WEBVTT 00:00:13.130 --> 00:00:15.970 Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. To get connected 00:00:15.970 --> 00:00:19.530 or to give online, please go to hdv .church slash 00:00:19.530 --> 00:00:23.719 connect or hdv .church slash give. If at any 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:25.940 point during this message you feel called to 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:28.839 make a change in your life, text change me to 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:33.460 97000. Now enjoy the message. It's your last 00:00:33.460 --> 00:00:37.219 weekend, summer ending, unfortunately, of course, 00:00:37.340 --> 00:00:39.439 but football is starting, so there's something 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:41.640 better around the corner. If you're joining us 00:00:41.640 --> 00:00:43.740 from home, thanks for welcoming us into your 00:00:43.740 --> 00:00:46.060 space. I just want to give you a few additional 00:00:46.060 --> 00:00:49.420 announcements and some updates. First, if you 00:00:49.420 --> 00:00:51.759 want to get our updates of what's happening in 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:55.799 our community, There's this Thursday email that 00:00:55.799 --> 00:00:58.259 goes out every Thursday with a devotional from 00:00:58.259 --> 00:01:01.740 me and updates about what is happening in our 00:01:01.740 --> 00:01:04.739 church. You can sign up for that at the Welcome 00:01:04.739 --> 00:01:07.140 Hub if you don't get it or you can scan the QR 00:01:07.140 --> 00:01:11.010 code on the back of your chairs. We've had people 00:01:11.010 --> 00:01:12.870 say they didn't know about this, they didn't 00:01:12.870 --> 00:01:15.689 know about that. We would love to inform you 00:01:15.689 --> 00:01:17.170 of everything that's happening in our church. 00:01:17.530 --> 00:01:21.090 Thursday email, QR codes on the back of your 00:01:21.090 --> 00:01:23.129 chairs. Now you may have noticed some construction 00:01:23.129 --> 00:01:27.129 on the back of our campus. I wrote this in the 00:01:27.129 --> 00:01:29.150 email this past Thursday. We are partnering. 00:01:30.030 --> 00:01:32.609 with an organization called Scout Solar out of 00:01:32.609 --> 00:01:36.489 Arizona, and we are building a solar array on 00:01:36.489 --> 00:01:41.230 our property. This array will literally cut our 00:01:41.230 --> 00:01:43.769 electric bill in half, provides enough green 00:01:43.769 --> 00:01:47.629 energy to supply the neighborhoods around us 00:01:47.629 --> 00:01:51.829 with electric, and we have a wonderful structure 00:01:51.829 --> 00:01:54.909 that we can have our kids play under that's going 00:01:54.909 --> 00:01:57.230 to be lighted. It has many opportunities for 00:01:57.230 --> 00:02:02.040 the future. We have spent absolutely nothing. 00:02:02.890 --> 00:02:05.269 We are partnering with Scout Solar. They're spending 00:02:05.269 --> 00:02:10.490 $500 ,000 to build it. And we're just reaping 00:02:10.490 --> 00:02:12.729 the benefits of it. And in 20 years, we'll own 00:02:12.729 --> 00:02:15.949 the entire thing. So our property value increases. 00:02:16.469 --> 00:02:19.310 It's only a win -win out of the entire situation. 00:02:19.689 --> 00:02:22.710 It should be done in a few weeks or so. And it's 00:02:22.710 --> 00:02:25.469 also going to open up more parking for all of 00:02:25.469 --> 00:02:28.009 us, which we are excited about. So that's what 00:02:28.009 --> 00:02:31.469 is happening on our campus. Also, we're taking 00:02:31.469 --> 00:02:34.639 a... short -term mission trip to north carolina 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:38.919 to help rebuild houses and clean up from the 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:41.620 devastation that happened there a little over 00:02:41.620 --> 00:02:43.800 a year ago if you're interested in going there's 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:46.759 still a few spots open you can see gary at the 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:51.150 welcome hub directly after this gathering. Now, 00:02:51.169 --> 00:02:54.050 I really wanted to share a testimony to kick 00:02:54.050 --> 00:02:57.590 off my talk this week. In between our second 00:02:57.590 --> 00:03:00.389 and third, our first and second gathering last 00:03:00.389 --> 00:03:03.289 week, Darlene ran up to me and told me this story. 00:03:03.370 --> 00:03:05.150 I said, please email it to me so I can share 00:03:05.150 --> 00:03:08.509 it with our entire community of faith, Darlene 00:03:08.509 --> 00:03:11.830 writes. On August 17th, as I was leaving church, 00:03:12.310 --> 00:03:15.349 I grabbed a pink post -it off the cross in the 00:03:15.349 --> 00:03:18.210 back. So we have two crosses in the back where 00:03:18.210 --> 00:03:20.969 you can grab a post -it with a pen and write 00:03:20.969 --> 00:03:22.750 down any prayer requests that you may have, stick 00:03:22.750 --> 00:03:25.030 it to the cross. And of course, if you don't 00:03:25.030 --> 00:03:26.889 have any prayer requests, you could grab one, 00:03:26.909 --> 00:03:30.319 take it with you, and begin to pray for it. The 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:32.400 following day, Darlene writes, my husband and 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:35.060 I started praying every morning for a lady named 00:03:35.060 --> 00:03:39.219 Penny who had surgery scheduled for August 25th. 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:43.620 A week later, on August 24th, I was serving in 00:03:43.620 --> 00:03:47.099 the cafe, handing out coffee, and a lady approached 00:03:47.099 --> 00:03:50.479 me wiping tears from her eyes. As I handed her 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:53.240 coffee, I asked if she needed a hug or prayer. 00:03:53.500 --> 00:03:57.560 Her response was, I could use both. I came around 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:01.219 the cafe, hugged her, and asked her her name 00:04:01.219 --> 00:04:04.360 so I could offer up a prayer. She replied, my 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:07.819 name is Penny. I said a short prayer and then 00:04:07.819 --> 00:04:10.759 said to her, Penny, are you having surgery tomorrow? 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:15.460 She replied, yes, I am. I bet you may be wondering 00:04:15.460 --> 00:04:19.069 how I know that. Yes, I'd want to know. Darlene 00:04:19.069 --> 00:04:21.569 responded, my husband and I got your prayer request 00:04:21.569 --> 00:04:24.009 and have been praying for you every day this 00:04:24.009 --> 00:04:28.670 past week off of the cross. I think God wanted 00:04:28.670 --> 00:04:31.569 you to know that people are praying for you. 00:04:33.050 --> 00:04:36.689 What did God want me to learn? God works through 00:04:36.689 --> 00:04:41.930 post -it notes, coffee, hugs, and prayers. It's 00:04:41.930 --> 00:04:44.649 the little things that count in God's kingdom. 