Recently, I heard a story about a young man who went skiing in Colorado for the first time. His friends, fueled by booze and bravado, convinced him to start his skiing journey on a massive Olympic aerial ramp—you know, the kind where professionals are launched 60 feet into the air to perform flips and twists before landing.

With the chant “Go big or go home!” ringing in his ears—and eventually coming out of his own mouth—he put on skis for the first time. He raced down the hill, hit the ramp, launched into the air… and landed on his head. He broke nearly every bone in his body. It was a miracle he survived.

Moral of the story? If you can’t do the small thing, you’re not ready for the big thing.

We get this idea in real life—start small, grow in skill—but we forget it in our spiritual life. Jesus actually lays this out plainly in Luke 16. He tells a parable about a dishonest manager who was being fired for wasting money.

Luke 16:1-12 NLT - Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’ “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’ “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’ “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels. ’ “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

In a scramble to prepare for life after losing his job, the man went to his master’s debtors and made deals, cutting their debts significantly.

Surprisingly, Jesus says the master commended this shrewdness—not the dishonesty, but the strategic thinking. The key lesson? Luke 16:10 says, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.”

Faith Starts with Finances

So what are the “little things” Jesus refers to? Money.

Money is the preschool of faith. If you can't trust God with your finances, you won’t be able to trust Him with anything greater. But here's the kicker—for most Christians, money is not a "little thing." It's the big thing calling all the shots.

Every decision—where to live, what job to take, what dream to pursue—gets filtered through one question: “How much does it cost?”

You Can’t Serve Two Masters

Jesus continues in verse 13: “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon isn't just money. It’s a spirit—a dominating force that demands loyalty and devotion.

It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor. Both can serve mammon. The key sign? If money is making your decisions, you’re serving mammon.

When God is your master, money becomes irrelevant to decision-making. He already promised to provide. He owns everything. The only question that matters is: “What does God want?”

The Vision Will Cost More Than We Currently Have

Right now, at our church, we believe God has called us to build a 1,200-seat auditorium that declares, “God is a God of no limits.” We don’t have the money. Not even close. But we’re moving forward in faith.

If we let money make the decision, we’d build a small, uninspiring, budget-friendly metal building. But that’s not what God asked for.

So what are we doing? We’re meeting with the city, interviewing architects, and taking step after step—because we have the money for that step. And as we go, the rest will come.

Faith Walks While Finances Follow

We don’t wait for money to obey God. We act in faith, and money shows up along the way. Jesus said God “richly provides all we need for our enjoyment.”

Yes, enjoyment. He’s a good Father who gives good gifts. He’s not a slave master. He wants you to live a fruitful, blessed life—not scraping by, not settling for “just enough.”

Stop Worrying About Needs

Jesus told us to take on the mindset of a bird. Birds don’t stress over sowing, reaping, or storing—they fly around, trusting that their needs will be met.

If you’re spending your whole life trying to meet your own needs, you’re doing something Jesus never told you to do. Either you’re taking care of your needs, or God is. But not both.

God has always met my needs. Even when it looked like the money would run out—it didn’t. Every time. Every single time.

Who's Making Your Decisions?

Let me ask you some hard questions:

• Is money the reason you took that job?

• Is it why you moved to that city?

• Is it the reason you’re not tithing?

• Is it why you’re saving instead of giving?

If money is your deciding factor, then mammon is your master. And it's time to break free.

Right now, you can make a bold declaration: “Money no longer gets a seat at the board meeting of my decisions.” From this day forward, the only question is: “What does God want?”

When you live like this, your life changes. Your stress changes. Your finances change. Your vision expands.

A Word from the Lord

The Spirit of the Lord says: “Some of you have bags with holes—bags of provision leaking through disbelief. But I’m sewing them up right now. And when the blessing comes, don’t store it up in fear. Use it boldly. Don’t apologize for my blessing—use it as a megaphone for my goodness.”

You can’t be a candidate for God’s wealth transfer if you’re still serving mammon. When that money comes, mammon will knock again. Decide now that the answer is no. Forever.

What If You Were a Billionaire?

What would you do if you had $1 billion? That’s 1,000 millions. Plan now. Don’t wait. Ask God today: “What do you want me to give?”

Whether He says zero or a million, just do what He says. Nothing more, nothing less. He’s not after your money—He’s after your heart, your faith, your trust.

Let’s graduate from preschool, church. Let’s move into the greater works Jesus said we would do.

Turn with me to Matthew chapter 6. This is becoming one of my favorite chapters. Really, whatever chapter I’m in that the Lord has me in—that's my favorite in the moment. But man… Matthew 6.

This chapter sits in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. And the whole thing is amazing. Matthew 6, though, has so many things we’ve heard over and over again—from the Lord’s Prayer to “seek ye first the Kingdom of God.”

I was trying to decide if I should read the whole thing to you… Yes, I should. Of course.

I'm reading out of the New Living Translation. Jesus is talking, and He says:

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do like the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity."

That’s funny. Jesus says:

“I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

Then He goes into prayer.

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you."

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on like the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.”

Don’t be like them. God has had enough of that nonsense repetition. (Okay, that part’s in my own words.) But really—your Father knows exactly what you need before you even ask Him.

It’s like... He already knows, and there we are, repeating the same thing over and over again. He’s like, “Okay, shut up—I got it!” (In a light-hearted way, of course.)

Then Jesus says, “Here’s how you should pray”:

“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And don’t lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.”

Then Jesus hits this hard:

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Let’s just pause there. A lot of people wonder if Jesus actually meant that. I would just suggest living like He did mean it. Go ahead and forgive everybody—it’s not worth the risk.

"When you fast, don’t make it obvious like the hypocrites do. They try to look miserable and disheveled so people admire them for their fasting. Jesus says, that’s the only reward they’ll get. But when you fast, comb your hair, wash your face. Then no one will notice that you’re fasting—except your Father, who sees what you do in private. And He will reward you."

All of that—giving, praying, fasting—Jesus is saying, “Quit worrying about what people think of you.” Stop doing things to impress others. Because God’s not impressed, and that should bother you. I’m not living my life to impress people.

Then He goes into money:

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven…”

"Wherever your treasure is, that’s where your heart is. Your eye is like a lamp—when it’s healthy, your body is full of light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your body is full of darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness… how deep that darkness is."

Highlight that section—it feels a little out of place at first. He’s talking about money, then your eye, then money again. But Jesus is actually making a point about your focus. Your “eye” is your perspective, your vision. If your focus is on the things of this world, you’re full of darkness. If your focus is on God, you’re full of light.

But watch out—you might think your focus is right, and it’s not. That’s deep deception. That’s “how deep that darkness is.” Thankfully, the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth.

So what are you focused on? Are you giving to be seen? Praying to be heard? Fasting for attention? Jesus says, stop it. Get your eyes off people.

For me, as someone in ministry, this was something I wrestled with for a long time—wanting to impress people. But I finally got over it. I’m not here to impress anyone. If you’re impressed, great. If not, also great. I’m here for Him.

Then He says: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

What if we actually lived like that? 100%. Not spending even one moment thinking about your needs. Not one.

Why? Because He promised to take care of them. Look at the birds—He feeds them. Look at the flowers—He clothes them. And aren’t we more valuable than they are?

He’s not saying “ignore your responsibilities.” He’s saying: don’t be distracted by your needs. When you’re consumed by your needs, you violate this scripture. You take your eyes off the Kingdom.

The responsible part of us says, “That’s irresponsible.” But maybe He’s asking us to be a little irresponsible in the eyes of the world—so we can be fully available to Him.

We need this life. To do what He’s called us to do, we can’t be weighed down by daily worries.

I’ve noticed—those worries will take up your entire day if you let them. You start with one task and next thing you know, the day is gone. He’s inviting us out of that.

Matthew 6:33 is available to every believer. And I’d encourage you—read it over and over again until it settles deep in your spirit. Until you say, “I’m ready to actually live this out.”

Let Matthew 6 get deep in your spirit. Don’t just read it—live it. Let go of the distractions, stop trying to impress people, and fully trust God for your needs.

He’s inviting you into this. Let’s be the people who say yes.

Genesis 26:1-6 NLT - A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

A famine hit the land, so Isaac moved from a more isolated place in the desert to a small coastal city called Gerar. The next logical step would have been to go to Egypt because that’s where his father, Abraham, took refuge during famine.

But in this situation, the logical solution, the one that worked last time, was not the right solution this time. So God stepped in to get his attention with quite an offer.

What was the offer? Do as God says, and great blessing will be the result. You will get land and children and end up with so much that all the nations will be blessed through you and your descendants.

That offer still stands. If you do what God says, great blessing will be the result. Some think that obeying God means taking a vow of poverty. Nowhere in scripture can you back that up.

If you obey God, blessing is the result. He’ll ask you to do things that aren’t logical. He’ll even tell you to resist using the same solution twice. But in the end, you’ll find out that He was right.

If you obey God, blessing is the result. I can prove it to you as we continue to read about what happened to Isaac.

Genesis 26:12-13 NLT - When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow.

What happened when Isaac did what the Lord told Him to? He enjoyed a hundredfold harvest while everyone else was in famine.

What was the result of that hundredfold harvest? He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow.

If you are still holding on to the belief that God is against Christians being wealthy, today would be a good day to slaughter that demonic doctrine.

God’s desire is that you obey Him. And the result of obeying Him is great blessing that causes you to get wealthy and continue growing in wealth.

Obey first. Then wealth is the result. But don’t forget about what happens next in this progression. Let’s continue reading.

Genesis 26:14-22 NLT - He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham. Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said, “for you have become too powerful for us.” So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down. He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham’s death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them. Isaac’s servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water. But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means “argument”). Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means “hostility”). Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means “open space”), for he said, “At last the Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.”

When you get wealthy God’s way, people get jealous and cause you trouble.

Many mistake this as God causing the trouble because He’s mad at you for becoming wealthy. But I think we all know that’s not true. Why would God be mad about something he caused?

It’s not God that’s made when a Christian becomes wealthy. It’s the devil that’s mad. He will stir up all kinds of trouble to get you to backtrack and go back to living with barely enough.

But that’s not what Issac did. He kept moving forward. And at the next place, he encountered trouble again. But he didn’t give up. He kept moving forward and finally found his place to prosper.

If you start to prosper and give up when trouble shows up, you just let the devil fool you.

Let’s say your income increases through a job promotion or whatever. Then you get an unexpected bill, or a pipe bursts in the house, or whatever. So, you get discouraged and resort back to the lie that God wants you with just enough.

Can we become more resilient than that? Can we recognize the trouble for what it is: a distraction from the enemy?

You know what the enemy is trying to do? Usurp your authority. He knows you have all authority in Christ, but if you don’t enforce it, the enemy will run all over you.

It’s time for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ to rise up and enforce our God-given authority in every situation. No more putting up with the enemy’s shenanigans.

As a matter of fact, let’s put the devil on notice to pay back sevenfold everything he’s ever stolen from us. He’s not getting away with it any longer!

When you obey God, great blessing is the result. When that blessing starts to show up, it is guaranteed the enemy will show up to try to get you to back up. Don’t do it! Press forward.

So, Isaac found himself in the midst of a famine. He was headed towards the same solution God gave his father. God said, “No. What worked last time won’t work this time. Stay put, and I will bless you.”

Not only did Isaac have to obey the illogical command, but he also had to take action to step into that blessing of great wealth. Do you remember what it was?

He had to sow. There would have been no hundredfold harvest if Isaac sat on his fanny and waited for God to fulfill his promise.

There is always a partnership in covenant. There is action you need to take in order to access the promise God has given you.

When it comes to your finances, the tithe is your first step. Give the first 10% of your increase to God every time, every paycheck. This is what opens the window of heaven so God can pour out blessing.

According to the Bible, the tithe isn’t even considered giving. It is something due to God. It’s how you honor the One who gave you the ability to make money and all the early resources to do so.

Then, once you have the tithe in place, everything you give into the Kingdom of God from that point forward is considered seed. The amount you sow will determine the harvest you enjoy.

If you want to live in the great godly wealth I’ve been preaching on since the beginning of the year, you have action to take. You must be intentional with your giving.

What’s the result of giving according to how the Word of God teaches us? Exactly what happened to Isaac. You’ll receive a hundredfold harvest and become very wealthy.

I’d like to invite you to give right now. If you are giving by cash or check, use the offering envelope in front of you. Drop that in the donation box on your way out today.

You can give online anytime at nolimits.fyi. Or text your donation amount to 84321. Or send it through Cash App to $churchnolimits.

If you feel pressured to give right now, don’t do it. God does not want you giving in response to pressure. He wants you giving from an obedient, cheerful heart.

So, if you feel pressured, take some time to study the Word on giving until those anxieties are resolved. Then, when that faith drives out all the doubt, you’ll be ready to give.

This is the year of explosive multiplication for those who remain obedient to the Lord our God. You will experience sharp, sudden increase in many areas of your life.

For several weeks now, we’ve been honing in on financial increase. Some thinkg it heresy to talk about such things in the church, but the Bible disagrees with the hush-hush doctrine regarding finances.

Most Christians are quite malnourished in this area because most pastors are afraid to talk about it. Why are they afraid? Because as soon as they do, people start leaving the church.

I’ll preach the full counsel of God’s Word anyway. So, if you get upset when I preach on money, just know that that’s normal. But you are not called to be normal, so find your way out of that mess as quickly as possible.

What I am teaching you is what Jesus would be teaching if He were here. How do I know? Because we have a full record of it in the Gospels.

We have a record of 38 parables Jesus used to teach people. 16 of those had to do with money. That’s 42%. Almost half of Jesus’ parables had to do with money.

Of the 48 sermons I preached on Sundays last year, 12 had to do with money. That’s only 25%! I have some catching up to do to match the frequency of my Lord, Jesus Christ.

I’m fully convinced that our church is called to finance the great end-time harvest. There will be great revival before the return of Christ, and someone has to foot the bill.

We’re not the only church called to this, but we are one of them. Do you know how challenging it is for God to find believers who will allow great sums of money to flow through their hands?

God has to have a partner. A human steward must be involved if the Gospel is to be funded. You think everyone would say yes, but that’s not the case.

Many are stuck in the “just enough” mindset. They think resources are limited and therefore they are unavailable for being one whom God can use to fund the great end-time harvest.

Some are caught up in greed, hoarding everything that comes their way, afraid of the future, betting everything on a retirement that may never come. These people are unqualified for the job.

Others refuse to tithe for whatever reason and violate the one thing that opens the windows of heaven so the financial blessing can flow. These have disqualified themselves. God wants the windows open, but only one thing opens them: the tithe.

Some are afraid of great wealth. Because so many are destroyed by great wealth, we unknowingly build up a resistance to wealth in order to protect ourselves from perceived danger.

This all boils down to a fear of money. And we shouldn’t fear anything except the Lord our God. 

Several weeks ago, I asked the Lord to expose all my wrong beliefs. I want Him to root out anything within me that unknowingly resits His blessings and anointing on my life.

As I pressed in for the answer in prayer, over several weeks, He was faithful to my request and revealed the things holding me back. None of it was Him. He wasn’t holding me back. I was holding me back.

One of the things He revealed is that I had a fear of money. Although I was fully convinced that Biblical wealth is God’s desire for every believer, a hidden resistance was buried deep in my mind.

I didn’t even know it was there until He exposed it. But deep within, I thought that great wealth would destroy me like it has so many people. I was good with a certain amount of wealth, but unknowingly, I was resisting great wealth.

Then Holy Spirit reminded me of a prophecy from August of 2022 when the Lord said, “There is great provision for my people. I need you to receive it and not reject it. You are the one’s that I can trust with it because your hearts are pure, and your motives are right. You will know exactly what you need to do with it.”

All this time, I thought I was obeying His command to receive it and not reject it. All this time, I thought, “Who would reject the blessing of the Lord? That’s crazy!” All to find out, I have been in a mindset of resisting wealth for the last two years, and every year before that.

But now, that resistance has been dealt with. I am no longer afraid of great wealth. I trust the Lord when He said that my heart is pure and my motive is right. He can see that better than anyone.

Last Sunday, after church, I was sitting in my office spending time with the Lord when He spoke to my spirit, “I’ve called you to be a billionaire. Will you accept the call?”

A few weeks ago, I would have said yes because I always say yes to the Lord. But that fear of great wealth would have resulted in that nagging unbelief we all feel at times.

Did you know that faith and unbelief can be present at the same time? Your spirit is saying yes, but your wrong mindset is saying no.

This is why so many who say they have faith don’t see the result of their faith. They refuse to acknowledge and deal with their unbelief. Instead, they act like that nagging feeling isn’t there.

So, you’re not lying when you say you have faith. You probably do. But you are also permitting unbelief to remain present and keep you from receiving from God.

Only when you humble yourself by dealing with the unbelief, the wrong mindsets, can you receive from God. For the scriptures say, “Those who waver between faith and unbelief will not receive anything from God, for a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Humble yourself and let God call your bluff. Because only when these wrong mindsets are brought out into the light can they be destroyed by that same light.

The only reason you try to hide this crap is because you are trying to prove something. You have nothing to prove! There’s nothing you can do to impress God. He is God.

God didn’t make us and then wait to be impressed. No. As soon as He made us, He looked at HIS handiwork and said, “It is good.”

Then we went and messed it all up, you know, giving God the opposite feeling of being impressed. Nevertheless, God loves us so much, He did the work through Jesus Christ to make us good again.

So here we stand before Him, in Christ, and God once again says, “It is good.” God is fully impressed with those who are in Christ, not because of what they have done, but because of what He has done.

So, quit stuffing and hiding all your crap in an effort to impress God or those around you. Just let it all out into the light so it can be destroyed and moved out of the way.

Back to last Sunday, when the Lord revealed that He has called me to be a billionaire. Now that the fear of money was out of the way, I was able to have the right response.

I stood up with great honor towards my commander and said out loud, “I accept the call to be billionaire. There are few in the Body of Christ willing to do so. But I say yes. Here I am Lord, use me.”

I tell you this story in hopes that I can make a few new friends today. Who doesn’t want a billionaire friend?

In all seriousness, though, I tell you this story not because I want to. It was a precious experience with the Lord that I didn’t intend to share. But the Lord wanted you to hear it.

A couple of days after this, I was led to write my plan for using a billion dollars for the Kingdom of God. I wrote out everything stirring on my heart and was bold and generous with the numbers.

Once I was done, I just knew I had made great progress towards a billion dollars. Guess what the grand total was? $40 million.

That may sound like a lot, but it is only 4% of a billion. I still have $960 million dollars to use for the Gospel!

I have an unusual assignment for you. Take 5-10 minutes to write down the visions God has put on your heart, and how much it would take to do it right.

If you think your giving goes unnoticed, think again. Jesus is watching, and He is watching for one thing in particular.

Sermon Outline

• Mark 12:41-44 (Jesus watches Widow’s offering)
  • Jesus watches your giving
  • He’s not watching to chastise the stingy
  • He’s watching for one thing: who will give it all?
• Luke 6:38 NKJV - Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
• Widow feeds Elijah (1 Kings 17:8-16)
  • Resulted in endless flow
  • Jesus was inviting the young rich ruler to do the same (Matt 19:16-22)
• Mark 10:29-30 (Whatever you give in this life comes back to you multiplied in this life)
  • Your giving determines the multiplication
  • What measuring scoop are you using?

This is the year of explosive multiplication for the obedient. As we continue to do things God’s way, we will experience sharp, sudden increase spiritually and financially.

This church that seems so small right now will be mighty by the end of this year. Don’t get distracted or discouraged by what you see because this place will look entirely different in a matter of months.

Are you ready to leap forward in your faith, stepping out in great boldness to heal all who are oppressed by the devil? This is the year you take that leap.

Are you ready to see explosive multiplication in your bank account to fully fund the outreaches, businesses, and other things the Lord has put on your heart? This is your year.

As we stand on the verge of the new, prosperous land we are about to enter, I hear a strong warning from the Lord echoing in my Spirit:

“Don’t forget where it came from.”

For it is the Lord who has given us the power to get wealth. Without the Lord, none of this would be possible. Never forget that every good thing in your life comes from God and God alone.

King Uzziah serves as our example to never forget where the explosive multiplication comes from. Turn with me to 2 Chronicles chapter 26.

2 Chronicles 26:3-5 NLT - Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.

2 Chronicles 26:14-21 NLT - Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and sling stones. And he built structures on the walls of Jerusalem, designed by experts to protect those who shot arrows and hurled large stones from the towers and the corners of the wall. His fame spread far and wide, for the Lord gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful. But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar. Azariah the high priest went in after him with eighty other priests of the Lord, all brave men. They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is the work of the priests alone, the descendants of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The Lord God will not honor you for this!”
Uzziah, who was holding an incense burner, became furious. But as he was standing there raging at the priests before the incense altar in the Lord’s Temple, leprosy suddenly broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the high priest and all the other priests saw the leprosy, they rushed him out. And the king himself was eager to get out because the Lord had struck him. So King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house, for he was excluded from the Temple of the Lord. His son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land.

Make no mistake. When you obey the Lord and do things His way, greatness is the result. He prospers you, gives you influence, and makes your name famous. 

That is where we are headed. We will become the leading force in Owasso. No other organization will have the influence we do.

But as that influence comes and our resources increase greatly, we must heed the warning of the Lord, “Don’t forget where it came from! It wasn’t you! It was God’s power working through you.”

Will you commit to reminding me of this? Will you position yourself as a safeguard in my life? All I need you to do is remind me where it came from.

We need to do this for each other. Any time we hear someone becoming prideful about the success they are experiencing, be bold in reminding them where it came from.

Our story will not end like King Uzziah, and I know this to be true. Because when the Lord told me that we would become the leading force in Owasso and that no other organization would have the influence we do, He also said that we will steward the influence well. It will be marked by righteousness.

Lord, we thank you for making us the righteousness of God in Christ. It is your power working in us that makes us great, and we will boldly put Your greatness on full display.

Thank you for explosive multiplication. We are your storehouse, and we are ready to use Your enormous resources to fund every good work.

We open our hands to receive from the One who supplies seed to the sower, and we keep our hands open as we give generously and plant seed liberally for an explosive harvest. In Jesus name, amen.

I’d like to invite you to give generously today. You can mail it to PO Box 2168, Owasso, OK 74055. You can give online anytime by visiting nolimits.fyi. Or text the amount to 84321. Or give via Cash App $churchnolimits.

Let me start this sermon by reminding you that you are called to greatness. Within you is the God-given ability to do great things on a massive scale.

This can be hard for Christians to wrap their mind around because church leaders have done an incredible job over the years making people feel bad when they want to do great things.

On top of this, the church has become incredibly skilled at badgering all the well-known ministers. We believe all the crap people say about them on YouTube. We even feel justified when we join the accusations that they are all after your money.

I encourage you to abandon all of that nonsense because it is a ploy from the enemy to keep you from becoming great. You will not become what you complain about.

Even if these people are only doing it for the money, the Word of God says you have no business concerning yourself with that. Rather, you should be rejoicing that the Gospel is being preached.

Every one of you is called to do great things on a massive scale. It’s not just what you want. It’s what God wants. He wants your name to be known. He wants you to receive praise and honor from others.

What I am saying right now may be causing quite the inner conflict. You’ve been so well-trained to minimize yourself that you have a hard time even listening to me.

But you're not listening to me. You're listening to the Word of God. Let me show you. Turn to Deuteronomy chapter 26.

This is a good time to turn there with me, or pull it up on your phone. You need to prove to yourself that this is actually what God wants. Read His words for yourself.

Deuteronomy 26:18-19 NLT - The Lord has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands. And if you do, he will set you high above all the other nations he has made. Then you will receive praise, honor, and renown. You will be a nation that is holy to the Lord your God, just as he promised.”

The Lord wants to put His people on the top, where they are calling the shots and leading the way. He wants them to be known and praised by others. God wants His people to rule and to reign.

There’s only one condition to get there. Obey. Do everything the Lord tells you to do in His Word and by the Holy Spirit.

In other words, He gives you the plan, the roadmap, the cheat codes for a great life. All you have to do is listen and do what He says. When you do things His way, greatness is the result.

The best part is these things are not hidden. They are all written in this book we call the Bible. God gave us everything we need to know to live a great life. 

So let’s dig in and download a few more of God’s cheat codes for a great life. We’ll stay right here in Deuteronomy but go back a few chapters. Turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 7.

Read Deuteronomy 7 & 8 here

Chapters 7 & 8 Takeaways

• Enter, Conquer, Occupy
• Do not be afraid or discouraged (command)
• Do not tolerate anything from the ungodly
• God doesn’t give you wealth; He gives you the power to get wealth
• Don’t forget the source of wealth and abundance

Ephesians 3:19-21 NLT - May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Enter, Conquer, Settle

Deuteronomy 26 starts with instructions to the Israelites as they’re about to enter the Promised Land. After years of slavery in Egypt, miracles like the Red Sea parting, and forty years of wandering in the wilderness, they’re finally at the edge of the promise.

But before they go in, God gives them specific instruction.

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession and you have conquered it and settled there…” (Deuteronomy 26:1 NLT)

Notice the process: enter, conquer, then settle. A lot of people step into what God has promised, see the opposition, and back out thinking it must not have been God. But opposition doesn't mean it's not your promise. You’ve got to enter it, conquer it, and then settle in.

First Fruits Are a Declaration

God tells them the first produce from the land should be brought as an offering.

“Put some of the first produce from each crop you harvest into a basket and bring it to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored.” (Deuteronomy 26:2 NLT)

This isn't just a routine act. It's a declaration: this increase will not have me. I won’t be taken out by the blessing.

We all know stories of people who were destroyed by their wealth, but we don’t hear enough about those who used it for good. I declare this now by the Spirit—you will not be destroyed or distracted by the increase God brings into your life.

Tithing Isn’t Just a Church Budget Line

Every third year, there was a special tithe for Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.

“You must offer a special tithe of your crops… so that they will have enough to eat in your towns.” (Deuteronomy 26:12 NLT)

Some people try to reason their way out of tithing—"The church doesn’t need my money. The pastor has a business. He’s doing fine."

But scripture is clear: part of your tithe goes to support those who feed you spiritually. And you should be glad it does. When you give, you're helping fund ministry, care for the vulnerable, and support leadership like elders and deacons who are laboring for the Kingdom.

I remember when God told me to bring Tim onto the church payroll. It was a big leap in expenses, but I knew God was leading me. And wouldn’t you know—giving increased more than what we were paying him. Doing what God says with money triggers increase. It just does.

God Wants You to Be Great

This part gets overlooked, but it’s the best part.

“The Lord has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure… And if you do [obey him], he will set you high above all the other nations… You will receive praise, honor, and renown.” (Deuteronomy 26:18–19 NLT)

He wants to make you great.

Some people struggle with that. They think wanting to be great is pride. But that desire in you—it’s from Him. God placed it there. The problem comes when we try to fulfill it the wrong way.

His path to greatness? Obedience. Quickly and completely.

Your salvation isn’t at risk when you disobey, but your greatness is. Every act of disobedience puts a pause on your purpose. But if you obey, God says He will lift you up.

Be Strong in the Lord

Let’s seal this with Ephesians 6.

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10–11 NLT)

Strength isn’t arrogance. And humility isn’t passivity.

Some Christians have been convinced that to be humble is to be invisible. That’s not humility. True humility is submitting to God—doing what He says even when you don’t feel like it. And when you humble yourself under His mighty power, He lifts you up.

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” (1 Peter 5:6 NLT)

Stop Criticizing Those God Has Promoted

We’ve got this bad habit in the Church. We criticize anyone whose name is known. Joyce Meyer, Jensen Franklin, Joel Osteen—you name it.

“They just did that to become famous.” Really? Who are we to judge motives based on YouTube videos made by people who don’t know them personally?

You won’t become what you despise. If you carry disdain for those God has made great, you'll hold yourself back from the greatness He's calling you to.

Instead of criticizing, rejoice.

“Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice.” (Philippians 1:18 NLT)

Let God make you great. Let Him lift you up. Walk in obedience and stay humble before Him—and watch what He does with your life.

Full disclosure: The Word of God is about to convince you to take part in this thing called tithing. Not everyone appreciates this subject, but I’m going there anyway.

You should know that I am not asking you to do anything I don’t do. I’ve tithed since childhood and can confirm that what the Bible says about it is true.

You should also know that I will never check to see if you are tithing or not. Your bank account does not have my name on it, so it is none of my business.

This message is not to trick you into tithing, either. It is simply an opportunity to take part in one of the many wonderful things God invites us to do with money.

Hopefully, that helps you put your defenses down so you can listen with a clear head. Let’s start with a scripture we’ve referred to for several weeks now:

Genesis 15:1 NLT - Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”

This is God’s word for us this year as we embrace explosive multiplication. A financial storm is coming that will be destructive to the wicked and amazing for the righteous.

No matter how intense the storm gets, we must remember that God will protect us and turn the storm into a reward for the righteous. 

What does this have to do with tithing? Well, this word came to Abraham after he had engaged in tithing. You only have to back up five verses to read all about it.

Abraham's obedience to tithe has a direct correlation with the great reward that was headed his way.

The fact that Abraham tithed debunks a popular argument about tithing. Some people say, “Tithing was under the law, so it doesn’t apply to us.”

Yes, tithing was part of the law. But here we are, several hundred years before the law and learning about tithing through Abraham.

Do you know what that means? Tithing is a spiritual principle that existed before the law. It worked before the law, during the law, and even now, after the law.

Think of it how the law tells us not to murder. That wasn’t a new revelation. Everyone has known murder is wrong since Cain killed Able. The law simply put a spiritual truth in writing.

If you want to hold on to the empty argument that tithing went away with the law, suit yourself. Just don’t waste your time with me because this scripture we are about to read is enough proof that tithing is not tethered to the law.

