Week 4: Focused Living Properly Values Heavenly Treasure

Last week Jesus warned us against overvaluing earthly wealth. This week his Word warns against undervaluing heavenly treasure. Through the story of Abraham, recounted for us in the book of Hebrews, we will consider what it means to focus not on the things of this earth, but on the heavenly home that’s waiting for us. And we’ll see how the focus of faith shows us the true value of this treasure.

Week 3: Focused Living Properly Values Earthly Wealth

Jesus wants focused followers. However, one of the things that can most easily get in the way of our focus is our earthly possessions. Today we look at the parable of the Rich Fool—a man who was blessed with such abundance that he didn’t know what to do with it. His solution? Build bigger barns to hold on to this bounty of earthly possessions while he enjoyed the good life. He stored up riches for himself, but quickly learned how wrong his thinking was. This prompts a question for us and our own lives, too. Are we rich toward God? Or are we just rich?

Week 2: Focused: Prayer and You

Today we consider what it means to live a focused life of prayer. In a sense, prayer comes naturally to us. We want so we ask. We hurt so we cry out. We are blessed so we give thanks. So we sometimes define prayer as “speaking to God from the heart.” It seems so easy. What does not come naturally, however, is the focused prayer God wants for us. Prayer that has its basis in God’s grace and the good gifts he wishes to give us. Yes, we can speak from the heart and ask for anything we want. But our Father invites us to pray specifically for the things he wants to give us. Prayer is the opportunity to align our will to God’s will, not the other way around. We have much to learn about prayer. So, along with Jesus’ disciples, we say, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).

Week 1: Focused Love Finds a Neighbor in Need

Jesus had a single-minded focus on our salvation—a drive to go to the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world. That focus directs us in our lives of serving Jesus and serving others. We want to have a focus on Jesus’ mission and his will for us—and his focus also teaches us to look to the needs of those around us. Today we think about how focused love always finds a neighbor in need. Considering the book of Ruth, we’ll see a wonderful example of how faith can lead us to focus not just inwardly on our own needs, but outward to the needs of others.