00:04:48.430 --> 00:04:50.689 So I tell you, those crosses used to be filled 00:04:50.689 --> 00:04:53.250 with post -it notes, but as the weeks went by, 00:04:53.449 --> 00:04:56.129 there's very few on there. Let me just say to 00:04:56.129 --> 00:04:58.949 you that God even works in post -it notes. So 00:04:58.949 --> 00:05:01.110 if you have a prayer request and you don't want 00:05:01.110 --> 00:05:03.870 to get prayer up front, be sure to put that need 00:05:03.870 --> 00:05:06.350 on the cross. Now, some of you may be wondering, 00:05:06.529 --> 00:05:10.009 well, Chris, why are you wearing a rugby jersey 00:05:10.009 --> 00:05:15.680 from Kenya? Well, the reason is... Right now, 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:18.800 my son is on a train headed to Philadelphia and 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:22.699 tomorrow will depart and fly to Kenya where he 00:05:22.699 --> 00:05:25.779 will serve with the Peace Corps for the next 00:05:25.779 --> 00:05:30.259 two and a half years. One thing that I've learned 00:05:30.259 --> 00:05:32.939 this week and I want to challenge all of you 00:05:32.939 --> 00:05:38.680 with is this. Every day comes to an end. Meaning 00:05:38.680 --> 00:05:41.540 all of us are going to put our head down on a 00:05:41.540 --> 00:05:45.120 pillow tonight and go to sleep. And for the last 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:47.759 three days, I've been fighting off the desire 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.980 to go to sleep because I've had this flood of 00:05:50.980 --> 00:05:57.399 memories of me and my oldest son. And now I'm 00:05:57.399 --> 00:06:00.560 saying goodbye. And it's not forever, of course, 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:04.720 but two and a half years is a long time. And 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:08.560 it's made me realize that every single day is 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:13.110 important. Every single day. We are given the 00:06:13.110 --> 00:06:15.490 ability to speak life into our children, into 00:06:15.490 --> 00:06:17.389 our family, into our friends, even to people 00:06:17.389 --> 00:06:23.230 that we don't even know. And it matters. It matters. 00:06:25.149 --> 00:06:27.990 I don't want to go to bed every night regretting 00:06:27.990 --> 00:06:31.870 something that I could have or should have done. 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:34.800 So I'm wearing this journey seat to encourage 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:37.000 all of you, please be praying for my son. His 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:40.319 name's Isaac, and he will be journeying to Kenya 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:45.540 tomorrow at 10 a .m. on a 16 -hour flight, and 00:06:45.540 --> 00:06:49.300 I believe that God is going to use him in a mighty 00:06:49.300 --> 00:06:53.519 way. Now, last week... I share with you what 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:56.180 it looks like to see giving through a kingdom's 00:06:56.180 --> 00:06:59.540 lens. That when it comes to our finances and 00:06:59.540 --> 00:07:02.540 our money, we have to learn that God is the one 00:07:02.540 --> 00:07:06.639 who provides everything for us. Today, I'd like 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:08.939 to share part two of this generous talk. And 00:07:08.939 --> 00:07:11.879 please understand, listen, if you're new to our 00:07:11.879 --> 00:07:13.779 community of faith, if you're just checking us 00:07:13.779 --> 00:07:18.579 out, every year I share a money and financial 00:07:18.579 --> 00:07:22.360 series here at HCV. This is important to me because 00:07:22.360 --> 00:07:25.860 money is very an important part of our lives, 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:29.259 right? Money, in fact, impacts how we think, 00:07:29.420 --> 00:07:33.699 how we feel, and how we operate every single 00:07:33.699 --> 00:07:37.220 day. Plus, throw in the fact that God has a lot 00:07:37.220 --> 00:07:41.180 to say in the area of finances. I would not be 00:07:41.180 --> 00:07:44.879 a good spiritual leader if I did not offer this 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:47.839 insight. But let me just say, as a community 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:51.980 of faith, We want nothing from you. This talk 00:07:51.980 --> 00:07:55.899 is not about what we can get from you. I want 00:07:55.899 --> 00:07:58.160 you to learn what God wants to do through you 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:01.899 and your family in this area of finances. And 00:08:01.899 --> 00:08:03.639 before we dive in, I just want to open in prayer 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:06.019 and ask the Holy Spirit to open our minds, our 00:08:06.019 --> 00:08:09.639 hearts, to receive all that he has for us. Let's 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:13.459 pray. Holy Spirit, come. God, we are just thankful 00:08:13.459 --> 00:08:17.180 for the ability, the opportunity to gather together 00:08:17.180 --> 00:08:20.189 and worship you. I just pray, God, that you would 00:08:20.189 --> 00:08:24.389 open our minds, our hearts, God, to receive and 00:08:24.389 --> 00:08:28.069 to be challenged to grow closer to you. Specifically 00:08:28.069 --> 00:08:30.589 in this area of finances, God, may we steward 00:08:30.589 --> 00:08:35.769 what you've given us well. