Chasing the Wrong Treasure?

Today is sacred. It's quiet, it's holy. It's a day where heaven touched earth and everything about our definition of wealth changed forever.And this is a message you're not going to hear. In the noise and chaos of the holiday, Christmas resets the definition of wealth. Think about it.Jesus, the King of Kings, entered this world in poverty so that you could become spiritually rich. He didn't come with money. He came with meaning. He didn't offer status. He offered salvation. So let me cut to the chase and make this simple.True wealth is found in Christ, not in your account balances. And today, on Christmas Day, I want to help you bring your heart back to the center of what truly matters. Welcome back.I'm Ralph, and if this is your first time joining me, what an honor it is to spend Christmas day with you. Here on Financially Confident Christian, we talk about faith. We talk about finances and purpose. We talk about finding peace through biblical wisdom.But today, we talk about the source of all peace, Jesus Christ, the center of everything. And on a day of worship and rest, I want to gently address something many people feel but rarely talk about.What if my heart is drifted towards the wrong treasure? Let's walk into this together today. A listener recently wrote, Ralph, I want Christ at the center of my finances.But sometimes money pressure shout louder than my faith. How do I stay focused on him when life is loud? Friend, that is an honest to goodness question and it's brave.And I dare say so many believers are feeling that same pull, maybe even more so today. So let's reflect honestly for just a moment.Because when we can step outside of the noise and hustle bustle, Christmas clears the noise and helps us see what truly matters. Because Christmas reminds us that true riches don't come from investments.True security isn't found in savings, and true success isn't based on your income. Jesus came to this world poor so that you could become saving spiritually rich. The real treasure is Him.Let's take a moment right now and contrast what culture says. Because the message we get all year long and today's message are very different from what Christ tells us.Culture measures our net worth, but Scripture measures our heart worth. Look at Matthew 6:21. It says, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. And here's the truth I need you to hear today.Your money follows your heart, never the other way around. So the question for today isn't, how much do I have? The real question is, who has my heart?So let me share what I've Learned not a lecture, but from my own walk. 53 years as I sit here today, I've watched anxiety melt away in people who chose Christ first.And I've had seasons in my own life where everything shifted, including my finances, when I finally realigned my heart spiritually. And here's what I've learned over and over. My financial life never changed because I made a better plan. It changed because my faith realigned.Christ leads the heart and the heart leads the finances. Let me share a story. This one still moves me to this day. A businessman once told me, ralph, I realized I was chasing success instead of the Savior.So he made four simple shifts. Here's what he did. He chose faithfulness over fame. He could have been a famous guy, but he chose faithfulness. When he did his budget, he tied first.He put that at the top of the page. In order to fund that, he simplified his spending and he prioritized scripture over status. You want to know what happened? He slept better.He slept better than he had in years. His peace returned, his joy returned, and his purpose returned. That businessman was me. And I've shared my own story on this show.And what I can tell you right now is when Christ leads more money, stops controlling your emotions. So here's the real question for you today. This is where the message becomes personal. And this is going to be very direct.But how do you live with Christ at the center? Because that's what we really need to get to today. How do we find our real treasure? How do we let peace lead? Not pressure.And how do you let the Savior, not culture define your wealth? Walk through this together. I want to show you how you can get Christ centered wealth in your daily life. And it all starts with Jesus.First, it's got to start with lordship. When Jesus is Lord, every financial decision becomes clearer. Here's the thing you got to understand. Lordship isn't pressure.A lot of people think, well, it's a lot of pressure, Ralph. Lordship is protection. Surrender doesn't limit you. It frees you. Something simply as easy as saying, jesus, you lead. Jesus, you lead.When you say that, it removes the weight you never were meant to carry on your own. And here's another thing I'm going to encourage you to do. Choose eternal over trendy. We live in a culture where trends are constantly shifting.Fear shifts, culture shifts. But here's something you can take to the bank. The kingdom of God is steady.So when you're making decisions, especially financial decisions, filter decisions through this. Is it purposeful? Is there a Kingdom purpose for this? Is it eternal? And last but not least and probably the greatest, is it aligned with Christ?You can't chase everything either, so chase what matters. Another encouragement for today is if you don't hear anything else I say today, practice contentment and generosity.We live in a culture of comparison. I talk about this on the show all the time. Contentment kills comparison, and generosity loosens that grip of greed. Listen, we're human beings.We're fleshly beings. We're going to battle that greed. But gratitude quiets that cultural pressure that's all around us.And when you give, it grows your heart even more than it changes your budget. And I've seen that firsthand. I've done it my own life, and I've seen people dynamically transformed by being content and being generous.And finally, let Christ set your New Year priorities. Ask him this. Say, lord, what matters most in my finances this year? Ask him for that.Bring him into the discussion and let prayer shape your priorities. Not pressure, not trends, not fear. Sometimes it needs to be a season of simplicity, because simplicity brings more peace than abundance ever could.And when Christ sets the direction, financial pressure loses power. Well, let's anchor today in Scripture, because Christmas is the perfect time to return to the foundation. Look at Matthew, chapter 6, verse 33.Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Seek him first. Just think about that for just a moment, because once you seek him first, guess what? He'll take care of the rest.And I want to pray today on this Christmas Day. And I'm so thankful that you've chosen to join me today. Jesus, anchor my heart in you. Free me from comparison and free me from pressure.Lord, teach me contentment. Teach me to grow joyfully and generously. Help that to grow in me. And Christ, be the center of all my decisions, especially my financial ones.And I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Okay, here's your one action item for today.I want you to just write down one way that you'll put Christ at the center of your finances next year. Just one way. Maybe it's a virtual pray daily. I truly believe that there is power in reading Scripture and praying about Scripture.So maybe for you it's that verse that you're going to pray every day. Hey, maybe for you it's starting a giving habit. That's a great way to start to be generous. For you, maybe it's a Sunday financial devotional moment.Maybe you pick Sunday and say, this is a time when I'm going to do what Ralph talks about and I'm going to devote my time to Jesus with my finances on Sunday. And maybe, just maybe, open every budget meeting with prayer. You don't need to do all these things. Just choose one, but let Christ lead it.And if you want a place where faith and finances can grow together, where you'll be encouraged and where Christ stays at the center. And trust me, that's the whole point of this. I want to invite you to join our financially confident Christian family.You can do that by going to financiallyconfidentchristian.com join again. That's financiallyconfidentchristian.com/Join. You don't have to walk this journey alone. There are people that want to love on you.There's people that want to help you and encourage you. And I want to be one of those people. So go to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join. And on this Christmas Day, I want you to remember this.Christ defines your wealth, not culture. So center your heart in him and your finances will follow. Seek his kingdom first. Trust him with the rest.And go out there today and be a financially confident Christian. Because guess what? You can do this. I have confidence in you. Stay financially savvy. Merry Christmas to you and your family. God bless you.And I'll see you on the next.