His Hands Church - A Ten Talent Return - Steve Craig

You know, we pray every Sunday the Holy Spirit to speak to us and and uh this morning um I hope it won't become too obvious, but uh but I really need God's help this morning, just communicating what I think he wants uh um me to share, and then hopefully the Holy Spirit will talk with all of us.

So um let's ask uh for that.

So, Father, I just praise you.

Thank you for being such a great God, um for adopting us as your children, for loving us and caring everything about us and and being involved in our lives and bringing us together.

And I do ask uh that you would just uh really be with us me this morning, give me the the strength and and even courage to share what what I need to share, and Holy Spirit, that you would just speak to each of us.

And Jesus, we thank you for for uh dying for us, for saving us, and showing us what our Father um is really like.

And so we just praise you and thank you for that and pray in your name.

Amen.

Well, if you weren't here last week, you missed a big heads up.

And the heads up is that this morning um we need to spend some time talking about where we're at as a uh church financially.

And it's something that we don't do um very often.

I'm not sure we've ever done it like I'm going to uh this morning.

And I mentioned it last week for two reasons.

One is just to kind of give us a heads up.

We're inviting a lot of people and bringing a lot of friends.

And um if we had a friend coming with us this morning, I think God would want to know that.

And um, you know, if you if you see anybody with a really sick look on their face, it's because they weren't here last week and they did bring a friend this morning.

Um I had my next door neighbor probably here uh Friday say, Hey, we're gonna come and visit the church Sunday.

And I'm like, Oh, that's great.

I'm like, oh man, I don't know.

The uh but um but actually I think it's gonna be good because uh we're really gonna give us you know, when you talk about money, I think we give a sense of where we're really at and what's really important and and priorities and and that type of thing.

And and uh we definitely don't focus on money here.

You you might notice we don't pass a plate, you know, we give we've got boxes in the back and we give online and and um and that type of thing.

But the the second reason um I mentioned it last week was really to create an expectation and then force myself to go ahead and um and talk about it.

You know, and uh it's I tried to think through why I don't really like to.

I think it's a combination of things.

One is is um obviously when someone comes the first time, that's not what I want to be talking about.

And uh but every Sunday we're gonna have people that that are here for the first time.

And and um um and then there's just such an uh an attachment with churches, and I think it it's uh uh an honest observation that churches are too focused, not all churches, many churches, and certainly anybody on TV, I shouldn't say anybody, most people on TV are are too focused on on money, and and we're not that way.

And and and so the uh I don't know, just wouldn't want you to have that uh indication.

But I think the other thing with me, and it's just something that I've got to work through, is I think honestly, I think it's just like an insecurity.

And and uh the I'm not sure I like asking for help, and it's not really help for me, it's help help for us.

But um it's something that it's something that we need to do.

And if this helps at all, um, you know, there's no uh um campaign I'm going to announce.

There's there's no pledge cards hidden under your chairs.

I mean it's uh I think it's gonna be okay.

What uh what God has done here in four years um is really a miracle.

It's just an amazing amazing thing to bring so many of us uh together and change our lives the way that He's done.

And and it feels natural because we're normal regular people, but it it truly is supernatural.

It's a very uh unique and unusual thing that God is uh God is doing.

And I wish that um we could all see kind of what goes on every day.

I think I think that you'd be so encouraged to see how many people are getting loved and helped and uh encouraged and and connected by God.

And it's not it's not by you know an institution.

We're not an institution, it's it's by us.

I mean we're we're a church, we're we're a family.

Um first week of the year, it's Wednesday afternoon, I'm walking I'm walking through the the lobby, and there's a gentleman that uh comes up to the door, and and um and so I go out there and and say hi, and and he says, Um, I've got a pretty bad drinking problem, and I heard maybe I could find some help here.

And he didn't want money, he wanted help, you know, and and so we uh you know we sat down and and uh and we talked and we ended up praying.

And you know, I could look him in the eye and say, Um, you know, I can really see uh a greatness inside of you.

I mean, I mean, there's just a goodness to you, and that and that was the truth.

And I could say, you're right, you heard right, we can't help.

And we got on the phone, we called a couple people, and um, and he got connected um with them.

And um so three weeks ago, after Hands in the Pile, you know, I'm we're we're just we're all talking, I'm talking with people, and there's and uh and praying and just different things like like every Sunday, and and it's it's quite a while, and there's this this uh really beautiful young um lady standing off to the side.

