What if the way you measure your faith isn't the way God measures it at all? That's the question Jesus drops right in our lap in Mark chapter 12 — and He uses one of the most quietly powerful moments in all of the Gospels to make the point.

We've been watching Jesus disrupt systems, confront religious leaders, and flip assumptions upside down. And He does it again here, but this time it's subtle. He simply sits down near the temple collection box and watches. Rich people filing past, dropping in large, visible, attention-drawing gifts. And then — one poor widow. Two small coins. And Jesus turns to His disciples and says she gave more than all of them.

Here's what I want us to really sit with today: giving can be just as performative as anything else. Those offerings were dropped into trumpet-shaped boxes in a very public space — and if you were giving a lot, everyone knew it. Sound familiar? Because not much has changed. Jesus even says about people who give for public recognition, you've been paid in full — meaning the applause here on earth? That's your reward. Full stop.

But this widow? She had every reason to hold on to those two coins. She had no husband, no legal protections, no guaranteed income. Those coins may have been her next meal. And she gave them anyway. That's what Jesus noticed. Not the amount — the dependence. Not the performance — the trust.

We also talk about something that I find really freeing once it actually sinks in: everything we have already belongs to God. He gave it to us. So when He asks us to give, He's not asking us to sacrifice what's ours — He's inviting us to participate in what He's already doing. And friend, He can do it with or without us. But he's asking, do you want to be part of it?

So here's the honest question I'm leaving us all with today: if someone separated your calendar and your bank account from what you say you value — what would they actually find? Because that's where the real audit happens.

Want More?

• 📖 Read along: Mark 12:41–44 (and the full chapter for context on the religious leaders Jesus confronts just before this)
• 🌍 Organization mentioned: Compassion International — one of Nicole's favorite global organizations providing wraparound care for children in need. Learn more at compassion.com
• 📧 Sign up for Nicole's email newsletter at https://nicoleunice.com/ for resources, links, and more from the podcast
• ⭐ Loving the podcast? Leave a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it
• 💬 Leave a comment on YouTube — Nicole loves hearing from you!
• 🎧 For more faith-filled podcasts, visit lifeaudio.com

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Before Jesus can use you, He has to disrupt you — and that's actually good news.

We all love the version of Jesus who comforts us, encourages us, and comes alongside us. But what do we do with the Jesus who confronts us? Because that's exactly who we meet in Mark chapter 11.

This story is situated in Holy Week, and as Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time, everything is about to shift. The crowds are cheering, palm branches are flying, and people are crying out Hosanna — God, save us! It's a high moment. And then Jesus walks into the temple... and turns it upside down.

Here's what I want you to see today, because this is the passage that gets misused more than almost any other: you are not Jesus in this story. You are the temple. Before Jesus can use any of us for anything, He has to come in and disrupt the systems inside of us that keep us from real worship — the appearances, the transactions, the religion-without-transformation that can look perfectly healthy on the outside while bearing zero fruit.

We also dig into the curious moment when Jesus curses a fig tree — and why that's not about Jesus needing breakfast. It's a prophetic symbol, pointing to the same problem in the temple: the appearance of life without the substance of it. Looking good on the outside, but not actually connected to God at all.

And we sit with something I find both hard and beautiful: as the story enters Passion Week, Jesus doesn't just overturn tables — He goes on to suffer. He allows things to happen to Him because He knows what it's accomplishing. And because He went ahead of us in that suffering, we are never alone in ours.

We can't have a life that's Jesus plus anything. It's Jesus plus nothing — and that actually ends up being everything.

Want More?

• 📖 Read along: Mark 11:15–19 (and the whole chapter for full context)
• 📖 Cross references worth exploring: Ezekiel 36, Jeremiah 8
• 📚 Resource mentioned: The New Living Translation Study Bible
• 📧 Sign up for Nicole's email newsletter at https://nicoleunice.com/ for resources, links, and more from the podcast
• ⭐ Loving the podcast? Leave a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it
• 💬 Leave a comment on YouTube — Nicole loves hearing from you!
• 🎧 For more faith-filled podcasts, visit lifeaudio.com

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What if the thing you're asking God to bless is actually the thing He's asking you to let go of? That's the question sitting at the heart of Mark chapter 10 today, and friend, it's a big one.

We're looking at one of the most well-known — and most misunderstood — stories in all of the Gospels: the story of the rich young ruler. This is a man who runs up to Jesus, eager, sincere, and doing everything right. He's kept the commandments since he was a boy. And yet, as Jesus looks at him with love he names the one thing the rich young ruler isn't ready to release. And he walks away sad.

Jesus isn't making a blanket statement about wealth. He's doing what He always does — he's exposing where this man's trust actually lives. Because you can't be completely obedient to God without giving him your full allegiance. And that's what Jesus is after — not just your behavior, but your whole heart.

So today I'm asking you: what are you holding in your hand so tightly you haven't even noticed? Where are you saying, 'Jesus, I'll follow you — as long as I get to keep _____"? Whatever that _____ is, that is what this episode is for.

Want More?

• 📖 Read along: Mark 10:17–22
• 🎙️ Missed last week? Go back and listen to the Mark 9 episode on faith, doubt, and the prayer "I do believe — help my unbelief."
• ⭐ Loving the podcast? Leave a review and share with a friend who needs this message today
• Check out Nicole's website and subscribe to her weekly newsletter: https://nicoleunice.kit.com/

• Nicole’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

• 🎧 For more faith-filled podcasts, visit Lifeaudio.com

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.