Genesis 14:17-24 NLT - After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered.” Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ I will accept only what my young warriors have already eaten, and I request that you give a fair share of the goods to my allies—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.”

There you have it. For some reason, Abraham was moved to give a tenth of His income to the priest Melchizedek. Why? There was no law to tell him to tithe. Why did he do it?

Abraham was a man of God. He is the father of our faith. He was obedient to what the Lord asked him to do. His connection with God unveiled this spiritual principle we call tithing.

You know how when you look up to someone, you find out what they did to get to where they are? Abraham is a great guy to look up to, probably better than anyone currently alive.

I don’t know about you, but I would love for there to be books that speak about me the way that the Bible speaks about Abraham. What a guy! I am going to follow his lead.

The only person that could change my mind on this subject is Jesus. Whatever He says supersedes everything. So, let’s take a look at what Jesus said about tithing.

Matt 23:23 NLT - “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,  but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

Some people use this as an out for tithing. But Jesus didn’t give you an out. He said you can’t use your perfect tithing record as an excuse not to do the more important things.

In other words, “Yes, you should tithe. But your tithe doesn’t make up for these other things that you are not doing.”

Let’s back up a bit to when Jesus teaches about taxes.

Matt 22:17-22 - Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” His reply amazed them, and they went away.

There is an aspect of this scripture that is often overlooked. Jesus seemed to slip in a little bonus phrase to help out those of us who pay close attention to what He is saying.

In the midst of talking about taxes, He said, “give to God what belongs to God.” The context here is money. Apparently, some of our money belongs to the government, and some of it belongs to God. Which part belongs to God, exactly?

And so we land on everyone’s favorite scripture.

Malachi 3:8-12 NLT - “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

The tithe belongs to God. That’s the first 10% of your income. It is not yours. It is God’s.

Why is this so important to Him? Because God wants His house to operate in abundance. God wants those who lead His house to be well-fed. God wants His house to care for widows and orphans.

God is so passionate about the tithe that He offers an incredible and undeserved reward for those who tithe.

Isn’t it strange to get a reward for giving God something that belonged to Him anyway?

Maybe that’s why so many people have a hard time participating in this amazing opportunity. It sounds too good to be true. Yet, it is true because God’s Word makes it clear.

When you tithe, it opens the windows of heaven for you. Blessings pour out, people call you blessed, and your land becomes a delight—all because you gave the first 10% due to the Lord.

You can try to come up with more excuses not to tithe, or you can shut up and take God at His Word.

This is the only time I recall God inviting us to test Him. So, go ahead and put Him to the test. Every time you get paid, give the first 10% to God’s house before you pay for anything else.

To give by cash or check, use the offering envelope in front of you. Drop it in the donation box on the way out or mail it to PO Box 2168, Owasso, OK 74055.

You can give online anytime by visiting nolimits.fyi.

If you are new to tithing, I am not asking you to scramble right now to figure out how much you owe. God is not sending the IRS angles after you to figure back tithe.

Simply start with your next paycheck. Go home and put a system in place to make sure the first 10% of your income goes to God’s house. And every time you give it, release it with faith.

Say, “Thank you Lord for the opportunity to tithe. I trust that what your Word says is true. Since I am obedient to tithe, the windows of heaven are open and pouring out blessing after blessing. I look forward to the increase so I can give more next time.”

If you don’t have a job with a regular paycheck—maybe you own a business or have a side gig going on—your increase is the profit of your business.

I do this in my business by running an income statement on the first of the month for the previous month and then tithe on the profit of the previous month.

Another common question about tithing is if you tithe on the gross or net of your paycheck. To put God first, you tithe on the gross—whatever your pay is before taxes and other deductions.

In other words, don’t let the government have its cut before you give God what belongs to Him. And hopefully, Trump can do what he said and eliminate income taxes. 

Most importantly, don’t let the enemy beat you up if you haven’t been tithing. Just start where you are, and thank God for the opportunity to be able to jump in at any time.

John 12:1-8 NLT - Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

This scripture does not let us in on the response of the disciples in this situation. But I can tell you what would happen in most churches these days.

Judas would have gotten a resounding “Amen! Mary shouldn’t have even had that perfume anyway! How dare she be so extravagant and wasteful with her money.”

Many Christians love to point out when they believe another Christian has misused money, especially if talking about a well-known minister. These people think they are being a good stewards by “helping others” know when money is misused.

But, the truth is, when you call out what you perceive to be a misuse of money, you are right there with Judas. You are on your way to betraying Jesus.

Have you ever noticed how we don’t even have a record of Jesus calling someone out for misusing money? If anyone has a right to do so, it would be Him.

Jesus had the perfect opportunity in this instance. He already knew Judas was stealing from the other disciples. But He didn’t even mention it. He simply stood up for Mary.

So, I will do the same and stand up for all of you.

You have no right to get involved with how someone else spends their money. You shouldn’t even allow your thoughts to go there.

As soon as your thoughts get involved in someone else finances, you’ve entered the devil’s playground. And I don’t think that’s where you want to be.

When you are tempted to fuss about how someone else is spending money, exercise some of that self-control the Holy Spirit gives you to make those thoughts obey Christ.

This applies to how your grown kids spend their money, your parents, your friends, your boss, and even the church. If you do not have authority over the bank account, let it go because it’s not up to you.

And really, that’s good news. If what you perceive to be a misuse of money is actually misuse, the person in charge of the money will suffer the consequences, not you.

So why would you get involved? Isn’t it enough work to manage your own money?

This simple truth will help your relationships thrive and keep us in a place of unity at church.

Just because you give doesn’t mean you have a say in what is done with that money. The elders, deacons, and I are responsible for managing God’s money here.

Don’t forget, Satan loves to get people wound up about money they have no control over, just like he did with Judas. It ruins relationships and destroys the work of Christ.

Dismiss yourself from that mess. You don’t have to answer for how money is spent here. The only thing you will answer for is if you were obedient with your own money.

That’s why I teach you about Biblical giving because you will answer whether you obeyed or not. But I never check to see if you actually give, because that’s none of my business.

Next week, I’ll dive into tithing. Yes, it is relevant to you even now in the age of grace. I know you are at the edge of your seat and want to hear all about tithing right now, but it’ll have to wait until next week.

I do, however, want to give you an opportunity to give. It’s the best investment opportunity available. God says to give with a cheerful heart and He’ll return it to you multiplied.

To give by cash or check, use the offering envelope in front of you. Then, drop it in the donation box on your way out today. You can also mail it to PO BOX 2168, Owasso, OK 74055.

Most of you give online. You can do that anytime. Simply visit nolimits.fyi or text the amount to 84321.

A financial storm is brewing. A great wealth transfer is underway. Many will be intimidated and hide. Few will seize the opportunity and experience sharp, sudden increase.

My assignment from the Lord is to make you one of the few. Why? Because you will use this explosive multiplication to fund the great end time revival.

2025 will be marked by two words: explosive multiplication.

It will seem like it happens overnight, but we’ve been preparing for this for several years.

Sharp, sudden increase.

Many of you have lost sight of the prophetic words spoken over NoLimits Church in the last three years. But I am here to bring them back into focus.

We will not be a church that has no endurance in our faith. I refuse to allow us to be wishy-washy, getting excited about a prophecy when it is released only to mock it later on when it doesn’t come to pass within our impatient time frame.

James chapter one will be our guide.

James 1:3-8 NLT - For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

On our way to the abundant life Jesus has promised, where we need nothing, first, our faith must be tested. Because it is only when our faith is tested that we build endurance.

How is our faith tested? Time.

Think of Abraham. As an old, old man, God told him he would be a father of many nations. Do you remember what Abraham did? He believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

But then, his faith was tested. How was it tested? Time. Tick tock. Years go by and Abraham’s wife got impatient and came up with a novel idea.

She said, “The Lord has prevented me from having children (blaming God). Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.”

Abraham agreed, which was a bad move. Fellas, although your wife is almost always right, there are times when you need to tell her no, especially when she tells you to sleep with another woman.

I am so thankful to report that we have learned from Abraham’s example.

God told us we would have three church locations and become the leading force in Owasso. That we would make Owasso a safe haven until Jesus returns.

God revealed that to us in January 2023. We’ve had many opportunities to try to self-fulfill the prophecy, and pressure to do so, but we didn’t.

We’re also not sitting in our prayer closet and waiting for things to happen. We are actively engaged in the process, consulting the Lord every step of the way.

If I had become prideful and given into the fleshly desire to prove to you that the prophecy is true, we’d have an Ismael on our hands right now. But, we don’t. Praise God!

Instead, we’ve been building endurance in our faith. We are actively moving towards what the Lord has spoken and trusting that it will come to pass just as He said it would.

That’s why I remind you often of the prophetic words we’ve received here at NoLimits. What the Lord speaks to us through prophecy is just as important as the written Word of God.

Some people say we don’t need prophecy because we have the written Word of God. Then others say that we don’t need the Word of God because we have the Holy Spirit.

Let me just tell you, both of those mindsets are stupid. If you have one of those, go ahead and abandon it now.

The Word of God and prophesy go hand-in-hand. They are both God speaking to us, and both agree. They are complimentary. They each have a specific purpose in our lives. We need both.

So, we are going to revisit a few prophetic words today and bring them back into focus. We are going to hone in on the financial storm that’s brewing.

There will be two sides to this storm, and I need to make sure you are on the right side.

Prophecy: Great Rebellion Like Wildfire

*Released Oct 31, 2024 during NoLimits Church Communion Service

"Know this, says the Lord. I have heard your prayers and petitions. Some people think they are still in My way, but they don’t know Me yet. You will see that I am not playing chess with them, but I am clearing the chessboard. For they will see my mighty hand sweep across this nation, and they will wonder why their plans and money can’t get them what they want any longer. 

Be careful and do not give credit to a single person or organization, says the Lord. For what I am about to do, only I can do.

Know this: there are times of turbulence coming. Know this: I am patiently pushing those who have not made a decision. I am pushing them off the fence so that they can make a decision. (Rev 3:16) For I do not make decisions for them. Remember that when you see them fall, I did not do that. They chose that.

But when you see the ones rise, know that I have scooped them up, and I have set them on a firm foundation, says the Lord. Cover them in prayer when you see them rise. You will know who they are. You will see it on your TV screen. Your job is not to dictate whether someone is truly saved or not, for I am the judge, says the Lord. But you do have a responsibility to pray for them.

For there is a great rebellion coming, says the Lord. There are two sides to this rebellion. Some think they walk in my ways, but when they come up to a wall, they look to the left and the right. It’s like they are in a maze and don’t know which way to go. Others approach the same wall and look up, and they smile. Meanwhile, the first group still looks left and right, confused and paralyzed.

The true righteous believers will rebel against the flood of evil coming after them. Even though they are expected to comply, they push back with great rebellion. There will be protection around them. The people pushing evil won’t be able to touch them. They can get close, but they can’t touch them because the righteous know their authority. They know the Word of God and how to use it. 

In this great rebellion, the righteous will rebel against the evil. A force of believers will sweep like wildfire in all directions. Unfortunately, there will be those who rebel against that, too. But, that is not your focus. The wildfire will move right past them but will leave a black hole because no one is replaceable, says the Lord. (Matt 10:11-15)

But your job is to move continually because you must continue to reap the harvest that doesn’t rebel against you. And I need you to move fast, says the Lord, in all directions and all areas and capacities of your life. I need you to be My consuming fire because that's what you have on the inside of you.

Do not hide or hinder the gifts I have given you. Move in the gifts, says the Lord. I am with you always. Do not be in fear, for I will begin to manifest myself.

Other spirits will begin to talk to you as well because there is a demonic force that will multiply in these end times. How do you know which spirit it is? You will know, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

But know this: when that evil spirit comes after you, you must rebel against it, you must push back against it with the Word of God. (James 4:7) For Jesus showed us how to do this, three times to be exact. (Matt 4:1-11) You can do it. I am with you, says the Lord. And as the righteous take step after step together, they will do those greater works. For there are things that are not fulfilled yet, but they will be soon."

Dream: Oklahoma Hurricane

Two nights later, I had a dream that I had a dream that Oklahoma was going to have a hurricane. When I woke up in the dream, I laughed out loud. Then I looked at my phone and saw on the radar that a hurricane was heading our way. Even so, I didn't tell anyone because it seemed impossible. It was even sunny outside when it should have already been cloudy.

Shortly after, I looked outside and noticed we were in the eye of the storm. There was a circle in the sky and the clouds were spinning around it. It was amazing to look at.

Then I went in to tell everyone about the dream and prepare for the hurricane. I was in my childhood home. Joe McGee was there. I told him, and he responded, "Now you know not to ignore your dreams. Trust what God tells you in your dreams." 

Then I went to tell my mom to go outside and look. As I was telling her, I saw a great wind coming towards us. I was worried I left my window down on the Infinity. But it was too late.

The wind hit the house and the whole thing began to shake. It felt like the whole house was spinning. I began to pray and declare God's protection. I commanded the house to stand firm on its foundation.

The wind lasted for less than a minute, and afterward, everything was fine. Life continued on like normal. I saw a school bus coming down the road and woke up, to my surprise, because I thought I was already awake because of the two-layer dream.

The same night, I had a dream we were in an upstairs arcade with the kids when a massive earthquake hit. I couldn't get to the kids but began to pray and declare God's protection, commanding the building to stand firm and not fall apart. It lasted less than a minute, and everything was okay.

Vision: Gold Dust Storm

*From August 7, 2022 during a Sunday Service at NoLimits Church

In 2022, I had a vision of a gold dust storm. It started with my wife Beth releasing a prophetic word:

“I own you. You are mine. You belong to me. Nothing can come against you in the name of Jesus. I bled for you, I died for you, and you are mine says the Lord. Nobody takes anything from Me. I have you in my hands. Nothing can come against you. I own you. You are my mine. You belong to me.”

Beth then prayed, “What do you want Lord? We are listening.”

As we stood there in awe of the thick presence of the Lord, I received the answer to Beth’s question in a vision. I saw it like a flash of light. It happened so quickly.

I saw a massive dust cloud in the distance that was rushing towards me. It looked like the images you see of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. As it got closer, I realized it wasn’t dirt; it was gold dust.

People were running into their homes to hide from the storm. They were terrified. I was left out in the street alone trying to wrap my head around what was going on.

Then, the Holy Spirit gave me the meaning of the vision. He said, “This is great provision for my people. I need you to stand receive it and not run from it. You are the one’s that I can trust with it because your hearts are pure and your motivates are right. You will know exactly what you need to do with it.”

Tying It All Together

It wasn’t until two nights ago that I was able to tie this all together. I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep, and the Lord brought the hurricane dream and gold dust vision to my remembrance.

In my spirit, I heard a question, “What do these two things have in common?” They are both storms. Even the prophecy about the great rebellion was like a storm.

Then I asked, “How is the hurricane dream and gold dust vision about the same storm?” I heard the Lord answer, “Because, in both, you were standing firm in an intimidating storm. Both were rushing towards you like a mighty wind.”

This is a financial storm. There will be two responses to the storm. Many will run and hide. Few will stand firm and experience sharp, sudden increase.

This storm will be short-lived. However you respond to it when it shows up will determine whether you take part in explosive multiplication or not.

If you run and hide, you’ll miss out on the great provision God has for His people. But if you stand firm, you’ll take part in mind-blowing increase.

For those of us who respond correctly to this financial storm, it will be like it was for the Israelites when they left Egypt. They received a mind-blowing wealth transfer from the Egyptians.

It will happen so fast that your initial response will determine the outcome. You won’t have time to run inside, hide, find some courage, and come back out. No. If you hide, you miss it.

That’s why I’ve been telling you about the coming wealth transfer over and over for two years now. It’s why I wrote a book about it! You must be prepared to respond correctly, or you’ll miss it.

There’s no reason for you to miss it. I’ve endured the ridicule of preaching about a wealth transfer for your sake. Now, you are prepared and will know how to stand firm and receive when it shows up.

You know, people fuss at me for preaching about money. They say, “Why do you have to talk about money so much?” Do you really want to know why?

Because we are God’s storehouse. If the resources aren’t in our hands, there will be nothing to fund what God wants to do through His church.

You might think, “God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He can do whatever He wants to.” Do you know what you are doing when you say that? Using God’s Word as an excuse not to get involved.

It’s true that God’s owns everything. But it is also true that He has given us dominion over the earth. If God’s will is to be done here, then it must happen through us.

It’s His mighty power working in us to accomplish God’s will. Without His power, there’s nothing. Without our involvement, there’s nothing.

Quit using God as an excuse and start cooperating with what He wants to do on the earth. Be a conduit of His goodness. Let wealth flow through you to fund God’s work.

A financial storm is brewing. A great wealth transfer is underway.

Many will be intimidated and hide. Few will seize the opportunity and experience sharp, sudden increase.

My assignment from the Lord is to make you one of the few, and I pray that I have successfully done that today.

To seal this with the written Word of God, turn with me to Genesis 15.

Genesis 15:1 NLT - Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”

This is God’s Word for you today. He will protect you, and He will reward you. You have nothing to fear.

Before we go, I want to give you an opportunity to give. Generosity triggers multiplication. Giving to God’s house is the best investment opportunity you have.

No one else promises you a 30, 60, or hundredfold return. You are lucky to get more than a 10% return in your IRA.

When you give to NoLimits, you make way for a future financial harvest. I know, people criticise this, but its a Biblical truth no matter what people say about it.

There’s no better way to secure your financial future than to grow in generosity. It will come back to you multiplied, guaranteed. Why? Because God set it in motion long ago.

To give by cash or check, use the offering envelope in front of you. Drop it in the donation box on the way out. You can also mail a check to PO BOX 2168, Owasso, OK 74055.

You can give online anytime by visiting nolimits.fyi

Let’s start by reading about when Jesus healed the centurion’s slave from afar. Turn with me to Luke chapter seven.

Luke 7:1-10 NLT - When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum. At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death. When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.” So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed.

We will extract much value from this one real-life story today. The first thing I want you to notice is how Jesus treated this wealthy man.

How do we know this Roman officer was wealthy? Because he single-handedly built a synagogue for the Jewish people.

Not only was he wealthy, but he was very generous. How many of you would like to have enough wealth to single-handedly build the next gathering place for NoLimits Church?

There’s been so much teaching against wealth in the church that we assume God hates wealth. Interestingly, there is very little to back up this false doctrine.

These false teachers like to bring up how Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Only through a foolish mindset can we twist this to say that God is against wealth.

First of all, this scripture is talking about those who are rich before getting saved. This is not an instruction on avoiding wealth for those who have already surrendered to Christ. 

Jesus is simply making the point that it is much harder for the rich to surrender to Christ. They are self-sufficient and have a much harder time recognizing their need to make Jesus Lord.

Look around America. You can see that this is true. Those who are self-sufficient have a much harder time coming to Christ than those who already need help.

The second thing you should know is that the “eye of a needle” refers to a small gate. This gate was just big enough for the camel, but not any baggage it was carrying.

So, when people would come to the gate, they would have to go through the painstaking process of unloading everything off the camel so it could go through.

When the rich come to Jesus, they have to shed their reliance on their wealth. Salvation requires complete surrender. Nothing else can be Lord. And laying down self-reliance for Jesus is hard to do.

That’s the point Jesus is making in this statement. He is not saying that Christians shouldn’t become wealthy. He is crying out for rich, unsaved people to do what seems impossible. He wants them to lay down their self-reliance and be saved.

Back to the wealthy Roman officer. I find it interesting that the Jewish elders made a point to let Jesus know about the officer’s generosity. It’s almost like they had a problem with wealth, like many Christians do today.

“This man is wealthy, but he is also very generous. He even built us a synagogue!”

This same story is recorded in the book of Matthew with no mention of the officer’s generosity. Do you know what that tells me? Jesus would have helped this man regardless.

We may have a hard time helping a rich person, but I can guarantee you, Jesus doesn’t.

Jesus didn’t rebuke this man for his wealth. He didn’t even rebuke the fact that he had servants. Rather, Jesus praised the man for his rare faith.

Listen to me loud and clear. God is not against wealth. The truth is, God takes great pleasure in making you wealthy. It is one of His many rewards for obedience.

God prospers the generous. As you use your money to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, God will see to it that you continually grow in your ability to be generous.

God wants every generous person to be wealthy. But for those who have a hard time letting money go, Jesus is crying out for you to lay down your self-reliance and completely surrender to Him.

Some of you stand before the gate, just like that camel. You want to go through, but you can’t until you unload everything else you are trusting in.

Don’t let money keep you from entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. Being intentional with generosity is how you unload the weight of this world and walk freely into God’s abundance.

Storing up money is not God’s way of wealth. God is not interested in stockpiling your savings account or Roth IRA.

When you become wealthy God’s way, it's a free flow, an endless supply. It comes in only to find its assignment and go right back out to accomplish something for the Kingdom of God.

Picture the spigot outside of your house. Right now, water is jam-packed in your pipes, looking for a way out. They are completely full. No more water can get into your house.

But if you open that spigot and start letting water out, the water begins to flow. The pipes stay full, but they are always getting new water.

And get this. Whether you open the spigot a little bit or all the way, the water will continue to flow. It will never run out, unless something happens to the water company.

But we are talking about God’s wealth, not water. God is your supplier and it is guaranteed that He will never run out.

I pray that all of you become mega-wealthy God’s way. But it's going to take more than my prayer. You must also choose to be generous. You must choose to open that spigot.

And one last thing. You should know that you can become wealthy the world’s way. I’m not saying that generosity is the only way to wealth. You can also become a slave to money and get wealthy.

But all who choose that path will find themselves scrambling on judgment day. Jesus will look at them and say, “Well, I was never your Lord. You chose to serve another master.”

This is why I give you an opportunity to be generous every Sunday. It’s a rescue mission of sorts to make sure that you never allow money to become your master.

Show your money who’s boss by choosing to be generous.

To give online, visit nolimits.fyi

You can use Cash App to donate to $churchnolimits.

There are offering envelopes in front of you to give by cash or check. Drop those envelopes in the donation box on your way out today.

I don’t want you to feel rushed as you decide what to give. So I’ve asked the band to play us a song while you worship God through your giving. 

Your generosity proves you are obedient to Christ.

2 Cor 9:6-13 NLT - Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.

When assessing yourself to determine your level of obedience, your primary indicator is your level of generosity.

Generosity, or a lack thereof, is the telltale. 

This past Monday, I went online to order some street tacos. I was shocked at how much they cost. Even more shocking was when the app demanded a tip.

There was no easy option to select no tip. You had to tap “custom amount” and then enter 0.

For whatever reason, I had an attitude that day. I thought, “They are not getting a tip for over-priced tacos that I am going to pick up. They should tip me for getting out of my house.”

All the way there, I could sense the Lord kind of frowning at my attitude. He didn’t say anything. It was just one of the vibes that your best friend will give you when you are being ridiculous.

The next day, I went to get tacos for lunch somewhere else. Now, many of you are judging me for how many tacos I eat, but you can just keep your opinion to yourself.

As I approached the register, the Lord reminded me of what happened the previous day and simply said, “Does that represent me?”

Say no more, Lord. I willingly tapped the highest tip amount on the screen, and the cashier smiled and gave me the most genuine thank you.

My generosity proved to her my obedience to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

This is one of the many reasons I am not ashamed to give you the opportunity to be generous every Sunday. It’s good for you to be presented with opportunities.

I’m asking for a generous tip today. I’m not pressuring you. You decide in your heart how much to give, even if it is 0. But know this. Generosity will always come back to you multiplied. God set it up that way so you can continually grow in your generosity.

It’s the best investment strategy out there, backed by Heaven.

To give by cash or check, use one of the offering envelopes in front of you. Drop the envelope in the giving box on your way out today.

Give online anytime by visiting https://nolimits.fyi. You can also mail your donation to PO BOX 2168, Owasso, OK 74055.

Several months ago, we gave $35,000 to a ministry in Argentina rescuing women from human trafficking. They used it to expand their building. As a way to dedicate the building to us, they painted our core scripture on the wall: Ephesians 3:20.

You were a part of this through your giving. If you could only see what your giving accomplishes for the Kingdom of God, you’d be blown away.

One day, you will meet every soul that was saved through the work of NoLimits Church and you will be so thankful you gave so generously to this ministry.

This is good ground. When you sow seed here, get ready for a great harvest.

You are going to be shocked at what happens in 2025. We are in a season of sharp, sudden increase. The things we’ve been prophesying about are coming to fruition.

Prepare yourself to increase in generosity. It’s time to open up the flow of wealth needed to accomplish what God has set before us. It will flow through the hands of the generous. That’s you!

Introduction

Christians have been trained to reject wealth, or at the very least, fuss at those who are wealthy.

People are quick to recall the times when Jesus and the Apostle Paul rebuked rich people and conclude that wealth and Christianity do not go together.

To be honest, I struggled with this as well. I found it hard to reconcile Abraham's wealth being celebrated while Jesus rebuked the young, rich ruler.

Then the light came on.

We don’t define “rich” the same way the Bible does. We think it’s an amount of money, but it’s not. It is a relationship with money. It’s an ungodly motivation. It’s the wrong mindset.

In the Bible, the only time you find God upset about a certain amount of money is when that one servant in the parable of the talents refused to multiply.

Yet, now the church gets upset with those who do multiply, and we pity those who don’t. That alone shows that we need to correct our view on wealth to align with our Heavenly Father.

Thankfully, it’s simple. We need to define “rich” the same way God does. Say this out loud to make sure you get it, “Rich is not an amount of money.”

Now, let’s read the parable of the rich young ruler to find out who God refers to when He rebukes a rich person.

Mark 10:17-31 NLT - As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said. “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

The problem here was not the amount of money. It was the man’s relationship with his money.

It said he had many possessions. We could call this storing up your wealth. Or as James calls it, rotting wealth.

Wealth does no good sitting around. Godly wealth has purpose. It is a free flow. You don’t store it up; you use it to do good.

If you are stockpiling your bank accounts, you are in company with this rich man. I know the world tells you it's wise to store it up, but God’s Word doesn’t agree.

We can also see that this man became wealthy the world’s way, not God’s way. The world’s way gives you sorrow; God’s way gives you great joy.

This man became sorrowful when Jesus commanded him to be generous. If he had become wealthy God’s way, he would be overjoyed by the opportunity to give.

God’s wealth strategy is in stark contrast to the world’s strategy. God says to give and it will be given back to you, pressed down, shaken together, running over.

Clearly, this rich guy did not understand that Jesus was giving him the opportunity to multiply by giving his possessions away.

I have a Facebook ad running right now for my book. In the ad, I explain how God needs us to position ourselves for great wealth so we can fund the end-time harvest.

Someone commented to let me know that God operates outside of money. He doesn’t need lots of cash to reach people.

I replied, “God uses money to do good things, just like you do. Is that not how you take care of your family?”

So he retracted his first comment but doubled down on his next where he said that tithing is not required and that no pastor should be paid for what they do.

This came out of left field. The ad said nothing about giving or tithing or pastors getting paid. So, I replied, “Funny how this turned into your disdain for tithing. That’s usually an indicator that you have a wrong relationship with money. Might want to check yourself.”

I find it pretty humorous when people want to refute tithing. It's just not an argument worth pursing if you believe what Jesus taught about generosity.

Giving is like sowing a seed that produces a harvest. If we believed that, we wouldn’t be looking for a way out of the tithe. We’d be looking for ways to be even more generous than that.

I think the tithe is great! I love that God gave me specifics in what to do with my money. I believe the Word is still true: the tithe opens the windows of heaven, and blessings pour out.

I’ve been tithing my whole life. My parents even made me tithe my birthday money. I used to do it because I feared the curse. Now I do it because I want to cooperate with the blessing.

Jesus released you from the curse! That is not the issue. You don’t have to tithe to escape the curse. But the blessing is still looking for willing participants. I’m in, and it’s a joy to tithe to my church.

Regarding his passionate comment that preachers shouldn’t get paid, I’m guessing he was upset that I am selling a book. But I bet you he is not upset with authors who aren’t pastors.

It’s funny how people get caught up in the idea that it’s okay to get paid for secular work but not spiritual work. They’re okay paying for things that don’t last, but don’t want to pay for eternal things, like what you get through preaching. 

I want to point out one more thing about what we read in Mark chapter ten: the rich man was young.

I’ve always wondered why it gave us that detail. Why did God want us to know this was a young man?

It’s to emphasize that getting rich before you come to Jesus is a hard road to take. When you’ve already found success on your own, it’s hard to realize how much you need a savior.

Yet Christians everywhere are training their kids to prioritize their jobs over church. Even with their first minimum wage job, parents tend to allow their kids to work instead of go to church.

Then, if they have to choose between college studies and being involved in church, they are encouraged to focus on college. They’re told that the whole “church thing” can come later.

We are setting them up for failure. We’re training them to focus on temporary things while forgetting the things that last. We’re sending them down the same hard path of this young rich guy.

It’s even worse for young people who want to go into ministry. They have an endless supply of advice, saying, “I don’t think you want to do that. There’s no money in that. Why don’t you get a good job first, save up, and then go into ministry later in life.”

Parents, you know this already, but I must say it out loud. Your child finding the world’s success but ending up in hell for eternity is not the outcome you want.

The biggest danger we all face is becoming lukewarm. That’s when a Christian allows enough of the world to be mixed into their life that they become indifferent about Christ and His church.

This is when you say that church is a good thing but don’t prioritize it. Or when you obey the scriptures you like but not the ones you don’t like.

If you are lukewarm, Jesus is standing at the door of your heart and knocking. If you will open the door to Him, He will reignite your passion for God and get you back on the right track.

Is that you? Is there anyone being stirred right now to turn from your indifference?

Introduction

Have you ever found yourself wanting to pray, but not knowing what to pray about? I’m going to give you my top two prayer requests. I pray these almost every day.

