the Kroger CEO quotes, (i) geopolitical causation, (j) the Saudi rerouting collapse, (k) a closing catch-all list of contributing factors: tariffs, unpredictable economic government policy, climate risk and natural disasters, insufficient refining and infrastructure capacity, and wealth concentration. > That final paragraph is doing a lot of work. It is the hinge that lets the lesson pivot from "war shock" to "distributive justice," because it slips "the shifting of wealth into the hands of the few out of the pockets of the masses" into a list of technical causes. Whether wealth concentration *causes* inflation is contested economics; the lesson asserts it as one item among many rather than arguing it. > **3. *App Dear Class Members, Our lesson this week uses news about rising prices to consider what our faith teaches about wise and hopeful living during boom and bust economies.  **Inflation Feeds Angst, Deflates Hope** ***The Wired Word*** **for the Week of September 20, 2026** **In the News** Diesel prices in the United States rose by more than 63% from its average of $3.71 per gallon a year ago to a record of nearly $6.06 per gallon on September 11, according to motor club AAA. That means consumers will pay more for many goods and services as businesses pass along the higher expense of fuel needed for production and delivery. Industries that have already seen a negative impact include agriculture, fishing, airlines, hospitality, grocery stores, trucking, freight trains, shipping, e-commerce, public transit, wireless phone services, appliances, car repairs, clothing, furniture, construction, and more. Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, predicts that diesel prices are likely to climb to as much as $7 a gallon, which leads to higher heating bills for the 5 million homes in America that rely on diesel for heat. According to Brown University's Watson School of International and Public Affairs, the rising price of diesel has already cost Americans more than $45 billion since the war in Iran started, which amounts to over $350 extra expense per U.S. household. The sticker price of diesel has pole-vaulted even higher in other countries: over 90% in Nigeria, 87% in Indonesia, and 80% in Lebanon since late February, with Hong Kong reporting $17.78 a gallon this week, the highest cost for diesel in the world. Meanwhile, the cost of regular unleaded gasoline in the United States climbed to almost $4.30 on average on September 11, a 34% increase over the past 12 months, while U.S. crude oil surpassed $100/barrel. More than 75% of Americans say they're stressed about money, according to [a September report from NPR's Planet Money](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHqYzlFhngTMk0G9-2F-2BQ1rl-2FiSLMf3t0gD5q0HxpP9hyOxAMFggwHeGaAHZ5w655MjObhI4zCS6CnY0atll4nPdJkjrPeeatZWpKpE83CBjLQYaX4_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ydYmbvyqJd5ngNQ0dLIgSCrauJNgeJj6qIg9ngeL-2BcfN1YYtk1QkGC-2BX0b6J-2FFWwaFE2nMUAJXoz9-2BQJ8Ylb-2BGPMQwKzIRDTgVB-2FGKm5eUW7F4Ton46UMR0uuGH8psSWQyLGf8ympJI4O2romAvso0qfp7OdvU2UnlSt8MPA1yKPYsTvWFipuK8uy66LLjnYytrs-2Bn0hgmr6mQWEV-2BGbUQw-3D). Many worry that the Federal Reserve might raise interest rates, putting a home mortgage or the purchase of a car out of reach, while job loss, wage and benefits decline or stagnation, and difficulty finding employment that offers a living wage exacerbate the financial woes of many whose income doesn't cover basic necessities, let alone any extras. A July Lending Tree survey of more than 6,000 U.S. consumers revealed 29% say they now borrow money to pay for groceries. 