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Summary

In this sermon, the speaker explores developing a "miracle mindset" specifically related to financial provision, using the biblical story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. The message emphasizes God's care, provision, and expectation of obedience in financial matters, encouraging believers to trust in divine supply and practice generous giving as a spiritual principle.

Key Points

• 🙏 God Cares: The foundational belief that God personally cares for each individual, even in desperate financial situations
• 💰 Divine Source: Understanding that God, not employment or investments, is the ultimate source of financial provision
• 🤝 Obedience Matters: Demonstrating faith through obedience, particularly in tithing and giving, even when resources seem scarce
• 🌟 Miraculous Multiplication: Believing that when people give sacrificially, God can supernaturally multiply their resources
• 📊 Generational Impact: Highlighting the church's 30-year giving history of $112 million, which supported missions, wells, churches, and educational institutions
• 🌍 Missional Giving: Emphasizing that financial contributions can transform lives globally through supporting missionaries and humanitarian efforts
• 🔄 Spiritual Principle: Giving is not about losing resources, but about participating in God's economy of blessing and multiplication
• 🏆 Heavenly Rewards: Promising that faithful givers will receive both earthly and eternal rewards for their generosity

The sermon passionately argues that developing a "miracle mindset" involves trusting God's care, seeing Him as the ultimate source, and practicing radical generosity.

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TIMESTAMPED OVERVIEW

00:00:00 - 00:02:11

• Introduction to Worship:- Speaker encourages audience to look around and plan to encourage someone after service.- Highlights the importance of worshiping God and being in His presence.- Promotes the evening service featuring Pastor Steve Gaines and a blended choir.

00:02:13 - 00:09:06

• Farewell to Gwen Lee:- Recognition of Gwen Lee, a long-time church member, as she leaves after 66 years.- Speaker shares Gwen’s contributions and expresses gratitude.

00:09:08 - 00:17:07

• Developing a Miracle Mindset:- Introduction to the sermon series focused on developing a miracle mindset.- Announcement of an open house for the First Assembly Christian School (FACS).- Emphasis on the school's mission to develop students with a miracle mindset.

00:17:09 - 00:28:00

• Financial Supply Miracle Story:- Speaker recounts a story of Elijah and a widow from Zarephath.- Emphasis on God's ability to provide for needs and the concept of God as the source.- Discussion on multiple biblical examples of God’s provision, including manna in the desert.

00:28:03 - 00:37:53

• God’s Expectations and the Power of Giving:- Discussion of the importance of obedience to God, particularly in financial matters.- Five ways to remain in financial lack presented.- Emphasis on tithing and the impact of giving on individual lives and church missions.- Celebration of the church's collective giving over 30 years totaling over $112 million, with a focus on missions and community support.

00:37:54 - End

• Conclusion and Call to Action:- Reminder of the joy and fulfillment in giving to God’s work.- Encouragement to take part in communion as a time for healing and recommitment to faith.- Prayer for the congregation and those seeking financial miracles or renewal in faith.

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Introduction

In this heartfelt and motivational message, the speaker emphasizes the significance of community, encouragement, and faith in the context of worship. He begins by urging the congregation to actively look around and identify someone they can encourage after the service, underlining that worship is not only about glorifying God but also about uplifting one another, especially in these challenging times. The speaker sets the stage for the day, mentioning an evening event featuring a special guest, Pastor Steve Gaines, and hinting at the exciting collaborative worship planned.

A poignant moment occurs as the congregation honors Gwen Lee, a long-time member who is leaving after 66 years of service and commitment to the church. The acknowledgment of Gwen's contributions reinforces the theme of community and the importance of recognizing those who have impacted the church's journey. This act of gratitude transitions into a discussion on developing a "miracle mindset," particularly concerning financial matters and trusting God's provision. The speaker shares personal anecdotes and biblical examples to illustrate how God is the ultimate source of supply, encouraging the congregation to rely on their faith in times of need.

