3 Day Bible Reading Plan - “Jesus & Our Stuff”
The path to true freedom, enduring joy, and unshakable security doesn't lie in the amount of "stuff" we accumulate, but in the depth of our relationship with God. When our hearts are truly rich toward God, when we understand that our life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions, then and only then can we begin to manage our resources in a way that truly honors Him and blesses others. This is a journey of faith, a transformation from anxiety to peace, from self-reliance to God-reliance. It is a journey where we discover that being "rich toward God" is the only treasure that can never be lost, stolen, or diminished, a treasure that secures not just our earthly years, but our eternal soul. - Pastor Paul Crandell, 11/16/25
Day 1
Featured Verse: Luke 12:13–15 - “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
In what ways does the "life" Jesus mentions in verse 15 transcend mere material possessions, and how might this challenge modern definitions of human flourishing?
In a culture that often equates net worth with personal worth, how might Jesus' command to "watch out" and "be on your guard" against greed shape a believer's daily decisions and worldview?
If abundance of possessions does not consist in a person's true life, what alternative sources of "life" does Scripture propose, and how are they cultivated in community?
Pause and Reflect: When you consider Jesus’ warning in Luke 12:13–15 that your true life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions, how willing are you to forsake houses, family, or lands for His sake and the gospel’s, trusting the promise of Matthew 19:29 that you will receive a hundredfold now and inherit eternal life?
“Greed will certainly make a man want money, for the sake of a better house, better holidays, better things to eat and drink. But only up to a point. What is it that makes a man with $10,000 a year anxious to get $20,000 a year? It is not the greed for more pleasure... It is Pride... And this connects with Luke 12:15, where Christ warns that life is not in the abundance of possessions, but in something far greater.” - C.S. Lewis
Day 2
Featured Verse: Luke 12:16-20 - “Fool! This night your soul is required of you.”
When the rich man in the parable says to himself, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry,” what assumptions about the nature of the soul and its ultimate security does he reveal, and how does God’s abrupt response expose the fragility of those assumptions?
If God calls the rich man a “fool” not for his wealth but for being “not rich toward God,” what does it mean in practical terms to store up treasure toward God rather than for oneself, and how is this treasure measured?
Given that the rich man’s abundance came as a gift (“the land of a rich man produced plentifully”), yet his inner dialogue remains entirely self-referential (“my crops,” “my barns,” “my goods,” “my soul”), what does this reveal about the isolating power of greed in redefining gratitude, ownership, and the purpose of prosperity?
Pause and Reflect: When you see your own abundance as “my crops,” “my barns,” “my goods,” and “my soul”—even though every good gift comes from God’s hand—what does this reveal about greed in your heart, twisting your own gratitude, ownership, and purpose?
“The rich fool said, 'I will pull down my barns and build greater,' but God said, 'Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.' What are all your barns and goods then? Nothing but dust and vanity, when the soul stands naked before God.” - Jonathan Edwards
Day 3
Featured Verse: Luke 12:21-24 - “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”
What does it look like in everyday life to actively pursue richness toward God rather than merely avoiding the rich fool’s mistake of self-focused accumulation?
If God feeds the ravens—creatures of “little value” in human eyes—yet they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, how does this truth challenge anxieties about provision and invite a deeper trust in the Father’s care that transcends human effort?
The lilies “neither toil nor spin,” yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these; what does this comparison reveal about the nature of true beauty, the futility of self-adornment through wealth, and the freedom found in God-dependent existence?
Pause and Reflect: When you find yourself anxiously planning bigger barns for your own security—like the rich fool—yet see how God feeds the ravens without storehouses and clothes the lilies more beautifully than Solomon, what specific worry about tomorrow are you ready to release into your Father’s care?
“If God feeds ravens, will He not feed you? The raven is a black bird, and often a bird of ill omen, yet God cares for it—how much more for you, O ye of little faith!” - Charles Spurgeon
“The lily is content to be clothed by God. Why should we be anxious about raiment when the Great Designer arrays the flowers in colors Solomon never knew?” - F.B. Meyer
“The rich fool had barns overflowing, but his soul was bankrupt. The ravens have no barns, yet they lack nothing—because they have God. Which is the wiser?” - A.W. Pink