Seek God First | Vision 2025 Jentezen Franklin

Sunday, November 30

Today we’ll explore the Vision Series message, “Seek God First,” featuring Zach McLeroy’s powerful testimony and transformative teaching from Pastor Jentezen Franklin. In this message, Pastor Jentezen calls us back to the heart of Jesus’ command in Matthew 6:33—to value the kingdom of God as the greatest treasure of our lives. When Jesus becomes our “pearl of great price,” worry and greed lose their grip, material things lose their shine, and our hearts become anchored in what truly matters.

Big Idea:We were created to seek God first—not possessions, achievements, or financial security. When Jesus becomes our ultimate treasure, everything else aligns, and God adds the things we need in His perfect way.

Icebreaker Question • What stood out to you from Sunday’s message?

Matthew 6:33-34; Matthew 13:44:46; Luke 12:15-21; Philippians 3:8; Mark 12:30; Luke 12:32; Mark 12:41

Key Point: Seek first the Kingdom of God and you don’t have to worry—no matter what you’re facing. God takes care of His children, and He’s already paid your biggest debt: the debt of sin. When you seek Him, He seeks you.

· Make Jesus the one true treasure of your life. Rich or poor, no one is exempt from greed. He has to be your highest priority—above friends, family, money, everything. Be ready to let go of it all to follow Him. Jesus alone must be your greatest treasure.

· Get rich toward God. The moment you die, everything you own belongs to someone else. You can’t take it with you, so store up treasure in heaven instead.

· Don’t chase more stuff more than you chase Jesus. You can’t serve two masters. God refuses to be second place or your backup plan. Count everything else as rubbish compared to knowing Christ, and put Him first—always.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Zach McLeroy, co-founder and former CEO of Zaxby’s, shared across both services how God took a $16,000 chicken restaurant started in 1990 and turned it into a multi-billion-dollar brand with nearly 1,000 locations because Zach made God his true business partner from the very beginning.

Here are the combined major highlights from both services:

As a teenager he thought he’d become a professional drummer and tour the world, but he sold his prized drum set for $8,000. His partner matched it with another $8,000, and that $16,000 was literally all the capital they had to open the first Zaxby’s in Statesboro, Georgia.
He never dreamed it would get this big—he thought maybe 5–10 stores. Guests kept saying, “You’ve got to franchise this!” So after two years they started franchising, and the vision exploded organically through friends, family, and word-of-mouth.
For the first 10 years he and his partner paid themselves only $10 an hour, lived off almost nothing (no house, no family yet), rolled every dollar of cash flow back into new stores, and even borrowed from the bank each year just to pay taxes on “phantom income” so they could keep growing.
The turning point: he got convicted about tithing after reading a book on it. He started tithing faithfully and said, “None of this would have happened had I not been a tither.” He wholeheartedly believes tithing set off a chain reaction of blessing across the entire company.
When he was traveling and missed services, he would come back and personally hand-deliver multiple tithe checks. He still writes checks today because sitting down to write them forces him to slow down, remember every blessing, and stay grateful in a hectic world.
His goal was never just to make money—it was to make as many people millionaires as possible (franchisees, team members, vendors) and to honor God publicly. Every franchise convention opened with prayer and a video giving God glory. That stance repelled the wrong people and attracted the right ones, creating an incredible family culture.
He wanted every team member to say, “These are the best eight hours of my day.”
Advice to entrepreneurs and dreamers

Discussion Questions

Which part of Zach’s journey (the $8,000 drum sale, the $10-an-hour years, the tithing turnaround, or making others wealthy) most encouraged or challenged you?
Have you ever seen God “add all these things” after you put Him first in a specific area (finances, time, decisions)?
What’s one area (finances, time, decisions, relationships) where you could make God your actual “business partner” this week?

Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.

When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

In the Parables of the Hidden Treasures and Pearl, the Kingdom of God is presented as an immense value. Both the man who finds the treasure and the merchant who finds the pearl sold everything they had to obtain their desire; this speaks to their willing sacrificial commitment.

In ancient times people often hid wealth in fields or carried it as jewels because there were no banks. The point Jesus is making is simple but life-changing: the Kingdom of God (Jesus Himself) is the treasure and the pearl of inestimable worth. When we truly discover Him, we gladly let go of anything that competes with Him.