Throughout the message, the speaker reiterates the belief that God cares for each individual and will provide for them, no matter the circumstances. He challenges the listeners to consider their own roles in this process, particularly emphasizing the importance of tithing and obedience as pathways to receiving God's blessings. By drawing from both personal experience and scripture, he aims to instill a sense of hope and expectation that God will respond to their needs. As the service progresses toward communion, the speaker invites everyone to reflect on their own lives and to anticipate the divine provision and miracles that can unfold when they trust in God's care and respond to His call. The culmination of the message serves as a reminder that giving and faithfulness are integral components of a thriving spiritual life, ultimately leading to abundant blessings both in this life and beyond.

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Description for Video

🌟 Unlocking a Miracle Mindset in Financial Provision 🌟

In a world where financial anxiety looms large, a profound truth shines through: God cares. 🙏 Each one of us, no matter our circumstances, holds a special place in His heart—even in our most desperate moments.

Imagine the biblical story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. Here, amidst dire scarcity, a miraculous provision unfolds. 💰 This isn’t just an ancient tale; it’s a powerful reminder that God, not our jobs or investments, is our true source of abundance.

But here’s the kicker: Obedience matters. 🤝 When resources seem scarce, will we still trust? Will we still give? You see, faith isn’t just a feeling; it’s action. Tithing and generous giving aren’t merely good practices—they’re declarations of trust in divine supply.

And here’s where the magic happens: Miraculous multiplication. 🌟 When we give, even sacrificially, we open the door for God to supernaturally expand our resources. It sounds unbelievable, but it’s rooted in a higher economy—God’s economy of blessing.

Consider this: over the last 30 years, our community has contributed an astounding $112 million. 📊 This wasn’t just money; it was a lifeline for missions, wells, churches, and schools around the globe. Generational impact! The ripple effects of our generosity can transform lives far beyond our imagination. 🌍

As we embrace missional giving, we become part of a bigger story. Every dollar we contribute has the power to change lives, to uplift communities, and to fulfill God’s mission.

Remember, giving isn’t about losing resources—it’s about participating in divine multiplication. 🔄 The promise is clear: faithful givers will see both earthly and eternal rewards for their generosity. 🏆

So, I pose this challenge to you: Will you develop a miracle mindset? Trust in God’s care, recognize Him as your ultimate source, and practice radical generosity. Together, let's witness the miraculous unfold! 💥

#MiracleMindset #Generosity #FaithInAction #FinancialProvision #CommunityImpact #DivineBlessings

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Transcript

Well, good morning everybody. Let's all do something together right now. Look around right now. Single somebody out and say to yourself, when service is over, I'm going to go to that person and I'm going to encourage them today. Now that's what worship is all about. One reason it's about, we come, number one, first and foremost to worship God. Tell Him thanks for all that He's done. Number two, we come so that we are better because we've been in the presence of God. There's a third reason for gathering together. Bible says always be encouraging one another, especially as you see the day of the Lord approaching. So look around and spot somebody and say, OK, there they are. There he is. There she is. I'm going to get to them when our communion is over this morning. And I'm going to tell that individual, I'm going to tell that guy, I'm going to tell that lady, let me tell you how much you mean to me. And if you have a chance, just pray for them as well. Bless them in Jesus. Now this morning we're going to have communion. Then tonight we come back again at 6 o'clock. We've got a phenomenal time plan. I've invited my good friend, one of my best friends in the city, Pastor Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist. I've invited Pastor Steve and all the Bellevue people. They'll be coming. We're going to have a big, huge choir, orchestra. We're going to blend praise teams together. Pastor Steve and I, we're going to team preach. He'll talk 15 minutes. I'll speak 15 minutes. And it's just going to be a phenomenal night that our two churches that have been friends for decades can be together and give glory to the name of the Lord our God. Man, be sure, be sure, be sure to join us. Now let's do something special right now. Gwen Lee. Gwen, will you stand up right back there? Gwen, stand on up. Gwen, this is your last Sunday with us. Here are some roses that Wanda's going to give to you right now. Wanda, you're behind her. Now let me tell you why we're doing this. This is Gwen's last Sunday here with us. She's going to be moving. She joined First Assembly in 1959.