91.5 million Americans increasingly rely on "buy now, pay later" loans not for discretionary purchases but to cover essentials such as food, health care and child care. "Customers remained under pressure, and that has affected the industry broadly. Unit growth has slowed since the start of the year," said Kroger CEO Greg Foran. "Reductions in SNAP benefits, higher fuel prices, and softer consumer confidence are all putting pressure on household budgets. Customers are buying more on need." "I would say that what we are seeing is the consumer continues to be disciplined," he said. "They are not absent. They are turning up to the stores, but they are pretty disciplined about what they buy." Volatility in the energy market has been driven by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran launched in late February, which led to the bottlenecking of oil tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Russia's war with Ukraine and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's energy facilities have also contributed to the disruption of the flow of oil and goods and services. To avoid the Strait of Hormuz, the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, had been rerouting oil to the Red Sea near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait through an east-west pipeline, up through the Suez Canal, through the Mediterranean Sea and around Africa to deliver fuel to Asia. The pipeline is now closed after a damaging drone strike originating in Iraq. The Houthis also took control of key Red Sea coastline, further curtailing the Saudi supply line. Global conflict is raising the cost of insurance, labor, security, logistics and longer transportation routes for energy companies. Other factors economists say that contribute to market volatility and inflation include tariffs, unpredictable economic government policies, climate risks and natural disasters, insufficient and declining infrastructure and industrial capacity to deliver and turn crude oil into fuel, and the shifting of wealth into the hands of the few out of the pockets of the masses. More on this story can be found at these links: [U.S. Diesel Prices Soar Past $6 a Gallon, Deepening Strain for Hauling Everyday Goods.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPMF59WoA-2BYBUfJSXBU3Xu6wi50gwbJXXQq813FrG5WYKq4hg_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yXNGfOoEWtJCp1fkd4Xolenj7Yliw1uBDDb9aStrc40teYdGzRi9Exhfc9UqMYjO7eMEP9ZSfHsNgzV6OxRu9Z7DdmwB5P6xZaVlvdw8yDzRCfeSJGhJDUXb9IBS1dDw87ZNQBJ-2F5jzjkyqSoVX-2FEEMvZ75wKr-2BqyQiSuRtgcIDV4I3GGZO76kVP9MuwJhu03Jyunh2wcSPs-2Bfiof0zOgho-3D) [*AP News*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPMF59WoA-2BYBUfJSXBU3Xu6wi50gwbJXXQq813FrG5WYKPMtr_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ydvnoZHPunufesIL7f3zjQGA-2F-2FnTh8d7kb5cTLuBd0gMQryYhm0WxAH33L7SQuq5L9FdXB2-2BoBU0Z96JVdAduGwJ-2FMHbFdGLiCQkxaize-2B-2FT3WjNbphFbxB5ks0g44dD7mHbGRJSVv7AQFbfN-2FayH7fhMwkM0R26Pp9KPAl1p7TzR3MnlkDunGtpk9z3Py-2Fd6DOF-2B-2F0aVTQVKpTqUy-2BEt1k-3D) [Oil Prices Jump More Than 2% After New Strikes on Saudi, Strait of Hormuz.