1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000
You can have all of me

2
00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:08,000
Every single little piece

3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:14,000
You can have it all

4
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,000
Welcome to Hub City Vineyard.

5
00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,000
To get connected or to give online,

6
00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,000
go to hcv.church or give.htv.church.

7
00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,000
If at any point during this message

8
00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,000
you feel called to make a change in your life,

9
00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:30,000
text change me to 970-00.

10
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,000
Thank you and enjoy the message.

11
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,000
And all of you do realize that that is a fake smile, right?

12
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,000
No thank you, I appreciate it.

13
00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,000
No reason to clap.

14
00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,000
The last thing I need is ovation.

15
00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,000
If you're joining us from home,

16
00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,000
thank you for welcoming us into your space.

17
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,000
And I also want to throw out there,

18
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,000
if this is your first time here,

19
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,000
checking us out, joining us,

20
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,000
we're just glad you're here.

21
00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,000
Welcome to HCV.

22
00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,000
We are in week two of our current series, Generous.

23
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,000
Last week I kicked it off

24
00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,000
by discussing Kingdom Generosity

25
00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:09,000
as Alan Tolentino sung 24K Magic.

26
00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,000
You did such a great job, didn't you?

27
00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,000
Such a great series.

28
00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,000
Thank you, Alan.

29
00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,000
And as we continue our series,

30
00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,000
let me just preface, if it is your first time,

31
00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,000
yes we do happen to be talking about generosity

32
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,000
and money and all of the surroundings

33
00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,000
that go with Kingdom Generosity.

34
00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,000
And we are in no way trying to single you out.

35
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,000
We're just trying to say, hey, we get it.

36
00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,000
We're talking about money.

37
00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,000
And if it's your church home,

38
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,000
you know we discuss Godly Finances every single year

39
00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,000
in a series focused on money.

40
00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,000
And it's really funny because every year

41
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,000
leading up to this series,

42
00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,000
in my mind I kind of get nervous

43
00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,000
and I get butterflies

44
00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,000
because I realize there's people sitting in the chairs

45
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,000
and watching online.

46
00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,000
As soon as you hear money,

47
00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,000
there's this kind of check in your spirit

48
00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,000
or there's this thought pattern

49
00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,000
that goes through your mind.

50
00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,000
For some of you, you're like, let's go.

51
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,000
I'm all in. I love discussing money.

52
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,000
I'm a giver. I'm generous.

53
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,000
I self-identify as a person that has the gift of giving.

54
00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,000
You want to support HCV.

55
00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,000
You want to further the Kingdom.

56
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,000
And you're excited about it.

57
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,000
I'm not let's go, but I'm here.

58
00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,000
I'm not going to be upset.

59
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,000
I'm not going to be frustrated.

60
00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,000
I'm here. I'm listening.

61
00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,000
I have plenty to learn.

62
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,000
Some of you are sitting there looking at me

63
00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,000
with big, bold eyes thinking,

64
00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,000
Chris, my coworker's beside me

65
00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,000
and you're talking about money.

66
00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,000
It's not the best Sunday. Can you change it?

67
00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,000
And then finally, there's some of you

68
00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,000
that are sitting there and you're mad at me

69
00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,000
because you don't want me to talk about money

70
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,000
on a Sunday morning.

71
00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,000
I want to just say that

72
00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,000
I've been in all those positions throughout my lifetime

73
00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,000
when it comes to church

74
00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,000
and finances. I've been excited about giving.

75
00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,000
And there's been times that I've been angry

76
00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,000
that someone had the audacity

77
00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,000
to ask for me to give money

78
00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,000
from a church stage. So I get it.

79
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,000
But let's all just take a deep breath.

80
00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,000
Just calm down and relax.

81
00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,000
Because I believe

82
00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,000
we all have something to learn

83
00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,000
when it comes to Kingdom, money,

84
00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,000
mindset. So why

85
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,000
talk about money in

86
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,000
church? Well, let me just share a few

87
00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,000
things that some of you may not know.

88
00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,000
The parables of Jesus,

89
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,000
you know, the little stories that he told.

90
00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,000
Two-thirds

91
00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,000
of them, 66%

92
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,000
of the parables

93
00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,000
Jesus told directly deal with finances

94
00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,000
and possessions.

95
00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,000
That's quite a lot.

96
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,000
In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,

97
00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,000
which, of course, record

98
00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,000
the story of Jesus and him being

99
00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,000
here on earth, one in every

100
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,000
10 verses deal directly with

101
00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,000
money. One in every 10.

102
00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,000
In the entire Bible,

103
00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,000
there are over 2300

104
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,000
verses

105
00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,000
that talk about money

106
00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,000
and possessions.

107
00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,000
Please understand that's five times

108
00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,000
as much,

109
00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,000
five times as many verses that talk about prayer

110
00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,000
and five times as many verses

111
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,000
that reference faith.

112
00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,000
So in other words,

113
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,000
managing godly

114
00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,000
resources is

115
00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,000
close to God's heart. And he

116
00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,000
desires that as a community

117
00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,000
of faith we talk about it and discuss

118
00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,000
it. Jesus even said in Matthew

119
00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,000
621, wherever your treasure is,

120
00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,000
there the desires of

121
00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,000
your heart will also be.

122
00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,000
And it's important for me to reference

123
00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,000
that verse because listen to this

124
00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,000
statistic. Last year,

125
00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,000
the average American spent

126
00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,000
$1.22

127
00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,000
for every $1

128
00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,000
they earned.

129
00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:47,000
Can I share that again?

130
00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,000
Last year,

131
00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,000
the average American

132
00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,000
spent $1.22

133
00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,000
for every $1

134
00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,000
they earned.

135
00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,000
In other words,

136
00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,000
that boat won't float very long.

137
00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,000
It's going to sink.

138
00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,000
And if you look at our culture

139
00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,000
and our current state of our country,

140
00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,000
we're deeply in debt

141
00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,000
and continue to grow in debt.

142
00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,000
And see, if those

143
00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,000
numbers speak to you, here's

144
00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,000
the reality, your treasure is

145
00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,000
in this world.

146
00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,000
I mean, think about it. We live in the most prosperous

147
00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,000
nation in the world and yet we cannot

148
00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,000
live within our means and need to

149
00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,000
spend more, buy more, have

150
00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,000
more than what we make.

151
00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,000
And we think that all of that will make us

152
00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,000
happy and here's the reality,

153
00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,000
if that's you, your treasure

154
00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,000
is in the world because it won't make you

155
00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,000
happy.

156
00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,000
If our treasure is there,

157
00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,000
our heart is there as well.

158
00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,000
And that's a big

159
00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,000
problem if we call ourselves

160
00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,000
followers of Jesus.

161
00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,000
So let me be honest with you.

162
00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,000
For the first 10 years

163
00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,000
of pastoring this church,

164
00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,000
I didn't talk about money.

165
00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,000
Never did a series about money.

166
00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,000
Never referenced tithing or giving.

167
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,000
I didn't want to be known as

168
00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,000
the church that focused on money.

169
00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,000
Because there's people within our culture

170
00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,000
in the tri-state area believe that that's

171
00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,000
all the churches want from them. True or false?

172
00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:13,000
They believe that all the churches

173
00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,000
want is my money.

174
00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,000
And I didn't want HCV to

175
00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,000
be known as a church like that.

176
00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,000
So we never took an offering.

177
00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,000
All we had was boxes in the back

178
00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,000
and we

179
00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,000
gave an invitation, hey if this is your church home, you can

180
00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,000
give there and that's how we did it.

181
00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,000
Then about 8 or 9 years

182
00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,000
ago I went to a church roundtable

183
00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,000
with other pastors

184
00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,000
discussing how to effectively reach

185
00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,000
people for Jesus because that's on my heart.

186
00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,000
I want to see people change, transform.

187
00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,000
And one of the topics that we discussed

188
00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,000
was the different

189
00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,000
series that we should speak about

190
00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,000
every single year in our

191
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,000
community of faith. And it's funny

192
00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,000
because finances was

193
00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,000
one of the topics because

194
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,000
God values finances.

195
00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,000
And He wants His people

196
00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:01,000
to use their money generously

197
00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,000
to further His kingdom.

198
00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,000
Plus I learned

199
00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,000
many people within our society

200
00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,000
need to understand these

201
00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,000
truths so they can get their finances

202
00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,000
in order and stop drowning in debt.

203
00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,000
$1.22 spent to every

204
00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,000
dollar earned.

205
00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,000
I mean there's a reason money and finances

206
00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,000
is one of the biggest causes for marriages

207
00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,000
to fail and end divorce within the US.

208
00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,000
So I kind of had this realization

209
00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,000
that it is my responsibility

210
00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,000
as your pastor to share about

211
00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,000
Godly Finances within

212
00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,000
our community of faith every

213
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,000
single year. And I've been faithfully

214
00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,000
doing it ever since.

