Altars_-_myself.pdf

Devotional

Day 1: Anchored in God, Surrendered in Trust

Life is full of storms—cultural, economic, and personal—that can leave us feeling tossed about and unsteady. In these moments, it’s not enough to simply hold on to what feels safe or familiar. We need anchors: God’s unchanging character, His promises, and the hope He offers. But the Christian journey doesn’t end with being anchored; it calls us to step out in faith, to lay down what is precious to us on the altar, and to trust God with both our security and our sacrifice.
Anchors keep us from drifting, but altars invite us to surrender. God invites us to move beyond the safety of the harbor, to trust Him not only with our stability but also with our willingness to let go. When we surrender what we value most, we discover that God is both our anchor and our safe place, even when the winds are strong.

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf…” (Hebrews 6:19-20a, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are clinging to safety or control? How might God be inviting you to both anchor yourself in Him and surrender this area to His care today?

Day 2: Worship That Costs—Declaring God’s Worth

True worship is not measured by what is easy or convenient, but by what costs us something. The story of the woman with the alabaster jar reminds us that love for God is shown in our willingness to give what is most precious—our time, our resources, our reputation. When we offer God our best, not out of obligation but out of love, we declare His worth above all else.
Sacrifice is not about loss for its own sake, but about placing God at the center of our lives. As we lay down what matters most to us, our hearts are changed. Costly worship transforms us, drawing us closer to God and shaping us into people who reflect His love and generosity.

“And David said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” (2 Samuel 24:24, ESV)

Reflection: What is something valuable to you—time, money, comfort, reputation—that you sense God is asking you to offer as an act of worship this week?

Day 3: Embracing Criticism for the Sake of Christ

Extravagant devotion to Jesus will often provoke criticism, sometimes even from those closest to us. The fear of being misunderstood or seen as “too much” can keep us from wholehearted worship. Yet, the example of the woman with the alabaster jar shows us that it is better to be remembered for loving Jesus extravagantly than for playing it safe.
When we choose to honor Christ above the opinions of others, we draw nearer to Him and inspire others to do the same. Costly worship may bring embarrassment or misunderstanding, but it also brings us into deeper intimacy with Jesus and leaves a legacy of faith that echoes beyond our own lives.

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a way you have held back in your devotion to Jesus out of fear of what others might think? What would it look like to step out in bold, even “embarrassing,” worship this week?

Day 4: The Altar—Where Loves Are Reordered

The altar is the place where we bring our disordered loves—those things we value above God—and allow Him to reorder our hearts. It’s not about giving things up for the sake of loss, but about gaining what cannot be lost: deeper intimacy with God.
As we lay down our idols and misplaced affections, God reshapes our desires and teaches us to love rightly. Our flourishing depends on loving things in the right order, and the altar is where that reordering happens. When we surrender, we make space for God to fill us with His presence and peace.

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry… and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Colossians 3:5, 10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one “disordered love” or misplaced priority in your life that God is inviting you to lay on the altar today? How might your life look different if God reordered your loves?

Day 5: Keeping the Fire Burning—Choosing Devotion Daily

God is the one who lights the fire of faith in our hearts, but we are called to keep it burning. This means choosing daily to offer ourselves—our time, our worship, our obedience—even when we don’t feel like it. The fire of devotion is sustained not by waiting for emotion, but by continually placing fuel on the altar through intentional acts of worship and surrender.
Devotion is a daily choice, not a one-time event. As we keep returning to the altar, offering ourselves to God, the fire of love and faith grows stronger. Even small, costly acts of obedience can keep the flame alive and draw us deeper into God’s presence.

“The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.” (Leviticus 6:12, ESV)

Reflection: What is one small, intentional act of worship or obedience you can choose today to keep the fire of your devotion to God burning?

Sermon Summary

of the Sermon**

This sermon, the first in a series on "altars," explores what it means to bring ourselves—our very lives—to God as an offering. Using the vivid metaphor of kite surfing in strong winds, the message highlights the need for anchors in our lives: God’s character, Word, hope, and safety. But anchors alone are not enough; we are also called to lay things down on the altar, to surrender what is precious to us. The story of the woman with the alabaster jar in Mark 14 is held up as a profound example of costly, extravagant worship—an act that moved Jesus and has echoed through history. The sermon challenges us to examine what we are truly offering to God, to move beyond safe, comfortable, or half-hearted devotion, and to embrace worship that is both costly and potentially embarrassing. It reminds us that true love for God is shown in what we are willing to lay down, and that the altar is the place where our disordered loves are reordered. The call is to keep the fire of devotion burning by continually offering ourselves, not waiting for feelings but choosing costly acts of worship, and to live lives that are "wasted beautifully" for God.