The first one is, “God, give me Your wisdom. According to James chapter one, You are generous with wisdom. You never rebuke me for asking for wisdom. You always give it as long as my faith is in You alone. I don’t want human wisdom; I want Your wisdom. Obliterate all of my own ideas with your wisdom. Amen.”

If you draw a blank during prayer time, ask for wisdom. Humble yourself by laying down your own wisdom to pick up God’s wisdom. You’ll be surprised at what He reveals to you.

The second prayer I pray almost daily is, “God, help me to see money the way You do. According to Luke chapter sixteen, You consider it a small thing. In a world where money calls the shots, I want to live in your Kingdom where money is no big deal. Amen.”

Jesus taught that money is the preschool of faithfulness. How we use money determines if we are ready for the more important things in God’s Kingdom.

If you are going through a financial test right now, it’s likely because God is preparing you for a more prominent place in His Kingdom. But before you get promoted, you must pass the money test.

Would you like me to help you pass the money test? Do you want me to help you see money like God sees money?

Rich People

Turn to James, chapter five. If you have a pen or pencil, pull it out. I'll have you underline a few keywords.

James 5:1-6 NLT -  Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

When the Bible refers to “rich people”, we tend to think of everyone who has more money than we do. That’s an American perspective, not a Biblical perspective.

When the Bible rebukes a rich person, it does not refer to a person who has a certain amount of wealth. It is talking about someone who has the wrong relationship with wealth.

Maybe I should say that again to make sure you get it. 

Yes, the Bible rebukes rich people on several occasions. But it is not the amount of money that qualifies you for the rebuke; it is your wrong relationship with money that qualifies you for the rebuke.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to apply this scripture to people with more money than you? That’s covetousness, by the way.

When you concern yourself with how someone else uses money, covetousness is at work. It may be hidden, but somewhere, you are jealous of what they have.

Remember, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor” is one of the Ten Commandments. Let me put it to you this way. When God gave us His top ten tips for a godly life, this was one of them.

When it comes to seeing money the way that God sees money, you no longer get an opinion on how others use money. That’s between them and God.

You’ll be tempted to get your thoughts involved in other’s finances over and over again. Cast down those ungodly thoughts. Never allow yourself to get involved in other’s finances.

The only thing you are permitted to do is celebrate when those in the body of Christ prosper. Don’t think, “Must be nice.” Instead, say, “God, you are faithful! Prosper them more in Jesus' name!”

Wrong Relationship with Money

Now that we are clear on that, we can get something done. I am not trying to help you determine if someone you know needs to be rebuked for having a wrong relationship with money. I am helping you determine if you have a wrong relationship with money.

If I didn’t establish this first, you’d spend the whole message thinking about how someone else needs this message. They might, but their relationship with money is not your concern.

So, let’s talk about you. Let’s find out if you meet the Biblical qualification of a rich person who needs to be rebuked.

Remember, it's not an amount of money that qualifies you for the rebuke. It’s a wrong relationship with money that qualifies you for the rebuke. 

You might just find that you need to be rebuked. If that’s how this message turns out for you, glorify God because He disciplines those He loves.

God loves you too much to leave you in your wrong relationship with money. He wants you free so you can truly prosper.

Back to James chapter five. This block of scripture provides a very detailed description of what it looks like to have a wrong relationship with money. That’s why I had you underline a few words.

Rotting Wealth

In verse two, we learn that wealth is not the issue, but rotting wealth is. When does wealth rot? 

Have you noticed that the Bible loves to use farming parallels to teach about money? It refers to giving as sowing a seed and producing a harvest. And here, we have rotting wealth.

Bananas have an ideal time to be consumed. We may disagree slightly on that, but there is only about a 2-3 day period when they are at their best.

What happens when we miss the window? There’s a bit of a grace period where the banana can still be consumed, but it's not nearly as enjoyable. The texture is off. It has brown spots. Bleh.

It doesn’t take long before you won’t even touch the banana because it is rotting. Most throw it in the trash. Some combine it with other ingredients to make banana bread. It can no longer be enjoyed on its own.

This is a direct parallel for your finances. When wealth comes into your hands, there is a time of ripening. Then, the day will come when it must be used for its purpose, or it will rot.

How many of you have rotting wealth in your bank accounts? You can remember a time when the Lord led you to do something with it, but you didn’t do it. And now, it just sits there rotting away.

We get the same picture with the word “corroded” in verse three. Gold and silver lose their shine when they sit in storage year after year, decade after decade.

Counting on Wealth

In that same verse, we get one of the best definitions of a wrong relationship with wealth, “wealth you were counting on.”

This one is tough to admit. But let’s make today the day you dig in and uproot it. The security you feel in a certain amount of wealth is an imposter. It’s lying to you. It could all disappear tomorrow.

I love how the Apostle Paul explains it to Timothy:

1 Timothy 6:17 NLT - Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

If you have yet to discover how unreliable trusting in money is, I’m opening the rescue hatch for you today. Move your trust from money to God so you don’t have to experience a financial catastrophe to figure this out.

Trusting in money is like a disease that’s hard to diagnose. But I am one of the best money disease doctors in town, so let me help. Here’s what trusting in money sounds like:

“I’ll never find a job that pays as much as the one I have…”

“I can’t touch the money I’ve stored up in my savings account or 401k because I might need it later…”

“I can’t take one day each week to lay down my work completely to honor God and rest…”

“Being a stay-at-home parent is not an option. We both have to work to make ends meet…”

“I can’t do what God is calling me to do because I don’t have enough money…”

Trusting in money. A disease that’s hard to diagnose until Dr. Kade shows up with a verbal lashing to drive it out.

I’m not calling you out for anything the Holy Spirit hasn’t already called me out for. Now I stand here before you as a living example that when you abandon the trust of money, you survive. Not only that, but you thrive.

Now that my trust is in God alone, He richly gives me everything I need for enjoyment. And the best part is I no longer have to worry about money. My Father has everything I need and much more!

So when He tells me to quit working for my most profitable client, I do. When He says to give my savings account to help someone else start a business, I do.

Since His Word tells me to tithe, I do. Whatever He wants me to do with money, that’s what I do with money.

Money is no longer invited to the board meetings for my life decisions. It’s just me and the Lord. He has all the wisdom I need, and I follow exactly what He says, even when I don’t understand.

How do I get to live the life I live? You just learned my secret. I am exactly the opposite of what society teaches. Most people let money play a part in life’s decisions. I don’t. What God says goes.

Don’t put your trust in wealth. If you do, it’s only a matter of time before it lets you down. Put your trust in God alone.

Hoarding Money

Next up, still in verse three, is another identifier of a wrong relationship with money: treasure you hoard.

When you keep throwing money into a big pile, you might be impressed with how big the pile gets, but all God sees is an episode of Hoarders.

If you’ve watched an episode of Hoarders, you know those people are proud of all their accumulated stuff. But there is nothing to be proud of. 

They may have nice stuff. But since they piled it up instead of using it for its purpose, it turned into filth. It’s rotting away. No one even wants it anymore.

The same thing happens with the money you pile up. That thousand dollars in the pile was to help fund a mission trip that impacted generations. Instead, it’s rotting away.

That ten thousand dollars in the pile was to start a business that became millions of dollars and provided great jobs for great people. Instead, it’s rotting away.

That five hundred dollars in the pile was your tithe designed to unlock godly wealth in your life. Instead, it’s rotting away.

That million dollars in the pile was to buy land that would provide wealth for the next ten generations in your family. Instead, it’s rotting away.

Are you seeing how pointless it is to hoard wealth? Money has an assignment. Instead of piling it up, ask God what to do with it and do exactly what He says.

When you do this God’s way, money becomes a free flow and endless supply. It comes in, and you send it right out to accomplish its purpose.

This is when you realize that you are a steward. God owns it all, and you get to help Him by managing His resources. He not only provides the resources but gives you the wisdom to manage them.

But if you put yourself in the owner’s seat regarding resources, it’s no longer a free flow. It’s a pile of crap. You might be impressed with it, but God’s not.

Actually, should you continue hoarding resources, your pile of crap will testify against you on the day of judgment. So, I recommend taking this scripture seriously and making an adjustment if needed.

Stingy Pay

In verse four, the next identifier of a wrong relationship with money is when you cheat your workers of their pay.

You might think this only applies to employers, but it applies to everyone. At some point, you’ve paid someone to do something for you. Fix your car, paint your house, fix a plumbing issue, and the list goes on.

How do you feel about paying those who work for you? Are you trying to cheat them of their pay by getting the best deal you can? Or are you looking for a win-win arrangement?

Are you annoyed that you have to pay them? Or are you thankful that you get to contribute to providing for their family?

Do you want to be known as the one who squeezes every penny out of your workers? Or do you want to be known as someone who is easy to work for and pays well?

This one is going to mess with some of you. I mean, don’t you have to squeeze everything you can out of those who work for you to be a good steward? Let’s head to a parable to find out.

Turn with me to Matthew chapter 20.

Matthew 20:1-16 - “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.

“At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.

“At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’

“They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’

“That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’

“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’

“So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

This is an explanation of how things work in the kingdom of God. We can learn so much from this parable, but for now, I just want to point out how different this is from the world’s system.

If this happened today, the landowner would be taken to court for being unfair. The world wants equal pay for equal work.

The reality is, there is nothing unfair about what this landowner did. He gave the all-day workers exactly what they agreed upon. The others didn’t know how much they would be paid, but they worked anyway. He rewarded them with a full day’s wage.

Clearly, the landowner wasn’t looking to squeeze every penny out of his workers. He cheated no one of their pay. He took advantage of no one. This is how the kingdom of God works.

If you get fussy about paying people well who work for you, or try to squeeze every penny you can out of them, you have the wrong relationship with money. Make an adjustment.

This clicked for me many years ago when I realized that paying the repair man well meant helping him provide for his family. What an amazing opportunity.

It’s a win-win, isn’t it? I get my issue solved, and he gets to feed his family. It’s amazing how God has designed this to work. It’s an incredible partnership opportunity every time we hire someone.

This message is rich, isn’t it? It's like a college course on seeing money the way God sees it. If you apply these principles immediately, it will transform your entire life.

Living In Luxury

There’s one more identifier of a wrong relationship with money mentioned in James chapter five: living in luxury.

Thankfully, he defines what means to live in luxury. Otherwise it would be up to our interpretation, which would become a different standard for each of us.

According to the Bible, living in luxury means spending year after year focused on satisfying our every desire. It is when pleasure becomes the goal of life.

We are talking about a self-focused life, or maybe I should just say the life of the standard American.

When I lived my life trying to satisfy every desire, I was always unsatisfied. Now that I live my life seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness, I am always satisfied.

What has surprised me the most is how God really does richly give us things for our enjoyment.

Most think that when you give up the pursuit of pleasure, you’ll live a miserable life. They picture a life with no fun, no enjoyment, just serious work for God. But that’s a lie from the pit of hell.

A couple of years ago, I was scrolling Facebook marketplace. I was looking to save money on something I needed. I was being thrifty like the good Dave Ramsey follower I was.

Suddenly, a blue Jaguar convertible showed up on my feed. I knew it was from the devil, so I scrolled past as quickly as I could. Then the Holy Spirit interrupted me and said, “I want you to have that.”

I’ve come to know that still, small voice. But, I argued anyway. In my thoughts, I replied, “That’s irresponsible. Plus, what would people think seeing a pastor drive around in a Jaguar convertible?”

The Holy Spirit backed off until the next day. Once my haughty attitude subsided, once again, He said, “I want you to have that.”

It took awhile, but I worked up the courage to tell Beth that I wanted to go look at it. You should have seen the perplexed look on her face. She said, “You really want that?”

I said, “I think so. Uh. I believe the Lord wants me to have it.” With raised eyebrows, she said, “Okay.” But I’m pretty sure she was thinking, “Riiiight.”

Whether she was or not, that was pretty much what I was thinking. I had never purchased anything just for fun. All of my purchases had a purpose and return on investment.

On top of this, I couldn’t wrap my head around the Lord wanting me to have something like this. In my mind, He was more practical than that. He wasn’t really into enjoyment and having fun.

It took a lot of self-denial for me actually to go drive this thing. But somehow, I mustered up the courage to do so. 

Honestly, I don’t care about cars that much. I'm good as long as it starts and gets me where I need to go. So, after driving the Jag, I thought it was cool, but wasn’t V8 intoxicated like most guys would be.

Nevertheless, the Lord's desire was burning within me. He wanted me to have it. But I needed to sleep on it to be sure. So, I did. I woke up the next morning, and still, Holy Spirit said, “Get it.”

It was like an out-of-body experience: I met the guy at the bank, gave him the check, and drove away in a Jaguar convertible. I kept the top up so no one would see me, so I drove home.

My parents were the first I told about it. You should have seen the look on their faces. My dad couldn’t believe it. They took it out of a spin, and my dad came back V8 intoxicated.

It wasn’t but a few months later, he was showing me the Corvette convertible he purchased. He got inspired.

This car became a place of rest for me over the next couple of years. I would go for a drive several times a week down new country roads at the speed of an old man.

As I adventured down the tree-lined roads, I would meet with the Lord in a way I never had before. It was like a Father-son road trip where our relationship would deepen each time.

I still have the car today. I no longer hide it in fear of those who covet this crazy pastor. I drive it around with the top down, Charity Gayle blaring and smiling from ear to ear.

And to anyone interested, I share how my heavenly Father gave it to me because He wanted me to have it. This blue Jaguar convertible is the goodness of God in front of your eyes.

Adopt God's mindset

When the scriptures say that God richly provides all you need for your enjoyment, it’s telling you the truth. And there’s only one condition: see money the way God sees money.

If you adopt God’s mindset regarding money and do it His way, you’ll find yourself living in a dream. Not the American dream but the abundant, life-filled realm of heaven.

That’s why Jesus taught us to pray, “Father, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

I gave up the pursuit of pleasure and pursued God’s kingdom and righteousness instead. He gave me abundant life where the yoke is easy and burden is light. He made me rich with no sorrow added to it.

I stopped being annoyed when paying people to work for me and instead focused on the blessing of being a part of providing for their family.

I stopped hoarding money and finding security in the size of my savings account and gave God full access. Now, I live in a flow of wealth that keeps on multiplying.

Instead of seeing the money as mine, I recognize it belongs to God. I ask Him for wisdom to steward it well, and He shows me how to multiply it continually.

If you look at my life and wish that you could live the same, know that you can. I am no one special. I’m simply obedient to the Word of God.

I’ve abandoned human wisdom, including Dave Ramsey’s. I’ve abandoned my own good ideas. I simply ask God to help me see money like He sees money, and here I am, prospering beyond belief.

It’s been a journey getting here, but that’s because I’ve been a slow learner. Everything I’ve taught you today has been implemented over the last 15 years of my life.

Don’t let it take you that long. Go all in. Implement all five of these things in James chapter five.

Most importantly, quit inviting money to the board meetings for your life decisions. Simply meet with God and do exactly as He says, even when you don’t understand.

Here’s the deal about God’s wisdom: it’s not yours. One hundred percent of the time, you won’t understand what He tells you to do. Do it anyway, and His wisdom will become yours.

Introduction

My message today is titled, “Hundredfold Return”. And yes, it’s about money. So go ahead and put down your defenses. I will help you see money the way that God does.

Luke 8:1-15 NLT - Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples. One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

How many of you have heard this parable used to teach about financial giving? 

In this parable, Jesus is teaching about sowing the Word of God and reaping a harvest. So, is it a misuse of scripture to apply this same principle to financial giving?

Not at all. How do I know? Because even the Apostle Paul used this parable to teach about financial giving. Take a look:

2 Cor 9:6-9 NLT - Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

And even in the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul teaches that whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.

Sowing and reaping is a spiritual law established by God. It has been around since the foundation of the world.

It applies to sowing seed in a garden. It applies to giving finances. It applies to how you treat people. It applies to any action you take in life. Whatever you sow, that you will reap.

Do you have a problem sowing a tomato seed and reaping a harvest of beautiful tomatoes?

But you didn’t even create the seed. You didn’t cause it to grow. You simply put it in the ground and watched over it. And now you think you can just pick off all those tomatoes and eat them?

Yes, you do! None of us have a problem when a tiny seed produces a harvest that is too great to count. That’s why it is a hundredfold return. From seed to harvest is an unfathomable calculation.

I know, the NLT said one hundred times. But what we are really talking about is one hundredfold. That’s when it doubles every time you fold it. We’re talking about your seed to the hundredth power.

For example, if you take the number two to the hundredth power, here’s what you get:

1,267,650,600,228,229,401,496,703,205,376

It’s incomprehensible to the human mind how a little seed can produce a big plant that produces a massive amount of fruit. Not to mention more seeds within the fruit! 

Again, we don’t have a problem with this! As a matter of fact, we expect it to happen. That seed best become a thriving tomato plant, or I will be upset that it did not fulfill God’s design.

But most of us, when we sow financial seed, have a problem expecting a hundredfold return on our little seed.

We think, “I shouldn’t get that much. I didn’t work for it. Why would God give me such a big return for the little amount I invested in His Kingdom?”

Or maybe you think, “It didn’t work last time, so it probably doesn’t work at all.”

It’s thoughts like these that prevent our seed from producing the massive harvest it was designed to produce. Our wrong thinking steals the seed or kills the plant before it matures.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Jesus teaches us how to care for our seed. Let’s read that verse again in the KJV.

Luke 8:15 KJV - But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 

According to this verse, three things are required for your seed to bear fruit:

1. Right motivation (honest and good heart)
2. Continue to believe (keep it)
3. Wait on the harvest (patience)

I bet you can easily identify where you missed it.

Maybe your motivation is off. You gave reluctantly or in response to pressure. Or, maybe you gave to get the praise of others. You wanted people to see how generous you are.

Maybe you gave up on the harvest because it didn’t come in your timing. You gave at church on Sunday because you needed the harvest on Monday. Then, you abandoned your seed when it didn’t come quickly. 

Identify where your problem is so you can fix it. It’s vital that you do because we are called to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, where there is always more than enough.

The church should contain the wealthiest people on the earth. Our resources should be so vast that we have no problem caring for all the widows and orphans.

We should possess the best land in the city and build things that glorify God and demonstrate the magnificence of His Kingdom. 

It's not that we create the harvest from our own efforts. No. We simply plant the seed, watch over it, and patiently wait while God creates the harvest.

Did that help anyone? It sure helped me. I didn’t realize I had a problem expecting a massive harvest from my financial seed until a few months ago.

When reading this, the Holy Spirit interrupted me with a question. He said, “You don’t have a problem expecting a massive harvest from a natural seed. Why do you have a problem expecting the same from your financial seed?”

For me, it was a problem because I didn’t feel like I deserved a massive harvest. I wanted to be able to say I worked for it. I earned that. But the reality is, that’s prideful thinking.

So, I renewed my thinking and updated my expectations. When I sow financial seed, I expect it to produce a hundredfold return. My seed is required to fulfill God’s design and produce a harvest.

I will use that return to advance the Kingdom of God. I will continue to believe and wait patiently while my financial harvest grows into maturity.

Our Church's Financial Seed

A few months ago, our church sowed a financial seed into a ministry in Argentina. As a church, we gave them $35,000 to fund a new building they need.

That seed is required to produce a hundredfold return. It was sown with the right motivation and we are expectantly waiting for God to multiply our seed into what we need for our new building.

A few weeks after we sowed the $35,000 seed, I received an email from our Mexico missionary. They had been waiting for land to become available next to their church.

After many years of waiting, it finally became available! Only one problem. They needed 220 THOUSAND pesos, which is equivalent to $13,500 dollars.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about an email. I lept out of my chair and praised God for an amazing opportunity to sow seed. The timing was PERFECT!

We are looking for land! The land we need costs millions of dollars. We don’t have millions of dollars. But we do have $13,500 dollars.

This is how the kingdom of God works! When you need something, God gives you an opportunity to meet that same type of need for someone else.

To me, this opportunity to sow seed at the perfect moment is even more miraculous than the harvest we will receive to pay for our land. I couldn’t get them the money fast enough, I was so excited!

So, together as a church, we sowed that financial seed by giving $13,500 to buy land in Mexico. They will close on the land next week.

Now, you will get to see with your own two eyes how these two seeds turn into a harvest of more than enough to buy the land we need and build a church that glorifies God.

Speaking of, allow me to update you on the journey to this new church building.

This past December, the Holy Spirit led me to the new 5th Avenue Business Park on the West side of the highway, just South of 76th St N. As I was searching it out, the vision for our next building started to unfold.

We are going to create a space where Owasso gathers. God has commissioned us to restore mentorship in our city where the old teach the young, and the young teach the old.

We are anointed to bridge generational gaps. And not only that but we are anointed to bridge denominational gaps. We are here to bring people back together.

To achieve this, our new space will not feel like a commercial building. It will feel like home. It will be so welcoming that people say, “I can’t wait to get back to NoLimits.”

We will have a living room and dining room that each hold about twenty people. This is where friends and family can gather without the pressure of HGTV.

If you’ve been in Owasso for long, you know that we need a coffee shop with more gathering space. We are going to solve that problem.

The NoLimits Coffee shop will be open to the community daily. It will become the favorite spot for business meetings. It’s where one-on-one mentorship will take place. And a great spot for date night and community events.

Our new auditorium will be three times this size and seat 300 people. It won’t take long to fill this up. When that happens, we will build a bigger auditorium and turn this one into a dining hall.

This vision unfolded as I pursued renting space in the 5th Avenue Business Park. But, throughout the negotiations, I began to notice warning signs. Then, the Holy Spirit told me to stop pursuing.

When you live life by the Spirit, these kind of things happen. The Holy Spirit leads you in a direction, you plan the outcome, and then the Holy Spirit surprises you with a different outcome.

Clearly, the Holy Spirit used 5th Avenue to awaken me to the vision. I believe there was also a divine connection with the owner that we will understand later.

But the story doesn’t end there. This journey is still unfolding.

Not many weeks ago, Evangelist Tim was texting me about a few properties available in Owasso. Then we went to look at them.

The first one was interesting but not quite big enough. The second one was… I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I left there with a big, confident smile I couldn’t get rid of.

It is located right off the highway, near 106th St N. There’s Jim Glover, then the bowling alley, then an urgent care, and then this land, which is ten acres.

Here’s a video of me driving up to the land. Currently, it is mostly overgrown with a ten thousand square foot building near the back.

This building needs an overhaul, as you can tell. It is basically an open barn. It needs new metal siding, and the inside would have to be completely finished out.

But, even just having a foundation with a steel frame saves about $400,000 in construction costs. Doesn’t that make you thankful that at least something already exists?

For those of you who have a hard time seeing what could be, just cringe and enjoy the process. For those of you who are visionaries, you already see what this can become.

Here’s a preliminary floor plan to help give substance to the opportunity before us.

Another church meets here at NoLimits every Sunday evening. A few weeks ago, our service went way longer than usual, so on my way out, I ran into a guy from that church coming to prepare for their service.

Fast forward two weeks. Tim and I were going to meet the realtor at this property to see inside the building. The realtor gets out of his truck, and I realize it is the same guy that I had just met from the other church.

These types of things are not coincidental. God orchestrates the right connections when we need them. How amazing is it that the realtor for this property already has a connection with NoLimits?

We’ve been working on the right offer to present to the owner of this land. We finally got the details ironed out, and the realtor is submitting them to the owner for consideration.

That is where we are in the process, and I will keep you updated.

Whether it is this land or not, a harvest is coming from the seeds we have planted. God will be glorified by confirming His Word with signs following.

I encourage you to get in on this heavenly principle of sowing and reaping. Take every opportunity to sow financial seed.

If we truly believe the Word of God, why would we hesitate?

Let’s see. I could store this away in a savings account and watch it rot OR I could sow it and experience the joy of harvest. 

Let me remind you what happens when you give generously:

2 Cor 9:9 NLT - God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

That’s the life I want to live. As a matter of fact, that’s the life I do live. Now, I am addicted to a generous life, and God continues to expand and multiply me as I go.

Finances in the kingdom of God are a free flow, a rushing river, an endless supply. There’s no need to store it up because there is always more to come. Tap into the joy of the free flow!

And don’t forget the three requirements Jesus taught us in regards to sowing and reaping.

1. Right motivation (honest and good heart)
2. Continue to believe (keep it)
3. Wait on the harvest (patience)

I am in no way pressuring you to give today. God loves a cheerful giver. If you aren’t cheerful about it, you might as well not give.

My goal today is to help you connect your mind with the truth that already exists in your spirit. Your spirit already knows about the hundredfold return. You are just waiting on your mind to catch up.

May today be the day your thoughts become fully aligned with the Word of God. May you walk out of here seeing money the way that God sees it.

Instead of using your mind to worry about money, use it to imagine what life will be like when the harvest begins to flow in your life. More than enough. Endless supply. Hilarious generosity.

That’s where you are headed. Now, take every opportunity to sow seed and never hesitate to expect your harvest. Just like you expect tomato seeds to grow tomatoes, expect financial seeds to grow your finances.

In August of 2022, I had a vision. I saw a great dust storm in the distance. It was rushing towards me. As it got closer, I realized it was gold dust. People were running into their homes to hide.

Then the Holy Spirit revealed this is God’s provision for the end-time harvest rushing towards us. We are to stand and receive it, not run from it.

When the Israelites left Egypt, they were given loads of silver and gold from the unrighteous. Not because they wanted to give; it was a move of God.

Many times in the Bible, you’ll find the Israelites collecting the spoils after winning a battle by the hand of God.  Once again, God will cause the ungodly to turn over their riches to the righteous.

We will win this war in America and collect all the spoils. God has redeemed America!

This vision was a simple call to prepare for end times wealth. Because if we don’t prepare, we’ll run from the miraculous provision.

We can’t miss this. God needs these resources in our hands so we can accomplish His will on earth during these last days. 

After my vision of the gold dust storm, the Holy Spirit gave me the interpretation. Here it is:

“There is a great provision for my people. I need you to receive it and not reject it. You are the ones that I can trust with it because your hearts are pure, and your motives are right. You will know exactly what you need to do with it.”

You may be thinking, “Why would you not receive a wealth transfer?” Well, there are many reasons.

Some will be tempted to reject it because it will be something you didn’t work for. We will be harvesting where we didn’t plant. And that’s a challenge for those who want to earn their wealth.

Others will be tempted to reject it because it seems too good to be true. And you’d rather hold on to your skepticism than receive from God.

There will even be some who are tempted to reject it because you don’t need it. You’ve been living in God’s blessing of abundance for quite some time, and you’ve settled in the level of wealth you live in.

Expand Your Capacity to Receive

Let’s deal specifically with the third issue. Almost all of us need to expand our capacity to receive.

You confirmed it last week when I invited you to receive a financial breakthrough. Only five people responded who wanted to break through to the next level of financial provision.

Of course, I probed you a bit and got you to respond. But we need to become a people who immediately respond, “YES!”, when the Holy Spirit invites us to come up higher.

It’s easy to settle into the level of wealth we live in. Our needs are taken care of. We have a little extra to have fun. Maybe we even have some solid investments going.

This applies to more people than you think. It isn’t just those who are making six figures a year. This is everyone who has what it takes to maintain the lifestyle you have chosen.

I’ve been in this category most of my adult life. Back when we made $30,000 a year between the two of us, all the way to today, where my business gives me a six-figure income.

At every income level, I’ve settled. We had food and shelter. We always gave our 10% tithe to the church. We were good!

But, over and over, the Lord has rebuked me for settling and helped me move on to the next level.

For example, if I had settled as a solopreneur when I was working by myself and generating a nice income, I would have never grown the business to provide for employees as well.

Not only that but as my income grows, my generosity grows! That’s what I love about giving 10%. Your generosity grows with your income. If not a percentage giver, that tends not to happen.

Generosity is great. It really is the joy of abundance. But I don’t want you to get the idea that God doesn’t want to bless you along the way.

So many people have a hard time with this. They get upset when someone at a different level of wealth buys a new house, or a car, or whatever it is. And you think things like, “They should have given that money to the poor!”

This might hurt a little, but if you have thoughts like that, you're the one with the problem, not them. The root of those types of comments is jealousy. You want their wealth because you think you could do it better.

Let me release you right now. When you get to heaven, God will not hold you accountable for how someone else spent their money. So, just let it go. Don’t concern yourself with it at all.

Let me show you something else that will bring you freedom:

Proverbs 10:16 NLT - The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.

If you are enhancing your life with your wealth, you are in good company with the godly. God is pleased when you love and care for your family with your wealth.

Yes, be generous. And yes, enhance your life. It isn’t one or the other. God has more than enough to handle both.

Have you settled?

So my question to you is, have you settled? I’ve found myself in this place TOO many times.

A little over seven years ago, I stumbled upon a house on Zillow that was like a dream come true. But it was just outside my capacity to receive.

So I went by myself to drive by it. I didn’t want Beth to know that I was dreaming outside of our comfort zone. But when I got there, something connected in my spirit. I knew it was for us.

So I took the risk and told Beth about it. And then we went to look at it. Beth had her list of desires, and I had mine. This house met all of them down to the last detail.

I wanted a house in the trees that had gigabit internet. Good luck, right? Well, this house had both. It was in a neighborhood but backed a green belt full of dense, huge trees.

Only one problem. I thought that the price was too much. We could do it, but it would be irresponsible. After much stressing about the numbers, we made an offer because I knew God wanted us there.

We got the house, lived there for five years, and the house payment was never an issue. Actually, we ended up doubling our payment so we could pay it off faster.

Looking back, God used this house to expand my capacity to receive. If I had settled where it was more comfortable instead of following where God was leading me, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I want to clarify that this isn’t something I tried to make happen. It was a Spirit-led transaction. I wouldn’t have done it without the prodding of the Holy Spirit.

After this, Beth and I started looking for a house on some land. Our desires changed over the years, and neighborhood life was no longer where we wanted to be.

