February 15, 2026 | Covenant in a Culture of Contracts | Pastor Jim Kilmartin

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Focused Affection on God

When our affections are set upon the Lord, the distractions and worries of this world begin to fade. In His magnificent presence, the difficulties that once loomed so large are overshadowed by His greatness and peace. This shift in focus is not about ignoring life's realities but about seeing them in the light of His sovereignty. Choosing to worship Him realigns our perspective with His eternal truth. He is worthy of all our praise and adoration, today and always. [42:55]

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific worry or distraction that currently competes for your affection? What would it look like to intentionally shift your focus from that concern to worshiping God's character this week?

Day 2: God's Promise to Open the Windows of Heaven

The Lord invites us into His system of kingdom economics, which operates from a place of His abundance, not the world's scarcity. He calls us to bring our tithes into the storehouse, not as a religious duty, but as an act of alignment with His divine order. This act of faithful stewardship positions us to receive the blessings He longs to pour out. He promises to open the windows of heaven for those who walk in this obedience, releasing a blessing so great there will not be room enough to contain it. [55:39]

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (Malachi 3:10, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your finances might you be operating from a mindset of scarcity rather than trusting God's promise of provision? What is one step of faith you can take this week to align yourself with His kingdom system?

Day 3: The Protective Order of Faithful Stewardship

Walking in God's order through obedience, including the tithe, brings a divine protection over our lives. The Lord Himself promises to rebuke the devourer on our behalf, safeguarding the fruit of our labor. This is not a transaction but a relational dynamic where our faithfulness invites God's covering. It is a practical way of shutting doors to the enemy's influence and living under the safety of His covenant promises. Our obedience positions us under the hand of His favor. [56:50]

And I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:11, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you recently seen the enemy attempting to 'devour' or bring chaos into your life, your family, or your finances? How might your faithful stewardship be a key to inviting God's rebuke against that work?

Day 4: The Call to Stir Up the Gifts Within You

God has placed unique talents and spiritual gifts inside every believer for a purpose. These are not meant to remain dormant but are to be stirred up and used for the building of His kingdom. Being a good steward involves more than our finances; it encompasses the faithful use of our time, talents, and the very gifts God has deposited within us. It is a personal responsibility to fan into flame what God has given, for the edification of the body and for His glory. [01:01:01]

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (2 Timothy 1:6, ESV)

Reflection: What specific talent or spiritual gift has God given you that you feel has been lying dormant or underutilized? What is one practical way you can 'stir up' that gift this week to serve others and honor Him?

Day 5: Living in Covenant, Not Contract

God's design for relationship, especially in marriage, is a covenant, not a contract. A contract is based on performance and can be broken when terms are not met, but a covenant is a binding promise rooted in steadfast love and commitment. This covenantal nature reflects Christ's relationship with His church—unconditional, sacrificial, and eternal. In a culture that often treats commitments as temporary agreements, we are called to model the faithful, enduring love of God in all our relationships. [02:08:10]

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24, ESV)

Reflection: Considering your key relationships (with God, spouse, family, church), where are you most tempted to operate with a 'contract' mentality—expecting something in return—rather than a 'covenant' mentality—loving unconditionally? How can you intentionally choose covenant love in that relationship today?

Sermon Summary

Worship begins with affections fixed on God, inviting his presence to wash over and renew the people with living water, joy, and healing. Prayers for immediate physical touch—migraines, back and neck pain, chronic illnesses—move confidently in the name of Jesus, encouraging those present and online to test God’s restorative work. Financial stewardship emerges from Malachi’s call to bring the tithe into God’s storehouse: God's “kingdom economics” opposes a scarcity mindset and promises open heavens, rebuking the devourer and protecting the fruit of the ground when the church aligns with God’s order. Generosity fuels local mercy ministries—CanCan, housing projects, and compassion commissions—and the congregation is urged to give cheerfully and sacrificially to widen the church’s reach.

Child dedications model covenantal blessing and the bread of God’s presence symbolizes sustenance for families walking in God’s ways. A historical sketch of Saint Valentine reframes Valentine’s Day as a martyr’s defense of covenantal marriage, not mere commercial romance. Ephesians and Genesis anchor marriage as a divine covenant instituted before law and culture: mutual submission under the fear of God, sacrificial husbandly love modeled on Christ, and respectful, honored wives. Sexual intimacy belongs within that covenantal framework—meant for procreation, deep pleasure, and covenantal oneness—not transactional exchange. The address names five primary threats to marriage—lack of commitment, infidelity, chronic conflict, financial chaos, and hidden addictions—and calls for repentance, clear boundaries, pursuit, and spiritual leadership at home. Fathers receive a warning against provocation; children are urged to obey with the promise of blessing; homes must recover altars and wells of spiritual life.

Singles receive a pastoral exhortation to find completeness in Christ rather than in marriage, while married couples receive an invitation to repentance, restoration, and public covenant renewal. The congregation mobilizes for prayer and practical aid—especially for Madagascar’s cyclone devastation—and closes with an altar call, communion with bread of life, and a charge to live covenantally in every relationship.

