1. Giving Your All

2. A poor widow was praised by Jesus for giving two mites; although it was a small amount of money, in Jesus' eyes it was more than the large sums that the rich gave. “For they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mark 12:41-44).

3. The widow’s sacrificial giving got the Lord's attention, and it astounds us even today. But the Lord wants you to give yourself in your entirety much more than He wants any of your money. The apostle Paul praised the Macedonians because in giving for the needs of the saints, “they first gave themselves to the Lord.” (2 Cor. 8:5)

4. The complete giving of ourselves to Christ is also described in the New Testament as being “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), and presenting our bodies to Him as “a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1).

5. Those who have given themselves first to the Lord have no problem giving all they have to His cause in other areas, such as EVANGELISM. To the Romans Paul says, “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.” (Romans 1:15). Notice the phrase “as much as is in me.” Paul was ready to give every bit of what was in him to evangelize!

6. Those who have given themselves first to the Lord have no problem giving all they have to His cause in other areas, such as SERVING FELLOW CHRISTIANS. The household of Stephanus had "devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints" (1 Corinthians 16:15). They had dedicated themselves to serving others.

7. Those who have given themselves first to the Lord have no problem giving all they have to His cause in other areas, such as MEDITATION ON THE SCRIPTURES. Paul tells Timothy, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them…” (1 Timothy 4:15).

8. Once we have given ourselves to the Lord, there is no area of His work that deserves less than our all. Let us put all of ourselves into worship this morning. “I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.” (Psalm 111:1)