Treasures in Heaven
Matthew 6:19-21
● How can you relate the concepts of moths, worms, rust to our modern lives? Think outside the box -
for example: inflation can be seen as a kind of “worm” that eats away at the money in your bank account.
“Jesus’ message can be reduced to these ideas: Live simply. Possessions are mysteriously idolatrous. Trust God.” -Scot McKnight
We tend to get distracted, often without realizing it. We wind up giving our hearts/passions/ambitions over to something else other than God.
● What are some things that tend to distract you in a “mysterious” way? I.e. You think you’re doing something harmless but it ends up moving your heart away from God.
Jesus is trying to get us to orient our lives so that the most important thing we know of intellectually is actually the thing we become known for living out. Lacking the correct perspective leads to feelings of discontentment and sadness, even when all of our needs are being met by God.
● Think about your current habits and schedule. If nothing ever changed, what kind of person do you think it would lead you to become 5/10/20 years from now?
Matthew 6:22-23
● Proverbs 11:25, James 1:5, Romans 12:8 all reference being generous using the same word used for the eye being healthy.
● Proverbs 28:22, Deut 15:9 - the concept of the stingy person is the same concept used for the eye being unhealthy/diseased. There are other warnings against being stingy in Luke 12:15 and Luke 16.
● What area of your life do you find to be the hardest to have a generous heart in?
Practicals
● Evaluate your schedule. Are you pursuing something in your life that is wearing you out, all for the goal of accumulating more? “Our desire to acquire is making us tired.” Think about what you want to be known for as a person. Is your life oriented in such a way to live that out? If not, what do you need to do to reorient yourself?
● Pray for Jesus to show us how to put him first.
