READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l Giving is more than a financial matter; it is also a discipleship matter. Our giving to God is an act of obedience.
1. Giving is our WORSHIP to God
Worship is not just singing and praising God. At the heart of worship is obedience. It is acknowledging that God is our King. Every time we obey God, we are declaring that He is worthy. The poor widow’s offering was music to Heaven. In financial terms, her offering was negligible and worth almost nothing, but to her it was her all.
What is the Divine Exchange Rate? In God’s Kingdom, the value of our gift is not measured by the amount but by the heart. In Mark 12:42–44, Jesus said she put in more than the rest. She gave her all in her worship to God. Hence, her story has been immortalised in the Book of Life. The heart behind our giving matters more than the amount. Why we give and how we give is what makes it worship. When we give cheerfully, sacrificially and faithfully, we are declaring that God is worthy of our all.
2. Giving demonstrates our TRUST in God
How will the widow survive after giving her last two coins? Her giving showed a deep trust in God. She believed that God would provide and not abandon her. She did not want to miss the opportunity to be involved in God’s Kingdom work.
3. Giving expresses our FAITHFULNESS to God
The widow was faithful to God because she knew that ultimately, all she had belonged to Him, so she gave her all. We are also called to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us. Whether we have much or little, the principle remains – faithfulness in handling God’s resources. God is not interested in what we give, but in how we steward everything we have. In Mark 12:41, Jesus sat and watched the crowd put their money into the temple treasury. Our act of obedience in giving is also our act of faithfulness to God.
How can we practically give to show our faithfulness? In biblical giving, we give to God first. We set aside an amount for God before everything else. Paul taught us in 1 Corinthians 16:2 to give our first fruits. Christian giving is not limited by percentage but marked by sacrifice and devotion. If we have not given regularly before, 10 percent is a good guideline. We will never be in lack for the portion given to God. Giving is how we show our faithfulness to the One who owns it all.
4. Giving shapes our SANCTIFICATION in God
The widow’s selfless act of giving is a powerful model of discipleship and growth in holiness. Her act of surrender was a lesson in sanctification and growing to be more like Christ. Stewardship is not ordering our finances in a way that we can spend whatever we want. It is ordering our lives in a way that God can spend us however He wants. No gift is too small if it is given wholly to God.
Mark 8:34 reminds us that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross to follow Jesus. Giving shapes our sanctification because it leads us into self-denial, trust and dependence on God. John Wesley described giving as a means of grace. In the early Methodist society, discipleship in action saw the pooling of spare money to help the poor. Helping the poor was part of Christian sanctification.
Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. When we surrender control of our own resources, God is shaping us by challenging our dependence on wealth and training our hearts to trust Him more deeply. He grows in us a heart of compassion, generosity and holiness. When we give, we are submitting to God’s work in our hearts.
5. Giving ADVANCES God’s Kingdom
When we give to the church, we are advancing the mission of God. Every gift, whether large or small, is an eternal investment. When we give as an act of obedience, we are fuelling the expansion of God’s Kingdom here on earth.
Regardless of how much John Wesley earned, he kept to his living expenses of £30 and gave everything else away to help advance God’s Kingdom. Our Wesley Youth Ministry formed a Treasury sub-committee with the tagline “Faithful Stewards, Cheerful Givers”.
Giving is not just an obligation; it is an act of obedience. It is our discipleship, worship, witness and trust in God with what He has entrusted to us. Let us change our mindset from “How much do I have to give?” to “Lord, how much can I give for the sake of Your Kingdom?” Let us be faithful stewards, as all we have belongs to God. Let us also be cheerful givers because we serve a God who cheerfully gave us His Son.
Are we giving as an act of worship? Are we trusting God fully with our finances? Are we being faithful with what He has entrusted to us? Are we letting our giving shape us to be more like Christ? Are we investing in the mission of God to advance His Kingdom? Let us respond as the widow did, with a heart that says, “Lord, I give You everything because You gave me everything.”
(Sermon notes by Honey Vreugdewater)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Study Scripture
Read Mark 12:41–44.
a. What contrasts do you notice between the rich people and the poor widow in this passage?
b. How does this passage help us understand what kind of giving pleases God? - Recall Sermon
a. Which of the five points stood out most to you, and why?
b. Was there a particular quote, story, or challenge in the sermon that impacted you? - Relate Personally
a. How do you personally view giving, is it more of a routine, a sacrifice, or an act of worship?
b. Have you ever struggled with trusting God in the area of finances? What helped you grow in that?
c. Can you share a time when giving (whether time, talent, or money) actually shaped your heart or helped someone else?
d. What does faithfulness in giving look like for you in your current life season? - Commit to Action
a. What is one concrete action or prayer you want to take in response to this message?
b. As we prepare our pledges (or review our giving habits), how can we support each other in being obedient and joyful givers?