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Key Takeaways

1. Anchors and Altars: Holding and Surrendering Life’s storms—whether cultural, economic, or personal—require us to be anchored in God’s truth and character. But being anchored is not the end; we are also called to lay things down on the altar, to surrender what is precious. The Christian life is not about staying safe in the harbor, but about venturing out, anchored and surrendered, trusting God with both our security and our sacrifice.
2. Costly Worship: The Value of Sacrifice The woman with the alabaster jar gave something of immense value, not out of obligation but out of love. True worship is not measured by what is convenient or easy, but by what costs us something. When we offer God what is truly precious—our time, our resources, our reputation—we declare His worth above all else, and our hearts are changed in the process.
3. Facing Criticism and Embarrassment for Christ Extravagant devotion will often provoke criticism, even from those close to us or within the church. The fear of being "a little much" can keep us from wholehearted worship. Yet, as the story shows, it is better to be remembered for loving Jesus too much than for playing it safe; costly worship may bring embarrassment, but it also brings us closer to Christ and leaves a legacy that inspires others.
4. Reordering Our Loves at the Altar The altar is where we confront our disordered loves—where we test what we truly value and allow God to reorder our hearts. Sacrifice is not about loss for its own sake, but about gaining what cannot be lost: deeper intimacy with God. As Augustine observed, our flourishing depends on loving things in the right order, and the altar is where that reordering happens.
5. Keeping the Fire Burning: Choosing Devotion Daily God is the one who lights the fire of faith in us, but we are responsible for keeping it burning. This means actively choosing to offer ourselves—our time, our worship, our obedience—even when we don’t feel like it. The fire of devotion is sustained not by waiting for emotion, but by continually throwing fuel on the altar through costly, intentional acts of worship and surrender.

Bible Study Guide

**Bible Study Discussion Guide: ALTARS – MY SELF**

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### Bible Reading

**Mark 14:1-11 (NIV)**
1 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

**2 Samuel 24:24 (NIV)**
But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

**Genesis 22:2 (NIV)**
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

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### Observation Questions

In Mark 14, what did the woman do with her alabaster jar, and how did the people around her react?
According to Jesus, why was the woman’s act of pouring perfume on him significant?
In 2 Samuel 24:24, what principle does King David express about offerings to God?
In Genesis 22:2, what does God ask Abraham to do, and what does this reveal about the nature of sacrifice?

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### Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the woman’s act of worship in Mark 14 was so costly and extravagant? What does this say about her heart towards Jesus?
The people around the woman criticized her for “wasting” the perfume. What does this reveal about how others might view acts of costly devotion today?
King David refused to offer God something that cost him nothing. How does this challenge the way people sometimes approach worship or giving?
The story of Abraham and Isaac is the first time “love” is mentioned in the Bible, and it’s in the context of sacrifice. What does this suggest about the connection between love and what we’re willing to lay down for God?

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### Application Questions

The sermon talked about “anchors” (God’s character, Word, hope, safety) and “altars” (places of surrender). Which of these do you find easier—holding onto God as your anchor, or laying things down on the altar? Why?
The woman with the alabaster jar gave something precious and faced criticism for it. Is there something in your life that would feel costly or even embarrassing to offer to God? What holds you back from doing it?
The fear of being “a little much” or facing criticism can keep us from wholehearted worship. Can you think of a time when you held back in your faith because of what others might think? What would it look like to move past that fear?
The sermon said, “We all waste our lives somewhere.” Where do you see yourself investing your time, energy, or resources that might not be worth as much as you think? What would it look like to “waste your life beautifully” for God?
The altar is where our “disordered loves” get reordered. Are there things in your life that you love more than God, or that compete for your devotion? How can you bring those to the altar this week?
The fire of devotion is kept burning by choosing costly acts of worship, not just waiting for feelings. What is one practical, maybe even uncomfortable, step you could take this week to offer yourself to God—whether it’s with your time, your money, your reputation, or something else?
The sermon ended with a prayer of full surrender. What would it mean for you to pray, “I am no longer my own, but yours,” and really mean it? Is there a specific area of your life where you need to surrender control to God?

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**Closing Prayer Suggestion:**
Invite the group to pray the Wesley Covenant Prayer together, or in their own words, as a way of responding to God’s call to the altar.

Sermon Quotes

If you don’t get your anchor right, you will end up somewhere you don’t want to be. The winds of culture, anxiety, and uncertainty will pull you off course unless you are anchored in something stronger.

The wonders of God and his promises aren’t so we sit on the sofa with an anchor beside us. We are called to come to the altar of worship, sacrifice, and surrender—lives fully lived, not just safely harbored.

Altars aren’t about duty or obligation. They’re about the heart—about love and devotion. True worship is sacrifice and extravagance, giving what is precious because God is worthy of our best.

Cost communicates value. It’s easy to give God what costs us nothing—casual prayers, half-hearted worship. But when we offer something costly, it shows what God truly means to us.

The presence of wholehearted, extravagant, costly worship provokes people. Some are compelled, others are offended, but everyone is moved. The same sun that melts the ice hardens the clay—it all depends on the state of your heart.

For me to express my love and devotion to Jesus, I have to be willing to face a little criticism for being “a little much.” It’s not that extravagant worship is too much; often, the real problem is that we offer too little.

No one tells the story of those who sat close to Jesus critiquing everything. Their part gets lost in time. But the story of the “wasteful” woman who gave extravagantly has inspired billions throughout history.

We all waste our worship somewhere. We invest our days, energy, and resources somewhere—so every so often, it’s essential to ask: is the story I’m living one worth telling?

The altar is where our disordered loves get put to the test. Sacrifice is the place where our loves are reordered, where we give up lesser things for the sake of something greater.

If your passion feels low, don’t wait for fuzzy feelings. Throw fuel on the fire—find any way to offer your extravagant, costly worship to God. The fire stays alive when you keep putting wood on it.

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