And so I kind of get done and and and I say, you know, are you waiting to to talk to me?

And she said, Um yes, I just want to um thank you because I'm trying not to get emotional.

I used to not be this way.

But um but um she says, I just want to thank you because it was my dad that came in here.

And um She'll be all right.

Um And he's doing so much better.

And it just it made me so thankful to be part of this group.

Because that's just a really small story, but but this is the real deal.

We are not plain church.

God has drawn people and helping people and and changing and changing their lives.

Um had a uh had one day a few weeks ago.

We were as a team we were together and we're working on on um on groups and uh in classes, and that is is exciting because there's so many people volunteering so much time and helping out and and we've got so many different um things going on.

And then a young man walks in and um the uh and he's strung out really bad on meth.

And we helped to uh get him into a a rehab.

And um and then we talked with a guy who had lost his job and we helped get his resume um out.

And then Stephanie told me about a family here that didn't have heat and it was a super, super cold week, and how she'd got the word out, and a bunch of you had helped, and and that was uh um taken care of.

Then uh then a a young couple came in um whose uh whose child had just died.

And um and so then we we got to to pray and and and uh and help them and they left so so encouraged.

And um and the thing is every week, and this is this is not an exaggeration, every week someone is getting off of pills or meth or heroin or alcohol.

Every week someone's getting helped physically with food or with heat or with clothes or with something, someone's getting helped with in a crisis with their marriage or in their home or or with their uh kids.

People are getting um prayed for, people are getting physically healed and and loved on.

And most of all, all of us are getting connected with Jesus and our Father who loves us, and we're developing uh a real and close relationship with Him and a real and close relationship um with people.

And it's the real thing that God's doing here, and and it is a supernatural, miraculous um thing, and I'm really thankful that we get to do it together.

In Matthew 9 and verse 12, Jesus says, Who needs a doctor, the healthy or the sick?

Go figure out what this scripture means.

I'm after mercy, not religion.

I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.

And um, God started this church and he's inviting outsiders.

And um, it's amazing what he's done in four and a half years.

Four and a half years ago, where we're sitting was an abandoned, dirty um Kmart building.

Um there were no chairs, no screens, no worship team, no nursery, no junior high, no high school, no prayer team, no groups, no classes, no um freedom from addiction group, no coffee shop, no Jesus sculptures, nothing.

An abandoned, dirty Kmart building.

And it's it's a miracle what he's done in putting together a foundation of love and a foundation of his word and of Jesus and and the presence of the Holy Spirit, who I mean he's his presence is just so strong here.

Um and it's just the start.

What we can what we can see now, I mean, is just the absolute start.

He's only built the foundation, and that's all we're seeing.

It's just the the uh the tip of that.

And we got a we got a direction that we're going in.

We're gonna get there really soon.

Um we're gonna be able to continue inviting our community and our friends, and they're gonna get introduced to Jesus, not to religion and not to rules, but to uh to Jesus.

And we're gonna be able to help people right where they're at.

And we do this a lot now, but but but soon, if anybody comes in and they're struggling with their marriage, we're gonna have a group or a class and a team that can help them.

Parenting, we're gonna have a group and a class and a team that can help.

Addiction.

We're gonna we're we can show you exactly.

Well, hold your hand, step by step.

You can uh be free of addiction, financial stress, have financial peace of university and and and groups and people.

I mean we're doing that now.

Groups and people that sit down and working through budgets and helping um people financially.

Uh we'll have a safe place for our children and for for everybody's children to learn about God and and and his word and his love.

Um love inner healing.

You know, there's so many of us, so many people that struggle with just deep wounds from from abuse and things and and um in our uh backgrounds, I guess.

And um that's a big thing.

And and soon we're gonna announce weekend worships and teams.

We're we're we're I mean, what do I say worships workshops?

Um we always have weekend worship, everyday worship.

Um but but we're gonna have um we're gonna be able to announce just a uh a uh a schedule of weekend workshops where people can come and and and and really work through those things and and uh and get free from from all that stuff and with counseling and with prayer.

We've got a bunch of ways just to build natural friendships, you know, men's groups, women's groups, softball, mom's groups, motorcycle, outdoors, you know, helping out.

There's all kinds of ways to build friends.

