Seek First: Priorities That Honor God Above All

Jesus loves people right where they are, even when life is messy and far from God feels real. Matthew chapter six puts that love to work by asking a straight question: what matters most? Jesus speaks into ordinary life, into people under pressure, under taxes, under worry, under the daily grind of food, work, and family. Jesus does not start by changing every circumstance. Jesus goes straight for the heart and reorders priorities.

Matthew chapter six first warns against putting applause above God. Jesus says giving, praying, and fasting are not optional extras, because the text says “when,” not “if.” Giving is not meant to become a trumpet blast in the street. Prayer is not meant to become a performance with fancy words. Fasting is not meant to become a sad face and a spiritual flex. The Father sees what happens in private, and that private place matters more than public praise. Jesus did not call people to build a platform. Jesus called people to build a life that honors him.

Matthew chapter six then warns against putting earthly things above eternal things. Treasures on earth get eaten by moths, destroyed by rust, or stolen by thieves. Good things can become the ultimate thing, and that is where danger starts. Sports, grades, activities, careers, relationships, and success are not bad in themselves. But when those things take the throne, they start shaping the desire of the heart. Children may or may not go pro, but every child has a 100% chance of standing before God one day. The lasting priority is not just achievement, but helping the next generation know and follow Jesus.

Matthew chapter six finally warns against putting worry above trust. Worry grabs the throne when priorities get out of order. COVID showed how fast fear can consume a life, with news, scrolling, masks, bleach, toilet paper, and constant “what if” thoughts. Jesus asks whether worry can add even a single moment to life. Matthew 6:33 gives the simple answer: seek the kingdom of God above all else, live righteously, and God will give what is needed.

Jesus is not asking to be one priority among many. Jesus is asking to be the priority. The question hanging over Matthew chapter six is still plain: what has taken God’s place on the throne?

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Private obedience matters to the Father Jesus treats giving, praying, and fasting as real parts of discipleship, but he strips away the need to be noticed. The hidden place becomes holy because the Father sees what applause never can. Obedience loses its purity when it needs a crowd to confirm it. [49:44]
• 2. Good things can become ultimate things Matthew chapter six does not call normal life evil. Sports, grades, careers, and activities can be good gifts, but they become dangerous when they take God’s place. The heart follows its treasure, so misplaced priority slowly trains desire in the wrong direction. [62:21]
• 3. Children need more than achievement A child’s future cannot be measured only by scholarships, trophies, performances, or success. Earthly opportunities matter, but eternity matters more. Parents and spiritual family carry the weight of showing the next generation that Jesus is not an accessory to life, but life’s center. [64:10]
• 4. Worry steals God’s rightful throne Worry grows loud when the kingdom slips out of first place. Fear keeps asking what could go wrong, but faith fixes attention on who God is. Jesus does not minimize trouble, but he refuses to let tomorrow become today’s master. [71:37]
• 5. Jesus asks for the heart Jesus is not looking for polished perfection or religious performance. The call is simpler and deeper: a reordered heart that seeks him first publicly and privately. When the wrong thing has taken the throne, repentance starts by naming it and turning back toward Christ.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [43:46] - Coastal’s Heart and Introduction
• [46:05] - Priorities and Matthew 6
• [49:28] - Do Not Prioritize Applause
• [49:44] - Giving Without Being Seen
• [54:07] - Praying Without Performing
• [56:30] - Fasting Without Attention
• [60:44] - Earthly Things Versus Eternal Things
• [64:10] - Children, Sports, and Eternity
• [68:24] - Worry Versus Trust
• [73:16] - Seek First the Kingdom
• [74:39] - What Matters Most?
• [79:06] - The ABCs of Following Jesus

Bible Reading

Matthew 6:33
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” [46:29]

Matthew 6:19-21
“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.” [01:01:11]

Matthew 6:2-4
“When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” [49:48]

Matthew 6:5-8
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” [54:27]

Matthew 6:16-18
“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” [56:48]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 6, what repeated word shows that giving, praying, and fasting are expected parts of following God, not optional extras? [59:47]
2. What kinds of public behavior does Jesus warn against in giving, praying, and fasting, and what reward do those people receive?
3. According to Matthew 6:19-21, what happens to treasures on earth, and what happens to treasures in heaven?
4. What are some of the everyday things that can quietly move into first place in a person’s life, like achievement, sports, success, or worry? [01:13:33]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus says, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” How does that help explain why good things can become dangerous when they take God’s place? [01:02:34]
2. If the Father sees what is done in private, what does that reveal about what God values most in giving, prayer, and fasting? [01:00:03]
3. Jesus does not tell worried people that their problems are fake or small. What does it mean that he speaks into real pressure and still calls people to seek the kingdom first? [48:36]
4. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” sounds simple, but not shallow. What does that verse seem to mean for everyday decisions about time, family, money, and attention? [01:13:15]

Application questions

1. What has been getting the best of your energy lately? What gets your first attention in the morning or your strongest focus during the week? [01:14:02]
2. Is there an area where the desire to be noticed has been shaping obedience? Would it help this week to give, serve, or encourage someone quietly and let it stay between you and the Father? [54:07]
3. Prayer does not need to be polished to be real. What would it look like for prayer to become more honest and simple in your life this week, especially in private? [56:30]
4. Are there any good things in your life right now that are starting to become ultimate things? It could be work, a child’s schedule, money, comfort, relationships, success, or something else. What makes that temptation feel so strong? [01:02:47]
5. If there are children in your home, family, or church circle, what does it look like to help them know and follow Jesus instead of only pushing them toward achievement? If there are no children in the home, what part could still be played in strengthening the next generation? [01:07:20]
6. Worry often keeps asking, “What could go wrong?” Where has that been happening in your life recently, and what would trusting God in that exact place look like? [01:13:00]
7. Jesus is not asking to be one priority among many, but the priority. If something has taken God’s place on the throne, what would repentance look like in a practical step this week? [01:14:29]