What Are You Storing Up?
08/21/2026
There are things we spend years accumulating that can disappear almost overnight. Money can be lost. Possessions wear out. Homes need repairs. Careers change. Even the things we carefully protect eventually show their age. Jesus isn’t telling us that having things is wrong. He’s asking us to think seriously about what we are building our lives around—and whether it will last.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV)
Jesus is right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount when He says this. He has been talking about giving, praying, fasting, and the difference between doing something for God and doing something so people will notice us.
Then He starts talking about treasure.
That isn’t a random change of subject.
Jesus is dealing with the heart.
We usually hear the word treasure and immediately think about money. Money certainly fits here, but Jesus is going deeper than our bank accounts. A treasure is anything we value enough to pursue, protect, worry about, or organize our lives around.
For some people, that’s money.
For others, it’s their house, career, reputation, comfort, possessions, influence, accomplishments, or even the approval of other people.
And notice that Jesus doesn’t say earthly treasure might disappear. He describes a world where everything we own is vulnerable to something.
Things deteriorate.
Things break.
Things get stolen.
Things become outdated.
Things we thought would make us happy eventually become things sitting in the garage that we need to get rid of.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t own anything. Scripture doesn’t condemn saving, planning, working hard, or enjoying what God has provided. The issue is not whether something is in your hands.
The issue is whether it has gotten into your heart.
That’s why verse 21 is so powerful:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
We often think the order works the other way. We think, Wherever my heart is, that’s where my treasure will go.
Jesus says our treasure can actually lead our heart.
Where you continually invest your money, attention, energy, time, and affection, your heart starts following.
That means generosity does more than help somebody else. Generosity does something inside us.
When I give to God’s work, my heart gets pulled toward His Kingdom.
When I invest time in people, my heart grows toward people.
When I serve someone who can do absolutely nothing for me in return, something changes in me.
When I spend time in Scripture, prayer, worship, and obedience, I am putting treasure somewhere this world cannot touch.
There is another part of this passage we shouldn’t miss. Jesus isn’t merely telling us not to store treasure.
He tells us to store the right treasure.
Christianity isn’t supposed to be a life where we spend our days trying not to enjoy anything. God has given us plenty to enjoy. But He wants us to understand the difference between enjoying something and trusting it.
One is a gift.
The other becomes a god.
And sometimes the easiest way to discover the difference is to ask yourself what happens when that thing is threatened.
If losing it would mean losing your identity, peace, security, or sense of worth, it may have become more than something you possess.
It may have started possessing you.
A few verses later Jesus says, “You cannot serve God and money.” Then He begins talking about worry. That connection matters. Treasure, masters, and worry are all tied together.
Whatever I treat as my ultimate treasure eventually starts demanding something from me.
But Jesus offers another way to live.
Hold temporary things with open hands.
Enjoy what God provides.
Take care of what He has entrusted to you.
Be generous.
Love people.
Invest in things with eternal consequences.
And remember that the most valuable things you will ever do may never show up on a financial statement.
A conversation that points somebody toward Jesus.
Forgiving someone when bitterness would have been easier.
Helping someone who is struggling.
Teaching your children or grandchildren about Christ.
Giving quietly when nobody knows.
Serving when there is nothing in it for you.
Choosing obedience when it costs you something.
Those are investments nobody can steal.
One day, everything we accumulated here will belong to somebody else.
But what we did for Christ, with Christ, and because of Christ will not be lost.
So maybe the question today isn’t, How much treasure do I have?
Maybe the better question is:
Where am I storing it?
Action Steps
* Look at where your resources are going. Review your time, money, and attention. They may reveal what you currently treasure more clearly than your words do.
* Put something into eternity today. Encourage someone, give generously, serve quietly, forgive, pray with someone, or share Christ.
* Hold something loosely. Identify one earthly thing you’ve been gripping too tightly and intentionally surrender it to God.
Challenge for the Day
Invest something today in something that will outlive you. Give, serve, encourage, forgive, or share Jesus with someone—and do it without needing recognition for it.
Prayer
Father, thank You for everything You have placed in my hands. Help me enjoy Your gifts without allowing them to take Your place in my heart. Show me where I have been storing treasure in things that cannot last. Teach me to live generously, love people deeply, and invest my life in what matters to You. I want my treasure—and my heart—to be with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
There are things we spend years accumulating that can disappear almost overnight. Money can be lost. Possessions wear out. Homes need repairs. Careers change. Even the things we carefully protect eventually show their age. Jesus isn’t telling us that having things is wrong. He’s asking us to think seriously about what we are building our lives around—and whether it will last.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV)
Jesus is right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount when He says this. He has been talking about giving, praying, fasting, and the difference between doing something for God and doing something so people will notice us.
Then He starts talking about treasure.
That isn’t a random change of subject.
Jesus is dealing with the heart.
We usually hear the word treasure and immediately think about money. Money certainly fits here, but Jesus is going deeper than our bank accounts. A treasure is anything we value enough to pursue, protect, worry about, or organize our lives around.
For some people, that’s money.
For others, it’s their house, career, reputation, comfort, possessions, influence, accomplishments, or even the approval of other people.
And notice that Jesus doesn’t say earthly treasure might disappear. He describes a world where everything we own is vulnerable to something.
Things deteriorate.
Things break.
Things get stolen.
Things become outdated.
Things we thought would make us happy eventually become things sitting in the garage that we need to get rid of.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t own anything. Scripture doesn’t condemn saving, planning, working hard, or enjoying what God has provided. The issue is not whether something is in your hands.
The issue is whether it has gotten into your heart.
