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What Do You Treasure?

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This is a Choice

What is treasure? Treasure is something that is valuable. This means different things to different people.

Treasure is often thought of as monetary. Like gold and jewels hidden by pirates or on their sunken ship. They can also be things that hold value that aren’t monetary. For example, it might be something from your childhood that triggers fond memories. Or a person that is loved and valued. Or maybe it’s a place that sparks feelings that you treasure.

A treasure can be any or all these things.

Your treasures are the things that are important and valuable to you.

In Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus tells us to be careful about what we chose our treasures to be. Treasures that are of this world are not eternal. They will only last for a limited time. If our focus is on worldly treasures, we forfeit the eternal ones.

He concludes this point by telling us we can’t serve two masters. We will hate one and love the other.

We need to be clear on what is the most important thing to us.

Jesus does not tell us that earthly treasures are bad. Or that our money and possessions are unimportant. We are called to be good stewards.

It’s about prioritizing and putting the most important thing at the top. In verse 24, we’re told that we can’t serve two masters. We need to align our priorities with God’s.

Last week we discussed doing things for the right reason and how the world turns things upside down. We can choose to make our treasures worldly or heavenly.

What is most important to you?

It can be hard to separate worldly from heavenly.  After Jesus concludes telling us what kinds of treasures to store up, He goes on in verse 25 and tells us not to worry.

This is the peace that comes with having our treasures prioritized the same as God’s.

Pick the right treasure and make the right choice.

Do Everything for the Right Reason

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This Includes When You Pray

We’re continuing through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This week we are learning how to pray (Matthew 6:1-15). One of the first things we’re told is how not to do it. We are not to pray for show. He tells us to pray for the right reasons.  He gives us an example of this in verses 9-13, also known as The Lord’s Prayer.

Prayer is something that can be seen as weak or needy. But when it comes right down to it … aren’t we all a little weak and needy? We don’t like to admit this. This is not what the world expects. The world has turned things upside down (verses 5-8).

This upside down was true when Jesus was teaching and is still true today.

Several years ago, Tim Tebow became a polarizing figure because of his praying openly. His act of kneeling on one knee in prayer with his head bowed and one arm resting on his other knee became known as “Tebowing”.

There was a lot of pushback from the media. Some people didn’t think this kind of open expression of communicating with God should be displayed.

Often good people of faith and followers of Christ can get sucked into worldly ways. Look at the Sadducees and Pharisees. They had gotten so focused on the law that was from God that they lost touch with God.

If this action was done as some form of exhibition to become popular, it would have been wrong. But Tim’s actions then and now are consistent with him doing this for the right reasons.

All of us need to battle losing sight of God and doing things for the wrong reasons.

Life can and will be hard at times. In the movie, Unsung Hero, we see a real-life example of this:

In 1991, the Smallbone family moved from Australia to Nashville, Tennessee, in pursuit of a new beginning. David and his wife, Helen, uproot their lives and six children seeking refuge in Nashville after the collapse of David’s music company in Australia following a $500,000 loss from one concert booking.

As the family settles into their new home they encounter numerous challenges, including financial struggles and the daunting task of starting over in a foreign country. Despite the uncertainty, Helen’s unwavering faith and David’s determination propel them forward, instilling hope and resilience in their children.

Three of the Smallbone siblings, Joel, Luke, and Rebecca, develop their musical talents and navigate the competitive music industry. Joel and Luke eventually form the duo For King & Country, while Rebecca (St. James) embarks on a successful career as a Christian recording artist.

In the movie, the father, David, becomes upset and distraught as he is trying to provide for his family. This struggle escalates to the point of losing his temper and saying some very hurtful things. Feeling like a failure, he then hides out in bed for a period of time.

Ultimately, he gains the courage to apologize to the family. In his apology he says,

“I lost sight of what it’s all about.”

This happens to all of us, but we can reduce the chance if we remember to do everything we do for the right reason.

You Have Heard It Said

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But Are You Really Listening?

The past several weeks has been excerpts of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus started speaking to this big crowd of people from the mountain side. He started with The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-11) and things to do if we want to be blessed. Last week was about being salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) and how this makes the world better.

This week, Jesus tells us He is the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17-20). He tells us that He has not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.

The group of people He was speaking to was big enough that He had to go up on the side of a mountain so that everyone could hear him. Of course, His twelve closest disciples were there, but there were many more than just these twelve. There would have been many followers in different places along their journey.  