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHdMwa3Sk61QJHbe9zIocxu95tM-2BT8aR8X2mV1KKKJ6MZLKYuKJZNPFLl58hdeTAwQdOGqietDrieRIKyWi1G4H7NFTsLBabgcfQJJDt8nsrZRzvntQWAoh4fXXd6mqY-2BUlPWHMOzsnLV4pyhGeRMeE-3D4k6r_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ybsP5upt-2FfKWVk31j-2BFYE-2FpVIVYirq2-2FYSRvF6WdfOhBu0UGfuUwiqAlBMdNn8lQoqyPYfQqDtOW-2BFCloErBCl-2F0GiIe41lD6XfAV11VtC3hXNYl5rOlyXpny4jvg6nkTrT2ZYA0B0f8FS-2FpZJYyIvWD-2FnDPeb7HAEBsU2A-2BredOjw1E3CIa-2BtU4lrBq5aqg07vk7OeI6hmKlnobRGnl7Ds-3D) [*Reuters*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHdMwa3Sk61QJHbe9zIocxu95tM-2BT8aR8X2mV1KKKJ6MZLKYuKJZNPFLl58hdeTAwQdOGqietDrieRIKyWi1G4H7NFTsLBabgcfQJJDt8nsrZRzvntQWAoh4fXXd6mqY-2BUlPWHMOzsnLV4pyhGeRMeE-3Dq2Hl_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ydw0ri7MSemZJ0l4Um5tB-2FGSk4w6jGK6k5hac9YdH5XlztwOc-2BKRJnvx7i-2BwyY3ACJFsGrTxH7M1zkV-2FLPkLLzytr-2BqgbW0tI5SmwrWDVlzAlgl8-2FD0nUsQwbNHgcNNPgzo6mA96gE-2BpNTiduj-2BoArVKRvadB6ZpWRQ-2FU-2BHbXENeh1RscuoYMjai48IObDSWAs5WjSjU4NlUlbbMsJR5TpU-3D) [Diesel Costs More Than $6 a Gallon for the First Time. Here's How That Affects You.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKy3TtZJUNBApOSK1-2FQMe4GcFOZiRf-2BCIVeChtxTPGILH1Fa0ZVQLdXmka-2BT8EQP2w6whHqoIQbnacBVrJD8oH4-3DH2E-_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ybazPWPrR9vTILQpubrvOemsfqQeFs2sSxq9KHxlJ4mj0dtf9bpqCPusdYA76bDGCw0BWfM7QIdOLnzVqmOwEE3z8M3kDe2ZhPf4n03DPRfB46cZAuSckqMQ-2FJboSZgUQT7FWPYvZt8Hd4W-2BRrqjCnQ-2BTSBQ-2FsqigZnHuA3XtRtZGbQi6mRHxmXBQyMYlEZjowreTvQm6-2FS8uC-2Fyi3TKz7s-3D) [*CNN*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKy3TtZJUNBApOSK1-2FQMe4GcFOZiRf-2BCIVeChtxTPGILH1Fa0ZVQLdXmka-2BT8EQP2w6whHqoIQbnacBVrJD8oH4-3Di2Dx_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yR3DB93TS0AGH-2FKpyca9n2vcC5aWHRefu5AAghTOqr647GdRNCnSEmQZ-2Bj3a-2BvO89zT9JOwsrCpM4V0QFFu-2FqqiqpKsNohpqmUuFXQkmlHjSX4-2Bjc1qPjDMIlXACB3SXo58cqfylXk-2FKbMMyQ-2BNtUX7zTKhV1YI5YkQ7ISufcBQwHl-2B83IIpSfIrnwCo2s-2BScgB2LZ9JjpAvd316meF1PU8-3D) [U.S. Inflation Accelerated Last Month as Gas Prices Spiked, Squeezing Americans' Finances.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPMzYPNkJ0XZ39JRiWx8F17vFwMirNhIl93oG0ndHSK77NRMzNzsRzl4I8V28ffsTHO8-2BKSYqKz1IK-2B5oEAgELv1F71Gfjevijkoju6Nv-2FOGJdEbrK43rikNzrznxNGW4dWX5vSBpFvB-2F3x5fEMYNzn08ModxqhS2Tm6jU6hjPfqy-nuq_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yVFq0WewtNaLKW2Xn4bJlAb8g16XvDcvmrVEJ5NTO1eRjWhT5lNMACQ4Xv2jyPlEC2R281fH27GTI5ywIwmERUaYEbLPeQLA4V-2BWC9f-2BadocUQGooaJsfGSmEVpviJyYAH4DaM8o3jR2HOi2mqFpHrWQAr1HjycE260sRQC2wp-2BpqqtJ3uIk-2BNq8uuQeeyxXewkFFhBaWJdUuzyXtjgWLlo-3D) [*PBS NewsHour*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPMzYPNkJ0XZ39JRiWx8F17vFwMirNhIl93oG0ndHSK77NRMzNzsRzl4I8V28ffsTHO8-2BKSYqKz1IK-2B5oEAgELv1F71Gfjevijkoju6Nv-2FOGJdEbrK43rikNzrznxNGW4dWX5vSBpFvB-2F3x5fEMYNzn08ModxqhS2Tm6jU6hjPfqy_rb__-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ybPHktHq6i4JjPe-2FGh30RoZuIk3Ozq9MQgJVA-2Fj0W3TGSUl7SQ9XoP9wm5o7oORfAvvWPPfij42dvOKY5Pxvlnz4ccSG4NgXUE58peKsnFagabEIweP8bMa-2Fgr9m5WGKCbL81O1WW0yhShoCYAEbTcfaHP1KZg6BBZde8TGzeLrvW4Du7ngQOsRVsUjQ-2BeiONBDz1aQTnZZnnnDiz7v0uAg-3D) **Applying the News Story** When prices increase, while the purchasing power of money in circulation decreases, people and economic systems experience stress and greater struggle just to survive, let alone thrive. Workers who can find employment are often toiling harder and longer, but can afford to purchase less of the goods and services they need, since whatever money they have is worth less than it was before the inflation hit. Use this lesson to discuss what our faith teaches us about how to live wisely and hopefully during a difficult economic time. **The Big Questions** 1. How is the economy working for you? 2. What factors contribute to economic hardship? 3. How do you react to financial stress? How does your reaction reflect your understanding of God's provision? 4. What biblical principles help you resist anxiety and maintain eternal priorities when money is tight? 