The Power of Covenant Giving
by Marvin Mitchell
April 23, 2023 · Atlanta West Pentecostal Church (Lithia Springs, GA)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Hebrews 11, Hebrews 12:1, Luke 6:38, Ephesians 3:20

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/marvin-mitchell--the-power-of-covenant-giving
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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Hebrews 11 and 1. now Faith everybody say faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things I cannot see for by it the elders obtained a good report through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are now seen were not made of things which do appear how many of you prayed a lot of prayers for things that you can see with natural eyes but in this season you feel God stretching you to begin praying for things you cannot see but only through the revelation of the holy spirit in moments like we just had with God he is showing you some things that you have never seen before that you cannot imagine but God is creating the miraculous through his people which is Say Amen only by faith could these men and women these Heroes step out knowing god was stepping into their lives in a miraculous way verse 4 everybody say by faith say it with some moxie then I'll send that Pastor [Music] say it like the enemy is knocking down on your door like this world has lost its mind and we need a voice a Clarion call to rule out the confusion I want to hear the voice of the Lord somebody say bye thanks Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice verse five somebody say by faith Enoch was translated that he would not see death verse 6 but without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of them that diligently verse 7 somebody shout aloud by faith Noah being warned of God for things not seen as yet he moved and prepared an ark to the saving of his house some of the things you are doing right now and the steps of Faith you are taking Mom and Dad are for the saving of your house and the saving of your grandbabies and if the Lord should tarry your great-grandbabies and your neighbor's grandbabies and the generation of new disciples and Believers that are lost hurting and hungry desperate to know the Jesus that we just felt walk into this room somebody say by faith Abraham verse 8 by faith when he was called to go out into a place out of comfort and into an uncomfortable place should receive after an inheritance he obeyed and went out not knowing whether he went God is calling some of you to walk to places that you cannot see those steps God order us in the Lord by faith it says he's sojourned in the land of promises in a strange country dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob for The Heirs of him that was the same promise for he looked for a city which had foundations whose Builder and maker is God through faith also Sarah herself receives strength to conceive because she judged him skipping down faithful who had promised has God been faithful to you has he ever showed up late for you has he ever failed you has he ever come up short was his hand too short to reach after me a sinner saved by the grace of God oh how many besides me today have covered your scars and your life the mercy that you walk in if you're new to Atlanta West and you look around here and you say man this looks like a bunch of perfect people I'm not sure I fit in around here look how pretty they are look how fine dressed they are look at the smiles on their face let me just preach to you for just a moment as a vulnerable man a saved Man by the grace of mercy of God I am just a sinner saved by the grace of God if your life's been broken welcome to the family but we know the master maker and if he made the body he can heal the body [Applause] he does his best work with broken pieces by faith believe what God can do in your life by faith Abraham when he was trying he offered up Isaac and he that received promises offered up his only begotten son verse 19 accounting that God was Abel verse 24 somebody Shout by faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter don't let the world identify you hear me young person don't let the voices of confusion tell you who you are you are not a daughter of pharaoh you are not a project of Egypt you are not of this world look at these beautiful ladies look at these fine gentlemen up here you are who God says you are your identity is shaped in your destiny which is Promised by the promise keeper the Waymaker your creator the author and finisher of your faith verse 6 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt he has no shortage of blessing for you for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward verse 27 somebody shout aloud by faith you're not tired are you this is an Apostolic Church somebody said by faith like you believe it by faith he forsook by faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land by faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they would come past about seven days by faith the Harlem Rahab it doesn't matter where you came from it only matters where you're going on the heels of your Jesus where is God taking you in this season by faith and what shall I more say for the time would fail me literally to tell of Gideon and a Moroccan of Samson object of David also and of Samuel of the prophets and your names are going to be in that come on somebody believe that right now who through faith subdued Kingdom somebody subdue some kingdoms right now around you brought righteousness obtain promises and stop the mouths of the Lions some Mama right now needs to pray get the