Key Takeaways

1. Tithes open the windows of heaven Offering tithes represents submission to God’s economy rather than the world’s scarcity mindset. When tithes enter the storehouse, God invites testing of his promise to pour out so abundantly that there is no room to receive it. Aligning with God’s order rebukes the devourer and protects the fruit of daily labor, shifting family and community trajectories toward fruitfulness. This is an invitation to trust God’s provision through obedient stewardship. [55:39]
2. Marriage is covenant, not contract Marriage predates law and culture; Genesis and Ephesians present it as a created covenant that binds two into one flesh. Contracts break when convenience or culture shifts, but covenant requires staying through cost and change because God has joined the union. Reclaiming marriage as covenant reorients priorities from individual fulfillment to mutual sanctification and generational stability. This reclaiming resists cultural redefinitions that seek to remake creation’s design. [125:07]
3. Husbands love; wives respect deeply Husbands carry a Christlike call to sacrificial love that sanctifies, nourishes, and cherishes the wife; this leadership must manifest as service, humility, and spiritual care. Wives are called to honor and respect, not as inferiority but as an expression of mutual submission under God’s fear—both actions shape a household toward holiness. When love and respect mirror Christ and the church, the marital bond becomes a visible reflection of divine union. This balance protects intimacy from domination, passivity, and contempt. [101:33]
4. Repentance, boundaries, and spiritual leadership Pride, passivity, control, fear, and hidden addictions erode marriage and family life; repentance breaks these power points and clears paths for restoration. Healthy boundaries create accountability without enabling destruction, and spiritual leadership—prayer, home altars, and daily devotion—reestablishes wells of life for every household. Pursuit, truth, and consequences aim not to punish but to restore covenantal health and generational blessing. Spiritual disciplines realign affections and practices with God’s order. [136:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[41:32] - Worship & Presence
[45:20] - Living Water and Renewal
[47:35] - Prayer for Healing
[48:28] - Declarations of Physical Healing
[52:13] - Tithes, Offerings, and Malachi
[55:39] - Promise: Windows of Heaven
[61:01] - Community Outreach & CanCan
[65:11] - Child Dedications & Bread of Presence
[91:11] - Saint Valentine: Covenant History
[125:07] - Covenant vs. Contracts (Marriage)
[144:47] - Altar Call, Communion, Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Malachi 3:8–12 (ESV)
Ephesians 5:21–33 (ESV)
Genesis 2:24 (ESV)

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Observation questions

According to Malachi 3:10, what specific action does God instruct His people to take, and what does He promise in return?
In Ephesians 5:25, how are husbands instructed to love their wives, and what comparison is used to illustrate this?
What does Genesis 2:24 identify as the foundational purpose of marriage?
The sermon emphasized that marriage is a covenant, not a contract. What distinction was made between these two concepts? [02:05:07]

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Interpretation questions

Malachi 3:8–12 speaks of "robbing God" and a "curse" related to tithes and offerings. How does aligning with God’s economy reverse this curse and rebuke the "devourer"?
Ephesians 5:21 calls for mutual submission "in the fear of God." How does this context shape the following instructions to husbands and wives?
The sermon highlighted five primary threats to marriage: lack of commitment, infidelity, chronic conflict, financial chaos, and hidden addictions. Why are these particularly destructive to a covenant relationship? [02:13:08]
How does the biblical concept of "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:31) challenge modern individualistic views of marriage?

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Application questions

Tithes and offerings are an act of trust in God’s provision, not a religious duty. What practical step can you take this week to align your finances with God’s kingdom economy?
Husbands are called to sacrificial, Christlike love that sanctifies their wives. Wives are called to respect and honor their husbands. What is one specific way you can better embody this calling in your marriage this week? [01:41:33]
The sermon warned against allowing hidden addictions or financial chaos to erode marriage. Is there any area of secrecy or disunity in your home that needs repentance and practical boundaries? [02:16:40]
Singles are called to find completeness in Christ, not in marriage. How can you cultivate contentment and purity in your current season? [02:20:17]
Homes are meant to be places of spiritual life, with altars and wells of devotion. What rhythm of prayer or Scripture reading can you establish or renew in your household?
Marriage reflects Christ’s covenant with the church. If you are married, how can you intentionally "see" and serve your spouse this week, rather than overlooking them in busyness? [01:43:51]
The sermon called for repentance from pride, passivity, bitterness, and fear. Which of these struggles most often surfaces in your relationships, and what step of faith can you take to break its pattern? [02:22:34]

Sermon Clips

You know, when you when you put your affections upon him, the other things begin to fade away. When your affections go to him, the worries, the distractions, the difficulties, they begin to fade in the presence of the almighty God. Let's just take another moment here. And if you would oblige me, just close your eyes. You put your eyes on Jesus right now. He's what Hebrews says is the author and the perfecter, the mature, the developer of your faith. [00:42:41] (57 seconds) #EyesOnJesusFaith

Men must pray. Women must pray. Homes must have altars. They must have wells that they redig at, and they maybe your well has been plugged up for way too long. It's time to unclog some wells today Yeah. In many ways. If you don't dig a well in your home, you will drink from broken cisterns from the past. And you will repeat history, and it's time to redig or dig a new well and say, I wanna drink from what God has instilled and given to me. [02:17:07] (35 seconds) #DigYourSpiritualWell

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February 15, 2026 | Covenant in a Culture of Contracts | Pastor Jim Kilmartin | Sunday Service