We wanted to raise horses and chickens and cattle. We wanted to be a part of solving the food problems we face today, and we wanted our kids to learn the value of working on a farm.

I don’t know how many properties we looked at. We went to Romona, Ochelata, Talala, and Oologah. Lots of great properties, but a bit too far from church life.

For over a year, we kept an eye on every new listing that came up and tortured my mom, our realtor, by having her show us all the ones that piqued our interest.

Finally, we found a house on 17 acres, only a mile from our neighborhood house. Cross-fenced with a pond and a garden, it was the perfect house for raising farm animals. It even had a pool!

Only one problem. It was a three bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath house. We have five kids and were hoping for something a bit bigger. But we went to look at it anyway.

I already knew the land was gorgeous because I had driven by it many times. Actually, just a few weeks before it went on the market, I was driving down the road and said, “Lord, I’d love to live on this street. It’s beautiful and still close to Owasso.”

So the land, check, exactly what we want. The house, well, we went to see it with an open mind.

As soon as I walked in, I had a connection in my spirit. I knew, “This is home.” I had no idea how the three-bedroom thing would work out, but I knew it would.

So I went home and ran the numbers. Land is not cheap when it’s only a few miles from town. I found the right number, and it was $100,000 less than they were asking.

I tortured my mom again and asked her to put in this offer. Surprisingly, they agreed to our offer. Not only that, but they were happy about it.

So far, so good. I didn’t really have to expand my capacity to receive just yet. The purchase price landed where I wanted it to be. We had a lot of equity in our home. Everything was good.

And then, a few days after listing our neighborhood home for sale, I heard the spirit of God say, “Keep both houses.”

I know the Lord’s voice, and it was definitely His, but my reasoning took over instantly.

“That’s ridiculous! Why would I keep both? That would be a bad steward. What’s our current home going to do? Just sit here? We can’t rent or Airbnb it because of HOA…”

And on and on I went until I convinced myself to dismiss what the Lord said and move on.

This house is in a very desirable location. It’s a great house. Everyone expected it to be under contract just a day or two after listing it. Ten days later, we had a few showings and no offers.

At this point, I was getting a bit nervous. I started looking at all our competitions. I checked the MLS listing to make sure nothing was wrong. I asked Beth if we should lower the price.

After an hour or two of researching and fussing about our house not selling yet, Beth was moved by the Holy Spirit and said, “I am making this move easy for you. Stop making it difficult.”

Although the lack of showings kind of hurt my feelings, it was actually nice. Can you imagine getting a house ready to show with five small kids involved? It’s something else.

Nevertheless, I was willing to put in the work. I wanted this to be efficient. I planned on closing both houses on the same day, getting the move done, and still having plenty of cash in hand.

But the Lord was saying, “Quit being in a hurry! Relax and take this at My pace and My way even when it doesn’t make sense to your feeble mind.”

I submitted at the moment to this rebuke. But in the days following, I was like a yo-yo. One moment I’d say, “Let’s do what the Lord said and keep the house.” The next moment, “Let’s get this house sold asap!”

When our house had been listed for two weeks, with still no offers, I asked Beth, “What if we just keep this house as office space for me and my team? We would have gigabit internet, and I would only be a mile from home.”

Both of our eyes lit up. We had found the purpose for God wanting us to keep both houses.

I spent the rest of the day reasoning it out. Pros and cons. Running the numbers. Even after all of that, I knew it would work. Yet I continued to yo-yo for days!

Let me read you what I wrote in my notebook around that time.

“With the house situation, what it comes down to is this: God is leading me to keep both. The door is open, and I am going to walk through it. Sure, I could find reasons not to. But God knows the future. His leading holds infinitely more wisdom than my reasoning. I will trust Him and do what He is leading me to do: keep both. No more reasoning and listing pros and cons. Trust and rest.”

At this point, I mostly gave up the fight. I was still tempted to reason it out but did a pretty good job letting it go.

Accessing God’s Endless Resources

Once my fretting was over, the Lord finally had an opportunity to teach me what was really going on. He led me to Ephesians chapter three. I’ve read this chapter more times than I can count. But I knew the Lord would show me something I hadn’t seen yet.

Ephesians 3 is where we discover that God’s resources are glorious and unlimited. Verse 8 tells us there are endless treasures available to us in Christ.

I’ve always interpreted that to mean “spiritual” treasures like joy and peace. But when you look up the original Greek word, you find out it means “abundance of external possessions”.

So, when it talks about the endless treasures available to us in Christ, it refers to everything inward AND outward.

The question then becomes, how do we access this unlimited abundance? That’s what the Lord revealed to me. Take a look at verse 19:

Ephesians 3:19 NLT - May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

The word “experience” jumped out at me. To access the endless treasures, we must first submit to every experience of the love of Christ.

So often, we reject the experience Jesus tries to give us. For example, the Lord gave me an experience of His love by making a way for me to keep both houses.

I worked hard to come up with many reasons I should reject this experience of the love of Christ and the endless resources of God.

But if I rejected it, I would have delayed my ability to walk in the fullness of life and power that comes from God. I would have also missed my opportunity to prepare for the wealth transfer.

Endless wealth is fully available to us in Christ.

We need to learn how to access it. And it is as simple as submitting to each experience of the love of Christ, no matter how crazy it seems to your mind.

The Lord wants to do things in your life that you can’t comprehend. If you try to reason it out, you’ll talk yourself out of it every time.

So, you have a decision to make. Are you going to settle where you’re at, where you’re comfortable, where you can understand?

Or are you going to submit to each experience of the love of Christ and let Him accomplish infinitely more than you could think?

I am choosing to dive into each experience of His love, and I hope you’ll join me.

A Final Warning

After the Apostle Paul wrote about the unlimited abundance of God in Ephesians, He issued a warning about money shortly thereafter. Take a look:

Ephesians 5:5 NLT - You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Greed is sneaky. It shows up to tempt you, and you don’t even realize what is going on. But not anymore because I will help you identify it so you can reject it.

First of all, greed is not an amount of money; it’s a motive. You can be rich and greedy. You can be poor and greedy.

Greed has two primary qualities: wanting what others have and accumulating as much as you can.

If you found yourself thinking, “Why does the Lord want Kade to have two houses. I don’t even have one! When’s the Lord going to do something for me?” That’s greed trying to overtake your life.

If you go to work and think, “They don’t deserve that job. I’d do it way better. I don’t understand why they got promoted and I didn’t.” That’s greed trying to overtake your life.

If the Lord leads you to do something that drains your savings account, but you struggle to give up your accumulated wealth, greed is trying to overtake your life.

Greed shows up in one of two ways: wanting what others have OR accumulating and never letting go.

Reject greed. When you have thoughts like these, reject them. Don’t entertain them for one second. Cast down these ungodly thoughts because greed will lead you to a dark place.

Here’s a pro tip: One of the best ways to overcome greed is to find some way to be generous.

Every time you have a greedy thought, show it who’s boss by leaving an outrageous tip at the restaurant, or giving away one of your favorite things to a friend, or giving an extra offering here at church. Generosity kills greed every time.

Conclusion

This can all be summed up in a short word the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart two years ago:

“Expand your capacity to receive! Stop limiting Me with small thinking! Submit to the fact that you can’t comprehend the amount of wealth available to you in Christ. You might as well take the cap off because I am not capping it. It’s a free flow, a rushing river, an endless supply. Don’t try to store it up. Don’t stop the flow by hanging on to it. Let it flow freely because there is always more to come.”

Who’s ready for the wealth transfer? The Holy Spirit revealed that the reason it is coming to us is because our hearts are pure and our motives are right. We will know exactly what to do with it.

It’s time to start leaning into the wisdom of God. When this wealth starts chasing us down, let’s be ready. Submit to each experience of the love of Christ. Let Him shock you with His generosity.

Introduction

In the book of 2 Timothy, we discover that timidity is not from God. There will never come a time when God wants you to be timid. 

Actually, when you are timid, you have ventured outside of the faith realm and into the miserable place of unbelief.

When you are aligned with God, you are quite the opposite of timid. You are full of power. And not just any power, but God’s very own miracle-working power.

We’re talking about dunamis power! Power for working miracles. Power to live pure. Power to get wealth. Power to reach thousands. Power to destroy darkness.

Just like God gave Jesus His miracle-working power, He has given you His miraculous power. Take a look:

Acts 10:38 NKJV - God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.

Do you know why it says “Jesus of Nazareth” instead of “Jesus Christ”? Because this verse is talking about the human side of Jesus. The man from Nazareth.

God anointed the “man” Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power. This is what enabled him to work miracles and heal the sick.

Guess what? The same anointing is available to you. Just like God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power, He can anoint you with the Holy Spirit and power.

That’s actually what God wants. The will of God is for there to be no shortage of miracles in your life. So, why is that not a reality? The answer is in the word “anoint”.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth. What does that mean? 

When someone is anointed, they are consecrated to the purpose of God. They set aside everything else to do what God wants. They seek only the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

It’s the place of focus where you no longer listen to the desires of your flesh. You no longer look to please people. You have one mission, “God, what do you want?”

The ministry of Jesus didn’t commence until He was baptized by John the Baptist. In that moment, Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power.

This happened because Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing. He only said what He heard the Father saying. He was fully consecrated to the purpose of God.

For those who want to operate in miracle-working power, this is the question you need to ask yourself:

Am I willing to set aside my own desires and fully devote myself to what God wants?

This is a choice you have to make.

Here’s another way scripture says it, “Take up your cross and follow Jesus.” Or even better, in Galatians 5, “Crucify the flesh with its passions and desires.”

To operate in God’s miracle-working power, we must live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. If the flesh is still bossing you around, God’s miracle-working power cannot participate.

And really, this is by the grace of God. If dunamis power tried to flow through an unconsecrated vessel, it would not end well. You would probably be dead.

There’s a cost to the anointing. You have to die to yourself, and that’s not easy to do. Self puts up quite the fight. Yet, it’s better to die to self. Much better.

Fully devoting yourself to the purpose of God comes with an endless supply of miracles, wealth, purity, and, the best part, healing ALL who are oppressed by the devil.

Before we move on, please bow your head and close your eyes. I am going to ask you a personal question. There is no reason to look around because this is between you and God.

Answer this honestly. Are you willing to crucify your own desires and fully devote yourself to what God wants?

Now you know the key to God’s miraculous power flowing through your life. You must be fully consecrated to the purpose of God.

If you are not there yet, I am not here to get onto you. But just keep coming to church, and I will help you get to a place where you are ready to fully devote yourself to God.

So, let’s hone in on one of the many aspects of miracle-working power:

The Power to Get Wealth

Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV - And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers.

Did you notice that the power to get wealth doesn’t just exist in the New Covenant? It’s been around since the creation of mankind!

If you think God is against wealth, that lie goes back to hell TODAY.

God said, “Be fruitful and multiply!” (Gen 1:29)

God said, “I give you power to get wealth!” (Deut 8:18)

God said, “My blessing makes you rich!” (Prov 10:22) 

God said, “I will supply all your need from My glorious riches! And you will have plenty left over to share with others!” (2 Cor 9:8)

The Word of God makes it clear in numerous places that He is not against you having wealth. But we must balance this truth with what He says about greed.

God said, “Seek my kingdom! Let me take care of the things.” (Matt 6:33)

God said, “Don’t chase after money! Don’t trust in money! Trust only in me. I will richly give you all you need for your enjoyment.” (1 Tim 6:9-10,17)

God said, “Don’t store your treasure! Instead, use your money to do good. Be generous to those in need.” (Matt 6:19-21, 1 Tim 6:18-19)

It may seem like these scriptures contradict each other. But they don’t. Let me tie it all together for you.

Use God’s power to get wealth. Don’t chase it down. Don’t store it up. Don’t put your trust in it. Simply receive the power of God, go get His wealth, and use it for good.

This reminds me of something the Holy Spirit revealed to me in August of 2022:

“Expand your capacity to receive! Stop limiting with small thinking! Submit to the fact that you can’t comprehend the amount of wealth available to you in Christ. You might as well remove the cap because I am not capping it. It’s a free flow, a rushing river, an endless supply. Don’t try to contain (store) it. Let it flow freely through your life. Don’t stop the flow by hanging on to it. Let it flow freely because there is always more to come.”

Godly wealth is wealth you don’t trust in or rely on, nor do you store it up. It is a free flow through you to fund the purposes of God.

No wonder the enemy has us all consumed with expenses. His deception has caused us to believe that a good steward is someone who minimizes how much money is going out.

I realized the other day that we tend to get really excited if we save $20 on something. But we wouldn’t be near as excited if someone offered us $20 of income in exchange for a bit of work.

That’s because we are all way too focused on expenses! We are financially constipated, always trying to restrict the outflow.

What happens when you restrict the outflow? Things get backed up! You get to a point where you can’t take any more in! How much wealth is backed up in heaven because you won’t let it out?

Don’t store up your wealth. Instead, use it to do good, trusting that there is more where that came from.

Using Wealth for Good

Let’s talk about what it looks like to use wealth for good. We tend to get pigeon-holed into one thing when there are countless ways to use wealth to do good.

Let’s play a little game. I’ll give you a few scenarios. Decide if each one is a good thing or a bad thing.

• What if I use my wealth to feed the hungry and clothe the poor?
• What if a wealthy businessman gives me his $40,000 watch as a thank-you for leading him to Christ?
• What if the church takes care of widows and orphans?
• What if I give a gift to someone who doesn’t necessarily need it?
• What if the church pays its leadership well?
• What if the church builds a nice building?
• What if I build a nice home for my family to live in?
• What if I put in a pool for my kids to enjoy?
• What if I invest $100,000 into someone’s new business?
• What if I give the homeless person on the corner $20?
• What if I buy a jet to travel for ministry?
• What if I use that jet to take my family around the world?

I have yet to mention anything that the Lord would not consider good. He is good with everything I mentioned, including the jet.

The only thing He is not okay with is me chasing down money to do these things. My job is to seek His kingdom. His job is to provide all the things.

Did you know that entire websites exist just to criticize wealthy ministers? They gripe about how much their watch costs, or the car they drive, or the house they live in.

Interestingly, they never mention the millions of dollars they’ve invested into the kingdom of God. They don’t talk about the millions of people they have reached with the gospel.

Do you know why we get wound up about stuff like this? Because we are financially constipated! We think money is a limited supply. We think if they buy a jet, they can’t take care of the poor.

Lord, deliver us from the unbelief! Help us to see money the way you do! There is no shortage of resources in the kingdom of God! It’s a free flow, a rushing river, an endless supply.

You don’t have to worry about the wealthy ministers! If they are misusing money, God will deal with them. We should simply celebrate that the gospel is being demonstrated in a mighty way.

There is no shortage of resources in the kingdom of God. Where does it come from? A coin in a fish’s mouth? Multiplied bread? Throwing your nets one more time?

 It doesn’t matter where it comes from. We can trust that provision will come as we need it.

Faith for Wealth

Matthew 16:5-12 NKJV - Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Not long before this, Jesus fed 4,000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. Just before that, He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish.

Then, Jesus finds himself on a boat with the disciples griping at each other because they forgot to bring bread. His response? Beware of religious strongholds!

The disciples ignore him and keep arguing with each other. “Why did you forget the bread?” “Don’t look at me! Why did YOU forget bread?”

We still do this today. When the money runs out, we look at our spouse and say, “Why did you buy all those shoes?” In which they snap back and say, “Why did you buy that car?!”

In the midst of the blame game, Jesus pipes in and says, “Beware of religious strongholds!” What are you talking about Jesus?

“You have so little faith! Don’t you remember my miraculous provision? Of course, you don’t. You don’t put in the effort to remember. You are always on to the next thing.”

A religious stronghold is anything that prevents us from living in faith. Like in this example, the disciples were upset about their lack of planning. Religion teaches that when you miss the mark, you suffer the consequence.”

But did you notice that Jesus didn’t rebuke them for their lack of planning? He didn’t say, “How could you forget bread? Don’t you have a checklist by now?”

No, He wasn’t upset about their lack of planning. He was upset about their lack of faith. He wanted them to trust God to take care of them even when they messed up.

This is the heart of God. He wants you to live by faith, where what you expect from Him is completely detached from your performance.

He wants to take care of your needs! God’s will is to give you things. God’s will is to provide for your needs. God’s will is to come to the rescue when you mess it up. This is the heart of God!

You know what God wants? For there to be no shortage of miracles in your life. 

You know what else God wants? For you to live a life of faith where acquiring resources never consumes your thoughts. You are not even concerned about it because you are fully confident that God will meet every need in abundance until it overflows.

Brag on God

I want to brag on God. I’ve kept much of this hidden until now because I didn’t want to upset that religious spirit that gets all wound up when a minister is blessed.

I’m done catering to that religious spirit. I am changing my strategy. Instead of trying to keep it quiet, I’m going to rile it up.

You know what’s good about getting a religious spirit all wound up? It comes out of hiding so you can deal with it. So if any of this irritates you, I’d be happy to help you get free today.

God has given me the wisdom to create a business that brings in more in one month than I used to make in a year. Last month, I had my best month ever, earning over $50,000 in one month.

The Holy Spirit led Beth and I to buy a rental property in Owasso in 2019. We sold it two years later for $70,000 more than we bought it for, which is what enabled us to buy our farm.

When putting in an offer on the farm, the Holy Spirit led me to offer $100,000 less than the asking price. And guess what? We got it for $100,000 less than the asking price.

When we bought the farm, the Holy Spirit led me to keep our previous home for my office. Now, we own two homes less than a mile from each other, worth more than $1 million combined.

Several years ago, I was browsing Facebook marketplace. I came across a blue Jaguar convertible. I heard the Lord say, “I want you to have that.” I argued with Him about how irresponsible that was.

He won the argument. This car was $80,000 when it was new. I got it for $12,000. It only had about 60,000 miles on it. I still have it today, and it’s an absolute blessing from the Lord.

I love to go out with the top down and discover new country roads. I drive around 40-50 miles an hour like an old man. It’s great!

These are all things that the Lord has done for me and my family. I’m not bragging about what I have. I am bragging on the Lord. His blessing makes us rich and adds no sorrow to it!

The best part about partaking in God’s wealth is the amount of giving you get to be involved in. We’ve given away cars. We help take care of kids in other countries. We’ve given over $165,000 to this church over the years. We sow seed into other ministries as the Holy Spirit leads. It’s a good time.

If any of this aggravates you, we are going to have an alter call here in a bit where you can get freedom from that religious spirit. Or you can keep it, totally up to you.

Even with the amount of blessing I just explained to you, I know that I have barely tapped into what God really wants. I’m not even sure that it measures up to 1% of what He wants.

He’s been constantly renewing my mind regarding money over many years. It’s been on overdrive for the last few months because that end times wealth transfer is around the corner.

In August of 2022, I had a vision. I saw a great dust storm in the distance. It was rushing towards me. As it got closer, I realized it was gold dust. People were running into their homes to hide. Then the Holy Spirit revealed this is God’s provision for the end-time harvest rushing towards us. We are to stand and receive it, not run from it.

When the Israelites left Egypt, they were given loads of silver and gold from the unrighteous. Not because they wanted to give; it was a move of God. Many times in the Bible, you’ll find the Israelites collecting the spoils after winning a battle by the hand of God. 

Once again, God will cause the ungodly to turn over their riches to the righteous. We will win this war in America and collect all the spoils. God has redeemed America!

I’ve been moving in a prophetic flow most of my adult life. It was very sporadic early on. But it became very frequent in the latter half of 2020.

I’ve kept a log of all the dreams, visions, and prophetic words the Holy Spirit has given me. Through that, I’ve learned that I tend to see things about two years in advance.

This August will be two years since my vision of the gold dust storm. So, there is a good chance this is the year it will come to pass.

What I want you to remember about the vision is that it was a call to prepare by renewing your mind. Because if you don’t prepare, you’ll run from the miraculous provision.

What would cause us to run from it? That dang religious spirit that tries to convince us that wealth is not from God. That’s why I did my best to aggravate it so we can get it out of the way.

It's important to be a good sower and a good reaper. God wants you to joyfully receive just as much as he wants you to joyfully give.

Where you have planted seed, a harvest will happen. In this message, Darla Bell helps you increase your faith in God's divine multiplication.

Want to sow into NoLimits Church? You can give a tithe or offering online here.

Introduction

Did you uncover any hidden unbelief during our ten days of prayer and fasting?

Three disguises of unbelief were revealed to me: timidity, restlessness, and playing defense. All three of these are unbelief hiding under a disguise.

Let’s hone in on timidity. I believe it is the number one type of unbelief keeping us from fulfilling the many prophetic words spoken over our church.

Our name in itself has been a prophetic word: NoLimits Church. But it’s time for that prophecy to become reality.

We are to become a storehouse with resources so vast we accomplish exploits for the kingdom of God. We send people wherever they need to go. We care for widows and orphans. We become the leading force in Owasso. We make Owasso a safe haven until Jesus comes. We become known for extravagant generosity.

It is timidity that keeps us from this. Timidity convinces you to go back to what is comfortable. Timidity convinces you to wait until everything is in place before you take the next step.

Timidity keeps you from praying for the sick and delivering the oppressed. Timidity keeps you from sharing the gospel with a stranger. Timidity keeps you from multiplying your income.

Religion has taught us that timidity is a display of humility. Just take a back seat and be quiet. Don’t ruffle any feathers. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Be timid, because that’s how you remain humble.

Hogwash. That’s all a bunch of bull. Timidity is not humility. It is unbelief.

When we are timid, we reveal we don’t really believe the same spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead lives in us. We don’t really believe God is for us, and in us, and working through us.

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT - For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline.

According to this, timidity is a spirit. And I’ve noticed it is a persistent spirit. It looks for any opportunity to turn you into a coward.

I am so thankful prayer and fasting uncovered this nuisance! Now that we know it is unbelief, we will immediately run it off whenever it comes around. No more tolerating timidity! 

I am so thankful the NLT brought out the meaning of the word “fear” in this verse. Other translations simply say, “God has not given us a spirit of fear.” The Greek word translated to “fear” is defined as:

Deilia (fear) - Timidity, fearfulness, cowardice

We are not just talking about being afraid, although that is part of it. But encompassed in this word is every time we feel timid or act like a coward.

Now that we’ve removed the religious covering of false humility and exposed the hidden unbelief called timidity, we can bulldoze it out of the way and replace it with power, love, and self-discipline.

Interestingly, the word power in this verse means “miracle-working power.” In other words, as soon as you eliminate timidity, miracle-working power can show up.

Isn’t that amazing? There’s even more to it than that. The word we translate to power - dunamis - takes many definitions to explain. Take a look at this.

Dunamis (power) - Power for working miracles, moral power and excellence, the power and influence that belong to wealth, power and resources arising from numbers, power resting upon armies.

When we get rid of timidity, all of this God-given power can finally show up in our lives. Look at someone next to you and say, “God didn’t give you timidity. He gave you POWER!”

This word power - dunamis - is such a rich word. Let’s dig into each of these definitions to make sure we really understand what God has given us.

Power for Working Miracles

Timidity says that you have no right to expect a miracle from God. You should just accept your sickness, or financial woe, or whatever it is that keeps you down.

God didn’t convince you of that. Timidity did. Because God gave you power for working miracles. He doesn’t just want YOU to have a miracle; He wants you to work miracles in the lives of others!

The life of Jesus was an open display of what God really wants. Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing. When you see Jesus, you see the Father.

By your own assessment, was there any shortage of miracles in the life of Jesus? No. So what does that tell us?

God’s will is that there be no shortage of miracles in my life.

Want to know a good way to run off the spirit of timidity? Say that statement one hundred times a day.

Can we prove with scripture that God’s will is that there be no shortage of miracles, even today? Yes!

John 14:12 NLT - I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.

Tell timidity to take a hike because God has given you power for working miracles! The only limit to the magnitude of miracles you perform is the nonsense you allow between your two ears.

Say this: God has given me power to work miracles.

Moral Power and Excellence

Timidity says that you will always struggle with sin. That’s why you hear pastors say things like, “We all sin, so don’t worry about it. Just do your best and trust God with the rest.”

I’ll tell you right now: you cannot trust God with your weakness. If you truly put your weakness in God’s care, He won’t pamper it. He won’t try to keep it alive. He’ll destroy it with the breath of His mouth.

So many people think God is babysitting their sins and weakness. They think He is okay keeping it around like a pet. Oh no. That’s not God convincing you to do that. I’ll let you figure out who it really is.

God gave you moral power and excellence! He gave you freedom from sin! He destroyed sin's power over your life!

I love how Peter explains it:

2 Peter 1:3 NLT - By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him.

You don’t have to try to live a godly life. You’ll always struggle with sin if you try to eliminate sin with your own effort.

God didn’t tell us to try not to sin. No, He gave us POWER! He gave us everything we need for living a godly life.

How do we receive this precious gift of moral power and excellence? By coming to know Him.

So, don’t try to live a godly life. Rather, spend time getting to know God. The more you know God, the more of His great and precious promises you receive.

How do you get to know God? Through His Word. By coming to church and hearing anointed teaching and preaching like you are today. By remembering what He has already done for you. By spending time talking with Him through prayer. By praying in the Spirit.

Tell sin to take a hike because God has given you moral power and excellence! This power is made manifest not by trying but by keeping God at the center of your thoughts. REMEMBER the power God has given you because of Jesus!

Say this: God has given me power to live pure.

Power and Influence from Wealth

Timidity says that the influence that comes from wealth is a bad thing. So, you need to stay poor or close to it.

This sure is convenient for the kingdom of darkness. Because now, most of the wealthy people are evil people. And guess what comes with wealth? Power and influence.

Do you think God would rather this power and influence be in the hands of the righteous or the wicked?

We can’t change the fact that power and influence result from wealth. That’s just how it works. But we can change who has this power and influence. It should be us, the children of God.

If God hates wealth, He must have been really displeased with Abraham. Oh wait. God called Abraham the father of our faith. And I don’t recall Abraham ever getting in trouble for his wealth.

And don’t even get me started on King Solomon, the wealthiest man ever to live. Surely, God was displeased with his wealth. Oh wait. All of his wealth came from the wisdom God gave him.

Clearly, God is not against you having wealth. But the enemy is because he knows the power and influence that come with wealth.

In case you are having a hard time wrapping your head around this, here is scripture to help you out:

Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV - And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers.

Interesting. Once again, we are commanded to REMEMBER. What are we supposed to remember? That God gives us power to get wealth. Why? To confirm the covenant He made with us.

Say this: God has given me power to get wealth.

If you want to agitate a religious spirit, say that one hundred times a day.

Power and Resources from Numbers

Timidity says to keep things small. Stay true to your small business. Don’t let it grow too big. Don’t desire the church to grow. You can get more done when it’s small.

Excuse me while I search the scripture to find out where God commands us to keep things small and embrace small thinking. Oh wait, it’s not in there.

From the very beginning, God commanded us to be fruitful and multiply! Multiplication is commanded. 

Jesus confirms in the parable of the talents. Those who multiplied were counted as faithful servants. But the one who played it safe and kept things small was considered wicked and lazy.

God wants our church to multiply. We are to go from 150 to 300, from 300 to 600. And on it goes. That’s why we must get out of here and into a bigger space. We must multiply!

It has been prophesied that NoLimits Church is to be the leading force in Owasso, where no other organization will have the influence that we do.

For this to happen, our numbers must multiply. It will take more than the 150 people we have right now to accomplish this.

Did you know that power and resources are the result when many people come together? Just think of the resources that show up when the fair comes to town.

If it works for a carnal purpose, how much more will it work for God’s purpose?

We must eliminate small thinking. Those thoughts about keeping the church small that many of us have - eliminate them. Cast them down. They are ungodly. God wants us to multiply.

How do we know this is true? By what happened to the early church in the Book of Acts. All it took was one Spirit-led sermon from Peter to do this:

Acts 2:41 NLT - Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

Say this: God has given us power to reach thousands.

Power Resting on Armies

Timidity convinces you that you are a victim. Keep your defenses up because you never know when someone might hurt you. And get used to weathering the enemy's attacks.

But God says, “You are more than a conqueror. You are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You reign as kings and priests in this life.”

Yet, the church tends to sink back into this pitiful place of enduring the attacks of the enemy. We are always on the defense, just trying to hold on until Jesus returns.

Matthew 16:18 NKJV - …I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Gates are a protective mechanism. We use them for defense. Who’s gates are we talking about here? The gates of hell.

Gates are not on the offense. They don’t run after you. Gates can only fulfill a defensive role. So, Jesus is not saying that when hell comes after the church, it won’t prevail.

Jesus is saying that the defense of hell can’t hold up against the church. Hell has built a defense to keep the church out. But Jesus has given the church power to blow through the gates.

What are we going to do once we are in there? The next scripture has our answer.

Matthew 16:19 NKJV - And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

The church is to go right into the enemy's camp and bind up the works of darkness. We are to put them in chains and lock them up!

At the same time, we are to go into hell’s prisons and loose the captives. We are to break the chains of all those bound by sin and sickness.

We have the best defense. We’ve been given the armor of God. The angels are protecting us. God himself is protecting us.

The defensive role does not belong to the church. Our job is offense, offense, offense. Trust God to be your defense while you destroy the works of the enemy.

Say this: God has given us power to destroy darkness.

The next time you find yourself playing defense against the devil, knock it off. REMEMBER that God is your defense, and get your rear end back with the army we call the church and destroy darkness.

Conclusion

This is all so amazing, isn’t it? And it’s the truth! Just think of all the religious strongholds we broke today! To agitate them even more, let’s these things together one more time.

God has given me POWER to work miracles!

God has given me POWER to live pure!

God has given me POWER to get wealth!

God has given us POWER to reach thousands!

God has given us POWER to destroy darkness.

On January 28, 2023, the Holy Spirit revealed incredible details about God’s purpose for NoLimits Church. This prophetic word was received through tongue and interpretation.