And in James 2, this is uh Jesus' brother, he said, uh, dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything?

Doesn't merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?

For instance, you come upon an old friend dress dressed in rags and half-starved and say, Good morning, friend, be clothed in Christ, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup.

Where does that get you?

Isn't it obvious that God talk without God acts is outrageous nonsense?

And we can't be all things to all people.

But with God's help, we can handle the biggies.

We can help with marriage and with addiction and finances and inner healing and parenting and friends.

It's a big th deal.

It's it's it's the real deal.

And it's a supernatural thing that God's um God's putting together.

And that's kind of where we're at and where we'll be soon spiritually.

And uh again, to me, it's uh it's an amazing thing.

Financially, God's done an amazing thing.

And we're not where we need to be, but we've come a long way there too.

And I want to talk about two things.

One is our monthly budget, and and two is the is the loan that we have on the building.

And they're intertwined, of course, because the payment on the building affects um the monthly budget.

And so I want to start by saying that this is not a business.

Um, you know, I uh God had me in a role where I was running a business before, and uh this isn't it.

We're not selling anything.

Um I'm not asking anyone to buy anything.

We're talking about uh sharing and serving and helping each other and uh and all those around us.

And just like James talked about, that it's one thing to talk about it, it's another thing to dig in and do it.

That if we dig in and do it, it takes our time and it takes our talent and it takes our treasure if we're gonna do it.

And it's worth it.

It is absolutely worth it.

This building's a whole God story by itself.

Um many of you know the the just kind of the story about the church and how it got got started.

I'll uh try to retell that uh quickly.

Um we had a business, God had just favored it.

I mean, literally favored it, and and it was just uh um it was just a very successful um business.

And God told us to sell the business and start this church.

Um and I don't blame you if you're skeptical or if a big red flag uh goes off.

You know, anytime somebody says, God told me to this, I'm like, okay, let me uh let me stand back and think this one um through.

But God does tell us to do things, and um and he does it in a lot of different ways, and uh he did this in a lot of different ways.

Um I mean, with dreams and just all kinds of um stuff.

And he he needed to tell us because it wasn't it definitely was not on our to-do list.

Um I mean, we had never thought about it, we'd never wanted to do it.

Um you know, I mean, uh most times we even want to go to church, let alone uh start a church.

And um but anyway, um he he he told us that's what he wants us to do.

And and I think it's because of all those things I just stated.

I really do, that God needs normal people that will just uh um step in and depend on him and know they're not qualified and just do it.

And um and so he gave us the the s you know the strength, I guess, to do that.

But then he showed us this particular building.

And so again, I know that's strange, but he just did this particular building.

And so we called and they didn't even want to show it to us.

I mean, the the the people that brokered the building, because you know, it was a commercial property and it had been abandoned for a long time, and you know, they don't want to waste time with Steve and Susan and Woodstock coming over to see their building.

And um, but eventually did, and we're walking out the door to meet them, and Susan says, This is weird, but God just told me we're gonna pay seven million dollars for that building.

And I said, No, we're not.

I mean, we are definitely not paying seven million dollars for any abandoned Kmart.

And um and so we come over here, and I really don't have an idea of what stuff costs like that or like this.

And um, this building cost, when it was a super K, it cost$16 million for the property and um the building.

And and the building was basically just a shell.

You know, the outside walls and and a roof, um, and that's what it was.

And uh they went out of business, they put it up for sale.

Um I don't know what they originally had it at.

Uh eventually they they had it down to 11 million, and when we looked at it, it was eight something.

And um and they said that uh that there was you know absolutely no way they couldn't they could not go a penny lower, which was great with me because I didn't want to buy it anyway.

And um so that was good.

And uh but we really felt like we were supposed to offer them what what God had told Susan we're gonna pay for it.

So we did.

And we offered them$7 million, and and and uh and so they said no way.

And uh and that was that, and it was a relief.

And um a couple months later they called and said that they would take it.

And so um and so we took the money from selling the business and we bought this abandoned Kmart.

And we hired an architect and and a builder and an owner's rep to manage the project, to manage the cost, and uh went to work on it.

And this is a quick aside, but we met for the first few months, um, you know, some of us were uh were were here then, but at Dave and Buster's and Marietta.

And we met there because uh really to make a statement that God wanted to do something non-religious and something more normal, and it and um it was a good place to uh to start.