215
00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,000
So I felt it was best to share

216
00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,000
our story, to share my story

217
00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,000
about HCV and money.

218
00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,000
And please understand I talk

219
00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,000
about this story

220
00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,000
every single first Sunday

221
00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,000
of the month and start with why, which happens to be

222
00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,000
today. If you want to join me for

223
00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:59,000
start with why directly after this gathering I'll meet

224
00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,000
you in the prayer room. We'll tell you all about HCV

225
00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,000
where we began, how we began,

226
00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,000
where all the money goes and how you can get involved.

227
00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,000
But let's just have

228
00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,000
a conversation. Is that ok if we do that?

229
00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,000
Alright let's just open in prayer

230
00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,000
and invite the Holy Spirit to come.

231
00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,000
God we're just thankful you're in our midst.

232
00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,000
We're thankful that

233
00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,000
there is a move in this place.

234
00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,000
And we value

235
00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,000
you being here God and want to put

236
00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,000
you first. So open

237
00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,000
our minds, our ears and our hearts

238
00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:29,000
to receive all that you have for us.

239
00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,000
Transform us, change us, change our

240
00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,000
entire outlook on how we see

241
00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,000
money. In Jesus name

242
00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,000
Amen.

243
00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,000
So

244
00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,000
it was the end

245
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,000
of 2005

246
00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,000
and my wife and three kids

247
00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,000
packed up a U-Haul moving truck

248
00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,000
and moved from Syracuse, New

249
00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,000
York to Maryland, our hometown.

250
00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,000
Jess and I literally sold

251
00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,000
everything we had

252
00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,000
and invested in a church plant

253
00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,000
called the Hub City Vineyard.

254
00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,000
So please hear me.

255
00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,000
It's never been about money

256
00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,000
for us.

257
00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,000
It's never about us growing

258
00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,000
an empire.

259
00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,000
We spent

260
00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,000
over a year restoring a fire

261
00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,000
damaged house in Syracuse, New York

262
00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,000
that we believe

263
00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,000
God gave to us for $16,000.

264
00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,000
An insurance company

265
00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,000
totaled the house so we could buy it.

266
00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,000
We restored it.

267
00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,000
Then we sold it.

268
00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,000
So we could take the $45,000

269
00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,000
profit

270
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,000
and we invested it in this place.

271
00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,000
We moved here in December of 2005

272
00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,000
and we actually moved into the family

273
00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,000
house that Jess grew up in.

274
00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,000
It had been in our family for decades.

275
00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,000
Gary and Pat fell called to help us

276
00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,000
with the church plant.

277
00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,000
We had to get a new house

278
00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,000
and they called to help us with the church plant

279
00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,000
and they offered their house as a means

280
00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,000
to get the church started.

281
00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,000
So from the very beginning

282
00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:57,000
this church has never

283
00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,000
been about money.

284
00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,000
This church has always been about mission

285
00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,000
and the call to reach people for Jesus.

286
00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,000
To share the good news

287
00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,000
that God came to this earth

288
00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,000
more than 2,000 years ago

289
00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,000
to reach people like you and me

290
00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,000
with His love, grace, and

291
00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,000
forgiveness.

292
00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,000
I spent the first three years

293
00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,000
of this church plant

294
00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,000
working multiple jobs.

295
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,000
I was a long-term substitute teacher.

296
00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,000
I painted houses.

297
00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,000
I did punch-out work for a number of job sites

298
00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,000
and I lasted one day

299
00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,000
pouring concrete.

300
00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,000
God bless you to do it.

301
00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,000
I worked during the day to pay my bills

302
00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,000
and would meet with people at night

303
00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,000
so that we could reach people

304
00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,000
and of course we began to have regular gatherings

305
00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,000
on the weekend.

306
00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,000
It was about three years into the church plant

307
00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,000
that I was able to begin to take a small salary

308
00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:55,000
that helped to free up my schedule

309
00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,000
so that I could work more for HCV

310
00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,000
during the day.

311
00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,000
Because at that point we were gathering about a hundred people

312
00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,000
on the weekends and we had just

313
00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,000
signed our first lease just up the street

314
00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,000
on Bauer Avenue.

315
00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,000
My time was being

316
00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,000
spread way too thin.

317
00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,000
I had family time,

318
00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:15,000
work time, pastoring.

319
00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,000
I was serving so that $26,000

320
00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,000
salary

321
00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,000
allowed for me to focus my attention on the people

322
00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,000
that were a part of HCV

323
00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,000
and schedule lots of events that focused on

324
00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,000
reaching people for Jesus.

325
00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,000
That's who we are.

326
00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,000
We will do whatever it

327
00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:33,000
takes to reach people

328
00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,000
because 30 years ago

329
00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,000
I was one of those people that was walking

330
00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,000
through life

331
00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,000
with no point,

332
00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,000
no purpose, and empty.

333
00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,000
Then I met Jesus

334
00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,000
and He changed everything.

335
00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,000
So from the very beginning

336
00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,000
until now HCV has always been

337
00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,000
about people

338
00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,000
and I promise we will continue to be that way

339
00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,000
as long as I

340
00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:59,000
am leading this church.

341
00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,000
But listen,

342
00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,000
Justin and I don't own this church,

343
00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,000
I don't own this building,

344
00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,000
I don't own any of the stuff in it.

345
00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,000
We do.

346
00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,000
Because we are the church.

347
00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,000
And everything

348
00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,000
that my family has invested

349
00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,000
into this church

350
00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,000
will remain for future generations

351
00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,000
so that others

352
00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,000
can experience the love of Jesus.

353
00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,000
Well after I'm gone.

354
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,000
And we want it to be that way.

355
00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,000
So when it

356
00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,000
comes to giving and finances and

357
00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,000
investing in the kingdom of God, all of us

358
00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,000
must remember that it all

359
00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,000
comes from God in the first place.

360
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,000
He simply

361
00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,000
gives it to us

362
00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,000
to steward

363
00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,000
and then to offer it back as an invitation

364
00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,000
to give

365
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,000
as a means of giving back to Him.

366
00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:51,000
Which leads us to our first thought

367
00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,000
this morning, look.

368
00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,000
It's all His.

369
00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,000
Can we all say that together? It's all His.

370
00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,000
Deuteronomy

371
00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,000
chapter 10 verse 14 tells us

372
00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,000
look, the highest

373
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,000
heavens and the earth and everything

374
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,000
in it belong to the Lord your God.

375
00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,000
Deuteronomy 8, 17-18

376
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,000
He did all this

377
00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,000
so you would never say to yourself

378
00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,000
I have achieved this wealth with my own

379
00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,000
strength and energy. Remember

380
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,000
the Lord your God. He is the one who gives

381
00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,000
you power to be successful.

382
00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,000
Now let me be honest with you. The first

383
00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,000
time I read those verses

384
00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,000
they didn't set well with me.

385
00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,000
In fact, when I read them

386
00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,000
I didn't believe they're necessarily true.

387
00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,000
Because when I look around

388
00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,000
at the state of our current society

389
00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,000
I see people that are simply

390
00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,000
lazy and unwilling to work

391
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,000
in order to be successful in life.

392
00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,000
I'm the exact opposite.

393
00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,000
I'm going to go get her. I work

394
00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,000
hard. I'm committed. I do whatever it

395
00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,000
takes to be successful. I sacrifice.

396
00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,000
I grind. So

397
00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,000
my family will be taken care of

398
00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,000
and this community will be a better

399
00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,000
place because I am here.

400
00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,000
But then you know something?

401
00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,000
Two short months ago

402
00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,000
my entire outlook changed

403
00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,000
when I had the opportunity

404
00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,000
to go on a short-term mission strip to Kenya.

405
00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,000
I drove by,

406
00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,000
saw, met,

407
00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,000
and experienced poverty on

408
00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,000
a completely different level.

409
00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,000
Children who had no parents because of AIDS,

410
00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,000
drugs, and poverty.

411
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,000
Growing up in houses that are built

412
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,000
from what we consider trash.

413
00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,000
What we throw away, they live in.

414
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,000
The floors are not vinyl planks or

415
00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,000
hardwood floors. It's a large

416
00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,000
rock

417
00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,000
that they build a house around

418
00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,000
so the house won't be swept away

419
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,000
when it rains.

420
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,000
It was spending a week

421
00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,000
with those who have absolutely

422
00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,000
nothing

423
00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,000
that made me realize everything

424
00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,000
I have in this life

425
00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,000
is because of what God gave me.

426
00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,000
I realized that I was born in the United States of America.

427
00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:05,000
I didn't do

428
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,000
anything to earn that.

429
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,000
I didn't do anything to deserve that.

