Money, Possessions and Eternity | Where Your Treasure Is There Your Heart Will Be Also
About this series:
Jesus speaks about money more than almost any other subject—not because money is ultimate, but because it is revealing. Our use of money and possessions is a decisive statement of our eternal values. What we do with our money loudly affirms which kingdom we belong to. Money is not just a neutral tool.
It reveals where our hearts already are.
It actively shapes where our hearts are going.
Jesus does not say, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.” He says the reverse. Our treasure leads; our heart follows. Before Jesus addresses treasuries, perspectives, or masters, Scripture settles ownership.
About this talk:
Before Jesus addresses treasuries, perspectives, or masters, Scripture settles ownership:
God owns everything.
We own nothing.
We are stewards, not proprietors.
Jesus presses the issue relentlessly but graciously:
Where is your treasure?
Which kingdom are you investing in?
Who is your master?
Every day, we are moving either toward our treasure or away from it. This isn't calling for guilt or fear, but clarity and joy. Christ invites us to a better investment, a freer heart, and a truer security—found not in possessions, but in Him. “What is it we really long for? What’s the deepest desire and need of our hearts?” Scripture gives us a clear answer:
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God, . . . for the living God. (Psalm 42:1-2, NASB)
How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalm 36:7-9)
Nothing and no one but God can bear the weight of our worship or satisfy the thirst of our souls.
Audio only
Life Group activity: Understanding Adoption
Read together: Galatians 4:4–7
In the Roman world, adoption had a very strong meaning.
An adopted child:
Received the full legal status of a biological child
Lost all ties to their old life
Became the legal heir of the father
Had the father’s name and inheritance
So when Paul says “adoption to sonship”, his readers would think:
Full status.
Full belonging.
Full inheritance.
1. What do we learn about God's heart in the fact that He didn't just forgive us but also adopted us?
2. In verse 7, it says, “So you are no longer a slave, but God's child.” What might be some of the contrasting differences between being in a slave status vs. son or daughter status?
Breakout Discussion: Living as Adopted Children
Before breaking into 4 groups (or 2 groups, depending on numbers — ideally around 4 people per group), remind everyone:
If we forget we are adopted sons and daughters, we often drift back into a slave mindset — trying to earn approval, fearing failure, or comparing ourselves with others.
Ask each group to discuss the following areas. If there are only 2 groups, give each group two areas to discuss.
Note: You may want to print these questions or take a photo and share them in the WhatsApp group.
1. Identity — How We See Ourselves
1. If we truly believed we were adopted children of God, what difference should that make to how we see ourselves? (Think about how God sees us — that's how we should see ourselves.)
2. When we forget we are adopted, we often drift into two traps:
Self-righteousness — trying to prove ourselves worthy, or thinking we are better than others
Self-condemnation — feeling like we are never good enough, or thinking everyone else is better than us
Which of these do you fall into more easily — and how might remembering that we are adopted help you (or us) overcome that?
2. Prayer Life — How We Relate to God
Paul says the Spirit leads us to cry “Abba, Father.”
1. What is the difference between approaching God as a slave versus approaching Him as a son or daughter?
2. How might our prayers change if we truly believed God delights in us as His children?
3. When do you find it hardest to approach God as Father, and what helps you return to that place of trust?
3. Relationships with Other Christians
If God adopts us, that means every believer becomes part of the same family.
1. How should remembering that we are all adopted change the way we see and treat other Christians?
2. What attitudes or behaviours show up when we relate to others more like competitors or strangers rather than brothers and sisters?
3. What would it look like for our church or small group to really live as a family of adopted children?
4. Representing the Father — Living as His Children in the World
1. In the ancient world, a child carried the family name and reputation.
If we belong to God's family, what might it mean for us to represent our Father well in the way we treat people around us?
2. Think about a situation in your life right now — perhaps with a colleague, neighbour, family member, or someone who frustrates you.
If you remembered in that moment that you are representing your Father's name, how might that influence the way you respond?
3. Are there areas of life where it's easier to represent the Father
(for example church or Christian friends) and places where it's harder (workplace, family tensions, online, etc.)?
What do you think makes the difference?
Optional Closing Question (Back Together)
Bring the whole group back together and ask:
Which area do you most need to grow in this week?
Remembering your identity
Approaching God as Father
Treating other believers as family
Living out your faith from freedom rather than pressure
Closing Prayer
Finish by praying in pairs or groups of three, thanking God for adopting us and asking that we would remember and live in the fullness of that amazing truth.
