Sunday 1st Service | Kingdom Giving #3 | Pastor Rob Thomas
Devotional
Day 1: Trust God by giving firstfruits, not leftovers.
Giving the first portion to God is a spiritual act that declares where your source truly is and reshapes the atmosphere of your home. When you honor God with the first, anxiety loosens and conversations change from “Do we have enough?” to “God will take care of us.” This is not about a religious tax but about forming trust and watching God open the windows of heaven on behalf of a people who choose to test Him in this way. [01:40]
Malachi 3:10 (ESV) 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.
Reflection: What would it look like to designate the first portion of your next paycheck to God this week, and how would that change the way you talk about money at home?
Day 2: Give cheerfully, not under compulsion.
Offerings are the overflow of a heart that has been shaped by trust; they are not calculated obligations but joyful responses to God’s movement. When giving is cheerful, it becomes an expression of relationship—God loves a giver who offers freely, not grudgingly. Practice giving from a willing heart and watch how obedience builds your faith muscle and invites God into places He’s already begun to work. [08:02]
2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV) Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Reflection: Think of a recent time you gave—did you give joyfully or reluctantly? Identify one fear or habit that holds you back and name a concrete step you will take to give more freely next time.
Day 3: God values firstfruits, not leftover obedience.
The contrast between Cain’s leftovers and Abel’s firstborn shows that God honors the heart behind the gift, not the material form of it. Giving the best first reshapes family rhythms, models trust to children, and breaks the grip of scarcity. When God is first, families learn to breathe again because faith is practiced where money meets trust. [03:11]
Genesis 4:3-5 (ESV) In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
Reflection: Which regular expense or habit usually gets your first attention? Choose one thing you can reorder this month so God receives the first portion instead of the leftovers.
Day 4: Willing offerings enter God’s multiplication.
The boy’s five loaves and two fish show that what seems insufficient in our hands becomes abundance in Jesus’ hands when offered willingly. Offerings are not about meeting a need on paper but about allowing God to multiply what you place before Him. When you step out in faith and give from what you have, you join God’s work of multiplying provision, peace, and opportunity for others. [08:53]
John 6:1-14 (ESV) After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. When Jesus lifted up his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
Reflection: Is there a small, seemingly insufficient thing (time, skill, money) you are holding back? If God asked you to offer it this week, what practical step would you take to place it in His hands?
Day 5: Small faith grows into expansive kingdom impact.
The mustard seed teaches that tiny acts of faith and generosity can become shelter, provision, and life for countless others long after we’re gone. Kingdom giving is eternal—what leaves your hand becomes part of a story that outlives you and builds legacy into future generations. Live with hands wide open and trust God to grow what you plant into something far larger than imagined. [17:12]
Matthew 13:31-32 (ESV) He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Reflection: Choose one small act of generosity you can commit to for the next twelve months; how might that “mustard seed” be used by God to shelter, feed, or disciple others beyond what you can now imagine?
Sermon Summary
We wrapped our generosity series by talking about “The Kingdom Impact: Obedience That Outlives You.” I walked us through three movements: the tithe, offerings, and legacy. The tithe means tenth. It’s not a tip, a tax, or a random donation. It’s bringing our first and best to the Lord as an act of trust. Malachi 3 calls us to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse and to test God in it. Not because God needs our money, but because our hearts need to trust him. We saw the contrast between Abel’s first and best and Cain’s leftovers. When we give first to God, it reshapes our homes—from anxiety and control to confidence that “God will take care of us. He always has.”
Then we looked at offerings—giving that flows beyond the tithe. Offerings are responsive and relational, not coerced or calculated. God loves a cheerful giver. Like the boy who offered his lunch, offerings enter the realm of multiplication when they move from our hands into Jesus’ hands. Offerings push back the lie of scarcity and build our faith where it counts—real life, real bills, and real needs.
Finally, we talked about kingdom impact. Tithes form our trust, offerings form our obedience, and together they form a legacy. In the kingdom, nothing given in faith is wasted. Jesus receives what we do for “the least of these” as if we did it unto him. Like a mustard seed, what seems small becomes shelter for others. I shared our Nicaragua story and the mustard seed on my keychain to remind us that God can take a tiny yes and grow it into shade for many.
This is why our Christmas Gift Offering matters. It blesses every single parent with a personal gift, blesses each child in those homes, and builds our benevolence fund so we are ready to care for families in crisis. This isn’t fundraising—it’s formation. Not equal giving, but equal sacrifice. I invited us to start tithing (January–March), become progressive givers beyond the tithe, help retire our remaining property debt so we can bless more, and keep Jesus at the center—no December debt spiral chasing presents. God isn’t after your money. He’s after your heart, your yes, and open hands he can use to write a story that outlives you.
