The Vision of Multiplying the Little for God’s Kingdom

Devotional

Day 1: God Multiplies What We Surrender to Him

When we offer Jesus what little we have—our time, resources, talents, or even our brokenness—He is able to bless, break, and multiply it far beyond what we could ever imagine. What may seem insignificant in our hands becomes holy and powerful in His, able to feed and bless many. The story of the five loaves and two fish reminds us that God delights in using our small offerings to accomplish His great purposes, and that the overflow of His blessing can impact generations. [01:25:26]

Matthew 14:13-21 (NKJV)
When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Reflection: What is one “small” thing in your life—an ability, resource, or even a struggle—that you’ve been holding back from God? How can you offer it to Him today and trust Him to multiply it for His kingdom?

Day 2: Compassion Moves Us to Action, Even in Our Pain

Jesus, even in the midst of His own grief and exhaustion, was moved with compassion for the crowds and responded by healing and feeding them. True compassion is not just a feeling but a call to action, especially when it’s inconvenient or costly. We are called to let compassion move us to serve, love, and minister to others, even on our hardest days, trusting that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. [01:30:45]

Reflection: Think of a time when you felt overwhelmed or hurting, yet someone needed your help. How can you let compassion move you to serve someone today, even if you feel you have little to give?

Day 3: Pruning and Breaking Lead to Greater Fruitfulness

Just as Jesus blessed and then broke the bread before multiplying it, God often prunes and breaks us—not to harm us, but to prepare us for greater impact and fruitfulness. The process of pruning, as described in John 15, removes what is unprofitable and makes room for more growth, so that our lives can feed and bless many. Embracing God’s pruning leads to a deeper dependence on Him and a greater capacity to serve others. [01:44:22]

John 15:1-5 (NKJV)
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Reflection: Where in your life do you sense God is pruning or breaking you right now? How might this be preparing you for greater fruitfulness and blessing others?

Day 4: Every Member Is Vital in the Body of Christ

The vision of God’s house is incomplete without each person playing their part; every member, regardless of age or background, is a vital piece of the puzzle. The church is designed to function as one body with many members, each bringing their unique gifts, energy, and faith to build up the whole. When we step into our God-given roles, we experience the fullness and beauty of the body of Christ, and the overflow of blessing reaches far beyond ourselves. [02:04:18]

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (ESV)
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

Reflection: What unique gift, perspective, or energy do you bring to the body of Christ? How can you intentionally use it this week to build up someone in your church family?

Day 5: Overflow Blesses Generations and Expands the Kingdom

God’s vision is not just for a one-time blessing, but for overflow—leftovers that feed households, communities, and generations to come. When we allow God to bless, break, and give what we offer, the impact multiplies beyond our sight, touching lives we may never meet. The overflow of God’s work in us is meant to reach our children, our neighbors, and the nations, as we steward His vision with zeal and faithfulness. [02:00:25]

Psalm 78:4-7 (ESV)
We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.

Reflection: Who in the next generation—your children, youth, or someone you mentor—can you intentionally bless or encourage this week with the overflow of what God has done in your life?

Sermon Summary

This week, we celebrated the heartbeat of our church: missions, compassion, and the power of giving what we have—no matter how small—into the hands of Jesus. We heard testimonies from our Spain mission team, who reminded us that while we often go out to serve others, it is we ourselves who are transformed in the process. The stories of women rescued from human trafficking, children touched by love, and lives changed in Spain are a testament to God’s nearness to the brokenhearted and His desire to bring light into darkness through us.

We reflected on the familiar story from Matthew 14, where Jesus feeds the five thousand. The context is important: Jesus had just lost John the Baptist, His cousin and forerunner, and was in a place of grief. Yet, even in His pain, He was moved with compassion for the crowds and ministered to their needs. This is a call for us to allow compassion to move us into action, even on our hardest days. Ministry and mission are not reserved for our moments of strength, but are often most powerful when we serve out of our weakness and brokenness.

The miracle of the loaves and fishes is not just about multiplication, but about surrender. The disciples doubted their capacity, but Jesus asked them to bring what little they had. In His hands, scarcity became abundance. He blessed, broke, and gave the bread, and there was not only enough for everyone, but leftovers—twelve baskets full, symbolizing completeness and overflow. This is the pattern of the Kingdom: what we surrender, God blesses; what He blesses, He breaks and prunes; what He breaks, He multiplies for the sake of others.

