Trusting God Through Sacrificial Generosity

Devotional

Day 1: God Looks at the Heart, Not the Amount

Jesus is not impressed by the size of our gifts or outward displays of generosity, but rather by the sincerity and devotion of our hearts. While people may be captivated by large offerings and public acts, God sees beyond appearances and values the true intent and sacrifice behind what we give. The world often equates bigger with better, but in God’s eyes, it is the heart’s posture that matters most. He desires that our giving flows from genuine love and trust, not from a desire for recognition or self-justification. [26:22]

Mark 12:41-44 (ESV)
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For 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.”

Reflection: In what area of your life are you tempted to focus on outward appearances or impressing others, rather than offering your true heart to God today?

Day 2: Sacrificial Giving Reflects True Trust in God

The widow’s offering was small in monetary value but immense in spiritual significance because it was sacrificial—she gave all she had, trusting God completely with her future. True giving is not measured by what is left over after our needs are met, but by what it costs us and how much we are willing to trust God to provide. God Himself modeled sacrificial giving by offering His only Son for us, and He calls us to mirror that trust and generosity, even when it feels risky or uncertain. [39:38]

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Reflection: What is one thing you could give up or give away this week that would require you to trust God more deeply with your needs?

Day 3: Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Be Also

Our giving reveals where our priorities and affections truly lie; when we invest in God’s kingdom, our hearts follow, drawing us closer to Him. It is easy to become attached to material things or to rely on our own resources for security, but Jesus calls us to seek first His kingdom and trust that He will provide for all our needs. By putting God first in our finances and our lives, we experience a deeper relationship with Him and a greater awareness of His provision and faithfulness. [45:37]

Matthew 6:19-21, 33 (ESV)
“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... But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Reflection: What is one practical way you can “seek first the kingdom of God” with your resources or time today?

Day 4: Faith in Uncertainty—God Is Our Provider

In times of uncertainty, fear, or financial stress, it is natural to want to hold tightly to what we have, but faith calls us to trust in God’s provision even when the future is unclear. The testimony of God’s faithfulness—providing for needs in unexpected ways—reminds us that He is able to care for us beyond what we can imagine. When we step out in faith, giving even when it feels risky, we declare that our hope and security are in God, not in our possessions or circumstances. [41:59]

Philippians 4:19 (ESV)
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Reflection: Think of a current area of uncertainty in your life—how can you take a step of faith today that demonstrates your trust in God’s provision?

Day 5: Generosity Grows Our Faith and Advances God’s Kingdom

Generosity is not just about meeting needs; it is a pathway for spiritual growth and a means by which God’s kingdom is advanced. As we move from occasional or reluctant giving to consistent, joyful, and even extravagant generosity, we become more like Christ and experience the joy of partnering with God in His work. Each step of faith in giving—no matter how small—breaks the grip of materialism, deepens our trust in God, and leaves a legacy that impacts eternity. [51:49]

Acts 20:35 (ESV)
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Reflection: What is one step you can take this week to grow in generosity—whether through your church, a person in need, or another opportunity God places before you?

Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered as a family in a space where it’s okay to not be okay, where God’s presence is real and His love is abundant. As we continued our journey through the Gospel of Mark, we encountered the story of the widow’s offering in Mark 12—a story that challenges our assumptions about giving, faith, and what truly matters to God. The world constantly asks, “How much?”—how much do we have, how much do we spend, how much do we give? But Jesus reframes the question: He’s not interested in the size of our gifts, but in the size of our trust and the depth of our hearts.

In the temple, Jesus watched as the rich made a show of their large offerings, their coins clanging loudly in the offering boxes. Yet, He was not impressed by the spectacle or the sums. Instead, His attention was drawn to a poor widow who quietly gave two small coins—an amount that seemed insignificant to everyone else, but was everything she had. Her gift was not about the amount, but about the sacrifice and the faith it represented. Jesus teaches us that God’s eyes are fixed not on numbers, but on faith. He asks not how much we give, but how much of our heart we entrust to Him.

This story confronts our culture’s obsession with materialism and self-reliance. We often rationalize our priorities, spending freely on ourselves while withholding from God, forgetting that all we have is a gift meant to be shared. Jesus raises the bar—not lowering it—calling us to a life of sacrificial generosity that reflects His own sacrifice for us. God gave His very best, His only Son, for our sake. Our giving, then, is not about leftovers or obligation, but about a joyful, wholehearted response to His grace.

