The End of the Beginning – Week 3
January 18, 2026
Motives of Faith
Pastor Ricky Smith
Sermon Notes
Mark 12:41–44
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.”
I. Jesus Is Watching What Religion Often Ignores
Psalm 139:23-24:23
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
II. The Widow’s Offering Is a Rebuke to Corrupt Religion
III. True Worship Is Measured by Surrender, Not Surplus
1 Samuel 16:7
Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.
True worship is not defined by the amount given, but by the heart surrendered.
Next Steps
- I confess my sin and turn to Jesus as King for the first time.
- I commit to giving regularly as an act of worship.
- I choose to surrender my heart to God and live under His influence.
Deep Dive
- Read Luke 21:1-4. In what ways might modern religious systems exploit the vulnerable, and how can we resist that?
- How does Christ’s giving of Himself redefine our understanding of true worship?
- How does your giving reflect where you put your trust?
Springboards
- What kinds of deception are most common today in culture and the church?
- How does Jesus’ warning in Mark 13 shape how we respond to current events?
- Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12. How do these verses help us understand deception in the last days?