430
00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,000
I didn't do anything

431
00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,000
to deserve being born here

432
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,000
any differently than those children

433
00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,000
that are born in Kenya.

434
00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,000
And those children are born into a world of

435
00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,000
poverty, disease, and water

436
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:25,000
that is so contaminated they can't even drink it.

437
00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,000
But here's the reality.

438
00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,000
When we put ourselves

439
00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,000
in their shoes,

440
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,000
when I look at my four-year-old son

441
00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,000
Phoenix,

442
00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,000
and a boy or girl

443
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,000
that's four-year-old in Kenya,

444
00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,000
they have completely different opportunities

445
00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,000
at their fingertips.

446
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,000
Because of things they

447
00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,000
never did or deserve or

448
00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:51,000
revert.

449
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,000
Everything that we have

450
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,000
in this life is a byproduct

451
00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,000
of what God has done for us.

452
00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,000
God gives you that mind.

453
00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,000
God gives you those ideas.

454
00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,000
God gives you your work ethic.

455
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:07,000
Your skill set that no one else has.

456
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,000
God gives you the willpower

457
00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,000
to overcome. God gives you

458
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,000
and makes opportunities

459
00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,000
for you to have connections with other

460
00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,000
people or companies that literally

461
00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,000
became a game changer for your business.

462
00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,000
He gives us

463
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,000
the air we breathe, the food we eat.

464
00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,000
Everything comes

465
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:27,000
from God.

466
00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,000
And he says to his son, daughter,

467
00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,000
I love giving you good gifts.

468
00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,000
Just understand

469
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,000
that they all come from me.

470
00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,000
And when we understand

471
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,000
that, when we understand that

472
00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:41,000
it all comes from him, being generous,

473
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,000
that's when it's fun.

474
00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,000
James 1, 17.

475
00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,000
Whatever is good and perfect

476
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,000
is a gift coming down from God,

477
00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,000
our Father, who created

478
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,000
all the lights in the heavens. He never changes

479
00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,000
or casts

480
00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,000
a shifting shadow, friends.

481
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,000
It's all his.

482
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,000
Which leads us to our next thought.

483
00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,000
God asked us

484
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,000
to return 10%.

485
00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,000
God says, church,

486
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,000
it's all mine. I'm

487
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,000
simply asking you, inviting you to

488
00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,000
return 10%

489
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,000
to me.

490
00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,000
Now the Bible calls this principle

491
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,000
the tithe. And we read about it

492
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,000
in Malachi 3, verse 10.

493
00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,000
Bring all the tithes,

494
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,000
and tithe simply is defined as a tenth,

495
00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,000
into the storehouse

496
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,000
so there will be enough food in my temple.

497
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,000
If you do so, says the Lord

498
00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,000
of Heaven's armies, I will open the windows

499
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,000
of heaven for you, and I will pour a blessing

500
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,000
so great, you won't have

501
00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,000
enough room to take it in. Try it.

502
00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,000
Put me to the test.

503
00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,000
This is the only time

504
00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,000
in the entire

505
00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,000
Bible that God says,

506
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,000
test me.

507
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,000
It's the only time

508
00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,000
he says, test me.

509
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,000
And it's amazing, it's all about our finances

510
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,000
because God knows

511
00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,000
that our hearts can be easily

512
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,000
swayed by the lust of money and stuff.

513
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,000
And I get it.

514
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,000
There are people gathered here

515
00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,000
watching online.

516
00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,000
You're thinking,

517
00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,000
well it certainly is convenient

518
00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,000
that the guy who

519
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,000
leads the church is talking

520
00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,000
about giving money to the church.

521
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,000
I get it, right? Just go ahead and nod.

522
00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:23,000
I get it. Sometimes that's just the thought

523
00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,000
pattern. So Ed, could you come up please

524
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,000
wherever you are? There you are. So I've invited

525
00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,000
Ed to come up and share his

526
00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,000
testimony

527
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,000
about tithing. And let me preference

528
00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,000
this, and I even got it wrong during our first gathering.

529
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,000
I just met

530
00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,000
Ed last week.

531
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,000
Ed doesn't go to our church.

532
00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,000
He's not a part of HTV.

533
00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,000
He's not even from around here.

534
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,000
But I felt like God

535
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,000
made a way for him to be here

536
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,000
last week and then I'll let him tell

537
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,000
the story.

538
00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,000
Thank you.

539
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,000
Well, hello

540
00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,000
my

541
00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,000
siblings in the family of God.

542
00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,000
To see you.

543
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,000
It's also very nice to see all of you who

544
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,000
are searching to be in that family as well.

545
00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,000
And I hope you find God to follow him.

546
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,000
You don't

547
00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:13,000
know me.

548
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,000
Chris knows me a little bit.

549
00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:17,000
But I don't think anybody else in

550
00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,000
this gathering does.

551
00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,000
I was

552
00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,000
I was born in the Air Force

553
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,000
and I retired

554
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,000
in the Coast Guard

555
00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,000
45 years later.

556
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,000
I was

557
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,000
married 40 years and lost my wife

558
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,000
about five years ago.

559
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,000
I've been soldiering ever since.

560
00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,000
I found myself up in Gettysburg

561
00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,000
last week.

562
00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,000
And I was looking at the libraries

563
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,000
up there for a while.

564
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,000
I found

565
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,000
Hub City

566
00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,000
on Yahoo Maps.

567
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,000
So I took the 45 minute drive down

568
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,000
here to visit the vineyard

569
00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,000
to where I found

570
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,000
Pastor Chris

571
00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,000
preaching about tithing.

572
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,000
And I

573
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,000
deplore seeing

574
00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,000
the lead pastor

575
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,000
reach out and ask

576
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,000
his

577
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,000
people and his

578
00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,000
building to

579
00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,000
support the church.

580
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,000
So after

581
00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,000
the sermon

582
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,000
I did

583
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,000
thank him for his fine teaching

584
00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:35,000
and the way

585
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,000
he taught it. But I

586
00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,000
complained to him.

587
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,000
I told him I didn't like him doing

588
00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,000
that. I think he should get a layman to do it for

589
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,000
him. Why not?

590
00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:47,000
Get somebody who's not going to benefit

591
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,000
by the basket being passed

592
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,000
to him so he can pay his

593
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,000
light bill and put braces on

594
00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,000
his kid's teeth.

595
00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,000
You know, it just kind of bugged me.

596
00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,000
So in the great vineyard tradition

597
00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,000
of giving the

598
00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,000
task to the complainer

599
00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,000
I forgot that part.

600
00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,000
He said,

601
00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,000
fine, you teach it next week.

602
00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,000
Holy Spirit moment.

603
00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,000
I came to Jesus in 1964.

604
00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,000
I feel real comfortable with him.

605
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,000
I started giving

606
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,000
a percentage of my income

607
00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,000
in about 1986 or 87.

608
00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,000
That percentage got

609
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,000
larger and larger. I found the vineyard church

610
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,000
in 1992

611
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,000
or so, 1991.

612
00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:39,000
1990?

613
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,000
Yeah. And

614
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,000
I've

615
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,000
been tithing since about

616
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,000
1994 pretty

617
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,000
fastidiously.

618
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,000
I really make sure that I at least give

619
00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,000
that 10 percent.

620
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,000
So

621
00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,000
that's what I do

622
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,000
with the tithes.

623
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,000
I've been

624
00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,000
noticing in my ledger

625
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,000
the first year

626
00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,000
I find

627
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:13,000
out that my bills are all

628
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,000
paid.

629
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,000
At the end of the month

630
00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,000
that I didn't

631
00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,000
have any

632
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,000
outstanding

633
00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,000
bills.

634
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,000
The

635
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,000
that was

636
00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,000
that's on an income that was

637
00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,000
pretty significant back then. It's not so much

638
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,000
now. I think I make about

639
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:39,000
$55,000 a year.

640
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,000
I'm real happy with that actually. I'm

641
00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,000
glad that I'm not making

642
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,000
jobs of money actually.

643
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,000
So

644
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:51,000
my 10 percent

645
00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,000
given to this church

646
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,000
is probably going to pay about

647
00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,000
half the musicians

648
00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,000
power bill.

649
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,000
And I've decided

650
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,000
that

651
00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,000
to give my money

652
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,000
in a more significant way

653
00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,000
to the

654
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,000
to the vineyard

655
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,000
movement in Cameroon

656
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,000
where my $550

657
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,000
bucks actually

658
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,000
pays for a lot

659
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,000
of churches to do a lot of things.

660
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,000
It's amazing how

661
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,000
such a small amount can

662
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,000
go so far.

663
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,000
But this

664
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,000
tie, this

665
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,000
taught me a couple of things.

666
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,000
One thing is discipline and finance.