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:08:36.370 --> 00:08:38.850 Our first thought this morning as we move forward, 00:08:38.950 --> 00:08:43.490 humanity was created to be generous. Our God 00:08:43.490 --> 00:08:47.789 is a generous God and generosity is in fact for 00:08:47.789 --> 00:08:50.929 all of us. John 3, 16, for this is how God loved 00:08:50.929 --> 00:08:54.950 the world. He gave his one and only son so that 00:08:54.950 --> 00:08:56.870 everyone who believes in him will not perish 00:08:56.870 --> 00:09:00.889 but have eternal life. See, God, he gave it all. 00:09:00.950 --> 00:09:04.230 He gave his best. He gave his one and only son, 00:09:04.389 --> 00:09:08.269 Jesus, so that today we can experience the forgiveness 00:09:08.269 --> 00:09:12.889 of sin. We can have his spirit, his life -giving 00:09:12.889 --> 00:09:16.710 spirit, live inside of us. We can overcome challenges 00:09:16.710 --> 00:09:20.549 in this life that we could never overcome on 00:09:20.549 --> 00:09:23.850 our own. We could experience a kingdom life of 00:09:23.850 --> 00:09:27.110 redemption, restoration, and freedom right now 00:09:27.110 --> 00:09:31.870 and for all of eternity. That is what our generous 00:09:31.870 --> 00:09:35.629 God offers to us every single day through Jesus' 00:09:35.809 --> 00:09:41.190 death on the cross. Have you experienced that 00:09:41.190 --> 00:09:44.409 grace? And listen, if you haven't today, you 00:09:44.409 --> 00:09:47.590 can. Just yesterday, I received a text from a 00:09:47.590 --> 00:09:49.769 friend asking, Chris, can you please send me 00:09:49.769 --> 00:09:53.330 the prayer that we pray at the end of every Sunday 00:09:53.330 --> 00:09:56.350 gathering, every single week? I have a friend 00:09:56.350 --> 00:10:00.590 that's struggling. He's questioning life, and 00:10:00.590 --> 00:10:03.230 I want to lead him into a relationship with Jesus 00:10:03.230 --> 00:10:06.169 because that's what life is all about. about 00:10:06.169 --> 00:10:10.190 see all of humanity you and i we desire to be 00:10:10.190 --> 00:10:13.830 generous because we were created with this desire 00:10:13.830 --> 00:10:17.509 genesis 1 26 to 27 then god said let us make 00:10:17.509 --> 00:10:20.570 human beings in our image to be like us and if 00:10:20.570 --> 00:10:23.750 god of course is a generous god and we're created 00:10:23.750 --> 00:10:28.250 in his image then that generosity is birthed 00:10:28.250 --> 00:10:32.909 inside of us god is generous and he created us 00:10:33.419 --> 00:10:39.120 In fact, we crave to be generous. From a UAB 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:42.759 scientific journal, giving back has been shown 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:46.000 to boost happiness, reduce stress, enhance self 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:49.419 -esteem, and strengthen social connections, says 00:10:49.419 --> 00:10:52.559 Megan Hayes, Ph .D., a clinical psychologist 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:56.139 at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Engaging 00:10:56.139 --> 00:10:58.879 in acts of generosity activates the brain's reward 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:02.419 system, fostering positive emotions and a sense 00:11:02.419 --> 00:11:06.000 of purpose. Hayes says studies have shown that 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.919 such acts improve mental health, can contribute 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:11.500 to physical health benefits such as lower blood 00:11:11.500 --> 00:11:15.100 pressure and healthier immune profile. Research 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:17.460 suggests that volunteering, particularly when 00:11:17.460 --> 00:11:20.639 driven by a genuine desire to help others, is 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.759 associated with a longer lifespan. And she said 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:26.659 it's being generous both in our volunteering 00:11:26.659 --> 00:11:30.940 and our giving. Why? Why does all of this happen 00:11:30.940 --> 00:11:35.379 within us? Because we were created to be generous. 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:38.279 And not only were we created to be generous, 00:11:38.379 --> 00:11:41.120 we were created to be part of a community that 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:45.179 is bigger than one individual person. that impacts 00:11:45.179 --> 00:11:48.360 and changes the world. Next Sunday, I'm going 00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:50.240 to be kicking off a new series called We Are 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:52.639 Family, and it's going to be focused on what 00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:55.860 it means to live in community. Why be in community? 00:11:56.279 --> 00:11:59.019 Because this is the church that God created. 00:11:59.299 --> 00:12:03.120 See, God sent Jesus to redeem humanity. He died 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:05.559 on a cross, was buried, and on the third day 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:08.759 rose from the grave. He appeared to over 500 00:12:08.759 --> 00:12:12.559 eyewitnesses over a period of 40 days and then 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:17.179 ascended. into heaven. Upon his ascension, Jesus 00:12:17.179 --> 00:12:19.759 leaves these earlier followers that, of course, 00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:22.399 would become the church with a mission statement, 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:26.059 and we read that in Matthew 28. Therefore, go 00:12:26.059 --> 00:12:29.159 and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing 00:12:29.159 --> 00:12:31.519 them in the name of the Father and the Son and 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:34.500 the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to 00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:36.440 obey all the commands I've given you, and be 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:39.620 sure of this, I am with you always, even to the 00:12:39.620 --> 00:12:43.379 end of the age. See, the church is called to 00:12:43.379 --> 00:12:47.000 be generous with what we receive from God. God 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:50.240 desires that we, you and I, the church, share 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:53.059 our life, share our story, share our building, 00:12:53.179 --> 00:12:56.679 share our testimony, so that others in the tri 00:12:56.679 --> 00:12:59.279 -state area can experience God's grace and redemption. 00:13:00.059 --> 00:13:03.440 And to do this, as individuals, we have to be 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:06.600 generous with our time, our talent, and our resources. 