There would have also been a variety of other people who weren’t followers. There would have been church leaders, sinners, zealots, tax collectors, and people who were curious about what this man, Jesus, was saying.

The problem was that each was hearing from their own perspective. They most likely had preconceived opinions and weren’t really listening.

This is often what we do. We hear without listening.

There is a difference between hearing and listening.

We often interchange the words “hearing” and “listening” and mistake them for the meaning the same thing. Although there are similarities, they are significantly different. One being more active, requiring effort, and the other being involuntary and natural.

Hearing is a passive, physical act that requires one sense and has to do with the perception of sound. It does not rely on concentration. Hearing is like collecting data; we hear sounds and words all day long, even if we are not paying attention to them.

Listening revolves around actively paying attention to the words and sounds that you hear to absorb their meaning and develop an emotional response. Merriam-Webster defines it as…

Listening is “to hear something with thoughtful attention.”

Listening is a mental, active process that requires multiple senses. Listening is a voluntary act, meaning that an individual can choose whether or not to listen. If you choose to listen, then it is an active process. You can hear sounds and words without having to listen or focus on what you are hearing. Hearing without listening is an example of the common phrase “in one ear and out the other”

Too many of the people hearing Jesus’ message were hearing but not listening. They came with preconceived ideas about who He was and what His message was.

They weren’t listening with their hearts.

We need to listen to Jesus and to others with an open heart.

Even when we listen to what others are saying, it doesn’t mean that it’s truth. We need to listen to things through a Biblical filter to determine if what we’re hearing is the truth.

Open your heart and listen to what you hear.

What’s the First Next Step? 

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Breaking Big Things Down into Little Steps 

Over the past several months we’ve been talking about building a successful construction business. We’ve compared it to an actual building. You need to know what it is you’re building, what kind of ground you’re going to build on, and why it is you’re building.  

Clarity of what you want to build and having a plan is critical to success. 

Then comes the hard part … if you’re going to get it built, you have to do something. Making a decision and then taking action is hard. Especially when it involves something as big and overwhelming as building a business. 

This is the place where most people fail. 

So, how does one move forward when faced with a large, daunting project? 

You don’t focus on the huge, intimidating thing. Instead, you break it down into bitesize pieces. Then you start by taking the first next step.  

I closed last week’s post by talking about how I chose to incorporate The Seven Decisions into my daily routine and how something as small as a butterfly moving its wings can lead to amazing outcomes. 

I use my computer for keeping me on task each day. This next section is part of my daily routine. I use OneNote to organize and track these things. 

After I read through the decision for the day, I read through the overview of all seven decisions.  

Next, I step back and think big. Why am I here and what is it that I’m supposed to be doing? 

Being a believer in Christ, I remind myself that it’s important to not be afraid to dream big (Mark 11:23-24) because nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37). 

 This is followed by the illustration below of how I can turn those big dreams into results:

DREAMS   →   VISIONS   →   GOALS   →   ACTIONS   →   RESULTS 

Start with Dreams – Turn Dreams into Visions – Visions into Goals 

Goals are bitesize Visions 

“A vision that is ready to go to work is a Goal” 

ACTION – I can only do ONE thing at a time, what will it be? 

If I’m going to accomplish the big things, I need to remember to break them down into small ACTIONS.  

At this point, I read through a list that I call the “FIRST NEXT STEP”. This list starts my day off in a proactive mindset. By reading through this list daily, it helps me to incorporate these things when I start something new or switch from one project to another.  

FIRST NEXT STEP:

  1. Start with prayer 
  2. Get off my “BUT”, stop making excuses 
  3. Put it on the calendar 
  4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help (delegation / accountability / education) 
  5. Take goals seriously (create a sense of urgency early) 
  6. Maintain positive forward momentum 
  7. Celebrate wins 
  8. Don’t overthink it 
  9. Break the goals down into brick size pieces  
  10. Make goals about giving and not about getting 
  11. Review progress regularly, and be accountable 

    This process helps me make big things doable. Sure, it takes time to incorporate this into my daily routine. Ultimately, it comes down to making a decision. I can choose to do this or do something else. But for me the time spent is worth it.  

    The same process isn’t going to work for everyone. This is where you need to decide if you just want to roll the dice on the outcome of your business or if you want to take control. 

    Breaking big things down and taking the first next step makes big things doable. 

    Ultimately, it is up to you to do something different to get a different outcome. Or you can just keep doing things the way you are.

    Are You Scared of the Dark?