667
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:41,000
I don't

668
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,000
spend as much money on me

669
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,000
as I used to.

670
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,000
And I have lots of money left over

671
00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,000
at the end of the month.

672
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,000
It's probably five years after

673
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,000
I started tithing that I realized that

674
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,000
I've got about

675
00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,000
all my bills are paid off.

676
00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:59,000
All my mortgages are paid

677
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,000
off. All my cars and boats and

678
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,000
whatever other useless stuff that

679
00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:05,000
I had is

680
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,000
completed. I'm not in debt.

681
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,000
I'm not in debt anymore. And that's been that

682
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,000
way for about 25 years.

683
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,000
No mortgages.

684
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,000
All that I make

685
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,000
is

686
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,000
to

687
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,000
pay for what

688
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,000
King Solomon taught Larry Brackett

689
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,000
and I was that there's only three reasons

690
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,000
to accumulate wealth and that's

691
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,000
to provide for your family, to provide

692
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,000
for your retirement so that you can give more.

693
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:33,000
So

694
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,000
at the end of every month

695
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,000
I'm able to actually

696
00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,000
give more.

697
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,000
That discipline

698
00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:43,000
happened

699
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,000
first I think. And then there

700
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,000
was this realization of a relationship

701
00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,000
with God that

702
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,000
because

703
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,000
I know

704
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,000
what he has to deal with

705
00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,000
in my heart and with our

706
00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,000
hearts that I became

707
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,000
closer and

708
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,000
the material

709
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,000
things in the world didn't

710
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,000
matter so much.

711
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,000
What

712
00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,000
Elon Musk

713
00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,000
makes is nothing compared

714
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,000
to what God has.

715
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,000
What

716
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,000
I make is nothing compared

717
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,000
to what God has. What all of you have

718
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,000
is nothing compared to what God has

719
00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,000
but

720
00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,000
he wants to

721
00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,000
be one with us.

722
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,000
He wants the unity of

723
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,000
us with him.

724
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,000
It's like taking

725
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,000
baby steps

726
00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,000
toward the Lord

727
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000
in this insignificant thing that

728
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,000
we call money.

729
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,000
Our income is just

730
00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,000
it's all from him anyways

731
00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,000
so when we give back 10%

732
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:51,000
it's like taking a baby step towards him.

733
00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,000
Now

734
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,000
what's

735
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,000
in it for me

736
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,000
is regarding ties

737
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,000
that the blessings that came

738
00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,000
to me went far beyond what I

739
00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,000
ever imagined.

740
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,000
He opened the floodgates

741
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,000
unto me

742
00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,000
in a spiritual way

743
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,000
and he made all the material

744
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:23,000
way

745
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,000
pretty insignificant.

746
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,000
He took away the worry

747
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,000
of debt. I remember

748
00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,000
being in debt. I remember hating

749
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,000
it. I remember being

750
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,000
way down at the end. I mean

751
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,000
8%

752
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,000
on the mortgage

753
00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,000
and

754
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,000
18% on the

755
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,000
credit card. I said

756
00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,000
this is an incredible

757
00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,000
stress

758
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,000
an ungodly stress

759
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,000
on me so I needed

760
00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,000
to get out from under it and it was only

761
00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,000
through the discipline that I learned

762
00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,000
from tithing that

763
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:01,000
this happened.

764
00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:03,000
So

765
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,000
I will continually

766
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,000
thank God for his blessings

767
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,000
upon me and I

768
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,000
ask

769
00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:13,000
also

770
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,000
that God does the same

771
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,000
for you.

772
00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,000
He's my dear friend

773
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,000
and

774
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,000
in the spirit of

775
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,000
Matthew 9 and Matthew 12

776
00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,000
and Hosea 6

777
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:29,000
I would ask that

778
00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,000
the Lord God Almighty

779
00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,000
Hashem

780
00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,000
my friend, bless each and

781
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:37,000
one of you followers

782
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,000
here and that

783
00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,000
you're able to give

784
00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,000
from the abundance that he gives you

785
00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,000
so that

786
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,000
his storehouse will bear fruit

787
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,000
and that each person here

788
00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,000
is honed, is sharpened

789
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,000
in the compassion

790
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,000
and mercy

791
00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,000
that comes from

792
00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,000
you achieving a relationship

793
00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:03,000
or a better relationship with

794
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,000
the Lord God Almighty, creative universe

795
00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,000
lover of our soul

796
00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,000
savior, redeemer

797
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,000
the guy that sanctifies

798
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,000
us that we might become one with God

799
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,000
Amen

800
00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:17,000
I got a

801
00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,000
postscript here

802
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,000
I don't

803
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,000
want you to give until

804
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,000
it hurts

805
00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,000
I want you to give until it feels good

806
00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:37,000
I also want you to know

807
00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,000
that Jesus spoke in analogies

808
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:41,000
parables

809
00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,000
and

810
00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,000
I believe that Malachi

811
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,000
3 is

812
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,000
a parable or an analogy

813
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,000
of our

814
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:53,000
walk with the Lord

815
00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,000
because

816
00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,000
as he walks to us

817
00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,000
in ten steps

818
00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,000
with the abundance that he gives us

819
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,000
he's asking us to

820
00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,000
take a step to him

821
00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,000
one step

822
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,000
one little baby step

823
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,000
as an assurance to both

824
00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:15,000
him and yourself

825
00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,000
that you are

826
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:21,000
in the family of God

827
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,000
God bless you and God bless this church

828
00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,000
So just like I said earlier

829
00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,000
and just like Ed shared

830
00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,000
I don't want to encourage you

831
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,000
take God up on his challenge

832
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,000
put him to the test

833
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,000
and for some of you

834
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,000
you're like well I'm not sure about this

835
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,000
church you know I haven't been here that long

836
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,000
give it somewhere else

837
00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,000
give your tithe to another church

838
00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,000
give to Convoy of Hope, give to Compassion International

839
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,000
it makes no difference to me

840
00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,000
tithe somewhere

841
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,000
that you feel God

842
00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,000
putting on your heart and then after

843
00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,000
three months come talk to me

844
00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,000
because I guarantee you

845
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,000
your mind will change

846
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,000
and your outlook will change

847
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,000
and as your pastor

848
00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,000
I want you to experience all that God has for you

849
00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,000
and this isn't a talk about what we hope to get

850
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:25,000
from you

851
00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,000
we're not hoping to gain anything from you

852
00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,000
this message is for you

853
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:31,000
because over the 18 years

854
00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,000
of pasturing this church I've experienced

855
00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,000
many miracles and opportunities

856
00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,000
that God has surprised us with

857
00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,000
because of our financial obedience

858
00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,000
I mean you're sitting in a house of miracles

859
00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,000
remember we broke ground in this

860
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:45,000
at the height of COVID

861
00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,000
and we couldn't even gather as a church

862
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,000
but here we are

863
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:55,000
and even though it's an awkward topic to discuss

864
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,000
here's the reality it shouldn't be

865
00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,000
because if I don't discuss it

866
00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:01,000
I'm robbing you of a blessing

867
00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:05,000
and even though we're uncomfortable as Americans

868
00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,000
talking about money

869
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:09,000
I get it I don't make friends this Sunday

870
00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,000
I'm not called to be your friend

871
00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:17,000
I'm called to be your pastor

872
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:19,000
and I don't want something from you

873
00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,000
I want you to experience the financial blessing

874
00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,000
that comes from God

875
00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,000
now I get it you can go online

876
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,000
and read about tithing

877
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,000
oh it's not biblical Chris

878
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,000
it's an old testament law

879
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,000
Jesus no longer recognizes it

880
00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,000
and you can search up online

881
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,000
and find many people that have all these reasons

882
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,000
for what I just described

883
00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,000
and it's just not true

884
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,000
well it's kind of true and false

885
00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,000
it's an old testament law

886
00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:47,000
that's what I read to you from Malachi 3

887
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,000
but it's not an old testament law

888
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,000
it's a biblical principle

889
00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,000
how do I know that?

