Hebrews 13:15–16 (NIV84)
15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
The Old Testament sacrifices were a constant, bloody reminder of a vital truth: sin is costly, and righteousness is not our native tongue. They served as a schoolmaster, teaching two crucial lessons. First, that our best efforts at keeping the law would always fall short, leaving a deficit that could only be covered by another’s life. Second, these offerings were a tangible way of declaring that every part of one’s existence—possessions, work, the very flock that sustained you—belonged wholly to God. It was a profound, enacted prayer: “You are my Savior, for I cannot save myself; You are my Lord, for I own nothing.” It was a holistic faith, encompassing both the inner posture of the heart and the outward dedication of one’s life.
We, of course, no longer bring animals to an altar. To do so would be to insult the finality of Christ’s work on the cross. Yet, the writer to the Hebrews insists that our lives are still to be lives of sacrifice. Our “burnt offering” is now the “sacrifice of praise,” the fruit of lips that confess His name. This is not merely singing songs on a Sunday, but a life that continually offers up worship and gratitude. Furthermore, we are told to offer the sacrifice of “doing good and sharing with others.” When we give generously of our time, our resources, and our compassion, we are participating in the same pattern of worship as Noah. We are getting our inside life right with God through worship and our outside life right with Him through radical generosity, acknowledging that all we have is a gift from the one who gave Himself for us.
Reflect, Share & Prayer: In what practical ways can you offer a “sacrifice of praise” this week? How can you “do good and share with others” as an act of worship? Tell the Lord and share briefly in your group (not to show off, but to keep one another accountable and to pray for one another).
Secret spots where you’ve found lobster colonies are very precious in the free-diving community…we call them “honey-holes”. I recently be-friended a non-Christian Hispanic guy named “Mikey”. We’ve been diving twice now with a common friend who introduced me to him but I just invited Mikey to dive with me tomorrow night-just the two of us. I will share this lobster honey hole with him (sorry, I’m not telling you where it is), and by God’s grace, we’ll grab a few 🦞
It’s about a 40 minute round trip walk from the parking lot to the reef so the two of us will get a chance to talk..about diving, about fatherhood, about the responsibilities and privileges/ of manhood and hopefully share our faith journeys. So my sacrifice is time (giving up time away from Kathy, Noelle and Niko) and the secrecy of my honey hole location in hopes of building on my relationship with Mikey and finding opportunities to minister to him and name the name of Jesus with him.
I don’t have much to offer to people other than my time and energy. I am willing to sacrifice my time to service my church by helping with media. So that people can immensely praise the Lord during worship. Father God, thank you for making our community so welcoming and supportive of each other. I’m so grateful for the people around me who sacrificed a lot for You and this community. I pray that I will have the same courage and strength to service you just as Jesus did, serving you with all that I got. Amen.
(from Steve Trinh)
I am learning to acknowledge God and live with gratitude which I’m a able to do most of the times, but other times it can be harder. I know for sure when I’m at my worst I even rely on God alot more rather then pulling away. ” The fruit of lips ” makes alot of sense to me, I have been openly confessing my faith to the fellas in my sober living and places I go and meet people, rather then complain or doubt. In verse 16 it talks about doing good and sharing with others, I try my best to to stay active in faith, I try to do good with keeping these guys clean and sober, keep them off the streets and making sure they see everything that’s positive vs negativity.
Amy
This verse reminds me that worship isn’t just about singing or praying, it’s about how I live each day. Offering a “sacrifice of praise” means choosing gratitude and acknowledging Jesus even in the middle of busyness or exhaustion. I’ve been trying to slow down and say “thank You, Lord” quietly in my heart especially in small moments like when the kids are laughing and playing together, kids are meeting their milestones and pass their routine checkups, Luke started walking independently YESTERDAY! We’ve also been working with Nolan on his bedtime prayer using a simple sentence: “Thank You, God, for a good day. Amen.”
This week, I’m offering my “sacrifice of doing good and sharing” by delivering meals to Monica tomorrow and organizing baby items I can give to her and another friend. It’s a reminder that what I have is really God’s, and sharing it is one way to worship Him.
Lord, thank You for all You’ve given me. Help me to live a life that continually praises You, not just with my words, but through my actions. Let my giving and serving reflect Your love, and use these small acts to bless others and bring You glory. Amen.
A way to sacrifice of praise would be worshipping and praising God when things aren’t going well. When times are tough and I want to be angry or lash out but instead remembering and praising the Lord instead. Similar to what Bumble said which is reminding ourselves that its the same mouth that praises the Lord that we use to sin with. I can do good this week by displaying characteristics of God in my class and use opportunities to share the gospel to my co workers.
This week, I want to continue offering a sacrifice of praise by speaking God’s truth into my kids’ hearts. I also feel called to be more intentional in sharing the gospel with others. There are two people in my life right now whom I sense the Holy Spirit prompting me to reach out to—to plant seeds of faith and hope. Yet, I often find myself anxious, unsure of what to say or how to say it, afraid of turning them away.
Lord, give me Your wisdom and fill my mouth with words of truth spoken in love. Help me to trust that it is You who works in hearts, and that my role is simply to be faithful and obedient. Let my words and actions point others to You.
This week, I want my “sacrifice of praise” to be shown through serving with a thankful heart, even though I feel burned out. I’ve been cooking every week for the church for the past 15 years and for CRU every Tuesday for more than 10 years. Sometimes I get tired and just want to rest, but I remind myself that this is my act of worship to God. I don’t want to do it out of habit but with gratitude and joy, knowing it brings people together and blesses others. I also want to reach out to a few women at church who seem distant or struggling to simply listen and care for them, not to fix them.
Lord, thank You for giving me the strength to serve all these years. When I feel weary, remind me that my service is worship to You. Renew my heart so I can continue to serve with love and joy. Help me see the people I cook for as those You’ve entrusted to me to care for. Amen.
One practical way that I can offer a “sacrifice of praise” is to spend some time with God and practice gratitude. I’ll reflect and thank the Lord for all that He’s done and for bringing me this far in life. As far as doing good and sharing with others, I will continue to serve in all the areas that God has called me into. Lord, I pray that You would continue to use me for the glory of Your Kingdom. I pray that I may practice gratitude, while continuing to serve faithfully in the ministries You have called me into.
I can find opportunities to praise my family members where they mirror Jesus’ Christlikeness. My family actually do a lot of great things and I need to acknowledge them and give thanks to God for gifting them that way.
Doing good and sharing are gonna be my worshipping only when I bow and pray to Jesus to give thanks for His allowing me to do good things, enabling me to do good things and doing it wholeheartedly. Sharing with others joyfully, without expecting anything back from others, is to model Jesus and do what He commands me to do.