Your Stories of Living “In the Zone”

In January,  we did a series of messages called “In the Zone.”  Being “In the Zone” is where you live in the sweet spot of God’s success in the area of finances.  I challenged the church to take the Three Month Tithe Challenge.  I told the congregation that if anyone would be willing to try tithing for three months and if after the three months of tithing they did not see God’s hand of blessing on their life, then the church would refund their tithe completely.   And 19 families responded and signed up.   I wanted to share with three stories from S.C.C. members who have taken the challenge to trust God in the area of their finances:

“We have gone to church for a long time and we have always given an offering but we never tithed.  Over the last year God has been speaking to us in this area of our lives.  On Sunday January 22, Pastor Scott was speaking about tithing and we decided (even before he issued the 3 month challenge) that we were going to listen to God, give God control of our finances and begin the practice of tithing.  During that service I wrote a 2nd check for the amount that made 10% of our pay that week and added it to the envelope.  My husband had no idea I had written this extra check.  We got home from church that day and he handed me in cash the exact amount of money that I had written that 2nd check for!  I laughed and told him about the check and that it was for the same amount that the cash was.  I knew God would bless us, but I sure didn’t expect it to happen that fast!”

Here is another one I received:

“In January we realized that our family had approximately $1,000 in unexpected bills that we had not prepared for.  Although there was no way that our income would cover these expenses we continued to tithe our 10% in faith that somehow we would figure it out later.  Not truly having any plans.  Sort of just using the ignore method.  In January we made a decision to change our home owners insurance policy in attempt to save a little money.  After making this change we received a check for roughly $950 due to overpayment from our original insurance policy that we had canceled.  God is capable and faithful and all I can say is look out, He will do measurable more than what we could ever imagine.”

And there is more:

“2009 was a very hard year for us. Our family endured a lot of illness (nothing serious) that resulted in a lot of medical bills, co-pays and deductibles. It seemed as if every time we turned around, something in our house was going out and we were having to replace water heaters and water softeners and garage doors and openers. Then there was my car. Fuel pump, odometer, breaks down. WHAT MORE???? We also suffered with marital struggles.   Instead of continuing to trust God, we gave less and less. And felt more and more guilt.   Pastor Scott’s  messages on tithing helped spur the reminder that God is faithful and God is good. He will provide all we need and more when we trust in Him. We starting giving again and already God has blessed us with a healthier marriage, a more profitable business and a better outlook on life. And that’s just since last month. Imagine what God can do for us as we continue to trust Him.”

Not done yet…read this:

“This last series, In The Zone has been great for us.  We have committed to be the faithful givers that we know He wants us to be, so we began 2010 with our tithe, and just today, as I was driving down 135 my van began to overheat!  This became very depressing to me, as we had just had the transmission rebuilt not that long ago, but I remembered Pastor Scott’s sermon from Sunday and began to thank God that we have a vehicle.  I called my husband who just happened to be on the South side of town to let him know what was happening and he came and got the van to have it checked.  We ended up needing a new radiator and water pump, which was estimated to cost $796.00.  I began to chuckle because you see, our taxes were filed Wednesday night, February 3, an all time record, and our return was $800!!!  It’s just like our God to bless us in ways we would never expect!  I often wonder why we always think God will bless us financially, because my blessings have always come in the way of relationship building, but today I was shown that God always meets us where we need him the most.  Thank you so much for this series!  We love this church, we love the staff and we are excited for the vision of this church!”

You just cannot out give God!

 

 

Everyday Thanksgiving

As Christ followers, EVERYDAY is a day of thanksgiving.  The Bible says “to give thanks in all circumstances.”  We are not to give thanks FOR circumstances.  We are to give thanks in ALL circumstances.  Why?  Because we know regardless of circumstances, God can use them for good in our lives.  Romans 8:28 says it like this: “…we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”  We know in all circumstances, God has a plan.  We know in all circumstances, God is working to make us like Him.  We know in all circumstances, God’s will triumphs.  This perspective is not a feeling; it’s not a warm fuzzy; it’s not a quiver in my liver.  It’s fact.  It’s a choice.  It’s faith.  Whatever the circumstance, we can give thanks.  That is why Thanksgiving for the Christ follower is everyday, not just one day out of the year. You see examples of this all through Scripture.  You see it in Joseph’s life in Egypt, Paul’s life in prison and in Jesus on the cross.  God takes our problems, our trials, our adversities, our suffering and uses them for good.

Here is my challenge:  wake up everyday for the next three days and before you roll out of bed, think of three things you are thankful for.  Identify them.  Speak them.  Treasure them. Thank God for them.  Then let me know the difference this simple step makes in your day.

Why we need problems

I was reading this week about a man who found a cocoon of an emperor moth.  He took it home so he could watch the  moth come out of the cocoon.  One day a small opening appeared.  The man sat and watched the moth struggle for a while trying to get it’s body through the little hole.  Then it stopped making any progress.  The moth seemed completely stuck.

So the man takes a small pair of scissors and he makes the opening of the cocoon larger so that the moth could escape.  The moth emerged, but with a swollen body and shriveled wings.  The man thought that in time the moth’s wings would expand and it’s body would contract to a normal size for a moth.  It never did.  In fact, the moth was never able to fly.

The man did not realize the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body INTO the wings so that the moth would be ready for flight once it had emerged from the cocoon.

So many times I catch myself thinking, “God, why don’t you take this problem away?  Why don’t you remove this obstacle?”  I  forget so often that these very struggles taken away from me would cripple me from being what God wants me to be just like this man crippled the moth by removing it’s struggle. Problems, pain and adversity drive me to a greater dependence on God.  The struggle increases my faith.  The struggle produces something in me that comfort and ease could never produce.

1 Peter 5:10 sums it up pretty well:  And after you suffer for a short time, God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. I love this verse!   God will make everything right.  He also promises to make us strong and to support us.  And even in the midst of the struggle, we don’t have to fall.  The difficulty of the cocoon is essential for the development of the moth;  difficulties in our lives are essential to our growth as well.