"Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head." - Luke 9:58

Have you ever found yourself captivated by the idea of discovering treasure? I certainly have.

A few years ago, I heard about an eccentric art collector who had hidden millions of dollars worth of artifacts and jewels in an ancient box somewhere in the Midwest. He wrote a poem containing clues to its location, and treasure hunters across the country were searching for it.

I became completely obsessed. I bought the book containing the poem and spent countless hours analyzing words, maps, and geographical locations. I even convinced a friend to join me on this adventure.

After church one Sunday, we changed into comfortable clothes, rented a minivan, and drove 40 hours nonstop across the country, from Florida to Montana. We had narrowed down four possible locations across New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. We weren't prepared for the wilderness (I was wearing New Balances!), but our determination pushed us forward.

At one point, we found ourselves camping near another treasure hunter. I discovered this when I knocked on her camper door asking for directions, and she opened it holding the same book with the same poem I'd been studying! The hunt intensified, but unfortunately, we didn't find the treasure during that trip.

I returned the following year with three friends. Again, we came up empty-handed. Eventually, I convinced myself the treasure wasn't real; that it was just a myth created by a not-entirely-sane art collector. I made peace with my normal life back home.

Then a month later, the news broke: the treasure had been found, right where I had been looking. I had missed it by that much.

What We Treasure Reveals Our Hearts

What would you do if you found millions of dollars? What images come to mind when you think about coming into sudden wealth? Maybe you're planning what you'd do with your tax return or a bonus at work. But how often do we pause and ask, "God, what would You have me do with this increase in my life?"

This is the heart of what it means to put Jesus first in our treasure. Christianity isn't just a spiritual principle – it's practical too. As C.S. Lewis said, "If Jesus is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all."

If He's Lord of your Sunday but not your Monday, He's not truly Lord. If He's Lord of your devotional time but not your paycheck, He's not truly Lord.

From Ownership to Stewardship

The world views resources through the lens of ownership: My money. My time. My family. My life. My car. My house.

But coming to Jesus is a surrender of rights. It changes things from ownership to stewardship. Stewardship means recognizing that what I have is not mine. I've been entrusted to tend to it. Everything belongs to God, and I'm managing it in the meantime.

What would change in your life if you started to view everything you have as something you are meant to steward as it belongs to God?

This is challenging because we want a Jesus who will be Lord spiritually but not practically. The American dream teaches us to make our money, get our house, and do our thing. But this isn't about the country we live in,  it's about the Kingdom we subscribe to. And if Jesus is King, He's King of all.

How does your Christianity show up practically in your life? Can someone tell you are a Christian by the way you spend your money, or would they need to see your Sunday mornings or your Instagram bio?

Jesus' Radical Invitation

In Luke 9:57-58, a man approaches Jesus saying, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus' response is unexpected: "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head."

Jesus isn't using great marketing here! His answer reveals a profound truth – He has nothing to claim as His own. And if we want to follow Him, that's the path we must take too. For believers, our entire lives, including our money, belong to Him. We've signed over the rights. We've been bought with a price.

Jesus didn't just buy your salvation; He bought your life. He didn't just buy your spirit; He bought everything you have. You belong to Him completely or not at all.

Jesus as Lord of Our Money

There are many scriptures about money, but one stands out where Jesus says we can either serve God or serve money, but not both (Matthew 6:24). We'll either be ruled by God or ruled by money.

This is striking because if I were writing Scripture, I'd say we either serve God or serve the devil. But Jesus identifies money as the alternative master because He knows how powerful its grip can be on our hearts.

Which gets more of your attention: God or money? Are you more excited for Friday (payday) than for Sunday (church)? Do you eagerly await your paycheck the way the Church should eagerly await gathering in God's presence?

How would you react if your paycheck didn't arrive? Would you stay quiet or would you be knocking on doors, making calls, and sending emails? Yet many of us show up 35 minutes late to church without a second thought. We wait with bated breath for the 11:59 PM direct deposit, but do we hang on the presence of God with the same anticipation?

Beyond the Tithe

Churches often gently encourage 10% generosity (the tithe) because there's a cultural notion that churches just want money. But this principle comes straight from Scripture. Most Christians today give about 3%, if that. Can you imagine what would happen if the global Church was giving the way it was designed to? We could show up at the forefront of every need, every time, the way the Church was meant to. A tornado in St. Louis? The Church could be there before FEMA to meet the needs.

But here's the challenging truth: in the New Testament, Jesus takes what was the ceiling in the Old Testament (the tithe) and makes it the ground floor. Just as He said, "You've heard it said 'don't murder,' but I say 'don't hate,'" Jesus raises the standard. It's not just about a percentage, it's about everything.

The early Church understood this. They didn't need Jesus to explicitly spell out what to do with their money because they saw how He lived. What did they do? They sold everything, lived together, and gave generously to one another. They took personal responsibility for the widows and orphans in their community, selling their possessions to meet needs.

Meanwhile, we struggle with 10%. If Jesus is not Lord of all, He's not Lord at all.

Why Is This So Hard?

We feel protective and possessive over what we have because money in our culture equals power. It's not about the paper or digital numbers – it's about the power, status, and independence it brings. If I have more money, I don't need anyone or anything.

But when we surrender that power, we become reliant on God. This is why Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3). This seems counterintuitive in a culture that glorifies success. But being poor in spirit means saying, "I have Jesus and Jesus only. He's my portion. Nothing else satisfies me. Money can't save me, status can't save me, my career path and 401(k) can't save me – it's Jesus only."