We are each a vital piece of God’s vision, both in this house and in the world. The vision is generational—what we give today becomes the overflow that feeds not just us, but our children and the next generation. There is room for everyone, and no offering is too small. The call is to speak, live, and be the Word, to grow deep roots, to worship and pray, to reach out, and to develop as leaders who are grounded in God’s Word. The vision does not work without you. You are needed, valued, and called to be part of the overflow.

Key Takeaways

1. Compassion Moves Us Beyond Our Pain True compassion is not a feeling but a force that propels us into action, even when we are hurting. Jesus ministered to the crowds while grieving, showing us that our most powerful ministry can come from our places of weakness. When we allow compassion to move us, we become conduits of God’s healing and love, regardless of our circumstances. [90:08]
2. Surrendering the Little Unlocks God’s Abundance The miracle began when the disciples brought their meager five loaves and two fish to Jesus. In our hands, what we have may seem insignificant, but in God’s hands, it becomes holy and multiplied. The act of surrender—giving God our time, resources, and abilities—opens the door for Him to do exceedingly more than we could imagine. [98:13]
3. Blessing and Breaking Precede Multiplication Before the bread could feed the multitudes, Jesus blessed and broke it. Blessing sets apart what we offer, but it is in the breaking—God’s pruning and refining—that we are prepared for greater impact. Many settle for the blessing, but it is the breaking that creates space for overflow and generational fruitfulness. [102:24]
4. We Are Called to Co-Labor and Feed the Many Jesus gave the bread to the disciples to distribute, inviting them to participate in the miracle. God’s vision is not for spectators but for active participants. Each of us is called to feed others—spiritually, emotionally, and practically—using what God has placed in our hands. The church is God’s plan to reach the world, and it does not function without every member in their place. [106:48]
5. The Overflow Is Generational and Inclusive The leftovers from the miracle fed not just the crowd, but symbolically, the next generation. God’s vision is not a one-time event but an ongoing, generational overflow. What we give today becomes the foundation for those who come after us. There is room for everyone—no one is too young, too old, or too insignificant to be part of God’s puzzle. [120:25]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[47:35] - Missions at Storehouse: Our DNA
[49:10] - Women’s Ministry in Spain
[51:58] - First-Time Mission Testimonies
[53:43] - Impact on Children in Spain
[55:50] - Human Trafficking and God’s Nearness
[67:09] - Prayer for the Spain Team
[71:23] - Honoring Our Pastors
[77:39] - Reading Matthew 14: Feeding the 5,000
[83:01] - Storehouse: From Small Beginnings
[87:16] - Jesus’ Compassion in Grief
[90:08] - Compassion in Action
[94:15] - “You Give Them Something to Eat”
[98:13] - Surrendering the Little
[102:24] - Blessing, Breaking, and Multiplication
[106:48] - Co-Laboring with Christ
[120:25] - Generational Overflow and Vision
[127:04] - Vision for the Next Year: His Word
[131:07] - Invitation and Closing Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 14:13-21 (ESV) —
> 13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Observation Questions

According to Matthew 14:13-14, what was Jesus experiencing emotionally before the miracle, and how did He respond to the crowds?
What did the disciples say to Jesus about the crowd’s need for food, and how did Jesus respond to their suggestion? (Matthew 14:15-16)
What did Jesus do with the five loaves and two fish before distributing them to the people? (Matthew 14:19)
In the sermon, what examples were shared about how compassion and missions have impacted both those served and those serving? ([49:10])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus chose to serve and perform a miracle for the crowds even while He was grieving the loss of John the Baptist? What does this reveal about the nature of compassion? ([01:27:16])
The disciples felt what they had was not enough. What does their reaction teach us about our own feelings of inadequacy when God asks us to serve or give? ([01:36:19])
The sermon emphasized that Jesus blessed and broke the bread before multiplying it. What might the “breaking” represent in our own lives, and why is it necessary before multiplication or greater impact? ([01:42:24])
The leftovers from the miracle were more than enough. What does this abundance say about God’s vision for His people and the next generation? ([02:00:25])