And so we had our very first time that we met on on Sunday.

There were 14 of us that got together and um uh our our first Sunday there was over a hundred uh people that came, but mostly that was the 14 of us friends and family and and and um you know supporting what uh what we were doing.

But um so we met on a Sunday, the very next Monday, get a phone call from the broker on this building.

And there was someone that wanted to buy it back from us at a at a big profit.

And the reason that meant a lot to me is is because I know that the reason this building sat vacant for four, four and a half years is not that it's because it's a lousy property, it's because God was saving it for us.

And and He had an important purpose for it.

So we uh you know we fought off that quick temptation and uh didn't it didn't sell it back to him and um went to work converting it.

And it's it's not less expensive to to convert a building than it is to build one from scratch.

It seems like it would be, but it really isn't, because there's just a shell and there's just a roof, and it's you know, and you got to retrofit the whole thing.

And um and so it's it's roughly the the same.

The cost to do the construction was ten million seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

And the total cost with the land was uh about eighteen million dollars.

Susan and I donated the land, we paid the fees, and we got a loan with uh Bank of America for$10,750,000.

And personally guaranteed the loan and got cranken um on the building.

And um the uh we got a great interest rate.

It's uh it was a five-year kind of interest-only loan.

Um I don't know if this if if you're one that cares about this type of stuff.

It's the uh overnight or the daily lie bore plus sixty five basis points, which is an incredible rate.

It means we're playing less than one percent um in interest.

And it's been huge because you know the the economy's been tough, and and so um that's been hard for all of us, but we've also had this tremendous interest rate, which has been a huge um um benefit as well.

And so I don't know what your reaction is to that.

Um it's probably either that's a big number or that's a really good deal.

And the truth is it is a big number, and it is a really good deal.

And for we looked at a lot of different church buildings.

We looked at we really looked at at the cost of construction and commercial properties gone down.

And if this was an$18 million, you know, it was 16 when Kmart built it, and it was just a shell.

With with the way it is now, if it was an$18 billion million building, it's probably, you know, maybe it's a$15 or$16 million building now.

But it's a$10 million$750,000 building to us.

We're not going to need any any building projects.

We're not going to need any building committees.

We had a couple thousand people roughly at Christmas Eve.

It'll be the same on Easter.

We can comfortably fit in here with that.

If we need to, we can go to two or three times we could we can meet.

We're not going to need a bigger building, I don't think.

But we're committed to not build one.

So anyway, the um and don't get scared because if we ever need to go to more than one, you know, uh one party on Sunday, um we'll have a lot more people and we'll have whole new teams and every you know, we won't have to do it ourselves.

We'll have um we'll have plenty of help.

But God was so involved in this building.

We hired an architect who really cared, he really cared about God and what we were doing.

Um and then we changed everything.

And mostly um mostly Susan changed it because it was gonna look like an institutional type uh um building, but uh but she was like, no, this wall needs to be curved, and this ceiling needs to be raised, and this needs to be like this, and it was a Holy Spirit thing.

I mean, it w and and I don't know if you can feel that, but but it there was an inspiration um about this building.

And um and there's really no other place like this.

The builders won all kinds of awards on the building, but the Holy Spirit needs a trophy case because I mean he was in every single decision.

And it's not the building, it it's really now when it's full of people that there's really life, and that there's it's full of art that that Marlin and others have have donated.

And it he's really done something um amazing just in the in the building, and it's a symbol, I think, of just transformation from an abandoned uh dirty Kmart to something beautiful, and and there's really no place like this.

A lot of people have tried to convert big box, you know, type buildings.

There's no place like this.

It it's really um amazing what what he's done.

Um the interest payment on the building is$8,000 a month, we've been paying that every month.

Um for the last year we've broken um even every month on a cash flow basis, um, which is huge.

First three years we didn't it.

In fact, I mean we were we were a long ways um from doing that.

And and that was sort of okay because God had had told us, Susan and I, that that we for a time were gonna need to to uh to pay the difference.

And it there got to be a time where we just couldn't do that anymore, and we and and as a group we needed to be just spending what we're making anyway, you know, not making, but what we're giving, um we need to be simple spending anyway.

So a year ago, September, we got really serious about that, about we just have to be financially strong as a church.

