Above All | Thursday Night Service

God has sparked a season of breakthrough focused on growth, maturity, and kingdom impact. Four existing campuses will receive intentional investment to reach full maturity, including a permanent building for Avon, improved experiences at other sites, and expanded ministries that amplify Jesus beyond physical walls through digital platforms and missionaries. The movement prioritizes raising the next generation by strengthening kids and student ministries, training young leaders to serve as full time missionaries, and doubling down on youth discipleship to cultivate spiritual depth and leadership across the state.

Christ above all functions as the organizing principle for personal and corporate life. Placing Christ at the center means evaluating every domain—finances, relationships, career, emotions, physical health—and identifying where trust falters. A simple self-assessment invites honest spiritual accounting and an opportunity to move toward wholehearted devotion. Four spiritual categories surface: those unsure about salvation, believers not yet engaged in this initiative, those who committed but face hardship, and those whose sacrificial giving has borne surprising blessing.

Financial surrender serves as a practical lever to grow trust in God. The widow of Zarephath illustrates how sacrificial obedience can unlock daily provision during scarcity: she risked what little she had and experienced ongoing miraculous supply. Giving occupies the juncture between belief and behavior because money tests allegiance in concrete ways. Phases of giving form a path—initial, consistent, priority, surrendered, and eternal—each requiring greater faith and yielding deeper spiritual freedom.

A paradox emerges about wealth and enjoyment. Pursuing more does not guarantee joy. God promises not just provision but the ability to enjoy what he provides when kingdom priorities guide stewardship. A tangible invitation accompanies the teaching: wrestle with a personal breakthrough prayer, complete a commitment card, and bring that commitment on a designated weekend as an act of worship. The call centers on loving God with all heart, soul, mind, and strength and allowing financial devotion to catalyze broader life transformation and joy.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Declare Christ above all things Placing Christ above all reorients every life domain so decisions flow from devotion rather than anxiety. This commitment reframes priorities, dissolves competing idols, and clarifies daily choices about time, relationships, and resources. An honest heart assessment grants a starting point for spiritual progress and invites steady growth toward wholehearted worship. [31:14]
• 2. Sacrificial giving invites daily provision The widow of Zarephath demonstrates that obedience in scarcity opens space for God to multiply what remains. Sacrifice creates a posture of dependence that exposes fear and tests faith, producing repeated experiences of God’s faithfulness instead of theoretical belief. Such giving trains the soul to trust when outcomes remain uncertain. [45:25]
• 3. Money reveals heart's allegiance Where treasure goes proves what governs the heart; finances make private priorities plainly visible. Redirecting resources toward kingdom work functions like a spiritual thermometer, measuring love for God and loosening attachment to lesser goods. Intentional stewardship shapes affections more reliably than mere resolve. [38:06]
• 4. Give first, not from leftovers Moving from initial to eternal giver follows a stair-step path of increasing trust and recalibrated rhythms of spending. Prioritizing the kingdom by giving from the first, rather than after expenses, rewires dependence and invites a waterfall of transformation across other life areas. That pattern produces both spiritual fruit and the capacity to enjoy what God provides. [53:39]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [23:11] - Breakthrough Vision Overview
• [23:28] - Investing in Four Locations
• [23:53] - Raising the Next Generation
• [24:26] - Digital Ministry and Missionaries
• [30:30] - Avon Groundbreaking Update
• [31:14] - Christ Above All Explained
• [32:12] - Four Spiritual Categories
• [43:01] - Widow of Zarephath Story
• [52:07] - Seek First the Kingdom
• [53:39] - Phases of Giving
• [49:28] - Trust and Enjoyment
• [72:46] - Commitment Card Invitation
• [74:16] - Commitment Weekend Details

1. In 1 Kings 17:12-14, what did the widow initially believe about her resources, and what did Elijah ask her to do first?
2. According to Mark 12:30, what four areas of life are included in loving God fully? How does this connect to the idea of "Christ above all"?
3. The sermon mentions that money tests allegiance in concrete ways. What example was given in the story of the widow to illustrate this? [45:25]
4. What are the five phases of giving described in the sermon, and how do they reflect increasing trust in God? [53:39]

1. Why do you think God chose a widow in a time of famine to demonstrate His provision? What does this reveal about His priorities?
2. The widow’s act of giving her last meal to Elijah required her to prioritize obedience over survival. How does this challenge common assumptions about “security” in modern life?
3. Jesus says in Matthew 6:33 that seeking God’s kingdom first leads to “all these things” being added. What might “all these things” include beyond material needs, based on the sermon’s emphasis on joy and trust? [48:54]
4. The sermon describes giving as a “lever” to shape the heart. Why might financial surrender be uniquely effective in testing and strengthening faith compared to other spiritual disciplines?

1. Which domain of your life (finances, relationships, career, emotions, etc.) feels most difficult to surrender to Christ’s leadership? What practical step could you take this week to invite Him into that area? [39:15]
2. The widow gave first, even in scarcity. Is there a specific area where you could practice giving “first fruits” (time, resources, trust) rather than leftovers? What would that look like?
3. The sermon links trust in God to the ability to enjoy His provision. How might adjusting your priorities in one area (e.g., spending, saving, or giving) create space for greater gratitude or joy? [59:07]
4. If you wrote a “breakthrough prayer” for one area of your life, what would it focus on? How could sharing this prayer with a trusted friend create accountability? [35:52]
5. The commitment card mentioned in the sermon is described as a “spiritual tool.” How might physically writing down a commitment to God help solidify your resolve to trust Him? [12:46]