In 1975 American Express launched an ad campaign with the phrase “Don’t leave home without it”. It became one of the most recognizable marketing campaigns that has ever been launched in the US. When someone says, “Don’t leave home without it” the majority of Americans know what that refers too.

I want to encourage you in a different way this summer. I want to encourage you – “Don’t Leave Home WITH it”! With what? With your tithes and offerings that belong to the Lord.

It is pretty common practice for churches to experience summer slumps in giving. Why? Some Christians take their tithe money that belongs in the work of God and spend it on vacation. Instead of giving it to the Lord, they give it to “Mickey”. It is too tempting to take that little “extra” with you on vacation just in case you need it. And, many probably do it with the good intentions of making it up when you get back – but that gets harder and harder with each passing week or month.

So, this summer season when most churches experience a financial decrease – at Liberty let’s do the opposite! Let’s increase in our giving so that we can do even more Real Life Ministry this year.

Here are a few tips to make that happen:

• Don’t take your tithe/offering on vacation. Leave it at home so you won’t spend it.
• Mail your tithe/offering in to the church the day you leave.
• Give online before you leave. We now have online giving through our website to make it even more convenient for you to give to the work of the Lord.
• Give extra during the summer months. We incur so many expenses in the summer months with VBS, camps, etc. It’s a great time to give a little extra to the Lord in the form of an offering to help with summertime costs.

It would be awesome to get to the end of the summer and have given so that we have more to do ministry with than we ever have. More money to put into our building campaign ~ more to invest in missions ~ more to help us reach our community.

You are a great church and I know we can do it! This summer – “Don’t Leave Home With it”!!

2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.

What an amazing Sunday we had. It was one of those events that many Christians will go a lifetime and not see or experience…the Spirit of God “blew” through our place in great power.

Immediately, two Bible passages came to mind….

Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

I can’t tell you for sure if we are having revival in our midst – but I can tell you that it sure feels like revival and that 2 of the obvious signs of revival are happening….

1) Souls are being saved. The last night of February we baptized 18 people [the largest 1 time baptismal service in our history]. During revival, we had 4 more saved. This past Sunday, we had 15 saved [including my daughter] and 1 join for baptism. If all of those are baptized in March, we will have baptized nearly 40 people in 2 months! To put that in perspective, the most Liberty has every baptized in a YEAR is 52!! Keep inviting the lost and sharing your faith!

2) Giving is at record amounts. The last 2 weeks total offering [Tithes, Missions, KTFB, Revival] may be the largest 2 week offering in our history. If it isn’t, it is real close. I just finished reading in the OT [I'll let you look it up in your quiet time] where giving was a sign of revival. They had to stop the offering because the people were giving  faster than it could be used! Now, we aren’t going to stop the offering - I am a Baptist preacher and we are in a building program – but it is just another sign that revival is happening in our midst. Keep giving and lets see how fast we can get relocated so we can see more saved! Keep giving so we can see how many ways we can touch our community with the love of Christ.

The last sign of revival is confession of sin and forsaking of sin. Maybe today you want to start praying and asking God if there is something between you and Him that is keeping you from being in a close, vibrant, growing relationship with Him? If /when He shows you something – get rid of it and let’s watch as revival continues in our midst!!

Cause if this Ain’t revival….I don’t know what is!

Our January Prayer theme at the church is for Financial Success in 2010. Why? Because I want God to do amazing things through Liberty and it takes resources to accomplish that.

Why don’t church’s have more money? Because the average church member gives less than 3% to the Lord’s work. Too many Christians waste too much money…..

Randy Alcorn speaks to that issue in the video below. Watch it and ask God what He can do through you in 2010.

What makes the way we do church different than everyone else?

LBC is making a real impact in our community and we are constantly showing and sharing the love of Christ. In the last couple of months – Here is a small sample of what we have done:

• We raised over $1,500 to help Dawnville Elementary buy food to send home with children they think are going hungry
• We handed out book bags and school supplies to communities and schools in the hundreds
• We took up over $7,000 [so far] for our world missions offering that will help support missionaries all around the world
• We bought “snacks” for Cedar Ridge Elementary to help them feed hungry kids – $ cost and value in the hundreds
• We have bought – and are buying – coats for children that Cedar Ridge can give out to kids who are cold
• Many of our SS classes adopted families and bought Christmas who would not have anything otherwise
• Our Men’s Ministry took up an impromptu offering and bought Christmas for families who wouldn’t have had it otherwise
• You pledged over $18,000 for FAITH missions for next year
• We took up shoe-boxes for Operation Christmas Child
• We covered communities on Halloween and handed out candy and church information. We gave candy out to hundreds of children
• We wrapped Christmas presents at Walnut Square Mall for 4 Saturdays for FREE – yes FREE! We wrapped around 1,000 gifts

There is more – I just can’t think of it all. And that’s in just the last few months!

That is what separates us from everyone else – we’re not just talking about Christ – we are trying to act like Him as well.

Liberty  – you are doing a great job! You are the Best!

A woman was gambling – playing an electronic bingo machine when suddenly she won $41.8 million dollars – imagine her excitement. [read about it here  http://bit.ly/7WKXEX ] Can you see her jumping around, screaming, calling all her family and friends, and nearly fainting?? I can! I can imagine how excited she had to be at her new found wealth.

There was just one problem – they took it all away! Come to find out, she had actually won about $2 – but the machine had malfunctioned and awarded her nearly $42 million.  It went all the way to the Alabama Supreme Court and they ruled she did NOT win the $42 million. Imagine, she thought she had found the “golden goose” only to discover she was empty handed.

Really, everything in the world is like that. Any “gold” you think you earn in this world will only turn up fools gold in the next. Heed the advice of Jesus and accumulate more in heaven than you do on earth. Lay up treasures in heaven. Treasures like good works, souls of men, tithes and offerings, and a holy lifestyle. You’ll be glad you did.

And, one thing for sure, no one – not even the government- can take it away from you!

Matthew 6:20

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.