890
00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,000
well 500 years before there was an old testament law

891
00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,000
we read this in Genesis 14

892
00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,000
and Melchizedek the son of Salem

893
00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,000
and a priest of God most high

894
00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,000
brought Abram some bread and wine

895
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,000
there's our friend Abram again

896
00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:07,000
Melchizedek blessed Abram with his blessing

897
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,000
blessed to be Abram by God most high

898
00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,000
creator of heaven and earth

899
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,000
and blessed to be God most high

900
00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,000
who has defeated your enemies for you

901
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,000
then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth

902
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,000
of all his goods he had recovered

903
00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,000
see bringing a tenth of everything to God

904
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,000
and giving it back to him

905
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,000
because he gave it to us

906
00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,000
giving it back to the storehouse

907
00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:29,000
to the local church

908
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,000
it's not just an old testament law

909
00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,000
it was happening 500 years

910
00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,000
before there was old testament laws

911
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,000
then you read about the old testament law

912
00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,000
that I shared with you in Malachi 3

913
00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,000
then we see Jesus talk about it

914
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,000
in the new testament

915
00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:45,000
look at Matthew 23 23

916
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,000
what sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law

917
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,000
and you Pharisees

918
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,000
hypocrites

919
00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,000
now please understand

920
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,000
Jesus didn't start the conversation

921
00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,000
talking about the tithe

922
00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:59,000
he was challenging the religious leaders

923
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,000
that they were mistreating people

924
00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,000
and then he speaks about the tithe

925
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,000
right in the middle of it

926
00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,000
let's continue

927
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,000
for you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income

928
00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,000
from your herb gardens

929
00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,000
but you ignore the more important aspects of the law

930
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,000
justice, mercy, and faith

931
00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,000
and let's read the next part together

932
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:21,000
you should tithe yes

933
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,000
let's read it again

934
00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:27,000
you should tithe yes

935
00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,000
but do not neglect the more important things

936
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,000
see it's not just an old testament law

937
00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,000
it's a biblical issue

938
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:35,000
that Jesus challenged us to do

939
00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,000
you should tithe yes

940
00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,000
and here's the reality

941
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,000
if you choose not to tithe

942
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,000
God won't love you any less

943
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,000
he won't love you anymore

944
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,000
if you do tithe

945
00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,000
God is inviting his people to tithe

946
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,000
because he wants to change your life

947
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:53,000
which leads us to our next thought

948
00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,000
I'm going to read it again

949
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,000
I'm going to read it again

950
00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,000
which leads us to our next thought

951
00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,000
God says

952
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,000
watch me work

953
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,000
now hear me out

954
00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:07,000
I'm in no way saying that if you begin to give

955
00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,000
and tithe to HGV

956
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,000
that suddenly God is going to

957
00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,000
give you a heavenly Rolex

958
00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,000
he's not going to give you a new fur coat

959
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,000
or a jet to fly around in

960
00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,000
I'm not promising you riches

961
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,000
I'm not even promising you

962
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,000
you won't get sick

963
00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,000
I'm promising you that troubles won't come

964
00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:29,000
he is simply saying

965
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,000
if this becomes your money

966
00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,000
mindset

967
00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:35,000
blessings will rain down in your life

968
00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:37,000
let's go back to Malachi 3

969
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,000
bring all the tithes into the store house

970
00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:41,000
so there will be enough food in my temple

971
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,000
if you do so

972
00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:45,000
says the Lord of Heaven's armies

973
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,000
I will open the windows of heaven

974
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,000
for you

975
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,000
and pour out a blessing so great

976
00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:53,000
that you won't have enough room

977
00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,000
to take it in

978
00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:57,000
now how many of you wants God

979
00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:59,000
to open up the spiritual

980
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,000
blessings from heaven

981
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:03,000
I want both hands up

982
00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:05,000
right

983
00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,000
say God open up heaven

984
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,000
and download it

985
00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,000
and then he says

986
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:13,000
put me to the test

987
00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,000
and I can tell you

988
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,000
time and time

989
00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,000
I can have many of you stand up

990
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:21,000
right where you are

991
00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:23,000
and experience of freedom and relief

992
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:25,000
once you started tithing

993
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,000
there's been business owners that have shared with me

994
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:29,000
that their businesses have been transformed

995
00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,000
since they began to tithe

996
00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,000
I mean I'm not

997
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:35,000
promising you anything

998
00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:37,000
this is what God says

999
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,000
and he is so serious about it

1000
00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,000
what's he say test me

1001
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,000
here's the crazy thing

1002
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,000
this isn't a test that you can fail

1003
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,000
I mean

1004
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,000
so many of us we have horror stories

1005
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,000
of test taking from school

1006
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:53,000
we hated it

1007
00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:55,000
and when God says

1008
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,000
test me

1009
00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,000
the only way we fail is if we don't

1010
00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,000
walk in obedience

1011
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,000
it's the only way you fail

1012
00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,000
some of you are thinking well Chris

1013
00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:07,000
I'm broke

1014
00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,000
to which I respond okay

1015
00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:11,000
10%

1016
00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,000
of that should not be very hard to come up with

1017
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:15,000
seems like a good system to me

1018
00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:17,000
right

1019
00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:19,000
I mean God promises

1020
00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:21,000
to do something that will blow your mind

1021
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,000
that if you live this way

1022
00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:25,000
so my point is why put it off

1023
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:27,000
and some of you are sitting there thinking

1024
00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,000
well Chris I'm struggling financially

1025
00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,000
I can't pay my bills

1026
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,000
now's the perfect time to start tithing

1027
00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,000
because you need a blessing

1028
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,000
remember church

1029
00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,000
remember church

1030
00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,000
remember church

1031
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,000
it's all his

1032
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,000
and I think

1033
00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:49,000
so many people struggle with the tithe

1034
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,000
because they word it as

1035
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:53,000
well I have to give 10%

1036
00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,000
no

1037
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,000
you don't give anything

1038
00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,000
you're returning 10%

1039
00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:01,000
of what God already owns

1040
00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,000
and he says watch me work

1041
00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,000
and then Jesus says

1042
00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,000
in Acts 20 you should remember the words

1043
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,000
of the Lord Jesus it is more blessed to

1044
00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,000
give

1045
00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:13,000
than to receive and I get it

1046
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,000
it's counter cultural

1047
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,000
right

1048
00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:19,000
but the word blessed

1049
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:21,000
is defined as happy

1050
00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,000
fortunate to be envied

1051
00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:27,000
I mean it's the life that all of the

1052
00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,000
Americans living today

1053
00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,000
want not just the

1054
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,000
church people want

1055
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,000
to live a life that's happy

1056
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,000
fortunate and to be envied

1057
00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,000
and here's the crazy thing

1058
00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:41,000
when you're in a relationship with Jesus

1059
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:43,000
it's right within your grasp

1060
00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:45,000
all you have to do is trust him with your finances

1061
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:47,000
it's more of a blessing

1062
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:49,000
to give than to take

1063
00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,000
it's personal

1064
00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:53,000
and you have to try it for yourself

1065
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:55,000
and like I said

1066
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,000
I've been pastoring now this church

1067
00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:59,000
for literally 19 years

1068
00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,000
and every single year God

1069
00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,000
provides for all my needs all our needs

1070
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,000
and more

1071
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,000
he doesn't want us anxious and angry

1072
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,000
when it comes to money

1073
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:11,000
he wants us excited

1074
00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:13,000
he wants us to have fun experiencing the

1075
00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,000
blessings of living and giving generously

1076
00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,000
because this

1077
00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,000
enables us to continue to reach

1078
00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,000
the hurting people within our community around the world

1079
00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,000
look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 9

1080
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:25,000
for God is the one

1081
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:27,000
who provides seed to the farmer and then bread

1082
00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,000
to eat in the same way he will provide

1083
00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,000
and increase your resources and then produce

1084
00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:33,000
a great harvest of generosity

1085
00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:35,000
in you

1086
00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,000
yes you will be enriched in every way

1087
00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,000
so that you can always be generous

1088
00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:41,000
and when we take your gifts to those who need them

1089
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,000
look at this they will thank God

1090
00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,000
see God is

1091
00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,000
communicating to us

1092
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,000
about our resources and our finances

1093
00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:51,000
not because God needs them

1094
00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:53,000
you heard Ed share that

1095
00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:55,000
it's because he wants our hearts

1096
00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,000
which leads us to our final thought

1097
00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,000
when it comes to finances Jesus

1098
00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:01,000
challenges our hearts

1099
00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,000
he says look in the mirror church

1100
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:05,000
don't store up

1101
00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,000
treasures here on earth where moths

1102
00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:09,000
eat them and rust destroys them or

1103
00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,000
thieves break in and steal

1104
00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:13,000
store your treasures in heaven where moths and rust

1105
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,000
cannot destroy and thieves do not break in and steal

1106
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,000
wherever your treasure is

1107
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:19,000
there the desires of your hearts

1108
00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:21,000
will also be

1109
00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,000
see God knows

1110
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,000
that wherever our resources go

1111
00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:27,000
wherever we spend our money guess what

1112
00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:29,000
our hearts are going along with it

1113
00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,000
God wants our hearts

1114
00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,000
and we need him to have

1115
00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:35,000
our hearts otherwise

1116
00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:37,000
we are going to find ourselves lost and

1117
00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:39,000
wondering and he is

1118
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,000
inviting us to be generous because

1119
00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:43,000
he is the one that provides the seed to

1120
00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:45,000
the seller and we are

1121
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,000
generous because

1122
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:49,000
he will meet all of our needs when

