Have you done what you can? (Mark 14:3-9)

Devotional

Day 1: Broken Alabaster, Whole Devotion

Mary broke the alabaster flask, pouring nard worth a year’s wages over Jesus’ head. The disciples called it waste. Jesus called it worship. The scent filled Simon’s house as Mary wiped His feet with her hair—a burial anointment three days early. She gave her best to the One who’d soon give His all. [00:56]

Jesus defended her radical act because it matched His radical love. He didn’t measure her gift by its market value but by its heart-value. When we offer what costs us, it becomes sacred.

What “expensive flask” are you clutching? A skill? Resource? Time? Jesus isn’t waiting for grand gestures—He wants your willing hands. What practical treasure could you break open for Him today?

“Mary took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
(John 12:3, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to show you one valuable thing you’ve withheld from His service.
Challenge: Write down one resource you possess (time, talent, or treasure) to dedicate to God this week.

Day 2: Two Loaves, Five Thousand Fed

Jesus multiplied a boy’s lunch because the disciples surrendered what they had—five barley loaves and two fish. They initially saw scarcity; Jesus saw seed. He blesses our “little” when we release it, turning insufficiency into abundance through His hands. [07:12]

God measures faithfulness, not volume. He pairs your ability with His power. The boy didn’t wait to have more—he gave his present portion.

You have exactly what someone needs. That encouraging text? That hour free? That $20? Stop disqualifying your “not enough.” What’s in your hand right now?

“And Jesus 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.”
(John 6:11, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for the specific abilities He’s given you—name three aloud.
Challenge: List three opportunities you’ve overlooked this week to serve others.

Day 3: Faithful With the Fish

The master entrusted talents according to each servant’s ability. The five-talent man doubled his sum. The one-talent man buried his. Jesus rewards stewardship, not comparisons. Your “one talent” matters—a test of trust before greater assignments. [11:10]

God grows responsibility through reliability. Like training a child with a goldfish before a puppy, He expands our capacity through small obediences.

What “fish tank” has God given you to tend? A daily chore? A ministry task? Neglect whispers it’s insignificant—faithfulness shouts it’s foundational. What simple duty needs your focus today?

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.’”
(Matthew 25:21, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve made excuses instead of efforts.
Challenge: Choose one neglected responsibility (home/work/church) to prioritize today.

Day 4: Trumpets and Two Mites

Rich men clanged coins into temple trumpets while a widow slipped in two mites. Jesus inverted their math: her pennies outweighed their fortunes because she gave “all her living.” True sacrifice isn’t measured by amount but by surrender. [25:39]

God wants firstfruits, not leftovers. The widow’s gift revealed her trust—she banked on heaven’s economy over earth’s security.

Does your giving come from overflow or obligation? Do you calculate what you can spare or what costs you? What step would stretch your trust in God’s provision?

“They all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
(Mark 12:44, ESV)

Prayer: Confess any reluctance in giving. Ask for a cheerful heart.
Challenge: Give first this week—before paying bills or spending—as an act of trust.

Day 5: Assembling in the Last Days

Hebrews commands believers to stir up love through consistent gathering. Some neglected meetings, thinking attendance optional. But corporate worship fuels perseverance—we’re designed to need each other’s faith, songs, and presence. [19:01]

Satan isolates; Jesus unites. Your seat matters. When you absent yourself, others lose your encouragement—and you lose theirs.

How have distractions diluted your commitment to gather? What practical step—earlier bedtime, adjusted schedule—could safeguard your participation?

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.”
(Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to renew your passion for His people.
Challenge: Text two members you’ll see Sunday: “I’ll save you a seat.”

Sermon Summary

Before the crucifixion, a woman anointed Jesus with an expensive ointment, breaking an alabaster box and pouring a pound of perfume over him. The cost of that gift staggered onlookers, yet the act carried deep meaning: it prepared his body for burial and displayed radical devotion. Different gospel accounts add details — tears, hair used for drying, Lazarus and siblings present, and motives behind criticism — but one line stands central: she has done what she can. From that phrase emerges a clear ethic that frames Christian duty. God expects each person to do what is within his or her capacity and opportunity, not a demand for perfection but a call to maturity and faithful stewardship.

Capability divides into two biblical categories: opportunity and ability. Opportunity supplies the circumstances to act; ability supplies the skill or strength to act. When both meet and a person fulfills what is required, the promise follows: faithful use of little grows into greater responsibility and resources. The parable of the talents and the rule that faithfulness in small things leads to faithfulness in much ground this truth in practical terms. Churches test servants in smaller roles before elevating them, and households show readiness for wider trust by how they handle everyday duties.

Application sharpens the teaching into tangible areas of life. Personal Bible study must become intentional and regular so understanding and faith grow. Attendance at assembly matters, because habitual neglect signals a failure to do what one can. Helping the needy proves love in action; even a cup of cold water matters when that is all a person can give. Giving warrants sacrificial priority, as the widow who offered all demonstrated a heart aligned with God’s claim on life and resources. The call issues a sober question: has every person done all they can with what they have, where they are? The standard asks for effort, not impossibility, and promises growth when people prove faithful. The concluding appeal invites change and concrete steps: repent, obey, and begin to do what can be done now.

