Making Change - Week 1 | Coastal Church

Devotional

Day 1: Change what you treasure in your heart.

The things we value most deeply shape our actions and priorities. When our hearts treasure earthly possessions, our lives become oriented around acquiring and protecting them. But these temporary treasures are vulnerable to loss and decay, leaving us feeling empty. True and lasting fulfillment is found when we reorient our hearts to treasure what God treasures. This shift from the material to the eternal is the first step toward a life of freedom and purpose. [52:09]

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:19-21 NLT)

Reflection: What is one physical possession or financial goal that you notice has an outsized influence on your thoughts, time, or energy? How might inviting God into that area begin to change what your heart truly treasures?

Day 2: Make room for what truly matters.

Our lives can become so cluttered with activities, obligations, and possessions that we crowd out the very things we claim are most important. We chase after more, believing it will lead to fulfillment, only to find ourselves exhausted and chasing the wind. Creating margin is not about having less for its own sake, but about intentionally making space for God, relationships, and the purposes He has for us. A life with room to breathe is a life ready to receive what God wants to give. [57:11]

“Yet better is one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 4:6 NLT)

Reflection: Look at your schedule for this week. What is one commitment or activity you are doing out of habit or obligation that is crowding out time for rest, relationship with God, or connection with your family?

Day 3: Find your value in God, not productivity.

It is easy to derive our sense of worth from our accomplishments, our productivity, and our ability to check items off a list. We can become enslaved to the feeling of being busy and useful, mistaking activity for significance. Yet this pursuit is ultimately as meaningless as chasing the wind. Our true value is not in what we do, but in who we are as beloved children of God, who are fully known and fully loved by Him apart from our performance. [01:02:28]

“But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.” (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NLT)

Reflection: When you have a slow or unproductive day, what feelings typically arise? How might you practice resting in the truth that your value is secure in God’s love, not in your output?

Day 4: You cannot serve two masters.

The desire to split our allegiance is a fundamental conflict of the heart. We may try to manage our devotion, giving some to God and some to the pursuit of wealth or security. But Jesus makes it clear that this is an impossible division; our hearts will ultimately be fully invested in one or the other. The call is not to a moderate love of money, but to a singular, supreme devotion to God, trusting that He will faithfully provide all that we truly need. [01:10:05]

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” (Luke 16:13 NLT)

Reflection: In what practical area of your life do you find it most difficult to trust God’s provision, leading you to rely on your own financial strategies or security? What would it look like to take one step toward transferring your trust in that area to Him?

Day 5: It's not about having nothing, but nothing having you.

This journey is not a call to a life of austerity or poverty. God created material things and often blesses His children with them. The issue is never the stuff itself, but the position it holds in our hearts. Freedom is found when we hold our possessions with open hands, enjoying them as gifts from God without allowing them to possess us. The goal is a heart so mastered by God that everything else is held in its proper place. [01:12:50]

“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10 NLT)

Reflection: What is one “good thing” in your life—a relationship, a possession, a role—that you might need to loosen your grip on so that it does not hold a place of mastery meant only for God?

Sermon Summary

God’s kingdom life calls people to reorder their affections: treasure that which endures rather than the temporary comforts and distractions of this world. Rather than offering a call to asceticism, the call is to a reorientation of the heart so that possessions, productivity, and provision become instruments rather than idols. When the heart’s priority shifts to seeking the kingdom first, decisions about money, time, and relationships naturally follow—less becomes more because margin appears for what truly matters: worship, generosity, and faithful stewardship. Drawing on Matthew’s warning against earthly hoarding and Solomon’s diagnosis of relentless craving, the argument moves from diagnosis to practice: change what is treasured, make room for what matters, and submit to one master. These are not moralistic demands but pastoral invitations to trust God as the provider who rearranges life’s priorities when he is given rightful lordship.

Practical illustrations—garages full of things, frantic schedules, and the temptation to derive identity from productivity—expose how easily stuff and busyness claim the throne of the heart. The remedy is not merely disposing of possessions but creating margin, examining motives, and refusing to let money dictate ultimate loyalty. Serving two masters is impossible; surrendering the impulse to accumulate reclaims freedom to love others and invest in heaven’s economy. The closing invitation offers prayer and pastoral care to those anxious about finances or ready to make Christ the center, emphasizing that God’s fatherly lead heals anxious hearts and reshapes practical choices.

Key Takeaways

1. Change what is treasured When the heart’s treasure shifts from temporal possessions to eternal priorities, outward behavior follows. This is a root-level work: changing affections precedes and transforms actions so that generosity, Sabbath, and relationship receive attention over accumulation and status. The kingdom-first orientation reframes money as a tool, not a savior. [52:09]
2. Make room for what matters Margin is a spiritual discipline: empty space in schedules, closets, and hearts allows God and others to occupy meaningful places. Overfull lives subtly eject priorities like prayer, hospitality, and rest; intentionally creating room reclaims those practices. Contentment with “one handful” resists the restlessness of constant acquisition. [57:11]
3. Change who you call master Loyalty shapes identity; whatever commands immediate obedience becomes lord. Money and possessions promise security but demand devotion, and that devotion displaces God if unchecked. Repentance here means reassigning ultimate authority to Christ so other things serve rather than rule. [69:38]
4. Let nothing possess your heart Possessions and productivity are permissible gifts when kept in servant-role; they become enslaving when they possess affections. The aim is not deprivation but freedom: to enjoy good gifts without needing them to justify existence. True abundance begins when God alone fills the heart. [72:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[35:46] - Opening Prayer & Warm-ups
[45:46] - Series Introduction: Making Change
[46:23] - Key Scripture: Matthew 6:19-20
[52:09] - Change What Is Treasured
[57:11] - Make Room for What Matters
[69:38] - Change Who You Call Master
[72:50] - Response: Prayer, Invitation, Next Steps

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Matthew 6:19-20 (NLT)
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”

Ecclesiastes 4:6 (NLT)
“And yet, ‘Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.’”

