Sermon 3/8/26 - Lent 2026

Simplicity

Week 4 – “Simplicity: Freedom from the Tyranny of More”

Text: Matthew 6:19–34 Foster Focus: Simplicity Key Idea: Simplicity is inward freedom that expresses itself outwardly in a re-ordered life.

Movement of the Sermon:

Anxiety as a spiritual issue

What we treasure reveals what we trust

Simplicity as joyful dependence on God

Practice for the Week: Encourage intentional giving, decluttering, or Sabbath rest.

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Matthew 6:19–34 NIV

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

—> The opposite of anxiety is simplicity

—> When we are simply focused on God and not all the other stuff there is no room for anxiety.

—> Where we store our treasure reveals where we place our trust.

—> heavenly treasure doesn’t mean giving everything to the church. It means giving everything to God.

—> time

—> finances

—> thoughts

—>

—> A simple life can be judged by the joy we find not in our stuff but in our relationship with God.

—> The hard question to ask “Is God enough or am I continually wanting more?”

—> We are meant to be different, that means we should look and act different too.

Psalm 131 NIV

A song of ascents. Of David. My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.