Taste and See: Embracing the Kingdom's Treasure

Devotional

Day 1: The Navajo Blanket in Your Backyard

A man discovers a priceless treasure hidden in plain sight—a blanket draped over a chair. The kingdom of God is like this: an inheritance of immeasurable worth already within reach, waiting to be recognized. Its value doesn’t depend on our effort, but on seeing it for what it is. What if we’ve been sitting on spiritual riches without grasping their eternal weight? The invitation isn’t to earn, but to awaken. [39:23]

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
(Matthew 13:44, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been overlooking the “blanket” of God’s kingdom—His presence, promises, or provision—in your daily routines? What would it look like to approach one ordinary moment today as if it held sacred treasure?

Day 2: Whose Name Is on the Door?

Rooms represent territories of control: our relationships, fears, or ambitions. The kingdom asks, “Who owns this space?” Like a parent removing a door hinge, God claims authority not to punish, but to free us from the mess we’d hide behind closed doors. Surrender isn’t loss—it’s trading clutter for clarity. [25:16]

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”
(Romans 8:14-15, ESV)

Reflection: What “room” do you keep trying to redecorate on your own terms? How might handing God the keys to that space deepen your trust in His design?

Day 3: From Reluctant Sacrifice to Unforced Joy

The man in the parable doesn’t grimace as he sells his possessions—he celebrates. Kingdom living shifts from gritted-teeth duty to wide-eyed wonder. Like a child trading pebbles for pearls, we release what weighs us down to grasp what lifts us up. Joy isn’t the reward; it’s the fuel. [42:25]

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
(Psalm 34:8, ESV)

Reflection: Where has following Jesus felt like obligation rather than delight? What one practice could help you “taste” His goodness anew this week?

Day 4: Co-Heirs, Not Tenants

Adoption in ancient Rome meant irreversible belonging. As co-heirs with Christ, we don’t beg for scraps—we feast at the table. The Spirit whispers, “This is yours now,” offering identity, authority, and belonging. The kingdom isn’t a lease; it’s a deed with our name on it. [49:26]

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.”
(Romans 8:16-17, ESV)

Reflection: What would change if you lived today as a trusted heir rather than a temporary guest? How might you interact differently with a challenge or relationship?

Day 5: The Treasure That Transforms Your “No”

We think holiness starts with rejection—until we find something better. A child drops a mud pie not because it’s “bad,” but because they’re handed cake. The kingdom’s joy makes old attachments unthinkable. What we release isn’t a loss; it’s making room for the feast. [50:56]

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
(2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: What habit, worry, or distraction has lost its grip on you as you’ve tasted Christ’s goodness? How could celebrating that freedom today strengthen your “yes” to Him?

Sermon Summary

The kingdom of God comes down to a simple but personal question: who gets to call the shots in the rooms of a life? The bedroom image puts the tension right out in the open. Some rooms are gladly handed over to the King, while other rooms, including finances, kids, reputation, health, politics, attitude, and the need to be right, remain a wrestling match.

Jesus defines the kingdom as the place where God’s ways, commands, values, and heart are actually lived out. Jesus, God in sandals and skin, shows what that kingdom looks like wherever people rally around one another, pray, care for vulnerable kids, and move from spectators to participants. God’s kingdom is not merely a future destination; it is God calling the shots right here, right now.

Matthew 13:44 gives a one-verse picture of that kingdom: a man finds treasure hidden in a field, covers it back up, and joyfully sells everything to buy the field. The man is not gritting his teeth through reluctant obedience. The treasure is so good that selling everything else feels like freedom, not loss. The parable is more about what the man found than what the man sold.

The Navajo blanket picture makes the point plain. The blanket did not change when its owner learned it was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. His understanding of its value changed. The kingdom of God is already right there, available and eternal, but hearts can leave it hanging over the back of a chair because they have not grasped what it is worth.

The contrast between guilt-driven religion and kingdom joy matters deeply. Discipline, sacrifice, self-control, and saying no all have a place, but they become crushing when they are separated from tasting and seeing that the Lord is good. God does not merely offer a list of things to avoid. Christ offers a better yes.

Romans 8 names that treasure: no condemnation, freedom from sin and death, the indwelling Spirit, full adoption, actual righteousness, peace with God, a new heart, and nothing separating God’s children from his love. The inheritance of co-heirs with Christ is not a short list. The kingdom invites each heart to quit squeezing tightly around its own rooms and discover that Jesus is worth a hundred wholehearted yeses.

