All In by Owen Cooper

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44 (New International Version) The Widow's Offering
41Jesus 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. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________from When you play poker, the betting starts low and depending on how good your hand is, you’re willing to raise the stakes, slowly putting in more and more of your money. At some point, you get pushed to the limit, and you must declare “all in.” This means that you’re putting everything you have on that one hand. If you lose, you go home. Jesus is asking us to go “all in.” Commitment demands action. It extends beyond our relationship to the heavenly Father to every area of life.

Below is a pattern, for the “all in” convert to God (from Matthew Henry's commentary).

1. We must take the Lord for our God.

2. We must take his people for our people in all conditions, though they be a poor despised
people and not always fun to be around.

3. We must be willing to submit to God’s yoke and to go where God will have us to go.

4. We must continue and persevere. Not even death can end our commitment to Christ. It is an everlasting covenant because the Apostle Paul tells us that to join in Christ’s death means we also get to join in with His life and resurrection.

5. We must bind our souls with a bond never to break these resolutions. There is no turning back.