mouths of the Lion of my babies get on my family get on my husband by faith these Heroes overcame impossibilities and by faith the testimonies of Heroes are rising up in this room right now There Were Heroes in this altar that had the courage to surrender their will to God and God was raising up testimonies even as we saw what's your testimony gonna look like your story's not over it's just beginning the miracle signs and wonders that God has performed already in your life is anybody still walking with the Lord is anybody right on the heels a disciple following Jesus and it says as long as I'm following after him these signs will follow them that believe what's the completion of your testimony somebody say by faith Hebrews 11 grants us the Revelation that when God's people commit themselves to God's kingdom by faith the almighty enjoins his magnificent treasure and power and he will show the world that these are people of promised these are my children and they will be blessed that's not my word that's the word of God if you believe that right now lift up your hands and say God I believe in your word and I will act upon your word therefore by faith I am attaching myself to the conduit of Christ to the miraculous power of God somebody say thank you Jesus he may be seated can I preach for just a little bit we're going to testify a little bit and then God's going to show off for a little lot is that okay if you've got somewhere to be I'll pray for you I love you can we have a little church up in here today God has already moved in a miraculous way but I don't believe God has finished yet he's only just to be gone succeeding Church in this campaign is not just about money it's about trust in the almighty God we cannot live in Covenant with god without trusting him with our whole lives our whole living our future and our money when I say God I trust you it's not just trusting you to save me from my past but it's trusting you to Destin my future he can have all of me the good bad the ugly but he said I have a great blessing for you if you would just believe by faith I will show you in but this is not just about money but here's the thing in the United States of America where capitalism and success is predefined money shows what we love and money shows what we trust in can I get an amen in the house with a little more exuberance there we go I choose you choose to live by faith I want to trust the Lord and lean not upon my own understanding because my understanding has gotten me in trouble because my way has led me off track a time or two but when I trust in the Lord and lean not upon my understanding delighting in his ways he has never failed me he has never fallen short to me in fact he has already always been exceeding and abundantly above all or even think I want to live generously when we become a disciple of Jesus Christ we have committed in Covenant to follow him to give him my steps to give him my plans to give him my dreams to trust his future Luke chapter 6 and 38 our key verse today I want us to focus on introduces us of how our covenant with him breaks into our giving to his kingdom it says can you read it aloud with me give and it shall be given unto you good measure press down shaken together here's the cool thing when you have your treasure and you put it into God's hands he combines his treasure with your treasure and your all Collective treasure becomes one treasure it no longer is limited to Your Capacity but what God can do in your life and through your hands is only limited by his capacity how many believe that when you join your hands with Gods you are unstoppable there is no mountain you cannot move there is no obstacle that he cannot remove there is no limitations on the Miracle he can perform in your life Ephesians 33-20 now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the power that worketh in us God chose to fulfill his vision through you not around you not because of you to do his greatest work in and through your life if you believe that same amen amen but here's the thing this Covenant it's very important that we see the order of the Covenant it says God said if you will then I will and there's a lot of times with prosperity Theology and prosperity Doctrine you guys know you could have heard a hundred sermons on that this morning probably 17 TV stations in the Atlanta area that had a Prosperity theology message playing this morning can I get a witness on that one somewhere because it says God you need to do what I'm asking you to do and I'll do this if you do that it's a collective bargaining agreement with God the problem is it puts me and God on the same level of authority only a lord can establish a covenant he said first if you will then I will Prosperity theology says if I give I didn't covenant theology says I'm not gonna put a box or a limitation or even a definition on what God has prepared for me and my house I trust his ways more than I trust my ways I trust his hands more than I trust my hands I trust his perfect will more than I even trust my perfect will I trust my future I trust my past I trust my family I trust my finances in the perfect will of God how many want the perfect will of God to be established in your life if so God is calling you and asking you right now and speaking into your heart and telling you if you will do all that you can do God will show up and do what only he can do but this Covenant of Faith starts with me it starts with you responding and acting upon the word of God everybody say by faith Say by faith by faith God desires to work through you after having been apart of a very similar season in the church that my wife and I