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.
When you think about a marriage workshop three things normally come to your mind:
1. My marriage is fine I don’t need a workshop.
2. My marriage is a mess but it is too late.
3. My marriage is a mess but I’m not going to admit it. My head is in the sand.
All three are the result of faulty thinking.
First if your marriage is fine you can use the workshop to make it great. Marriage is not one of those things you “conquer” and then move on to something else. It is one of those things that has to be continually managed. Problems can develop overnight that set us back. You can use the Real Life Marriage workshop as preventative maintenance.
For the second group, know that is never too late. I have seen marriages come back together from the worst of circumstances. Your marriage is worth giving it every effort you can. Your marriage is well worth a six hour and $97 chance.
For the third group – get your head out of the sand!! Don’t play games with your marriage. It is too important.
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.
Everyone has a picture in their minds of who they want to become. You think about it – dream about it – and even plan for it.
As a matter of fact, this time of year many people make resolutions that revolve around molding them into the person they want to BECOME. Sadly, most people drop their resolutions within weeks.
According to A Marist University Poll,
Keeping Their Word?
33% of Americans recall making a New Year’s resolution last year, but how successful were they? Of those residents, 65% said they kept their promise for at least part of the year while 35% did not. Men were more steadfast than were women. 70% of men kept their resolution for at least part of 2009. This compares with 59% of women.
Dedication has grown among Americans who have previously made a resolution. While 65% of residents kept their resolution for 2009, 60% did so in 2008.
Why do we fail in our New Years Resolutions? Because we don’t know how to change. The Bible gives us clear instructions on how to BECOME the person we would like to be.
Starting this Sunday, I will share with you how you can BECOME all God intended for you to be. I will examine change in general, and then over the next few weeks we will look at some of the New Years Resolutions everyone makes and what the Bible says about them.
If you want to improve your family, finances, organizational skills, and many other things – don’t miss a service.
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.
A woman was gambling – playing an electronic bingo machine when suddenly she won $41.8 million dollars – imagine her excitement. [read about it here 