Key Takeaways
1. Put God first with the tithe. Giving the first tenth is about trust, not math. It moves our reliance from paychecks, bosses, or economies to the Lord as Source. God invites us to test him here because money exposes where we place our security. Firstfruits giving declares, “God is first—and I trust him to bless the rest.” [62:57]
2. Offerings are responsive overflow obedience. Offerings aren’t mandated; they’re born from a willing heart God stirs. This is the boy’s lunch in real time—what seems small multiplies when placed in Jesus’ hands. Cheerful, unpressured obedience positions us to see God work beyond calculation. [68:02]
3. Open hands break fear and scarcity. When we give first, the atmosphere changes—anxiety loosens and language shifts from “Do we have enough?” to “God will take care of us.” Offerings push back the scarcity script shaping our culture, training our hearts in abundance. Freedom rarely starts in the bank account; it starts in the heart. [72:17]
4. Generosity shapes a legacy beyond you. You won’t see the full impact of your giving on this side of eternity, but heaven records it. God takes mustard-seed obedience and grows it into shelter for others. One day, people you never met will thank you for a yes that changed their story forever. [82:21]
5. God wants your heart, not your money. He doesn’t need your dollars; he desires your trust. Because our hearts attach to our treasure, he invites us to give so he can free us to live. Generosity is worship—formation into Jesus’ likeness and participation in his mission. [83:13]
Bible study guide — The Kingdom Impact: Obedience That Outlives You
Bible reading (ESV) - Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole 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. - 2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Observation questions (3–4)
Read Malachi 3:10. What two things does God ask for and promise in this verse? What practical meaning does “storehouse” have in the passage?
Read 2 Corinthians 9:7. What does Paul require about the attitude of giving, and how does that differ from giving under obligation?
The story of Cain and Abel contrasts the giver who brought first and best with the giver who offered leftovers. What difference in heart and action does the Genesis example highlight? [01:03:11]
Read Matthew 25:40. Who is identified as the ultimate recipient of acts of mercy and generosity, and how does that reframe ordinary giving?
Interpretation questions (3–4)
How does the tithe as “firstfruits” operate as a test of trust toward God (Malachi 3:10), and what does that test reveal about where a person’s security really rests? [01:02:16]
What theological point is being made by distinguishing tithes (regular firstfruits) from offerings (responsive overflow)? How do these two practices function together to form trust and obedience? [01:12:17]
In light of Matthew 25:40, what are the implications for how a church or believer prioritizes resources and responds to immediate human need? [01:15:13]
What does the mustard-seed image teach about expecting visible results from small acts of obedience? How should the promise of eventual growth shape a person’s willingness to give now? [01:19:19]
Application questions (4–7)
The tithe is a declaration that God is first. If someone committed to tithing for three months to test God’s promise, what exact, practical step could they take this week to set that plan in motion? (For those considering it: commit to Jan–Mar as a starting rhythm.) [01:30:14]
Offerings express trust beyond the tithe. Is there a recurring area of need (a local ministry, a family in crisis, a missionary) where God might be asking for an overflow gift from you? What specific dollar amount or percentage could you consider giving this month as a first step? [01:31:21]
Open hands break fear and scarcity. Identify one common money fear you tend to replay (e.g., “I won’t have enough,” or “I must protect my retirement”). What is one tangible faith-step you will take this week to practice openness (a planned gift, a small sacrificial donation, or a generosity conversation with your partner)? [01:12:17]
Kingdom giving builds a legacy that outlives you. Name one person group or need you would like to see benefitted by your generosity (children, single parents, missionaries, local outreach). What is one small, concrete thing you can commit to give or do in the next 30 days to begin that legacy? [01:19:19]
Many fall into a “December debt” pattern around holidays. What is one concrete budget change you can make now to keep Christ central this season (e.g., set a specific gift limit, prioritize giving before spending on gifts, or plan experiences instead of purchases)? [01:27:41]
If someone is unsure about where to give because of past stories of misused funds, what steps can they take to give responsibly while protecting the posture of heart God asks for (e.g., ask questions about funds, give through trusted channels, give sacrificially but cheerfully)? How could the group practically support that step?
Use this guide to read the passages together, discuss the observations and interpretations, and then encourage personal, measurable next steps in the application section.
