TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Matthew 6:25
Read: Matthew 6:19-34
Listen: Matthew 6
TODAY’S MESSAGE
This past weekend, we see Jesus drops two more warnings on his listeners. He lovingly instructs them not to store up treasure that won’t last and not to worry. Instead, he wants them to spend their life on things that matter. This summer, we’ve seen Jesus teaching about what life in his kingdom is like. It’s not a life that focuses on accumulating possessions, and it’s not a life controlled by worry. Instead, it is a life focused on others and trusting God.
What we choose to pursue in life is often motivated by fear. We fear we won’t have enough, that we aren’t enough or that something terrible will happen. Jesus offers an invitation into a way of relating to money and stuff that is light, free and life-giving. He calls us to trust the character of God.
Trust is the difference between a life focused on ourselves and a life focused on following God. When we trust God, we believe Jesus’s instructions are the best way to live. That frees us to love our neighbor, pray for those who persecute us, forgive those who’ve wronged us, stop lusting and be willing to be inconvenienced for others.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Think about why you do what you do. Often there is an underlying fear that drives our actions. Invite God into that space. Ask God to help you trust instead of fear.
NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN
Join us this year as we read through the New Testament.
Today’s reading is Ephesians 3.
