3-Day Bible Reading Plan - “Treasures in Heaven”
The reformer John Calvin said, “Where riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost His authority.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s not wrong to have money, and it’s not better to be poor. What Jesus is saying here is simple: We are a people who treasure things, so treasure the best things. After all, whatever you end up possessing ends up possessing you. So, why not turn your affection from the stuff of Earth and put our affection in Heaven? Friends, whatever has your attention is your treasure, but only God is truly worthy of your heart. What you are holding onto tightly is actually holding tightly onto you. - Pastor James Gleason, 4/13/25
Day 1
Featured Verse: Matthew 6:19-24 - “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
What does it mean to "store up treasures in heaven" in practical, everyday life, and how might this influence one’s priorities and decisions?
What are the implications of Jesus’ teaching that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" for understanding human desires and motivations?
How does the passage’s emphasis on single-minded devotion to God challenge or affirm contemporary views on multitasking and divided loyalties?
“The service of God and the service of the world are utterly inconsistent; the one is to lay up treasure in heaven, the other to lay up treasure on earth. A man cannot pursue both with his whole heart, for the heart is too narrow to contain such contrary affections.” - Jonathan Edwards
“Ye cannot serve God and mammon. It is not ‘ye should not,’ but ‘ye cannot.’ The thing is an impossibility. God is a master who demands the whole heart, and mammon is a tyrant who will have no rival. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve!” - Charles Spurgeon
Day 2
Featured Verse: Haggai 1:5-6 - “You eat, but you never have enough.”
How does the imagery of sowing much but harvesting little in verse 6 reflect the spiritual consequences of prioritizing personal gain over God’s purposes?
In what ways can the unfulfilled outcomes described in this passage—eating but not being satisfied, earning wages for a bag with holes—be interpreted as a critique of modern materialism or spiritual neglect?
What might the passage suggest about the relationship between obedience to God and the experience of abundance or lack in one’s life?
“The Lord by His prophet Haggai reproved the people for neglecting His house, saying, ‘Consider your ways,’ for their labor was in vain while they turned from His work.” - John Owen
“The prophet points to the plain fact of experience, that while they were careful for their own houses, and left God’s house to lie waste, their labor was fruitless, and their gains vanished as if they put them into a bag with holes. It is ever so; God will not be mocked, and he that soweth to the flesh shall reap corruption.” - Alexander Maclaren
Day 3
Featured Verse: 1 Timothy 6:17-19 - “Be rich in good works.”
What does it mean to be "rich in good works" in the context of this passage, and how might this redefine wealth from a spiritual perspective?
How can the call to "take hold of the life that is truly life" shape a believer’s understanding of purpose and fulfillment beyond material possessions?
How does Paul’s command to the rich to "not be arrogant nor put their hope in wealth" challenge contemporary attitudes toward success and financial security?
“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. Let no man think riches are everything; they cannot buy peace, nor secure heaven. The rich must be told to look beyond their gold to God, who alone gives joy and life eternal.” - J.C. Ryle
“The New Testament teaches that those who have wealth must hold it lightly, trusting God, not gold, and be ready to give it away for His work. As Paul told Timothy, the rich are to be rich in good deeds, laying up treasure not on earth but in heaven.” - J.I. Packer