warm-up

Name something that you enjoy doing. Why do you enjoy it?

What is one thing you cannot live without? Why?

Recall a time when you went out of your way to help a friend. How did it feel?

word

19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

(Read Matthew 6:22-24.)

We live in a society that’s overly concerned with material possessions. We tend to devote our time and effort to accumulating and desiring for more wealth, thinking that it will lead to our happiness. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus redefined how we should view possessions. He did not say that wealth was sinful, but that, as His disciples, we must be careful not to value it above God. In this lesson, we will look at three choices we have to make in order to honor God above possessions.

1
Heaven or Earth

¹⁹“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

We often think that having more possessions will lead to our happiness. However, Jesus reminds us that for all the effort we put into what we do—whether at work, in school, or in our families—these possessions or rewards will not even last. Instead, Jesus calls us to lay up treasures in heaven, which are of eternal value. This means that we are to put out heart into and invest our time and effort in the things that God values—our relationship with Him first, and then our relationship with others. Why do you think many put their trust on what’s on earth, rather than what’s in heaven?

2
Light or Darkness

²²“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ²³but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness.” Matthew 6:22,23

Today, we often concern ourselves with meeting our own needs than helping others. Instead of being greedy about our needs, or having a bad eye, Jesus pointed out how having a healthy eye will cause our being to be full of light. Having a healthy or good eye means seeing clearly the needs of others and actually helping them meet their needs (Proverbs 22:9). As we do this, the Bible promises that we will also be enriched (Proverbs 11:25). How do you think helping others causes us to be enriched?

3
God or Money

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Matthew 6:24

Jesus gave an ultimatum to His disciples: they were either to serve God or money, not both. There wasn’t a middle ground. He identified money as the hindrance to fully serving God because it is the means by which we obtain our possessions—our false source of security. Instead of working hard for and being enslaved by the love of money, Jesus is calling us to serve God by pursuing the will of the Father. Instead of working to serve our own greed, we are to serve and please God. Did you ever live to serve money? How did you learn to live to serve and please God?

application

Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? How can you love Him with all your heart, mind, and soul every day?

How can you serve God every day? Identify one thing you can do to honor Him with what you have.

Is there anything that you value more than God? How can you value Him above all else, and tell others about what He has done in your life?

prayer

Thank God for all the things He has blessed you with so that you can be a blessing to others. Ask Him for more opportunities to be selfless and help others.

Pray for more opportunities to share your testimony and preach the gospel to your family and friends. Pray that you will be generous of your time, resources, and everything you have.

Ask God for the grace and wisdom to choose to serve Him every time you are tempted to give into our greed and selfishness.

victory_logo_black
© 2017 by VICTORY®
All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Permission to photocopy this material is granted for local church use. This is not for sale.
victory.org.ph