We made some really um difficult staff decisions, and some people here made some difficult decisions that were on staff and when they got jobs and still volunteer and and um and help and we reprioritized and we simplified, and and mostly you really stepped up and and helped out because a lot of what of things that we used to pay to have done were all volunteering to do, and it's a huge, it's a huge effort.

And um what we did, we got the budget down to a number.

The number is fifty-seven thousand dollars a month.

And again, you might have a different reaction to that.

For a church this size, that is a spectacular number.

Spectacular.

I mean, uh most churches this size would have a much, much larger staff, much, much larger um budget.

Uh ours is probably less than half of what typical would be.

Um but our budget here is like our budgets as home.

You uh uh we did this, Susan and I did this last year.

You know, you sit down, we're like, man, we've got to, we've got to get on a budget here.

And and so you just start going through the list, and everything seems fine until you add it up.

And then you're like, oh man, I mean, we're we're not even close.

And and you start making um choices.

It's the same, it's the same way here.

Um the we're we're really careful with the with the air conditioning and the heating.

Um that clock costs$8,000 a month, um almost$100,000 a year just for heating and air.

Paper and toner,$6,000 a year.

Pay a one runoff fee to the city every year that's$7,000.

Um we've got a staff of four people, like I said, that are paid appropriately but not extravagantly, and we help with their health insurance.

And and each of those people, man, it works so hard and is so effective, and not only does, you know, uh logistical type jobs, but but mentors and teaches and prays and pours pours uh pours into people.

It costs us about$30,000 a year, costs us about$30,000 a year to uh have the nursery.

Um it takes a lot of supplies in in a uh in nursery.

And we got a ton of volunteers, but on Sunday mornings we also have some part-time um paid coaches in each room because we're taking care of kids and it's important, and we have to have people that that's their thing, and they're really well trained and they're on plan, and and um and that's that's the deal.

And it's um um and it's a good expense to have.

Um cleaning, it's almost all volunteer now, but um we pay eleven thousand dollars a year just in supplies.

Um pest control, twenty five hundred dollars a year, waste disposal, three thousand dollars a year, light bulbs three thousand dollars a year, farm fire alarm and um inspection, monitoring, and maintenance, five thousand dollars a year, background checks just for people that help with the kids, um, dollars a year.

Proper property and liability insurance, fifteen thousand dollars um a year.

And so you can see it adds up really fast.

And uh that all comes to about$49,000 a month, interest payments,$8,300, so it's about$57,000 a month.

Um another way to look at it, it's about$11 a week per person, is what uh what it's been on a uh cash flow basis.

So last Wednesday met with Bank of America.

They are they have been great to work with, and the people that that that we work with, um churches and nonprofits are kind of their thing, and they got a real uh a real heart for it, and they're real excited about what we're doing, and we've got this interest-only loan.

And um the and it's a five-year loan, and at the end of five years, which is next um February, um that loan is gone.

And um and so what they would like to do, and what we'd like to do is re-up with the the loan with uh um with them, but but they're not gonna do it unless we're paying off a reasonable amount of principal every month, um, which is the way it should be.

You know, I think that we've all learned and the economies learned that there's a reason banks have standards and and you need to be healthy financially to afford something.

And what we're doing is we're paying um each month the the interest payment on the loan, and we just have to right away start paying some principal.

And we need a year's track record of being able to pay the principal and being financially healthy and sound as a church, and we can continue with the loan and everything's gonna be fine, and we can get the thing paid off completely, um, which is even um more important.

Kind of had had three stages financially.

One is to break even on a cash flow basis, which is a huge deal.

And we've been doing that for for a year.

Um the uh the second was to start paying a reasonable amount of principal down every s every single month.

And the third is just to get the building um paid off, which which we will um do.

Um money is a funny thing, and I've had a lot of experience um with God with money.

And um the way God most often works with money is you put your heart to do something his way, and you put your hands to it, if you will, and he helps.

And and to the idea of, well, I mean, can we pay off us a$10 million loan on the building?

Absolutely.

With God's help, we can absolutely pay it off.

And because He's gonna He's gonna bring things that we had never even thought about, and and people, and He's gonna bring help.

But it's the right thing for us, and we can I know we can do it.

And so we just um I really just need to share the uh the need and let you know, and then and then um and then we go ahead and um and do it.

There's kind of an immediate, this isn't an urgency, I almost didn't mention this.

I wanted to have this conversation um a um a few weeks ago.

