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MARK 12:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
REFERENCES: PSALM 121:1-8, 145:1-2; 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10
In Mark, the large amounts of money thrown in at the temple by the rich men seemed like a strong gesture, while the amount the widow gave seemed to be a weak one. When we dive deeper, Jesus revealed that the widow’s portion was actually the opposite. She sacrificed all she had, giving the greatest offering of them all. This proves we can’t give greater significance to worldly strength over what God views as strength. While the world values control, status, and power, God’s heart turns towards the weak. In all that we do, there is an audience watching, but God is the only one who matters. He is the one who notices what everyone else misses. God sees our sacrifice, no matter how small. We’re stronger than we know. When we do good and live life with integrity, it blesses God and shows our love for him. He doesn’t need our money, he wants us to love him with all of our strength.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” —Mark 12:30
Not only was the widow seen as less-than because she was a woman, but she was also poor. Little did she know, Jesus was watching as she gave her all. Though we may not see the audience of heaven, it is ever-present. God is never far away and notices our actions, even if it seems insignificant in our eyes.
There is a massive contrast between what we see as strength versus what God sees as strength. It has always been the heart of God to gravitate toward the weakest among us. Case in point, Jesus bragged about the poor widow—he was so proud of her sacrifice. Know that God speaks well of you even when you don’t notice and even when you feel at your weakest.
It’s easy to get swayed into believing that earthly possessions are permanent. But you cannot take with you what you’ve built here, it is all temporary. We can become so attached to what is “ours” that we allow it to define how strong we are. The moment we lose a job, fail at a relationship, or feel unstable in any way, we can think that we don’t have it all together. We can even wonder if what we have to offer God is enough. But loving God with all of your strength is not about giving him something big, but about giving out of an honest place. It goes beyond the act and into the intention behind it. So don’t minimize the way you love God or give to him because if you are loving honestly, you are loving and giving strong.
Picture the past 24 hours. If your life were on display, would your actions have blessed God? Remember, you’re never alone, God is always watching over you. Moments of weakness are opportunities to discover strengths, live your life as a blessing to God.
Need a midweek reset? Join us every Wednesday at VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District in the Prayer Room for an incredible hour of prayer starting at 12PM. Make it part of your weekly rhythm!
Where: VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District
When: Every Wednesday
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Join us for Vision Sunday! Pastor Rich & DawnCheré Wilkerson will be sharing vision and marching orders for the year ahead. Be sure to invite your friends & family and get in the room!
For more information on Vision Sunday, click here
Team Night is happening on Wednesday, November 12th across all four VOUS locations starting at 7:00 PM!
Whether you’ve been serving for years or are just getting started, your presence matters. Team Night isn’t just for a specific team or department, it’s for our locations to come together as one cohesive team and move forward as one.
Sign up for your location below:
SoMi | City | Miami Gardens | Design District
Are you interested in leading a crew? Click here to fill out an application to become a crew leader in SZN 1 2026!
You don't want to miss the chance to hang with us at VOUS High Nite on Wednesday, November 5th @ 7PM, a night for the middle and high school community of VOUS Church.
We'll be hosting a Parent Hangout during VHN – an opportunity to get to know other parents in our community. Dinner provided.
To RSVP for VOUS High Nite, click here
To RSVP for the Parent Hang, click here
Where:
VOUS SoMi @ One City Church | 6750 Sunset Drive
VOUS Miami Gardens | 17801 NW Second Ave
Make Thanksgiving special for a family in need by serving at our annual Thanksgiving Bash, a morning of distributing hundreds of meals to families in our community and watching teams compete for the VOUS Bowl Title in our spirited 7-on-7 flag football tournament.
To donate a meal kit online, click here
To serve, click here
Date: Saturday, November 22nd
Time: 11:00AM
Location: Charles Hadley Park
Join us bright and early at Peacock Park for the VOUS 10K Turkey Trot! Start your Thanksgiving with fresh air, great friends, and all-around fun! We’ll see you at the starting line!
Sign up for the Turkey Trot, click here
Date: Thursday, November 27th
Time: 6:00AM
Location: Peacock Park
VOUS SoMi
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
VOUS Design District
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
Church Online
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack
