5-Day Devotional: "Where Your Treasure Is"
(Matthew 6:19-24)
Based upon Sunday's sermon
Day 1: The Danger of Earthly Treasure
Reading: Matthew 6:19-21 — Jesus warns against storing up possessions on earth that are subject to decay and theft, and reminds his followers that whatever they treasure will capture their heart.
Devotional:
Everything we accumulate in this life carries an expiration date. Homes deteriorate. Savings accounts empty. Careers end. The things we labor hardest to protect will one day belong to someone else or simply disappear. Jesus does not say this to discourage us from working hard or planning wisely. He says it to redirect our hearts toward what is permanent. The question is not whether you own things. The question is whether those things have quietly taken ownership of you. Spend time today asking God to reveal any possession, ambition, or comfort that has crept into first place in your heart.
Reflection Questions:
If someone observed your life this past week, what would they conclude you treasure most?
What earthly thing would devastate you most to lose, and what does that reveal about your heart?
Practical Application: Write down three things you are grateful for today that cannot be purchased, insured, or stored in a bank account.
Day 2: Investing in What Lasts Forever
Reading: Matthew 6:20 — Jesus instructs his followers to store up treasures in heaven, where nothing can destroy or steal them.
Devotional:
Every investment carries risk except one. Earthly markets fluctuate. Property values rise and fall. Retirement accounts can be wiped out overnight. But Jesus points to a treasury that no economic collapse, no natural disaster, and no thief can ever touch. When you teach a child the Word of God, you are making an eternal deposit. When you share the gospel with someone who has never heard it, you are making an eternal deposit. When you give generously to God's work, serve faithfully in your church, or pray earnestly for the lost, you are converting temporary resources into permanent ones. Eternity is the only investment that never loses its value.
Reflection Questions:
In a typical week, how much of your time, money, and energy goes toward things that will last forever?
Who in your life needs you to make an eternal investment in them right now?
Practical Application: Identify one specific way you will invest in eternity this week, whether through prayer, generosity, service, or sharing the gospel with someone you know.
Day 3: What You See Will Shape You
Reading: Matthew 6:22-23 — Jesus teaches that the eye functions as a lamp for the whole body, and that what we allow into our vision determines whether we are filled with light or consumed by darkness.
Devotional:
What you consistently look at will eventually shape what you desire, what you pursue, and ultimately who you become. This is not simply a lesson about avoiding bad content, though that matters. It is a deeper warning about spiritual vision. When Peter walked on water toward Jesus, he was doing the impossible. The moment he shifted his eyes to the wind and the waves, he began to sink. Nothing about the storm changed. Only his focus did. The world will constantly throw things at your windshield, blurring your view and pulling your gaze away from Christ. Preventive maintenance is not optional. Daily time in the Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with other believers is how you keep your vision clear.
Reflection Questions:
What are you regularly consuming through screens, conversations, or entertainment that may be blurring your spiritual vision?
When was the last time you felt your focus clearly fixed on Jesus, and what made that possible?
Practical Application: Audit your daily media consumption this week. Ask honestly whether what you are watching, reading, and listening to is drawing you closer to Christ or pulling your gaze elsewhere.
Day 4: You Cannot Serve Two Masters
Reading: Matthew 6:24 — Jesus declares that no one can serve two masters simultaneously, and that a person will inevitably love one and despise the other, concluding that God and money cannot both hold the position of lord over a life.
Devotional:
Jesus does not say it is difficult to serve two masters. He says it is impossible. The heart was not designed to be divided at its deepest level of devotion. Whatever occupies first place in your heart will function as your master, regardless of what you confess with your mouth. Money is not the only rival master. Success, comfort, family approval, popularity, and security can all quietly take the throne. As one voice in this sermon put it, money is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. The same is true of anything that was meant to be a blessing but has been elevated to an idol. God does not ask to share the throne. He asks to occupy it entirely.
Reflection Questions:
What has functioned most like a master in your life this past month?
Is there something good in your life, a career, a relationship, a comfort, that has gradually become an idol?
Practical Application: Spend time in prayer today surrendering one specific area where something other than God has held too much authority over your decisions, your peace, or your identity.
