Reach, Impact, Elevate

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”  Ephesians 6:12-13 

Maybe you’ve heard the ancient story of Achilles... a great warrior and hero of Homer’s Iliad.  As legend tells it, his mother dipped him into the magical river Styx when he was a boy.  Holding him by his heel and lowering him under, she knew that immersing him in this body of water would make him invincible.  It worked.... Achilles became a strong warrior that couldn’t be defeated in battle.  However, he did have one weak spot.  Where?  You guessed it... the only spot that didn’t get dipped... his heel.   The one spot that his mother failed to cover in the magical water would be the exact place an arrow would land and sink in... killing Achilles.  This fictitious hero of legend was felled by a weak spot he didn’t even knew he had.

In Ephesians 6:12-13, we read that we, too, are in a battle.  And the enemy that fires his arrows is relentless and has great aim.  His sights are set on the areas of our lives that aren’t covered in armor.  His goal?  To take us down... to neutralize us by exploiting where we struggle.  

Where is your achilles heel?  For many, the struggle is generosity.  

We hold tightly to what we have in fear of not having enough.  We give what’s left over because we don’t trust.  We forget that giving to the local church is an act of obedience… of faith… and reveals whether or not we trust what God says in His word about provision.  

Do we really believe the Bible?  Are we in love with the parts that make us feel good and skim the parts that challenge us to stretch?  Why did Jesus talk so much about money?  Because He knew that it would be the one area that exposes many to the attacks of the enemy.  And the devil is a good shot.

How do we protect ourselves?  We simply have to have a plan. 

This weekend could be the start of a brand new plan for your life.  Everyone that calls Potential Church home has the opportunity to start the Temple Centurion journey… giving an offering above their normal tithe…  

Our Goals through Temple Centurion?

TO REACH:  BRING TRUTH TO NEW PLACES – Our vision is to change the world through 50 influential campuses across the globe.

TO IMPACT:  SHARING HOPE WITH THOSE IN NEED – We’re passionate about impacting beyond our walls to invest into our communities.

TO ELEVATE:  CREATING SPACES TO CONNECT WITH GOD – We strive to create and maintain spaces where people feel comfortable and welcomed.

As the weekend quickly approaches, I want to challenge you to pray, fast, and talk together as a family about this.  How can you get involved?  What is God whispering to your heart? 

I know this.  When we are generous with what God trusts us with… we receive blessings from Him.  And maybe one of the biggest blessings of all is knowing that the enemy can’t take us down by the achilles heel of giving.  Are you ready to put on that piece of armor?  Let’s get stronger together… 

Starfish

A man is walking along the shoreline of an ocean when he comes up on a little boy standing in the midst of thousands of starfish that had washed up along the shore. The man watches the little boy as he picks up a starfish and one by one throws them back in the sea. The man watches for several minutes then walks up to the boy and asks, "What are you doing?" The little boy answers, "I'm saving these starfish so they won't die." The man says to the boy..."There are too many to save, it won’t make any difference." 

Some would say that the man has a point.. after all...there are so many starfish on the beach... what will throwing a few back do?  How can the kindness and generosity of one boy make a difference?  Truth is... one person can’t do it all.  

But one person can do something.  And when enough people do something... big things happen.  Lasting change occurs.  What once seemed unachievable becomes reachable.   Every act of generosity matters... and every sacrifice... every gift... every commitment toward helping someone become the person they were created to be is important.  As we approach the May 17/18 weekend, and the opportunity to begin this year’s Temple Centurion journey, I want to remind you of a few things.  

Temple Centurions are those that give above and beyond their tithe toward one of five areas...   Launch (start new campuses), Impact (missions), Elevate (upgrades to existing campuses), Innovate (Television ministry and iCampus), and Accelerate (debt reduction).   Each of these are equally important but you might be nudged to contribute to one particular area.   We’ve made that very easy on the newly updated website found here. 

Over the past few weeks, you’ve been given a black Temple Centurion envelope in your program.  Don’t worry if you don’t have one yet... we’ll have them available on the weekends leading up to May 17/18.  I want to encourage you to take some time over the next little while, and if you haven’t already, pray with your family.  Ask God what He would have you give and how far He’s asking you to stretch.  As I mentioned from the platform, I’m asking everyone that is becoming a Temple Centurion to give as much of their commitment as possible that weekend at all of our campuses.  This will allow us to quickly begin work in all of those areas.  From there, it’s simply a matter of continuing to give your tithe each week and an additional amount above that to Temple Centurion.

Were you a Temple Centurion last year?  Maybe He’s nudging you to increase your commitment to reach the next level.  Never been one before?  Silver Temple Centurions give just $500 above and beyond their tithe... that’s only a couple of Starbucks coffees a week.  

Why is that amount so reachable?  

Because we believe that everybody may not be able to give the same amount... but everybody can do something.  And everybody’s something can make a difference.  

Looking back at the starfish story... I want to share with you what the boy said in response to the man’s discouraging words:

“The man says to the boy..."There are too many to save, it won’t make any difference." 

The little boy reached down and picked up another starfish and said, "it will make a difference to this one" as he threw it into the ocean.”

You may hesitate to become a Temple Centurion because you don’t think your giving matters... that’s there’s a lot to do and your commitment won’t make a difference.  Let me assure you... it does.  Your kindness...your faithfulness...and your generosity in supporting the vision of Potential Church affects not only campus development now... but will help assure that future generations will discover and grow in Christ just as you have.  

It’s my prayer that we wouldn’t see this as just an opportunity to give resources... but understand it as a chance to change lives with what God has blessed us with.  Let’s come together... all of us... and make a difference for the Kingdom. 

Our Turn

Amazing isn't it?  It's great to look back and celebrate all that God has done in and through Potential Church over the past 30+ years.  Maybe you attend one of our campuses... maybe you've watched a service online or on TV.   In any case, celebrating the past is something that we should do every once in awhile to remind ourselves of what God has done.

But where do we go from here?  What will that video look like ten years from now?  Twenty?  Where will those future campuses be?  Will your children or grandchildren be smiling as they experience Christ in that future video?  Will a campus be constructed in your neighborhood...only minutes from your home?  Will thousands more be shown getting baptized on the beach?  Only God can see that far... but we believe that He has appointed us...now...to start the next chapter in our history.

The time has come for Temple Centurions to step forward.

As we talked about last weekend, our Temple Centurions are those that give above and beyond their tithe toward one of five areas or pillars listed on our website here: http://potentialchurch.com/new2014/?page_id=13317

And why?  Because God is moving us forward to spread the greatest message the world has ever known.  That pursuit requires resources... and those resources will change the world... one campus at a time.

One church.  One family.  One goal.  50 Campuses - 100,000 people in attendance each weekend - 150 million dollar budget to resource it all.

Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."   The greatest thing about being a Temple Centurion... not only will our generosity help change the lives of those that walk through the doors of our campuses... but the blessings we receive as a result of our giving will change our own lives.  Time and time again in scripture, God promises that what we reap is what we sow... and the time has come for us to step up boldly and sow into the future of Potential Church.

Are you ready?  It's going to be an amazing journey.