Rooted in Eternity: Trust, Give, and Receive Like Children

Malachi names the unchanging Lord as the reason Israel is not consumed and calls the children of Jacob to “return.” The prophet presses the question everyone is asking, “How shall we return?” and answers it at the vulnerable point of tithes and offerings. The text does not paint God as needy. God does not scramble for funds. Instead the repeated invitation is “test me,” because giving is training in trust. Firstfruits signal that the Giver is the Provider. Sabbath preaches the same sermon: six days are enough, and “he gives to his beloved sleep.” Trust takes concrete shape in calendars and bank ledgers.

At the Table, the bread and the cup put the cross in the center. The moment is serious, but the meal is also a gift, a celebration. The picture of two little girls skipping up the aisle in a high-church Eucharist unmasks a false choice between reverence and joy. A priest kneeling to welcome them mirrors Jesus’ own words: “Let the children come to me.” In Luke 18, the kingdom belongs to such as these, and only those who receive it like a child enter it. Childlike wonder does not trivialize the cross; it rightly receives it.

A healthy church looks like a family. Gray hair and giggles in the same room are not a nuisance but a sign of life. Children are not distractions to be managed but disciples to be welcomed, because their glad presence teaches the older saints how to approach the Table and the Lord with unclenched hands.

An African tale, Fly, Eagle, Fly, sharpens the call. An eagle raised among chickens scratches where it should soar until someone carries it to the ridge and turns its face toward the rising sun. Peter does something like that. He refuses “cleverly devised myths,” pointing instead to eyewitness glory on the holy mountain and the Father’s voice: “This is my beloved Son.” Scripture, “a lamp shining in a dark place,” did not come by human will but by men “carried along by the Holy Spirit.” The morning star rises in the heart when eternity breaks in. Citizens of another country can labor faithfully on the farm, but they do not forget the sky. The church lives rooted in this moment with hope anchored beyond it, lifting its eyes to the Sun who calls, “Fly.”

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s unchanging call to return God’s constancy keeps judgment from consuming his people and makes repentance possible. Malachi ties returning to the concrete arena of money, not to shame but to re-teach trust. The invitation “test me” reframes giving as a doorway into God’s provision, not a tax. The call lands where hearts clutch so that faith can open its hands. [29:41]
• 2. Giving trains trust before abundance The promise is not that God needs resources but that God loves to bless trust. Firstfruits put God’s character to the test in the only way Scripture permits, by relying on his provision. Generosity then becomes a habit that reshapes desire, not just a line item. The result is a deeper freedom than getting and keeping can produce. [32:12]
• 3. Bring childlike wonder to communion The Table holds the cross at the center, yet it is also a feast given to the beloved. Childlike delight does not trivialize the Eucharist; it reveals what grace feels like when it is received. Reverence without joy becomes brittle, and joy without reverence turns shallow. Childlike welcome keeps both together and alive. [40:39]
• 4. Welcome children as kingdom teachers Jesus does not just permit children; he points to them as the doorway into the kingdom. A multigenerational church is not efficient, it is faithful, because families are how God tells his story. Children teach seasoned saints to keep wondering, hoping, and receiving. Their presence is catechesis in motion for a whole congregation. [46:05]
• 5. Live as eagles, not chickens Earthly routines can train eternal creatures to forget the sky. Peter lifts eyes to glory seen and a word more fully confirmed, calling the church to let Scripture’s light reset perspective. Work and mission matter, but citizenship is elsewhere, and hope is anchored there. Face the rising Son and fly. [77:13]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [29:21] - Malachi and the unchanging Lord
• [30:04] - “Test me” and the opened heavens
• [32:37] - Firstfruits, Sabbath, and trusting provision
• [33:55] - Prayer over giving and mission
• [35:20] - A choral Eucharist and a holy ruckus
• [42:36] - “Let the children come to me”
• [45:11] - Multigenerational life as a sign of health
• [46:33] - The cross: sober joy at the Table
• [65:59] - Rooted in eternity, present in the moment
• [66:45] - Fly, Eagle, Fly: the whole story
• [73:57] - Peter’s eyewitness and the Father’s voice
• [75:52] - Scripture as a lamp in the dark
• [77:13] - Citizens of heaven among the chickens
• [78:59] - Benediction: eyes lifted to eternity

1. In Malachi 3:10, God says, “Put me to the test” regarding tithing. What specific promises does He attach to this invitation?
2. How does the story of the priest kneeling to welcome children during communion illustrate the relationship between reverence and joy? [40:39]
3. According to 2 Peter 1:16-21 (referenced in the sermon), what two key sources does Peter use to ground the church’s hope in eternity?

1. Why might God connect the act of tithing to “training in trust” rather than merely meeting a financial need? [32:12]
2. Jesus says the kingdom belongs to those who receive it “like a child” (Luke 18:17). How does childlike wonder guard against both shallow joy and brittle religiosity?
3. The African tale Fly, Eagle, Fly contrasts chickens scratching the earth with eagles soaring. How does this metaphor align with Peter’s call to live as “citizens of another country” (1:17-21)?

1. Giving firstfruits is a practice of trusting God’s provision. What practical step could you take this week to prioritize generosity before addressing other financial obligations?
2. Children are described as “disciples to be welcomed,” not distractions. How could you intentionally learn from or encourage a child in your faith community this month? [45:11]
3. The eagle story warns against becoming “chickens” fixated on earthly routines. What daily habit or mindset might you adjust to keep your perspective anchored in eternity?
4. The sermon contrasts clenched hands (clutching control) with open hands (trusting God). Where do you feel most tempted to “clutch” control—finances, relationships, or plans—and what would surrender look like? [29:41]
5. The priest’s joyful welcome of children disrupted a formal service. When have you experienced tension between structure and spontaneity in worship? How can both reverence and joy coexist in your spiritual practices?