Day 5: The Greatest Treasure
Reading: Philippians 3:7-8 — Paul describes counting everything in his life as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord.
Devotional:
Paul had credentials, accomplishments, and a reputation that most people spend their entire lives chasing. He walked away from all of it, not reluctantly, but gladly, because he had found something of incomparably greater worth. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest treasure any human being can receive. Not because it makes life easier, but because it is the only thing that lasts. Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live. He died the death we deserved. He rose from a grave we could not escape on our own. And he offers forgiveness and eternal life to everyone who repents and trusts in him. No possession, no achievement, no comfort, and no security this world offers can come close to that. Your salvation cannot rust. Your place in God's family cannot be repossessed. The promises of God will not decay. This is the treasure worth building your entire life around.
Reflection Questions:
When you think about your daily life, does the gospel feel like your greatest treasure, or has it become something you acknowledge without truly cherishing?
How would your priorities, your schedule, and your spending look different if you lived each day fully convinced that Christ is worth more than everything else combined?Practical Application: Share the gospel with someone this week. It does not have to be a formal conversation. It can be a word of encouragement, a testimony of what God has done, or simply an invitation to church. When you share Jesus, you are offering someone the greatest treasure in existence.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. — Matthew 6:21
Reading: Matthew 6:19-21 — Jesus warns against storing up possessions on earth that are subject to decay and theft, and reminds his followers that whatever they treasure will capture their heart.
Devotional:
Everything we accumulate in this life carries an expiration date. Homes deteriorate. Savings accounts empty. Careers end. The things we labor hardest to protect will one day belong to someone else or simply disappear. Jesus does not say this to discourage us from working hard or planning wisely. He says it to redirect our hearts toward what is permanent. The question is not whether you own things. The question is whether those things have quietly taken ownership of you. Spend time today asking God to reveal any possession, ambition, or comfort that has crept into first place in your heart.
Reflection Questions:
If someone observed your life this past week, what would they conclude you treasure most?
What earthly thing would devastate you most to lose, and what does that reveal about your heart?
Practical Application: Write down three things you are grateful for today that cannot be purchased, insured, or stored in a bank account.
Day 2: Investing in What Lasts Forever
Reading: Matthew 6:20 — Jesus instructs his followers to store up treasures in heaven, where nothing can destroy or steal them.
Devotional:
Every investment carries risk except one. Earthly markets fluctuate. Property values rise and fall. Retirement accounts can be wiped out overnight. But Jesus points to a treasury that no economic collapse, no natural disaster, and no thief can ever touch. When you teach a child the Word of God, you are making an eternal deposit. When you share the gospel with someone who has never heard it, you are making an eternal deposit. When you give generously to God's work, serve faithfully in your church, or pray earnestly for the lost, you are converting temporary resources into permanent ones. Eternity is the only investment that never loses its value.
Reflection Questions:
In a typical week, how much of your time, money, and energy goes toward things that will last forever?
Who in your life needs you to make an eternal investment in them right now?
Practical Application: Identify one specific way you will invest in eternity this week, whether through prayer, generosity, service, or sharing the gospel with someone you know.
Day 3: What You See Will Shape You
Reading: Matthew 6:22-23 — Jesus teaches that the eye functions as a lamp for the whole body, and that what we allow into our vision determines whether we are filled with light or consumed by darkness.
Devotional:
What you consistently look at will eventually shape what you desire, what you pursue, and ultimately who you become. This is not simply a lesson about avoiding bad content, though that matters. It is a deeper warning about spiritual vision. When Peter walked on water toward Jesus, he was doing the impossible. The moment he shifted his eyes to the wind and the waves, he began to sink. Nothing about the storm changed. Only his focus did. The world will constantly throw things at your windshield, blurring your view and pulling your gaze away from Christ. Preventive maintenance is not optional. Daily time in the Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with other believers is how you keep your vision clear.
Reflection Questions:
What are you regularly consuming through screens, conversations, or entertainment that may be blurring your spiritual vision?
When was the last time you felt your focus clearly fixed on Jesus, and what made that possible?