We are invited to examine where we are on our own giving pathway. Whether we are just starting, giving occasionally, tithing, or living extravagantly generous lives, the call is to take a step of faith. Giving is not just a financial transaction; it is an act of worship, a declaration of trust, and a means by which we draw closer to God. As we open our hands and hearts, we discover the joy of living in God’s abundance, trusting Him to provide, and investing in treasures that last for eternity.

Key Takeaways

1. God Looks at the Heart, Not the Amount While people are often impressed by outward displays of generosity, God is not swayed by the size of our gifts. He looks deeper, searching for hearts that are surrendered and motivated by love and trust. The widow’s two coins were worth more to Jesus than all the large sums because they represented her whole heart and complete dependence on Him. [26:22]
2. Sacrificial Giving Reflects True Faith Giving out of abundance costs little and changes little, but giving sacrificially requires real faith. The widow’s offering was a risk—she gave all she had, trusting God to provide for her needs. True generosity is measured not by what we give, but by what it costs us and how much we trust God to fill the gap. [39:38]
3. Our Priorities Reveal Our Spiritual Health How we handle our resources is a mirror of our spiritual priorities. When we prioritize comfort, security, or material gain over God, it reveals a heart that is drifting from Him. Jesus challenges us to love the Giver more than the gifts, to resist the pull of materialism, and to let our giving be an act of worship that reorients our hearts toward Him. [33:44]
4. Generosity Draws Us Closer to God If we desire a deeper relationship with God, it often comes through sacrifice and surrender. When we give, especially when it stretches us, we become more aware of God’s provision and presence in our lives. Our hearts follow our treasure, and as we invest in God’s kingdom, we find ourselves drawn closer to Him and more attuned to His work. [46:41]
5. Faithful Giving is an Act of Hope The widow gave not out of fear, but out of hope—believing that God would remain faithful even as she let go of her last coins. Our giving is a declaration that our future is secure in God’s hands, not in our bank accounts. It is a way of putting our hope into action, trusting that God’s abundance is greater than our scarcity and that He will provide for all our needs. [47:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[08:27] - First Love for Jesus
[09:36] - God’s Provision Testimony
[25:26] - Jesus Observes the Offering
[26:22] - Heart vs. Amount in Giving
[27:37] - The Widow’s Offering
[28:26] - The Value of Small Gifts
[29:01] - Jesus’ True Question: Where is Your Heart?
[30:10] - The Rich Young Ruler
[31:53] - Idols and Surrender
[33:44] - Materialism and Priorities
[36:28] - Generosity in the Church
[37:38] - Jesus Raises the Bar
[39:38] - Sacrifice and Spiritual Value
[41:21] - God’s Sacrifice for Us
[41:59] - Faith in Uncertainty
[45:08] - Giving Reveals Trust
[46:41] - Sacrifice Draws Us Closer
[47:09] - Hope in Action
[51:49] - Prayer for Generosity
[54:30] - Responding to God’s Call
[55:49] - Life Groups and Closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 12:41-44 (ESV) — > And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For 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.”

Observation Questions

According to Mark 12:41-44, what differences do you notice between the way the rich and the widow gave their offerings?
In the sermon, what did Jesus focus on when watching people give at the temple: the amount or something else? ([26:22])
How did the widow’s offering stand out to Jesus, even though it was a very small amount? ([28:26])
What does Jesus say about the widow’s gift compared to the gifts of the rich? ([39:38])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus was not impressed by the large sums given by the rich, but was moved by the widow’s two coins? ([26:22])
What does the widow’s willingness to give “all she had to live on” reveal about her faith and trust in God? ([39:38])
The sermon mentions that our giving is a reflection of our heart and trust in God. How does this challenge the way we usually think about generosity? ([45:08])
How does Jesus’ teaching about giving in this passage confront our culture’s focus on materialism and self-reliance? ([33:44])