1123
00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:51,000
we are when we are meeting

1124
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,000
the needs of our community look at 1 Timothy

1125
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,000
chapter 6

1126
00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:57,000
tell them to use their money to do good

1127
00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:59,000
they should be rich in good works

1128
00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:01,000
and generous to those in need always be ready

1129
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,000
to share with others by doing

1130
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,000
this they will be storing up their

1131
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,000
treasure as a good foundation for the future

1132
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,000
so that they may experience

1133
00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:11,000
true life

1134
00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,000
let's experience true

1135
00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:15,000
life church

1136
00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,000
now let's watch and listen to another

1137
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:19,000
story this is Ashton's

1138
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:21,000
story of financial

1139
00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:27,000
obedience let's watch

1140
00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:29,000
living very comfortably

1141
00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:31,000
making a really

1142
00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:33,000
good salary

1143
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,000
so I felt

1144
00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:37,000
at one point while I was working

1145
00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,000
in biotech biopharma that the Lord

1146
00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,000
called me out of that and actually

1147
00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:43,000
called me to take a job

1148
00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:45,000
on a farm

1149
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,000
in the middle of winter

1150
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,000
sleeping with the rats

1151
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,000
so that's you know that's a whole

1152
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:53,000
other story right there

1153
00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:55,000
but I went from making what I had

1154
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:57,000
been to making

1155
00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:59,000
$150

1156
00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:01,000
a week and

1157
00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:03,000
during that season

1158
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,000
I ended up getting

1159
00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:07,000
into a really significant

1160
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:09,000
accident

1161
00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:11,000
it landed me in the hospital for a week

1162
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:13,000
I had two emergency

1163
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,000
surgeries I got

1164
00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:17,000
out of the hospital

1165
00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,000
they hand me this bill and it's

1166
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,000
for a quarter

1167
00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:23,000
of a million dollars

1168
00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,000
and at the time

1169
00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:27,000
I had about 300

1170
00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,000
to my name

1171
00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,000
in my bank account

1172
00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:33,000
and the state

1173
00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:35,000
called me

1174
00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:37,000
about a month and a half later

1175
00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:39,000
and they

1176
00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,000
said uh Ms.

1177
00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:43,000
Badalena we would like to apologize

1178
00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,000
it turns out you were actually

1179
00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:47,000
like really broke

1180
00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:49,000
and really poor

1181
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:51,000
and so we've

1182
00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:53,000
redone the calculations

1183
00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:55,000
and you owe us

1184
00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:57,000
$125

1185
00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:01,000
which I had like I could

1186
00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:03,000
pay that one

1187
00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:05,000
so God just wiped

1188
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,000
out this quarter of a million

1189
00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:09,000
dollar bill

1190
00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:11,000
and I owed $125

1191
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:13,000
and from that

1192
00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:15,000
season I just saw

1193
00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,000
God be so faithful

1194
00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:19,000
and be such a provider

1195
00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,000
that it was

1196
00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:23,000
so easy for me moving forward

1197
00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:25,000
to never doubt his faithfulness

1198
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:27,000
to never doubt his provision

1199
00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:29,000
to never doubt

1200
00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:31,000
my financial security again

1201
00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:33,000
because God had just

1202
00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:35,000
absolutely blown my mind

1203
00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:37,000
now in a position

1204
00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:39,000
and a job

1205
00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:41,000
and a job

1206
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:43,000
where I'm

1207
00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:45,000
very grateful to be

1208
00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:47,000
very financially blessed

1209
00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:49,000
it was the Sunday service

1210
00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:51,000
before Easter where we

1211
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,000
had four incredible services planned

1212
00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:55,000
and the

1213
00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:57,000
screens started

1214
00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:59,000
glitching out and I just

1215
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:01,000
felt the Lord put it on my heart

1216
00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:03,000
to go to Chris

1217
00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:05,000
after service

1218
00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:07,000
and let him know that

1219
00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:09,000
whatever that invoice

1220
00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:11,000
came out to, whatever it took

1221
00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:13,000
to fix that problem

1222
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:15,000
and to get our church ready for Sunday service

1223
00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:17,000
that they were just going to send me the bill

1224
00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:19,000
and I was just going to

1225
00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:21,000
take care of it

1226
00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:23,000
and I have never written

1227
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,000
a blank check blessing before

1228
00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:27,000
and

1229
00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:29,000
so the bill comes in

1230
00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:31,000
and you know, praise the Lord

1231
00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:33,000
I had the finances to cover

1232
00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:35,000
it and

1233
00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:37,000
I'm sitting in church

1234
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:39,000
the next Sunday

1235
00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:41,000
and I'm in one of the four services

1236
00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:43,000
and it's absolutely packed

1237
00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:45,000
and I'm sitting off

1238
00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:47,000
to the side in the room where the drums are

1239
00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:49,000
and I'm looking out

1240
00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:51,000
over this packed

1241
00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:53,000
sanctuary

1242
00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:55,000
and I'm just

1243
00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:57,000
thinking, praise God

1244
00:43:57,000 --> 00:43:59,000
so a few weeks

1245
00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:01,000
after that, about two or three weeks after

1246
00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:03,000
a long time client

1247
00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:05,000
of mine came in

1248
00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:07,000
and out of nowhere

1249
00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:09,000
they turned to me and

1250
00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:11,000
tell me that they would like

1251
00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:13,000
to bring ten million dollars

1252
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:15,000
over to my business

1253
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:17,000
which is huge

1254
00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:19,000
I look at that

1255
00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:21,000
and I say

1256
00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:23,000
you know, okay, I

1257
00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:25,000
said yes to five thousand dollars

1258
00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:27,000
which is not

1259
00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:29,000
an insignificant amount of money

1260
00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:31,000
but God blessed me with

1261
00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:33,000
ten million

1262
00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:35,000
and you know, I never

1263
00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:37,000
I never give to get

1264
00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:39,000
it's never

1265
00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:41,000
me challenging the Lord

1266
00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:43,000
to outdo me

1267
00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:45,000
it's walking in obedience

1268
00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:47,000
and showing myself faithful

1269
00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:49,000
and knowing that

1270
00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:51,000
I'm going to show

1271
00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:53,000
the Lord that if He chooses

1272
00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:55,000
to bless me, if He chooses

1273
00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:57,000
to provide me with resources

1274
00:44:57,000 --> 00:44:59,000
I'm just going to live open-handed

1275
00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:01,000
and that

1276
00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:03,000
if He needs me to get those resources

1277
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,000
to someone else

1278
00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:07,000
the answer is yes

1279
00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:09,000
applause

1280
00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:13,000
Ashton wanted me to share

1281
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:15,000
with all of you that

1282
00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:17,000
you know, in her story

1283
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,000
before

1284
00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:21,000
she got in that accident

1285
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,000
she actually started tithing

1286
00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:25,000
when she was earning that

1287
00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:27,000
one hundred and fifty dollars a week

1288
00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:29,000
so in tithing that one hundred and fifty dollars a week

1289
00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:31,000
it allowed for God to

1290
00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:33,000
bless her so that that bill

1291
00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:35,000
was almost paid in full

1292
00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:37,000
and you can hear her

1293
00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:39,000
whole testimony today at one o'clock

1294
00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:41,000
it will be released on all of the podcasts

1295
00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:43,000
on iTunes

1296
00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:45,000
and wherever else you get your podcasts

1297
00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:47,000
her whole testimony and story

1298
00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:49,000
will be on there if you'd like

1299
00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:51,000
to listen to it and before I get

1300
00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:53,000
to the action steps

1301
00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:55,000
which are going to be real simple

1302
00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:57,000
I want to read for you

1303
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,000
a list of everything that we did

1304
00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:01,000
as a community of faith in 2023

1305
00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:03,000
and early 2024

1306
00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:05,000
because I believe it will change your mind

1307
00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:07,000
about what God is calling us to do

1308
00:46:07,000 --> 00:46:09,000
as a community of faith

1309
00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:11,000
now I send out this year

1310
00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:13,000
in recap to everybody that gives

1311
00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:15,000
to our community of faith

1312
00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:17,000
at the end of the year

1313
00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:19,000
so last year, 2023, we welcomed 761

1314
00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:21,000
first time guests into our

1315
00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:23,000
community of faith

1316
00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:25,000
we baptized 129

1317
00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:27,000
people

1318
00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:29,000
just last year in 2023

1319
00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:31,000
many of which were entire

1320
00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:33,000
families

1321
00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:35,000
and it spanned several generations

1322
00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:37,000
2023 is the year of first

1323
00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:39,000
here at our community of faith

1324
00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:41,000
we established an every other week

1325
00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:43,000
Bible study at Hagerstown Healthcare

1326
00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:45,000
glad to see you guys