Um part of our our deal on the loan with Bank of America, and this might be too much information, all this stuff, but I want to get you know everything out there.

And um, before I forget, that's all I'm gonna say about the budget.

If if you would like to see the actual budget, um just send me an email or or get on our website.

We just made some changes, it's a lot easier to navigate, but you know, click info or something and say I want the budget, and we'll email you everything.

Um and um but uh where was I?

Cheryl, where was I?

Okay, Bank of America um oh, part of our loan is is that after four years, which is in in uh um well, it's next week, the uh that we need to have the principal down.

We've paid off a little bit of the principal.

We're down to ten million six hundred and fifty thousand, I think.

And and we've got to get the principal down to ten million five hundred thousand at the end of four years.

I was going to talk to you about that with a reasonable amount of notice for us to to all pitch in, but it was right after the thing in Haiti, and I could not get up here and talk to you about about this because there was more important things to do with our money that week.

And um and so then we went out of town and last week was Valentine's Day and wanted to finish up the marriage thing.

And so it's not a crisis, and and and honestly, um Susan and I are prepared to do that, but I would I would love your help.

We would love your help.

And so if you haven't done anything like that, made a one-time man, we could help here, and and um um please pray about that and think about that, because that would be a big help, and and it's all will go to paying off the principal um on the loan.

Okay, so that's kind of the two big things building and um and the budget.

So here's my ask for for all of us.

Um is if if you're not giving or not giving much um because you can't, because you're out of work, I mean, don't worry about it.

We're here to help each other, and there's gonna be times that we're all in that situation.

So truly, yeah, I mean, just don't don't worry about it.

There'll be other times when when you're able to help.

Um if you're not giving or giving much because you're stressed out uh financially, um give some.

And and here's my experience is that you know, Susan and I um struggled financially every day of our married life until we started giving.

Uh Jesus talks more about giving than he does prayer.

Um he talks about loving your neighbor.

Now, why would Jesus, I mean, Jesus doesn't really need our money per se.

Why would he talk so much about money?

Um it's because let me back up.

For me, I was raised, you know, kind of under the law.

And so it was all about tithing.

You know, and so really when we started giving, I got convicted, and we were gonna give 10% of our income.

Um, you know, we as followers of Jesus are under the perfect law of liberty, and we're not really under an Old Testament law of tithing.

Now, the principles there of honoring God, but the bigger thing and the deeper thing and the more beautiful thing for Jesus was not law.

It is trust.

It's trust.

And we talk about trusting God.

I trust God, I'm gonna trust him with my eternal salvation, and and I know he's gonna provide a mansion, you know, but but but the the big thing is do we really trust God?

And and and the way Jesus knew, you know, the real crux of that matter was whether or not we could trust him with our money.

Because money provides things, money provides security in our minds, money provides for our future, all those types of things.

And so are we gonna trust God to do that, or are we gonna depend on on ourselves?

And I know that for Susan and I, when we first started giving, we were in a lot of stress financially, and it was hard.

I mean, it was a grit your teeth, I'm gonna test God on this one, and I'm just gonna do it.

And and it was a tough, it was a tough hump for me to get over, but it was worth it.

Because ever since then, that part of our life has been happy and joyous and free.

Because the the other part um of what Jesus says, He says you can't love God and money.

You know, it's it's where your treasure is gonna be, your your heart is.

But the other part of that, which is an absolute, I mean, this gets distorted, I think.

Um, but but it's an absolute truth that if we do trust God with our money, he promises to take care of us.

He promises to.

And that doesn't mean that everything is gonna be easy, and that doesn't mean we're gonna, you know, um fill out a verse number on the lottery ticket and we're gonna be rich and that type of stuff.

What it means is that he is gonna take care of us and he's gonna help us, and he's gonna change the way we think about money, he's gonna give us wisdom to make decisions about money, and he's gonna supernaturally help us.

The way I used to be um with money, and this was just based on my experiences, I was always waiting for the next unexpected thing to happen.

You know, we'd get it, so we sort of had it figured out, then the car would break down, and then the washing machine would go, and then there'd be this, and there's always something unexpected to happen.

What I didn't know is unexpected things happened to the positive too.

And when we really got in sync with God and started trusting God, unexpected things started to happen, but no longer were they all bad.

They were good.

I wasn't expecting that.

Man, that deal was better than I than I thought it was going to be, or better than I could have could have done, and that type of stuff.