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    You Don’t Have to Be

    This week’s Scripture is Matthew 5:13-16. This is a continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Last week, we saw Jesus start with the Beatitudes. Now, He’s teaching us about salt and light.

    We are to be salt and light in the world.

    Were you scared of the dark when you were a kid?

    We’re all familiar with being afraid of the dark. The dark can be a scary thing. We can’t see what monsters are out there hiding in the dark. Even the small glow of a night light is enough to keep them at bay.

    Even as adults there are monsters out there. They may be different than when we were kids…but they’re out there.

    Light makes things better.

    Light helps in a lot of ways. It reveals things that we couldn’t see otherwise. It provides safety by helping us see where we’re going and what we’re doing. Light brightens the world around us and helps improve our and other’s moods. Light gives off warmth.

    In verse 14, Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world. Light does no good when it’s hidden. We are to let our light shine.

    Light is spoken of throughout the Bible. It is where everything began. In the beginning, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-4)

    Salt makes things better.

    Salt is a mineral made up mostly of sodium chloride. It has a lot of uses, such as making food taste better and preserving it so that it can be kept longer. Salt can also be used to relieve bug bites, disinfect, and relieve sore throats. Not to mention it makes things safer by helping to remove ice from roads and sidewalks.

    By being salt in the world, we can help things be better. We can relieve other’s struggles and make things safer.

    Isaiah saw what the world could be like if everyone was salt and light. In Isaiah 2: 1-5, he tells us to “walk in the light of the Lord.” Jesus is our night light.

    Or think about Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant in Exodus 34:29-35. His face was shining so bright that he put a veil over it. Moses was a night light for the people. He radiated God’s light.

    We should be like Moses. We need to radiate God’s light. We should help others see better. We should be night lights.

    We are called to be salt and light.

    Do You Feel Blessed?

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    If Not, Here’s What You Do

    With the snow that we’ve had there has been a lot of shoveling to make paths through the snow. This gives a clear direction and makes our journey easier.

    Jesus makes a path for us.

    We can follow this path, or we can go tromp through the snow on our own.

    Jesus lays out some instructions that will help us on the journey in the Sermon on the Mount. These are known as The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). Beatitudes are “blessed sayings” delivered by Jesus. In the beatitudes, Jesus stated several blessings, each beginning with the phrase, “Blessed are …” Each saying speaks of a blessing God will bestow on a person who exhibits these qualities.

    The beatitudes introduce and set the tone for Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount by emphasizing humans’ humble state and God’s righteousness. Each beatitude depicts the ideal heart condition of a citizen of God’s kingdom. In this idyllic state, the believer experiences abundant spiritual blessings.

    These declarations given to us by Jesus are like ‘If this, then that’.

    They are conditional statements that set up a condition and then describe what happens if that condition is met. For instance, ‘If it rains, then the ground gets wet.’

    The list of ‘if this, then thats’ given to us by Jesus are as follows:

    “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    (This is not about being sad or discouraged. It’s about being humble and realizing that we need God. We would have nothing and be nothing without Him.)


    Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

    (This is mourning over our sinfulness and repenting of those sins.)


    Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

    (This is being meek and submitting to God’s authority. The world wants us to believe nice guys finish last. It’s being like Jesus and showing gentleness and self-control.)

    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

    (Hunger and thirst speak to the deep need and driving passion for what is right to God, not to our worldly wants. Righteousness is the quality of being right in God’s eyes.)


    Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

    (We reap what we sow. We show mercy through forgiveness, kindness, and compassion toward others.)


    Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

    (Being pure of heart is being cleansed from within. It’s not an outward display of righteousness that others can see. It’s an inward holiness that only God can see.)


    Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

    (This is an inward peace. It’s a peace through Jesus. It’s not a worldly peace. There will always be conflict as long as Satan is here on earth.)


    Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    (Just as Jesus faced persecution, so will his followers. Those daring enough to openly live for Christ rather than hide their faith are genuine followers of Christ.)

    Beatitude is supreme blessedness.

    This is extreme happiness. A state of great joy. I don’t know about you, but I want extreme happiness.

    Living out these declarations will lead to a blessed life. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. But it is worth it.

    Wise Ones Still Seek Him

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    Are You Going to be Wise?

    Epiphany is an “aha” moment. A sudden revelation. When you become aware of something important. The appearance or manifestation of something.

