Sword Drill: 2 Cor. 8:5

Have the person who gets there first read the verse.

What's the best gift you can give to God?  (yourself)

"They first gave their own selves to the Lord."

Borrow a toy (or stuffed animal) pig and chicken to use as you tell the following story:

A farmer once approached a chicken and a pig and asked a heart searching question.  The farmer said to the pig and to the hen, "I'm having a ham and egg breakfast. I would like both of you to contribute. Will you do this?"

Which animal would need to make the biggest contribution? For the hen it would be merely a donation; for the pig it would involve a total sacrifice. The hen could donate an egg; the pig would have to give himself.

A missionary told the following story. At one time when the offering was being taken during a service in a little church in Africa, the missionary noticed on the platform the rather strange actions of a young African girl. Having been passed the collection box, she held it for a few moments with bowed head and closed eyes. Then she passed it on without putting in a single thing. The missionary's eyes filled with tears as he watched that scene. Those to whom he ministered were extremely poor. For that reason money was very seldom placed in the offering plate. Instead it was not at all uncommon to see the folks put in bananas, beans and eggs (some of the eggs they put in were about ready to hatch). Evidently the poor little African girl had nothing to give, but, knowing her spirituality, the missionary imagined her praying, "Lord Jesus, I would like to give you something. I love You with all my heart. I have no money and no goods, but what I have I'm giving to You right now. I'm giving myself."

She did something we all need to do. She gave herself to the Lord. The Lord is not looking for a dead sacrifice, like the sacrifice of the poor pig. He's looking for a living sacrifice:  giving your whole life to Him.

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