· Question: What is it that we are willing to give up for this treasure in the Kingdom of God? (personal comfort, possessions, ambitions, savings)

A practical filter Pastor gave us: run every area of life through the question “Does this please Jesus?” That one question helps us evaluate motives, priorities, relationships, and decisions.

True faith and the pursuit of following Jesus cannot be casual but a deep, life-altering commitment. Salvation is not a one-time status, but an ongoing journey that requires a willingness to surrender all that you are and have for something of eternal value.

While the parables focus on our priorities and our eager pursuit, they also reflect the great price Jesus himself paid through His sacrificial love to make the Kingdom of God available to us.

Discussion Questions

· What are the top 3-5 priorities in your life and how much are you willing to pay for them?

· What are you currently tempted to value more than the “pearl of great price”?

· How does asking “Does this please Jesus?” change the way you make everyday decisions?

Key Verses: Luke 12:13-21 | Mark 12:41-44

A man in the crowd asked Jesus to tell his brother to divide the family inheritance with him. Instead of taking sides, Jesus spoke a warning to everyone: Luke 12:15 – “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Then Jesus told this parable (Luke 12:16-21 NKJV):

“The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Pastor Jentezen put it this way: There was a wealthy man who had so much stuff — houses, cars, gold, stocks, real estate — that he ran out of room. He was financially secure, had no worries, and planned to tear down his barns to build bigger ones so he could take it easy, eat, drink, and be merry. God wasn’t in any of his plans. That night God said, “Fool! Your life is over. I blessed you abundantly, but you ignored Me.” The man lost everything in a moment.

Verse 21 is the punchline: the real tragedy is laying up treasure for yourself and not being rich toward God.

It’s not wrong to have riches or to enjoy the blessings God gives us. The problem comes when self-gratification is first and God is forgotten. Our first priority must always be to seek God’s kingdom and His purposes — loving widows, helping the poor, ministering truth, preaching the gospel, and making disciples. We don’t own anything; everything belongs to Him. We are blessed to be a blessing.

Jesus showed what “rich toward God” looks like in Mark 12:41-44 — the poor widow who gave her last two copper coins. She had almost nothing, yet she gave everything. Jesus said she put in more than all the rich people because they gave out of their abundance, but she gave out of her poverty — equal sacrifice, not equal giving. She honored God with her substance, and Jesus praised her sacrificial heart.

God is looking for people who will be rich toward Him in total abandonment — sacrificially giving time, talents, money, and surrendering completely to His work.

Discussion Questions

When you hear the rich fool’s story, what scares you or convicts you the most?
In what areas of your life (time, money, talents) are you tempted to store up for yourself instead of being rich toward God?
The widow gave two coins — everything she had. What would “equal sacrifice” (not equal amount) look like for you right now?
This festive season, how can we as a group practically reach out and help the needy? (Let’s pray and commit to one specific action together.)

Pastor Jentezen reminded us that the greatest treasure in life is not success, wealth, or the next big accomplishment—it is Jesus Himself. When He becomes the “one thing” we pursue above all else, everything else flows from that priority. Nothing illustrates this more beautifully than the Hollywood producer who, after achieving everything the world could offer, still felt empty. But when he encountered Jesus through a message, he said he felt “born again” and asked Pastor Jentezen to baptize him—wanting to “make the devil cry at his funeral.” That’s what happens when someone discovers the true treasure of the kingdom.

This message also challenged us to be rich toward God—to honor Him with our giving, our tithing, and our generosity. God watches how we give, just as Jesus watched the widow with the two mites. It’s not equal giving—it’s equal sacrifice. Tithing is not about losing something; it is about putting God first and trusting Him to provide. When we seek the Kingdom first, God opens the windows of heaven and pours out blessings we cannot contain.

1. Practice Kingdom-First Living

Before any decision—financial, relational, business, or personal—ask: “Will this please Jesus?” Let every choice run through the filter of prioritizing the kingdom.

2. Give God Your First and Best

Whether through your tithe, a special offering, or intentional generosity, choose to be “rich toward God.” Make a conscious decision this week to honor God financially as an act of worship and trust.

Heavenly Father, we place You first in our hearts, our decisions, and our finances. Jesus, You are our treasure—our pearl of great price. Help us to seek Your kingdom above all else and to live lives that honor You. Teach us to be generous, to trust You completely, and to walk free from worry. Bless our homes, our businesses, and our families as we put You first. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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