Sixty-six years ago, she joined this great church. And Gwen, Gwen, you have been way more than just somebody that sat in a seat. Music ministry has been a major portion of your life. You're in the television choir, our choir through the years. You did so many, many things, Gwen. We love you. We're going to miss you. And may the blessings of the Lord go with you and be upon you. Now give her a great big God bless you, okay? Come on, lift it up. Little Miss Gwen Lee. God bless you. Now you say to me, Pastor, if I move away, will you give me flowers and have me stand up? Yep. If you've been a member for 66 years and you've been faithfully involved, you've given, you've served, we sure, sure will. But better yet, if you've been a member 66 years, don't move away, okay? Gwen has to be moving away for a purpose. But Gwen, we love you. We're going to miss you so very much. God bless and God go with you. All right, we're in a series of messages entitled, Developing a Miracle Mindset. And you know, today we have at 2 o'clock, 2 to 4, FACS has an open house here, and we've got about 50 potential students. They're going to be walking through our school, checking us out. And one thing I love about First Assembly Christian School, we abbreviate it FACS. One thing I love about our great school is we work not only to help the kids academically, musically, and athletically, but we also want to develop within them a miracle mindset. That they will carry all the days of their lives. And so, if you've got a student, you've got a neighbor, you've got a grandson, a granddaughter, a son, a daughter, looking for a great school, check out FACS. And that open house is today. We'll have other ones coming up as well. But thank God for FACS. We are moving into our 53rd year. Of developing students to develop a miracle mindset. And Dr. Brian Sanders, our head of school and his entire team, thank you so very much. Now, let's talk about this developing a miracle mindset. It wasn't that long ago I had to fly out to a distant city. I was involved in some meetings. And when those meetings were over, my flight back to Memphis, I had a takeoff time at 7 a.m. I was up in my hotel at 4.30 and went down to the front desk when I was ready. I paid my hotel bill. I handled money. A van driver took me to the airport. On the way to the airport, he told me, he said, this is my second job. I was witnessing to him. And he told me, this is my second job. I've got to make a little extra money to supplement my income. And when we got to the airport, I paid him. And I tipped him. Handled money again. Got into the airport. And I went to get a bagel and a little glass of orange juice. You know airport prices. $12 for a little bagel and a little glass of orange juice. I handled money again. I get on the plane. And there's a missionary friend of mine, surprisingly. I said, where are you going to? Where are you flying? He said, I'm going out to California. He said, I've got some meetings I've got to hold out there. I'm raising money to help build a Bible college. Money talk again. I get on my flight. Behind me are two sharp young men. They're financial planners. I eavesdropped a little bit as they were behind me. All the way on the flight, guess what they're talking about? Money. I glanced at my watch. It wasn't even yet 730. And I'd already heard or handled six conversations about money. Hey, money fills our life. It also fills the Bible. You know there's over 500 verses in the Bible about money. 500. And if you add possessions to it as well, then you're well over 1,000 verses that deal with money. And if we are going to, as our mission statement of this church says, we want to equip you to navigate life and to please God. And if we're going to equip you to navigate life and please God, you have to, because of all the verses in the Bible, you have to be able to talk about how do we successfully handle our money and how can we have a miracle mindset. When it comes to God supplying us the money that we need to live life. So today, I want to look at a miracle of financial supply. And I'm going to believe that God is going to use this message, God is going to use this passage of Scripture in the Old Testament where God did a miracle to supply a family that was in need. And you know, every one of us, we face the same situation. Today. So, follow as I read this story. The words will be on the screen, all right? It's impossible to understand how to please God unless we understand what he's able to do as being our source. Let me read it for you. The Lord said to Elijah, Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I've instructed a widow there to feed you. So he obeyed and he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gate, he saw a widow gathering sticks and he asked her, Would you please bring me a little water and a cup? As she was going to get it, he called to her, Also, bring me a bite of bread as well. She said to him, I swear by the Lord your God, I don't have a single piece of bread in the house. All I have is a handful of flour left in a jar and a little bit of cooking oil in the bottom of a jug. I was going to gather a few sticks, cook up my last meal, then my son and I eat it and die. Elijah said to her, Do not be afraid. Go ahead and do just what I've told you. Make a little bread for me first. Who does this guy think he is?

