Click here to pick up a copy of the study guide at Amazon.

Looking for other posts in this study? Click here to view the table of contents.

It started with coffee.
Not a special occasion. Not a request. Just a quiet gesture of love. 

This past summer, Michael surprised me in the kindest, most thoughtful way. Every morning, he quietly slips out the door, drives to the coffee shop, and brings back a cup overflowing with love. Sweet. Whipped cream. A little bit over the top. Just the way I like it.

And the beautiful part? He does it simply because it brings joy to my day.

This simple act speaks to my heart every day. It’s not the cost. Not the caffeine. It’s the care. The consistency. The reminder that I’m on his mind, and I matter. 

As I got to thinking about that today, I was reminded of the gifts we bring to the Lord. Sure, we have those big, bold, mountaintop moments of service—the ones that feel impactful and spiritual. But what about the small ones? Are we offering those to Him too? The quiet acts no one sees. The ordinary moments we might be tempted to overlook. Because sometimes, it’s in those simple, faithful offerings that our love speaks the loudest to Him—the moments that say, “In the midst of my day, You matter to me.”

In Nehemiah 10:37, we find something so ordinary it could easily be missed:
“Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests… the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees…” (NIV). Another translation says they brought “the first of their dough.”

Just… dough.

Not riches. Not trophies. Not showy displays. Just part of their daily bread.

And yet, this simple gift meant something. They were inviting God into the center of their lives—not just into their worship service, but into the kitchen, the table, the pantry. 

So, what does that look like for us?

Maybe it’s whispering a prayer while you fold the same load of laundry for the third time this week. Maybe it’s offering a kind word when you’d rather give someone a piece of your mind. Maybe it’s choosing to stay a little longer with your child at bedtime, even when you’re tired—because those moments matter.

Those are dough offerings too—quiet, faithful acts that honor God right in the middle of everyday life.

They might not look like worship to the rest of the world, maybe not even to you, but in the kingdom of God, they’re a fragrant offering. A reminder that when we give God our first—our focus, our time, our energy—we’re inviting Him in.

So, let me ask you, friend:
What dough can you bring to the Lord?
What simple act of devotion can you lay at His feet?

Because here’s the truth—faith isn’t built in the spotlight. It’s formed in quiet places where no one but God sees the gift that you bring.

Right there in your kitchen.
Right there in your schedule.
Right there in the middle of an average, ordinary, typical day.

This Week’s Printable

Here is this week’s printable. Click the image to view and print a higher resolution.