I was in my office spending time with the Lord and praying when a bold utterance burst out of me in tongues. I knew I was declaring a powerful word from God.

You’ll see Beth and I operate in tongues and interpretation often. I give the tongue, and Beth interprets. Since Beth wasn’t with me that day, I didn’t expect an interpretation.

But my words effortlessly transitioned from tongues to English. I realized, for the first time, that I was interpreting my own tongue. It was an incredible experience.

I knew it was the interpretation because what I said could have never come from my own thoughts. This was far beyond anything that I could ever dream up on my own.

I’ve read this to the church several times already. Now I want to take you to scripture to confirm this is a true prophetic word from God.

Last week, we learned in First Thessalonians not to despise prophecy but to test every word that is said. How do we test it? Throw it against the Word of God and see if it sticks.

Everything that comes from God will agree with the Word of God.

That’s how we know abortion is not from God. Homosexuality is not from God. Transgenderism is not from God. Living a self-focused life is not from God.

Everything that comes from God will agree with the Word of God.

So, let me read this prophetic word again, and then we will test it with the Word of God.

The prophetic word for NoLimits

NoLimits Church will occupy the city of Owasso until Jesus comes. Our leadership and influence will make Owasso a safe haven until He comes. We will occupy by:

• Owning businesses in Owasso
• Serving on the City Council and School Board
• Having three church locations (Owasso West, Owasso Central, Owasso East)

NoLimits Church will be the talk of the city. People will say, “That’s where you go to meet Jesus! That’s where you go to be filled with the Holy Spirit! That’s where you go to get healed and delivered.”

We will become the leading force in Owasso. No other organization will have the influence we do. We will steward the influence well. It will be marked by righteousness.

Now, let’s break it down.

NoLimits Church will occupy the city of Owasso until Jesus comes.

Many of you will recognize this language directly from the Bible. One way I know this word is from God is because He used language from the King James Version when I mostly read the New Living Translation.

This is when Jesus was teaching a crowd. They thought the kingdom of God would begin right away. Jesus told them a parable to prove otherwise. Take a look:

Luke 19:12-13 KJV - He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 

There it is. Occupy till I come. What does this mean? The word translated to “occupy” literally means “to carry on the business of a banker or trader.”

So the point Jesus is making here is that we are to actively multiply what He has given us all the way until He comes.

And when He returns, He will ask us, “How much did you multiply what I gave you?” In this parable, one of the servants created a 10 times return. Amazing!

Even more amazing is Jesus’ response to this guy:

Luke 19:17 NKJV - And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’

Did you catch that? Authority over ten cities. Jesus went from giving them pounds - representing money - to giving them cities.

The word “authority” here means “delegated influence and the rule of government.” So, Jesus is saying, “I am giving you my influence to lead these cities.”

NoLimits Church will occupy the city of Owasso until Jesus comes. We will actively multiply the influence, power, and authority He has given us here in this city until He comes.

Our leadership and influence will make Owasso a safe haven until He comes.

The world is falling apart around us. But as we take our God-given authority in Owasso, we will create a safe haven for the people who live in this city. Here are two scripture that agree:

Proverbs 29:2 NKJV - When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

Psalms 91:5-7 NLT - Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.

Our leadership and influence will make Owasso a safe haven until He comes.

How amazing is this? As we fulfill what God has prophesied over us, it saves an entire city. Yes, our church will be thriving. But even more incredible is that our city will be protected because of us.

We will occupy by: Owning businesses in Owasso, serving on the City Council and School Board, and having three church locations.

So the question here is, “Does God want us to own businesses, serve in government positions, and possess land?

The answer is yes to all three of these. Let me show you in scripture.

Deuteronomy 28:11-12 NLT - The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. 

Proverbs 29:2 NKJV - When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

Matthew 28:18-19 NLT - Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations…

You can’t disciple nations without disciplining cities. Our assignment from Jesus Himself is to use His authority not just to disciple people but society. We are to lead our city in the ways of God.

This requires faithful followers of Jesus Christ to occupy places of leadership in the structures of society: business, government, and education.

You can’t disciple a city from the sidelines. You have to be at the top. We must occupy the high places. We must lead the city. It’s what Jesus commanded us to do.

We will occupy by: Owning businesses in Owasso, serving on the City Council and School Board, and having three church locations.

So far, this congregation owns two businesses in Owasso. NoLimits Event Center and Owasso Physical Therapy and Pelvic Health. There are many more to come. Who’s next?

Currently, no one here is serving on city council and school board. If that is tugging on your heart, now is the time to prepare for the next election.

We have one church location. Now we need two more. One near Highway 75 and another on the east side of Owasso. And most likely a new central location. We clearly need more room.

NoLimits Church will be the talk of the city. People will say, “That’s where you go to meet Jesus! That’s where you go to be filled with the Holy Spirit! That’s where you go to get healed and delivered.”

I don’t think I have to convince you that God wants this to be the buzz of the city. But let me take you to scripture anyways.

This is when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well. In the process of explaining how He was the Messiah, He told the woman He knew about her five husbands.

He wasn’t saying this to condemn her. Rather, He used this word of knowledge to prove that He was the Messiah. Then take a look at what happened as a result:

John 4:39 NLT - Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”

As we become the talk of the city, many will believe in Jesus simply because of people who experience God’s miracle-working power at NoLimits Church and then go tell people about it.

NoLimits Church will be the talk of the city. People will say, “That’s where you go to meet Jesus! That’s where you go to be filled with the Holy Spirit! That’s where you go to get healed and delivered.”

People are already meeting Jesus here. They are getting filled with the Holy Spirit. Speaking of, how many of you were filled with the Holy Spirit here at NoLimits Church?

People are already being healed, and that will continue to increase. People are being delivered from all kinds of sin and bondage. Soon, we will see people delivered from demons.

We will become the leading force in Owasso. No other organization will have the influence we do. We will steward the influence well. It will be marked by righteousness.

This agrees with what we already spoke about. But here’s another scripture to drive it home:

Deuteronomy 28:13 NKJV - And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath.

Of all the churches in Owasso, why did He choose us? It’s simple. We allow God’s power to flow through us. We submit to the Holy Spirit. And, we welcome the gifts of the Spirit.

You may wonder, why doesn’t every church do that? Well, it turns out there is a strong pull to please people. And when we try to please people, we will always end up in disobedience to God.

Many people have left this church because I refuse to please people. I’m okay with that because I’ve chosen to please God even when it displeases people.

Don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not out to displease people. That’s not my goal. But if people get upset over something the Holy Spirit is leading me to do, oh well. Do what you got to do.

We will become the leading force in Owasso. No other organization will have the influence we do. We will steward the influence well. It will be marked by righteousness.

We will not use the ways of the world to gain influence. The world puts on a show and manipulates people. We’re not doing that. Our influence is delegated from the Lord. He gave it to us to steward.

We will not be known as a people-pleasing church. We will be known as a righteous church. Not a self-righteous church, but one that boldly wears God’s gift of righteousness.

Now you see how this prophetic word lines up with God’s Word. So let me read the whole thing again.

The prophetic word for NoLimits

—

NoLimits Church will occupy the city of Owasso until Jesus comes. Our leadership and influence will make Owasso a safe haven until He comes. We will occupy by:

• Owning businesses in Owasso
• Serving on the City Council and School Board
• Having three church locations (Owasso West, Owasso Central, Owasso East)

NoLimits Church will be the talk of the city. People will say, “That’s where you go to meet Jesus! That’s where you go to be filled with the Holy Spirit! That’s where you go to get healed and delivered.”

We will become the leading force in Owasso. No other organization will have the influence we do. We will steward the influence well. It will be marked by righteousness.

—

We are called by God to protect our city from the evils of the end times. Why us? Because of all the churches in Owasso, we are the ones who are willing to do it God’s way, no matter the cost.

Will this come with persecution? You better know it. Jesus promised that we would face persecution, especially in the end times, for following Him.

Will there be troubles along the way? Guaranteed. But when troubles of any kind come our way, we consider it an opportunity for great joy.

Because we know, when our faith is tested, our endurance has a chance to grow. And we need our endurance to be fully developed in order to fulfill this prophecy.

Completely Funded

I don’t know if you realized it yet, but this is a big assignment. It’s going to be quite the journey to go from where we are now to becoming the leading force in Owasso.

Have you considered the amount of resources we will need to pull this off? It’s going to take an amazing full-time staff to get this done. Not to mention the three buildings we still need to acquire.

But God is not asking us to pay for it. He will fund the vision, but it has to flow through us. And most of us think too small regarding finances, including myself.

That’s why I received a follow-up prophecy just a few weeks ago. I’ve read it to you before. Let me read it to you again. And then we will test it with the Word of God.

—

“The vision has been funded. Funded in the Spirit. Funded in the natural. Everything needed is readily available. Simply reach in and grab what you need when you need it, like getting something out of a fully stocked pantry. People, finances, God’s goodness, healing, miracles - it’s all fully stocked!”

—

We’re not waiting on the funding and resources. It’s ready right now. God has made it readily available. We are to reach in and grab what we need when we need it.

Does God want ME prosperous

But here’s the problem. I bet every single one of us has heard teaching on how God wants you poor. And you probably have the experience to back it up.

So when we hear a prophetic word like this, there’s a conflict within us. We question if it really came from God. I know God will care for my needs, but does He really want me to prosper? 

We’re talking about large sums of money that will be given to NoLimits Church in order to fund this vision. Millions of dollars will be given to fund this vision.

Where will those millions come from? You. And anyone else God calls to partner up with this vision.

If there was ever a time to be diligent about renewing our minds regarding prosperity, it is now. We must do what it takes to break the deception of poverty off of our minds so we can embrace all God has for us.

I will help you with that right now by testing this second prophetic word against the Word of God.

Ephesians 3:16-21 NLT - I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

There you go. This scripture makes the prophetic word about being fully funded seem so small. Of course God can do that! Just look at what He wants to do: accomplish infinitely more!

I went through this block of scripture and looked up every single word in the Strongs concordance. I wanted to understand the depth of what is being said here.

After a three-hour study on these five verses, I wrote them out like we would speak them today.

I’m not adding to scripture. I’m not changing scripture. I am simply extracting the depth of the words that were written. This is going to bless you. Are you ready?

Our prayer of faith

Heavenly Father, Your unending abundance of possessions - Your wealth is incredible. Use it liberally to make us strong in our ability to operate in Your miracle-working power. We know you accomplish this only as we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us. So, Holy Spirit, we give you full access. Fill us now.

And Jesus Christ, we are confident in what God’s Word says about You. You are the Son of God who was sacrificed for our sins. You rose from the dead, securing our salvation. Make your permanent home in our hearts. We invite You to govern our thoughts, desires, and passions.

And now, the foundation of God’s love has been firmly established in us. Make us completely competent to fully possess this vast, wide, and deep heavenly love. We desire intimacy! We don’t just want to know about Your love. We want to know Your love through the intimate experience of Your love.

And don’t stop there, but fill us to the brim with your promises, presence, and power. Cram us full of You, God!

Father, You are fully capable and completely resourced to execute our requests. Anything we ask or think, we are confident that You will not only do these things, but You will go over and above. You will do more than is necessary. The results will be superior in quality.

And we understand that our cooperation is required to see these results. We must fully allow your miracle-working power to flow freely through us. So, we say yes. Let Your power flow through us.

As we gather together as the body of Christ united and strong in miracle-working power, Father, You are glorified. And not just in our midst, but Your glory rings out across the entire universe, throughout all time, forever and ever. Amen.

I need you to pray this every single day. I’m not just asking you to do this. I am commanding you to do it. Read this out loud every single day.

As you do, two things are going to happen. First, it will renew your mind so that you can flow in God’s abundance. Second, it will pave the way for the purpose of our church to come to pass.

Flowing in God's kingdom

We must line up with every part of God’s Word. Yes, get this sin out of your life, but don’t stop there. Speak God’s Word until you are flowing in the realm of His kingdom.

There is no lack in God’s kingdom. There is no sickness in God’s kingdom. And, there is no tiredness, depression, anxiety, or inadequacy in God’s kingdom.

If these things are in your life, you are not flowing in God’s kingdom. So how do you get there? Renew your mind by speaking God’s Word.

I am determined to break the spirit of poverty off of every one of you. Just because Jesus said there will always be poor among us doesn’t mean that you have to be one of them.

All Jesus was saying was, “You know what, there will always be people that don’t get it. They won’t do what it takes to renew their mind and access God’s provision. So take care of these people.”

And yes, we will take care of people of have yet to learn how to live in God’s flow of endless wealth. But for you here right now, you are not going to be one of them.

You are here at the beginning of this move of God. That means you have what it takes to break out of poverty and into God’s flow of wealth. You are called to prosper so you can help fund this work of God.

Don’t bow down to that demon of poverty. Kick it in the face and make a decision right now that you won’t stop speaking the Word of God until you are flowing in God’s endless resources.

This prayer that I wrote from Ephesians is a necessary ingredient for you to get there. Speak it every day, multiple times a day, until you are confident that God will not only do the things you ask, but He will go over and above. He will do more than is necessary. The results will be superior in quality.

Let me remind you of a tongue and interpretation we received back in August. I gave the tongue, and Anthony interpreted. Here’s what he said:

“My disciples were in the last hour. You are in the last seconds. Do not be afraid. Be bold and go out. The harvest is near. Call all that you can to God.”

And then, Beth gave us a word from the Lord:

“I own you. You are mine. You belong to me. Nothing can come against you in the name of Jesus. I bled for you, I died for you, and you are mine says the Lord. Nobody takes anything from Me. I have you in my hands. Nothing can come against you. I own you. You are my mine. You belong to me.”

This transitioned into Beth having a face-to-face encounter with the Lord. And she kept asking, “What do you want, Lord? What do you want? We’re listening.” The answer came to me in a vision. 

What I saw was a massive dust cloud heading our way. It reminded me of the images you see of the dust bowl in the 1930s. Only it wasn’t dirt. It was gold dust rushing towards us.

In the natural, what would you do if a dust cloud was rushing toward you? You would go inside and hide. But pay attention to what the Lord said about this vision:

“There is a great provision for my people. I need you to receive it and not reject it. You are the ones that I can trust with it because your hearts are pure, and your motives are right. You will know exactly what you need to do with it.”

So what does the Lord want? He wants us to receive His miraculous provision, not run from it.

Transfer of Wealth

The next day, I asked the Lord where this provision would come from. I am a business guy, so that’s the method I default to.

Here we are several months later, and I have realized that God is using business as one of the methods for wealth transfer. But it’s not the only method He is using.

So, yes, God is using business. But He has other ways to transfer wealth as well. Let’s review what happened when the Israelites escaped Egypt.

Exodus 3:21-22 NLT - And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed. Every Israelite woman will ask for articles of silver and gold and fine clothing from her Egyptian neighbors and from the foreign women in their houses. You will dress your sons and daughters with these, stripping the Egyptians of their wealth.

In this scripture, God is prophesying through Moses. He is giving the Israelites a heads-up so they would receive the wealth transfer instead of rejecting it.

I mean, can you imagine? They had been slaves to Egypt for hundreds of years. The generation alive at this time had only known slavery. They had never been free.

And then, suddenly, the people who kept them in slavery were handing over their wealth? If God didn’t tell them ahead of time, they would have rejected it.

They would have said, “Oh no, I’m not taking that. You’re probably trying to trick me.” But when it actually happened, they received the wealth because God gave them a heads-up.

He’s going to do it again. God is going to cause the ungodly to look favorably on us and they will give us their wealth. 

Just like it says in Psalms:

Psalms 105:44 NLT - He gave his people the lands of pagan nations, and they harvested crops that others had planted.

Here’s another confirmation:

Ecclesiastes 2:26 NLT - …if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him.

And the third confirmation:

Proverbs 13:22 NKJV - …the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

The gold dust storm is coming. You are either going to hide from it or receive it.

Purpose of Wealth

The purpose of this wealth is so we can accomplish God’s plan on the earth before the tribulation comes.

If you are thinking about how you’ll spend all of this wealth on yourself, the wealth isn’t coming to you. This is only for those who are focused on advancing the kingdom of God.

But it's not too late to make the corrections needed to receive this wealth. That’s why I am giving you two things blocking godly wealth so that you can get them out of the way.

Let’s turn to James to give it to us straight. If you are the type of person who likes a stern rebuke when you are wrong, James got you covered.

James 5:1-5 NLT - Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.

Many well-meaning Christians have read this scripture and concluded that God wants us to live in poverty. But that conclusion is foolish. It doesn’t align with the rest of the Bible.

2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT - And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV - And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Proverbs 13:22 NKJV - A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

I could go on. If you look to the full counsel of God’s Word, you’ll find that His desire is for His people to live in wealth. And the wealth He gives comes without trouble.

So many people misunderstand scripture because they rush over it and don’t take the time to understand what is really being said. To get it right, we must stop and reflect.

Who is James talking about? Everyone who has wealth? No. He is rebuking those who have an ungodly relationship with wealth. Let me show you:

James 5:3 NLT - …The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire…

This reveals the first thing that blocks godly wealth:

Trusting in money blocks godly wealth.

So how do you know if you are trusting in money? It’s about to get uncomfortable in here.

If you refuse to take a day each week to rest from work, also known as sabbath, you are trusting in money.

If God asks you to do something that drains your savings account (or, for the Dave Ramsey fans, your emergency fund) and you don’t do it, you are trusting in money.

Staying at a job for the paycheck, but knowing deep down that it is not where you are supposed to be, you are trusting in money.

If you don’t give the first 10% of your income to God, also known as the tithe, you are trusting in money.

I told you it was going to get uncomfortable. But I am willing to make you uncomfortable because you need to get these wealth blockers out of the way.

The body of Christ is counting on you to position yourself to receive the wealth transfer. We need resources to accomplish God’s will on the earth.

For example, God is leading us to start a one-room schoolhouse. It’s going to take an annual budget of at least $250,000. And we need $2 million dollars to acquire the facility that is waiting for us.

How are we going to pull this off? Because you and I will position ourselves to receive the wealth transfer. We will stop blocking it by getting these things out of the way.

Removing the wealth blockers

If you want to remove these wealth blockers, you must take action. I am stirring up your faith today. But faith without works is dead. So here are some things you can do to eliminate the first wealth blocker:

1. If you don’t tithe, start now. Every time you get paid, give the first 10% to God through your church.
2. If you don’t honor the sabbath, start now. Pick one day each week that you turn off your phone and ignore work to focus on God and your family.
3. If God asked you to do something that drains your savings account, do it asap. Don’t put it off any longer.
4. If you are holding on to a job for the paycheck only, start applying for new jobs this afternoon and trust God to reveal when you find where you are supposed to be.

Aren’t you glad you came to church today? Let me seal this with a scripture from the book of wisdom:

Proverbs 11:28 NLT - Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.

Listen. If you don’t deal with this, the wealth transfer that’s been prophesied will pass right over you. Godly wealth does not come to those who trust in money.

Since that one was so fun, let’s do another! Back to James:

James 5:3 NLT - This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.

A wrong relationship with money will not only destroy this life, but you will also answer for it on the day of judgment.

Let that be your motivation to fix these things today, including this second thing blocking godly wealth:

Storing money blocks godly wealth.

This is a tough one to wrap our minds around. It is ingrained in us to stash money away in our savings accounts and our 401ks. Everyone tells us that this is wisdom.

But is it godly wisdom? Or just human wisdom? Let’s ask Jesus.

Matthew 6:19-21 NLT - Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Uh oh. Once again, Jesus is bucking culture. Who are we going to follow?

For confirmation, let’s look at what was written in the Old Testament about storing money.

Ecclesiastes 5:13-15 NLT - There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.

If you store your money, you may have it for a little while. But eventually, something happens that takes it all away.

So, all that money that could have been used to advance God’s kingdom over the years was stored up and then stolen by the enemy. That’s what happens when we store money.

I told you. This is a tough one to wrap our minds around. But we are going to have to make a choice. Do we follow Jesus on this one or the wisdom of man?

Because here’s the deal. If we store up money like the world tells us to, the wealth transfer that’s been prophesied will pass right over you. Godly wealth does not come to those who store up money.

So how do you put action to this one? How do you get this blocker of godly wealth out of the way? I am going to leave that to you. Ask the Lord what you should do.

Recap

Now let me recap this entire message in two sentences.

Two things make wealth ungodly: trusting in it and storing it up for yourself. Godly wealth is a free flow through you to fund the purposes of God.

Wealth Prophesy

To end today, I want to share a prophecy the Lord gave me on August 31, 2022.

“Expand your capacity to receive! Stop limiting with small thinking! Submit to the fact that you can’t comprehend the amount of wealth available to you in Christ. You might as well take the cap off because I am not capping it. It’s a free flow, a rushing river, an endless supply. Don’t try to contain (store) it. Let it flow freely through you. Don’t stop the flow by hanging on to it. Let it flow freely because there is always more to come.”

This word from the Lord isn’t just for me. It’s for you too. So be diligent in getting rid of these two things blocking godly wealth. 

Stop trusting in money and stop storing it up. Position yourself to receive the wealth transfer that has already begun.

We are currently in a series about end-time promises. It won’t be long before Jesus comes back. In order to accomplish everything He has for us in these last days, we must live in His promises.

This series is not just teaching about God’s promises. It’s a manifestation of God’s promises. We’ve already heard some great testimonies, and there are more to come!

Recap

Last week, I helped you build your confidence in God's promise of protection. Is there anyone who was able to conquer your fears after hearing the message from last week?

The only way to be bold enough to accomplish everything God has for you is to have a revelation of His protection. You can’t just know about it, you have to know deep down that God will protect you.

When you have this confidence, fear no longer controls you. Sickness no longer scares you. Death is no longer a big deal.

You live with confidence, knowing that you get to decide when it’s time to go. Because God has given you authority over your own life, and He has promised to protect you from all harm and deadly disease.

But, I don’t want you to forget, this promise has a condition just like all the other promises we’ve talked about. Take a look:

Psalms 91:9-10 NLT - If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.

If you want to live in God’s protection, you have to make Him your refuge. In other words, don’t put your trust in anyone or anything else except God for protection.

You don’t need to fear sickness. You don’t need to fear threats from the woke mob. And you don’t even need to fear Satan or his demons.

Be confident in God’s promise of protection so you can live with boldness and accomplish everything God has for you to do.

Wealth Transfer Testimonies

A few weeks ago, we talked about the end-time wealth transfer. Since then, I have received several testimonies about financial miracles.

Interestingly, the testimonies have come from not only people who attended that service but also from those who have been watching it online.

One testimony was from a family who didn’t have enough to meet their bills. Normally they would have stressed over the budget and spent hours running the numbers. This time, they put it all aside and trusted God.

Within just a few days, they received an unexpected discount on one of their bills and an unexpected payment for something they had done for free.

These two things together equaled the exact amount of money they needed to balance the budget. God is good!

Another testimony was from a family who had a random guy come knock on their door. If this happened at my house, we’d probably pretend we weren’t home. Anyone else?

After this story, you might start answering those random visitors.

Reluctantly, they answered the door, and the guy said, “This might sound crazy, but my dad used to live in this house many years ago. I believe he buried something in the backyard. I will give you $5,000 if you give me 30 days to look for it.”

How would you respond to something like this? They said their first thought was, “Uhh, it’s not a dead body, is it?”

Turns out he was looking for buried silver bars. They dug up the backyard but never found them. Nevertheless, they got paid $5,000 for letting someone dig around in the backyard.

When it comes to this wealth transfer, God is going to do it in unexpected ways. Remember when Darla shared about someone giving her a business? Amazing.

Message Intro

Today I am going to build upon my message of the End Time Wealth Transfer. So we’ll just call this part two.

I was concerned a little bit when the Lord led me to preach on this subject again. Because if you preach about money more than once a year, you get accused of being a prosperity preacher.

Honestly, I’d rather be a prosperity preacher than a poverty preacher. The truth is, God’s desire is for His people to be wealthy so they are fully equipped for every good work.

The prosperity message does get out of balance when it’s the only thing you preach about. But that goes for any subject in the Bible. We need a variety of spiritual food to be healthy.

But sometimes, we need a higher dose of a specific subject for the season that is at hand. If we aren’t ready for this end-time wealth transfer, we’ll miss it.

Getting Ready for the Wealth Transfer

We can’t miss it. God needs these resources in our hands so we can accomplish His will on earth during these last days. Let me remind you of the tongue and interpretation we received a few weeks ago:

“My disciples were in the last hour. You are in the last seconds. Do not be afraid. Be bold and go out. The harvest is near. Call all that you can to God.”

This was then followed by a prophetic word:

“...you are mine says the Lord. Nobody takes anything from Me. I have you in my hands. Nothing can come against you. I own you. You are my mine. You belong to me.”

This move of the Holy Spirit ended with a vision I received of a gold dust storm running towards us. Here is the interpretation of the vision:

“There is a great provision for my people. I need you to receive it and not reject it. You are the ones that I can trust with it because your hearts are pure, and your motives are right. You will know exactly what you need to do with it.”

All of this happened a month ago on Sunday, August 7. Ever since then, I’ve been checking myself to make sure I was positioned to receive it and not reject it.

You may be thinking, “Why would you not receive a wealth transfer?” Well, there are many reasons.

Rejecting the wealth transfer

Some will be tempted to reject it because it will be something you didn’t work for. We will be harvesting where we didn’t plant. And that’s a challenge for those who want to earn their wealth.

Others will be tempted to reject it because it seems too good to be true. And you’d rather hold on to your skepticism than receive from God.

There will even be some who are tempted to reject it because you don’t need it. You’ve been living in God’s blessing of abundance for quite some time, and you’ve settled in the level of wealth you live in.

I’m a little embarrassed to say that I’ve been working through all three of these issues over the last four weeks. But I am making progress and I hope you are too.

Expand Your Capacity to Recieve

Today, I want to deal specifically with the third issue. I believe almost all of us need to expand our capacity to receive.

It’s easy to settle into the level of wealth we live in. Our needs are taken care of. We have a little extra to have fun. Maybe we even have some solid investments going.

This applies to more people than you think. It isn’t just those who are making six figures a year. This is everyone who has what it takes to maintain the lifestyle you have chosen.

I’ve been in this category most of my adult life. Back when we made $30,000 a year between the two of us, all the way to today, where my business gives me a six-figure income.

At every income level, I’ve settled. We had food and shelter. We always gave our 10% tithe to the church. All was good!

But, over and over, the Lord has rebuked me for settling and helped me move on to the next level.

Although He has sure blessed me along the way, the next level was not just for me. It was also for others.

Times when I could have settled

For example, if I had settled as a solopreneur when I was working by myself and generating a nice income, I would have never grown the business to provide for my employees as well.

Not only that, but as my income grows, my generosity grows because I give ten percent, just like the Bible teaches. And now I give far beyond that because I have all this extra income.

Generosity is great. It really is the joy of abundance. But I don’t want you to get the idea that God doesn’t want to bless you along the way.

So many people have a hard time with this. They get upset when someone at a different level of wealth buys a new house, or a car, or whatever it is. And you think things like, “They should have given that money to the poor!”

This might hurt a little, but if you have thoughts like that, you're the one with the problem, not them. The root of those types of comments is jealousy. You want their wealth because you think you could do it better.

Let me release you right here. When you get to heaven, God is not going to hold you accountable for how someone else spent their money. So, just let it go. Don’t concern yourself with it at all.

Let me show you something else that will bring you freedom:

Proverbs 10:16 NLT - The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.

If you are enhancing your life with your wealth, you are in good company with the godly. God is pleased when you love and care for your family with your wealth.

Yes, be generous. And yes, enhance your life. It isn’t one or the other. God has more than enough to handle both.

Have you settled?

So my question to you is, have you settled? 

I found out a few weeks ago that, once again, I had settled. I was completely unaware until the Lord started dealing with me on some things. And maybe He’s doing the same for you today?

A little over five years ago, I stumbled upon a house on Zillow that was like a dream come true. But it was just outside my capacity to receive.

So I went by myself to drive by it. I didn’t want Beth to know that I was dreaming outside of our comfort zone. When I got there, something connected in my spirit. I knew it was for us.

So I took the risk and told Beth about it. And then we went to look at it. Beth had her list of desires, and I had mine. This house met all of them down to the last detail.

I wanted a house in the trees that had gigabit internet. Good luck, right? Well, this house had both. It was in a neighborhood but backed a green belt full of dense, huge trees.

Only one problem. I thought that the price was too much. We could do it, but it would be irresponsible. After much stressing about the numbers, we put in an offer because I knew God wanted us there.

We’ve now been living there for five years, and the house payment has never been an issue. Actually, we ended up just doubling our payment so we could pay it off faster.

Looking back, God used this house to expand my capacity to receive. If I had settled where it was more comfortable instead of following where God was leading me, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Farm-House Hunting

For a little over a year now, Beth and I have been looking for a house on some land. Our desires have changed over the years, and neighborhood life is no longer where we want to be.

Our desire is now to raise horses and chickens and cattle. We want to be a part of solving the food problems we face today, and we want our kids to learn the value of working on a farm.

I don’t know how many properties we looked at. We went to Romona, Ochelata, Talala, and Oologah. Lots of great properties, but a bit too far from church life.

So, every week for over a year now, we’ve been watching what shows up on MLS and torturing my mom, our realtor, by asking her to show us all the ones that piqued our interest.

And finally, we find this house only a mile from where we live now on 17 acres. It’s cross-fenced and has a pond and a garden. It is fully ready to start raising farm animals. It even has a pool!

Only one problem. It’s a three bedroom, two and a half bath house. We have five kids and were hoping for something a bit bigger. But we went to look at it anyways.

I already knew the land was gorgeous because I had driven by it many times. Actually, just a few weeks before it went on the market, I was driving down the road and said, “Lord, I’d love to live on this street. It’s beautiful and still close to Owasso.”

So the land, check, exactly what we want. The house, well, we went to see it with an open mind.