Then use what's left over to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord God of Israel says, There will always be flour and olive oil left in your container. Until the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again. In other words, God's going to be your source, lady. She did what Elijah said. And she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for how long? Many days. God did a miracle of supply. And there was always enough flour and always enough olive oil left in the containers just as the Lord had promised. That lady had a miracle mindset and God met her needs. Same today. Same today. Now, why did God put that story in the Bible? He didn't because He needed filler space, no. He put it in the Bible to encourage you, to encourage me to trust Him. He also put it in the Bible to prove to all of us God is your source. So let's dive into that story this morning. Let's dive into that story. And see what God wants to say to us, what God wants to teach us about how to develop a miracle mindset when it comes to financial matters. To develop a miracle mindset about how God is able to supply every need we have because He has riches in glory not a one of us understand. All right. Ready to dive in? Here's the first thing I want to say to you. You want to develop a miracle mindset? Get this. Develop it by saying, God cares for me. Those four simple words. Say them with me. God cares for me. Again. God cares for me. Let it out and louder. God cares for me. That's where a miracle mindset begins. God, you are the almighty God, and you care for me. Question. You that are parents, do you care for your children? Of course you do. You look out for them. You watch over them. You supply for them. They need new shoes. They need a new shirt. They need food. They need a new bed. You care for your kids. We got a good, good father as we sing a song. We got a good, good father, and our good, good father cares for his kids. You. Me. The lady in the story, she was a poor widow woman. We don't know how. We don't know when. Her husband had died. She's got one boy we know that is with her at home. This is before the day of government assistance. This is before the day when the government stepped in and supplied for the needs of widow ladies. I can see her right now. She knows she's running out of money. She's running out of funds. She starts with her relatives. What a great place to start. She goes to some of her relatives. Can you help me? Oh, sorry, Rebecca. We barely have enough for ourself right now. Can't help. I'm sorry. She tries her next door neighbor. She tries some of the people around her. Oh, I'd like to help, but you know, the economy's not good right now, Rebecca. I've not had a raise at my job for some time, and Rebecca, have you seen what the prices of Kroger, what they've done lately? Prices are sky high. We barely have enough to give. We can't get by on our own, but we'll pray for you. But sorry, can't help. She's too proud to beg, too proud to sit in a street corner with a sign and beg. So she says to her son, Isaac, go out and gather a few sticks. I've got some fire here. We're going to make one last meal, bread and water, and then we're going to die. Then we're going to die. You see, nobody cared for her. Nobody cared for her boy, but God did. God cares for his own. God cares for you. God cares for me. That's the beginning of developing a miracle mindset when it comes to God's supply over our lives. God cares for me. The lady didn't know it, but just around the corner, there was a financial, there was a miracle that was coming her way. You know what? The devil will work overtime convince you you're off God's radar. The devil will work overtime that God's forgotten who you are. He's forgotten where you are. He will work overtime to blind your eyes to the promises of God. He will blind your mind to the fact that God really does care. Hear me. He does. He does. He does. God cares for you. That's the opening. That's the opening of a miracle mindset. Don't doubt in the dark what God has revealed to you in the light. Don't doubt during the dark times of life what God has revealed to you from the Scripture during the bright times of life. Hey, let's rehearse just a couple of verses about God's care. Cast all your care on Him. How come? He cares for you. There it is right there, black and white. He cares for you. Or, I've never seen the righteous forsaken. I've never seen His seed begging bread. And David wrote that not as a young shepherd boy. He wrote that as an older man looking back on 40, 50 years of his life. I've never seen the righteous forsaken. Never, never, never. The eyes of the Lord are open to the righteous and His eyes are open and His ears hear their cry and He will supply, the book of Psalms says. And then Jesus comes along and says, look at the birds. Look at the birds, how well they eat. Always food for them. Are you not more valuable to God than that little bird, that little sparrow that He made? And those are just four. I could add another 28 to 30, 35, 40 more verses. God cares for you. God cares for you. God cares. And that's the opening of a miracle mindset. Just confess it, Lord. My back is against the wall. I don't know which way I'm going to turn right now financially. I need supply from You. But Lord, I just praise You. I praise You. I praise You. You care for little old me. Let me go on. Not only does He care for you, but He'll also supply for you. There was nobody to help this lady. Again, before the days of government assistance, before the days of government welfare programs, nobody's going to help her. But God did. God sent Elijah to her. And bang! Bang! She experienced a miracle. Here's a big truth in the Bible. Four words. God is my source. Fix it in your mind. God is my source. God is my source. Thank God for your employer. God is your source. Thank God for your investments. God is your source. Thank God for your abilities. God is your source. The Bible says He opens His hand He satisfies the desire of every living thing.

