Altars and Anchors: Laying Down My Success for God’s Kingdom

Devotional

Day 1: True Success Begins with Loving God Wholeheartedly

Success in God’s kingdom is not measured by worldly achievements or accolades, but by loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength. When you anchor your life in God’s love and make Him your highest priority, everything else finds its proper place. This kind of love is not passive; it is an active, daily devotion that shapes your desires, decisions, and definitions of success. As you reflect on your life, consider whether your pursuits and ambitions flow from a deep love for God, or if they have become ends in themselves. God desires your whole heart, not just your accomplishments. [05:23]

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (ESV)
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Reflection: What is one way you can intentionally express your love for God today—through your time, your words, or your actions?

Day 2: Meditating on God’s Word Leads to Lasting Prosperity

The world’s version of success is fleeting, but God promises true prosperity to those who delight in His Word and meditate on it day and night. When you root yourself in Scripture, you become like a tree planted by streams of water—steadfast, fruitful, and resilient regardless of circumstances. God’s wisdom and guidance become the foundation for your plans, and your life flourishes in ways that matter for eternity. Take time to pause and let God’s Word shape your understanding of what it means to prosper. [08:35]

Psalm 1:1-3 (ESV)
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Reflection: When was the last time you let a passage of Scripture truly shape your plans or decisions? How can you make space for God’s Word to guide you this week?

Day 3: Kingdom Success Means Laying Down Your Own Ambitions

Jesus calls us to a radical re-evaluation of our priorities, inviting us to lay down our own definitions of success and embrace the values of His kingdom. The Beatitudes reveal that the “good life” is found not in self-promotion or accumulation, but in humility, mercy, purity, and peacemaking. True blessedness comes when we surrender our ambitions and trust God’s way, even when it looks upside-down to the world. Are you willing to lay your dreams and desires on the altar so that God’s kingdom can be extended through you? [18:25]

Matthew 5:3-10 (ESV)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Reflection: What is one ambition or dream you sense God asking you to lay down today so that you can pursue His kingdom first?

Day 4: Humility and Serving Others Define Greatness in God’s Eyes

In God’s kingdom, greatness is not about being first or being served, but about humbling yourself and serving others. Jesus Himself modeled this by laying aside His rights and status to serve and even give His life for others. When you value others above yourself and seek their good, you reflect the heart of Christ and discover a deeper, more meaningful success. Consider how you can put others ahead of yourself today, not out of obligation, but as an act of worship and love. [21:35]

Mark 10:43-45 (ESV)
“But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Reflection: Who is someone you can serve or encourage today, even if it means letting go of your own preferences or recognition?

Day 5: Surrendering All to Christ Brings Ultimate Fulfillment

The world may see surrender as weakness or loss, but in God’s kingdom, laying down your life for Christ is the path to true fulfillment and eternal significance. Like Paul, who considered all his achievements as loss compared to knowing Jesus, you are invited to surrender every part of your life—your plans, your reputation, your “success”—to the One who held nothing back for you. In this surrender, you find the joy and freedom of living for what truly matters, and your life becomes a testimony to God’s glory. [27:24]

Philippians 3:7-9 (ESV)
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to say, “Not my way, but yours, God”? What would it look like to surrender this to Him today?

Sermon Summary

As we come to the end of our “Anchors and Altars” series, it’s fitting to reflect on what it means to lay down “my success” on the altar before God. In a world that rushes from one thing to the next, especially as we enter the Christmas season, it’s easy to get swept up in society’s definition of success—wealth, influence, achievement, and recognition. We see figures like Jeff Bezos and Taylor Swift, whose lives are marked by extraordinary accomplishments, and we’re tempted to measure ourselves by similar standards. Yet, I was deeply moved by a different kind of success at a friend’s father’s funeral, where his sons spoke not of his achievements, but of a life marked by Jesus. This challenges us to ask: what will be said of us? What truly counts as success in the end?

Scripture gives us a radically different vision. God is not opposed to success, but He is concerned with the order of our loves and priorities. The Bible repeatedly calls us to love God with all our heart, to meditate on His word, to humble ourselves, and to offer our lives as living sacrifices. True prosperity and success, in God’s eyes, flow from delighting in Him and walking in His ways. When we chase after worldly success, we often find it leaves us empty, as even the most accomplished people sometimes confess. The world’s accolades cannot satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.