    Christians celebrate Epiphany on January 6, twelve days after Christmas. Many countries refer to it as “Three Kings Day”. On this day, Western Christianity recognizes Christ’s manifestation to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were represented when the Magi visited Jesus. It showed how God’s gift of the Good News is for everyone. Epiphany celebrates God revealing himself to the world

    Because the church celebrates Epiphany on the first Sunday in January, this past Sunday was Epiphany. Pastor Lisa pointed out that –

    The song We Three Kings is a fitting message for Epiphany.

    We three kings of Orient are
    Bearing gifts we traverse afar
    Field and fountain, moor and mountain
    Following yonder star

    The men in the song weren’t really kings, they were Wise Men or Magi. They were astronomers or stargazers. This is told to us in Matthew 2:1-12 where they follow a star to go visit Jesus as a child.

    After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (verses 1-2)

    These wise men had been looking for the fulfillment of prophesies for generations. They were paying attention and ready.

    When God sent them the star they acted and went to find and follow Jesus.

    O Star of wonder, star of night
    Star with royal beauty bright
    Westward leading, still proceeding
    Guide us to thy Perfect Light

    The Magi brought gifts to Jesus that showed that they had been paying attention and knew who He was. They gave Him gold. Gold was a gift given to kings.

    Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
    Gold I bring to crown Him again
    King forever, ceasing never
    Over us all to reign

    They gave Him frankincense. This represents divinity. Frankincense is a fragrant resin that was poured out in worship. It was something given to gods. They knew who Jesus was.

    Frankincense to offer have I
    Incense owns a Deity nigh
    Prayer and praising, all men raising
    Worship Him, God most high

    They gave Him myrrh. Myrrh was used for embalming. These wise men knew what was coming.

    Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
    Breathes of life of gathering gloom
    Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
    Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

    The wise men paid attention. God spoke to them through dreams and a star. God told them to not tell Herod and to go home a different way.

    God told them what to do and they listened. Then they acted.

    The last verse of the song tells the story going forward.

    Glorious now behold Him arise
    King and God and Sacrifice
    Alleluia, Alleluia
    Earth to heav’n replies

    We need to be like the wise men. We need to read Scripture. We need to seek Jesus. We need to discern and obey God. We need to act.

    At the end of Matthew, Jesus tells us what we’re supposed to do.

    “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

    The wise men were seeking Jesus. They found Him and shared that with others. They wouldn’t have found Him if they hadn’t acted on what they knew.

    We need to be wise and do the same thing.

    A Story That Only God Could Write

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    We All Have a Part in It

    Life is a collection of stories inside of a story. We all write our part of the story. The most important character in this story is the same as the Author. They are one in the same.

    Today is Christmas. The celebration of the birth of Jesus. The most important character in the story of life.

    The Bible is often called the Living Word of God. In Hebrews 4:12 it says, “God’s word is alive and powerful!”

    We’re all a part of this living story being written daily.

    We all play a part in writing the story. This is where things can go sideways. Too often we forget or neglect to check with the Author before we start writing. This leads to unnecessary struggles.

    We saw the Israelites write like this over and over. They would write the story the way they wanted to and would end up paying the price. God would point this out to them multiple times. Then they would change their story to be aligned with His.

    In Isaiah 9:1-7 they have been going through one of those times where they were paying for their writing.

    Then they’re introduced to the main character in the story.

    “For a child is born to us,
        a son is given to us.
    The government will rest on his shoulders.
        And he will be called:
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
        Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”     (Verse 6)

    Life can be hard. It doesn’t always go the way we would like.

    We want life to be quick and easy. We don’t want to go through the tough difficult things. This is where aligning our writing with the Author will help us through.

    Back to the introduction of the main character.

    When Jesus was born the shepherds were nearby guarding their flocks. Shepherds were considered to be the lowest of the low. But, that night they were visited by an angel. They were told of the birth of Jesus, the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord.

    Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

    “Glory to God in highest heaven,
        and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

    When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

    They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished… 

     20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

    Luke 2:8-20

    Even though the shepherds didn’t hold a high place in society, they shared the story with others.

    We should glorify and praise God and share the story of Jesus with others.

    Too much of the time we get caught up in what the world thinks. This is upside down thinking. In 1 Corinthians 1:26-28, Paul tells us to remember the people of this world don’t think that many of you are wise, and not many of you come from important families.

    But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame.

     What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important.

    Remember to celebrate the Main Character of Life’s story.

    Write your story with Jesus as the Main Character.

    Make Room for Healing and Joy

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    Don’t Hold on to Things You Shouldn’t

    We’ve all found ourselves in unpleasant situations. Places where we feel trapped. Sometimes it’s because of things we’ve done. Sometimes we’re there due to no fault of our own.