Practical Application: Audit your daily media consumption this week. Ask honestly whether what you are watching, reading, and listening to is drawing you closer to Christ or pulling your gaze elsewhere.
Day 4: You Cannot Serve Two Masters
Reading: Matthew 6:24 — Jesus declares that no one can serve two masters simultaneously, and that a person will inevitably love one and despise the other, concluding that God and money cannot both hold the position of lord over a life.
Devotional:
Jesus does not say it is difficult to serve two masters. He says it is impossible. The heart was not designed to be divided at its deepest level of devotion. Whatever occupies first place in your heart will function as your master, regardless of what you confess with your mouth. Money is not the only rival master. Success, comfort, family approval, popularity, and security can all quietly take the throne. As one voice in this sermon put it, money is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. The same is true of anything that was meant to be a blessing but has been elevated to an idol. God does not ask to share the throne. He asks to occupy it entirely.
Reflection Questions:
What has functioned most like a master in your life this past month?
Is there something good in your life, a career, a relationship, a comfort, that has gradually become an idol?
Practical Application: Spend time in prayer today surrendering one specific area where something other than God has held too much authority over your decisions, your peace, or your identity.
Day 5: The Greatest Treasure
Reading: Philippians 3:7-8 — Paul describes counting everything in his life as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord.
Devotional:
Paul had credentials, accomplishments, and a reputation that most people spend their entire lives chasing. He walked away from all of it, not reluctantly, but gladly, because he had found something of incomparably greater worth. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest treasure any human being can receive. Not because it makes life easier, but because it is the only thing that lasts. Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live. He died the death we deserved. He rose from a grave we could not escape on our own. And he offers forgiveness and eternal life to everyone who repents and trusts in him. No possession, no achievement, no comfort, and no security this world offers can come close to that. Your salvation cannot rust. Your place in God's family cannot be repossessed. The promises of God will not decay. This is the treasure worth building your entire life around.
Reflection Questions:
When you think about your daily life, does the gospel feel like your greatest treasure, or has it become something you acknowledge without truly cherishing?
How would your priorities, your schedule, and your spending look different if you lived each day fully convinced that Christ is worth more than everything else combined?Practical Application: Share the gospel with someone this week. It does not have to be a formal conversation. It can be a word of encouragement, a testimony of what God has done, or simply an invitation to church. When you share Jesus, you are offering someone the greatest treasure in existence.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. — Matthew 6:21
Discussion questions for the Week:
Jesus says in Matthew 6 that where your treasure is, your heart will follow — what does the way you spend your time and money reveal about where your heart truly is?
The sermon draws a distinction between possessing things and being possessed by them — how do you personally recognize when something has crossed the line from being a blessing to becoming an idol in your life?
The pastor describes materialism as a 'silent killer' that creeps up on believers without them noticing — what habits or practices might help you stay alert to this danger before your priorities drift too far?
If someone who knew you well had to describe your greatest passion in five words, how confident are you that Jesus and the gospel would be among the first things they mentioned, and what does your answer tell you?
Jesus uses the imagery of moths, rust, and thieves to illustrate the temporary nature of earthly wealth — how does meditating on the impermanence of material things change the way you make decisions about money and possessions?
The sermon presents several ways to invest in eternity, such as sharing the gospel, serving the church, and praying for the lost — which of these do you feel most called to prioritize right now, and what is holding you back?
The pastor compares our role with earthly possessions to that of a temporary steward managing something that belongs to someone else — how would viewing everything you own as belonging to God change the way you use and give it?
Jesus warns that no one can serve two masters, and the sermon expands this beyond money to include success, comfort, family, and popularity — what master, other than God, do you find yourself most tempted to serve?
The sermon emphasizes teaching children eternal values as one of the most direct ways to invest in eternity — in what practical ways are the adults in a child's life either reinforcing or contradicting the world's message that worth comes from possessions and popularity?
Paul's words in Philippians 3 describe everything else as loss compared to knowing Christ — what would it look like in your daily life to genuinely treat your relationship with Jesus as more valuable than everything else you are currently pursuing?