Application Questions

The sermon said, “Compassion should move us into action, even on our hardest days.” Can you think of a recent time when you were hurting but still felt called to help someone else? What did you do, or what could you do differently next time? ([01:30:08])
The disciples brought what little they had to Jesus, and He multiplied it. What is something in your life right now—time, resources, skills—that feels small or insignificant? How could you surrender it to God this week? ([01:38:13])
The pastor shared that “many settle for the blessing, but it is the breaking that creates space for overflow and generational fruitfulness.” Is there an area in your life where you sense God is “breaking” or pruning you? How might this be preparing you for greater impact? ([01:42:24])
Jesus gave the bread to the disciples to distribute, inviting them to participate in the miracle. In what ways are you currently “feeding others”—spiritually, emotionally, or practically? Is there a new way you feel called to serve? ([01:46:48])
The sermon highlighted that the overflow is generational and inclusive—there is room for everyone, and no offering is too small. How can you encourage or include someone (maybe a child, elder, or someone who feels left out) in God’s work this month? ([02:00:25])
The vision for the church includes speaking, living, and being the Word, growing deep roots, worship, prayer, outreach, and leadership. Which of these areas do you feel most drawn to grow in this year? What is one step you can take this week to move forward? ([02:09:00])
The pastor said, “The vision does not work without you. You are needed, valued, and called to be part of the overflow.” Do you believe this about yourself? If not, what holds you back? How can the group support you in stepping into your place in God’s vision? ([02:03:48])

Sermon Clips

Because he knew that in the hands of Jesus, what you think is scarcity, what you think is not enough, what you think is inadequate, insufficient, what you think doesn't pass the muster or pass par. He's like, oh, you wait till I get my hands on that. He says, bring it to me, he tells them. They do. Maybe skeptical, maybe excited. I don't know. But they bring it to him. [01:38:16] (30 seconds) #TrustInJesusHands

So blessing means your little, your lack, your inadequacy, your short-lived resume, your past, your failure. Put it in the hands of Jesus. And he's going to first bless it. He's going to call it holy. Because now it's in his hands. So now it's holy. It's a secret about holiness. It's not about you. It's about God. Ground is always holy ground. Because God is present. So if you put something in God's hand, now it can be holy. [01:41:01] (38 seconds) #HolyInHisHands

The blessing is there because it's blessed. The blessing is there. But we're talking about we want greater blessing. The blessing is already there. It's the breaking that will give way to the greater. Now, it's not the weird breaking, like, Lord, sign me up for a chronic disease kind of breaking. Or, God, I want to go bankrupt. It's not that kind of breaking. I'm talking about the breaking in the hands of the potter that actually prunes you. [01:42:21] (30 seconds) #BreakingForBlessing

Some of your impact is small. Because you stop in the blessing. And you're content in the blessing. And you understand, it's in the breaking, in the pruning, that has a space for the greater blessing to feed many. He blesses it. He breaks it. Then he gives it. Because he's not stingy like that. He loves to give. Don't you be glad he's not stingy? [01:44:28] (28 seconds) #CoLaborForKingdom

God wants to co-labor with this house. He wants to co-labor with you. So that you can give to feed the many. Stop praying all the time for him to do something. And you get up and do something. He's given it to you to feed the many. You have the word of God. Dwell in it richly. Be trained up by it. And then feed the many. [01:45:48] (28 seconds) #UseYourResources

Every person present was full. Listen to this. Every person was full. There was no outcast in this. There was no one left behind in this. Everyone got to be full. We serve a God that has a desire for all men to come to know him and for all men to be filled up with the bread of life. All men were filled. [01:53:49] (37 seconds) #OverflowingBlessings

The blessing was in the giving of the stuff. Okay, here's the first blessing. The greater blessing, he fed 5,000 men, grown men, and wives and kids. And the greater blessing after that, there were leftovers. No one was hungry. They were all full. Leftovers. 12 baskets full. That means there was so much. It was so exceedingly and abundantly above what they ever asked or thought or imagined. They actually had to give back because there was leftovers. [01:55:04] (39 seconds) #CompleteAndFinished

He took the little. He took the little, you guys. He blessed it. He broke it. He gave it. And then there was leftovers. 12 baskets full. Complete work. His kingdom is all about the overflow. That's a complete work. He's an author and what? The finisher of your faith. Alpha and omega. He began to get work. He's a complete and finish it. He's a finisher. A completer. [01:56:40] (36 seconds) #PourOutToFeed

Leftovers don't just feed you. The meal feeds you. Oh, you see where I'm going. Leftovers feed those around you. Leftovers feed your household. Leftovers feed your children. Leftovers feed the next generation. That's the kind of overflow the kingdom of God operates in. It wasn't a one-time miracle. It was leftovers. The vision of this house is not a one-time one and done. It's generational. Leftovers. [01:59:54] (35 seconds) #StewardTheVision

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