1327
00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:47,000
and not only is that Bible study on Wednesdays

1328
00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:49,000
happening every other week

1329
00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:51,000
but it's now become an every Sunday morning

1330
00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:53,000
site where the residents

1331
00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:55,000
of Hagerstown Healthcare are joining us

1332
00:46:55,000 --> 00:46:57,000
and are part of our community of faith

1333
00:46:57,000 --> 00:46:59,000
online

1334
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:01,000
we began a partnership with the Arc of Washington County

1335
00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:03,000
serving our friends with disabilities and special needs

1336
00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:05,000
on the every other Wednesdays

1337
00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:07,000
we host them here on our campus

1338
00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:09,000
for a Bible study

1339
00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:11,000
we sent several partners on a

1340
00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:13,000
missions trip to Appalachia

1341
00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:15,000
with the Appalachia Service Project in West Virginia

1342
00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:17,000
God of course challenged me

1343
00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:19,000
to give away a Christmas gift

1344
00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:21,000
and we sent

1345
00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:23,000
$56,000

1346
00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:25,000
to Blood Water Mission where we built

1347
00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:27,000
six wells in Africa

1348
00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:29,000
last year as a community of faith

1349
00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:31,000
many of you saw the images

1350
00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:33,000
last week

1351
00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:35,000
in 2023 our backpack giveaway

1352
00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:37,000
was a huge success we gave away

1353
00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:39,000
1200 backpacks and supplies

1354
00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:41,000
to students in the

1355
00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:43,000
tri-state area

1356
00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:45,000
and not only was it backpacks it was haircuts

1357
00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:47,000
it was food, it was shoes

1358
00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:49,000
it was clothes you name it

1359
00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:51,000
we gave it away on Halloween

1360
00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:53,000
in 2023 we gave away

1361
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:55,000
22,000 pieces of candy

1362
00:47:57,000 --> 00:47:59,000
I did not participate in that

1363
00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:01,000
I believe we gave away

1364
00:48:01,000 --> 00:48:03,000
fruit, ok

1365
00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:05,000
there was roughly 250

1366
00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:07,000
cars that rolled through our parking lot

1367
00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:09,000
right for the

1368
00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:11,000
giveaway in November we partnered with

1369
00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:13,000
local elementary schools and gave away 150

1370
00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:15,000
complete Thanksgiving meals

1371
00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:17,000
to families in need

1372
00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:19,000
we continued our involvement in a

1373
00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:21,000
Reach Cold Weather shelter in 2023

1374
00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:23,000
with over 600

1375
00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:25,000
community service hours volunteered

1376
00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:27,000
our Angel Tree Initiative in 2023

1377
00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:29,000
saw 183

1378
00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:31,000
children and this is

1379
00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:33,000
children with parents that are incarcerated

1380
00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:35,000
in local prisons

1381
00:48:35,000 --> 00:48:37,000
and we gave them 366

1382
00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:39,000
Christmas gifts during

1383
00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:41,000
the holiday season

1384
00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:43,000
last year in 2023 we gave away

1385
00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:45,000
flowers, glow bracelets

1386
00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:47,000
coffee, water

1387
00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:49,000
and we gave away almost a thousand

1388
00:48:49,000 --> 00:48:51,000
pairs of shoes to

1389
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,000
Souls for Souls

1390
00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:55,000
we hosted here in our building

1391
00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:57,000
a mom prom, a paint night

1392
00:48:57,000 --> 00:48:59,000
a seniors group every once a month

1393
00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:01,000
cookie exchange, family movie nights

1394
00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:03,000
Easter egg hunt, bike blessings

1395
00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:05,000
we had meet Santa during the holidays

1396
00:49:05,000 --> 00:49:07,000
and the list goes on and on

1397
00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:09,000
at the beginning of 2024

1398
00:49:09,000 --> 00:49:11,000
we hosted our first ever Tim Tebow Foundation

1399
00:49:11,000 --> 00:49:13,000
night to shine

1400
00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:15,000
serving the special needs community

1401
00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:17,000
with a prom that just blew

1402
00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:19,000
our minds, right? And this year we're going to

1403
00:49:19,000 --> 00:49:21,000
double the number of participants in it

1404
00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:23,000
in March of this year we hosted a

1405
00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:25,000
national story tour

1406
00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:27,000
a night of hope and healing for the recovery

1407
00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:29,000
community and this

1408
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:31,000
auditorium was packed

1409
00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:33,000
with over 600 people

1410
00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:35,000
hearing the good news about Jesus

1411
00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:37,000
in 2024

1412
00:49:37,000 --> 00:49:39,000
we quadrupled

1413
00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:41,000
our benevolence money

1414
00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:43,000
and benevolence money is money that's given away

1415
00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:45,000
to local people that are in need

1416
00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:47,000
and we actually developed a

1417
00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:49,000
benevolence team where we're going to give away

1418
00:49:49,000 --> 00:49:51,000
nearly $20,000

1419
00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:53,000
to families in need

1420
00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:55,000
in 2024 many of you know that

1421
00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:57,000
we're partnering for around the

1422
00:49:57,000 --> 00:49:59,000
world missions, we want to go to the ends

1423
00:49:59,000 --> 00:50:01,000
of the earth, we're currently focused on

1424
00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:03,000
raising $10,000

1425
00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:05,000
to build a kitchen at a school

1426
00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:07,000
in Kenya that Jess and I visited

1427
00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:09,000
right so if that's on your heart listen please

1428
00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:11,000
give because I believe between this Sunday

1429
00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:13,000
and next Sunday we're going to have that $10,000

1430
00:50:13,000 --> 00:50:15,000
to build that kitchen, amen?

1431
00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:17,000
For the rest

1432
00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:19,000
of the year we're going to host our first annual

1433
00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:21,000
tie-dye run for freedom in October

1434
00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:23,000
so get your running shoes on now

1435
00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:25,000
and start training we're going to have a mile

1436
00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:27,000
front run, a 5k and a 10k

1437
00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:29,000
every single

1438
00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:31,000
dollar will be given away to

1439
00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:33,000
Compassion International where

1440
00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:35,000
children's lives will be changed

1441
00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:37,000
and we'll see God

1442
00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:39,000
change the world

1443
00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:41,000
this year our annual Christmas gift is

1444
00:50:41,000 --> 00:50:43,000
going to build a recovery house for women and

1445
00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:45,000
children caught in the horrors of human trafficking

1446
00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:47,000
coming in 2025

1447
00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:49,000
amen? Yep. Coming in 2025

1448
00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:51,000
2025

1449
00:50:51,000 --> 00:50:53,000
I'm already looking forward to next year

1450
00:50:53,000 --> 00:50:55,000
we're going to do one day to feed the world which

1451
00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:57,000
benefits Convoy of Hope and their efforts to

1452
00:50:57,000 --> 00:50:59,000
feed every single person

1453
00:50:59,000 --> 00:51:01,000
around the world, I feel

1454
00:51:01,000 --> 00:51:03,000
God calling us to purchase a food truck

1455
00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:05,000
so that we can expand our

1456
00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:07,000
weekly community dinner not only bringing people

1457
00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:09,000
here but going to them

1458
00:51:09,000 --> 00:51:11,000
so if you know anybody that's looking

1459
00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:13,000
to get rid of a food truck we want to

1460
00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:15,000
buy one. Next summer

1461
00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:17,000
we're going to take our first

1462
00:51:17,000 --> 00:51:19,000
high school short term missions trip to

1463
00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:21,000
the Dominican Republic so

1464
00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:23,000
high schoolers you want to go on a

1465
00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:25,000
missions trip see Steven today

1466
00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:27,000
because we are going next

1467
00:51:27,000 --> 00:51:29,000
summer, right? I feel

1468
00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:31,000
God calling us to make a difference in HCC

1469
00:51:31,000 --> 00:51:33,000
and the other local colleges in the Tri-State

1470
00:51:33,000 --> 00:51:35,000
area if you're attending HCC

1471
00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:37,000
or Sheppard or one of the downtown

1472
00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:39,000
colleges I want to spend

1473
00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:41,000
money on you to reach your generation

1474
00:51:41,000 --> 00:51:43,000
right? I want to host

1475
00:51:43,000 --> 00:51:45,000
a Bible study, I want to host groups

1476
00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:47,000
I want to start seeing you make a

1477
00:51:47,000 --> 00:51:49,000
difference in your generation

1478
00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:51,000
what if

1479
00:51:51,000 --> 00:51:53,000
what if

1480
00:51:53,000 --> 00:51:55,000
in the years to come God uses

1481
00:51:55,000 --> 00:51:57,000
our community of faith to build recovery

1482
00:51:57,000 --> 00:51:59,000
houses for

1483
00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:01,000
addicts and single moms to

1484
00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:03,000
recover in healthily

1485
00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:09,000
I'm telling you my vision

1486
00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:11,000
our vision is

1487
00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:13,000
big, it's big

1488
00:52:13,000 --> 00:52:15,000
but it's all about people

1489
00:52:15,000 --> 00:52:17,000
so if you've ever questioned

1490
00:52:17,000 --> 00:52:19,000
the motives of our church

1491
00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:21,000
you can be rest assured that we

1492
00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:23,000
are reaching our community amen?

