Surrounded by Indoctrination

The more I look into the discipline of simplicity, listed by Richard Foster as one of the Christian Disciplines in Celebration of Discipline, the more I realize how much the society and media around us indoctrinate us against the ways of a disciple of Christ. Reading Foster, Claiborne, Bonhoeffer and others on the topic of Christian simplicity it is easy to see just how much it stands in contrast to what we are taught growing up in schools, by our families, and by what we see and hear from the media and Hollywood.
The ideas of getting ahead in this world, saving for the future, and even to some extent planning for the future stand in opposition to the message of Jesus and resounding biblical mandate. Read the Sermon on the Mount, the Exodus account, the story of the Rich Young Ruler, and others. They tell us not to take more than what we need for today, not to worry, be anxious, or give care to what will happen tomorrow, that those who are comfortable due to their status and societal means will find it impossible to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
How do we apply this? If we intend to take the teaching of Jesus seriously, how do we come to terms with this? More on this is sure to come. What are your insights?
If you're reading this do me a favor and post a simple comment. Thanks for reading.

Hello again.

The gaps between posts should tell you two things. One, I'm still trying to figure out why and how blogging can be beneficial. And two, deep down, where all this comes from, I'm pretty well stuck on one idea at a time, and I'm typically wading there for a while. Sara and I have been involved with a small group for some time now and all is going well. We are working through what it means to live out biblical community and are enjoying the ride. We are learning a lot. Every time we come to a realization about how fallen our world system is and how much the church and its traditions fall in line with the fallenness, while frustrating, it brings us to a new appreciation of how big God is and how overwhelming His grace is in His love for us.
Seeing more and more judgmental "Christianity" around us and in the "news" is the most frustrating part. Not only do those people not know God and His love, but they are making it that much more difficult for others to see the truth of God and His grace. It is a grotesque reminder for believers of how we can be stumbling blocks when we're out of God's will and acting outside of His love.