were so honored one of the greatest Privileges and honors of our life the pastor the sanctuary of Columbus Indiana and to see the miraculous outpouring of God to see the steps of Faith by his people brought him glory we took none for ourselves this Glory goes to God do you know the miracle that God is formulating in your life is not just for you it says we are going to be Overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of your testimony what God is about to do through you can change your world it'll change your life but bigger than that it can change your world it can change your family it can change your workplace it can change your school or your University what if we had Revival in neighborhoods break out it can happen by somebody hearing a testimony of your life of what God did for you in this miraculous season I'm thankful for the testimonies in the Old Testament I'm thankful for the stories in the New Testament I'm thankful for the testimonies in Hebrews 11. but Hebrews 12 and 1 says but for a great cloud of witnesses and I've got a cloud of witnesses I want to share for you these aren't out of a book I didn't hear it on a podcast these are people we have bled and prayed and loved and witnessed firsthand the miraculous power of God moving through their lives in a season just like what you here at Atlanta West are walking are you excited about what God has done cannot testify for just a moment is that okay [Applause] 2017 the sanctuary of Columbus Indiana we finished our vision campaign and it changed that Church's trajectory forever is it all right right now as we glorify God these families stepped out by faith in their Covenant commitment and look at what God has done in their lives David and Susan Kreider I'm so thankful let's look at a few pictures of this church go ahead and go back can I just say for a moment there's no way that should have happened many would say that's impossible guess what there are already some impossibilities Pastor Jones that we have seen on the property on the layout on the budget on construction on supply chain orona still raising her ugly head there's so many excuses why we could just stop and be comfortable and be safe but God is stretching this church God is expounding upon this church God is trying to take you on a walk greater than you've ever walked by faith you will see something that seems to be impossible I can tell you firsthand that is impossible but with Christ all things are possible and everything it was an obstacle was removed to build a house to reach that City those people are the Miracles by faith that happened because of David and Susan Crider they committed big I remember David came and talked to us and he said well I I feel like God wants to do something miraculous in this season he was in his early to mid 50s and he said I'm going to cash out my 401k and I said Dave you can't do that I forgot for a moment I I thought it was his financial advisor and not his spiritual advisor I said you just can't do that he said pastor why not I said because Dave you're going to retire in about 10 years you got three kids one in college one about to get married that's crazy he said Do you believe what you've been preaching hurts I believe that prayers Bishop has been praying all of our prayer teams have been seeking the face of God and first and foremost you didn't tell me to do this God told me to do this I trust God even in this season of Life cash out is 401K gave it to the campaign to my utter discomfort but can I testify to you today because of their faith God miraculously blessed them in one and a half years with seven times the amount of their 401K a miraculous outpouring and financial just windfall fell up on their family Dave got a new job 25 pay increase full-time benefits as a software developer his dream job at the time for Yahoo God can do miraculous things when people walk would you say by faith by faith Jared Sims committed they received a new job doubling his salary two new luxury vehicles and a new baby with health insurance to cover all the baby expenses and it gets even better Jared was in an MBA program trying to finish up his new job reimbursed all his tuition for his entire MBA program how many of you have got some student debt you'd like God to work on a little bit do you believe that God can work miracles do you believe that God can make a way where there seems to be no way I believe God can do anything we believe he can do I believe he is the author and the finisher the Creator and the maker God Is Able by faith James and Vanessa McCreary God bless Benicia with a great full-time job to take place of of her part-time job and gave them their dream home and I'll kid you not Victory Boulevard somebody shot the victory by faith Derek and Gerald Shelley received a large unexpected check that arrived in the mail from an insurance claim from many many years ago it was exactly the amount of their one-time sacrifice they pledged and gave on the first sacrifice offering how many believe that God can show up after you have stepped out by faith he will meet you on that Faith by the way Pastor I'm going to speak this by faith you will have the largest cash offering this church has ever seen I believe that God is able to do exceeding and abundantly you say you don't know how much we've given the missions this is the mission for the City of Atlanta and God is about to do the miraculous if you will walk by faith if you believe God's about to show up in a supernatural way would you say yes Lord come on say it emphatically yes Lord floor [Applause] Haley Barnes committed she was new to the church she had an inner ear tumor the doctor