Sermon Clips
How many of you know that God's ways are higher than our ways? And so sometimes we've got to stop and change our perspective. And we've got to realign our hearts with His again to see things the way that He sees it. And we do this each year not because the church wants something from you, but because the kingdom of God wants something for you.
[00:54:29]
(19 seconds)
#SeeThingsGodsWay
I told you the world is trying to disciple us. There's always somebody trying to disciple you. The world is trying to disciple you. And He's trying to teach us to grab and protect and control everything that we can get our hands on. But Jesus teaches us about a kingdom where giving is living. Where we give because we serve a king who first gave. And where generosity is trust in action, not some sort of religious performance.
[00:54:55]
(27 seconds)
#GivingIsLiving
By the time we're done today, my goal is not that you feel pressured whatsoever to give more. My goal is that you would trust God more today, that you would see him more clearly, and that you would step into the kind of obedience that allows him to do something through your life that will last far beyond your lifetime here on earth.
[00:59:00]
(21 seconds)
#TrustNotPressure
So people come in and say, well, brother, the tithe is Old Testament law. No, the tithe was in place far before the law was in place. It's something that has lasted from generation to generation before the law was ever there. As a matter of fact, when we look at it, Abraham tithed, guys. This is well before the law. We know that Jacob tithed. We know that through this, God was not demanding money. He was inviting them to trust. And that's still what the tithe does today.
[01:00:25]
(31 seconds)
#TitheBeforeLaw
Guys, it bothers me sometimes when I hear people say, oh, I got to give my tithe. Guys, listen. Listen, the tithe is not God taxing you. It's not a tax of the kingdom of heaven. The tithe is God forming you. I get to give my tithe and offerings today. It should be the biggest celebration. We see an example in Scripture that was mentioned last week. The people were begging for the offering. When do we get to give? Guys, it's God forming you. So what we got to do is we got to understand the heart behind the tithe.
[01:00:56]
(35 seconds)
#TitheFormsYou
Guys, God tithes the tithe directly to our trust in him. It's the only area in scripture where God says, test me in this. Try me. See what I'll do. Why would he say that? Because he knows that money is one of the deepest trust points in the human heart. People, there is more insecurity over money than there is about anything else. Guys, you can fake passion. You can fake emotion, but you can't fake trust. Faith is backed up by action. Every time you tithe, you're declaring, my source is God. Not my paycheck.
[01:02:16]
(42 seconds)
#TestGodWithTithe
Not my boss. Not the government. Not the economy. You're declaring, God, you are my source. Y'all remember the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis chapter 4? It's interesting when you look at that, right at the beginning of the story, there's a conflict. And the conflict is really between two offerings. Abel comes, and he brings the firstborn of his flock, right? He brings his first. He brings his best. And then Cain comes, and the Bible says he brought some of the fruit of his harvest. This is the leftovers. This is the extras. This is the afterthought.
[01:03:03]
(38 seconds)
#FirstNotLeftovers
Guys, God wasn't rejecting Cain because the offering was grain or whatever it was. He was rejecting Cain's offering because it wasn't his first and his best. He was given the leftovers, the afterthoughts, to a God who is first. Guys, God receives faith. He doesn't receive leftovers disguised as obedience. The tithe is simply this. I give to God first because God is first.
[01:03:41]
(30 seconds)
#GiveFirstGiveBest
Think about a family. Maybe it's like your family. A family gets paid on Friday, and bills are due, and groceries are needed. But instead of waiting to see what is left, they give to God first. Before the mortgage, before the car payment, before that Amazon cart that you've had sitting open since Tuesday that you hadn't been able to pay yet, they give first to God. And what begins to happen in that family? There begins to be a shift in their home. The anxiety starts to break. The grip of fear begins to loosen. And the conversation begins to change from do we have enough to God will take care of us.
[01:04:11]
(49 seconds)
#GiveFirstEndAnxiety
He always has. And the kids grow up watching that trust. I grew up in that household. Guys, we didn't have a whole lot growing up. But God always supplied all of our need. And I grew up watching parents who believed this. And they weren't reckless. Some people would have said they were because they always gave. They gave faithfully. Guys, it's not about reckless spending. It's about obedient surrender. Not fear-based living, but faith-based giving. That home will begin to breathe again. Not because money necessarily magically appeared on the counter one day, but because they were obedient to God and it rearranged the atmosphere of their home.
