The Story of Small Beginnings

Guiding Scripture: Zechariah 4:10 - “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”

• We live in a world that doesn’t really value small things. In general, we pay more attention to people who have massive bank accounts, huge houses, and a lot of material things. We flock to influencers who have amassed a large following. Here in America, we even like our food portion sizes to be bigger. However, God doesn’t operate that way. In His kingdom, the last becomes first, the weak are made strong, and the biggest miracles come from small beginnings. Today, you’ll learn how to identify your own small beginning and embrace it as a critical part of your story.
• Small beginnings start with a need.
  1. John 6:5 - “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’”
  2. John 6:7 - “Philip answered him, ‘It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!’”
  3. Note: Your need must be something that’s out of your control. If you repeatedly refuse to create and stick to a budget, for example, you don’t need a financial miracle from God; you need discipline.
• Small beginnings don’t make logical sense.
  1. John 6:8-9 - “Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’”
• Small beginnings multiply with God’s blessing.
  1. John 6:13 - “So they gathered them [the leftover pieces] and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”
• What to do with your small beginning:
  1. Be still and get instructions from God. (John 6:10)
  2. Use what you have. (John 6:8-9)
  3. Put what you have in God’s hands. (John 6:11)
  4. Don’t let anything go to waste. (John 6:12-13)
• God prefers small beginnings because they bring the most glory to Him.
  1. John 6:14 - “After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, ‘Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.’”

Action Step: Based on what you’ve learned in this episode, identify at least one area in your life that looks like a “small beginning.” How can you honor God in that area now as you wait for Him to move? Ask Him for instructions about how to best steward what He has given you.