said they could do some procedures and treatments but she would probably have deafness in at least one ear for the rest of her life it would grow and shrink and grow and Shrink God healed her ear she has great hearing and she married her best friend a few years later and she's living happily ever after some of the Miracles aren't going to be Financial in this church some of the Miracles are going to be a healing come upon your body and a healing come upon your mind a wholeness come into your family if you need God to show up in that way would you just say yes Lord would the Church Say by faith let virtue heal let virtue Men Let virtue make whole but you got to reach out and grab the hymn of His Garment by Faith by faith Jennifer Miller committed she's a teacher with limited income God opened a door for her in a tutoring program to double her salary her increase in income by the end was four times the amount she had trusted God to provide in the campaign somebody Shout by faith Haley cows trusted God completely until she realized she hadn't has anybody ever said God not my will but thine me down God have your way and then God has the audacity to be God and get into the dark back corner of your thoughts and your plans and your dreams and your provision and your safety debt and your retirement he gets in there and he says am I Lord of that part of your life unless he is Lord of all my life I cannot call him Lord of any of my life she realized she's a civil engineer brilliant young lady graduated from Purdue University with honors and she was serving got a job with a engineer engineering firm for the federal government and has moved to our city and and she just couldn't get the Holy Ghost didn't take anybody else a little time to get the Holy Ghost well there's just a hesitation and if you're seeking the infilling of the Holy Ghost can I just tell you right now can I just speak into your spirit it's on its way the outpouring of the Holy Ghost has already been granted it's a gift you don't have to earn he's already paid for it you just have to prepare the vessel she said I've trusted God with everything except my plan and when I gave my plan and my finances my dream to God through the campaign right after that week she was filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost evidence is speaking in another tongue the greatest miracles in this campaign are not going to be of this Earth but are going to change eternity her hundreds for thousands for you for your children and your children's children how many want to see the outpouring of the Holy Ghost come in a supernatural exponential way during this season come on clap your hands right now if you believe God is going to respond with an outpouring of the Holy Ghost with a new and fresh anointing you may be seated by faith John and Pam Walker committed big John got a letter from a former employer from 20 years before 20 years that he had money in a closed pension plan that was owed to him if you've ever been a part of a pension plan can you testify right now you don't get money out of a 20 year old pension plan that's been closed the golden Parachute from the top usually takes most of that and flies away to another Island 20 years they said oh by the way we're going to give you ten thousand dollars which is exactly what they had prayed they had no way of doing it they made about forty two thousand dollars a year they said God that's our trusting God amount they walked into our first cash offering this is before the campaign was even over and launched walk in and said here is ten thousand dollars that God made a way where there seemed to be no way God is about to make a way where there seems to be no way in your finances in your career in your retirement in your promise The Best Is Yet To Come remember Pam Walker everybody say hello Pam by faith Belinda Coleman committed and her husband Brent who she had prayed for for seven years got baptized in The Wonderful Name of Jesus she said God doesn't have to ever do anything else for me she baptized my baby in the name of Jesus oh God I hope the water stays stirred in Atlanta West I hope there's so many people coming through your baptism Sundays become every day Sundays I hope Tuesday there are people watering come on my face somebody do you believe in the next year you're going to baptize more people than you have ever baptized in the history of Atlanta West I have the audacity to believe that God is about to show up God is about to show out God is about to baptize and wash sin away if you've never been baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins what are you waiting for today is your day where God is going to wash away the residue of yesterday and prepare and plant the spring of Hope for your tomorrow preparing you fulfilling of the Holy Ghost how many remember the day you were baptized in the name of Jesus would you thank God right now that he paid the price you could not bring the debt is going to Lola Henderson by faith committed they received an unexpected insurance check that was exactly the total amount they had pledged for the campaign come on somebody by faith Larry and Sharon Garrity committed miraculously all their debts were paid off Larry was a retired electrician just doing odd jobs and volunteering for the VA he said I'm praying God gives me a a new job part of that was for the campaign part of that was so he didn't drive poor Sharon nuts in retirement because he doesn't know how to sit down retire never entered Larry's vocabulary they came to him right after the campaign was launched and said hey Larry you've been volunteering for the VA the the head of the