SERMON SCRIPTURE: Malachi 1:1–5

SERMON SYNOPSIS: In this opening message, we begin where God begins—with love. Before any call to give, serve, or obey, there is a declaration: “I have loved you.” The foundation of faithful stewardship is not guilt or obligation, but gratitude. God’s covenant love is not earned; it is given. And when we receive that love, we are invited to respond—not with leftovers, but with our whole lives. This sermon explores how remembering our identity as God’s beloved people reshapes how we live, give, and serve.

Memory Verse: “We love because He first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19 (NIV)