Jesus redefines success entirely. In the Beatitudes, He calls “blessed” those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, who are meek, who hunger for righteousness, who are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted for His sake. The kingdom of God is for those who lay down their own ambitions and take up the way of humility, service, and sacrificial love. Jesus Himself, though He could have claimed every earthly honor, chose the path of servanthood and the cross. What looked like defeat was, in fact, the greatest victory—the ultimate success.

So, the invitation is to lay down our own definitions of success, to surrender our dreams and ambitions, and to seek first God’s kingdom. Success in the kingdom may look like kindness, generosity, faithfulness, or simply being known as someone who loves Jesus. As we come to the table of communion, let’s ask ourselves: what would my eulogy say? Am I living for the world’s applause, or for the smile of my Father in heaven? Let’s lay it all down and choose His way.

Key Takeaways

1. Success in God’s Kingdom Is Redefined God’s vision of success is not about status, wealth, or recognition, but about loving Him wholeheartedly and serving others. True success is measured by faithfulness, humility, and obedience, not by worldly achievements. This redefinition calls us to examine our ambitions and align them with God’s purposes. [08:35]
2. Worldly Success Leaves Us Empty Even the most celebrated achievements can leave us feeling unfulfilled if they are pursued apart from God. The longing for more is a sign that our hearts were made for something greater—intimacy with God. Only in Him do we find lasting satisfaction and meaning, no matter what we accomplish outwardly. [12:00]
3. Laying Down Our Ambitions Is Costly Worship Surrendering our dreams and ambitions is not about rejecting all success, but about putting God first and allowing Him to define what matters. Costly worship means holding nothing back, trusting that God’s plans are better than our own, and being willing to let go of anything that hinders our devotion to Him. [15:21]
4. Jesus Models True Success Through Humility Jesus, though He had every right to claim honor, chose the path of humility and service—even to the point of death on a cross. His life shows us that greatness in God’s kingdom comes through serving others and laying down our lives. Following His example means preferring others, speaking well of them, and seeking God’s glory above our own. [21:35]
5. Our Legacy Is Measured by Christlikeness At the end of our lives, what will matter most is not our accomplishments, but whether our lives were marked by Jesus. The legacy we leave is found in how we loved, served, and reflected Christ to those around us. This is the kind of success that endures for eternity. [31:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:10] - Recap of Anchors and Altars Series
[02:35] - What Is Success?
[05:23] - Why Lay Down Success?
[08:35] - God’s Blueprint for Success
[12:00] - The Emptiness of Worldly Success
[15:21] - The Trap of Chasing Success
[18:25] - Jesus’ Radical Redefinition of Success
[21:35] - Success as Service and Humility
[24:29] - Paul’s Example: Counting All as Loss
[27:24] - The Cross: The Greatest Success
[29:40] - Kingdom Success Looks Different
[31:39] - Reflecting on Our Legacy
[32:49] - Invitation to Surrender and Communion

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Laying Down “My Success” (Anchors and Altars Series Finale)

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### Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (ESV)
> “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Matthew 5:3-12 (ESV) – The Beatitudes
> “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Philippians 3:7-8 (ESV)
> “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”

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### Observation Questions

According to Deuteronomy 6:4-5, what is the primary command God gives to His people regarding their love and devotion?
In the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), what kinds of people does Jesus call “blessed”? How does this differ from the world’s idea of who is successful?
In Philippians 3:7-8, what does Paul say about his past achievements and successes? What does he value more than those things?
The sermon shared a story about a man whose sons described his life as “marked by Jesus” at his funeral. What stood out about the way his legacy was remembered? [02:35]

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### Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God cares so much about the “order of our loves and priorities” when it comes to success? How does this shape the way we pursue goals? [08:35]
Jesus’ definition of success in the Beatitudes seems upside-down compared to what our culture values. What might it look like to be “poor in spirit” or “meek” in everyday life? [18:25]
Paul says he counts all his achievements as “loss” compared to knowing Christ. What does this reveal about what truly satisfies the human heart? [24:29]
The sermon mentioned that even people with great worldly success (like celebrities or athletes) can feel empty. Why do you think outward achievements often fail to bring lasting fulfillment? [12:00]