5. How should you handle your resources when times are hard? When times are easy? What changes could you make to reflect more faith in how you handle your resources during hard times? **Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope**Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: **2 Kings 6:25, 28-30** *As the siege continued, famine in Samaria became so great that a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver and one-fourth of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver. … But then the king asked her, "What is your complaint?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give up your son; we will eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.' So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son, and we will eat him.' But she has hidden her son." When the king heard the words of the woman he tore his clothes -- now since he was walking on the city wall, the people could see that he had sackcloth on his body underneath.* (For context, read [2 Kings 6:24-33; 7:1](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxzmbiUTAz53-2FiMOHoDD-2BywVLW322QSZ1-2FteyAMwTS5i7cia-2BJuJqt455rgp7rYdpITOH2MCGcVSy1k-2F5HTFowiA-3D-3Dfd9P_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yYkHPI4JSIVbkSaUc7rGH7AnprA9-2BcSZLkNQ5aQIZQV9vwFbIHxZPPdRb96Uzg0AXphdnjwJFumUu42uInk91SxwY04X3hONt-2BbzY9WtVDu0V-2FNapJqPQRvScxfp33NGY-2BQ57lsZJzDiDCshStESy4bsyvmJfPKhfKYn4ODWlWAMQ2spA90pavBbLP4AX4sn7ou7HpOt-2FpeLewY7sBZsCiw-3D).) During the reign of Israel's King Jehoram, King Ben-hadad of Aram laid siege to Samaria, causing the disruption of the normal flow of goods and services as supply channels were effectively blocked. Prices went through the roof. People were starving, as basic necessities grew scarce, and whatever was available (a donkey's head and a bit of dove's poop) was astronomically unaffordable and inedible. They were so desperate that they resorted to cannibalism -- even eating their own children! King Jehorham was so distressed when he witnessed the depths to which the people had fallen that he tore his clothes, an expression of overwhelming grief. He was ready to give up, but God promised that the siege would end and prices would drop dramatically (7:1). > **Questions:** Why is hunger such an effective weapon of war? How can peacemaking efforts of the church help to restore equilibrium in the economic order, so that everyone has the resources they need to live and no one feels compelled to resort to horrific acts just to survive? **Haggai 1:6, 9***"You have sown much and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and you that earn wages earn wages to put them into a bag with holes. ... You have looked for much, but it came to little, and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses."* (For context, read [Haggai 1:1-15](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxOA1k4HTQRIUT7STvSavT2Ci3JOTINx5cnp-2FJGBE6FN0PVLolDe4raiZMg2KEvg8GLhJf_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yVWSRujWhakMDtCiYVEHtekcqXREdvnCRVQplhF1xhDk5xWNDaNjDe1VuMi85ajF3452KFqIobfC9wnsZFAT-2FaTFa1ZzbM5MlpVmZVfIXje-2FSn6ib8dxMc4B2fy-2F7zIDuqKx6b6ZrmvI0qmW6mKUbGM4ep5cDT7thWoYUaqe-2FgQJwt2-2FXjWbxDSU2zpPr4RdqX-2BL6vpTVYlHl2MD-2F0j81Gs-3D).) God's message to his people was that they put all their time and money into providing fancy homes for themselves, while neglecting their obligations to the Lord (vv. 1-5). They worked a lot, for no benefit: "you never have enough ... you never have your fill ... no one is warm ... you ... put [your wages] into a bag with holes." Haggai is describing how inflation erodes purchasing power. Earthly riches are unreliable, subject to the vagaries of weather, theft, rot and rust. Just glance at earthly wealth, and it will grow a pair of wings and fly off like an eagle toward heaven ([Proverbs 23:4-5](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxtUL-2BBngs4gHqgEeaCN1ihZypDBt25iDblxUCXlVOxSrpeNDXKDxSSxO-2FaS5TuCpzzow6_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yZ6EODkf6uJv-2FpPeRiOQ4eY3g2bOqsB6g03K6U0Tmey1B0tlpUIooMlThG08j1uuv0rIzvZmMDjRffv-2FHjlC2N0Q2wZiWzS9wjnyelmxJJyil-2Bz-2F54t8xdrKm-2FGfuwPrDueEepatH6G-2Fq-2Fje-2FFpj-2FIp0xl722XiiIDQg4soAvByHuFNIrFD75wL4Q9yNwoOFBT8Lvf0KANfbDSO056kXAwo-3D)). God points to the self-centeredness of the people as the cause of their poverty. When they reoriented their values and prioritized what God prioritized, God promised them a blessing. "Those who trust in their riches will wither, but the righteous will flourish like green leaves" ([Proverbs 11:28](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxtUL-2BBngs4gHqgEeaCN1ihXIV-2FsSDDNKMu1ZIwhhFb8Tfk0ysNZ2G5D3wi9t7fwiUKK_B_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yWTzxJUheiqOOlkA3Nz0nqvc5l1YHZpQKRT2tOOP-2Br8mXSZE7V6Gw-2BjNESAjm5cydoDBjNwaOCY4emPPAg220G1tNDwtpNi0nwyW6GquTpMKGgLbymEqE-2B8L9NtU3NzKYVGYbKA-2BwbncvS40zNiLIDQzFiIwZavNJeJsCynif9DOpMMTOGfcZ3u5umaKCa-2FDu4p-2BQbI5TA5l8hDRVeM-2B5Js-3D)). > **Questions:** When have you felt like you've worked hard, only to discover that the pocket where you put your wages was full of holes, and you have no idea where it all went? What contributed to your financial stress? Over which contributing factors did you have some measure of control? Which factors were largely beyond your control? How can you be sure you are prioritizing what God prioritizes? **James 5:4-5** *Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.* (For context, read [James 5:1-6](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxVudoY479Q5ENps4P-2Fs4cpDpw-2BCuFC1-2FYlRNRvffdqTbFuHu1gSm-2FsGgQX4mNjtNCs87J_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yWRnsf25cxwrUDwB-2Ffd4Ux7ZUIEbnaUBs-2FGfDdLYu-2FXNC7tdm53fuRs1mcYa9EDLe9VFMOykGmQXXBzNOJsjDx9NfPKFlJtJjLwNZtfoLMMmXQ5RdwkDPrcG0tC33GAzRwND5CFZj4nAqDiKvmbvOVkxtVywv847SuVD2L3Y6Ckx-2BwQBLRZdSM63PBj5GtHxIVmmsY9IE91Hzz6tdBEN9mc-3D).) James bemoans the misery that awaits rich people who have trusted in perishable earthly wealth that can do them no good on the day of judgment (vv. 1-3). He speaks up for the workers who labored in the fields of the wealthy, while they held back the wages they owed their employees, living in the lap of luxury while their actions harmed and led to the deaths of the righteous (vv. 4-6). This warning fits solidly into the teaching of the law, where we read, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain" ([Deuteronomy 25:4](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzx8vT-2B4JcJ5j8RqGNYnps4kkzDIjzxMkm0cjULK2u7Uqx7NN-2FDqUwPGaNVjuEcI3gFgyu8_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yYxtAlE1QZ6BmPHW-2FHJMNOTNyUAW3q9kA4kbFoPiXLy-2F-2F7Pqeyb9Onh-2BTlI8ZAkTWSZIQYEKoJOE9aFoQhIAcvlX7yquyIiuZulplmBpdciSjcx9u4-2FFZKqbo0pq24XbTL5R2O4honTrOSeHeRzJjaB-2BJjWTwcvYvlFy92wbinh8l-2F-2FZHxvtbFPPE87-2FyDd2FESzE3lwHhcvQhAMJoWiu34-3D)), "You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the LORD against you, and you would incur guilt" ([Deuteronomy 