That’s why verse 21 is so powerful:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
We often think the order works the other way. We think, Wherever my heart is, that’s where my treasure will go.
Jesus says our treasure can actually lead our heart.
Where you continually invest your money, attention, energy, time, and affection, your heart starts following.
That means generosity does more than help somebody else. Generosity does something inside us.
When I give to God’s work, my heart gets pulled toward His Kingdom.
When I invest time in people, my heart grows toward people.
When I serve someone who can do absolutely nothing for me in return, something changes in me.
When I spend time in Scripture, prayer, worship, and obedience, I am putting treasure somewhere this world cannot touch.
There is another part of this passage we shouldn’t miss. Jesus isn’t merely telling us not to store treasure.
He tells us to store the right treasure.
Christianity isn’t supposed to be a life where we spend our days trying not to enjoy anything. God has given us plenty to enjoy. But He wants us to understand the difference between enjoying something and trusting it.
One is a gift.
The other becomes a god.
And sometimes the easiest way to discover the difference is to ask yourself what happens when that thing is threatened.
If losing it would mean losing your identity, peace, security, or sense of worth, it may have become more than something you possess.
It may have started possessing you.
A few verses later Jesus says, “You cannot serve God and money.” Then He begins talking about worry. That connection matters. Treasure, masters, and worry are all tied together.
Whatever I treat as my ultimate treasure eventually starts demanding something from me.
But Jesus offers another way to live.
Hold temporary things with open hands.
Enjoy what God provides.
Take care of what He has entrusted to you.
Be generous.
Love people.
Invest in things with eternal consequences.
And remember that the most valuable things you will ever do may never show up on a financial statement.
A conversation that points somebody toward Jesus.
Forgiving someone when bitterness would have been easier.
Helping someone who is struggling.
Teaching your children or grandchildren about Christ.
Giving quietly when nobody knows.
Serving when there is nothing in it for you.
Choosing obedience when it costs you something.
Those are investments nobody can steal.
One day, everything we accumulated here will belong to somebody else.
But what we did for Christ, with Christ, and because of Christ will not be lost.
So maybe the question today isn’t, How much treasure do I have?
Maybe the better question is:
Where am I storing it?
Action Steps
* Look at where your resources are going. Review your time, money, and attention. They may reveal what you currently treasure more clearly than your words do.
* Put something into eternity today. Encourage someone, give generously, serve quietly, forgive, pray with someone, or share Christ.
* Hold something loosely. Identify one earthly thing you’ve been gripping too tightly and intentionally surrender it to God.
Challenge for the Day
Invest something today in something that will outlive you. Give, serve, encourage, forgive, or share Jesus with someone—and do it without needing recognition for it.
Prayer
Father, thank You for everything You have placed in my hands. Help me enjoy Your gifts without allowing them to take Your place in my heart. Show me where I have been storing treasure in things that cannot last. Teach me to live generously, love people deeply, and invest my life in what matters to You. I want my treasure—and my heart—to be with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
Recent
Archive
2026
January
Embracing God’s New BeginningsRenewed, Not Worn DownThe Gift of Rest, Not a BurdenOne Thing I AskTransformed, Not ConformedArise and ShineFor His Glory in the OrdinaryChoosing Generosity Over ConvenienceAbide and Bear FruitDon’t Forget the BenefitsSetting an Example in Every SeasonLosing to LiveReady When He ComesThe Low Road That Leads to LifeWhere Your Heart Truly LivesThe God Who Sings Over YouRest That Goes Deeper Than SleepUnited in ChristHow Good and PleasantOvercome Evil with Active GoodThe Strong TowerActivated FaithNo Condemnation—Only FreedomThe Goodness Found in WaitingConfessing and RemainingUnder the Same SkyTeach Me to Walk in Your WillAnxious for NothingThere Is No Rock Like Our GodLiving the Word, Not Just Hearing ItStirred to Love
February
A Soul That Magnifies the LordStrong Where It Matters MostWalking Through the Darkest ValleyThe Golden WayA Word That Lifts the WeightRun With PurposeTraining for What LastsJoy That Grows Under PressureWhen Anxiety Multiplies, God SustainsRefined by the FireGrace That OverflowsStrength for Every SeasonUnashamed to Bear His NameDevoted to One AnotherThe Joy of a Righteous ChildWalking in LoveThe Glory That Fills the EarthFinish WellThe Pain That Produces PeaceOur Only AimThe Way, The Truth, The LifeStrength to Seek HimThe Whole Duty of ManTreasure Hidden in the FieldO Lord, You Are My GodDelight Yourself in the LordWalk in His StepsFriend Who Sticks Closer
March
The Long-Suffering Love of GodOvercome Evil with GoodBe Strong and CourageousMorning GuidanceThe Quiet Power of GenerosityWhat We See Is Not All There IsThe Faithful ProtectorStrength and DignityCasting What We CarryCharm Fades, But Reverence RemainsThe Voice of the Good ShepherdPeace That Changes EverythingBefore Everything ElseFor Such a Time as ThisWhen Life Turns, Turn to GodMake His Name KnownTrusting the God Who Sees the Whole RoadGreater Is He Within YouSurely Goodness and Love Will FollowThere Is Still a Rest for YouWhen Fear KnocksA Sorrow That Leads to LifeWhen Your Soul Thirsts for MoreOpen Hands, Open HeavenUnstoppable PeaceWhen Seeking Becomes SurrenderUnited in Spirit, Rooted in ChristThe Lifter of My HeadBlessed Is the KingBehold the Lamb Who Takes Away SinThe King Who Came to Serve
No Comments