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Key Takeaways

1. The King calls the shots [26:29] The kingdom of God is not mainly about religious activity or church attendance. The kingdom takes shape wherever God’s values get the final word in real-life rooms like marriage, money, parenting, and reputation. The tension begins when a heart wants God’s help but still wants control. God’s invitation is not to lose a life, but to let the King lead it. [26:29]
2. The treasure changes the sacrifice [47:52] The man in the field sells everything because he has found something better, not because somebody forced him. The kingdom does involve surrender, but surrender looks different when Christ is seen as treasure. Sacrifice without joy can turn into teeth-gritting religion. Joy grows when the heart sees what it is actually gaining. [47:52]
3. Taste and see the Lord’s goodness [47:12] The pressure to try harder can make a person constantly aware of failure, weakness, and everything still undone. God’s goodness changes the starting point. The call is not first to strain harder at prayer, Bible reading, discipline, or sacrifice. The call is first to encounter the grace and love already offered in Christ. [47:12]
4. Co-heirs receive a massive inheritance [52:49] Christ gives God’s children more than a future hope after death. Christ gives access now to a new identity, no condemnation, peace with God, the Holy Spirit, adoption, and the Father’s love. The inheritance is not theoretical or distant. God has already been depositing grace into the account. [52:49]
5. Hidden rooms reveal competing kingdoms [57:44] The question is not whether God is King in some general sense. The question is which room still gets labeled, “This one’s mine.” Possessions, fears, relationships, opinions, and control can all become places of resistance. God meets that resistance by showing that the field is worth buying because the treasure is better.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:02] - Thanking Church Participants
[24:42] - Who Owns the Room?
[26:29] - Defining the Kingdom of God
[28:58] - Jesus and the Parables
[32:39] - Curiosity Over Constant Certainty
[35:11] - The Treasure Hidden in a Field
[38:14] - The Navajo Blanket Illustration
[42:25] - Freedom, Not Reluctant Obedience
[44:01] - Moving Beyond Guilt-Driven Faith
[47:12] - Taste and See That God Is Good
[49:02] - Co-Heirs With Christ
[52:07] - What Is Available in Christ
[55:48] - Finding the Treasure
[57:44] - Letting God Call the Shots

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 13:44 — “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” [35:26]

Romans 8:17 — “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” [52:49]

Psalm 34:8 — “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” [47:12]

Observation questions

In Matthew 13:44, what does the man do after finding the treasure, and what emotion motivates his response? [35:26]
What real-life “rooms” were named as places where people may struggle to let God call the shots? [28:26]
According to Romans 8:17 and the description of being co-heirs, what are some gifts and privileges that are already available to God’s children? [52:07]
What is the difference between focusing mainly on what the man sold and focusing on what the man found? [47:43]

Interpretation questions

Why does the man’s joy in Matthew 13:44 matter for understanding surrender in God’s kingdom? How does joy change the meaning of sacrifice? [42:14]
What does it mean for God’s kingdom to be present wherever God’s ways and values are actually lived out, rather than only being a future place? [27:15]
Romans 8:17 connects being co-heirs with Christ to both glory and suffering. How might knowing what believers have received in Christ shape the way they face costly obedience or hardship? [49:54]
Psalm 34:8 invites people to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. Why can a person’s faith become heavy and guilt-driven when they focus on effort but do not rest in God’s goodness? [47:14]

Application questions

Which area of life feels most like a room marked, “This one is mine”—finances, relationships, parenting, health, reputation, political opinions, attitude, or the need to be right? What makes that room difficult to hand over to God? [57:41]
Where has following Jesus recently felt more like teeth-gritting obligation than joyful trust? What might it look like to focus again on the treasure Christ offers rather than only on what must be given up? [47:52]
When condemnation or shame shows up, which truth available through Christ do you most need to remember: a new identity, forgiveness, adoption, peace with God, the Holy Spirit, or God’s unseparated love? [54:18]
What is one practical way to “taste and see that the Lord is good” this week—through prayer, Scripture, communion, gratitude, serving someone, or receiving prayer from another believer? [55:24]
Is there something being held tightly—a possession, a plan, a fear, a relationship, or a sense of control—that may be keeping you from trusting God more fully? What would one small act of trust look like this week? [57:44]
God’s kingdom becomes visible when people pray, care for one another, and support vulnerable children and families. Where could this group move from being spectators to participants in a tangible way? [27:48]

Sermon Clips

70s

“As heirs, as co heirs in the kingdom of God, I I just want you to know what that entails, some of the things that that entails. Number one, a completely new identity, which is pretty awesome. No condemnation. I didn't say it. You didn't say it. The apostle Paul, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, said it. There is therefore no condemnation. Freedom from the law of sin and death. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Back in the day, spirit of God was in tabernacles, tabernacles and the Holy of Holies, and all the high priest had access, and now it said your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. You are a sacred space, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Adoption as sons and daughters with full rights. Actual righteousness, not theoretical righteousness. Peace with God. The Holy Spirit transforming you from the inside out.”

44s

“A lot of how I felt in my Christian walk, which I was constantly aware of what I wasn't doing, what I needed to say no to, the things that God was against that I seemed to be living in. And all of this time, I was just like, man, I gotta do better. I gotta know more. I gotta get my act together. I'm gonna try harder. I'm gonna try harder. I'm gonna try harder until I got to the point that I could taste and see that the Lord is good. And that changes things. Because now it's about finding a treasure more so than it is about selling everything that you have. It is just a different way to start and a different way to approach.”

20s

“All that is made available to you. And so, we're over here saying, I don't know. I don't know if I want to sacrifice. I don't know if I want to suffer. I don't want to know if I want to say no or give up. This was not about what the man sold. This is about what the man got, and you are offered so much.”

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