Wealth brings responsibility. The Christian attitude is that we are stewards of all property under our control. Everything belongs to God. We are accountable to him for how it is used.

Jesus told a story of a man who entrusted his three servants with different amounts of money. Two of the three invested wisely and secured a profit for their master, but one hid his money because he was afraid. Jesus rewarded the productive servants, but punished the fearful, unprofitable servant (Matthew 25:14-30).

"We should set for ourselves treasures in heaven, not treasures on Earth because they will fade away," says Ransom, 8. The Bible says the wealthy in their pursuits are like flowers in the field that fade away under the sun's scorching heat (James 1:10-11).

Christians with divided loyalties live unstable lives. They flip-flop between love of God and love of riches. The double-minded Christian is a bundle of mixed messages and contradictions.

"Some people think only about money and do not accept Christ. When they die, they do not go to heaven," says Allen, 11.

This is the ultimate loss. In God's economy, if you own the entire world but lose your soul, you're busted -- bankrupt forever.

So great is our tendency to depend on wealth to the exclusion of God that Jesus said it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into his kingdom. It's practically a miracle whenever wealthy people humble themselves to trust in the one who gave up the riches of heaven to die on a shameful cross to pay for our sins.