Let's make a deal

As soon as I walked in, I had that same connection in my spirit. I knew, “This is home.” I had no idea how the three-bedroom thing was going to work out, but I knew it would.

So I went home and ran the numbers. Land is not cheap when it’s only a few miles from town. I found the number that would work for us, and it was $100,000 less than they were asking.

I tortured my mom again and asked her to put in this offer. We included a letter that explained why we were offering so much less - so we could add on to the house to fit our family.

Surprisingly, they agreed to our offer. We closed on the house this past Wednesday and will move in three weeks.

So far, so good. I didn’t really have to expand my capacity to receive on this one. The purchase price landed where I wanted it to be. We have a lot of equity in our current home. Everything was good.

My plan gets a wrinkle

And then, a few days after listing our current home for sale, I heard the spirit of God say, “Keep both houses.”

I know the Lord’s voice, and it was definitely His, but my reasoning took over in an instant.

“That’s ridiculous! Why would I keep both? That would be a bad steward. What’s our current home going to do? Just sit here? We can’t rent or Airbnb it because of HOA…”

And on and on I went until I convinced myself to dismiss what the Lord said and move on.

Our current home is in a very desirable location. It’s a great house. Everyone expected it to be under contract just a day or two after listing it. Ten days later, we had a few showings and no offers.

At this point, I was getting a bit nervous. I started looking at all our competitions, checked the MLS listing to ensure nothing was wrong and asked Beth if we should lower the price.

Quit overcomplicating things! I'm not making this hard!

After an hour or two of researching and fussing about our house not selling yet, Beth was moved by the Holy Spirit and said, “I am making this move easy for you. Stop making it difficult.”

Although the lack of showings kind of hurt my feelings, it was actually kind of nice. Can you imagine getting a house ready to show with five small kids involved? It’s something else.

And now we are not in any hurry to move. We can take some time to get the new house ready before we head that way.

My need for efficiency just doesn’t like it. I planned on closing both houses on the same day, getting the move done, and still having plenty of cash in hand.

But the Lord was saying, “Quit being in a hurry! Relax and take this at My pace and My way even when it doesn’t make sense to your feeble mind.”

The God's way/My way Yo-Yo

I submitted at the moment to this rebuke. But in the days following, I was like a yo-yo. One moment I’d say, “Let’s do what the Lord said and keep the house.” The next moment, “Let’s get this house sold asap!”

When our house had been listed for two weeks, with still no offers, I asked Beth, “What if we just keep this house as office space for me and my team? We would have gigabit internet, and I would only be a mile from home.”

Both of our eyes lit up. We had found the purpose for God wanting us to keep both houses.

I spent the rest of the day reasoning it out. Pros and cons. Running the numbers. Even after all of that, I knew it would work. Yet I continued to yo-yo for days!

Let me read to you what I wrote a week ago in my journal:

“With the house situation, what it comes down to is this: God is leading me to keep both. The door is open, and I am going to walk through it. Sure, I could find reasons not to. But God knows the future. His leading hold infinitely more wisdom than my reasoning. I am going to trust Him and do what He is leading me to do: keep both. No more reasoning and listing pros and cons. Trust and rest.”

At this point, I mostly gave up the fight. I was still tempted to reason it out but did a pretty good job letting it go.

Accessing God’s Endless Resources

Now that my fretting was over, the Lord finally had an opportunity to teach me what was really going on here.

In my morning quiet time this past Tuesday, I was led to read Ephesians 3. I’ve read this chapter more times than I can count. But I knew the Lord was going to show me something I hadn’t seen yet.

Ephesians 3 is where we find out that God’s resources are glorious and unlimited. Verse 8 tells us there are endless treasures available to us in Christ.

I’ve always interpreted that to mean “spiritual” treasures like joy and peace. But when you look up the original Greek word, you find out it means “abundance of external possessions”.

So, when it talks about the endless treasures available to us in Christ, it is talking about everything inward and outward.

The question is, how do we access this unlimited abundance? That’s what the Lord revealed to me. Take a look at verse 19:

Ephesians 3:19 NLT - May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

The word “experience” jumped out at me. In order to access the endless treasures, we must first submit to every experience of the love of Christ.

Don't reject the Experience of God's love

So often, we reject the experience Jesus tries to give us. For example, the Lord is trying to give me an experience of His love by making a way for me to keep both houses.

I have been working hard to come up with many reasons I should reject this experience of the love of Christ and the endless resources of God.

But if I reject it, I delay my ability to walk in the fullness of life and power that comes from God. I also miss my opportunity to prepare myself for the wealth transfer.

Endless wealth is fully available to us in Christ. We need to learn how to access it. And it is as simple as submitting to each experience of the love of Christ, no matter how crazy it seems to your mind.

The Lord wants to do things in your life that you can’t comprehend. If you try to reason it out, you’ll talk yourself out of it every time.

So, you have a decision to make. Are you going to settle where you’re at, where you’re comfortable, where you can understand? Or are you going to submit to each experience of the love of Christ and let Him accomplish infinitely more than you could think?

I am choosing to dive in to each experience of His love and I hope you’ll join me.

A Final Warning

After the Apostle Paul wrote about the unlimited abundance of God in Ephesians, He issues a warning about money shortly thereafter. Take a look:

Ephesians 5:5 NLT - You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

You’ll often hear the phrase “sin is sin”. This started out pure because they were simply making the point that Jesus forgives all sin, and that’s true.

But nowhere in Scripture, Old Testament or New, will you find the phrase “sin is sin”. It is just not true. There are certain sins that will lead you back into darkness faster than anything else.

Sexual immorality being one. Greed being another. If you are greedy, you prove that Jesus is not your Lord; money is. You are worshiping things rather than worshiping God.

Greed is sneaky. It shows up to tempt you and you don’t even realize what is going on. But not anymore because I am going to help you identify it so you can reject it.

First of all, greed is not an amount of money; it’s a motive. You can be rich and greedy. You can be poor and greedy.

Greed has two primary qualities: wanting what others have and accumulating as much as you can.

Examples of greed

If you found yourself thinking, “Why does the Lord want Kade to have two houses? I don’t even have one! When’s the Lord going to do something for me?” That’s greed trying to overtake your life.

If you go to work and think, “They don’t deserve that job. I’d do it way better. I don’t understand why they got promoted and I didn’t.” That’s greed trying to overtake your life.

If the Lord leads you to do something that drains your savings account but you struggle to give up your accumulated wealth, greed is trying to overtake your life.

Greed shows up in one of two ways: wanting what others have OR accumulating and never letting go.

Reject greed. When you have thoughts like these, reject them. Don’t entertain them for one second. Tell Satan to shut up because greed will lead you to a dark place.

Here’s a pro tip: One of the best ways to overcome greed is to find some way to be generous. Every time you have a greedy thought, show it who’s boss by leaving an outrageous tip at the restaurant, or giving away one of your favorite things to a friend, or giving an extra offering here at church. Generosity kills greed every time.

Conclusion

Everything I talked about today can be summed up in what the Lord spoke to me this past Wednesday. Here’s how I wrote it in my journal:

“Expand your capacity to receive! Stop limiting Me with small thinking! Submit to the fact that you can’t comprehend the amount of wealth available to you in Christ. You might as well take the cap off because I am not capping it. It’s a free flow, a rushing river, an endless supply. Don’t try to store it up. Don’t stop the flow by hanging on to it. Let it flow freely because there is always more to come.”

I am kicking off a new series today called End Time Promises. But, before we get into that, I need to be obedient to something the Lord led me to address today.

Our church is in a season where God is putting all the puzzle pieces together. He is drawing people here who are designed to fit together.

Our assignments and our giftings complete each other. And when we’ve learned how to put them together, we will be an unstoppable force for the kingdom of God.

God's Orchestra

It’s like an orchestra. Everyone has an instrument to play. Some are playing the same instrument but different music. Some are even playing the same exact music, but it is expressed in a unique way. 

This is what makes an orchestra sound so big and beautiful. All the different instruments come together to compliment each other. 

Where we are right now as a church is everyone walking in to find their seat within the orchestra. Some of you have found it already. Some are still searching. But don’t worry, you’ll find it soon.

Now that you have this visual let me expose how the enemy is trying to distract us in this season.

In an orchestra, the same instruments always sit together. The violins are over here, the trumpets are over there. So, as you find your place here at NoLimits, you are going to be sitting by others who have the same assignment and similar giftings. 

Here’s where the enemy shows up to distract you. He begins to plant these seeds of jealousy, and you start to think things like, “That’s my instrument. That’s what I’m here for. There’s not room for both of us!”

You may even find out that they’ve been practicing more and their gifts are more developed than yours. Again, the perfect time for the enemy to stir up jealousy.

Jealousy

Let’s take a look at what the Word of God says about jealousy:

James 3:14-16 NLT - If you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

Listen. We are all going to have jealous thoughts at some point in this process. But we have a choice to take those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ or let them fester into disorder and evil.

I’m just going to be upfront with you. There’s too much on the line here. We cannot hinder this move of God by letting jealousy and selfish ambition go unchecked.

So, consider this your friendly warning. I fully trust you to take these thoughts captive on your own. But if I hear of them festering, I am going to help you find freedom from jealousy.

When you encounter someone with a similar calling and gift as you, rejoice! That means you are both finding your section and place in the orchestra.

When you discover someone’s gifts are more developed than yours, rejoice! You just found someone who can help you develop your gifts. Instead of getting jealous, ask them how they got there.

Don’t tolerate jealousy. This isn’t a competition. It’s a team. We’re here to serve each other, help each other grow, and work together in the end-time harvest.

Building Update

God is doing amazing things here at NoLimits, and it’s up to us - all of us - to steward it well.

Speaking of, you may be wondering what we are going to do about our lack of space. We can fit 100 chairs in here, and we consistently have around 105 people every Sunday.

That breaks all the church growth rules. They say you should never be more than 80% full. But when the Holy Spirit is moving, it really just doesn’t matter how uncomfortable we are.

Nevertheless, we are on the hunt for a bigger space so God can continue to multiply what is going on here.

A few weeks ago, I told you about a vision I had where a pastor had failed to raise up the next generation, and his church was fading away because of it. He had been praying for God to correct his error, and then we showed up. And he was overjoyed to give his building to us.

When God gives you a word or a vision, He doesn’t give you the timeline. He doesn’t tell you when it is going to happen. But it will come to pass as long as you hold on to what He said.

So, I am waiting with expectation for this connection to be made. I am also doing the things that I know to do in the natural. Looking at buildings and letting everyone know we are looking for a building.

I know, it seems like God should have made this happen already. But He knows what He’s doing. Let’s trust Him with the timing and enjoy packing this place out in the meantime.

We’ll look back on these days with great joy. “Remember when we had to show up early just to get a seat? Remember when you had to sit in overflow if you showed up late?”

Make a choice now to enjoy this season, whether you get a seat, or have to sit in overflow, or stand in the lobby. These are precious times, and the Holy Spirit is in the midst of it all.

Go ahead and turn to someone next to you and say, “Get ready for overflow.” Look at someone else and say, “God’s promises are running after you!”

Series Intro

Over the next few weeks, I have the responsibility of reminding you of the promises of God. If we want to accomplish everything He has for us, which we do, we must live in His promises.

I don’t know how many weeks this series is going to last, but we are going to keep going until the Holy Spirit leads otherwise.

And you should know, this isn’t just going to be teaching about God’s promises. It’s going to be a manifestation of God’s promises. Get ready for great testimonies in the coming weeks.

It actually began last week when the gifts of the Holy Spirit gave us insight on what’s to come.

Gold Dust Storm

There was a tongue and interpretation. I gave the tongue, and Anthony interpreted. Here’s what he said:

“My disciples were in the last hour. You are in the last seconds. Do not be afraid. Be bold and go out. The harvest is near. Call all that you can to God.”

And then, Beth prophesied:

“I own you. You are mine. You belong to me. Nothing can come against you in the name of Jesus. I bled for you, I died for you, and you are mine says the Lord. Nobody takes anything from Me. I have you in my hands. Nothing can come against you. I own you. You are my mine. You belong to me.”

This transitioned into Beth having a face-to-face encounter with the Lord. And she kept asking, “What do you want, Lord? What do you want? We’re listening.”

The answer to her question came to me in a vision. I shared with you what the vision meant, but I did not share the vision.

What I saw was a massive dust cloud not too far away. It reminded me of the images you see of the dust bowl in the 1930s. Only, it wasn’t dirt. It was gold dust rushing towards us.

In the natural, what would you do if a dust cloud was rushing toward you? You would go inside and hide.

Keep that in mind as I read to you what I said last week about the meaning of the vision and the response to Beth’s question, “What do you want, Lord?”

“There is a great provision for my people. I need you to receive it and not reject it. You are the ones that I can trust with it because your hearts are pure, and your motives are right. You will know exactly what you need to do with it.”

So what does the Lord want? He wants us to receive His miraculous provision, not run from it.

Transfer of Wealth

The next day, I asked the Lord where this provision was going to come from. I am a business guy, so that’s really the only method I fully understand. But God is going to use a different method.

He led me to review what happened when the Israelites escaped Egypt. Take a look at what God said:

Exodus 3:21-22 NLT - And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed. Every Israelite woman will ask for articles of silver and gold and fine clothing from her Egyptian neighbors and from the foreign women in their houses. You will dress your sons and daughters with these, stripping the Egyptians of their wealth.

Did that hit you like it did me the first time I read it? God is going to do it again.

The scripture we just read was God prophesying through Moses. He was giving the Israelites a heads up so they would receive the wealth transfer instead of rejecting it.

I mean, can you imagine? They had been slaves to Egypt for hundreds of years. The generation alive at this time had only known slavery. They had never been free.

They worked hard every day for just enough to feed and take care of their families while the Egyptians became wealthy off of their labor. Sound familiar?

And then, all of a sudden, the people who kept them in slavery were handing over their wealth? If God didn’t tell them ahead of time, they would have rejected it.

They would have said, “Oh no, I’m not taking that. You’re probably trying to trick me or something.” But when it actually happened, they received the wealth because God said He made it happen.

He’s going to do it again. God is going to cause the ungodly to look favorably on us and give us their wealth. Position yourself to receive. He is equipping us for the end-time harvest.

I’m having to meditate on this. I like to earn what I have. I’m not looking for handouts. I want to work hard to earn wealth. So the thought of acquiring wealth I didn’t work for is strange.

God is the Distributor

Yet, it’s what God wants to do. He wants the wealth of the ungodly in the hands of the righteous. And He’s going to make it happen. Just like it says in Psalms:

Psalms 105:44 NLT - He gave his people the lands of pagan nations, and they harvested crops that others had planted.

And here’s another:

Ecclesiastes 2:26 NLT - …if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him.

One more:

Proverbs 13:22 NKJV - …the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

I’m in a better position now than I was last week to receive this wealth transfer, but I’m still having to renew my mind daily. And I encourage you to do the same.

The gold dust storm is coming. You are either going to hide from it or receive it.

You may be thinking, “How can God just transfer wealth from the ungodly to the righteous?” Well, just think of how easy it is to transfer wealth from one account to another.

I could initiate a wire transfer right now from my bank account to yours. And almost immediately, the wealth would be transferred.

If the banks have figured out how to do this, we can trust that God has figured out how to accomplish the end-time wealth transfer. Our job is to expect it and receive it when it comes.

Purpose of Wealth

Just keep in mind, this wealth transfer isn’t so we can start living a lavish lifestyle. No. This wealth is so we can accomplish God’s agenda on the earth before the tribulation comes.

If you are thinking about how you’ll spend all of this wealth on yourself, the wealth isn’t coming to you. This is only for those who are focused on advancing the kingdom of God.

It reminds me of the story Jesus told about a man going on a long trip. While he was gone, he entrusted his money to his servants.

One servant was given five bags of silver, another was given two bags of silver, and another was given one bag of silver.

When the master returned from his trip, he asked what the servants had done with his money. The servant with five invested it and earned five more. The servant with two started a business and earned two more. Finally, the servant with one his the money in the ground and returned exactly the same amount.

As you can imagine, the master was pleased with the two who multiplied what was given to them. And for the one who returned exactly what was given, that doesn’t seem like a bad deal. But take a look at how the master responded:

Matthew 25:26-28 NKJV-  You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.

Well, that sounds familiar! Remember what we just read in Psalms? That God is going to GIVE us the land of the ungodly, and we will harvest crops we didn’t plant?

Did you realize this parable is a part of Jesus’ description of the end times? In Matthew 24, Jesus explained what would happen in the last days, then He shared several parables in Mathew 25 to make sure we understand.

The parable of the talents is an end-time parable. Let’s keep reading:

Matthew 25:26-28 NKJV-  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

Uh oh. Did someone say, “Wealth transfer”? 

The third servant was not about his master’s business. He was too busy maintaining his own reputation. So what he had was taken away and given to the one who was about his master’s business.

In this end-time wealth transfer, the wealth of those who are not advancing the kingdom of God will be given to those who are advancing the kingdom of God.

What are you doing with what you have now?

So, my question to you is, are you spending everything God has given you on yourself? Or are you multiplying what He’s given you so you can take care of your family and advance the kingdom of God at the same time?

I encourage you to position yourself as one that God can trust with the end-time wealth transfer. Here’s how you do it:

Matthew 6:31-33 NKJV - Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

God promised you that if you focus on His kingdom and His righteousness, He will take care of your needs.

But if you are consumed with your own needs, He is going to take what you have and give it to those who are advancing the kingdom of God.

This is not God being hateful. He’s made it clear how to have your needs met. And it’s so simple. Seek Him first, trust Him, and He will take care of you.

But if we become wicked and lazy servants, there is no one to blame but ourselves when the blessing passes over us and heads to the one who is seeking God first.

Have you noticed how we’ve reversed this in America? The average person thinks that we should take from those who have more to give to those who have less.

Yet, here we have God taking from the one who has less and giving it to the one who has more.

The end-time wealth transfer is not a Robinhood strategy. This is not God redistributing wealth to make sure everyone has the same amount. No.

The end-time wealth transfer is God shifting all the wealth to those who will advance the kingdom of God. Is that you? I believe it is because of the word God gave us last week. Let me read it again:

“There is a great provision for my people. I need you to receive it and not reject it. You are the ones that I can trust with it because your hearts are pure, and your motives are right. You will know exactly what you need to do with it.”

We are the ones God can trust. But if you have a tendency to be a wicked and lazy servant, it’s time to repent. Turn from your wicked ways and seek God first.

Quit worrying about your needs being met. Take those thoughts captive. Don’t allow them any more. Stop fretting, stop worrying, stop striving to meet your own needs.

God knows you need these things. But the only way He can get them to you is if you stop obsessing over your own needs and instead obsess over the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Let’s all make a fresh commitment today to seek God first and trust Him with our needs while we advance the kingdom of God.

Can you believe we’ve made it eight weeks into a series about money -  at church -  and have yet to talk about tithing or generosity? I mean, seriously, what kind of pastor am I?

So far, I’ve been working to establish the fact that God wants you to prosper. He wants to take the responsibility of meeting your needs so you can focus on multiplying what He gives you.

Your identity is royalty. You are a son or daughter of God, the creator of the universe, the owner of all things. And everything He has is yours! He wants you to have it and enjoy it and multiply it.

God wants you to prosper. Actually, He needs you to prosper. It takes resources to accomplish God’s will on the earth. And if we don’t have those resources, the enemy has them. 

It’s time for the wealth of the wicked to transfer to the righteous. But it’s never going to happen until the body of Christ understands that God wants us to prosper.

If you don’t get that, you are going to be so tied up into thinking that money is bad that when God tries to resource you for good works, you’ll turn it away. You probably already have.

It’s time to stop that nonsense. I expect every one of you to prosper. I expect every one of you to get out of debt. Why? So we can do what it takes to disciple nations and get the gospel to the entire world.

Y’all, I’m so ready for Jesus to come back. We’ve got to get this done. And it takes all of us walking in God’s promise of wealth.

We can’t just hide out until the rapture. No. Jesus can’t come until the gospel is preached to the entire world. So we better get after it. Every one of you has a responsibility to prosper and resource God’s work on this earth.

So the day has come. You’re ready to talk about tithing and generosity. Now that you identify as wealthy because your Father is wealthy, you can hear this message without screwing it up.

Before, you were likely to hear a message on tithing and generosity and then try to use it to earn something from God. Now you know, you already have everything He has. So generosity is just a response to what God has already done.

It is simply cooperating with His financial system. God set this thing up. In order to prosper, you have to participate in the act of sowing and reaping. You sow financial seed, you reap a harvest.

So let’s talk about tithing and generosity. I’m going to start with a statement you’ve probably never heard at church before. You ready?

You’re not obligated to tithe.

Isn’t that a strange thing for a pastor to say? Again, what kind of pastor am I?

Well, I don’t want to disappoint you. So let’s head to Malachi, the scripture that has been used for centuries to guilt people into tithing.

Malachi 3:6-9 NLT - “I am the Lord , and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’ “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me.

Isn’t this starting to feel more familiar? A lot of pastors like to use this scripture to guilt you into tithing. After all, if you don’t, you are going to be cursed. How many have heard a message like that?

This causes us to believe that tithing is like paying protection money to the mafia. It’s the only way we are going to stay out of trouble with the big man! If we don’t tithe, God will break our washer or even worse, send us to the hospital with some kind of sickness.

For clarity, I’m kidding. God does not do these things, and I will get to that here in a bit. But I am helping you revisit some of these old teachings so we can get rid of them.

I even heard of a large church where, if someone came to them in need, the first question they would ask is, “Are you a tither? Because if you’re not a tither, you are cursed. And we are not going to bless what God has cursed.”

Tithes AND Offerings

I know, that’s extreme. But if you are going to have this viewpoint, you might as well go all in. And since we’re going all in, let’s revisit Malachi where God replied:

Malachi 3:8 NLT - “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.”

Why are we only picking on the tithe? This verse says tithes AND offerings. Some of y’all have been taking a shortcut!

Oh! Did you notice that tithes is plural? You mean to tell me, there is more than one tithe?

Oh yeah, baby. There are three tithes required by the law. The first tithe supported spiritual leaders (Numbers 18:21-24). The second was called the festival tithe (​​Deuteronomy 14:22-23). The third was taken every three years for the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).

So, 10% plus 10% plus 3.33%, since the third tithe is divided over three years, equals 23%. Now, now. How many of you have only been giving 10% all this time? I’ll help you figure your back pay after church.

We haven’t even gotten to the offerings yet. So, let’s talk about that. 

There was the firstfruits offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering, the peace offering, the sin offering - which, depending on your lifestyle, could get quite expensive - the trespass offering, the drink offering, the food offering, the new moon offering, and every time you had a child offering. Beth and I are in trouble on that one.

Add all the mandatory offerings up, and it would be about 33% of your income. And if you include voluntary offerings, it would be about 50% of your income.

So, let’s see, 50% offering plus our 33% tithe equals 83%. This is getting kind of uncomfortable. But on the bright side, the back pay around here is going to be legit.

Rescued from the Law

If you are going to hold on to this idea that God is going to curse you if you don’t tithe, then you better be accurate and give ALL the tithes AND the offerings.

And you are going to have to bring back the Jewish sacrificial system while you’re at it. But we don’t have to do that. Why?

Galatians 3:13-14 NLT - Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

The curse has no effect on us who believe in Jesus Christ. And it’s not because we followed the law perfectly. It’s because Jesus paid the price for our wrongdoing.

And it gets even better in the next verse:

Galatians 3:13-14 NLT - Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham.

Jesus didn’t just redeem you from the curse; He gave you the blessing. Again, not because we’ve followed the law perfectly, but because Jesus paid the price for our wrongdoing.

Giving from the Wrong Place

I’ve heard people say, “I’m a tither, so God owes me the blessing!” Nope. You’re a beloved child of God who has already been given the blessing through Jesus Christ.

Am I shattering anyone’s religion today? I’m not sorry. You need to be free from that because it’s your attitude that is keeping you from God’s promise of wealth. Take a look:

1 Corinthians 13:3 NLT - If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

You can do all the right things, but if it's with the wrong motive, you would gain nothing.

Before Jesus, you had to follow the law perfectly to walk in the promises of God. After Jesus, it’s simply about the heart. What is your motivation? Is it love? Or something else?

I want to press pause for a moment to let the Holy Spirit work. Go ahead and close your eyes, and in your own way ask the Holy Spirit, “What’s the lie I’ve been believing about generosity?”

Let’s recap. In Malachi 3, we learn about the curse on all those who don’t follow the Old Covenant laws of tithes and offerings. We’ve been rescued from the curse through Christ.

So now we’re left with a question:

If I have no law telling me to give, why should I give?

Let me tell you a story to illustrate. There was a woman who was married to the most demanding husband. Maybe some of you ladies can relate? Don’t raise your hand.

Nothing she ever did was good enough. He would leave her a list of things to do each day, she would do all of them, but there was always something she didn’t do right.

As you can imagine, this was very exhausting for her. But one day, her husband died. Later, she married a man who showed her unconditional love.

It wasn’t about what she could do for him. He just wanted her heart. And you know, she ended up doing more for him out of love than she ever did out of fear from her first husband.

This is the story of us with the law. We used to be married to a demanding taskmaster. And if we didn’t do it just right, we were punished for it.

But we died to the law and married Jesus Christ who just wants our heart. There’s no more demands. But the reality is, we will do more out of love than we ever did out of obligation.

How much to give?

Now that we no longer have the law to tell us how much to give, what does the New Testament tell us about how much to give?

You are not going to find a prescribed amount to give in the New Testament. You will find a wide range of generosity.

The widow gave a penny, but it was everything she had. The woman who washed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume gave a year's wages.

The early church sold all of their possessions and brought the money together to be shared. And look at what the Apostle Paul told the Corinthian church:

2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT - You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

This is the guideline of New Covenant giving. How many of you have ever given reluctantly? You just really didn’t want to do it. How many have given because the pastor pressured you to?

If you are reluctant, or feel pressured, you have the Apostle Paul’s permission to refrain from giving. Why? Because God is not trying to get something from you. He wants you to give, but only if your heart's in it.

The ball is now in our court. We decide in our heart how much to give. And there are two things to keep in mind when you are making this decision.

Does this amount bring me joy?

Does this amount require faith?

Those two questions will get you to the right number for you. If you only paid attention to the joy factor, you’d probably never stretch yourself. Add the joy factor with faith and you’ll figure it out.

Excel In Giving

Let me show you what I mean:

2 Corinthians 8:7 NLT - Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us —I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.

Our giving is not to remain stagnant, but it is expected to grow as we grow. So if you’ve been giving the same amount for the last twenty years, it’s time to mix in some faith and excel in giving.

This message isn’t to discourage you from tithing. It’s meant to set you free from the obligation of tithing.

And now that you are no longer stuck at ten percent, you can examine your heart and step out in faith so you can excel in giving.

For those of you just getting started, you may be at a loss now that I took the whole ten percent thing out of the equation. How do you know how much to give?

Like we read earlier, you decide in your own heart how much to give. But I do recommend you decide a percentage, not a dollar amount. That way your giving will always grow with your income.

I’ve heard a statistic that, on average, American Christians give less than 2% of their income. So now you know, it doesn’t take much to be more than average here in America.

Abraham and the Tithe

When it comes to the tithe, or 10%, I do believe there is something special about that number. Abraham gave a tithe before the law even existed.

In Genesis 14, you’ll read about Abraham defeating four trained armies with 318 of his servants. Like he took the guys who were taking care of his sheep, and cooking food, and rounded them up to defeat four armies full of men trained to fight.

How did he pull this off? Well, there’s only one explanation and scripture points it out for us.

Genesis 14:17-20 NLT - After Abram returned from his victory …  Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.”

It wasn’t Abraham’s crew that defeated the four armies. It was God who defeated them with the cooperation of Abraham’s crew.

We should be encouraged by this with everything we face in America right now. It really doesn’t matter how big or fierce our army is. We will defeat this evil because God is working through us.

Now, let’s look at how Abraham responded to this news:

Genesis 14:17-20 NLT - Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.

Melchezidek: A Type of Christ

Melchizedek was an example of Christ to Abraham. God used Melchizedek to give Abraham an understanding of what was to come with the New Covenant through Christ.

And all of this went down before the law. There was no law at this point. The ten commandments didn’t come for another four hundred years.

Yet Abraham gave a tenth from his own heart. No one told him to do it. He just wanted to do it because he understood that God is the one who blessed him with this victory. And when he saw Melchizedek, he saw Christ. And His response was giving a tenth.

When studying the history of the tithe, we find that the tithe is truly the way of God, not the way of the law. The law just adapted something that already existed and made rules out of it.

But don’t forget, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. Some discover this and use it as an excuse not to give. But for Beth and I, it actually freed us to tithe from the right motivation. It was no longer reluctant or in response to pressure. We just wanted to.

I know I freaked some of you out when I opened this message telling you that you are not obligated to tithe. But it’s the truth. You’re not obligated. You should only tithe when your heart is in it.

The bottom line is, God wants you to prosper. Here’s what I mean when I talk about prosperity:

Godly Prosperity - More than enough for my family plus an overflow to accomplish everything God asks me to do.

Now, let me show you in scripture:

II Corinthians 9:8 NKJV - God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

In other words, God wants you to have way more than you need to take care of yourself so that you have the extra needed to help others.

Say this: God wants ME to prosper.

Trust and Provision

Last week, I explained the prerequisite to living in God’s promise of wealth. First, you must learn to trust God to provide for your needs. 

If you don’t trust Him with your needs, you’ll be too busy taking care of your own needs. That in itself will keep you from living in prosperity.

You see, God’s love language is trust. He feels the most loved by us when we trust Him.

I’m not talking about trusting Him when everything is going right. Anybody can do that! I’m talking about trusting Him when things aren’t how we want them to be.