office the whole division he's being transferred to a different city instead of a volunteer they didn't just give him a job they made him direct her of all of Veterans Affairs for that County exceeding every bit they had committed to God in retirement don't tell me you're on a fixed income your treasure is being enjoined with his treasure making your treasure [Applause] heavenly Philip and Sonya Rose let me go back here sorry guys Heath and Alicia Harrison Heath and Alicia Harrison gave her a full-time teaching position and one of the most prestigious elementary schools in our in our area she had sought out employment for three years and after years of obstacles Heath member of our board pursuing his Doctorate couldn't quite break through it was an amazing obstacle to get into the school of education completed his doctorate degree and before he was finished somebody gave him a brand new car what a miracle what a sign what a wonder by faith Tina Gary had committed she opened her mail one day and she found out she was the sole beneficiary from the will of a distant cousin she met one time as a child they showed up and said you have been the beneficiary of twenty five thousand dollars this is a lady that cleans homes for a living somebody of meager income 25 Grand twice the amount she had committed to imagine until that check came in the mail and she came back and said look at what God has done I'm a cleaning lady and God is take in the houses and open up the storehouse and pouring out a bless the homie from a cousin I didn't even remember her name my faith Eric and Melanie Michaels found a house they wanted to buy but the owners wouldn't accept their offer three other offers on the table they thought it was gone they took almost all of their down payment and put it in the first offering for the campaign five months later they're praying we don't have any money God you're gonna have to help us we're shortchanged got a call from the broker they said by the way all of these other offers fell through the seller wants to sell the house to you and they want to sell it to you for twenty thousand dollars less exactly what they had put in the first sacrifice offering out of their down payment they got their Miracle home and they became a part of the miracle of building the kingdom of God somebody Shout by Fame my faith Philip and Sonia Rose committed in their first year they received unexpected bonuses travel family inheritance Philip gotta raise all three years during our campaign with stock options Sonia got a promotion of 15 54 raise before they made their commitment the campaign was over and done they had completed their campaign commitment God had provided over and over again and Philip came and he said pastor ah I just might sound crazy but and their monthly pledge was huge a big part of their budget they said we're going to continue giving every month is that okay I said no you've got to keep your money tough crowd you said you don't understand Pastor it's not even about the amount anymore and they begin to talk about all that God had done as they continued to build Kingdom principle after Kingdom principle look at what we have done as we raised up God's priority he poured out blessing after blessing after blessing upon us do you believe that God can do the extraordinary thing it doesn't matter for an ordinary vessel God is an extraordinary God by faith Georgia Shipley a precious Widow one of my favorites oh I love this dear saint she's awesome limited income in retirement but understood this Covenant is not about equal giving but about equal sacrifice she said I know the widow's my principle I know that Pastor I'm going to give and she gave big she gave till it hurt you know what church I have found that I can't call it sacrifice if it doesn't hurt and if I can figure it out I don't have to phase it out and I don't really need God to show up and show off into my life but when it hurts I know it must be a little bit of a sacrifice you might know what I'm talking about her monthly increase in a in a miraculous way on fixed income to pay her monthly pledge all three years in its entirety I'm tired he's somebody give God glory for blessing our dear Widow my friend 21 families in our church gave at least one year's salary to the campaign over and above their time and their offering now if I can be so bold pastor you guys just turn off the mic if he gives you the sign I know he's got the sign our tithing is not giving our tithing is returning that's already God that's a test of stewardship not a test of ownership our sacrifice and our giving begins when we take what God's put in our hands over and above what he's already called his and we say Okay God I'm not just returning to you my tithe but I am giving to you a sacrifice knowing that the same hand who gave it to me can provide miraculous blessing over and over and over by faith 21 families gave a third of their annual income each year nobody asked them to give that amount God spoke to them and gave and they gave and they gave and God blessed and God provided and God made so many millionaires out of that group we didn't have one millionaire by net worth in our church now there are many multi-millionaires and they didn't do it because they wanted to receive they said I trust you and I lean not upon my own understanding I will Delight in your ways God and after have given some significant sacrifice I mean people have given their socks and everything in the sock drawer was gone you would think that they would be broke right yeah guess what do we have a collage in the last year of our campaign in the last six months alone more than 30 families