24:14-15](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzx8vT-2B4JcJ5j8RqGNYnps4kl3uBh93ROj0Z3qdlJmfqDveO7u2FVNMalRc61s6YAOh7TrZ_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yWhEy9ne-2FGt0eq73NckqkFjzztb1Z1AyEFHtub5B-2Fb1yV78fpJEEEcowmCzz9Y-2FbgjXrvK5jTKxVLxxYMBWDD8HdygO0qFL8JOI1vjJiQCKtLBFb-2FtiwulonPNaR13EiwV686BDvh0NLCVXRDPL-2FvhVtvcKwH3SgIZRqNzU-2FjtmS-2Ff3GknRM9D-2B-2FWsrGfKU-2FIdSq6Ze7trS9SliLXjgdxTI-3D)). The prophets concur, stating that God is "against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages" ([Malachi 3:5](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxDMgpQ-2BHG6czOM2FIIR2W58hUDE36ctoNC0VYV8mXs5JrAXPyIRVmhJSSNXrxNa9erwlJ_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yY1j0mPSoghhkWZQp7RTv-2B7Vs-2FqNUdH-2F64KBE2aTfKJNfuwHc63yx1gWd-2FCcxULObCNsVoGZYHZaxdcGimM5Rwb-2FbJ4K0n5fcaEJbdCmH-2BgfUGivK0GhVPASCHsb0ewupz-2FGxsi9TUtpzzGHLqicxjS73Q8-2Fgmrzskihu4gUJ-2BxBTtlmKNN4nTz4b51kJRAyu6a7tQte7NwjNPDztjT9WJw-3D)) and declaring, "Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbors work for nothing and does not give them their wages, who says, 'I will build myself a spacious house with large upper rooms,' and who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion. ... But your eyes and heart are only on your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence" ([Jeremiah 22:13-14, 17](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxJvgik996U85rhX2pdLmiu8Epw7fuSLltxOuDVTQWHTdnHegz2bXt6T2JKjOOMDsIbmhub-2FScguLVxU8ebhwlxQ-3D-3DBeif_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ySgs6-2FLb14PEPWG3yVUp5jkhZ4OHHnl8N-2F9gKWNQl6RapS9MhN2ByScDdMVm5SNNWMnmvnMVCmO0roaex8-2FsvzaJVlDcvlwqBaRCOF61wFQaKlvlxX5Q814nRH8kB0G8vlnKOa0jt0tuX-2BfdCju5SegnjtaDU5cqm-2FRnD5Z3ITSxKrKeA99jM2dBwMQ12pzeZwK4vz6ykq6ZbBy3aWwqKJM-3D)). Jesus picks up the theme when he tells his disciples that "the laborer deserves to be paid" ([Luke 10:7](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxTAd9vcEB7xoCzVfcOSMFoJLTL3gYlky6aVXYy-2BXl-2FPJiVUPvdQPyPcDB2oVkhketeqTj_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yUbP-2B-2BpoJfVxn-2FCl8vn2MzLm0tGaEFm0Nb3cKnO2YuWBFc27is-2Bzm58eRHLBQlHv7-2FfPbxDxbYMzMX-2Bh-2BTXUFU9pkm-2BRsZpwyZdEqGDmu9LmDjNbm2ZSqvT1Ly1MpZW365iQAGMg-2Bc5UWF9Oww-2FbM8GrhlYIbP-2FXFyoMvkZaRjmQIFsTk0tDbU0zLInJxyPGP9h9pGHW3yt0oWmNcqaAqEw-3D)). Paul also repeats the metaphor that portrays refusing workers adequate remuneration for their labor is as unjust as muzzling of an ox while it is treading out grain, "for whoever plows should plow in hope and whoever threshes should thresh in hope of a share in the crop" ([1 Corinthians 9:9-10](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxOdlwvpIcp6dpBWksJaxTxOR0cYF3OEzq3m74aBcMKrLwvMFRKCDpbC4rFwHg4OWUpwvU_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ydZ8Oiy0IZGNOEnJB8KiL1a3d5ABykyrJiED2x-2Bv4dkkx3lsMO-2Fd1uwJ0hXJZqHXB9TQwBvyqeH6blREOnddLYXf1jFA9j9WOwTvB9TSnTDy8vgmRhEdG2MGJFv5jCqfEJaw-2BOA-2Fj54mF9U15xHwEjG5QJINyMwpspb6V3gblWlDGebg6ZuriEhJZtXNTzY4iY4gkcNvcJ9raaSbcNHH5HM-3D); see also [1 Timothy 5:18](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxBpJPfBLlryTXsGfLPep7NumaVB6KoXKkWqg7RzwTgJI3P1MlgbMLadpfFsSyDP56Y5vN_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ydJwImTxEWC-2B7W6wgx7NfEHyr6Bu6cBhJaW5FocNUVl-2ByyntfNw8joM8Uu-2B8FkvaggQPtBh3ekmHNqPDfO-2FTmivvX7SZFI8IhbP-2FzwngKdMAcEtq-2Fp3SioK0JDL0yzzgwDQkzSzgAbG7yk3vPWE-2BM4pyCranFSrUYJNm-2F5-2ByReWBriSdr5ONs9esmXZ7nJWw1Vo37bTlAFEdZ90nvo5S-2Fnk-3D); [2 Timothy 2:6](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxCB6Biq-2Bhf2lG2oReWih72q9eH9S3IGHrAQOobztTgPBH-2FsZvKum-2BXYRFIvYRk-2Fx111Lh_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yY78YjUksJofWxNQOWl5LOARtQoRMm9Yi4VwDFWbDzmsSmfU6dCYmNC2CKFcNmeCB7B1pSM05OG8C-2F8afyTIzTX-2FnkuvAj1Ld01MfpjmP5j0vDI-2F-2BHCI9No4ZIaMSLzoeG52aLoCi5gP-2BCr3g2S7WgFEhtqmHbk-2BoyqYEQLNNA7WqnwfZhxs6PqmbygICVSFKrkdRE7B1jgW-2FcEAqIQuT58-3D); [Romans 