In the Gospel of John, chapter 12, we encounter one of the most provocative and beautiful scenes in the New Testament. Jesus is at a dinner in Bethany, and Mary—the sister of Lazarus—enters the room with a jar of pure nard.

She doesn’t just pour a little; she breaks the flask. She pours the entire year's wages onto Jesus's feet and wipes them with her hair. The Bible says the whole house was filled with the fragrance. To the critics in the room, it was a "waste." To Mary, it was the only appropriate response to the One who had called her brother out of the grave.

At S.O.U.L. Church, we believe that true devotion often looks like "extravagance" to the world, but it is exactly what the Worthy One deserves.

1. Breaking the Box: A Costly Offering
Mary’s nard was likely her life savings. It represented her security and her future. When she broke that box, she was saying that Jesus was more valuable than her safety.
This same spirit of "all-in" devotion drives the mission at S.O.U.L. Church. Whether it’s Pastor Leon, Minister Bobby Morrison or visiting Pastors, the team serving on the streets of Dallas since 1995 or our volunteers gathering food and resources seven days a week, we believe in giving our best to the "least of these." We don't just provide a meal; we provide a "church without walls"—a mobile sanctuary in a field near Fair Park where the broken can find refuge.

2. The Beauty of "Wasted" Love
The disciples calculated the cost and thought the money should have been given to the poor. But Jesus defended Mary, recognizing that her heart was focused on the Worthy One.
At S.O.U.L. Church, we understand that serving the poor is an act of worship to Jesus. When we bring out the trucks, the warming ovens, the sound stage, and even the showers and laundry services rain or shine, we are pouring out an offering. To some, the effort to set up a "church with no roof" in an open field might seem like an unnecessary expense. But to us, it is a "fragrant offering"—a way to show the homeless community that they are worthy of the best we have to give because Christ lives in them.

3. A Fragrance That Fills the City
John 12:3 tells us that "the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil." Extravagant devotion cannot be contained; it changes the atmosphere of everything around it.
That is our prayer for Dallas and the thirteen counties we serve. Through distributing food to over 40 community organizations and mentoring the hurt and the lost, we want the "scent" of God’s grace to fill the streets. We believe that chains can be broken and hearts changed when we move past "convenient" religion and into "costly" devotion.

Your Alabaster Moment
Mary of Bethany didn’t wait for a convenient time to worship; she seized the moment she had with Jesus.

Today, we invite you to consider your own "alabaster box." What is the costly thing you are holding onto? Maybe it’s your time, your resources, or your comfort. At S.O.U.L. Church, we see lives redeemed every Sunday because people chose to pour out their lives in service to others.

Will you join us in the field? Whether through volunteering, donating, or simply praying for our street ministry, your "extravagant response" helps us prove to the world that Jesus is truly worthy of it all.
“We have no roof, we have no walls, but under His wings, we have refuge.” — S.O.U.L. Church
[Learn more about our mission or how to give at soulchurch.org]