Key Takeaways

1. Do what you can now God measures faithfulness by the faithful use of present resources and opportunities. This means offering the best available time, skill, and substance without comparing to others. The test at the end will not be ability beyond one’s means but whether available gifts were offered. Acting now honors God and readies a person for greater trust. [03:34]
2. God measures opportunity and ability Scripture separates the circumstances to act from the capacity to act, and both determine what God expects. Fulfilling what one can requires honest assessment of both window and strength. Accountability rests on given opportunity and God-given ability, not hypothetical duties beyond them. Responsible stewardship requires clarity about what each person actually can do. [06:16]
3. Faithfulness in little yields increase The Bible rewards reliable stewardship of small trusts by expanding them into larger trusts. Demonstrating care in modest duties prepares a person for weightier service and influence. Churches and families test this pattern when they entrust more only after proven faithfulness. Small acts done consistently reveal character more than sudden grand gestures. [11:10]
4. True giving precedes every expense Sacrificial giving honors God as first claim on resources, not a leftover after other priorities. The widow who gave all showed that devotion measures more than amount; it measures surrender. Preparing to give before other costs displays worship as primary, not incidental. Giving from the heart exposes the depth of trust in God’s provision. [26:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - The Anointing Story
[00:56] - Cost of the Ointment
[01:59] - Gospel Accounts Compared
[02:33] - Mary and Judas at Simon's House
[03:34] - She Has Done What She Can
[04:36] - Principle Introduced
[06:16] - Opportunity and Ability Defined
[11:10] - Faithful in Little, Faithful in Much
[15:48] - Bible Study Responsibility
[17:44] - Attendance and Assembly
[24:18] - Widow's Example of Giving
[27:32] - Challenge to Change
[28:55] - Invitation to Respond

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Mark 14:3-9 (ESV)
3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Observation questions

What specific actions did the woman take in Mark 14:3, and why might her choice to break the flask of ointment be significant?
How did the onlookers react to her act of pouring out the expensive perfume, and what reason did they give for their criticism? [00:56]
What two qualities did Jesus highlight in His defense of the woman’s actions (v. 6-8)?

Interpretation questions

Why did Jesus emphasize that the woman’s act prepared His body for burial, even though He was still alive at the time? How does this connect to the idea of "doing what you can" in moments of urgency?
The phrase “she has done what she could” implies limitations. How might this principle apply to believers with varying levels of resources, time, or ability? [03:34]
How does the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) reinforce the connection between faithfulness in small responsibilities and being entrusted with greater ones?

Application questions

What is one area of your life (e.g., time, skills, finances) where you feel you’ve been holding back from doing “what you can” out of fear or comparison? What step could you take this week to offer it fully? [08:33]
Reflect on your current habits of Bible study and church attendance. Are there patterns of neglect or inconsistency that signal a need to prioritize faithfulness in these “small things”? [15:48] [17:44]
The widow in Luke 21 gave sacrificially, not from excess. How does your approach to giving (time, money, care) reflect whether God’s kingdom is your first priority or an afterthought? [26:26]
Jesus commended the woman’s act as a lasting testimony. What daily, tangible act of devotion—no matter how small—could you start practicing to honor Christ in your current season?
Identify one person in your life who is in need (practically, emotionally, spiritually). What is within your current ability and opportunity to help them, even if it feels insignificant? [21:37]
The sermon emphasized that God rewards faithfulness, not results. Where do you need to shift your focus from achieving perfection to simply offering your best effort?

Sermon Clips

38s

#SacrificialGiving

“I wanna make something really clear that that a lot of times we don't consider about the story of the widow with two mites. If Jesus wouldn't have commended this woman, if Jesus wouldn't have said this woman did right, we all would have condemned her. How dare you put in every bit of money you have? Don't you know you have bills to pay? Don't you know you have things to do? How dare you put in everything? How dare you give sacrificially to the Lord? But we can't say that because why? Jesus said this woman did right.”

24s

#GiveGodFirst

“Our giving to the Lord comes before anything else in our budget. And this isn't a a budget class. Okay? That's a whole another subject. Our giving to the lord comes before our taxes are taken out of our check. Our giving to the lord comes before our mortgage. Our giving to the lord comes before our bills and our car payments and everything else in the world that we pay for. Our giving comes before all of that.”

32s

#HaveYouDoneAll

“So my question to you this morning is, have you done all that you can? In every area of your life, in your faithfulness to the Lord, are you doing all that you can? God doesn't expect you to do more than you're capable of doing, but he expects that much. He doesn't expect us to do things outside of our ability, but what you have the ability to do, if we fail to do it, we're not doing all we can.”

28s

#PreparedToGive

“But if we stand on the day of judgment and the lord looks at us and asks us, have you done all you can? If I scrape my pocket at the last minute to give the lord what's left over, I'm not doing all that I can. I need to come prepared to give to the Lord. Jesus looked down at Mary, and he said, when everybody else was angry with her because they thought she had been wasteful, she had wasted her time, she had done something wrong, The Lord looked down at her and said, she has done what she can.”

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Bowdon Church of Christ This sermon · AI assistant

What does doing what you can reveal about faithfulness?

How do opportunity and ability influence spiritual growth?

In what ways can believers maximize their service to God?

How do opportunity and ability determine Christian service?

What promise follows faithfulness in small responsibilities?

How does the widow's mite illustrate sacrificial giving?

Have you done what you can? (Mark 14:3-9)

Devotional

Day 1: Broken Alabaster, Whole Devotion

Day 2: Two Loaves, Five Thousand Fed

Day 3: Faithful With the Fish

Day 4: Trumpets and Two Mites

Day 5: Assembling in the Last Days

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Have you done what you can? (Mark 14:3-9)

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