4:4](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxFPlS4ro1cGbjIDecu1zTfy-2FobMMsqcrWTzNt9McoMUj1hickr0-2FyyHyINDe4z6UfYP1Q_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ya1TyyNzjOqaCxyEUPMOt-2BudYBvA8hrAOVQZBRgRBFEOStVCXEUqSrGyKrMoVzfxVtp660F0yz5o81uTukDc-2BF123DxtIj1JMluVT-2BnKwry1XS4NoM095jybx4bJ63wt-2F1i-2FV0x2KFY0tXUEv5vsakZ9S7Yc3g4yN0vqPMj18YcwKmd1j7bvtcgWlAp6Z288MhjE7WmD2NzHMeUBM0izvrc-3D)). > **Questions:** What lesson should wealthy people take from this passage today? How should followers of Jesus apply this passage in our current circumstances? **Revelation 6:5-6***When he broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, "Come!" I looked, and there was a black horse! Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand, and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's pay [a denarius] and three quarts of barley for a day's pay, [a denarius] but do not damage the olive oil and the wine!"* (For context, read [Revelation 6:1-8](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxL76PkgLnT0ZbDRKTq4JIBJU2emOwDEfLJTMqj05UR0fL2YC1ERUiOTy24JSFHVyiW8nJ_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5ybogV6J2HlifGDt-2BPYF9nxjxn1CNuaMCJYqQgndofvAmRxRy3rNdAq-2BV9MZHOotOuteFfLmTI85r99od3k5FBAwFepF5l3KP-2Fij3X4lsUW1Wqs5EyWZH8eKHw-2FH-2FA93GetStZZLbhVGRiJ0CvJhaQXmRMcjD-2F9oGL0LKp5UNl1sjqxPIZPFloQrwysiZ8t35RPq4LMqZu1-2BEG9wd4US2YYM-3D).) After the second rider brings war (vv. 3-4), this rider brings global inflation, when necessities are in short supply and unaffordable. The text depicts a crisis when a full day's wage buys only a small amount of food. The prophet Amos describes merchants whose only motive is improving their bottom line: "Hear this, you who trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, 'When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah smaller and the shekel heavier and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and selling the sweepings of the wheat.'" ([Amos 8:4-6](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxQcCyjX7HhSj5cR56MCC5x2wW0lW-2FS54hF0MCvJHgRxp4Gn6KK2FTSTvG0rv1LvpMsj7n_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yQFsbI9PLjeYcyVoGPVCArqagLydEwS0YlfBM-2BjXYVIMW2hBzNWNUThc82sD2gtTpVEjJji4qVzu-2BgKFnDnIqmnLKrJohUiIseONEV4GZ7n-2BSYn-2FdMXMvcY6w5EMfGKULee3YWtWlcQ-2BV6AI-2BozVkto2-2FhRBu6W8icATT3t-2BLGH6RozC-2BBb7coZivk0L2hc0ZhZHa4IS1tHxHoU77HFXMoY-3D)). Keeping the Sabbath wasn't just about following arbitrary rules, but it was meant to provide rest for laborers. These merchants couldn't wait for the end of holy days, so they could get back to making money. The well-being of their workers was the furthest thing from their minds. They also changed units of measurement to favor them rather than the consumer, using "false balances" to provide less value for the buyer. God strongly condemns this greed and price gouging, which contributes to inflation. > **Question:** How can believers hold companies to account when they see unfair pricing that benefits those who already have more than enough, giving huge salaries and benefits to CEOs and high dividends to investors, while workers don't make enough to pay for basic necessities and consumers pay higher prices for less value? **For Further Discussion** 1. According to [a recent YouGov