All Things Come From You, Lord

Sep 27, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Gold in Your Hand Came From His

David stood awestruck after giving mountains of treasure to build God’s temple, asking “Who am I to give like this?” True stewardship begins when we trace every blessing back to its source – not our effort, but God’s open hand. The gold we clutch, the time we manage, the talents we hone – all were first placed there by the One who owns cattle on a thousand hills. Gratitude reshapes hoarding into holy surrender. [59:56]

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
(1 Chronicles 29:14, NIV)

Reflection: What possession, skill, or opportunity do you most struggle to remember originated with God? How might tracing its source change how you hold it?

Day 2: Withering Grass and Eternal Hands

The offering plates passed through calloused hands that day – hands that knew plows, looms, and the slow fade of earthly things. David’s prayer echoes Isaiah’s truth: flowers fade, but God’s Word stands. Our tight grip on temporary treasures reveals misplaced trust. True security comes not in clinging to what decays, but in releasing what God planted in our palms for eternal purposes. [53:06]

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
(Isaiah 40:8, NIV)

Reflection: What “withering grass” have you been treating as permanent? What eternal work could it fuel if released?

Day 3: The Assignment Hidden in Your Inheritance

Solomon’s temple rose from gold David never got to use. Stewardship means seeing beyond our lifespan – understanding every resource carries a divine forwarding address. Our bank accounts, social influence, and even hardships aren’t personal props, but kingdom cargo needing delivery to the next generation. God trusts us to read the shipping labels. [57:22]

“What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”
(1 Corinthians 4:7, NIV)

Reflection: What inherited resource (material, spiritual, or relational) have you been using primarily for yourself? Where’s its kingdom destination?

Day 4: The Offering That Demands No Applause

No press releases followed David’s massive donation – just raw gratitude. True giving happens when we stop calculating tax deductions or social capital, and start marveling that dust-made humans get to handle holy currency. The widow’s mites and the king’s gold share this: both were love letters to the Giver, not trophies for the giver. [58:48]

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
(1 Chronicles 29:14, NIV)

Reflection: When have you secretly wanted recognition for giving? How might anonymous generosity heal that hunger?

Day 5: Glory’s Echo in Ordinary Hands

The temple builders died before seeing their gold become God’s dwelling. Our stewardship turns transactional when we demand visible ROI, but becomes worship when we let go, trusting our offerings to echo through eternity. Whether balancing budgets or changing diapers, hands become holy when they release glory back to its Source. [01:16:39]

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16, NIV)

Reflection: What mundane task or resource feels disconnected from God’s glory? How could you consciously redirect its praise to Him today?

Sermon Summary

David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29 brings the whole question of stewardship right down where it belongs: “All things come of thee.” The series has pressed the church to be faithful with what matters most, to be on guard against greed, to ask what is in its hands, and to remember that God sees more than the size of a gift. David gives language to all of it when he praises God after a great offering has been raised for the temple.

David does not look at the gold and silver and start flexing. David does not congratulate himself or the people for what they have done. David thanks God, because everything they gave had first come from God’s hand. The confession is plain: what comes from His hand should not end in theirs. What God places in human hands carries a purpose, an assignment, and a call to give Him glory.

David’s question, “Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?” exposes the heart of gratitude. Gratitude does not deny hard work, sacrifice, prayer, or participation. Gratitude simply refuses to forget what has been received. God opens doors, makes ways, gives strength, provides opportunities, and works through human effort by His unseen hand. Paul presses the same question in 1 Corinthians: “What do you have that you did not receive?” Boasting falls apart when everything is traced back to the Giver.

David also remembers where the gift goes back to. The offering for the temple was not random giving. The treasure had a purpose: the glory of God. God is infinite, but the assignments He gives are finite. Time, money, energy, gifts, family, work, ministry, and the inherited life of the church all carry an assignment. The church cannot simply keep the lights on when Christ calls it to be light in the world.

The inheritance handed down through sacrifice, prayer, worship, and service cannot die in present hands. God’s gifts must move beyond possession into praise. The question is not merely what must be given, but what God is calling each life to do faithfully with what it has received. The proper response is surrender: “Take what I have, God, and get Your glory.” All things come of Him, and what returns to Him becomes an offering of grateful lives.

Key Takeaways

1. Remember where it came from [01:04:18] David refuses to let possession erase memory. Time, strength, opportunities, and resources may sit in human hands, but they did not begin there. Gratitude keeps the heart from treating God’s provision as personal manufacture. The question is whether God can trust someone to hold a blessing without forgetting who put it there. [64:18]
2. Gratitude silences the need to flex [01:01:29] David stands before an enormous offering and asks, “Who am I?” That question turns abundance into awe rather than self-congratulation. Gratitude does not pretend that sacrifice was easy or that effort was unnecessary. Gratitude simply sees that even the capacity to give is itself a gift. [61:29]
3. What comes from God has purpose [01:12:24] God does not place treasure, time, energy, or influence in a life merely as a prop. Every gift carries an assignment, and every assignment is meant to serve the glory of God. The question is not only how much can be retained, but what faithfulness requires. A life without surrendered purpose can let holy gifts die in its hands. [72:24]
4. Inherited blessings require faithful stewardship [01:14:35] The church receives a legacy built by people whose names may never be known by later generations. Their prayers, sacrifices, and labor created space for present ministry, but maintenance alone cannot fulfill that inheritance. God gives the church a mission, not merely a building to preserve. The light entrusted to one generation must keep shining through the next. [74:35]
5. Let God get glory from life [01:17:26] God’s glory belongs in work, worship, family, plans, gifts, and daily schedules. Surrender means refusing to let personal ambition become the final destination of God’s gifts. Christ’s saving blood and raising power make every good thing an occasion for praise. The deepest stewardship prayer is simple: “Get Your glory out of my life.”