1493
00:52:23,000 --> 00:52:25,000
So real quick action steps

1494
00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:27,000
five simple access steps in choosing to

1495
00:52:27,000 --> 00:52:29,000
give right? Because I believe all of us

1496
00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:31,000
are called to tithe number one pray and listen

1497
00:52:31,000 --> 00:52:33,000
you got to pray and listen

1498
00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:35,000
2 Corinthians 9 7 to 8 much each

1499
00:52:35,000 --> 00:52:37,000
decide in your heart how much to give

1500
00:52:37,000 --> 00:52:39,000
and don't give reluctantly in response to

1501
00:52:39,000 --> 00:52:41,000
pressure for God loves

1502
00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:43,000
a person who gives

1503
00:52:43,000 --> 00:52:45,000
cheerfully and God will give generously

1504
00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:47,000
to all that you

1505
00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:49,000
need see tithing is a heart

1506
00:52:49,000 --> 00:52:51,000
issue it's not a money issue

1507
00:52:51,000 --> 00:52:53,000
and if you're struggling with the idea of tithing

1508
00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:55,000
or giving just talk to God about it

1509
00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:57,000
pour a coffee cup

1510
00:52:57,000 --> 00:52:59,000
a cup of coffee for Jesus have a

1511
00:52:59,000 --> 00:53:01,000
conversation with him and I guarantee

1512
00:53:01,000 --> 00:53:03,000
you he will speak into

1513
00:53:03,000 --> 00:53:05,000
your heart that it's all about

1514
00:53:05,000 --> 00:53:07,000
giving generously and when we listen

1515
00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:09,000
to the Holy Spirit we will quickly

1516
00:53:09,000 --> 00:53:11,000
hear that he

1517
00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:13,000
desires generosity from our lives

1518
00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:15,000
so number one pray and listen number

1519
00:53:15,000 --> 00:53:17,000
two decide how much to give

1520
00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:19,000
Malachi 3 10 bring all

1521
00:53:19,000 --> 00:53:21,000
the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough

1522
00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:23,000
food in my temple what's a tithe

1523
00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:25,000
it's 10% some of you are thinking

1524
00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:27,000
well Chris I don't have 10%

1525
00:53:27,000 --> 00:53:29,000
to give ok 2 Corinthians 9 7

1526
00:53:29,000 --> 00:53:31,000
decide in your heart

1527
00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:33,000
how much to give just erase

1528
00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:35,000
the 10% start somewhere

1529
00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:37,000
right start somewhere

1530
00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:39,000
start at 3% start at 5%

1531
00:53:39,000 --> 00:53:41,000
start at 6% I don't

1532
00:53:41,000 --> 00:53:43,000
care start somewhere

1533
00:53:43,000 --> 00:53:45,000
and then what you see from the

1534
00:53:45,000 --> 00:53:47,000
fruit of God blessing you expand

1535
00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:49,000
it to the point where you are giving

1536
00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:51,000
a tithe for example Jess and I

1537
00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:53,000
we get paid by HCV

1538
00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:55,000
we have our tithe

1539
00:53:55,000 --> 00:53:57,000
we have 10% taken out of our paychecks

1540
00:53:57,000 --> 00:53:59,000
before it's even written

1541
00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:01,000
so that we can give beyond 10%

1542
00:54:01,000 --> 00:54:03,000
we want to give 12 13

1543
00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:05,000
14% because we believe

1544
00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:07,000
that's God's best right

1545
00:54:07,000 --> 00:54:09,000
within our community of faith you can give online

1546
00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:11,000
you can give when the basket

1547
00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:13,000
comes by you can put it into the

1548
00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:15,000
baskets in the back it makes

1549
00:54:15,000 --> 00:54:17,000
no difference how you do it

1550
00:54:17,000 --> 00:54:19,000
but when you give online

1551
00:54:19,000 --> 00:54:21,000
and some of you that struggle to remember to write

1552
00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:23,000
a check or to bring cash you can

1553
00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:25,000
just click the tab reoccurring giving

1554
00:54:25,000 --> 00:54:27,000
and give once a month like Jess and I

1555
00:54:27,000 --> 00:54:29,000
do or once a week or every other week

1556
00:54:29,000 --> 00:54:31,000
or whatever fits best for your life

1557
00:54:31,000 --> 00:54:33,000
you have to remember it's all about

1558
00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:35,000
generosity Luke 12 34

1559
00:54:35,000 --> 00:54:37,000
wherever your treasure is there

1560
00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:39,000
the desires of your heart will also be

1561
00:54:39,000 --> 00:54:41,000
not only

1562
00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:43,000
right do you decide how much to give

1563
00:54:43,000 --> 00:54:45,000
but when you give you give cheerfully

1564
00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:47,000
because God loves a person that

1565
00:54:47,000 --> 00:54:49,000
gives cheerfully and when we give

1566
00:54:49,000 --> 00:54:51,000
cheerfully what are we doing we're showing

1567
00:54:51,000 --> 00:54:53,000
God that we love him

1568
00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:55,000
and that we're giving out of the abundance

1569
00:54:55,000 --> 00:54:57,000
of our heart because that's what

1570
00:54:57,000 --> 00:54:59,000
pleases God the most

1571
00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:01,000
not only do you give cheerfully

1572
00:55:01,000 --> 00:55:03,000
but I want to challenge you

1573
00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:05,000
keep a journal and what do I mean by that

1574
00:55:05,000 --> 00:55:07,000
well God says

1575
00:55:07,000 --> 00:55:09,000
God will generously provide all you

1576
00:55:09,000 --> 00:55:11,000
need then you will always have everything

1577
00:55:11,000 --> 00:55:13,000
you need and plenty left over to share with others

1578
00:55:13,000 --> 00:55:15,000
you heard Ashton's testimony

1579
00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:17,000
you heard Ed's testimony

1580
00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:19,000
some of you just need to track a journal of

1581
00:55:19,000 --> 00:55:21,000
things that you need and I'm not talking about a Rolex

1582
00:55:21,000 --> 00:55:23,000
I'm not talking about

1583
00:55:23,000 --> 00:55:25,000
wants I'm talking about needs

1584
00:55:25,000 --> 00:55:27,000
and you will see that as you begin to

1585
00:55:27,000 --> 00:55:29,000
give back to God he will meet every

1586
00:55:29,000 --> 00:55:31,000
need that you have and as you

1587
00:55:31,000 --> 00:55:33,000
record them guess what your generosity

1588
00:55:33,000 --> 00:55:35,000
will only grow

1589
00:55:35,000 --> 00:55:37,000
which leads to our final step

1590
00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:39,000
church you got to live on a budget

1591
00:55:39,000 --> 00:55:41,000
Proverbs 13 11

1592
00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:43,000
and 16 wealth from get rich quick

1593
00:55:43,000 --> 00:55:45,000
schemes quickly disappears

1594
00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:47,000
wealth from hard work grows over

1595
00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:49,000
time wise people think before

1596
00:55:49,000 --> 00:55:51,000
they act fools don't and even

1597
00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:53,000
brag about their foolishness

1598
00:55:53,000 --> 00:55:55,000
right some of you that struggle

1599
00:55:55,000 --> 00:55:57,000
with giving live on a budget

1600
00:55:57,000 --> 00:55:59,000
and when you live on a budget and you

1601
00:55:59,000 --> 00:56:01,000
lay out how much you can actually afford

1602
00:56:01,000 --> 00:56:03,000
when you give the 10% first

1603
00:56:03,000 --> 00:56:05,000
then you track your budget

1604
00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:07,000
so that you're actually giving out of

1605
00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:09,000
the abundance of your heart coming

1606
00:56:09,000 --> 00:56:11,000
in September we're going to launch another

1607
00:56:11,000 --> 00:56:13,000
financial peace class here

1608
00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:15,000
we have three or four different leaders

1609
00:56:15,000 --> 00:56:17,000
are going to launch that when our groups

1610
00:56:17,000 --> 00:56:19,000
start in September so pay attention

1611
00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:21,000
to that if you want to learn how to

1612
00:56:21,000 --> 00:56:23,000
budget and how to get out of debt

1613
00:56:23,000 --> 00:56:25,000
that's a great opportunity to get

1614
00:56:25,000 --> 00:56:41,000
into it

1615
00:56:55,000 --> 00:56:57,000
you