This One

Let’s start off our week by talking about the third step of obedience….

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.   

You have to answer two important questions:  

1)  Are you obedient in your giving?

2)  Are you able to part with the temporary to affect the eternal?  

When you follow God’s directive to be generous… you put yourself in a position to be blessed.  So many are wondering why they aren’t experiencing the breakthrough in their lives…  could it be because they have shifted into worshiping the provision and not the Provider?   When we give of our resources, God does something supernatural with the money… making it far more effective than if we’d spent it ourselves.   

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 give because you don’t think it matters... that 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 giving 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. 

300

“…A man reaps what he sows.”  Galatians 6:7b

The weekend is here.  We’ve talked about it during our 300 series… I’ve posted about it here on my Facebook devotional page… and you’ve hopefully spent some time praying and thinking about what role you can have in it… it is Temple Centurion kickoff weekend.  

It is my prayer that whichever area you choose, you would know that you are making a difference around the world.… Remember, Temple Centurion is a year-long initiative but we are asking all of our Potential Church family to contribute as much of that yearly commitment as they can this first weekend.  This will allow us to get right to work in some much-needed areas.

It’s not easy to talk to you about money.  I’ve been honest about that from the start.  I do it because Jesus talked directly about it.  In fact, He talked more about resources than He did about Heaven.  Why?  Is it more important?  Surely not.  But He knew that it would be the resistance to sharing our resources that would hold us back from moving forward in so many areas of our lives.

I just know that when we are obedient with the resources that God blesses us with, we put ourselves in a position for blessing.  That’s what I want for each of you… I don’t want you to stress over your finances… I don’t want you to wonder what it is God is looking for you to do… and most of all… I don’t want you to miss out on the blessings that come with generosity.  

Remember, it’s not about equal amounts.  Not everyone can afford to give the same thing.  It is, however, about equal sacrifice.  Allow God to stretch you in this area.  Were you a silver Temple Centurion last year?  What would have to change to allow you to give at the gold level?  Didn’t participate last year?  What’s holding you back from the opportunity this weekend?  Are you blessed to the point of giving at the platinum or diamond level?  

I hear so many stories from people who prayed about it and jumped in last year as Temple Centurions.  They tell me that they were unsure at first if they would be able to afford giving anything above the 10% they already contributed.  But when they stepped out and trusted… God did amazing things.  Things way beyond what they imagined would happen as a result of their generosity.

I want to challenge you as your Pastor… pray through this. Let’s not dismiss it and count on others to do it in our place.  It’s our time to step up and be counted as Temple Centurions.  Will you join me?   I’ll see you this weekend.  

The Heel

“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 toward one of five areas:  

1)  Launching new campuses

2)  Impacting the world through missions

3)  Campus development

4)  Staying on the cutting edge in television and the Internet Campus

5)  Reduce and eliminate outstanding debt 

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?  Are you feeling a nudge toward giving to one of these five areas?  

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. 

Serving Up Happiness

There’s an old Chinese proverb that says: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.  If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.  If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.  If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”

If you’ve ever come to the aid of someone in need you know the truth in that statement.  There’s something about being there for a person that gives us a sense of fulfillment… a feeling of greater purpose.  This shouldn’t be surprising if you are a Christ-follower.  Scripture tells us in Acts 20:35 that “It is more blessed to give than to receive”  In Proverbs 11:25 we read “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”  Loving others…serving them… is something that God Himself has instructed us to do.  And when we stay obedient in this, the Bible tells us time and time again that we will be blessed. Want more blessing in your life?  Make the decision to reach out.  The world may try to convince you to look out only for yourself… but the example that Christ left us was quite the opposite.  Serving others is part of our calling…our purpose here on Earth… and there’s nothing that makes us resemble Jesus more than when we are putting others first.