00:13:07.220 --> 00:13:10.360 2 Corinthians 8, verse 7 says, Since you excel 00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:13.480 in so many ways, in your faith, in your gifted 00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:15.539 speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, your 00:13:15.539 --> 00:13:19.919 love from us, I want you to excel also in the 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:24.379 gracious act of giving. See, we are called to 00:13:24.379 --> 00:13:27.779 extreme generosity. That word excel means to 00:13:27.779 --> 00:13:32.059 abound, to be in abundance, to overflow, to exceed 00:13:32.059 --> 00:13:35.919 the ordinary. So the same God who calls us, the 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:39.259 church, to reach people who are not in a relationship 00:13:39.259 --> 00:13:42.659 with him also calls us to extreme generosity 00:13:42.659 --> 00:13:47.360 so those people can be reached. And as you read 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:50.200 through the New Testament, you will find a common 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:52.720 thread and challenge from God which leads us 00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:55.789 to our next thought. The church... is called 00:13:55.789 --> 00:13:59.970 to share the good news and be generous. The book 00:13:59.970 --> 00:14:03.230 of Acts is an account of the first church that 00:14:03.230 --> 00:14:07.190 started after Jesus ascended into heaven, after 00:14:07.190 --> 00:14:11.850 Peter preached to over 3 ,000 people, right? 00:14:11.970 --> 00:14:15.590 Acts 2, 44 to 47 says, and all the believers 00:14:15.590 --> 00:14:19.169 met together in one place and shared everything 00:14:19.169 --> 00:14:22.549 they had. Notice, everything. They sold their 00:14:22.549 --> 00:14:24.649 property and possessions and shared the money 00:14:24.649 --> 00:14:27.450 with those in need. Right? There wasn't this 00:14:27.450 --> 00:14:30.409 discussion about the appropriate percentage it 00:14:30.409 --> 00:14:33.149 should be given. They gave everything. They gave 00:14:33.149 --> 00:14:35.809 it all. They worshiped together at the temple 00:14:35.809 --> 00:14:37.970 each day, met in the homes for the Lord's Supper, 00:14:38.009 --> 00:14:41.470 and shared their meals with great joy and generosity. 00:14:41.470 --> 00:14:45.129 And notice, there it is again. Generosity equals 00:14:45.129 --> 00:14:49.470 joy. And as they're praising God and enjoying 00:14:49.470 --> 00:14:52.529 the goodwill of all the people, each day the 00:14:52.529 --> 00:14:55.029 Lord added to their fellowship those who were 00:14:55.029 --> 00:14:59.169 being saved. See, this continuous theme of extreme 00:14:59.169 --> 00:15:02.169 generosity partnered with reaching the lost, 00:15:02.230 --> 00:15:05.429 the broken, and the forgotten equals miraculous 00:15:05.429 --> 00:15:10.830 results. Miraculous results. 2 ,000 years later, 00:15:10.950 --> 00:15:14.820 we are still experiencing the same results. I 00:15:14.820 --> 00:15:17.399 mean, this past Friday, we went to the square 00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:20.700 in downtown Hagerstown and gave away ice pops 00:15:20.700 --> 00:15:25.440 for Labor Day weekend. Hundreds of ice pops given 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:29.639 out to cars driving by, people walking the sidewalks, 00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:32.399 and each one given out, we were greeted with 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:36.100 a smile, which we gave them. An ice pop and a 00:15:36.100 --> 00:15:39.320 card that said, this pop is free, so is God's 00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:41.940 love. We pray that you experience that blessing 00:15:41.940 --> 00:15:45.279 in your life. Right? It's a part of what we do 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:49.179 as a community of faith. Why? For us? No. To 00:15:49.179 --> 00:15:52.480 share God's love in a practical way. And for 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:54.740 those of you that want to get involved, we're 00:15:54.740 --> 00:15:57.059 going to have servant evangelism scheduled every 00:15:57.059 --> 00:16:00.139 month for the next year because it's a great 00:16:00.139 --> 00:16:02.940 way to get outside of our boxes and give away 00:16:02.940 --> 00:16:06.159 God's love. But it's not about just giving away 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:11.820 God's love. So far in 2025, we have seen 175 00:16:11.820 --> 00:16:15.759 baptisms right here at Hub City Vineyard, right? 00:16:15.860 --> 00:16:19.450 We've had three baptisms, New Year. Good Friday, 00:16:19.450 --> 00:16:23.149 and then the summer. And we've had 175 people 00:16:23.149 --> 00:16:26.409 declare that they are publicly following Jesus. 00:16:26.610 --> 00:16:29.649 But it's not just baptisms. We've received story 00:16:29.649 --> 00:16:32.490 after story of God's miraculous healing of physical 00:16:32.490 --> 00:16:35.549 bodies. Addictions broken, families restored, 00:16:35.769 --> 00:16:40.190 and the lost coming home. I personally believe 00:16:40.190 --> 00:16:43.769 all this is happening because we as a church 00:16:43.769 --> 00:16:47.480 are focused on being radically generous. And 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:50.860 reaching those the church has forgotten. And 00:16:50.860 --> 00:16:54.679 that is why I share about generosity every single 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:58.240 year. So that all of us can ask a very simple 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:02.840 question. God, based on what you've done for 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:06.559 me, what am I giving to build your kingdom, not 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:11.680 mine? God, based on what you've done for me, 00:17:11.819 --> 00:17:16.220 what am I giving to build your kingdom, not mine? 00:17:16.730 --> 00:17:19.250 And we're going to focus on that simple question 00:17:19.250 --> 00:17:23.009 that all of us can ask God based on David's prayer 00:17:23.009 --> 00:17:25.890 recorded in 1 Chronicles chapter 29 of the Old 00:17:25.890 --> 00:17:28.829 Testament. Even if you've not been in church 00:17:28.829 --> 00:17:30.589 for a while, chances are you've heard of this 00:17:30.589 --> 00:17:33.950 guy named David. He's the guy that killed Goliath 00:17:33.950 --> 00:17:37.650 and then became the king of Israel. He is the 00:17:37.650 --> 00:17:40.890 one man that God described as having a heart 00:17:40.890 --> 00:17:45.420 just like his. See, David had a heart that pursued 00:17:45.420 --> 00:17:48.720 God's heart, that pursued his kingdom and his 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:50.900 righteousness. And this is very important, in 00:17:50.900 --> 00:17:53.839 fact, because Jesus challenges us with these 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:58.059 words. Wherever your treasure is, there your 00:17:58.059 --> 00:18:01.579 heart will also be. And see, we're going to learn 00:18:01.579 --> 00:18:05.799 that David was generous with his riches. He went 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:09.059 to God first. He gave to God first. And as he 00:18:09.059 --> 00:18:12.819 did that, his heart followed. And David's prayer 00:18:12.819 --> 00:18:16.940 will challenge all of us to become generous people. 