I've got a bird feeder in my backyard. How many of you have bird feeders in your backyard someplace? I'll bet a lot of you. Yep, see a lot of hands. I got a bird feeder. Hangs right outside Sandy's kitchen window. I get all sorts of birds coming in there. Grand Central Station because I got woods behind me. My neighbor's home behind me. Filled with trees and those birds come in. I go down here to Walmart. I go to Walmart. I buy the bird seed. I bought the feeder. I put the feed out. I am the source for those birds. And they come and they eat because I supply. And oh, can they eat.

Even the squirrels come and I don't like that. When the squirrels come and try to, they're like a vacuum cleaner in my bird feeder.

I supply. I go to Walmart. I buy the seed. I put it out. I buy the feeder. I supply everything. Our God is our source. Hallelujah. You want an example? I'll give you two. One from the Old Testament. One from the New Testament. The children of God's people, the children of Israel, they've been developed, they've been delivered out of Egypt. They've gone through the Red Sea. And now they're out in the Sinai Peninsula, which is very desert, arid, dry. Crops don't grow. And they began to say, we don't have any food. We don't have any bread. They began to complain to Moses, the leader. And Moses goes and he cries out to God. What does God do? He sends manna. That's what God does. What does God do? He sends manna. He supplied for them. They didn't do one thing to earn it. They didn't do anything to deserve it. They just got up in the morning, went out and gathered it. God was their supply. How about New Testament? Jesus is teaching the people. And there's a crowd. The Bible says of 5,000 men. Let's say majority of them were married. So now we're up around 8,000, 9,000 people. Some of them have children. The crowd could have easily been 12,000 people. And the disciples said, we got to feed them. We got to feed them. But there's no food around. There's no bakery nearby. We don't have food to be able to feed them. There's a boy here with a bag lunch. And Jesus takes that little bag lunch. The Bible tells us exactly what's inside. Two little barley loaves and five little sardines. Plenty for a fourth grade boy. Not enough for a crowd of 12,000. And Jesus said, son, would you share your bag lunch with me? I sure will, Jesus. And Jesus takes that bag lunch. And John says, he looks up and he thanks God. And then he takes that little bag lunch, little barley loaves, few little sardines. He begins to break it, begins to break it. God's our source. And he multiplied it. And he said he fed those 10, 12,000 people. And there was stuff left over. There was stuff left over. Our God is a God of the supernatural. And there's a miracle mindset. And the miracle mindset begins, God, you care for me. And God, you will supply for me. I've never seen the righteous forsaken. And God, remember, I'm one of yours. I care for my children. I'm looking for you to care for me. How many here today? How many listening online with me right now? You're at home or you're in the mighty 990? How many here? Sometime in your life, you are in a financial bind. You are in a financial bind. You will mess. And you weren't quite sure how you were going to get out of it. And God stepped in. And God provided a way. And God was your source. How many of you? I got both hands up. How many of you? I got both up. More than once, God's done that for me. I've never seen the righteous forsaken. Because God's going to care for his own. God's going to supply for his own. And a miracle mindset says, that's what's going to happen. And more than that, he will get involved and provide. But let me add a third one this morning. God expects something from you. And he expects something from me. It's called obedience. So Elijah comes to this lady. And he meets her as he's coming into town. Widow lady. A son. She's got just a little bit of flour. Enough for her and her son. Just a little bit of olive oil to blend up the flour and make the bread. She's got a little fire going in the ground. And she has, all she has is one last meal. That's it. And Elijah comes and says, feed me first. Give me to drink first. Who does this guy think he is? I mean, you talk about selfish. Put me first. Now, if you're thinking like that, you're missing a really, really big point out of this story. If you're thinking like that, your thinking is wrong. Because get this. Here's what's happening. God is testing that lady to see if she will obey. He's testing that lady to see, will you put God first? Will you do what the prophet of God said? Will you