And so it's um that is as sincere as um and as honest as I can be.

One of the most important things that I have ever done is started giving to our church and and giving to different ways and different causes that were um were God things and trusting Him to take care of us.

And you can do that, and it'll make a huge difference in your life, and it'll make a big difference.

Uh it'll make a big difference here.

And it's a difficult thing to do, and I'm not sure that we can do it in our our own strength.

The Holy Spirit had to really convict me to do it and and help me to do it, and so um hopefully he'll do the same with all of us.

Um, I think the next stage for us, and I'll finish up here, maybe with that, is is is the the first stage was man, the you know, the first percentage, whatever that um is or was, that belongs to God.

Okay, where God wanted me to get is it all belongs to God.

And that that you know, we were like a a team, and and you know, it's uh and uh and the word that I think is the most appropriate is investment.

And that's what the parable of the talents is about, is it gave three different people three different talents.

A talent was a some sum of money, and it was one talent, and it was two talents, and it was five talents.

And um one of one of the people did a lousy job of investing it, just kind of buried in the sand.

One did a pretty good job, the one with two and doubled it, the one with with uh that had been given five talents, um, doubled it and and and had ten talents.

And so the uh the master came and he took um the one talent and gave it to the person that had invested for a big return.

And our opportunity as followers of Jesus is to put the kingdom first, to seek his kingdom, and to invest, to invest strategically.

I used to just give to anybody.

You know, if a friend or neighbor said, hey, I'm gonna do this, I'm like, okay, this is to God, I'll let him worry about it.

And um, but but over time he grew me to realize that that what he wanted was me to invest, to look for a return, to look for a payoff, to not just throw money away in God's name, but but to make a difference with it, to make it really count, to make an impact, um, to uh to make an investment.

And I I believe um with my uh heart and with my words and and and with our actions that this is a 10 talent investment, that this is a a big thing that God's doing, that this is a uh a big payoff, that we are making a big impact.

And the part that we see is just a little part of what God is uh what is g is gonna do.

And it's not all gonna be on our shoulders because he's gonna bring more people.

And as God transforms more people, we're gonna have more people to help.

But it's a big deal, a big i it's a uh it's a ten talent investment.

So here's my here's my other ask.

If that's where you're at, and I think a bunch of us are, is where we um we give where we think want God wants us uh wants us to give.

And we do different things in different places.

And and there's things that Susan and I do in um in different places.

I want you to I want to ask you to consider making this uh a top priority on your giving.

Um I I know it's a 10 talent return on your investment.

And what we can do is we can get this uh this building paid off.

You know, I met with Bank of America, and that was that was an okay meeting, but it was a uh it was a bit of a this price isn't the right words, but it was a bit of a come to Jesus meeting from their perspective.

Um hey, now's the time, this has got to happen, it's gotta happen now.

Um which is good because because uh you know we need that.

And it's something that that uh um we should do.

Immediately after that meeting, had a meeting with the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.

Um and they are renting parking spaces from us um for the for the parking ride.

And it's it's it's a uh month month-to-month deal.

And it's um it's uh$4,000 a month that they pay us um for those parking spaces.

And to me, that's a total God thing.

And and it's supposed to go away.

They had another permanent lot um planned.

And so we meet with Bank of America, and so you know, I mean, I'm you know, I've got I'm not saying I'm not stressed about it.

I I uh um big picture I'm not, but I'm not saying I don't get stressed from time to time.

And I mean, literally, they walked out the door, um, these people walk in, and um what what they wanted to do, we were having a meeting just about logistics and lights and different things, and what they wanted to do was uh see if there's any way that we would um kind of uh do a longer term you know uh um agreement.

And it was just a month to month, and so we got a couple weeks we're gonna get back together.

But see, that is a small indication, a small reminder of me that God's got a plan and that that he will get the wind to our backs, and if we get this thing paid off, you know, if if we decide to do it together, that he is going to help in a big way.

And unexpected things are gonna happen, and there are gonna be unexpected um things to the good.

And here's my commitment to you, and I've said this before.

You know, the when Moses, when they were building the tabernacle, everybody got together and they brought in all their uh um stuff.

A lot of it they've gotten from the Egyptians, but they brought in their jewelry and and and everything.

And at one point, Moses said, Stop.

We got enough.

And um, and and that is my commitment to you is there is a time when we are gonna say stop.