00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:20.119 Now, to understand this prayer, we have to look 00:18:20.119 --> 00:18:23.500 at the context of what was happening. The people 00:18:23.500 --> 00:18:26.539 of Israel were about to build the first tabernacle 00:18:26.539 --> 00:18:30.819 or temple for God. Previously, the people used 00:18:30.819 --> 00:18:33.720 to set up tear -down tabernacle, kind of like 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:36.859 us. In year one, when we planted our church, 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:39.190 we were at... E. Russell Hicks Middle School. 00:18:39.269 --> 00:18:41.069 And we had a little trailer that showed up every 00:18:41.069 --> 00:18:45.130 Sunday. And we would set up and tear down. And 00:18:45.130 --> 00:18:48.450 we would set up and tear down for three consecutive 00:18:48.450 --> 00:18:51.309 years. That was part of planning the church. 00:18:51.410 --> 00:18:53.670 That is what is happening here to the people 00:18:53.670 --> 00:18:56.210 of Israel as they traveled through the wilderness. 00:18:56.670 --> 00:18:59.789 However, this would be the first physical structure 00:18:59.789 --> 00:19:03.500 that would become the house of God. And David 00:19:03.500 --> 00:19:06.799 was casting vision for the construction of the 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:10.200 temple so that the people would support the building 00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:12.480 of it with their finances. And this is what we 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:16.779 read in 1 Chronicles 29, 2 through 3 and 5. Using 00:19:16.779 --> 00:19:19.779 every resource at my command, I have gathered 00:19:19.779 --> 00:19:22.460 as much as I could for building a temple of my 00:19:22.460 --> 00:19:25.839 God. Now there's enough gold, silver, bronze, 00:19:26.099 --> 00:19:28.799 iron, and wood, as well as great quantities of 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:31.900 onyx. and other precious stones, costly jewels, 00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:35.279 and all kinds of fine stone and marble. And now, 00:19:35.339 --> 00:19:38.440 because of my devotion to the temple of my God, 00:19:38.619 --> 00:19:42.440 I am giving all of my own private treasures of 00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:44.359 gold and silver to help in the construction. 00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:46.880 This is in addition to the building materials 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:49.799 I've already collected for his temple. Now then, 00:19:49.940 --> 00:19:53.079 will you follow my example and give offerings 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:56.839 to the Lord today? That is extreme generosity. 00:19:57.710 --> 00:20:00.549 And notice, in the writing, in the words that 00:20:00.549 --> 00:20:03.769 we just read, David was excited to give. He had 00:20:03.769 --> 00:20:06.769 confidence that God would provide and meet all 00:20:06.769 --> 00:20:10.849 his needs, as seen in this prayer that he prays 00:20:10.849 --> 00:20:14.490 a few verses later. Which leads us to the first 00:20:14.490 --> 00:20:16.630 question that we should ask ourselves to become 00:20:16.630 --> 00:20:23.490 generous people. Simply ask, who am I? Who am 00:20:23.490 --> 00:20:29.309 I? 1 Chronicles 29, 13 -14 and 16. O our God, 00:20:29.549 --> 00:20:33.329 we thank you and praise your glorious name, but 00:20:33.329 --> 00:20:37.730 who am I? Who am I and who are my people that 00:20:37.730 --> 00:20:40.569 we could give anything to you? Everything we 00:20:40.569 --> 00:20:43.690 have has come for you and we give you only what 00:20:43.690 --> 00:20:47.190 you gave us first. O Lord our God, even this 00:20:47.190 --> 00:20:49.410 material we have gathered to build a temple to 00:20:49.410 --> 00:20:53.319 honor your holy name comes from you at all. belongs 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:58.819 to you. David asked, who am I? Notice he humbles 00:20:58.819 --> 00:21:02.480 himself before God to ask that simple question. 00:21:02.859 --> 00:21:05.740 Who am I to have the resources to be able to 00:21:05.740 --> 00:21:09.420 give something back to you to build your kingdom? 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:13.160 Who am I that I can experience the purpose and 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:16.480 joy found in giving? Not to build my kingdom, 00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:21.619 but to build yours. To release your joy into 00:21:21.619 --> 00:21:25.779 the lives Now this past July, we sent out our 00:21:25.779 --> 00:21:29.160 first ever missions team on a short -term missions 00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:32.099 trip. This included teenagers, young adults, 00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:35.619 and adults. They went to the Dominican Republic. 00:21:35.900 --> 00:21:39.019 And during their night of sharing testimonies 00:21:39.019 --> 00:21:42.079 about what they experienced, nearly every teenager 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:46.240 said their eyes were opened to how blessed they 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:49.980 were to be born in and live in the United States 00:21:49.980 --> 00:21:54.019 of America. They shared testimonies of how the 00:21:54.019 --> 00:21:58.400 children that they were serving, teaching, playing 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:01.900 with in the Dominican Republic, they had no toys. 00:22:02.019 --> 00:22:06.119 They had nothing. They played with trash. Yet, 00:22:06.180 --> 00:22:09.359 in their playing with trash, they were happy. 