do what the word of God says to me? Will you obey me? God's saying, will you put me first? And she's facing a test. Now, if I were grading her, you know what I would give her? I'd give her an A plus. I'd give her an A plus. Because what she did is she put God first. And we're gonna see what happens in just a moment, okay? Now, some people, some people will always be in lack. Some people will always be short in their finances because of these things. Now, there's more, but let me show you five areas, five ways to stay poor. Bring it up, please. Five ways to stay poor. Don't develop any marketable skills. Don't develop your skills that will give you strong employment. Don't worry about it. Just, you'll stay poor. Number one, number two, expect other people to take care of you. Look to others. Number three, go to Tunica. Go to Tunica. You'll stay poor. Number four, don't honor God with your tithes and offerings. And number five, spend more than you earn. You do those five, and I pretty much promise you, you will always be in lack. You'll always be poor. You'll be on the poor side of life. And one of those is don't honor God with your tithe. Hey, everybody. God expects something from me. He said to this lady, give to me first. And God expects something from me. God expects something from you. Bring your tithe into the storehouse. And see if I won't open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that you won't even have room enough to contain. Give, Jesus said, it's gonna be given back to you. You're gonna have to shake it down so you get it all settled. Then it's gonna fill up more. It's even going to run over. You know, two times in the book of Psalms, this verse is there. Two times it says this, the fool has said in his heart, there is no God. You know that verse? One time it's in Psalm chapter 14, then it's later in the Psalmist as well. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. You know, there's a bigger fool than that. There's a bigger fool than the person who says there is no God. The bigger fool is this. I believe there's a God, but I'm not gonna do what he says that he wants me to do. That's a bigger fool. That's even a bigger fool. Yep, I believe in God. I believe that there's a God in me. There's a God that exists. Matter of fact, I've even prayed for him to come into my life, but I don't have to do everything he tells me what to do. That is even the bigger fool than the fool who says there is no God. I believe in God, but I'm not gonna do what he said. I'm not gonna pray. I'm not gonna worship. I'm not gonna read my Bible. I'm not gonna testify and witness to others. I'm not gonna tithe. I'm not gonna obey him. That's even a bigger fool than the others. So a miracle mindset, boy, God cares for me. A miracle mindset, I know he's in a supply for me. A financial miracle mindset, I'm gonna do what God tells me to do. Give me first, Elijah said to the lady. Give me first. I'm gonna do what God says. And then last, let me end with this. Miracle mindset, God, I know, I know, I know, I know you're gonna use what I give to you. Sadly, there are some people that think that tithing is only for people that have lots of money. They reason like this. Let the rich people tithe. They won't miss it. They've got lots of money. They can give it away. They'll still be able to live perfectly fine. They will be able to be fine because they have way more money than they need. And so tithing and giving to God, that's for the rich people that are part of the church. Well, 1 Corinthians 16, verse 2, it'll be on the screen. It just blows that thought to smithereens. Look what it says. Here's what the Bible says. On the first day of the week, let the rich people bring a sum of money. Is that what it says? On the first day of the week, let those that have more than they need bring some money. No. On the first day of the week, let those who are able to give and they won't miss anything, let them give. No. On the first day of the week, each and every one, each and every one, this widower, this little woman in the story that we've read, she's dirt poor. I mean, she's down to her last little meal. lady has nothing, and yet she gave to God, and man, did God ever use what she gave. She gave to God. Look what God did with it. She gave to God, and Elijah was fed. She was fed. Her son was fed. You think her son ever forgot that event? Her son developed a miracle mindset as well. He grew up to be a young man. Man, I remember when God supplied this for me and God supplied this for my mom. He never forgot that. And the other miracle is we're still talking about her today.

