Money can be a polarizing topic. It doesn’t matter if you have an abundance or find yourself in need, money is a lens through which many people view the world. Money is a significant theme in Scripture. Money and its various forms are mentioned roughly 800 times. If you expand that to include financial references, the number jumps to 2000 times! Money in Scripture is mentioned more than prayer, faith, healing, and mercy. Jesus talked more about money than he did about heaven. Let that sink in. Over the next 4 weeks, we will look at what the Bible has to say about money—the good and the bad, the dangers and the blessings. Pray and ask God to lead and teach you as we study money together.

Monday – Matthew 6:19-24
Very simply put, Jesus tells us that who we are and what we treasure are linked. Want to know what you value the most? Follow the trail of what you spend your money, time, and effort on. Here’s another indicator, when what you value most is threatened or lost, how do you respond? What is most troubling: the loss of $1000 or the loss of the opportunity to worship, a depleted bank account or an empty spiritual life? Not only does Jesus point to the treasure of our hearts, but he also gives a warning. We often end up asking our treasures to do what they were never intended to do—give us value, hope, and identity. What we were given to master many times ends up mastering us. In this passage, Jesus warns that we cannot serve God and money. Money itself isn’t a problem; however, if we start looking to it to tell us who we are or what we are worth, it has become an idol. What do you treasure?