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Pastor Rick Warren once said, “The way you store up treasure in heaven is by investing in getting people there.”

That’s a powerful statement—and it raises an important question: What does it really mean to store up treasure in heaven?

Jesus speaks directly to this in Matthew 6:20, where He says, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

That word “treasure” is striking. In Greek, the word is thēsauros—the same root from which we get the word “treasury.” It describes something stored safely for the future. But Jesus isn’t describing a spiritual savings account filled with gold and silver. He’s pointing to the lasting fruit of a life lived in alignment with God’s Kingdom.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “Don’t have treasure.” He says, “Store your treasure in heaven.” In other words, what we invest in God’s purposes today carries eternal significance.

In 1 Timothy 6:18–19, Paul writes that believers are “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

That final phrase matters: “that which is truly life.”

The reward is not merely something we receive later. It is the fullness of life that comes from walking in step with Christ—now and forever.

The early church understood this well. Augustine wrote in The City of God, “God Himself, who is the author of virtue, shall there be its reward, for as there is nothing greater or better, He has promised Himself.”

In other words, the greatest reward of eternity is not something we possess, but Someone we know.

That is the heart of eternal rewards: deeper fellowship with God, fuller participation in His Kingdom, and the joy of seeing His work unfold through our lives.

This is where our finances come in. Jesus often connected money to an eternal perspective because it reveals what we value.

When we give generously, serve faithfully, and steward wisely, we are investing in something that lasts beyond the temporary. We are declaring that our hope is not in wealth, comfort, or control, but in God Himself.

In Luke 16:11, Jesus says, “If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?”

In other words, how we manage earthly resources reflects whether our hearts are ready for something far greater.

Every act of generosity, every decision to trust God rather than money, every sacrifice made for His Kingdom becomes part of a story that continues into eternity.

Here’s the beautiful truth: God’s rewards are never wages. They are gifts.

Scripture does not teach that we earn God’s favor through generosity or faithful stewardship. Rather, God rewards His people because He is generous in grace. He chooses to reward the very faithfulness He produces in us.

That reveals something remarkable about our Father. No matter what we have or do not have in this world, because we belong to Him, He promises to entrust us with the true riches of His Kingdom.

That is what it means to store up treasure in heaven. Instead of investing everything in what is temporary, we place our lives, our resources, and our trust into the hands of the One who is the very source of heaven and earth.

It’s not about building a spiritual portfolio. It’s about orienting our hearts toward God Himself.

Life with God has never been about accumulating more. It has always been about knowing Him, trusting Him, and sharing in His purposes.

So the real question is not, “What do

How do we protect our marriages in a world that tries to pull us apart? John and Debra Fileta break down three main areas of needed protection and share invaluable advice from their own marriage.

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When we give someone a birthday gift, we don’t ask them to give it back when they disappoint us. Well, God doesn’t revoke the gift of eternal life when we do something that displeases Him. Our salvation was purchased at Calvary . . . and that purchase was final. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out how we can rest in the finished work of our salvation, but then set our minds on moving forward in our walk of faith. It’s good encouragement for good times and bad.

The Harvest Crusade is coming to Angel Stadium on July 11! Stay updated on all important event details. 

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

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Spiritual gift abuse. You need to know what it is, you need to know how to spot it, and you need to know how to confront it. Chip wraps up this series by unpacking some specific how-tos.

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A police officer spotted this little guy standing on a busy street corner in this huge city, crying. Of course, he tried to help the boy by asking him his address, and Scotty didn't know. The officer asked him his phone number, and he just said through his tears, "I can't remember." The officer was running out of options. He was just about to take that little guy down to the station when he thought of one last question: "Little boy, is there anything near your house that I might recognize?" That was the moment the little guy discovered the one thing that really helped him finally get home.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Finding Your Way Home."

There was one landmark that lost boy was able to identify for the policeman. He said, "Mister, next to my house there's this big church, and it's got a big cross on the top. And if you can get me to that cross, I can find my way home." So can you - home to the love that you've been looking for your whole life; home to the only relationship that will finally fill that hole in your heart. And, one day, home to the heaven we all want to go to but that none of us deserves. Finding your way home means first "getting to the cross."

Not long ago, a friend of mine met a 30-something man on a plane who had left the church of his childhood years to embark on a search for spiritual reality. Along the way, there were a lot of religions, many spiritualities, no satisfaction. Then, he said, "One day I stepped back into the church I'd grown up in. I was the only one there. Up in front, I saw the cross that I'd looked at so many times as a kid. But suddenly something hit me that I had missed all those years. I found myself saying, "For me. That cross was for me." And that's where his long search ended.

That's where the spiritual search of millions has ended. Looking at that cross, seeing what Jesus did there, and suddenly saying those two words that change everything, "for me." Our word for today from the Word of God, Galatians 2:20, puts it this way: "Christ loved me and gave Himself for me." For many people in recent times, Mel Gibson's portrayal of Jesus' death in his movie, "The Passion of the Christ," revealed the enormity of the suffering and the sacrifice that Jesus went through. And one can understandably ask, "What made such a bloody, horrific death necessary?" Answer, my sin - and your sin.

Because sin isn't just breaking some religion's rule. Na, no, no. It's declaring ourselves "God" of our own life; taking a life God made and doing with it what we want. That sin carries the death penalty of an unbearable hell - an eternal separation from God. And that's what Jesus was carrying for you in His body and His soul as He agonized on that cross. And three days later, He walked out of His grave under His own power.

Which means you can have, not a religion about Him, but a relationship with Him. If you will make personal what He did on that cross by telling Him, "Jesus, I believe that when You died, You were dying for me. I'm putting my total trust in you to be my personal rescuer from my personal sin. Beginning right here; beginning right now, I am Yours."

If you're ready to trade your emptiness for His peace, and your hell for His heaven, make sure that this is the day you say "Jesus, I'm Yours," Don't put this off another day. No other day is guaranteed, but today. To support you in this I want to invite you to our website where many people have gone and confirmed their own relationship with Jesus Christ. That website is ANewStory.com. Go there as soon as you can today, please.

The search of a lifetime ends at the foot of an old rugged cross. And if you can get to the cross my friend, you can finally find your way home.