00:22:09.460 --> 00:22:12.420 And they were excited about life. My daughter 00:22:12.420 --> 00:22:15.000 Lily told me about playing with a little boy 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:19.359 that found a discarded tire. Just an old rubber 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:22.500 tire. And she would run up to the top of the 00:22:22.500 --> 00:22:24.700 hill with this little boy. He would push the 00:22:24.700 --> 00:22:27.900 tire down the hill and try to beat it time after 00:22:27.900 --> 00:22:31.599 time after time after time. Even though they 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:35.339 had nothing, they were still experiencing joy 00:22:35.339 --> 00:22:39.559 because they were experiencing life to the full. 00:22:39.940 --> 00:22:45.180 Who am I? Who am I to be born in a country that 00:22:45.180 --> 00:22:49.069 is wealthy? Now, I get it. Many of us, we think 00:22:49.069 --> 00:22:51.609 and in our mind, well, I work hard to earn my 00:22:51.609 --> 00:22:54.670 money and it's my money. Okay, I understand that. 00:22:54.890 --> 00:22:58.190 But who gave you the ability to work hard? Who 00:22:58.190 --> 00:23:00.730 gave you the mind and the thought process to 00:23:00.730 --> 00:23:06.329 be successful? It's not you. It's God. All of 00:23:06.329 --> 00:23:09.630 us have access to free public education where 00:23:09.630 --> 00:23:13.329 we can aspire to make ourselves better. Who allowed 00:23:13.329 --> 00:23:16.910 me? To be born in a country where this is a possibility. 00:23:17.349 --> 00:23:20.970 Right? Last night as I was lying in bed, I didn't 00:23:20.970 --> 00:23:24.849 want the day to end. And my mind was constantly 00:23:24.849 --> 00:23:27.569 running over memories of my oldest son growing 00:23:27.569 --> 00:23:30.470 up and playing baseball and riding his bike and 00:23:30.470 --> 00:23:35.240 throwing snowballs. Right? Just these memories. 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:38.559 Did I do enough? Was I a good dad? Could I have 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:41.940 done more? Didn't even want the day to end. I 00:23:41.940 --> 00:23:45.720 didn't want to lose those memories, right? And 00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:51.460 in doing so, I reflected on who am I to be given 00:23:51.460 --> 00:23:54.980 such a blessed life? That my oldest son would 00:23:54.980 --> 00:23:57.420 desire to go halfway around the world to make 00:23:57.420 --> 00:24:00.859 a difference, to do something great. Yes, I'm 00:24:00.859 --> 00:24:04.450 going to be sad. I'm going to miss him. It's 00:24:04.450 --> 00:24:10.549 a long time, but I'm living my best life. Not 00:24:10.549 --> 00:24:13.029 because of anything I'm doing, because of what 00:24:13.029 --> 00:24:17.190 God is doing through me. Everything that I have 00:24:17.190 --> 00:24:20.769 is because of God. And I will continue to give 00:24:20.769 --> 00:24:24.029 to him first because he's the reason that I have 00:24:24.029 --> 00:24:28.329 it. David gave extravagantly, even when he didn't 00:24:28.329 --> 00:24:31.640 have to. A man offered to give him everything 00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:34.059 he needed to make a sacrifice. David said, no. 00:24:34.359 --> 00:24:38.799 2 Samuel 24, 24. I will give it all to you, your 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:41.380 majesty, and may the Lord your God accept your 00:24:41.380 --> 00:24:45.240 sacrifice. But David replied to Arunah, no. No, 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:47.700 I insist on buying it, for I will not present 00:24:47.700 --> 00:24:50.220 burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have 00:24:50.220 --> 00:24:54.299 cost me nothing. The message says it this way. 00:24:54.440 --> 00:24:57.500 No, I've got to buy it from you for a good price. 00:24:57.819 --> 00:25:00.500 I'm not going to offer God, my God, sacrifices 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:04.440 that are no sacrifice. Right? David wanted to 00:25:04.440 --> 00:25:07.119 give an offering to cost him something. It's 00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:10.420 not an offering if it doesn't cost us something. 00:25:10.579 --> 00:25:14.220 That's why Jesus reminds us in Acts 20, 35, you 00:25:14.220 --> 00:25:16.039 should remember the words of the Lord Jesus that 00:25:16.039 --> 00:25:20.059 is more blessed to give than to receive. See, 00:25:20.140 --> 00:25:22.660 when we sacrificially give to God, we are making 00:25:22.660 --> 00:25:25.299 a way for people to experience God's kingdom. 00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:28.660 That's how we change the world. Right? If we 00:25:28.660 --> 00:25:31.660 want to become generous, we first have to ask 00:25:31.660 --> 00:25:35.799 the simple question, who am I? Who am I to attend 00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:38.339 a Sunday gathering at HTV where I can freely 00:25:38.339 --> 00:25:43.039 experience the presence of God and freely give 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:46.019 it away? Which leads us to our next question. 00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:48.500 Just simply ask the Holy Spirit what to give. 00:25:49.049 --> 00:25:51.190 Remember, God's presence, God's spirit lives 00:25:51.190 --> 00:25:53.869 inside of you if you're in a relationship with 00:25:53.869 --> 00:25:56.849 him. David's prayer continues. 1 Chronicles 29, 00:25:57.029 --> 00:26:00.289 17. I know, my God, that you examine our hearts 00:26:00.289 --> 00:26:03.589 and you rejoice when you find integrity there. 00:26:03.809 --> 00:26:06.769 You know I have done all this with good motives 00:26:06.769 --> 00:26:09.230 and I have watched your people offer their gifts 00:26:09.230 --> 00:26:14.269 willingly and joyously. Friends, God knows our 00:26:14.269 --> 00:26:18.569 hearts. He knows. If we're ungrateful and selfish 00:26:18.569 --> 00:26:21.750 when it comes to our finances. He knows if we 00:26:21.750 --> 00:26:25.049 make excuses as to why we don't give or why we 00:26:25.049 --> 00:26:28.849 can't give. He knows if we're consumed with stuff 00:26:28.849 --> 00:26:32.230 and want more for our kingdom rather than his. 00:26:32.750 --> 00:26:35.869 God knows our hearts. And that's what he looks 00:26:35.869 --> 00:26:38.250 at. Remember, David was described as the man 00:26:38.250 --> 00:26:41.009 after God's own heart. If we're to look into 00:26:41.009 --> 00:26:43.720 a mirror. and we're in a relationship with Jesus, 00:26:44.019 --> 00:26:46.519 right, and the Holy Spirit is living inside of 00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:50.099 us, have a conversation with him about your finances 00:26:50.099 --> 00:26:53.400 and your generosity. Allow God to speak to you 00:26:53.400 --> 00:26:57.200 about what you give or don't. 2 Corinthians 9, 00:26:57.240 --> 00:27:00.440 7. You must each decide in your heart how much 00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:03.240 to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response 00:27:03.240 --> 00:27:05.660 to pressure, for God loves a person who gives 00:27:05.660 --> 00:27:10.960 cheerfully, happily, excitingly. After last week's 00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:14.359 gathering, Donnie, who does our sound team back 00:27:14.359 --> 00:27:17.000 there, shared with me, he was on a mission trip 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:19.519 to South Africa to build a church in a tribal 00:27:19.519 --> 00:27:22.779 area. While they were there building, they had 00:27:22.779 --> 00:27:26.660 a worship night with the missions team. And during 00:27:26.660 --> 00:27:31.039 a very lively praise and worship session, the 00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:34.640 people began dancing forward to give an offering. 