She lived 2,800 years ago, and we're still talking about her today. You talk about a miracle, what God did. You know, just like you, I receive bills in my mailbox. When I get a bill for my city taxes, you think I come in and say, oh, goody, we got our city tax bill, Sandy. I just can't wait to pay this. Oh, wonderful.

Oh, good, Sandy, I got the car insurance premium. Oh, goody, goody, goody. I was just waiting for it to come. I'm just so glad to be able to pay this. Think we do that? Oh, goody, April 15th is coming. I am so glad I can give my Uncle Sam, all this money that he will waste. Oh, I'm just so glad. Oh, this is good. You think I get excited when those... Do you? You get excited when your city tax bill comes, when your MLGW bill comes, when your car insurance bill comes, when your IRS statement, you got to pay into... You get excited about that? I don't. But I can honestly say when I write my check out to First Assembly, I write it out to church, but I'm giving it to God.

When I give my tithe to God, that turns me on. When I give my tithe to God, I enjoy it. Yeah, you can clap. We can be joyful givers. Yep, come on. Come on, we can be joyful givers. When I write that tithe check out to God, I do say, good, good. This is good. It's fun. It's enjoyable. It's satisfying. I told you before when I was younger, saying that I've always given 10%. We've tried to add, add, add. This past year of 2024, we gave 27% of our income to God's work. 27%. You know who motivated me to do that? Who motivated me to do that was a preacher hero of mine. He lived back in the 1700s, John Wesley. Started the Methodist Church. If he were here today, he was four feet, nine inches tall. Short little guy. Didn't have a good marriage. His wife, Susanna, was a mean woman. And she was a little bit bigger than he and stronger than he was. She would drag him around by the hair in the house. One time he traveled 250,000 miles on horseback preaching. A quarter of a million miles around England and America preaching the gospel. He tells in his diary one time he was riding and some robbers jumped out from behind a bush and they were dressed up like the devil. And they said, Boo, we're the devil. We're here to rob you. He got down off his horse and said, Nice to meet you. I married your sister.

Nice to meet you. I married your sister.

I'm not encouraging you men to do that, okay? Just telling a true story. It's in his diary. But Wesley said this. Here's where he inspired me. John Wesley said, I work as hard as I can to earn as much as I can. To give as much as I can. And toward the end of his life he was giving just at 70% of his income to God. Sweetheart, we got a long way to go. We're only at 26. And he was, he said, I work as hard as I can to earn as much as I can so I can give as much as I can to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I love giving because I know what it does. I was curious, 2024 just ended, and I was curious, what have we together done by way of giving and the results of it? So I went back, and I went back, and I went back 30 years. I went back to 1994. Let me show you what we've done in 30 years of giving. Bring it up. In 30 years of giving, together, together, together as a church, we have given $112,121,165 to God's work. Wow!