## [77:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[48:06] - Faithful With What Matters Most
[48:41] - It Was Never Mine
[50:38] - David’s Prayer of Praise
[53:20] - All Things Come of Thee
[56:39] - Giving Back What God Gave
[60:14] - Remember Where It Came From
[67:23] - What Do You Have That You Received?
[70:37] - Remember Where It Goes Back To
[72:24] - Every Gift Has an Assignment
[74:19] - The Legacy Trusted to the Church
[77:26] - Get Your Glory, God
[80:41] - What Is God Trusting You With?
[82:35] - Return to Sender

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 29:10-14
“David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying: 'Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” [50:38]

1 Corinthians 4:7
“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” [25:29]

Psalm 24:1
“The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;” [48:58]

Observation questions

In David’s prayer, what does he say belongs to God, and what does he identify as coming from God?
What had David and the people given toward, and how did David respond after the offering was raised? [58:19]
What question does David ask about himself and the people’s ability to give generously, and what does that question reveal about his attitude? [01:01:08]
According to Paul’s question in 1 Corinthians 4:7, what does receiving God’s gifts leave no room for? [01:08:00]

Interpretation questions

Why is it significant that David praises and thanks God after giving a large offering instead of celebrating what he and the people accomplished? [59:45]
How does remembering that resources, opportunities, strength, and even the ability to work come from God change the difference between healthy satisfaction and prideful boasting? [01:09:16]
David’s offering was connected to the building of the temple and the glory of God. What does this show about the purpose God gives to the things He places in human hands? [01:12:30]
The church has received a legacy built through the prayers, sacrifices, and service of earlier generations. Why is simply maintaining that inheritance not the same as faithfully carrying out its mission? [01:15:13]

Application questions

What is one blessing in your life—such as your work, family, health, home, education, relationships, or abilities—that you may have held so long that you have begun to forget how it got there? How can gratitude help you remember? [01:03:35]
When you receive praise for something you worked hard to accomplish, what would it look like to acknowledge both your effort and God’s unseen hand without denying either one? [01:05:26]
What is currently “in your hands” that God may be trusting you to steward: time, money, influence, energy, a role in the church, children, or a particular skill? What might faithful use of it look like this week? [01:20:49]
Where is the temptation strongest for you to let God’s gifts end with you rather than allowing them to bless others and bring glory back to God? [01:10:19]
God gives each person a finite assignment rather than asking one person to do everything. What is one specific assignment God may be calling you to take responsibility for, and what is one step you could take without trying to carry what belongs to someone else? [01:11:56]
In what area of your daily schedule could you make more room for God’s glory—at home, at work, in your relationships, or through service? What change would make that desire visible? [01:21:48]

Sermon Clips

37s

#RememberWhereItCameFrom

“And maybe that's one of the dangers of having something in your hand long enough. Is that after a while, you can start to forget how it really got there. You can get so used to holding it. You can get so used to managing it. You can get so used to being in control of it that you start believing it was you who produced it by yourself.”

50s

#GratefulHeart

“Yes, sir. Gratitude doesn't require me to deny what I did. Some of us did some hard earned things to earn the things that we have, worked hard, sacrificed. Gratitude is not requiring me to deny what I did, but gratitude keeps me from forgetting what I've received. Church, I don't don't care what we get. I don't care what we lose. I don't care how far we go. We ought not ever forget where it came from. Yes. Yes. Yes.”

56s

#GiveItBackToGod

“But once it's in my hands, what does god want me to do with it? Because something that comes to my hands should never end with me. And that's the final lesson of this series as we consider what it means for god to trust us, to be faithful for what matters most. Amen. Yes, sir. We've gotta remember where it comes from. But secondly, church, we've gotta always remember where it goes back to. We gotta remember where it comes from. We've also gotta remember where it goes back to.”

42s

#TrustedByGod

“Can God trust you To hold something in your hands Come on, people. Without forgetting how it got there. Can God trust us to hold on with something Yes. And not to forget who put it in our hands? Yes. David gave big. Yes. The people gave a lot. Yes. They did their part, but even their part came from another person. Oh, yeah. And Dave was not the only person in scripture who understood that.”

37s

#DontLetItDie

“That's what he wants. He wants the glory out of your life. Woah. Don't let it die in your hands. Don't let it die your hands. Don't let it die in your hands. You ought to say, oh, god, put something in my hands. I refuse to let it down my watch. I refuse to let it suffer on my watch.”

46s

#AllForGodsGlory

“And you wanna make up in your mind that whatever is happening in my life, I'm gonna give God glory. Take what I have, God, and get your glory. Take the songs that I sing and get your glory. Take this church and get your glory. Take my life and get your glory. Is there anybody here that says I want my life to give glory to god. I wanna live so that god can get the glory. I wanna walk so god can get the glory.”

50s

#GiveGodTheGlory

“Where in your time does god get the glory? Where in your busy schedule? Where in your day does god get the glory? Where in your house does god get the glory? Where in our church does god get the glory? Where in the worship service does god get the glory? Where in our lives have we released the glory from ourselves and say, god, you know what? This all belongs to you.”

37s

#PurposeInYourHands

“And that's all that was happening in this text. They had been accumulating this large offering to god, and they gave from their personal treasury to make this endeavor happen. But they aren't just giving to give, they are giving strictly and specifically for the glory of god, which means what god has placed in their hands had an assignment sitting on it. That's right. It wasn't just a prop. It had a purpose.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Phillips Temple CME LA This sermon · AI assistant

How can gratitude prevent us from boasting?

What does faithful stewardship require beyond giving?

Where should everything entrusted to us ultimately point?