Whether you are here in person or engaging from home, we are thankful you have chosen to worship with us today. If it is your first time, welcome! we would love to get to know you better. Would you consider filling out our Next Steps card and let us know you stopped by?

At Grace Family we focus our worship on Sunday to impact our lives every other day of the week as well. We also believe no one is perfect but everyone is welcome to worship God with us. So, no matter where you're from, what you've done, or what your week has been like, let's worship God and learn from His word together today.

Mark 12:13-17

"13 Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?” Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin,[a] and I’ll tell you.” 16 When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. 17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

His reply completely amazed them."

2 Possible Traps:

Trouble with the Romans

Trouble with the Jews

The coin bears the image of Caesar.

We bear the image of God.

1. Obey the law and give the government what is theirs on earth.

2. Obey God by giving him everything.

Mark 12:26-31

"26 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses,[a] ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[b] 27 So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.” 28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’[c] 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] No other commandment is greater than these.”

Heart - internally, the very center of who we are.

Soul - life force, your vital existence, the actions we take and why.

Mind - intellect, understanding, acknowledge.

Strength - with power and might, not shallow or easily moved.

Every aspect of who we are is completely and totally his.

A shallow version of Christianity will fail 100% of the time.

Mark 12:32-34

"32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” 34 Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions."

Offering who we are is a greater sacrifice than offering what we do.

Mark 12:41-44

"41 Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.[a] 43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”"

Sacrificial worship weighs more than comfortable worship.

The widow loved God with her heart.

- She gave even though she had little because she wanted to worship God.

The widow loved God with her soul.

- Her sacrifice caused her to go physically to the temple and give.

The widow loved God with her mind.

- She knew what was right and she trusted God in her obedience.

The widow loved God with her strength.

- Her gift was the smallest of all but she was willing to give it anyway.

1. We are God's

Stamped with his image and bought with a price.

2. We love him by giving every part of us.

If we have not given him everything, we will compromise with God about our obedience.

3. Sacrificial worship means more for him and less for me.

You can only know you've given him everything when it truly costs you something.

What has it cost you to follow Jesus?

- Is your time spent differently?

- Has your path in life changed?

- Have you given up tangible things in order to be obedient to God?

Am I spending time and resources where I shouldn't?

How should I be spending them?

• What is my plan to make these changes happen?

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