Luke 16:13 (NLT)
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

Observation questions

According to Matthew 6:19, what are the three specific ways earthly treasures can be lost or destroyed?
What does Ecclesiastes 4:6 say is better than having "two handfuls" gained through hard work and "chasing the wind"?
In the Luke 16:13 passage, what is the stark, either-or choice presented regarding who or what we can serve?
What example was given of how we often fill our physical spaces to the point of pushing out what truly matters? [01:08:11]

Interpretation questions

Jesus says that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matt. 6:21). How does this principle explain why a change in behavior must start with a change in what the heart treasures?
The concept of "margin" was described as a spiritual discipline. Why is having empty space in schedules and possessions so important for spiritual priorities like prayer and hospitality? [00:57:11]
The Luke 16:13 verse states it is impossible to serve two masters. In practical terms, what does it look like when money shifts from being a useful tool to becoming a master that demands devotion?
Solomon, who had immense wealth, concluded that loving money leads to never having enough. Why does the pursuit of more possessions or productivity often lead to a feeling of emptiness rather than fulfillment? [01:02:44]

Application questions

Take a mental inventory of your garage, closet, or schedule. What is one area that feels overly full? What might that fullness be subtly pushing out or preventing from having room? [01:08:11]
The idea that "we try to fill instead of be fulfilled" points to a heart issue. What is one thing you are tempted to acquire or achieve in the hope that it will make you feel valuable or complete, rather than finding that value in God? [01:00:40]
Serving two masters is impossible. What is one practical decision you could make this week—whether with your time, money, or attention—that would demonstrate that God is your master and not something else?
Creating margin is an intentional act. What is one specific "handful" you feel God inviting you to be content with, so you can have the quietness and space to focus on what He treasures? [00:57:11]
Possessions are permissible gifts but become problems when they possess our affections. Is there a particular possession or pursuit in your life that you need to consciously put back into the role of a servant, rather than letting it rule you? [01:12:17]
The remedy involves examining motives. The next time you feel compelled to make a purchase or add something to your to-do list, what question could you ask yourself to check if your motive is rooted in trust in God or a desire for self-fulfillment?

Sermon Clips

he's not saying it's a struggle to serve both. He's saying it's impossible. He's saying and in this, in the passage we read earlier, he's saying that if you serve me, if I am your master, all the rest will fall into order. It doesn't mean I'm not a TV preacher telling you give give God your money and all of a sudden everything's gonna no. I'm saying the things that matter. The things that matter, God will make sure you have. If you surrender not just your finances, but everything to him. [01:10:20] (39 seconds) #SurrenderEverything

We actually don't want your money if you cannot give in a way that is consistent with the scripture. What does the bible say? It says, God loves a cheerful giver. That doesn't mean that you force cheerfulness. That means that you get to keep it if you can't be cheerful because God isn't accepting it yet. God will build this church. He will supply every need with people who are obedient with their generosity. God will supply every need with cheerful people who are generous. We don't actually need anyone's money coerced out of them. [00:44:14] (42 seconds) #CheerfulGiver

Lord, I pray over each and every person who's here represented here, maybe even some back at the seats. Father, that you would bless them financially, not so that they can feel full. But father, I pray that as they begin to order their finances and everything in their life according to your word. I pray, father, that they would see that they can trust you. They can trust you with things. They can trust you with their heart. They can trust you with their health. They can trust you with their family. Lord, we seek you first. Be the master of our lives. [01:14:40] (45 seconds) #TrustGodWithEverything

Jesus deals with the heart before he deals with the behavior. He says he says, where your heart is, there your treasure's gonna be. Let's get to the root. Let's fix the heart so that what you treasure changes, and then actually what you do will change after that. When your heart changes, your behavior changes. That's why the scriptures say out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. [00:53:29] (32 seconds) #HeartBeforeBehavior

To sum it up, less is more is not about having nothing. It's about nothing having you. This is not a command to go and get rid of stuff. This is a command from the scripture to make sure God is the head of your life. God is your boss. [01:12:44] (25 seconds) #NothingShouldHaveYou

How many of you ever go camping and you've brought too much stuff? Anyone? Yeah. My children. Dude, I'm like, I'm only taking one more bag. I'm not I like it when we can hike and not boat because I'm like, if you bring it, you can have it. You know? If you're not gonna walk a mile from the car with it, it's not coming. K? But there's some things that aren't going to where we're going after this life. But here we go hauling as much as we can. Right? Carrying as much as we can stuff that doesn't have any value. [00:49:39] (36 seconds) #PackLightLiveLight

It's okay to have stuff. It's just not okay for the stuff to have you. When things begin to matter more than than their material worth, that's when we know that it has become our master. Only you can make that declaration. I'm not gonna do that for you through the holy spirit. If you're a believer, the holy spirit can direct you. [01:12:07] (36 seconds) #StuffDontMasterYou

Change what you treasure. This fixes a lot of problems. It's in the same chapter, Matthew chapter six, that to seek first the kingdom of God and all the other things will be added to you as well. All the other stuff will fall into place if you get that one thing, that one priority right. [00:52:54] (23 seconds) #SeekFirstKingdom

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Making Change - Week 1 | Coastal Church

Devotional

Day 1: Change what you treasure in your heart.

Day 2: Make room for what truly matters.

Day 3: Find your value in God, not productivity.

Day 4: You cannot serve two masters.

Day 5: It's not about having nothing, but nothing having you.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Making Change - Week 1 | Coastal Church

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