Matthew 6:19–24, 33 (NIV)

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Stewarding Your Heart

• “The heart is the executive center of a human life. It is where decisions and choices are made for the whole person.”— Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart



• ²³ Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. — Proverbs 4:23

Paying Attention to Paying Attention

• “Attention is the beginning of devotion.”— Mary Oliver, Upstream

• “......what people revere they resemble either for ruin or restoration.” — G.K. Beale, We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry

• In the digital marketplace, attention is monetized. Algorithms and social media compete for a sacred resource — our awareness.

• “Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar.”— Matthew 6:22–23, The Message

Sacred Heart

• “The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a sanctuary of mercy, where every sorrow, every longing, is welcomed and transformed into divine love.” — St. John Eudes

• And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. — Ezekiel 36:26

CONNECT WITH GOD (Select the below practice or choose a practice from a different week.)

Scripture Meditation: Reflect on God’s generosity in a time of stillness, allowing for silence and cultivating an awareness of God’s presence with you in this spacious moment. 

• After a time of silence, receive the words of Psalm 145.
• Meditate on the passage (it may be helpful to choose one phrase or verse as your focal point) 
• In a continued posture of openness, meditate on God’s generosity to you. 
• Ask the Spirit to saturate your heart with the generosity of God. End your prayer with silence, once again cultivating an awareness of God’s presence with you in this spacious moment.

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 

Before beginning your time in the message and scripture passage, consider asking each person to share what the word ‘stewardship’ means for them. For example: Is it an unfamiliar word? Or is it a word that is familiar but has lost some significance for you?

TIME FOR PERSONAL AND SHARED REFLECTION 

• Alone: Read Matthew 6:19-24,33. Offer an extended time for personal, quiet reflection. Reflect/journal on one or more of the following prompts: 
• What does it mean for you to live from your heart? 

• Together: in pairs or smaller groups: Share your reflections from your time of journaling. Remember to listen with intentionality, and resist the temptation to fix or give advice.  

CONNECT WITH SCRIPTURE 

If needed, read the passage again. Then select the best questions or customize the questions for your group.  

• Review the main points from the sermon outline. 
• Which part of the sermon feels most applicable to your life? 
• How does Matthew 6 frame your understanding of stewardship and generosity? 
• What’s the scripture context? Where is this passage located in Matthew?
• Consider together verses 21-23? How does the imagery help you connect to your own life in Christ? 
• Where does your heart most connect to the words of Jesus here? 
• What does the ‘heart’ refer to in biblical language (v.21)?
• What does this passage teach you? 
• What everyday choices or behaviors reflect storing treasures on earth versus in heaven?
• How does good stewardship reflect love for God and love for others? 

ENGAGE AND EXPLORE 

Together: explore Revelation 2:4 together, in connection with the passage and message. 

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

PRAYER 

Read the prayer by John Calvin and then pray with the below prayer (the bold should be read in unison). Make room for the movement of the Holy Spirit as you pray, adding specific prayers after each petition. 

“Save us, Lord, from being self-centered in our prayers, and teach us to remember to pray for others. May we be so caught up in love for those for whom we pray, that we may feel their needs as keenly as our own, and pray for them with imagination, sensitivity, and knowledge. We ask this in Christ’s name. Amen.” -John Calvin

God of compassion, hear our prayers for the world you love. 

For your church in every place, that we may worship and serve you faithfully…

God of grace, hear our prayer. 

For violence and war, that there may be peace…

God of grace, hear our prayer.

For justice throughout the world, that there may be flourishing for all…

God of grace, hear our prayer. 

For those who hunger and thirst, that they may be filled with good things…

God of grace, hear our prayer.. 

For those who are ill, that they may know your loving care…

God of grace, hear our prayer.