Another word for this kind of trust is “faith”. Faith says, “I don’t care what my circumstances are, God’s promises are true. The doctor doesn’t get the final word because God’s promises are true.”

Faith = Trusting God

So God’s love language is trust. And trusting God is a simple definition of faith. Take a look at what Hebrews says about faith:

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Now it all comes full circle. If we want to love God, then we trust God even when things aren’t going how we want them to.

To illustrate, I am going to read a message I received just a few days ago from someone right here at our church. She said:

“I just received a company-wide email to receive the vaccine by Dec 8th or face termination. I just submitted the exemption letter along with some research this morning. Pastor, thank you so much for your message on Sunday. You may never know how timely it was for so many. I can have peace in the storm because my Father cares for me.”

This is what it sounds like when you trust God. You get served with an impossible situation, you do what you can, and then sit back and enjoy the peace that surpasses all understanding.

And in order to get to a place where you live in God’s promise of wealth, you first have to learn to trust God to take care of your needs. Here’s the scripture you need to stand on:

Philippians 4:19 NLT - God will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

God supplies how many needs? ALL. Where does He get the resources to supply your needs? From His glorious riches. Do you have to earn it? No. It was given to you in Christ.

You don’t need to waste one moment consumed with your own needs. Why?

God supplies ALL your needs.

If this isn’t yet a reality in your life, it’s because you are trusting something other than God. Kind of silly when you think about it, but last week I explained why so many Christians have trust issues.

The answer is found in the life of Jesus. He always referred to God as His “Father”.  He had a full understanding that Father and the Son were one. And He knew His Father was well pleased with Him.

There is one time that Jesus called Him something other than Father. It’s when He was on the cross about to die. Take a look:

Matthew 27:46 NKJV - And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Notice He didn’t say, “Father, father, why have you forsaken me?” In this moment, Jesus became an orphan so that you and I could become sons and daughters.

It’s the divine exchange. Jesus took my sin so that I could have His righteousness. Jesus took my sickness so that I could be healed. Jesus took my shame so I could have His glory. Jesus took the curse so I could live in His blessing.

Jesus took my orphan spirit so that I could be God’s son. He took your orphan spirit so you could be God’s son or daughter.

Orphans are obsessed with what they do. They think, “If I do, I have. And if I have, I become.”

Sons and daughters are secure in who they are. They think, “Because of my Father, I already have what I need. Because of what I have, I do.”

This is the answer to any trust issues you have with God. All you need to do is ask Him to heal your orphan spirit - to heal all those times your earthly father messed up - so that you can see God as your loving Father who supplies all your needs.

Identity

Today I am going to solidify what we talked about last week by letting you in on your true identity. Last we talked about who God is to us. He is our father. Now I am going to show you who you are to God.

This past Monday, I took my six-year-old daughter on a date. She wanted to go to Hobby Lobby to get Christmas decorations for her room, so that’s where we went.

On the way in, she said, “I know exactly what I want. I saw it last year, and it should still be there.” So we went down every Christmas aisle looking for the thing she had in her mind.

As we were walking down each aisle, I’d point something out and ask, “Is this it?” No. So we kept walking. After we had been down every aisle twice, I squatted down and asked her to explain it to me.

She said, “I want a Christmas tree that looks like our big Christmas tree but isn’t big.” So I took her back to the Christmas tree section and showed her the 3-foot tree. That wasn’t it.

Then we went back to the section with all the mini Christmas trees. You know, the very first aisle we went to when we got there. I pulled out one with a burlap base.

The limbs weren’t spread out, so I was explaining how it would look like a Christmas tree once it was spread out. But she didn’t like the burlap base. So we went down the aisle a bit and there was one without it.

Finally, she said, “Yeah, that’s it. That’s what I was looking for.” We had already walked past it three or four times by then. But hey, we finally found it.

I don’t know if you’ve seen this section, but they have everything you could ever want for a mini Christmas tree. So we went through and picked out everything Leanna wanted for her tree.

You know what’s interesting? She never asked the price of any of this stuff. She was just looking around and grabbing everything that would complete her vision of this Christmas tree.

We got a mini tree skirt, and mini tree topper, a bunch of mini Christmas ornaments, a mini stringed garland, and mini lights. It was quite the haul.

Actually, when we got home, Beth looked inside the bag full of Christmas decorations and said, “I don’t think you are going to get all that to fit on that tiny tree.”

Not once was Leanna concerned with paying for everything. In her mind, she was on a date with dad, dad said she could have decorations for her room, and dad was going to take care of it.

She didn’t take time to think, “I wonder if I deserve this?” She didn’t ask me how much money we had in the bank. She willingly used dad’s resources to fulfill her vision of a Christmas tree for her room.

Come Boldly

Most of us wouldn’t even dare be that bold with our Heavenly Father. Yet, here’s what scripture tells us:

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV - Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

You know what this scripture is referring to? When we find ourselves struggling with sin. It’s basically saying:

“When you are at your worst - when you’ve really messed up - come boldly to your Father and receive mercy and grace in your time of need.”

Why does God want you to march up to His throne with boldness and say, “I did it! I sinned against you!”?

Because the only reason a Christian struggles with sin is because they’ve forgotten who they are. And the best way for you to be reminded is to be in the Father’s presence.

Looking in a Mirror

Here’s how James explains it:

James 1:23-24 NLT - For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

Do you realize you’ve never seen your face? You’ve only seen a reflection or a picture of your face. But you’ve never actually seen your own face.

You’ve also never seen your spirit. But the Word of God works like a mirror and helps you recognize your spirit. So, when you neglect the Word of God, you forget who you are.

You forget that you are free from sin. You forget that you are healed. You forget that you are God’s righteousness. You forget you have authority over Satan.

And when you forget who you are, you find yourself living in sin. But the best part of it is, even though your mess is your own doing, your Heavenly Father says, “Come boldly to me and receive grace.”

Why? Why is God so gracious? Because He wants to remind you who you are. You are His son or daughter and He is well pleased with you. He wants to supply ALL your needs.

Who We Are

So the only reason a Christian struggles with sin is because they forget who they are. It’s the same way with godly prosperity. You might want to write this down:

Godly prosperity comes by knowing who we are, not because of what we have.

Poverty is an evil spirit that creates an identity crisis. It’s the same with all the gender and sex confusion going on these days. It’s all an evil spirit that creates an identity crisis.

Satan is on a mission to make you forget who you are. He wants you to forget who you are to God. He wants you to forget you are physically. He is the author of confusion and there is no better way to get you confused than an identity crisis.

Here’s what it sounds like when you have a poverty identity crisis:

“I’m just not good with money.”

“I’ll never make enough money.”

“I’ll never get out of debt.”

“I don’t have a degree.”

“It takes money to make money.”

All of these types of thoughts reveal an identity crisis. Your true identity is royalty, but you are acting like a peasant and therefore you are living like a peasant.

A Poverty Identity

Reminds me of a young baby who was separated from his family at birth. He was adopted and grew up with a dad who worked hard day in and day out. But no matter how hard he worked, they always had barely enough to get by.

He would often hear his adopted father say things like, “People like us just don’t get ahead” and “God keeps us poor to keep us humble”.

So, when he became an adult, he had the same outlook on life. Like his adopted father, he became a hard worker but always struggled to provide enough for his family.

One day he became curious about his birth family so he decided to do some research. Imagine his surprise when he found out that a ten million dollar estate had been left to him by his grandparents.

It was available to him all along. The estate planners just weren’t able to track him down. So, he had just lived the last 30 years in poverty even though he had a ten million dollar net worth.

It wasn’t until he discovered his true identity that he broke the chains of poverty and began to live his true identity.

Godly prosperity comes by knowing who we are, not because of what we have.

Most Christians are waiting to identify as prosperous when they become prosperous. That’s not faith!

We must first identify as wealthy because our Heavenly Father is wealthy, not because of our circumstances.

Going back to the story about my daughter. She identifies as wealthy because her dad is wealthy. She doesn’t own anything, but her dad does. And as far as she is concerned, it all belongs to her.

Identity Scriptures

Now, let me show you several scriptures that reveal our true identity.

Psalms 1:3 NLT - They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Psalms 103:5 TPT - You satisfy my every desire with good things. You’ve supercharged my life so that I soar again like a flying eagle in the sky!

John 4:14 TPT - For when you drink the water I give you, it becomes a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, flooding you with endless life!

Proverbs 10:22 NLT - The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

This is a good time to point out that it is possible to become rich on your own. It’s hard to do, but there are plenty of people who pull it off. We can call this worldly prosperity.

Here’s the part about it that sucks. Worldly prosperity makes you rich and adds sorrow to it. You have to sacrifice relationships, sacrifice your integrity, and bulldoze others on the way to the top.

But when the blessing of the Lord makes you rich, He adds no sorrow to it. You become wealthy and still have your family intact. You become wealthy while maintaining your integrity, living generously, and never taking advantage of others.

Godly prosperity comes by knowing who we are, not because of what we have.

When is an apple tree an apple tree? After it bears fruit? No. Even when it has no fruit, it is still an apple tree. Actually, as soon as the seed germinates, it is an apple tree.

We can’t wait to identify as prosperous until we become prosperous. No, we have been prosperous all along because we are sons and daughters of the King.

I know this is hard to wrap your mind around, but I want you to get this. Your identity is who you are regardless of your circumstances.

If I moved to Colorado and acted like my parents didn’t exist, I would still be their son.

I haven’t seen my older brother in several years. He sure doesn’t act like my brother, but he is still my brother.

Your identity is who you are regardless of your circumstances.

Solving the Identity Crisis

Your current circumstances might tell you that you are poor. And if you identify with your circumstances, you’ll stay poor.

But if you latch on to your true identity in Christ, the blessing of the Lord will make you rich.

Identity comes first. You must solve the identity crisis. How?

It all comes back to the mirror analogy I gave you earlier. The only reason you know what your face looks like is because you’ve looked at it over and over in the mirror.

If you want to know what your spirit looks like, you must look at it in the mirror of God’s Word, over and over and over.

I hold up the mirror for you all every Sunday, but can you imagine what you’d look like if you only looked in the mirror once per week? Your hair would be a mess and you’d have something in your teeth.

Y’all, it’s time to develop the discipline of getting in the Word of God day and night. Start the day with the Word. End the day with the Word. That’s how you recognize your true identity.

This series is all about living in God Privilege. We’re learning how to live in the promises of God and focusing on three of them: wealth, health, and protection.

So far, we’ve been talking about God’s promise of wealth. And we’ve discovered that it is about more than generosity. We’ve got to learn how to see money from God’s perspective.

God wants YOU to prosper.

The bottom line is, God wants you to prosper. I’ll prove it in scripture, but let me give you my definition of godly prosperity:

Godly Prosperity - More than enough for my family plus an overflow to accomplish everything God asks me to do.

Now, let me show you in scripture:

II Corinthians 9:8 NKJV - God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

In other words, God wants you to have way more than you need to take care of yourself so that you have the extra needed to help others.

That’s how you know if you are living in the promises of God. If this scripture doesn’t describe your life, then all you have to do is apply what you learn from this series.

It works. I’m not teaching you anything that I haven’t put to the test already. I’ve applied these things to my life. I’ve seen the results of it and I want you to experience the same.

My expectation is for this series to send all of you on a journey with the destination of godly wealth. I’m talking about living debt-free, having more than enough plus an overflow for every good work.

Say this: God wants ME to prosper.

Maintain vs Multiply

Last week, we talked about Divine Multiplication and found out that if we want to be good stewards of what God has given us, we must multiply.

Multiplication is such a big deal to God, that the first thing He commanded us to do was to multiply. And He didn’t just ask you to multiply, He commanded you to multiply.

Actually, if you choose to maintain instead of multiply, you have become a wicked and lazy servant. A hard pill to swallow because we’ve all been wicked and lazy at some point.

Let me explain why maintaining is evil. When you maintain, your goal is to get things from others. You want them to pay for your meal, give you a discount, and let you have a free pass.

Since you are so focused on making sure your bank account always has X amount of dollars in it, you fear every dollar that goes out because you are maintaining.

Alternatively, when you are focused on multiplication, you look for ways to sow financial seed. It doesn’t bother you that your bank account is smaller for the moment, because you know it will multiply later on.

So, you spend the money you have to start a business. And because you serve people well through your business, money is attracted to you and in time, you multiply.

You give to your church because you understand that tithes and offerings are an opportunity to sow financial seed and see a supernatural return.

You invest your money in other businesses and assets that increase in value over time.

It’s time to give up on maintaining. Instead, look for opportunities to multiply. And as you learn to let go of your money in order to multiply later on, lean into God’s grace and wisdom. He’ll help you.

In order to get to a place where we can do this, we have to learn to trust God to provide for our needs. If we don’t trust Him with our needs, we’ll be too busy taking care of our own needs. And that will keep us from multiplying.

So, that’s what I want to talk about today.

God’s Love Language

There’s a song we sing here at church called How He Loves. We sing over and over, “He loves us. Oh, how He loves us. Oh, how He loves us.”

When we were singing this a few months ago, at the end we switched it around and sang, “We love You. Oh, how we love You. Oh, how we love You.”

As we were singing this, I sensed the spirit of God say, “I’d rather you sing, “I trust You. Oh, how I trust You.” In the midst of this, I realized that God’s love language is trust.

He feels the most loved by us when we trust Him. I’m talking about when life seems to be falling apart and we look to God with complete peace and say, “What I see doesn’t bother me because I trust You, Father. I trust You.”

This goes in line with what Jesus called the greatest commandment:

Mark 12:30 NKJV - And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.

This is quite detailed. He could have just said, “Love the Lord your God. Period.” But He wanted to give us clarity: with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.

What does that mean? Love God from the inside out. Everything you are, everything you do, every decision you make, your love for God should be involved in all of it.

In other words, you trust God in every aspect of life. You aren’t hiding anything from Him. You aren’t keeping anything from Him. You trust Him with your success. You trust Him with your failure.

Trusting God's Word

When God’s ways contradict your ways, you trust Him. So, you abandon what you wanted to do and run after what God wants you to do. Why? Because you trust Him. Just like it says in Proverbs:

Proverbs 3:5 NKJV - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.

Someone called me this past Friday to express their concerns with the covid vaccine. She was upset about all the mandates.

She has grandkids in California and they are trying to mandate the vaccine for kids to go to school. She has friends who are losing their job because they refuse to get the vaccine.

All of this has become really upsetting to her. And I get it. This is nonsense. They are even categorizing our military who refuse the shot as dishonorably discharged and unqualified for their pension.

If you want to get the vaccine, that’s your business. But we have to get into agreement that this mandate nonsense has to stop. We should all be praying that Biden’s mandate is overturned.

We should also be making it known to our employers, friends, and family that we don’t agree with the mandates. You don’t have to be ugly about it. People just need to hear it so they know they’re not alone.

So this person who called me was conflicted about it all. On one side, she didn’t agree with the mandate. On the other, she worried about how those losing their jobs would feed their families.

So, she asked the question, “Is it right for these people to put their family at risk of going hungry because they don’t want to get the vaccine?”

She proceeds to explain how it’s easy for me to encourage people to stand against the mandates because I am in a position where the mandate doesn’t affect me. I own my own business. We homeschool our kids.

But the reality is, resisting the mandate affects all of us. It causes flights to be canceled, truck drivers to go on strike, and hospitals to be understaffed. But it is a battle worth fighting.

If we give in to this, what is the government going to do next? If they can force us to inject something into our bodies, is there really anything they can’t force us to do?

I can actually tell you what’s next. They are going to use the climate change theory to try to control you. And it’s all about money.

Oil and gas is a very lucrative business and there are people who want that wealth. So they made up the climate change theory in an effort to shut down oil and gas companies so their alternative yet inferior energy sources could thrive.

I hope you’ll join me in standing for freedom. I refuse to sit on the sidelines while America becomes a communist nation. I’ll do my part to protect freedom so my kids and grandkids can live in a free America.

God Supplies

Back to the question about people losing their jobs, it made me think, “I sure hope people know how to trust God for their needs.” Because here’s the truth:

Philippians 4:19 NLT - God will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

God supplies how many needs? ALL your needs. Where does He get the resources to supply your needs? From His glorious riches. Do you have to earn it? No. It was given to you in Christ.

Someone needs to get a revelation of this. We shouldn’t waste one moment consumed in our own needs. Why? Because God supplies ALL my needs.

And this doesn’t even depend on my behavior. He supplies my needs because of who I am in Christ. Speaking of, here’s how Jesus explains it:

Matthew 6:26 NLT - Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

So why are you so concerned about your needs being met? I can tell you why. Because you are trusting in yourself instead of trusting in God. You are obsessed with meeting your own needs when you should be trusting God to meet your needs.

For all those who are losing their jobs because they refuse to give in to the vaccine mandate, you don’t have to go without. Trust God with all of your needs.

There are so many ways He can get them to you; through others, a better job, a genius business idea, the list goes on. Don’t limit how God takes care of your needs, just trust Him to do it.

And if you’re thinking, “Kade, this is easy for you to say. You don’t have to worry about losing your job by refusing the vaccine.” Well, let me tell you a story.

God Makes A Job Change

Three years into a job I loved that paid me really well, God led me to quit. I didn’t particularly like His request, so I thought I would stick it out just to make sure it was really God leading me to do this.

God has a sense of humor. Somehow He managed to shift this job from something I loved to something that was extremely aggravating. 

I was the business manager and was responsible for reporting to the board each month on the details of our financial situation. This was never a problem until after God led me to quit.

A new board member joined at that time and became a thorn in my side. Usually, if a board member had a detailed question about financials, they’d ask me ahead of time so I could prepare.

Not this guy. He would wait until the meeting, when I had fourteen people staring at me, to ask questions that I couldn’t answer without research. He was on a mission to humiliate me.

Then, my workload for my own business increased significantly. So I found myself struggling to stay engaged with both. It all became very aggravating.

It was so aggravating that I finally said, “Alright Lord, I get it. I’ll put in my notice and leave this job that pays me really well to do something I enjoy.”

But I was still nervous. Considering they paid me so well, I wasn’t sure how I was going to make up the income. I had a mortgage to pay, a wife to take care of.

Nevertheless, I put in my notice. Just a few days later we found out Beth was pregnant with our first child. Once again, God has a sense of humor. I wasn’t laughing, but I’m sure He was.

Before Beth and I got married, we had agreed that she would be a stay-at-home mom as soon as we had our first kid. So now, I not only needed to replace my income but her full-time income as well.

I had a choice to make. They didn’t want me to go, so I could have kept the job even though I already put in my notice. And in my own thoughts, it seemed like the right thing to do. But:

Proverbs 3:5 NKJV - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.

Thankfully, I chose to live out this scripture. I trusted what God asked me to do even though it didn’t make sense at the time. There was no indication that I would be able to replace my income.

But I took the step. And maybe that’s where you are. You know you aren’t supposed to give in to the vaccine mandate and you are about to lose your job.

If you reason it out, it makes sense to just go ahead and do it so you can keep providing for your family. Yet, there is something tugging at the inside of you saying, “Don’t give in.”

Don’t lean on your own understanding. Instead, trust the Lord with all your heart. Trust Him to take care of your needs while you stand for what’s right.

It worked for me and it’ll work for you. After I quit that job, my business flourished. It replaced my income, Beth’s income, and went far beyond that.

The business now not only provides for my own family but for my two employees as well. Why? Because I trust in the Lord. When He asks me to do something, I do it even when it doesn’t make sense.

How do you know if you trust God?

God’s love language is trust. If you want to love Him, then trust Him. How do you know if you trust God?

If you trust God, you have peace.

It doesn’t matter how bad it looks, you have peace. It doesn’t matter that what you currently see is contrary to what you are believing for, you have peace.

You know, God has promised me some pretty incredible things about the book I wrote a few months ago. They haven’t happened yet. I’m still waiting.

I’ll be honest though. There have been times where I’ve been a bit upset with God. So far, the book hasn’t even broke even. I’ve spent more on printing and marketing the book than I’ve made in book sales.

But you know what? God asked me to write the book. I trust Him to provide for the needs of the book and get it out to everyone who needs it. So, I have peace while I’m waiting for it to come to pass.

Here’s another way to know if you trust God:

If you trust God, your needs are always met.

We just read it earlier: God promised to supply all of your needs. He takes care of the birds. Won’t He take care of you?

So the only explanation for your needs not being met is because you trust something other than God.

Maybe you trust in yourself. But more than likely, it’s because you trust in money. You are looking at the size of your bank account as the source of your needs.

As long as you look to money to meet your needs, you’ll find yourself lacking. But if you look to God to meet your needs, they will always be taken care of. Here’s how Jesus says it:

Matthew 6:24 NLT - No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

And then a few verses down, He goes on to say:

Matthew 6:31-33 NLT - So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Did you just find out that you trust something other than God? You’re not alone. Most Christians struggle to trust God. Let me tell you why so you can find healing from these trust issues.

Why You Struggle to Trust God

The answer is found in the life of Jesus as it always is. Did Jesus struggle to trust God? Do we ever read about a time where His needs were not met? No. Jesus was always taken care of.

One time He needed to pay his taxes and He went and got the amount He needed out of a fish.

One time He was at a wedding and they ran out of wine. So Jesus gathered about 120 gallons of water and turned it into wine.

One time He was preaching to thousands of people and they were all hungry. They only had five loves of bread and two fish, so He blessed it, multiplied it supernaturally, and fed everyone.

Y’all. When Jesus was born, three wise men showed up and gave Him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Jesus was wealthy before His first diaper rash!

Jesus lived a life where all of His needs were met. Why? Because His trust was in God. But what enabled Him to trust God? Why did He never waver in this trust?

The answer is found in His relationship with God. How did Jesus refer to God? He always called Him “Father”.

Matthew 6:9 NKJV - In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

John 4:23 NKJV - But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

John 5:19 NLT - I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

Jesus had a full revelation of His sonship. He wasn’t God’s slave. He was God’s son. And He knew that His Father would give Him everything He needed.

There is one time when Jesus didn’t refer to God as Father. It’s when He was hanging on the cross, just moments before He died. Take a look:

Matthew 27:46 NKJV - And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

For the first time, Jesus was separated from the Father. And it’s not because He sinned. It’s because all of our sin was put upon Him. He took our place. He paid the penalty for our sin.

Notice He didn’t say, “Father, father, why have you forsaken me?” In this moment, Jesus became an orphan so that you and I could become sons and daughters.

It’s the divine exchange. Jesus took my sin so that I could have His righteousness. Jesus took my sickness so that I could be healed. Jesus took my shame so I could have His glory. Jesus took the curse so I could live in His blessing.

Jesus took my orphan spirit so that I could be a child of God.

Living Like an Orphan

Yet here we are, so many of us are still thinking and living like an orphan. We don’t see God as our loving father; we see Him as master or judge. Or even worse, through the lens of a failed earthy father.

Let me help you identify where you are with a few comparisons.

As an orphan, you see God as your master and think, “I have to serve God.” As a son or daughter, you see God as your loving father and think, “I get to serve my awesome Father.”

As an orphan, you are independent and self-reliant. As a son or daughter, you are in partnership with God. You don’t have to do anything without your heavenly Father.

As an orphan, you live by the love of law. It’s all about rules and regulations. As a son or daughter, you live by the law of love. You love God, you know He loves you regardless, and you love yourself and others the same way God loves you.

As an orphan, you are insecure and lack peace. You think, “I have to hold on to what I have because there might not be enough in the future to take care of me.”

As a son or daughter, you are secure and maintain peace even when you might lose your job because of a vaccine mandate. These things don’t even bother you because your Father is your provider.

He’ll supply all my needs according to His riches. I don’t even have to worry about the failing American economy. My Father owns this place and gave all He has to me.

Inflation doesn’t even scare me. My Father is so wealthy, it doesn’t matter how expensive things get. He will supply all my needs according to His riches.

It’s not like God is a pizza where we all get a slice. No, God is the bakery and there’s always more where that came from. My Father owns the entire universe. He is more than enough.

Orphans think the Father turns away when they sin. Sons and daughters know, “When I sin, I am the one who turned away. And all I have to do is turn back towards my Father. He’s always waiting.”

Performing for God

I heard the story of a seventy-year-old man who realized that although he was saved, he had been living like an orphan his entire life.

He was reminded of a time when he was twelve years old. At dinner one night, he showed his dad his report card. He had a 98%.

His dad looked at him and said, “That’s good, son. But next time you better come home with a 100. I didn’t raise a 98.”

In this moment, the 70-year-old man realized this conversation with his dad set him off on a lifetime of performing for approval.

He was living as an orphan trying to earn the approval of God when God had already approved him through Jesus Christ.

Maybe you had a distant father, so that makes you think that God is distant and doesn’t want much to do with you.

Maybe you had an angry father so you are in constant fear of God’s wrath and hide behind Jesus as your buffer.

Maybe you had a father that couldn’t provide for you and now you live in constant fear that one day, you’ll go broke.

Maybe you had a father who wasn’t even there and now you wonder if God is even there.

Whatever father images you have because of your earthly father, I’m here to tell you that God is not like an earthly father.

God Loves His Children

Nothing can separate you from His love. He’s not surprised by your mistakes. As a believer, when God looks at you, He sees the perfection of Jesus. He’s well pleased with you.

One more comparison between orphans and sons and daughters, and then we are going to ask the Holy Spirit to heal our orphan hearts.

Orphans are obsessed with what they do. They think, “If I do, I have. And if I have, I become.”

Sons and daughters are secure in who they are. They think, “Because I am a son of God, I already have what I need. Because of what I have, I do.”

Orphans think they have to believe and behave in order to belong. 

Sons and daughters already know they belong. And because they belong, they believe. And because they believe, they behave.

We can sum all of this up in one verse when Jesus said:

John 14:18 NKJV - I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

You know how he promised to come to us? Through the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is here right now ready to heal your orphan heart.

This series is all about living in God Privilege. We’re learning how to live in the promises of God and focusing on three of them: wealth, health, and protection.

For the past two weeks, we’ve been talking about God’s promise of wealth. And we’ve discovered that it is about more than generosity. We’ve got to learn how to see money from God’s perspective.

God wants YOU to prosper.

The bottom line is, God wants you to prosper. I’ll prove it in scripture, but let me give you my definition of godly prosperity:

Godly Prosperity - More than enough for my family plus an overflow to accomplish everything God asks me to do.

Now, let me show you in scripture:

II Corinthians 9:8 NKJV - God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

In other words, God wants you to have way more than you need to take care of yourself so that you have the extra needed to help others.

That’s how you know if you are living in the promises of God. If this scripture doesn’t describe your life, then all you have to do is apply what you learn from this series.

It works. I’m not teaching you anything that I haven’t put to the test already. I’ve applied these things to my life. I’ve seen the results of it and I want you to experience the same.

My expectation is for this series to send all of you on a journey with the destination of godly wealth. I’m talking about living debt-free, having more than enough plus an overflow for every good work.

Say this: God wants ME to prosper.

Everything we’ve talked about the past three weeks has been preparation. And now that we are ready to cooperate with what God has always wanted to do in our lives, let’s talk about divine multiplication.

But first, let me tell you a joke that contrasts some of the world’s economic strategies with God’s strategy.

God’s Economy vs The World’s Economy

• Socialism: You have two cows. The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor who doesn’t have a field to put it in.
• Communism: You have two cows. The government takes both, gives you some milk, and the cows die of neglect.
• Fascism: You have two cows. The government takes both, gives you some milk, and the cows die in the war.
• Nazism: You have two cows. The government takes both and shoots you.
• Divine Multiplication: You have two cows. You sell one to buy a bull. The herd multiplies, the economy grows, and you have more than enough for your family plus an overflow to accomplish everything God asks you to do.

The Origin of Multiplication

Multiplication was set in motion the moment the earth was created. Consider an apple. In it, you’ll find several seeds. It just takes one of these seeds to grow an entire apple tree that will produce countless apples that each contain multiple seeds.

Talk about divine multiplication. We can’t even comprehend how many apples can be produced from one apple seed. And get this:

Our first command from God was to multiply.

Take a look:

Genesis 1:28 NKJV - Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it...”

The first thing God asked us to do was multiply. In other words, divine multiplication has been around since the beginning of time. God wants to partner with you to multiply in every area of life.

It’s so important to God that He didn’t just ask us to multiply, He commanded us to multiply.

Jesus Demonstrates Divine Multiplication

Of course, Jesus gave us an example of this many times. One time, Jesus was just trying to get some time by himself. He had just gotten the news that John the Baptist had been killed and Jesus just needed some time.

But, someone spotted Him, and then the word got out that Jesus was in town. So a bunch of people gathered to receive healing from Jesus which led to the feeding of the five thousand.

It’s believed that when you add women and children to the count, this crowd was probably more like 15,000 or more. That’s a lot of people to feed! And all it took was five loaves and two fish combined with divine multiplication.

The early church demonstrated multiplication.

Or how about in the early church? There were 120 believers in an upper room waiting on the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised. 

They all received the Holy Spirit, spoke in other tongues, and then Peter gave a powerful message to people who were struggling to believe what had just happened.

After his message, look at what happened:

Acts 2:41 NLT - Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

In one Sunday, this church went from 120 people to 3,000. In one Sunday! That’s what you call divine multiplication!

Y’all, this is just three places in scripture where you discover the reality of divine multiplication. And we could keep going. But what I am trying to get you to understand is that multiplication is a big deal to God.

God has not just asked us to multiply - He commanded us to multiply!

Yet somehow we’ve gotten off on this idea that multiplication is a bad thing. You’ll hear people say things like:

• “God just wants our church to be small.”
• “God just wants me to be poor to keep me humble.”
• “I can’t handle more than one kid.”

Well… I’m going to call it. BS! God commanded us to multiply. Therefore, any idea that is contrary to multiplication is deception. If you believe multiplication is a bad thing, you’ve been deceived.

So, cast off the deception and buckle up because I am about to fill you with truth.