bought brand new homes in the last six months of our campaign and I can tell you everyone up there were some of the greatest sacrificial givers percentage-wise in their family's income and God said I know you have built up my house now I'm gonna take care of your house don't fret don't worry when you trust the Lord he will not fail you by faith can be a healing heal faith and God will show up in your life if you believe that would you say Amen just recently one of our assistant pastors Reggie and Gwen McLaurin parents of Jamil McLaurin I think he's been part of launch been here at the church for that conference started a church up in Detroit area God just gave them a brand new 450 thousand dollar custom home for free can somebody say yes Lord for free by faith Jason and Hillary louder committed Engineers for the state limited income the week after they made their their massive commitment to one year salary it was amazing and then the governor gets up and says there will be no raises for any government employees for the next three years do you think the enemy I'm not saying your Governor's the enemy enemy careful now some of you laughed a little too hard do you think the enemy is just going to lay down in this season can I just equip you for just a second when you start to feel pushback when you start to feel as soon as you make a sacrificial commitment the moment God's faith gets a hold of you maybe in this service today and begins to challenge and stretch you I promise you the enemy is going to come in like a flood and God is going to raise up a standard if you'll let him but you got to Mark those and say no no no no no get thee behind me Satan as for me in my house we're gonna serve the Lord we're gonna build up the kingdom of our Lord and know that when the enemy comes in you're prepared your position to say in the name of Jesus get thee behind me you have no place here God will keep his word by faith I believe that God will keep his word I'm going to say that until somebody believes that God will keep his word in your life if God tells you to do something extraordinary he will finish what he starts he's the Hoster but he's the finisher of your faith if he tells you to do something he's already got the plan the means and the methods to complete everything his word has spoken because his word is creative he cannot lie it's not that he speaks truth he is truth when God gives a word to you it just is worlds were created stars were alive bodies are healed finances are mended Miracles are provided because the word of God is powerful it's Everlasting to Everlasting and the same God that created your world can change your world to fulfill the promise in your life would you say Amen my wife and I we committed oh let me finish the story Jason and Hillary lather no raises they got nine raises over 13 years and the raises paid for their full their full pledge amount over three years exactly one-year salary that was the equation of their raises and the governor said no raises how'd that happen God how's that going to happen in your life God how can we see these great and miraculous things through the Holy Ghost God revealed to us raise your hands right now in the name of Jesus take off the blinders of the flesh take off the residue God take off all the hindrance every obstacle be removed from this place right now and in the name of Jesus let us see through faith let the Holy Ghost Purge our sight to see what you've already seen the miraculous my wife and I committed one year's salary and then we increased that at halfway over and above our time not knowing how we would even get close to the last 30 percent we sold a rental property a car nicest car you'd ever owned baby sorry we still haven't made up for that one but God gave us that I believe and she does too so that we could give it back we only drove that car for a year and a half had the title in hand I recommend that by the way getting ready gave it to God we liquidated our retirement our stocks our investment cleared our savings we went back to zero the only thing we we had left was our was our house because we prayed a prayer and we said God we surrender all to you and he says all Marvin you're a planter Marvin you've got a backup plan for your backup plan anybody have a backup plan for your backup plan a safety net for the safety net for the what if and maybe good and I remember broken surrender night of prayer just her and I but I said Okay God you have you have it all and from this day forward God I will not pick up anything off that altar until you tell me to and he took about everything but our house and there are many people brother Johns to say man look at all that God did and we know who you guys probably percentage-wise gave more than anybody in the church and you don't even Pastor there anymore and I have buddies of mine they'll be like Omari tell me the truth do you regret it I can tell you before God Almighty not for one single second because God has miraculously not only blessed that congregation but it's blessed our congregation and less miraculously our family we went down to about zero and we probably have them four times the net worth I have no hell I have no way of knowing how God did that but by faith God made away or there seemed to be no way because we weren't building up our kingdom we decided to live our life to build up God's Kingdom God will take care of you if you'll take care of his people somebody say Amen Mark and Diana cook Deanna cook I'm almost finished somebody say Amen to that amen now you were a little too excited about that one Mark and Deanna cook beautiful people remember they were the ones that gave