Open-Handed Living: Trusting God with Our Possessions

When encountering Jesus, everything changes—including how we view and hold our possessions. It’s natural to feel uneasy when God asks us to surrender what we hold dear, but this discomfort reveals our struggle to trust Him fully. The story of the boy with the loaves and fish in John 6 is a powerful example: a child’s simple act of open-handed generosity became the seed for a miracle that fed thousands. We often assume our resources are too small to matter, or we fear what might happen if we let go. Yet, in the hands of Jesus, what seems insignificant becomes more than enough.

Throughout Scripture, people who met Jesus responded by releasing their grip on their possessions. The magi brought costly gifts, the disciples left their livelihoods, and others gave up donkeys, rooms, and even expensive perfume. There’s something about the presence of Jesus that transforms our hearts, making us willing to give freely and joyfully. This isn’t just about money or things—it’s about living with open hands, recognizing that everything we have is from God and for His purposes.

Open-handed living is a posture of trust. It’s a daily choice to believe that God’s plans are bigger and better than our own, and that He can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. When we offer what we have—our time, talents, resources—God multiplies it for the good of others and for His glory. We are invited to participate in His work, not because He needs our resources, but because He delights in using us as part of His story.

Ultimately, the transformation Jesus brings is not just about our possessions, but about our entire orientation in life. Before Jesus, we are driven by fear, self-preservation, and the pursuit of more. After encountering Him, we are set free to give, to serve, and to find our satisfaction in Him alone. Communion is a reminder of this radical grace: we come to the table not by our own merit, but because Jesus has made a way. As we receive, we are called to live lives marked by generosity, gratitude, and trust in the One who truly changes everything.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Trusting God with Our Possessions Reveals Our Hearts The reluctance to surrender our possessions often exposes deeper issues of trust. When we fear what God might do with our “stuff,” it’s an invitation to examine whether we truly believe He is good and trustworthy. Letting go is less about losing comfort and more about gaining freedom to trust God’s provision and purpose. [44:20]
• 2. Small Offerings Become Miraculous in Jesus’ Hands The boy’s willingness to give his loaves and fish, whether it was his lunch or his livelihood, demonstrates that God delights in using what we offer, no matter how small. Our limited resources, when surrendered, become the starting point for God’s abundance. The miracle is not in the size of the gift, but in the willingness to give it. [53:04]
• 3. Open-Handed Living Is a Posture of Worship and Generosity Living with open hands—ready to give rather than to grasp—reflects a heart oriented toward God’s kingdom. This posture is not just about material generosity, but about offering our time, talents, and energy for God’s purposes. Open-handedness is both an act of worship and a declaration that our security is in God, not in what we possess. [65:17]
• 4. Jesus Changes Our Priorities and Freedoms Encountering Jesus reorders our values: before Him, we seek validation, security, and purpose in possessions and achievements; after Him, we find our worth and calling in His love and mission. This transformation frees us from anxiety and self-centeredness, empowering us to live generously and courageously. [67:05]
• 5. Participation in God’s Work Is a Privilege, Not a Burden God invites us to join in His redemptive work, not because He needs our resources, but because He wants us to experience the joy of being part of something greater than ourselves. When we offer what we have, we not only bless others but also witness God’s power and faithfulness firsthand. This is the miracle of open-handed living: we are blessed as we bless.
  
  ** [63:39]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [43:13] - Wrestling with Surrendering Possessions
• [45:04] - Opening Prayer
• [45:32] - How Jesus Changes Our View of Possessions
• [45:56] - Reading John 6: Feeding the 5,000
• [47:59] - Childhood Memories and the Miracle’s Context
• [49:31] - “Mine!”: Our Instinct to Hold On
• [50:32] - Biblical Examples of Generosity
• [51:32] - The Boy’s Gift: Willingness and Wonder
• [53:04] - Rethinking the Boy’s Offering
• [54:43] - What If Others Had Held Back?
• [55:32] - God’s Plans Exceed Our Capacity
• [56:00] - Local Ministry Stories of Generosity
• [64:15] - Open-Handed Worship and Generosity
• [67:05] - Before and After Encountering Jesus
• [69:22] - Communion: Celebrating Radical Grace
• [71:04] - Closing Blessing and Sending

Bible Reading

John 6:1-14 (ESV) – Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand —
> 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. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus 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 worth of bread would not be enough 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 told 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. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV) – Treasures in Heaven —
> “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV) —
> Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Observation Questions

1. In John 6, what did the boy offer to Jesus, and how did Jesus use it to meet the needs of the crowd?
2. According to the sermon, what are some examples from the Bible of people giving up their possessions when they encountered Jesus? ([50:32])
3. In Matthew 6:19-21, what does Jesus say about where we should store our treasures, and why?
4. What does Ephesians 3:20-21 say about God’s ability compared to our own expectations?

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon mentions that the boy’s offering may have been his lunch or even his livelihood. Why is the willingness to give, rather than the size of the gift, so important in God’s eyes? ([53:04])
2. The pastor described feeling uneasy about surrendering possessions to God. What does this discomfort reveal about our trust in God? ([44:20])
3. Why do you think people in the Bible responded to Jesus by giving up their possessions so freely? What does this say about the effect of encountering Jesus? ([50:32])
4. How does living with “open hands” (a posture of generosity and trust) reflect our relationship with God and our understanding of His character? ([01:05:17])

Application Questions

1. The pastor shared her own struggle with trusting God with her “stuff.” Is there something in your life that you find hard to surrender to God? What makes it difficult for you? ([44:20])
2. Think about the boy in John 6. Have you ever felt like what you have to offer is too small to matter? How might God want to use your “small” resources for something bigger? ([53:04])
3. The sermon described several people who gave up valuable things—like the magi’s gifts, the disciples’ livelihoods, or Mary’s perfume. Is there something valuable (time, talent, or resource) that God might be inviting you to offer for His purposes? ([50:32])
4. The idea of “open-handed living” was illustrated by physically opening our hands. What would it look like for you to live more open-handedly this week—with your time, your money, or your attention? ([01:05:17])
5. The pastor asked, “Have you encountered Jesus in a way that has changed everything for you?” If so, how has your view of possessions or priorities changed? If not, what questions or hesitations do you have? ([01:08:03])
6. Participation in God’s work is described as a privilege, not a burden. Can you think of a time when you gave something (time, money, energy) and saw God use it in a way that surprised or encouraged you? ([01:03:39])
7. Communion is a reminder that we come to God not by our own merit, but by grace. How does this truth free you to live with more generosity and less fear? ([01:09:22])