When you have nothing but Jesus, you have everything.

Jesus First in Our Possessions

Your house, your car, your business – have you led Jesus into these areas of your life? Do you think of them as yours, or have you surrendered them?

When my family and I purchased our home in Lake Nona during the pandemic, I was thanking God for the blessing. But He stopped me in my tracks and said, "You think I've blessed you for your comfort. I've brought you here on assignment."

That shifted my perspective entirely. My neighbors weren't just neighbors, they were people Jesus loved. My home wasn't just my hiding place, it was a place of influence for my family and others. I've had to say "yes" countless times to people coming over, crying at our table, praying in our living room, because my home is not my home. It's a blessing God has given me to bring glory to His name.

On the first day of City of Life Lake Nona, we had 45 team members in my living room and 26 kids in my son's room. Afterward, my son looked at the chaos of toys everywhere and said, "Wow." I told him, "Thank you for your generosity. It would be easy to say this is my room, but you realize it's all for Jesus." (He asked if he had to clean it, and I assured him we'd take care of it because he'd been generous!)

Changing What We Treasure

It's not just Jesus first in my treasure, it's Jesus first in what I treasure. Coming to Jesus changes our value system.

Matthew 6:19-21 says, "Don't store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust don't destroy and where thieves don't break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

What you treasure rules you. It captivates your attention. Following Jesus means we shift our value system from the things of this world to the things of God.

Think about it – when you value something, it catches your eye. You'll drive down the road and notice the car you've been wanting. You'll walk through the mall and be drawn to your favorite store. Where your attention goes, your value goes. Your worth goes.

Worship is giving worth to something. If you're giving value to anything other than God, you're worshiping it. Following Jesus is about shifting that worth to what truly matters.

The Rich Young Ruler's Lesson

In Mark 10:17-25, a rich young man approaches Jesus asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. After Jesus lists the commandments, the man confidently says he's kept them all since childhood. Jesus, looking at him with love, tells him, "One thing you lack: go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

The man's face fell, and he went away sad because he had great wealth. Jesus then told his disciples how difficult it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God, like a camel trying to fit through the eye of a needle.

What's striking is that historians agree this man's wealth pales in comparison to what average Americans have today. We are much richer than he ever was. We live with comforts he couldn't have imagined. So before we distance ourselves from this story, we should recognize we face the same struggle.

Look at how he approached Jesus: "What must I do to get eternal life?" His question reveals his self-sufficiency. With money comes the belief that "I'll do it myself." He was asking how he could save himself because he was accustomed to being self-reliant.

Jesus engaged with him, listing the commandments. And immediately the man claimed to have checked all those boxes. To my fellow church-raised believers: if you think you've behaved yourself into God's good graces, you need to take a hard look at Scripture. The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount aren't meant to make us feel good about ourselves, they're meant to show us our desperate condition and need for a Savior.

I'm not good enough for the Sermon on the Mount. I don't meet the requirements of the Kingdom of God. The Ten Commandments point out my desperate need for a Savior, and I cannot behave my way into salvation. Neither can you.

Notice also that the man asked how to "inherit" eternal life. In that culture, the only way a young man could be this wealthy was through inheritance; he got someone else's money. Now, self-reliant and self-sufficient, he wanted to know what else he could get.

Jesus told him to sell everything not because Jesus hates money, but because He hates self-sufficiency. This man's wealth was blocking him from reliance on God. As Pastor Jeff teaches us, "Giving breaks the grip of materialism on your life."

Jesus isn't concerned with how much money you have; He's concerned with how much self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, and reliance you bring to Him.

Jesus: Our Ultimate Treasure

"Jesus, I need You, and I have nothing else outside of You." This is what true reliance looks like.  It looks like needing Him so much that without Him, you have nothing.

We've cushioned ourselves so much in life that we've forgotten what it is to need Him. But if we have everything the world offers yet no Jesus, we have nothing. If we have Jesus and nothing else, we have everything, because Jesus is more than enough. He's our portion, our source, and every blessing comes in Him.

If you're following Jesus, you don't need to chase anything else. He is enough. You might have your five-year plan for your life, career, and finances. But following Jesus means saying, "Jesus, wreck my five-year plan. I don't want You to just approve my dreams, I want Your plan for my life. I surrender to You. I'm open to You. Where You go, I go."

Earthly wealth is no longer our indicator of success. As Christians, our success is measured by how close we are to Jesus. Whether our bank account is full or empty, if we're close to Jesus, we have everything we need.

Remembering God Is Our Provider

To the breadwinners in your homes, whether you're a man or woman, remember God's name: Jehovah Jireh, "I am your provider." Perhaps God has used you as a vessel to provide for your family. Maybe He's chosen to use your business as the primary avenue of showing Himself as provider.

But don't get it twisted. Just because you're the vessel doesn't mean you're the provider. If recent events have tested your faith and you're wondering how you'll make it happen, if you're feeling shame and trying to fix it yourself, remember: you were never the provider to begin with. You're just the vessel.

There's a God who has made a way for His children through generations. Psalm 37:25 says, "I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." God can open heaven and make a way for you. He can send water from a rock, manna from heaven, food from ravens – He can provide for you.

It's not about how hard you work; it's about how faithful He is. It's not about working harder; it's about trusting bigger. May God open the windows of heaven according to His Word, showing His goodness and kindness to you, not so you can be comfortable, but so you can declare His goodness across the earth.