00:27:34.940 --> 00:27:40.250 He said he saw a lady broken. Right? Poor, but 00:27:40.250 --> 00:27:43.589 full of joy to dance to the front and put in 00:27:43.589 --> 00:27:47.329 two bars of soap as her offering back to God. 00:27:47.710 --> 00:27:51.450 He said it was probably all that she had, but 00:27:51.450 --> 00:27:56.130 she was willing to give it all. Why? Because 00:27:56.130 --> 00:28:00.569 she desired to make a difference. She was willing 00:28:00.569 --> 00:28:04.470 to allow God to speak to her about her gift, 00:28:04.650 --> 00:28:07.769 which leads us to our final part of the prayer. 00:28:08.569 --> 00:28:12.210 We need to be obedient. 1 Chronicles 29, 8 through 00:28:12.210 --> 00:28:15.650 19. Oh Lord, the God of our ancestors, Abraham, 00:28:15.890 --> 00:28:18.529 Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want 00:28:18.529 --> 00:28:22.250 to obey you. Notice David's prayer. People obey 00:28:22.250 --> 00:28:25.869 God's teachings. See to it that their love for 00:28:25.869 --> 00:28:28.859 you never changes. He prays for his son. Give 00:28:28.859 --> 00:28:31.339 my son Solomon the heart and desire to obey all 00:28:31.339 --> 00:28:34.319 your commands, laws and decrees and to do everything 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:37.359 necessary to build this temple for which I've 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:41.240 made these preparations. Obedience is the key 00:28:41.240 --> 00:28:45.740 to generosity. David prays for it and he challenges 00:28:45.740 --> 00:28:49.579 the people to follow God, to put him first, to 00:28:49.579 --> 00:28:52.660 practice his ways and follow his guidelines for 00:28:52.660 --> 00:28:57.190 living. And when we do this, Jesus promises abundance. 00:28:57.690 --> 00:29:01.589 That our laps would be overflowing with the joy 00:29:01.589 --> 00:29:06.250 and the blessing of generosity. We read this 00:29:06.250 --> 00:29:09.549 in Mark 12, 43 -44. Jesus called his disciples 00:29:09.549 --> 00:29:12.190 to him and said, I'll tell you the truth. This 00:29:12.190 --> 00:29:15.150 poor widow has given more than all the others 00:29:15.150 --> 00:29:17.809 who are making contributions. For they gave a 00:29:17.809 --> 00:29:20.170 tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as 00:29:20.170 --> 00:29:23.789 she is, has given everything she had to live 00:29:23.789 --> 00:29:26.640 on. See, when it comes to obedience in terms 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:30.059 of our finances, I believe in and teach about 00:29:30.059 --> 00:29:33.480 the tithe. I believe God has outlined a principle 00:29:33.480 --> 00:29:36.759 where to give our first 10 % of anything we earn 00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:40.200 back to him. Jess and I have always lived by 00:29:40.200 --> 00:29:42.339 this principle because we believe God's promises 00:29:42.339 --> 00:29:46.349 to meet our needs. I have always said. That God 00:29:46.349 --> 00:29:49.950 offers the opportunity for us to test him on 00:29:49.950 --> 00:29:52.009 this promise. Now think about this. In Malachi 00:29:52.009 --> 00:29:56.390 chapter 3 verse 10, Jesus, I mean not Jesus, 00:29:56.430 --> 00:29:59.089 God says and outlines, bring all the tithes into 00:29:59.089 --> 00:30:01.710 the storehouse so there's enough food in my temple. 00:30:01.869 --> 00:30:06.190 If you do, I will open the windows of heaven 00:30:06.190 --> 00:30:08.190 for you and I'll pour out blessings so great 00:30:08.190 --> 00:30:11.549 you won't have room to take it in. Try it, put 00:30:11.549 --> 00:30:15.509 me to the test. This is... The only verse in 00:30:15.509 --> 00:30:18.130 the Bible when God says, test me. Every other 00:30:18.130 --> 00:30:20.890 time throughout the Bible, he says, don't test 00:30:20.890 --> 00:30:23.509 me. But when it comes to the error of our finances, 00:30:23.589 --> 00:30:28.569 he says, test me. Why? Why would God want us 00:30:28.569 --> 00:30:31.150 to test him in this area? Because it's all about 00:30:31.150 --> 00:30:33.650 trust. It's all about faith. And it's not about 00:30:33.650 --> 00:30:36.150 getting more back, right? It's not about being 00:30:36.150 --> 00:30:39.369 financially prosperous. It's about living an 00:30:39.369 --> 00:30:43.240 abundant life. It's about giving to him. First, 00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:46.319 God is saying over the long term, a person who 00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:49.039 tithes and gives to God's work will be blessed 00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:53.619 financially and in every other way to which a 00:30:53.619 --> 00:30:57.539 person desires to be blessed. Now, I get it. 00:30:58.180 --> 00:31:01.000 Finances and church, how does it all work? Why, 00:31:01.079 --> 00:31:04.200 Chris? Why would you tell us all of these things? 