[01:04:59]
(46 seconds)
#FaithBasedGiving
So understand, the tithe is not about what God needs. The tithe is about who you trust. The tithe is a spiritual act that says, I will honor God first, and I will trust him to bless the rest. And here's the truth. Listen, guys. God never asks for something you don't already have. He's not a loan shark that you have to make payments to, that you're scrounging around trying to come up with the money. He just asks for a small portion of what he's already placed in your hands. The tithe isn't a test of your budgeting. It's a test of your belief.
[01:05:46]
(43 seconds)
#TitheIsTrust
Guys, offerings are different than tithes. Offerings are not measured. They're not calculated. They're not mandated. Offerings are responsive. Offerings are relational. Offerings say, God, I trust you. I hear you. And I'm willing. I'm able. Overflow. It's offerings that flow out of the heart and recognize, God, everything I have is yours. So if you move on my heart for more, you know what? I'm not nervous. I'm honored. I'm honored to be a part.
[01:07:10]
(37 seconds)
#OfferingsAreResponsive
And they're all looking at this and going, you know, what are we going to do? And all of a sudden, they spot this little boy. He's got a few loaves and a few fishes, right? A few loaves and a few fish. A lunch that wouldn't feed a couple of fishermen, much less a crowd of thousands. Jesus doesn't force him, the boy. He doesn't shame him. He doesn't put pressure on him. He simply receives what the boy offers. And the moment those fishes and loaves leave the boy's hands and enter the hand of Jesus, they enter the realm of multiplication.
[01:09:25]
(37 seconds)
#MiracleMultiplication
Offerings push back against the lie of scarcity that our society is trying to indoctrinate us with. Offerings silence the fears that whisper, you can't afford that. Offerings build our faith muscle like nothing else can. And giving above and beyond doesn't start with your bank account. It starts with your heart. We've talked a lot about perspective shift and the way that we view things. That's why offerings reveal maturity. That's why offerings reveal obedience. Offerings reveal true devotion. Because offerings are not measured by their size. They're measured by surrender.
[01:12:25]
(48 seconds)
#OfferingsBuildFaith
So, the tithe, honoring God with the first, not the leftovers. Number two, offerings when obedience goes beyond obligation. Number three, kingdom impact. What we give changes lives, shapes eternity, and expands God's kingdom. So, guys, here's the deal. If the tithe forms our trust and offerings form our obedience, then I would say that the kingdom impact of those two things forms our legacy. How many of you want to leave a legacy? Guys, you think about legacy more and more with each year as you get older and older, don't you?
[01:13:13]
(39 seconds)
#TitheOfferingsLegacy
Guys, kingdom giving, it's never about just meeting a need. Indeed, it's about joining a mission that is bigger than our lifetime. It's about joining a mission that's bigger than our lifetime, bigger than our region, our zip code. It's bigger than your bank account. It's bigger than anything that you could ever build on your own. And the funny thing is, in Scripture, God never separates generosity from our mission. How many of you know? We don't just give money. We give our time and our talent and our effort.
[01:14:04]
(32 seconds)
#GivingJoinsTheMission
Guys, this isn't poetry. This is the kingdom economy in action on full display. Jesus measures generosity not by what it feels like to us because it doesn't always feel the greatest to give. It doesn't always feel right to our flesh. It's measured by what it accomplishes in the lives of those that are reached as we put it into the hands of the Lord and he multiplies it. Every time you give, you're placing something in the hands of Jesus. And have you know, Jesus never wastes anything in his hands.
[01:16:09]
(38 seconds)
#KingdomEconomyWorks
So, as we're here ending this series, I want you to understand something clearly this morning. God is not after your money. I say it all the time. God doesn't need your money. He doesn't want your money. He wants your heart. He wants your trust. And because our hearts tend to be tied to our money, he says, let's have you give a little bit of that. I'm going to bless you so that you can be a blessing to others. Do you trust me? God is after your heart. He's after your yes.
[01:22:54]
(41 seconds)
#GodWantsYourHeart
Some of you, I know people here, that get worked up every Christmas season because you've set a pattern in your life. You go into debt every December all about presents. And you spend month after month after month of the new year trying to make payments. Guys, can I gently say, stop. It's not. It's not about presents. It never was. It was about one present. And his name is Jesus. Guys, don't go into debt trying to buy the latest and greatest and whatever else. Make Jesus center of it.
[01:27:18]
(43 seconds)
#JesusNotDebt
It's about restored trust in the one who gave his first and his best that we first saw in a manger in Bethlehem. We'd ultimately go to the cross. Nothing wrong with presents. But before we start worrying about presents, let's give to the Lord first. Let's allow him to move in our lives. He is the reason for the season. Amen.
[01:28:01]
(30 seconds)
#JesusReasonForSeason