the what kind of stock was it Apple stock God took his Apple stock after having given a hundred and twenty thousand dollars of Apple stock markers praying God said go check your net worth Mark he said I don't want to go check my net worth Mark before the campaign checked his net worth every single day is a financial accounting corporate accounting background he's a planner and God said no Mark go check your net worth he pulled it up he said I was in my office Pastor looked it up into his surprise Saul that in the first six months of the campaign not only had God replenished the 120 thousand dollars in his portfolio but by two months later actually three months later nine months into the campaign his net worth was 117 percent more than what it was before he started how does that work somebody say God and so he's praying thanking God he might be one of the most introverted friends I have he was careful to pray like three doors three closets back his office is like I mean in The Archives and he said I get to lift my voice in there pastor and nobody can hear me he's praying he's thanking God for all that he had done he said I heard God's voice so clearly saying do it again mark he said I thought I had too many too much pizza Pastor he'd always tease it when his wife would go out of town he'd do a line of Oreos so he texted me and say Pastor I'm doing lines my wife's out of town different kind of white stuff that he he was addicted to he said I thought I had done a line of Oreos and I was I was literally hearing things God said do it again he said are you serious God he said yes do you trust me God's asking you right now do you trust him do you trust him really trust him he said okay God you got to help me with one thing Deanna's gonna freak out he said if you can convince her we'll do it again he said I kind of had a little a little snarky pep in my step he said I plopped down the stairs and I go into the kitchen and he said my wife's really practical he said I thought I had to get out of jail free card he said I come in the kitchen and I look at Deanna and I say told her the story and said God has just spoken to me and said that we need to do it again she turns around with a mistake tears in her eyes and she said Mark God's been dealing with me too the only thing I ask is that this time I get to write the check they gave 240 thousand dollars I'm telling you that's more than their house was worth at the time to our campaign and their net worth keeps increasing and increasing by the time the campaign was over they had superseded everything they had gave and God provided him a brand new Tesla and he's got Apple stickers all over the back of it and he loves what God is doing in his life how did that happen God got a hold of a man who was walking by faith and none by sight do you trust in the Lord handling not upon your own understanding some of you have been great givers sacrificial miraculous givers in this church and God is calling upon you in this season to look at the mission for the Atlanta wide this metro area this is the mission of the church and he's asking you to do it again he's asking you to dig deeper than you've ever dug and say to you trust me I will take care of you somebody say by faith Larry Kia we don't have his picture that's my bad sorry media guys Larry wasn't even a part of this campaign season he walked into our church Larry was a very humble looking guy been known a tie I don't think he owned a jacket but he always wears best Sunday shirt tucked him in his Wrangler jeans they stayed tucked most of the time I love Larry Larry teased about himself so I don't mind saying this if I line Larry up none of you would pick him out to be the greatest Giver in the history of our church Larry was a good old Lutheran do you know that lutherans baked great apostolics do you know that Catholics make great apostolics do you know that great agnostics make a great episode do you know that there are people that have had a portion of their faith in a portion of Revelation that are about to come into an experience with God in this season and some of them might be the greatest Kingdom impactors that this church has ever seen do you believe that Larry comes in he was a retired farmer drove a truck part-time in retirement and just the only thing he had that was worth anything is about a 15 year old Dodge Dually had a little rest on the fenders but man he loved that truck any guys in the house love your truck it's Atlanta but we're close enough to that Larry came in I was preaching I don't remember I got done Larry waited right here hands crossed baptized got filled with the Holy Ghost but God was working on him I could feel he just sat there and wept he was shaking big old guy I love it I loved it when that who's that just a grown man came up here and was dancing and worshiping where are you right here that man with a grown man's beard man that is that is awesome I wish I could pull that off just a big guy came up here and God got a hold of him and even the strongest and proudest and biggest of men can just crumble in humility to a great God any men like that in this house he was broken and he said pastor I need to talk to you this week God's dealing with me to make an impact in this campaign we stand all across this place as I'm almost finished go ahead and stand your feet and Larry he said I want to meet with you and maybe bishop wants to hear this tune can I talk to you this week I said let's get together Thursday Larry and we'll talk he said well I've got a little property it's been in my family four generations proven Farm ground well I don't know if he's talking about two acres or two