It's not gonna be like we're always the next thing.

We always got this we got to do.

What we need to do is we're doing something really important, and we need a place to do it, and we need uh uh a small staff and we need some supplies and we can get it done.

And when we got the building paid off, we're gonna say, you know what?

We're gonna have a party that day.

But then we're going to say, um, we are.

We're gonna just we're gonna be marvel again at what God has done.

And um, but then we're gonna say, okay, we need a lot less.

This is what we need now, and and the difference we can give to our families and our friends and our neighbors, wherever God um has.

And it's gonna be an exciting day, and it is that's like the next thing that uh for us as a church.

Get the building paid off and then turn those resources that we've put together to provide us a place outward to uh to help people.

And it'll be a big day, and it will be exciting, and that's not just talk.

I mean, I promise you that's exactly um what we're gonna do.

And so please help.

Please uh um ask God to help you build up the uh strength.

Ask God to bless you in a way that you can you can help if you can't now, but it's important.

Please uh please uh think about giving.

Please think about making this a real priority in um in the giving that you do.

And we're serving each other, we're sharing with each other, and we're sharing with with everybody around us.

It's an investment, it's the real thing God's doing, and it's gonna be a 10-talent return.

We're not gonna be we're not gonna believe what God's gonna do with our time and our talent and our resources.

Um He's already doing a lot.

So I'm gonna stop there.

Um thank you for uh um thank you for being here, even though I warned you.

And um and just thank you for how much you already give and what you do.

And and um there there's so much that that's given already with money and and and probably especially with time and and um and with talent.

And we'll get this money thing uh where we where we need to be together.

Um in a minute we're gonna sing one more song.

We're gonna praise God and thank Jesus for being the uh the center of the universe and the center of our universe and changing our lives and and um and helping us follow Him.

And so if the worship team wants to come up now, uh we'll uh we'll do that in a minute.

Um let's stand.

The don't forget about the uh man.

Man, thank thank you.

The um if you're here and you're either here for the first time, maybe you're here um and you're not connected with Jesus.

And it's kind of a strange morning to uh to be here, but I'm hoping that you'll you'll take this one thing away.

That there are people here that love you and they're willing to give of their time and their talent and their treasure to help you.

And we really do love you, not with words, but with words and with action, with our time and our talent and our treasure.

And the reason that is, is because we've got a Father who loved us first, who gives us his time, who gives us his talent, and who gave us his treasure.

Um in Jesus, his son.

And so when we turn to him, I mean he changed us from the inside out.

You know, I I don't know, but some of us are probably created this way, but I don't know if any of us were sitting around thinking about, man, I would sure love to help everybody around us with our lives.

Um, you know, however long ago.

But he's changed us, he's filled us with with joy, and he's filled us with with his love, and he's helped us to see things the way that he sees things.

And it's it's a great way to live.

It's the abundant life that um that Jesus talks about, where he fills us with the Spirit, He He He changes us, He cleans out all the all the junk, and then He helps us to start living for others.

And pretty soon, I mean, we're happy and we have joy and we're free and we don't worry about everything that everybody else worries about because we got a God that we can trust and he loves us and he takes care of us.

And it all starts by just turning to him and asking him to do his thing.

You know, when we're doing our thing, it doesn't work out so good.

But when we connect with the one that created us, man, it starts working out great.

And he gives us the strength, and he changes us and he helps us.

And so, man, that's the thing.

Uh that's the thing to do is just to turn to him.

And uh he's not like you heard.

He is uh he loves you, and he's gentle, and he's gonna help you, and he's gonna give you what you need.

And so right now I'm just gonna uh pray and ask God to uh um provide all of us what we need and provide for us here as a church.

So, Father, I just thank you for this morning.

I thank you for giving me the strength to get all through that, and um I thank you for everybody here that you brought and everyone's hearts and their love for you and their love for people.

And God, I just ask you to to stir us up and help us to uh um just to uh do what we need to do financially to get this building paid off and to um just uh reach the community for you to change our lives and our families' lives.

And we praise you, and we know that we can't do that, but we but we know that you're in it, that you've already done a miracle and that you can do this one too.

And so we just ask you to do that.

We thank you for being such a great God.

I ask you to to to bless and and and help every single um person um here this morning with whatever it is that we need.

So we trust you with that in Jesus' name, amen.