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Treasure in Heaven and Peace on Earth

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. MATTHEW 6:19 NLT

I MUST LEARN TO LET GO SOONER THAN LATER

Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. ECCLESIASTES 5:15 NIV

What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on… those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 1 CORINTHIANS 7:29-31 NIV

If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 1 CORINTHIANS 3:14-15 ESV

Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. MATTHEW 6:20 NLT

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. 1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19 NLT

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 CORINTHIANS 2:9 NLT

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. MATTHEW 6:21 NLT

JESUS OFFERS A LIFE OF FREEDOM FROM WORRY

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 1 TIMOTHY 6:9-10 NLT 

For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 2 CORINTHIANS 9:10-11 NLT

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! MATTHEW 6:22-23 NLT

HAVE I BEEN REAL ABOUT THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY ON MY HEART?

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is JEREMIAH 17:9 NLT 

…give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. PROVERBS 30:89 NLT

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.  PHILIPPIANS 4:12-13 NIV

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. MATTHEW 6:24 NLT

MY GIVING JOURNEY CAN BE A TOOL TO GROW MY FAITH JOURNEY

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 NIV

“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. REVELATION 22:12 NLT

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Find a quiet place to reflect on the sermon and connect with God, asking Him to calm your heart. When you’re ready, commit this time to Him and His purposes. Recall a recent time when you had to choose between trusting God to meet a financial need or trusting in another resource. Which did you choose? What did you learn about God and yourself from that experience? The Bible teaches that using our money for good stores up “treasure” in heaven and allows us to experience a more meaningful life. As you consider that principle of generosity, what are you thinking and feeling? Do you trust that God is able to provide for your every need in this life and in the next? Why or why not? Ask God to help you be real about how money influences your heart. What might your life look like if you more fully trusted God to provide? How would inviting God to guide your financial decisions free you from stress, worry or any unhealthy attachment to money? Do you sense God leading you to let go of an existing mindset, habit, or attitude around your finances, generosity or giving? Close this time by thanking God for all He has provided and asking Him to grow your faith, increase your trust, and help you fix your eyes not on what is seen and temporary, but on what is unseen and eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Discussion Questions

For our Matthew series, we’re offering two options for discussing the sermon and Scripture. Choose option A or B to guide your group’s discussion time.

(A) The R.E.A.L. Bible Study Method:

1. Read the Passage. Start by reading Matthew 6:19-24 (NLT) out loud.

2. Explore the Theme. What are the main points or theme of the passage? What does this passage reveal about God and/or humanity? Consider these passages in your discussion: Ecclesiastes 5:15, 1 Timothy 6:17-19 and 6:9-10, 2 Corinthians 9:10-11, Proverbs 30:8-9, Philippians 4:12-13, 2 Corinthians 4:18.

3. Ask God. How do we apply these passages to our lives today? How might God be encouraging or challenging you?

4. Live It Out. What prayerful and specific action will you take based on what you learned?

(B) Choose a couple of questions from each section below to discuss as a group:

  1. START HERE: What do you most desire out of your life?
  2. START HERE: Is there anything you tend to hoard or hold on to?
  3. KEEP GOING: Do you regularly stress or worry about your finances? Why and where do you think that pattern stems from?
  4. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 6:19-24 (NLT). What do you think Jesus means when He tells us to store our treasure in heaven?
  5. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 6:21 (NLT). Be real with yourself, God and others: how does money influence your heart?
  6. KEEP GOING: Read Proverbs 30:8-9 (NLT). Describe how God satisfies your needs.
  7. KEEP GOING: Read 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (NLT). How has or how could your generosity impact others and reflect God to the world around you?
  8. KEEP GOING: Read Philippians 4:12-13 (NLT). In what areas of your life do you struggle with contentment? Are you content with what you currently have?
  9. LIVE IT OUT: Is God leading you to let go of something temporary in this world so that you can better focus on the eternal? What is an intentional step you could take to lay that down?
  10. LIVE IT OUT: If you’re ready to take a new or next step on your giving journey, learn more about the power of generosity at sandalschurch.com/givingjourney.