Application Questions

The sermon said, “Jesus is not interested in the size of our gifts, but in the size of our trust and the depth of our hearts.” When you think about your own giving—of money, time, or talents—what do you think God sees? Is there an area where you feel challenged to trust Him more? ([26:22])
The widow gave sacrificially, not out of her abundance. Can you think of a time when you gave in a way that really cost you something? How did that experience affect your faith? ([39:38])
The pastor shared that our priorities with money and resources reveal our spiritual health. Looking at your own spending or giving habits, what do they say about your priorities? Is there something you want to change? ([33:44])
The sermon challenged us to examine where we are on our “giving pathway”—from not giving, to giving occasionally, to tithing, to living generously. Where do you see yourself on this pathway? What would it look like to take a next step? ([47:09])
The pastor said, “If you want to be closer to God, increase your giving. Because where your money goes, your heart will go.” Do you agree with this? Why or why not? How have you seen this to be true (or not) in your own life? ([46:41])
The widow gave out of hope, not fear, believing God would provide. Is there an area in your life where you are holding back out of fear or uncertainty? What would it look like to give or act out of hope instead? ([47:09])
The sermon reminded us that God gave His very best—His Son—for us. How does remembering God’s generosity toward you shape your attitude toward giving and sharing with others? ([41:21])

Sermon Clips

So we just live in a world that likes to think that bigger is better. You get a bigger value meal, you upsize it, it must be better. If you have bigger income, you must be better. If you've got a bigger square footage house, it must be better. If you've got a bigger boat, you've got bigger fish. If you go to a big church, you assume it must be better. If you've got a bigger tithe, you must be better. But Jesus doesn't look at size. He looks deeper. He looks to the heart. [00:26:45] (30 seconds) #HeartOverSize

A widow in that culture was a very hard place to be in life. It was very poor because there's no safety nets in the culture. There's no life insurance policies. There's no steady income. There's no government programs, no pensions, no food pantries. And yet here she comes. She comes walking up quietly. And I would say overlooked by others because they're like, Oh, we know she's not going to give anything. It's not going to be exciting to hear that one hit the offering plate. There's an antidepicipation for her offering. So she drops these two tiny coins again. And our human standards, a penny worthless. I think, aren't we getting rid of the penny in our world today? And barely makes a sound, a drop in the bucket. And some might even say, why does she even bother? Why does she even bother? It doesn't really help. It doesn't really make a difference. However, her gift makes a difference with Jesus. Jesus notices her offering. It's in her offering that He breaks His silence. See, while we're all fixed on numbers, heaven's eyes are fixed on faith, not numbers. They look at the heart. [00:27:38] (86 seconds) #FaithOverNumbers

God gave His one and only Son. God gave. He sacrificed. He who had everything gave the very most, the very best. And then that was a sacrifice that was painful to give His Son. It was painful for His Son to come here and take on His sin. He had no sin. To take on our punishment, to suffer for that, and to be sacrificed and killed and receive the punishment of hell from God's wrath on Him. And He didn't deserve it. And God, who has abundance, gave abundantly. too in His Son, and it hurt. But He did it for you and I. That we could have life with Him. That we could be forgiven from our state of sin and be in a relationship and fellowship with the Holy God. And have the incredible gift of eternal life. God gave with His whole heart for us. [00:40:39] (61 seconds) #GodsUltimateSacrifice

Giving goes hand in hand with trust. Really, giving, how much you give, reveals how much you trust God to take care of you. Giving is a revealing of the heart. That's why it doesn't, shouldn't stay in the dark. It just says, where's your heart at? Because when our heart gets cold with God, the first thing that goes is our giving. [00:44:51] (27 seconds) #GivingRevealsTrust

Heaven is not impressed with big checks. It's impressed by surrendered hearts. Jesus is not a tip that you add on after the bill is paid. And if you got something left over, and you feel like you want to be generous because he's been good to you. Or you say, oh, there's not anything left over. I can't do anything this time. Jesus says, seek the kingdom first and his righteousness. And what is his righteousness? His righteousness is that your whole heart is following him. That your whole heart is sold out. And seek him first. [00:45:28] (28 seconds) #SurrenderedHeartsMatter

The widow believed that even as she gave her last penny god still held her future do we give like that she gave not with fear but with hope that god who has been faithful remain faithful and for care for her. [00:47:47] (17 seconds) #FaithfulGivingHope

Where am I on this pathway of giving that god's grace has worked in my life and in our hearts and it's been transforming into the likeness of christ that empowers me not to be a slave to the things of this world but be a steward of what god has blessed me with in order to advance his kingdom and honor him that he grows and I grow in my faith and and my life of generosity just like god is generous with his grace. [00:48:52] (23 seconds) #GraceTransformsGiving

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