Day 1 of 5: Give Yourself to God First

🌍 Generosity begins with a heart surrendered to Jesus, who invites you to trust Him with every part of your life.

🌍 Day 1 of 5: Missions Sunday — Give Yourself to God First

📖 Scripture

2 Corinthians 8:5 (NIV, excerpt)

“They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.”

🪞 Reflection

What have you given to God, and what are you still holding back?

When we hear a message about giving, our thoughts often go straight to our finances. We begin calculating what we can afford or thinking about the needs already competing for our attention. Paul’s description of the Macedonian believers invites us to begin somewhere deeper.

Before they offered their resources, they offered themselves to the Lord.

Their generosity grew from belonging to Him. They were responding to the grace they had received, allowing their relationship with God to shape what they did with what they had.

Pastor Sonny emphasized this order in the Missions Sunday message: first give yourself to God, and then make your resources available to Him. Giving becomes an expression of a relationship that is already changing your heart.

It is possible to participate in church activities while keeping parts of your life closed to the Father. You may gladly offer your time but resist His direction about your finances. You may give financially while avoiding a conversation about forgiveness, obedience or trust.

Today, take a few quiet moments to come honestly before Him. Tell Him where you feel willing and where you feel resistant. You do not need to hide your questions or pretend that surrender feels easy.

Remember the lost son in Luke 15. His return involved coming back to his father. In the same way, the invitation before you is personal: return to the Father and place your life in His hands.

As you receive His love and respond to His correction, ask Him to form a generous heart within you. Begin with the simple prayer, “Lord, I belong to You. Teach me to trust You with what I have.”

Ask yourself:

🌍 What part of my life have I been reluctant to surrender to God?

🪞 How has my relationship with the Father shaped my attitude toward giving?

📖 What does the order in 2 Corinthians 8:5 teach me about generosity?

🙏 What would it look like to give myself to the Lord today?

Let your response begin with a willing heart. The Father who welcomes you also teaches you how to live as someone who belongs to Him.

💡 Generosity takes root as we give ourselves to the Lord and allow His grace to shape our choices.

🎙️ From the Sermon

Pastor Sonny highlighted that the Macedonian believers gave themselves first to the Lord. He connected this surrender to the lost son’s return to his father, reminding the church that generosity grows from a personal relationship with God.

🙏 Prayer

Father, thank You for welcoming me through Jesus.

Show me the parts of my life I have kept closed to You. Help me bring my fears, plans and resources into Your care.

Teach me to respond to Your love with obedience. Give me a willing heart, and let generosity grow from my relationship with You.

Amen.

✍️ Today’s Action

Read 2 Corinthians 8:1–7 and Luke 15:17–24 slowly.

Then complete these statements:

One area of my life I need to surrender to God is:

One truth about the Father’s love I need to remember is:

One step of obedience I will take today is:

🌍 Missions Sunday: Give Yourself to God First — Day 1 of 5