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### Application Questions

When you think about your own definition of success, what comes to mind first—career, family, reputation, or something else? How does this compare to what God values? [05:23]
The sermon challenged us to consider what our eulogy would say. If someone described your life today, would it be “marked by Jesus” or by something else? What would you want to change? [31:39]
Are there ambitions, dreams, or goals in your life that you sense God might be asking you to “lay down” or surrender to Him? What would it look like to trust Him with those things? [15:21]
Jesus modeled true success through humility and service, even when He could have chosen honor and recognition. What is one practical way you can serve someone else this week, putting their needs before your own? [21:35]
The sermon talked about “costly worship”—holding nothing back from God. Is there something you’re holding onto (status, comfort, approval) that’s getting in the way of loving God wholeheartedly? What step could you take to let go? [08:35]
Have you ever experienced the emptiness that comes from chasing after worldly success? How did God meet you in that place, or what did you learn from it? [12:00]
What is one small, specific way you can seek “kingdom success” this week—like showing kindness, generosity, or faithfulness—even if no one else notices? [29:40]

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Sermon Clips

See, I don't think that God is opposed to success. As we see here, he brings success and we prosper. But he is opposed to when it goes in the wrong order—when we choose to pursue stuff and status and ignore serving the poor and the marginalized, when we decide to be rude to the person in the coffee shop or cafe that we're in, when we decide to treat others as less than in order to climb the ladder of success. [00:09:03] (32 seconds) #LayItDown

God knows us, you see. He created us. He knows that ultimately we will not be fully satisfied unless it is in him. We find full satisfaction, fullness of life in him. We might gain success in the world's eyes, but it can leave us feeling empty and just not—just doesn't match up to what we thought it would do. And sometimes we end up asking ourselves, like, was it really worth it? [00:10:21] (33 seconds) #ChooseGodsWay

``So for you, you will see success. Success is different, but I want you to see that it is a trap. Success—it is a trap because it fools you into believing that if you get it, you'll be satisfied, that you'll no longer long for the things that you long for. And I think in each of us, we know that this is true because we've pursued many things and they have not brought the joy that we thought. [00:15:34] (24 seconds)

The good life that Jesus talks about here was nothing like we think of as good or successful or prosperous, and yet Jesus proclaims it as blessedness—like blessedness, which means this is so good, like I'm so happy, I am content. The Beatitudes are what Jesus wanted everyone to hear. He was declaring the kingdom of God was near, like it was here, it was in person. [00:19:51] (30 seconds)

These people he was speaking to were occupied by Roman soldiers. They were the marginalized, the poor, the forgotten, the outcast, the not successful people, and yet Jesus was saying, wait till you hear, wait till you hear—the good life is for you, the kingdom is here for you. Success in the kingdom of God is very different to what success in this life is. [00:20:21] (29 seconds)

If I were to paraphrase this, I would say don't be trampling over other people because you're so full of yourself to gain success, for people to think well of you, to tell you how great you are. But instead, don't look out for you, for your own success. Put others ahead of you. Give them the opportunity instead of you. That's what success looks like in the kingdom. [00:23:17] (27 seconds)

God wants you to be successful. He wants you to prosper. He wants good things for your life. He is for you and not against you. But it is about seeking his kingdom first. It is about his plans, it is about his ways, it is about pressing on towards what God has, not about having an idol in our lives. The point is God wants all of your heart, all of your affection, all of your strength, all of you. [00:25:38] (28 seconds)

It's about getting things in the right order—God first before myself, before my stuff, before my status, before my speech that I think is putting others down, before my success. God before people thinking well of me. God before having enough likes and influence with people. God before what people will think of me if I raise my hands in worship or kneel down in worship. [00:26:12] (31 seconds)

That question that I asked you to hold—in my eulogy, what would people say about me? What would be the successes that people would list in my life? Would it be that I was a gentle person and kind? Would it be that I spoke well of others? Would I speak of a person who puts others before myself in my own ways and what I want? Would it be known for my love for Jesus? [00:32:10] (32 seconds)

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