survey](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPMo2dZ5Vl-2BrM1qj7nNJ0BkzGVwTxDRDaQtIotUALe9SxwcnbKo-2FznVW-2FflbIuO4px3WGmd62JpLZz43cKFepfYw-3DftkI_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yVtFTceEbXlCemgJWj1IeMgqeC2gmVCsHxs7IhfGieSmpxMuC89ghL37IXsBCX-2FU5RkCFWPQHuw-2BRqWvxxLLM7eX-2FEoogHllxXcAz98gwaCV7Wc4qA5wVRG8ykVch3wxUpmHHnlzfk-2FT9mR8y0Wm2RCgrtohv6y4syRjzO10pV1m15-2BW9RL8At-2FeNjDmyOqbtEsF3ZBVap6gYlO2lLhQw0E-3D) of more than 5,000 U.S. adults conducted for Ally Bank (AB), "worries about the cost of living are real, and because of them, people are getting more deliberate in their spending," Lee Stafford, AB's chief economist, said, "even cutting back on necessities to make room for the areas they value most. It's not that people are spending carelessly, instead, they're spending to protect something they've decided they can't afford to lose." Are you making changes in your budgetary choices that you haven't had to make in the past? How are you balancing your plans for the future and desire to experience joy in the present? What are you spending less on, and what are you prioritizing, and why? 2. Discuss this, from Shikha Jain, a Simon-Kucher partner: "A lot of younger people are also saying they don't know what the future is going to hold and what life is going to have in store for them, and the way things are going, it's not super hopeful. So, why not spend today? ... There's a little bit of that YOLO [You Only Live Once] effect going on." 3. When finances are tight, how can we avoid anxiety and panic? What biblical principles can guide you to make wise decisions and protect your inner peace? Here's [an article](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPAJd0Qs5EZag9sThKXkqJcK-2F0wi2IXozyDI5gLTtZ9RgcpAbLoL9m4y6gIALft2XEQ-3D-3D3k25_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmbQKS-2FJ4duVyxk2cmk4WntlblSFmLViRcHzWTJJrL894-2FuGzS6bUq30RqLILVTa5yd-2BJTwG5VdYsqsYqUtRyQWNss5x-2FrehIK7Q73PixFS84zuekIcCZHTu3Qk-2BhLRJg-2FPVjMPBTVKEo6-2FJ0kmci6Ba-2BZX9F2ZwRBnt1ej7-2B2ue4EHFJXCGQYlxpSWijf5qAoXjaB5Pzn5hgybMXU1hSCLxwDjBA-2FkCq7PzGV-2FIfTVnL0Q7armOG4ygNDyxCV0goOlpIez-2FNVNCpE8kjGErMPcI-3D) that presents one way to look at this issue. **Responding to the News** How can the church best support others spiritually and practically during times of financial difficulty? What assistance can the church offer people who are struggling financially? What message, if any, should the church convey to those with surplus resources when many less fortunate are struggling to survive? **Prayer** O Giver of abundant life and untold blessings, create in us wise minds and generous hearts, that we may treat others with the kindness and support you have shown us. In Jesus' name. Amen. **Copyright 2026 Communication Resources** [Unsubscribe From This List](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/asm/unsubscribe/?user_id=14323725&data=xKz5kQMb3RQLC9BBm77GSLqtN7K5GbicF1uc2kalReRoMDAwdTAwMGTTtTXsu6rcOrgo0IetxUbRq2G2rDsv8PuVBE_x9FFWDpgshX7UHqZtf0yIFbN6riuo7ziXFxWMN2Di4O_ovLgqnE4FU10ktbh8H3-88R6-Bg2u3MyRnajcGE4fQYpzm5RaA3H8R-l4uWk-tc3HXoPNEXagm4c4B7RUaf0KqZc3s57skh8o4dzGCoQgk1iG6wYb0l5Np_28fVg_zdCVGYsHVzyn-ASUzbukmhWKyuBUzB__ySVx6VeQ4GIdgSxTMWTxpbm2bLPZs9RTx0JDd9V28S4cOxPuuLEu8DvbbxusVq-Zk8Lc4t72zmLTr6fzh9vSoAQWDDjwJ43F0xQczc5jPjRBOBws6f0qvkvwwiPW6UcIKiskNamD_I6t1Ytarq7G4xpqyMotLSSBjf7NiPLt_8qjr-IfQJj151v3ELiuNqwtxVi8tqahaHyJiq8W6s9gbSH6N277XppXPXZYUdn74YgGVUcgJBT6DQWL9YRwUDiVRXDnAcWVCuM07485gi41ZvB-ODpP6-_jnKFuhJpyZcOQ2sjtUOqtcJx7HZWao9chptgXlXoOOcdHVzYovAS-skctINyvI--GhB4gkRs=), The Wired Word for 09/20/2026, The Wired Word, 01m2qnhekffbqnpwa7cy1pgm9b.