Honoring God: Giving Our Best and Trusting His Abundance

Today’s focus is on the call to honor God by giving Him our best—our first and finest, not what’s left over. Drawing from Proverbs 3, the challenge is to trust God fully, not relying on our own ever-changing understanding, but on His unchanging wisdom. This trust is not just a mental exercise; it’s a way of life that touches every area—our time, our talents, our relationships, and yes, our finances. The pattern in Proverbs is clear: God calls us to something, and then He blesses us. When we trust Him, acknowledge Him in all our ways, and fear Him with reverent awe, He brings healing, refreshment, and straight paths into our lives.

This principle is especially true in the area of generosity. The call is to honor God with our wealth and the firstfruits of all we have, not just the leftovers. This isn’t just about money—it’s about the whole of our resources: our energy, our skills, our relationships, and our opportunities. The question is simple: are we giving God the choice fruit, or just what remains after we’ve satisfied ourselves? The answer reveals much about what we truly value and honor.

God’s promise is that when we honor Him with our best, He responds with abundance. This abundance isn’t always financial, but it is always real—seen in the fruitfulness of ministry, the growth of the church, the sending of missionaries, and the transformation of lives. The greatest motivation for our generosity is the gospel itself: God gave us His first and best in Jesus Christ. Our giving is a response to His overwhelming generosity toward us. And as we give, we find that God’s capacity to bless far exceeds our capacity to give or even to receive.

The invitation is to take a step forward—whether it’s giving for the first time, becoming consistent, moving toward tithing, or even sacrificial and legacy giving. The call is to loosen our grip on our time, talent, and treasure, and to sow them into God’s kingdom, trusting that He will tie our hearts to His mission and pour out His blessing in ways we can’t imagine.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Trusting God means building our lives on His unchanging wisdom, not on our own ever-shifting understanding or the latest cultural trends. Our rationality and science are gifts, but they are not a firm foundation. Only God’s wisdom stands the test of time and brings true stability and direction to our lives. [10:59]
• 2. The pattern of “call and blessing” in Proverbs shows that God’s commands are always paired with His promises. When we trust, fear, and honor Him, He brings healing, refreshment, and straight paths—not just for us, but for our families and communities. God’s wisdom, when lived out, brings life and restoration even in the most broken places. [16:31]
• 3. Honoring God with our wealth is about more than just giving money; it’s about attributing true worth and weight to God in every area of our lives. When we give our first and best—our time, talents, and resources—we declare that God is worthy above all else, and we displace the idols that compete for our devotion. [22:55]
• 4. Generosity is both a response to God’s generosity in the gospel and a means by which God pours out further blessing. God gave us His first and best in Christ, and as we give, we participate in His abundance—not just financially, but in the fruitfulness of ministry, changed lives, and the advancement of His mission. [27:29]
• 5. The journey of generosity is a practical discipleship path: from giving for the first time, to consistent, intentional, sacrificial, and legacy giving. Each step is an opportunity to loosen our grip on what we have, trust God more deeply, and experience the joy and freedom that comes from investing in what matters most—God’s kingdom and His mission in the world. [35:01]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:42] - The Four Turns of Christian Growth
• [04:43] - The Growth Flywheel: Gather, Group, Give, Go
• [07:42] - Trusting God vs. Trusting Ourselves
• [10:59] - The Limits of Rationality and Science
• [13:34] - Trusting God with Life’s Decisions
• [16:31] - The Blessing of God’s Wisdom in Community
• [20:02] - Healing and Refreshment from God’s Wisdom
• [22:00] - Addressing Objections to Generosity
• [22:55] - Honoring God with Our Wealth
• [24:36] - The Weight of Glory and Displacing Idols
• [27:29] - Giving God Our First and Best
• [29:50] - God’s Abundance and the Gospel Motivation
• [31:10] - The Fruit of Generosity in the Church
• [33:45] - Practical Steps on the Generosity Journey
• [35:01] - The Generosity Ladder: Where Are You?
• [36:10] - Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

Proverbs 3:5-10 (ESV) — 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Observation Questions

1. According to Proverbs 3:5-6, what are we called to do with our trust, and what does God promise in response?
2. In verses 7-8, what does it mean to “fear the Lord,” and what is the result of doing so?
3. What does Proverbs 3:9 specifically say about how we are to honor God with our wealth?
4. The sermon used the image of a bowl of fruit. What point was the pastor making with this illustration? [04:43]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think the writer of Proverbs connects trusting God with “all your heart” to not leaning on your own understanding? How does this challenge the way we usually make decisions? [07:42]
2. The sermon talked about “call and blessing”—God calls us to something, then blesses us. How does this pattern show up in Proverbs 3:5-10, and why is it important for our faith? [20:02]
3. What does it look like in real life to give God our “first and best” instead of our leftovers? Why do you think God cares about this distinction? [27:29]
4. The pastor said honoring God with our wealth is about more than just money. What other areas of life did he mention, and why do you think these matter to God? [24:36]

Application Questions

1. The sermon challenged us to trust God’s wisdom over our own ever-changing understanding. Can you think of a recent decision where you relied more on your own reasoning than on God’s wisdom? What would it look like to trust God more in that area? [10:59]
2. When you look at your time, talents, and resources, are you giving God the “choice fruit” or just what’s left after everything else? What is one area where you feel convicted to give God your best? [27:29]
3. The pastor described a “generosity journey” with steps from first-time giving to consistent, intentional, sacrificial, and legacy giving. Where do you see yourself on that journey, and what might your next step be? [35:01]
4. Honoring God with our wealth also means honoring Him with our energy, skills, and relationships. Is there a specific gift or opportunity you have that you’ve been holding back from using for God’s kingdom? What’s stopping you? [24:36]
5. The sermon said that God’s abundance isn’t always financial, but it is always real—seen in changed lives, ministry growth, and sending missionaries. Have you ever experienced or witnessed this kind of “abundance” as a result of generosity? Share your story. [31:10]
6. The greatest motivation for our generosity is the gospel—God gave us His first and best in Jesus. How does remembering the gospel change your attitude toward giving and serving? [27:29]
7. The pastor invited us to “loosen our grip” on our time, talent, and treasure. What is one practical way you can do that this week? Who can help you take that step? [33:45]