$112 million and change we've given to God's work. $19,141,842 has gone outside to world missions.

Hallelujah! That world missions, what we've done, a whole bunch of things, supported missionary. We've built nine churches around the world. We'll build our 10th one down in Ecuador this summer. We've drilled, we've drilled five deep water wells that go down multiple hundreds of feet. Those wells are 18,000 apiece, and it provides fresh water. We say to the people where we drilled the well, come and enjoy fresh water, and then let us tell you about the living water, Jesus Christ. And people are saved. Then we built one beautiful, beautiful Bible college in Thailand. And so that's what our giving, and that doesn't count the millions of dollars we poured into our great school. Doesn't count what we've given to Teen Challenge to see these guys' lives transformed. Doesn't count what we've given to a way out ministry, and on and on and on and on and on. But we are better together when we give, and we banded together. I couldn't do it by myself. You couldn't do it by yourself. And $112 million were given in 30 years to promote and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think that's great. How about you? I think that is absolutely phenomenal.

And I'll make you a promise. You're gonna get to heaven, and you're gonna meet people who say thank you for giving to the Lord.

We've given to the Buntanes over in India, and countless number of children have been fed that otherwise literally would have starved to death. I'm not trying to be melodramatic. You're gonna meet people that gave their life to Jesus because you gave and a missionary went. You'll never meet that person till you get to heaven, but the books will be open, and they're gonna say, thank you for giving to the Lord. I was a life that was changed because you gave at First Assembly, and when you give, God does a financial miracle there, and he does one back in your life. You're gonna meet other people. Thank you for giving to the Lord. I went through a Bible college in Thailand that you helped build, and then I went out and I preached in Southeast Asia, and I saw people healed by the power of Jesus. I saw lives changed, and because you gave, that's what happened. That's the power of giving. Wow. And then here's the icing on the cake. One last verse. Hebrews chapter six. It'll be on the screen. The icing on the cake. Not only does God use your giving, but then he rewards you. Look at it. God is not unjust. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you've worked for him and how you've shown your love to him by caring for others as you still are doing. So you give, and God uses that, and then he won't forget you. You that give, let me tell you. Hear me very well. Most rewards that we get will be in heaven. We get many, many rewards here, but no comparison to the rewards that one day you that have been faithful in giving and you that will start and kick it up now. No comparison to the rewards. More rewards in heaven than here upon earth, but there's a lot of great rewards right here as well. You know why? Because God is a giver. God is a great, great giver. Today, he can give you healing. We're going to take communion. Men, prepare. They can begin to prepare right now. They're going to help serve us. Will you make your way back to the communion tables? Get ready to serve us. When we take communion today, God can heal you. We take communion today. Some of you need to recommit your life to the Lord. You did it when you were younger. You did it some years ago, but you've really slacked off. You've really drifted in your walk with him, and today you need to say, Lord, I am recommitting my life to you. Others of you, I need a financial miracle in my life, God. I need a better job. I need you to supply for me. I need help. He's able to do that and so much more because we take time to honor him. Let me pray for you. Now, Heavenly Father, I thank you, Lord, that you're the miracle-working God, and I pray that within us, you'll develop a miracle mindset to believe you for so many things. Fellows, I'll call you in just a moment. Hold off on coming until I call you. Lord, back to prayer. I bless the people today. I thank you for what you are going to do, even during this communion service, because you're a giver, Lord God. You're going to give people strength. You're going to give people direction. You're going to give people new assurance. You're going to give people salvation. You're going to give people... People can be baptized in the Holy Spirit right now. You're going to give healings today as well, Lord God. Thank you, thank you, thank you that we can take time to receive from your great hand. In Jesus' name I ask and pray. Amen.