Maximizing God-Given Opportunities Through Generosity and Surrender

Devotional

Day 1: Steward God-given opportunities; refuse to play it safe.

Jesus has entrusted every one of us with something valuable—opportunities, relationships, resources, and influence—and He expects faithfulness, not fear. You don’t choose the size of what you receive; you choose your response, and the reward comes from maximizing what’s in your hand, not comparing with someone else. Playing it safe to stay comfortable only buries possibilities; taking wise, faith-filled risks for His mission multiplies impact. Today, refuse contentment and choose capability—put what God has given you to work for the good of others and the fame of Jesus. [08:28]

Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Reflection: What “bag of gold” (skill, relationship, resource, or influence) have you been sitting on, and what single concrete step will you take before tonight to put it to work for Jesus’ mission?

Day 2: Love others as Jesus has loved you.

Jesus gave one command that covers them all: love one another the way He has loved you—sacrificially, practically, and persistently. This love puts others first when there’s tension between what’s best for me and what’s best for them; it builds a “belong before you believe” culture that makes it simple for anyone to find and follow Jesus. Let your posture be Jesus-centered, your priority others-focused, and your stance outward-facing, so people experience that we are for them with no strings attached. Today, make His love visible and tangible. [02:24]

John 13:34-35 (NIV)
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Reflection: Who is one person you can love like Jesus today, and what costly, practical act (a note of encouragement, a meal, childcare, covering a cost, advocating for them) will you do within the next 24 hours?

Day 3: Empowered to witness here, there, and everywhere.

Followers of Jesus are called to care about more than “just local”—the Spirit empowers us to be witnesses from our neighborhood to our region, nation, and the ends of the earth. God is opening doors for catalytic impact across counties, across the country, and across the world; when we step through them, families, generations, and communities are changed. Let your vision grow larger than your zip code, and let your obedience travel as far as His mission leads. [35:23]

Acts 1:8 (NIV)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Reflection: Name one person in your “Jerusalem” (your immediate circle) and send a text or call within the next hour to share a piece of your Jesus story or invite them to take a next step with you.

Day 4: Surrender availability to join God’s unfolding story.

God delights to use ordinary people who are simply willing and available; the decisive move is surrender. Surrender says, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I’m willing to do whatever You want,” trusting God to do what only He can do through your life. This posture moves you from contentment to capability—from settling to maximizing—so your yes can be leveraged for eternal impact. Offer yourself to Him today, wholly and without reservation. [40:18]

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Reflection: What specific area are you holding back from God (time, comfort, reputation, finances, future plans)? Write a 2–3 sentence prayer of surrender and tell one trusted friend today what step you will take.

Day 5: Practice no-strings generosity; vote with time and money.

We “vote” for the kind of church we’ll be with our time and money, and 100% participation unleashes 100% of our potential. No-strings generosity proves we are for people, fuels long-term mission, and ensures yesterday’s gifts don’t limit tomorrow’s opportunities; God invites cheerful, intentional giving that turns capability into impact. Decide your part and make your vote clear today. [31:32]

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV)
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Reflection: What specific amount or percentage will you cheerfully give toward the FOR initiative, and will you set it up (one-time and/or recurring) today so your “vote” is unmistakable?

Sermon Summary

For months I’ve carried one word in my heart: opportunity. When I look at my own life, your stories, and our church’s journey, I see a long line of God‑given, grace‑driven opportunities—things we didn’t engineer or deserve, yet were entrusted to steward. Jesus told a story about a master entrusting his wealth to servants. The point is simple and sobering: we are responsible and accountable to maximize what’s been placed in our hands. That’s the crossroads we’re at as a movement that’s committed to being Jesus‑centered, others‑focused, and outward‑facing. We can be content with where we are, or we can lean into what we’re capable of together.

I believe God has handed us “five bags” of opportunity—talent, influence, relationships, and resources—yet if I’m honest, we’ve often returned only two or three. Good? Yes. But not our best. So I painted a picture of what doubling could look like. Regionally: catalyzing a spiritual movement across the counties represented here—loving with no strings attached, empowering students, and mobilizing groups to serve. Nationally: helping ensure that wherever your son or daughter, friend or parent lands, there’s a church like this within driving distance. Internationally: resourcing networks (from England and Ireland to Brazil) so churches like this multiply where they’re desperately needed.

That’s why our “vote” matters—the annual FOR Offering and the way we prioritize recurring generosity. We’ve grown by over 100% since opening this building, but our participation in the FOR Offering has dropped, and we haven’t yet crossed 50% participation. We are not going to be hypocrites; if we say we are for people, our generosity should prove it. We’ve vetted $300,000 in high‑impact projects—local and global—because that’s actually what we’re capable of if we all participate.

Some ask, “Why not just focus local?” We’re not cutting local at all; we’re expanding our vision to match Jesus’ command to go to the ends of the earth. And honestly, what happens “out there” always makes its way “in here.” Laws, education, and medicine are vital, but none can transform the human heart. Only Jesus does that, and the local church carries that hope. So I’m not merely asking you to give; I’m asking you to surrender—willing and available—to play your part in the story God is writing through us. Let’s maximize what we’ve been entrusted with.

Key Takeaways

1. Stewardship over ownership: Jesus entrusts valuable opportunities to ordinary people, expecting us to manage them for His purposes. Accountability is built into the trust; playing it safe is not faithfulness. Maximizing what’s in our hands is how we honor the One who placed it there. [08:28] - Content or capable? Comfort curbs courage. We’re a “five‑bag” church currently returning two or three, which means good fruit but unrealized potential. Faith steps into risk—doing all we can with all we’ve been given—because obedience matters more than outcomes.
- A widened horizon is an act of love, not ambition: from five counties here at home to cities across our nation and networks abroad. Imagine students and groups becoming catalysts, communities experiencing no‑strings generosity, and families meeting Jesus where they live. This isn’t scale for its own sake; it’s about people meeting a Savior who changes everything.
- Our generosity is our vote. The annual FOR Offering isn’t about hitting a dollar target; the true goal is 100% participation because unity multiplies impact. Yesterday’s generosity won’t fund tomorrow’s opportunities; recurring giving is how we say, “Count on me” long‑term.
- Only Jesus can transform a human heart; systems can restrain evil, but they can’t redeem it. The local church is uniquely positioned to carry hope into every community because we carry Him. That’s why the most courageous response right now is surrender—willingness and availability for whatever God asks next. [08:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - God-given, grace-driven opportunities
[02:24] - Jesus-centered, others-focused, outward-facing
[03:59] - Parable: entrusted to maximize
[09:39] - Content or capable?
[12:21] - A five-bagger church: vision to double
[14:24] - Regional catalyst across five counties
[16:46] - National reach: churches within driving distance
[18:41] - International networks: Brazil and beyond
[19:42] - Your vote: FOR Offering
[25:30] - Where the money goes: partners and projects
[30:48] - What we’re capable of: $300k stretch
[33:55] - Why beyond local? Ends of the earth
[36:38] - Only Jesus transforms the heart
[40:18] - Surrender: willing and available

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