The moment a new year begins, something in us feels like we need to reset everything. Our faith. Our habits. Our finances. Our priorities. A new calendar feels like an invitation for change, a chance to step into something different than before.

But Scripture reminds us that lasting transformation does not begin with reinvention. It begins with alignment.

If we want God to move in our lives in a meaningful way, He cannot be added later. He must come first. This is the heart behind our most recent Collection of Talks: First Fruits. It is not simply about what we give, but about Who we trust first and what we choose to honor most.

Exodus 34:26 captures this principle clearly: “Bring the best first fruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.” God does not ask for leftovers or excess. He asks for the first and the best, not because He needs it, but because our priorities reveal our devotion.

That’s why this collection matters.

The First Fruits collection creates space for heart-level formation, inviting people to realign their priorities and rediscover the joy of honoring God with their first and best in their time, talents and treasure.

This resource is designed to help churches lead that journey with clarity and intention. Inside the First Fruits collection, you’ll find sermon screens, message links, creative assets, and practical tools to help your church teach, steward, and disciple through this biblical principle.

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Week 1: First Fruits

Message: Abel Is Not Your Problem - Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.

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Point 01: God confronts the heart, not the offering.

If God is not placed in His proper order, your life will always be out of order.

Point 02: When God isn’t first, comparison takes His place.

Comparison shows up when God is no longer first.

Point 03: What you don’t rule internally, will eventually ruin you externally.

Unchecked disappointment becomes destruction.

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The story of Cain and Abel brings truth into focus. Both brought offerings. Both participated in worship. Yet their gifts were not equal. Abel’s offering flowed from faith and reverence, while Cain’s was shaped by obligation. What looked similar on the surface was radically different in the heart. The real question is not our ability but priority, because when God isn’t in His proper order, everything else eventually falls out of order. First fruits means giving God the first and best and trusting Him with the rest.

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Week 2: First Fruits

Message: First Time - Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.

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Point 01: Choose priority before pressure chooses you.
The wilderness isn’t punishment, it’s preparation.

Point 02: Loud Doesn’t Mean Lord

Urgency is pressure without purpose.

Point 03: Clarity frees you to disappoint people without disobeying God.

Confusion drains energy faster than effort ever will.

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When your sense of calling feels unclear, moving forward can feel just as uncertain. Clarity begins with deciding whom you’re truly committed to serving. Prioritizing God with the first and best of your time creates space for direction and purpose. Instead of settling for merely good opportunities, you position yourself to recognize and pursue the ones that are truly God‑aligned.

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Week 3: First Fruits

Message: Trust In Training - Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.

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Point 01: Trust Is Action In Advance

Trust is what you do before you have proof.

Point 02: What Saved You In One Season Won’t Always Sustain You In The Next

God will sometimes change the method so you don’t confuse it with the source.

Point 03: First Fruits Is Obedience Without Evidence.

When you trust God with the first, He takes responsibility for the rest.

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Trust is not proven after the miracle, it’s revealed before it. Through Elijah’s journey, Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. shows us that God trains His people in trust by asking them to obey without guarantees, to release what once sustained them, and to give before the outcome makes sense. First fruits are never about earning God’s favor; they are a response to His faithfulness. When we put God first, He proves once again that He can be trusted with everything that follows.

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Week 4: First Fruits

Message: First To Last - Pastor Luke Barry

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Point 01: A Heart Of Obedience  
In order to be obedient you must have a heart fully devoted to God.

Point 02: A Heart Of Repentance

God doesn’t expect you to be perfect in life, but He does expect you to obey when He speaks and to repent when you sin.

Point 03: Live With The End In Mind

You usually know when you’re doing something for the first time, but you rarely know when you’re doing it for the last time.

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While we live in a culture that makes life a race and celebrates being “first”, what if life has never been a race at all? Pastor Luke Barry explores how the order of our lives will ultimately determine the outcome of our lives. God knows we won’t get everything right but He invites us to put Him first and watch how He makes everything right.

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Final Thoughts: The Fight to Get the Order Right

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Seeing change in our lives is not the result of adding more to our to-do lists. It comes from establishing the right priorities. When we give God our first fruits, He brings order and alignment to everything else. When God is first, everything else finds its place. Matthew 6:33 reminds us to, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”