thousand acres I have no context at all we walk into the office that Thursday sits down he starts crying as soon as the door shuts he said God told me Larry I've blessed you see time and harvest for Generations in your family he said I've taken care of my kids I've built them homes I feel like I've Done Right by them in terms of their their they're inheritance he said Larry it's time to build my house he said I want you to sell your land I want you to live on half of it in retirement and give the other half to build my kingdom he said preacher I got a little over 100 acres about 110 proven yield four generations documented I don't know about in Georgia but in Indiana that's like gold he said minimum nine ten thousand an acre and I've already got three Cash buyers he said but here's the deal I want this to really matter and make an impact I'm like Larry that's a half a million dollars that'll matter I promise that'll make a big impact in the campaign he said no I just feel like I wanted to minister to somebody else he said here's my deal and anytime you get a deal Pastor you're like oh here it comes he said I want the challenge everybody in this church to finish like they're trusting God their faith amount and people that haven't quite gotten there he said I want them to know that I will match up to five hundred thousand dollars every dollar that's given in the last six months we only had six months left in the campaign I remember when he walked out of the office bishop and I my father and I looked at each other and said well I don't know how that's going to happen there's just no way everybody was tapped out there was nothing left the musicians are coming and already here and you guys are you guys are sneaky that is awesome musicians are playing can I tell you the only people left to give were our our casual attenders in four and a half months before the five month mark five hundred and four thousand dollars came in to complete our campaign pastor we were one million dollars short and it didn't matter what we did how we plan how we value engineered how we cut back it didn't matter we were always a million short and I remember praying your specific prayer and all the elders in our board prayed God it doesn't matter what we do we're a million dollars short and there's just no way except God got a hold of a good Lutheran man and he sent him into her church to say that I want my legacy to be bigger than just a crop yield an inheritance to my kid I want an inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven we had one million four thousand dollars come in because Larry walked up to me at a men's work day with a handwritten check for five hundred thousand dollars and put it in my head and he said pastor God told me to give this but the reason I want to give this to you is because you in this church you never loved me any differently when you didn't think I had a dime or you knew I had a million dollars to give you just love me the way Jesus loved me Church if we could let our faith get a hold of us and we will love a love Community God is going to send vessels into the church for such a time as this the greatest Miracles may not be for you but might be for those that have yet to meet your Jesus I close with this testimony Pam we've got her picture sister Pam everybody say hi Pam hi Pam taught children's ministry for 52 years very little income she got married to her husband she said I asked that you allow me the allotted budget for one thing and they didn't have a lot sold yard sales and Thrift side jobs just to make ends meet she said I want postage money and money to make my cards Pam probably sent out 40 to 50 cards per week for as long as I've known her let's blessed people all she wanted was stamp money to encourage somebody else they had committed forty thousand dollars what they made in a year there's no way somebody say no way there's just no way there were twelve hundred dollars short on the 36th week a month of our campaign the last imagine Sunday she said pastor we prayed and we really thought God after all the Miracles he had done we hadn't yet received ours and we thought God would help us finish the totality of our commitment she bought things at thrift stores a lot in it she had bought some some pantyhose she did want to clarify that they were newly not used pantyhose don't advise you buying used to pantyhose she said I had three packages I just bought at a yard sale they look brand new she said pastor I'm sitting there and we've got church music on John and I are getting ready she said to be honest I was trying to get excited for all that God had done in the church but I was a little bit disappointed because we wanted to finish our commitment we made to God We Believe that God could she opened that package of pantyhose and she realized that it looked like it had been resealed with some super glue and when she pulled out this pantyhose out of the package 12 100 bills fell on her feet next to her bedside and she said that's the completion of our commitment God worse mysterious ways he will finish when he starts if you allow the seed of Faith to be planted in your spirit somebody saved by Fame God is gonna finish my story somebody shout my face God is gonna finish the miracle in your family somebody say my face God's Gonna complete the healing in your body and in your marriage and in your home God is gonna touch your lost loved ones God is gonna pour out the miraculous provision of Heaven because you're joining your treasure with God's treasure you're joining your faith with a faithful hand I'm An Almighty God and he's in this place right now I feel Faith welling up in here