Everything Costs | Kendra Sims | Bible Study Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Everything Costs

West Angeles Church of God in Christ • Jun 19, 2025 • 28 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this message, Evangelist Kendra Sims teaches that every aspect of the Christian walk carries a cost, reminding believers that true discipleship requires deliberate sacrifice rather than convenient or emotional devotion. Drawing from the account of the poor widow in Luke 21 and Jesus's call to count the cost in Luke 14, she demonstrates that God evaluates our giving and lifestyle by the posture of our hearts and the degree of sacrifice involved. Believers are encouraged to present their lives fully to Christ, trusting His promises and choosing spiritual discipline over short-term worldly comfort.

Themes

SacrificeDiscipleshipGenerosityCounting the CostSpiritual GrowthSurrender

Key Points

1.
God sees the heart and total sacrifice behind what we give, valuing complete devotion over giving out of leftover abundance.
2.
Discipleship is a deliberate choice to follow Christ that requires calculating the cost rather than making an emotional decision.
3.
True commitment to Jesus means surrendering personal self-will, embracing potential hardship, and putting Him above worldly attachments.
4.
Living as a Christian demands presenting our physical bodies and daily faculties as holy and consecrated sacrifices pleasing to God.
5.
Biblical fasting requires intentionally giving up necessary comforts to create open space to hear God's voice clearly.
6.
The spiritual skills and character seen in a believer's present life are often the harvest of hidden sacrifices made in prior seasons.
7.
Everyone is constantly sacrificing time, energy, or resources for something, making it vital to ensure we are not sacrificing for nothing.
8.
Biblical generosity requires placing complete trust in God's promises, resisting instant gratification to give Him our absolute best.

Sermon Moments

“The story of the widow's mites is often interpreted as a lesson about generosity, humility, and the importance of God's perspective. It highlights that God sees the heart behind the gift, not just the amount.”

“Following Jesus isn't something to be done lightly or emotionally. It requires an understanding of the true cost: surrendering your own will, potentially facing rejection, persecution, or having to let go of your worldly attachments.”

“Living a Christian life requires a life of sacrifice and surrender.”

“The whole point of spiritual and biblical fasting is to abstain from something so that you can hear God more clearly.”

“What you're seeing today is the fruit of a sacrifice that was made in the first half of my life. At that time, I didn't know that I was building these transferable skills.”

“We are always sacrificing something. But be careful because you may be sacrificing something for nothing.”

“Christ gave his life to save you and I from our sins. Is your response to him like this woman's, filled with humility, gratitude, and unrestrained love?”

This Week

Evaluate daily habits to identify areas where comfort or entertainment can be set aside to spend intentional time reading God's Word.

Practice biblical fasting by laying down a genuine comfort or regular habit to seek God's presence with an undivided heart.

Examine your approach to giving, offering your resources to God out of gratitude and faith rather than mere convenience.

Take time this week to sit down and soberly count the cost of discipleship in your current season of life.

Guard against comparing your spiritual sacrifices or financial offerings to others, knowing God measures devotion by the heart.

Reflect on past seasons of spiritual discipline, thanking God for the fruit and character He built through those sacrifices.

Resist the urge for instant gratification by making a conscious decision to delay self-indulgence for a higher spiritual purpose.

Remember This

Following Jesus requires wholehearted surrender and sacrifice, but God sees every secret sacrifice and values the devotion of our hearts above everything else.

A Challenge for You

May your faith transcend the limits through you living a life of sacrifice.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.