What are you willing to release your hold on in order to see kingdom growth?
That is a question I have been wrestling with for the past several months as we prepare to enter into a new partnership, sharing our space and ministry with another church.
I wonder how often we unintentionally hinder kingdom growth because we hold so tightly to what we have. We cling to our resources, our schedules, our plans, our building, our traditions, our preferences, or simply the way we’ve always done things. Yet the kingdom of God has never been built on protecting what is ours. It has always been built by people who were willing to place everything they had into God’s hands.
This past Sunday, I preached on the widow’s offering in Mark 12:41–44. While others gave from their abundance, the widow gave everything she had, trusting that God would care for her. Her gift wasn’t measured by its monetary value but by the depth of her faith. She released what she held most tightly because she believed God’s kingdom was worth it.
As we stand at this crossroads, I can’t help but wonder if God is asking us to do the same. Perhaps He is inviting us to loosen our grip—not because He wants to take something from us, but because He wants to do something through us.
As we embark on this new season of ministry and partnership, my prayer is that we, like the widow, will give everything we have for the sake of God’s kingdom. I pray we will trust that God will provide everything we need. I pray we will move forward not with fear or reluctance, but with joy, anticipation, and a renewed commitment to the work God has called us to do.
Ultimately, our goal is not simply the growth of St. John’s Baptist Church. Our goal is the growth of God’s kingdom. If sharing our space, our time, our resources, and even our comfort allows more people to encounter the love of Christ, then it is not something we lose—it is something we gladly offer. After all, everything we have has always belonged to Him.