00:31:04.339 --> 00:31:07.400 Well, because I want to share with you what good 00:31:07.400 --> 00:31:09.660 we have done as a community of faith over the 00:31:09.660 --> 00:31:13.500 past year. Right? Just this month, we held our 00:31:13.500 --> 00:31:16.099 backpack giveaway. We saw hundreds of families 00:31:16.099 --> 00:31:18.359 stream through our doors where they got haircuts 00:31:18.359 --> 00:31:22.299 and clothes and hot dogs and over a thousand 00:31:22.299 --> 00:31:25.259 backpacks and supplies to get them ready for 00:31:25.259 --> 00:31:28.289 school. Every winter we serve at the Reach Cold 00:31:28.289 --> 00:31:31.109 Weather Shelter, serving the forgotten, the homeless, 00:31:31.390 --> 00:31:34.329 and providing them with the means to hear about 00:31:34.329 --> 00:31:37.529 Jesus. Every Christmas we give away hundreds 00:31:37.529 --> 00:31:40.589 of Christmas gifts during Operation Angel Tree. 00:31:40.750 --> 00:31:43.490 We partner with families that are incarcerated 00:31:43.490 --> 00:31:46.690 so that their children can have a Christmas with 00:31:46.690 --> 00:31:49.549 gifts. Every Thanksgiving we give away hundreds 00:31:49.549 --> 00:31:52.630 of Thanksgiving meals. Why? Because people need 00:31:52.630 --> 00:31:56.440 food. Every February, we partner with Tim Tebow 00:31:56.440 --> 00:31:59.559 and host a prom that welcomes individuals with 00:31:59.559 --> 00:32:02.579 disabilities and special needs where we can celebrate 00:32:02.579 --> 00:32:06.000 them. Over 200 special guests came through our 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:08.980 doors just this past year and had the prom of 00:32:08.980 --> 00:32:12.539 their life. Last October, we established our 00:32:12.539 --> 00:32:15.440 inaugural tie -dye run for freedom during our 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:20.529 Compassion Weekend. We saw 173 runners. Compete 00:32:20.529 --> 00:32:24.230 in a 5 or 10K with all the proceeds going to 00:32:24.230 --> 00:32:27.789 Compassion International. There were 92 Compassion 00:32:27.789 --> 00:32:30.490 children sponsored during that weekend alone. 00:32:30.750 --> 00:32:33.829 The $11 ,000 that we raised from the run and 00:32:33.829 --> 00:32:36.769 the weekend all was given away to El Salvador 00:32:36.769 --> 00:32:40.849 to moms, pregnant moms, to teach them and give 00:32:40.849 --> 00:32:43.829 them jobs so that their children wouldn't grow 00:32:43.829 --> 00:32:47.440 up. without parents with the possibility of being 00:32:47.440 --> 00:32:50.200 abducted and taken from their families. This 00:32:50.200 --> 00:32:53.799 October, we're doing our second annual Tie -Dye 00:32:53.799 --> 00:32:57.019 Run, and we want you to participate. If you know 00:32:57.019 --> 00:32:59.619 a runner, an individual that likes to be healthy, 00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:02.619 invite them to our run. Have them be a part. 00:33:02.960 --> 00:33:06.680 Our goal is over 200 runners this year, so get 00:33:06.680 --> 00:33:09.039 in shape, church. You need to get out there. 00:33:09.720 --> 00:33:12.700 and run a 5 or 10K. And then on Sunday evening, 00:33:12.799 --> 00:33:16.079 you heard last week, we've already rented Meredith 00:33:16.079 --> 00:33:19.740 Park for what will become the largest community 00:33:19.740 --> 00:33:27.880 worship night of the year. Upwards of 20 churches 00:33:27.880 --> 00:33:30.880 partnering together to worship and to make a 00:33:30.880 --> 00:33:33.660 difference for children all around the world. 00:33:33.799 --> 00:33:37.119 Oh, and it doesn't end there. In August and September 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:39.279 of last year, we partnered with Convoy of Hope 00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:43.819 to collect over $17 ,000 that went to the build 00:33:43.819 --> 00:33:47.180 a kitchen in Kenya and hurricane relief efforts 00:33:47.180 --> 00:33:50.220 in Asheville, North Carolina. That same kitchen 00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:53.539 that we built, Jess and I visited the school. 00:33:54.339 --> 00:33:59.099 Now here we are 16 months later, and I'm sending 00:33:59.099 --> 00:34:03.220 my son as a gift back to Kenya to make a difference 00:34:03.220 --> 00:34:08.239 in that country. God is moving in our community 00:34:08.239 --> 00:34:11.559 of faith. And it's because we are focused on 00:34:11.559 --> 00:34:14.719 being radically generous and reaching those that 00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:18.880 the church has forgotten. Listen to how David 00:34:18.880 --> 00:34:21.500 closes out his prayer. First Chronicles 29 20. 00:34:21.739 --> 00:34:25.400 Then David said to the whole assembly, give praise 00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:29.360 to the Lord your God. And the entire assembly 00:34:29.360 --> 00:34:32.119 praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors, 00:34:32.260 --> 00:34:35.070 and they bowed low. and knelt before the Lord 00:34:35.070 --> 00:34:41.969 and King. Will you stand with me? Can we proclaim 00:34:41.969 --> 00:34:48.389 together how great our God is? Can we declare 00:34:48.389 --> 00:34:55.190 that God is moving in the tri -state area as 00:34:55.190 --> 00:35:00.230 we are radically generous and as we reach those 00:35:00.230 --> 00:35:04.460 the world has forgotten? So let's sing boldly 00:35:04.460 --> 00:36:49.480 and proclaim that God is. celebrate when one 00:36:49.480 --> 00:36:55.599 lost person comes home. They have a party in 00:36:55.599 --> 00:36:59.179 heaven and celebrate it. And that's why every 00:36:59.179 --> 00:37:02.800 single gathering we offer the opportunity for 00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:04.880 people to come home. So if you're distant, you're 00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:08.239 far from God, you've walked away from your faith 00:37:08.239 --> 00:37:10.599 and what you believe, this is your opportunity. 00:37:11.000 --> 00:37:13.260 And friends, we all pray this prayer together. 00:37:13.949 --> 00:37:16.050 Because it's not about an individual. It's about 00:37:16.050 --> 00:37:18.909 a family coming together to celebrate what God 00:37:18.909 --> 00:37:23.429 wants to do. Amen? Let's pray. Jesus, I'm broken. 00:37:23.909 --> 00:37:30.030 I'm full of doubt, shame, regret, sin. Forgive 00:37:30.030 --> 00:37:36.090 me. Change me. I believe you're God's son. I 00:37:36.090 --> 00:37:41.630 believe you died for me. Make me new. Set me 00:37:41.630 --> 00:37:46.550 free. Fill me with your spirit. Help me, God, 00:37:46.630 --> 00:37:52.750 to be radically generous and serve others. In 00:37:52.750 --> 00:37:57.090 Jesus' name, amen. So if you prayed that prayer, 00:37:57.449 --> 00:38:00.889 see me, hug me, text me, do something so we can 00:38:00.889 --> 00:38:04.130 give you some next steps. But before we go, I 00:38:04.130 --> 00:38:07.510 want to do one more shout of praise back to God. 00:38:07.570 --> 00:38:10.730 Can we do that? And the two words of knowledge 00:38:10.730 --> 00:38:13.909 this morning. Two words of knowledge. If you 00:38:13.909 --> 00:38:16.150 have pain in your neck, in the back of your neck, 00:38:16.190 --> 00:38:18.130 into your shoulders, we want to pray for you. 00:38:18.510 --> 00:38:21.030 If you have a dislocated shoulder, we want to 00:38:21.030 --> 00:38:24.090 pray for you. If you need a fresh filling of 00:38:24.090 --> 00:38:26.929 the Holy Spirit, we want to pray for you on your 00:38:26.929 --> 00:38:31.170 left, my right. Now, let's declare how great 00:38:31.170 --> 00:38:43.340 our God is. For.