    The Israelites found themselves in bad situations repeatedly. They would go through times when they would be captives of other countries. Most of the time this was because they would be doing things they shouldn’t.

    There was a lot of guilt and judgement.

    God would give them chances to change. These opportunities would come to them through prophets of God.

    One of these messages of hope came in Isaiah 6:1-7. Isaiah received a message from God and he felt doomed because he was a sinful man. A Seraphim that was attending to God touched Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal and said, “This coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.

    The year of Jubilee was a time for the Israelites to dedicate a year of rest to God, acknowledging that God would provide for their needs.

    The Year of Jubilee, which came every 50th year, was full of releasing people from their debts, releasing all slaves, and returning property to those who owned it. During this time, the Israelites were not supposed to reap or harvest; it was a time for people to return to their families and loved ones.

    The Year of Jubilee was a time of Restoration.

    So, after seven years of Sabbaths, we reach the 50th year. A year dedicated to rest, the restoration of property, and freeing people from debts, servitude, and slavery.

    Because everyone was released from their debts and slavery, everyone got to rest and could start the next year with a clean slate. 

    It’s important to note that God owns everything. Anything He’s given to us, such as resources, crops, etc., belongs to him. Therefore, the Israelites would dedicate this year of rest to him, acknowledging that God would provide for their needs.

    The Israelites went into captivity because they didn’t observe these resting years (Leviticus 26). Because they didn’t trust that God would provide and dedicate time to resting, they reaped the consequences.

    God also instituted the Year of Jubilee as a foreshadowing for his future work on the cross. Jesus relieves us of all spiritual debts and our slavery to sin by His death and Resurrection.

    In Matthew 1:18-25, Joseph learned of the coming of Jesus when an Angel came to him in a dream. He was told what would happen and what he was supposed to do. And he did it.

    Our ultimate forgiveness is through Jesus. But we have to accept this gift.

    Jubilee was a release from the past. A restoring. It brought hope for the future.

    The Israelites held on to things and wouldn’t let them go. They neglected to take advantage of Jubilee, and they suffered unnecessarily because of this.

    Too often we do the same thing. We’ve been hurt by someone, and we don’t let go. Then we’re the ones who suffer. We tend to hold on to things as a way of protecting ourselves. Even when we’ve let go of something, it has a way of creeping back.

    We have the power of choice. We can forgive. We can release the past. This makes room for healing and joy.

    Jesus is our Jubilee.

    A Straight Path is the Shortest Way

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    This Can Be Hard in the Wilderness

    In geometry, a straight line is the shortest distance between two points (on a flat surface). When going from point A to point B, on a map or in life, it’s rare that we can go in a straight line. In this case we want to find the “most straight” line.

    The same is true for our path to salvation.

    The fewer detours or obstructions we have to deal with the sooner we get to where we’re going.

    The Israelites had been in exile for years. Isaiah explained over and over that they had been dealing with this judgement because of their own self-inflicted obstacles. Then in Chapter 40 he shifts to a message of hope.

    In verses 3-5 he tells them,

    “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”

    Isaiah is telling them to get ready for the coming of Jesus. That the path is straight. There is only one way to salvation and that is Jesus. They needed to quit wandering around out in the wilderness.

    In the New Testament, when Mary visited Elizabeth, the unborn John leapt in Elizabeth’s womb. John already knew he was going to have a part in the Christmas story before he was born. He was going to make a path through the wilderness to Jesus.

    We need to do the same thing as John and help each other through the wilderness. We can do this by sharing the road map of life. This map can be found in the Bible. This isn’t to say that it’s easy, but it is the straightest line.

    The best path is the straightest line.

    We need to use this map in our own lives as well. Life can be a hard road. But it is easier if we know the best path to take.

    Advent is the preparing for the coming of Jesus. This is a good time to focus on the path and find our way through the wilderness of life.

    Part of preparing for Jesus is repenting of the things we shouldn’t do. Repenting can seem like a negative thing. But it shouldn’t be. Repenting doesn’t mean stop, don’t, no.

    Instead of looking at it negatively, look at it positively. It’s not the ending of something, but rather the beginning. Start, do, yes.

    Start down the right path. Do something to move you closer to Jesus. Say yes to the straightest line.

    Even though the wilderness can seem overwhelming and easy to get lost in, look for the straight path. Nothing is too hard or too difficult for Jesus. He will show you the right way to go.