Stewardship

God has given us the assignment of a steward. We are to steward the earth. In other words, God put us in charge of what He owns and we are responsible for taking care of it.

Don’t let this get you wound up with all the nonsense about global warming. That’s just a fear tactic politicians use to control you and take your money through bogus regulations.

Listen to me. God already told us that at the end of this thing, life would be going on like normal. People will be eating and getting married and living life. And then, BAM, Jesus is going to come back.

That doesn’t sound like an earth destroyed by global warming to me. If that were the case, the Bible would say something about Jesus coming to save us from being fried by natural gas emissions.

Yes, we need to take care of the earth. But don’t give in to this nonsense about global warming. If fossil fuels were going to cause the earth to disrupt, God wouldn’t have created them.

That was a rabbit trail, but I’ve been wanting to tell you guys that for a while. Now that the fear of COVID is waning, they are trying to bring fear into your life through global warming. Don’t buy it.

What’s Required of a Steward

So, since we are God’s stewards, we need to find out what is required of a steward. Paul gives us the answer in I Corinthians:

I Corinthians 4:2 NKJV - Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

There is only one requirement for stewards mentioned in this verse. You have to be faithful. And it is not a suggestion - it is a requirement.

How would you define faithfulness? (Have people respond.)

All these things you’ve mentioned are great qualities to have. And they even line up with what the dictionary says about faithfulness. 

But there is one very important definition that we missed: multiplication.

You are faithful when you multiply.

Some of you might be really concerned for me about now. You're wondering how in the world can I define faithfulness as multiplication.

And that’s a fair argument. But hang with me, because the Word of God will reveal it to you too.

To explain, let’s head to the parable of the talents.

Matthew 25:14 NLT - The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.

This story is a parable, which means it is a made-up story to help us understand something. And if you’re like me, you struggle with anything that is not literal. So, us literal people have to think a little deeper to understand the symbolism.

Let me help you out. In this story, the man going on a long trip represents Jesus and the servants represent all of us.

Notice it’s a long trip. If you were wondering what is taking Jesus so long to return, now you know. He gave us a heads up. What are you griping about?

In the meantime, while He is gone, He has fully entrusted us with His money - His resources.

Divine multiplication requires obedience.

Another thing to notice is that this man who went on a long trip didn’t occasionally come back to check up on the servants to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to do. No, he told them what to do and entrusted them to do it while he was gone.

We have a hard time understanding this because we’re used to being managed. Our boss gives us an assignment and then checks on us a thousand times to make sure we get it done.

God doesn’t do this. He gives you an assignment and then fully entrusts you to do it. If you don’t do it, well, you’re the one missing out on divine multiplication.

Most people are so conditioned to relying on their manager to bug them until they get things done that they treat God the same way.

For example, the Holy Spirit gives you some big revelation and you don’t even write it down. You think, “Oh, He’ll remind me to do it. Heck, maybe He will even do it for me.”

Let me give you a hint: He won’t. The Holy Spirit will ask you to do something once. If you don’t do it, then you won’t even get another instruction from Him until you do.

If you feel you are stalled out in your walk with Christ, then you better take some time to remember what He told you to do last and get out there and get it done.

The Master Distributes His Money

Let’s continue the story:

Matthew 25:15 NLT - He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

Most Bible translations use the word talent instead of silver in this verse. The reason the NLT uses silver is because a talent is a measure of weight and is mostly used for gold and silver. One talent is roughly 75 pounds.

Today, one talent of silver is worth about $25,000. So, the first servant was given about $125,000, the second $50,000 and the third $25,000.

The exact amount is really not what is important here. What we need to get is that these servants were entrusted with a significant amount of responsibility. I mean, 75 pounds of silver is no chump change!

The Servants Multiply (Mostly)

Let’s continue:

Matthew 25:16-18 NLT - The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

Let’s make this story easier to understand. I am going to give all three servants a name:

• Moe: Started with 5 and ended with 10.
• Larry: Started with 2 and ended with 4.
• Curly: Started with 1 and ended with 1.

The Master Returns

Now, after his long trip, the master returned and had them give an account of how the money had been used. Let’s start with Moe’s response:

Matthew 25:20 NLT - [Moe], to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, “Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.”

Now listen to the judgement of the master:

Matthew 25:21 NLT - The master was full of praise. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

Don’t miss this! He said, “You have been faithful.” In other words, Jesus directly attributes faithfulness to multiplication.

There was nothing else this servant had done that was highlighted. It didn’t say he was dependable, or consistent, or loyal, or anything else. Yes, those are all good qualities, but the only thing tied to faithfulness here is multiplication.

The same is true for Larry:

Matthew 25:22-23 NLT- [Larry] came forward and said, “Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.” The master said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

Once again, the servant multiplied what was entrusted to him and it clearly connected to being faithful.

And notice the master’s response was exactly the same. This means that when we get to heaven, God will pay no attention to who has the most. The only thing that matters is, did you multiply what you already had?

So quit comparing yourself with someone who is more wealthy than you. The amount is irrelevant. The only score that matters is, did YOU multiply what God gave YOU?

An example would be a stay-at-home mom who multiplied her effectiveness by pouring into her kids day in and day out. She will be equally as praised as the entrepreneur who multiplied his business.

Now, let’s see what happened to Curly… the guy who hid his money:

Matthew 25:24-25 NLT - Then [Curly] said, “Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.”

Before we read about Curly’s judgement, let’s examine what is going on here. First of all, Curly didn’t multiply - he maintained what was given to him. Don’t miss this. He didn’t multiply. He maintained.

Also, he didn’t understand the character of his master, so he incorrectly perceived him as harsh and unfair. Therefore, he was afraid. Fear shut him down and kept him from multiplying.

This happens to so many Christians. They don’t understand God’s character because of wrong teaching or not spending enough time in the Word of God. And so they think God is harsh and unfair and this fear causes them to go in their little hidey hole and live a pitiful life.

But God is love. He is just. He is righteous. And He is wealthy. And He loves you too much to leave you in your little hidey-hole. That’s why he gives Curly a very stern rebuke:

The Third Servant's Judgement

Matthew 25:26-27 NLT - But the master replied, “You wicked and lazy servant!”

Oh, man. Can you imagine someone saying that to you? What if I said that to you? You’d leave the church and go tell everyone on social media that I wasn’t a real Christian because I said something that hurt your feelings.

Nevertheless, this is going to be the response we get from Jesus if we fail to multiply what was given to us.

I can see how the word ‘wicked’ in this verse could throw you off, making you think this kind of servant would lose their salvation. So let’s dig into the greek word translated to wicked here for a better understanding.

Ponēros (wicked) - Full of labours, annoyances, hardships; of a bad nature or condition

Wow. Digging into these words brings such a greater understanding, doesn’t it? This servant lived a terrible life because he chose not to multiply.

He probably worked an annoying, dead-end job. He probably didn’t make enough money to care for his own family, so they lived under the stress of credit card debt. Something was always breaking down and going wrong.

And because his life sucked, he developed a bad nature. No one wanted to be around him because he was no fun to be around. In other words, he was called to make a difference in the lives of others, but all he did was run people off.

Now you see why the master called him wicked and lazy? He didn’t do what he was asked to do!

God had an abundant life planned for him that would impact countless other lives, but because he refused to embrace multiplication, he lived a miserable life.

Let me summarize this for you:

Those who multiply are good and faithful. Those who maintain are full of hardships that cause a bad nature.

Ouch. That hurts. I think we could just stop here and all go lick our wounds. But we’re not going to do that. We are going to repent of all the times we’ve chosen to maintain instead of multiply.

Because whatever God puts in our care - whether it’s finances, or skills, or kids, or a business - we are to return it to him multiplied. 

Grace and Multiplication

And here’s the good news - you don’t have to do it by yourself. God unloads His grace to help you.

You might feel discouraged right now, but that is not the purpose of this message. I simply want to make you aware that the call to multiply is on your life.

This can be overwhelming. And even the Apostle Paul was overwhelmed with the call of God on his life. But look at the Lord’s response when Paul was crying out for help:

2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT - “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

One of the Greek words for weakness is limitations. Just like you and I, the Apostle Paul had limitations. But limitations are actually a beautiful thing because when we reach our limit, God’s power can work through us to make up the difference.

That’s why Paul went from whining about his limitations to rejoicing about his limitations. He realized that God’s grace is more than enough to handle every area where he was lacking.

Isn’t that good news? You don’t have to have it all together. You don’t have to know how to do everything. But you do have to learn how to rely on God’s grace. This is called living by faith.

Romans 5:2 NKJV - ...we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand...

The only way to divine multiplication is by faith.

You can’t do this by yourself. You can’t do this without confidence in God’s Word. You can’t do this without faith.

You must trust God to give you His grace every time you need it. You must trust in the promises of God even when it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. You must really believe our core scripture:

Ephesians 3:20 NLT - Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 

It would be overwhelming and discouraging to try to multiply on our own. Thank God we don’t have to! Here’s the reality:

Your calling is greater than your natural ability.

And since God has called you to do something that goes beyond what you can do on your own, He will fully equip you, by His grace, to accomplish what He has called you to do.

But you have to stop trying to do it on your own and receive His grace by faith. You have to walk with God every day. You have to learn to seek Him first.

Now, let’s wrap this up by making it practical. Here’s the one commitment you need to make if today’s message has touched you:

I will embrace divine multiplication through faith.

It’s that simple. Make a decision today that you are no longer going to waste time maintaining, but that you are going to partner with God, do things you’ve never done, and expect them to multiply.

In this series, I am going to teach you how to live in God Privilege. In other words, I am going to show you how to walk in the promises of God.

There is so much available to you as a child of God. So many promises, so many gifts, and you are most likely leaving most of them on the table because of ignorance or wrong thinking.

Ignorance is easy to overcome. Someone tells you the truth and now you know. Wrong thinking is a bit more challenging. You have to be willing to admit you are wrong in order to receive the truth.

Even when you know that you are wrong, it’s hard to admit when you are wrong. I mean, just ask a kid to apologize when they hurt someone and you’ll see what I mean.

Let me be honest. This series is going to rub you the wrong way at least once, if not every week. It’s going to stir up some religious demons that have been family pets for a long time.

I’m telling you ahead of time so that when it happens you’ll at least consider the fact that you might be wrong. I’m just asking you to consider it, because being open will lead to breakthrough.

The promises of God are vast. They are huge. They’re endless. In this series we are going to focus on three of them: wealth, health, and protection.

We are going to start with God’s promise of wealth. And this is going to take several weeks because if there is any one subject that the church struggles with the most, it is money.

Most of the time, when pastors talk about money, all they talk about is generosity. And it is important to talk about because that’s how God’s financial system works.

But we’re going to talk about more than generosity. I am going to teach you to see money from God’s perspective.

This is not only going to cause you to prosper; it’s going to set you free from things that have been holding you back from fulfilling what God has called you to do.

Godly Prosperity

Let me start by establishing the truth that God wants you to prosper. This doesn’t mean we will all have the same level of prosperity, but we are all called to prosper.

I am going to prove it to you in scripture, but first let me give you my definition of godly prosperity:

Godly Prosperity - More than enough for my family plus an overflow to accomplish everything God asks me to do.

Now, let me show you in scripture:

II Corinthians 9:8 NKJV - God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Let’s break this down. What does the word ‘sufficient’ mean?

Let me show you the definition of the Greek word used in this verse for sufficiency:

Autarkeia (ow-tar-ki-ah) - a perfect condition of life in which no aid or support is needed; sufficiency of the necessities of life.

This is what it looks like to live in God privilege. You ALWAYS have ALL sufficiency in ALL things. Not a day goes by without more than enough to take care of all of my needs.

Say this: God’s undeserved favor is pouring into my life and providing everything I could ever need.

Having Abundance

And that’s only part of the scripture! Let’s look at it again:

II Corinthians 9:8 NKJV - God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Not only do you always have sufficiency in the necessities of life, but you have an abundance for every good work! You have way more than you need to take care of yourself so that you have the extra needed to help others.

That’s how you know if you are living in the promises of God. If this scripture doesn’t describe your life, then you better listen closely over the next few weeks so you can make some adjustments.

Can you see that God wants you to prosper? Can you see why He wants you to prosper?

He wants you to have a perfect condition of life. Nothing missing. Nothing lacking. No debt. No government aid needed.

He wants this for you because He loves you. He wants to take care of you first. And once you are taken care of, He is going to equip you for every good work.

Let that soak in. God doesn’t expect you to go without because you are doing good works. No, He wants to make sure you are taken care of first. He wants you to always have everything you need.

We serve a good God who cares for us, who calls us His children. He wants us to be blessed so much that we don’t even have to think about our own needs. There’s more than enough.

He wants us to get to a place where our only thought about money is, “What do I do with all this extra provision?”

God’s promise of wealth is nothing new. It was even available to those who lived under the old covenant before Jesus. Take a look:

Deuteronomy 28:11-12 NKJV - The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. 

Prosperity has been God’s idea from the very beginning. He wants you to have more than enough for your family plus an overflow to accomplish everything He asks you to do.

Say this: God wants ME to prosper.

Why do Christians struggle with prosperity?

Knowing that God wants His children to prosper, why do so many Christians struggle with prosperity?

Let me ask you this. Do you think God is scared for you to prosper? Maybe He’s concerned about money taking over your life so He makes sure you stay nice and humble?

Or do you think Satan is scared for you to prosper? Because, if you have an abundance for every good work, you are going to be making quite the impact for the kingdom of God.

Does God steal from you? Or is it Satan that steals from you?

Does God provide for you? Or is it Satan that provides for you?

I ask you all these questions to help you get to the bottom of this. Who is the one behind making Christians believe that prosperity is a bad thing? Satan.

He doesn’t want you to prosper. He wants you to spend your entire life worried about meeting your own needs. He wants you to struggle so you don’t even have time to think about helping others.

That should make you mad. All this time you thought it was God keeping you from prosperity when it has been Satan lying to you all along.

There’s not one of us that hasn’t been influenced by Satan’s attempt to keep us from godly prosperity. We’ve been trained by the church to be poor. We’ve been trained by culture that business is bad.

Prosperity Challenges

Let’s dig into this. I want to expose the lies of the enemy so the truth can set you free. Let’s start with a challenging question:

Is the pursuit of money evil?

The church seems to have a love-hate relationship with business leaders. Churches want the tithe from these high-earners but they speak down to those who focus their life growing a business.

We think the only way for them to be redeemed from the evil of business is to give loads of money to charitable causes. I mean, all they do is take from society, so they better give back.

Let’s use Apple as an example. It is now valued over 2 trillion dollars. This is larger than the economy of most countries, including Canada, Australia, and Mexico (to name a few).

Apple should be ashamed of themselves for creating a business that big. We should probably get the US government involved to take most of their profits and give them to the poor.

This is how most of America thinks, because we’ve been trained to think that way. We’ve all been indoctrinated to believe money is inherently bad and it starts at a young age.

Think of the high school teacher who asks her students to stand up and tell the class what career path they are interested in and why.

One boy stands up and says, “I want to become an environmental scientist so I can ensure clean air and water for all.” Everyone cheers.

The next student informs the class they want to become a medical researcher to help find a cure for AIDS. Everyone cheers.

Another student reveals she wants to become a teacher so she can help challenged students fulfill their dreams. Everyone smiles in adoration of this honorable pursuit.

Finally, the last student is asked of his plans. He hesitates and says, “I want to create a profitable business empire so I can supply products and services that make life better and provide jobs to my community.” To which most of the class responds with a confused and judgmental look on their face.

Then we watch movie after movie after TV show that portrays the business CEO as a jerk who takes advantage of all the employees and earns his fortune in illegal activity.

The "Evil" Corporations

This is something that has progressed over time. Before 1965, television shows portrayed businessmen as good guys twice as often as bad guys. This was reversed in the 1970s when you would see two business villains for every good guy.

These days, I don’t know if there are any shows that portray the businessman as a helpful contributor to society. Instead, big business has become Hollywood's favorite villain.

Last week, we talked about God calling our church to go into all the world through the seven mountains of influence. I explained how these seven mountains determine the culture of a nation; they shape how we think and what we do.

One of these mountains is entertainment. Can you see how Hollywood has shaped how we think about business? Because of all these movies and TV shows, most of us think that almost all business owners are bad people.

Now let’s go back to Apple. How have they become the most valuable company in the world?

Culture wants you to believe that it's because they take from society. Yet, I don’t know anyone that’s ever been forced to buy an iPhone. We are willing to buy an iPhone because we want one.

Apple is wealthy because they’ve created products that are helpful to society. They enable us to work faster, communicate better, and even have a little fun while we’re at it.

What’s their reward for contributing great products to society? Money. And the reason they have lots of money is because they’ve added lots of value to society.

Why do you get paid for your job? Because you contribute to the business and your reward is, you guessed it, money. And the amount of money you earn is in relation to the amount of value you add to the business.

If you work a job that anyone can do after just a few days of training, then your contribution is much smaller than someone who has spent years developing a skill on their own time.

That’s why the doctor gets paid more than the janitor. The janitor doesn’t have to spend years developing a skill, or pay for continuing education. They don’t even have to think about their job when they go home.

So, let me give you a tip. If you want to increase your income, it starts at home. You have to invest your own time into developing skills that will add more value to the business you are working for.

You are going to have to turn off the TV, get off the couch, and spend your evenings learning something new.

The Price of Skill

Learning new skills is frustrating and tiring. Watching TV and playing video games is easy and fun. And this is why most people live a barely enough life, because your income is a direct reflection of the value you add to the business you work for.

For example, let’s contrast two different photographers. One purchased a nice camera but only uses it when getting paid to take photos. She shows up to the shoot, takes pictures, does a quick edit, and then she’s done until the next paid photoshoot.

Another photographer bought the same camera. In between photoshoots, she spends her free time taking her own pictures, learning from her mistakes, and trying again.

She enrolls in courses that teach her how to edit the pictures, remove blemishes, and get the coloring just right. She offers free photoshoots just to get more practice.

Who do you think is going to end up earning more money in the long run? You know what the answer is. The second one, because she put in the time and effort to serve her clients better.

The Jewish Mindset

Let me show you how a Jewish Rabbi, Daniel Lapin, explains this:

“Deep within traditional Jewish culture lies the conviction that the only real way to achieve wealth is to attend diligently to the needs of others and to conduct oneself in an honorable and trustworthy fashion.” -Rabbi Daniel Lapin

Although there are people who get rich by taking advantage of others, there are far more people who get wealthy because they do a tremendous job serving others.

This is hard for us to wrap our heads around because we’ve been trained to hate business because profit is evil. So let me take this one step further so you can see that I am telling you the truth.

Cultural “Morality”

Over the years, U.S. culture has been trained to be more judgmental about money than any other human pursuit.

You might not read People magazine. Actually, I hope you don’t, but a lot of people do. This means that what you see in the magazine reflects the values of a large part of the United States.

They once had a cover story called, “The Greatest Love Stories of the Century”. Believe it or not, more than half the couples in this list were committing the old fashioned sin of adultery.

For example, one of the couples mentioned was Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner. However, they failed to mention Frank Sinatra’s wife and three children at the time of his adulterous relationship.

Exactly two weeks later, Newsweek published a story entitled “Corporate Killers”. The story concerned layoffs and said, “You lose your job, and the CEO gets a fat raise.”

Newsweek mentioned how 137,000 workers had lost their jobs in the companies mentioned in the story. But they failed to mention that the U.S. economy in that time was adding 137,000 new jobs every three weeks.

In other words, there was a heck of a lot more good business going on than bad business.

Here’s what our culture is broadcasting:

“If you cause pain to others while in pursuit of sexual pleasure, you will find understanding and sympathy. However, if you are a businessperson causing even the slightest discomfort to others, you are condemned and immoral.”

So, American culture celebrates almost anything in pursuit of sex but tolerates very little in pursuit of money.

This begs the question, do you really want to look to culture to determine what is moral and what’s not? I hope I’ve convinced you today that this is a bad idea.

Actually, most of the time you can just look at what culture defines as moral and assume it’s not. On the flip side, you can look at what culture defines as immoral and assume they’re lying to you.

The Love of Money

Back to our question. Is the pursuit of money evil? Let’s turn to scripture for the answer.

1 Timothy 6:10 NLT - For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

You’ve likely heard someone use this scripture to scare you away from money. They say, “Money is evil! Stay away from it!”

But that’s not what it says. Money is not evil. The love of money is evil.

Let me ask you this. Do you have to have money to love money?

Are there rich people who love money? Yes. Are there poor people who love money? Yes.

You can’t determine if someone loves money based on the amount of money they have.

Although, we like to think we can. We’re really quick to condemn a Christian who drives a nice car or lives in a nice house, especially if they are a church leader or a business owner.

Can I be honest with you? If you get upset about someone else having nicer things than you, it only reveals that you love money. And this love for money is expressing itself through jealousy.

This is one of those religious demons I was telling you about. It might feel like we’re killing a family pet right now. But these things have to be revealed for you to move forward.

Selfish Poverty

Let’s do another one. Did you know that poverty is just as evil as greed? They both spend all they have on themselves.

Poverty might just be worse because not only do you spend all you have on yourself, but you think you have a right to what others have as well.

Because of this, we should be just as passionate about eliminating poverty as we are about eliminating greed. They are both evil.

Yet, somehow we’ve bought into the idea that a vow of poverty is spiritual; that we are somehow doing God a favor by accepting poverty as our life sentence.

That’s why you hear things like, “I’m not looking to be rich. I just need enough to feed my family.”

Could you be any more selfish? I mean, you might as well just say, “All that matters is me and mine. Screw the rest of y’all.”

The idea that God expects us to be poor doesn’t even make sense. God commands us to care for the poor. And one of the poorest ways to help the poor is to be poor.

It’s not that God doesn’t want you to have money. He just doesn’t want money to have you.

And get this. Not all who love money become rich. You can be poor and love money. You can be middle class and love money. You can be rich and love money.

The opposite is also true. You can be poor and not love money. You can be middle class and not love money. You can be wealthy and not love money.

Money is not evil. Pursuing money is not evil either. 

Building a profitable business is not evil. Providing a good life for your family is not evil.

Let’s take it a step further. Firing employees who don’t do their job well is not evil. God would even go so far as to call them wicked and lazy on their way out the door.

But the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Loving money will lead you down a path of complete destruction.

How do I know if I love money?

It’s when money replaces God in your life. It’s when your identity is tied up in how much money you have or don’t have.

Some people pride themselves in being poor. Some people pride themselves in being rich. Both of these reveal a love of money.

When your trust in money exceeds your trust in God, you’ve been infected with the love of money.

When you ignore what the Holy Spirit led you to do in order to protect your income or bank account, you’ve been infected with the love of money.

Have I killed all the family pets yet?

If you don’t get what I’ve told you today, you will never walk in God’s promise of abundance. Why? Because, if you believe that making money is selfish, it will undermine the promises of God.

But, if you kill that sacred cow and embrace the truth that earning money is a sign that you are serving others well, you will end up in God’s promise of wealth and prosperity.

Some of you feel guilty for earning money. Use what you’ve learned today to shake off that guilt.

Some of you need to ask your boss for a raise, but that demonic spirit of poverty has sealed your mouth shut. I break that off of you today and ask God to reveal your tremendous worth.

Some of you have been stuck in poverty because you’ve been griping about everyone who has more than you. You think they should give you what they have. You need to repent. You need to turn from your wicked ways so God can prosper you.

Prosperity Confessions

Let’s wrap this up with a few confessions:

I refuse to think or speak negatively about those who have more than me.

God wants ME to prosper.

I expect opportunities and favor.

I have the power to create wealth.

I am a conduit for what God wants to do in the world.

This is why it is so important for every single believer to walk in God Privilege. We can’t accomplish what God wants us to do if we refuse the promises of God.

It is going to take great wealth to go into all the world and make disciples of the nations. The amount of wealth needed might freak us out, but God doesn’t even blink.

God is willing, God is able to get this tremendous wealth to us. But we have to get to a place where we can receive it. We have to put in the effort to get out there and generate this wealth.

In this series, my goal is to help you know God by exposing fake Christianity. This misled group of people call themselves “woke” because they have discovered that the Bible is out of touch with the modern church.

Yet, how can you even call it Christianity if the Bible isn’t the ultimate guidebook?

The reality is, you’re only a Christian if you believe in and follow Jesus Christ. And the Bible refers to Jesus as the Word of God.

So, when it comes down to it, you really can’t call yourself a follower of Jesus if you don’t follow the Bible.

Woke christianity isn’t Christianity at all. It’s a fake version of Christianity that denies or misuses the Word of God in favor of making sure no one gets their feelings hurt.

I’ll give them this though: they’re clever. They say a lot of things that sound really good and seem right. But almost all of it leads to destruction.

Not on my watch. I’m going to keep exposing wokeness for the evil that it is because I don’t want people to go to hell.

I’m here to help you follow Jesus so that we can spend eternity together in heaven and bring a lot of people with us.

This message is my God-given assignment in this season: Jesus Ain’t Woke. And I will do whatever it takes to get it out to everyone who needs it.

I’ll even dress up like Jesus for a photoshoot. (show image)

The Attack on Children

In the first week of this series, I explained how Satan is after our kids. We were made in God’s image, Satan hates God, therefore he also hates us. Yet God gave us this amazing ability to multiply.

Speaking of, I’d like to let you know that all of this talk about multiplication has produced fruit. I have a testimony to share with you guys: Beth and I are expecting our fifth child.

So, here we are. We keep filling the earth with more and more humans and Satan is doing whatever he can to stop the multiplication.

He has lots of strategies for this, just none of them work in the Young house. But you still need to know about them.

Here’s one: Create a culture where children are a nuisance so people don’t want to have kids and push aside the ones they do have.

Satan also works to make society numb to killing babies through abortion. He takes it a step further by normalizing food and drugs that ruin the reproductive system.

Oh, and the one he’s most proud of. It’s even called the Pride Movement. Satan is a pro at promoting homosexuality so reproduction is impossible. 

I hope you are able to see what’s going on. Almost all of the challenges we’re up against right now all lead to one thing: the destruction of children.

This past Friday, all but one House Democrat voted in favor of any kind of abortion, at any time, for any reason. Killing babies is a top priority for Speaker Pelosi and her posse.

And when you tolerate abortion instead of standing against it, you are advancing Satan’s agenda. When you advocate for the LGBTQ+ movement, you are advancing the plan of the enemy.

The church has been quiet on these issues for a long time. But it’s time to issue a counterattack on evil.

Satan is working hard to destroy people with normalized sin. So we, as the body of Christ, must work hard to expose the dangers of sin so people are drawn to Jesus and receive salvation and freedom.

Freedom from Sin

That’s what we talked about last week. Jesus didn’t just give you forgiveness of sin; He gave you freedom from sin. He came to take your sin away.

Yet, there are people who call themselves Christians everywhere that choose to live a life of sin. They think they can keep on sinning even when they say they belong to God. But look at this:

1 John 3:8 NLT - But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning.

The church has done a good job ignoring this truth so it doesn’t get in the way of filling the seats on Sunday morning. But this truth is necessary for people to receive true salvation.

If no one tells you that Jesus came to take away your sin, you’ll believe the lie that all you have to do is say a little prayer to receive salvation.

We might as well just slap Jesus in the face if we are going to weaken salvation to a point where we say a quick prayer on Sunday morning and nothing changes.

When you truly receive salvation by believing in Jesus Christ, the power of God changes your life. Immediately you are forgiven of everything you’ve done wrong.

Not only that, but Jesus reaches in and He takes that sin out of your life. You don’t even like it anymore. You don’t want it anymore. It’s like Jesus has made you a new person, and He has.

It’s not that you’ll never sin again. You will, as we all can attest to in this room. But you no longer keep on sinning. You now live a life of repentance. When sin is revealed, you turn the other way.

Because, when you believe in Jesus, you follow Jesus. And He leads you down this glorious path to complete freedom from sin.

The Power of God

Are you getting this? You must understand that the church cannot tolerate sin. If we do, the power of God cannot be made manifest in our services. And without the power of God, what do we have?

A comfortable, woke church might draw a large crowd, but without the power of God, it’s worthless.

We can’t lead people to salvation without the power of God present. We can’t heal people without the power of God present. We can’t operate in spiritual gifts without the power of God present.

For the sake of everyone out there who is headed to hell because they have yet to receive salvation, stop tolerating sin in your life. Let Jesus take it away so we can operate in the power of God.

Let me show it to you in scripture. In 1 Peter chapter 1, Peter is talking to the church and reminding them how wonderful it is that they were born again.

Then he reminded them how they received salvation. Take a look:

1 Peter 1:12 NLT - This Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.

These people received salvation only because somebody told them the Good News in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We’ve been taught that all you have to do to lead someone to salvation is tell them about Jesus. But you have to do more than just tell them. You have to show up with the power of God.

Filled With The Holy Spirit

How do we walk in this power? By being filled with the Holy Spirit. 

What is a prerequisite to being filled? Obedience to God. Here’s how Jesus explains it:

John 14:15-17 NKJV - Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth.”

If you want the power of God to manifest in your life, just like it did through Jesus, obedience to God is required.

When we choose to tolerate sin in the name of love, we dismiss the power of God because the power of God cannot exist alongside disobedience.

But you will always struggle with obedience if it is coming from the wrong place. We’ve talked about this.

By default, obedience is a performance. We perform for God by doing our best to live like He wants us to.

We think God’s impressed when we get it right. We think He yells at us when we get it wrong. But it turns out, God doesn’t want us to perform.

You’ve probably already figured this out, but we aren’t capable of a flawless performance. We just keep messing it up. But the good news is, there’s another way to walk in obedience.

Obedience to God comes one of two ways. Either you are performing, or it is an overflow of your identity in Jesus Christ.

Obedience comes easy when we know who we are to God. And the only way to know who you are to God is to know His Word. Look at this:

Romans 5:17 NLT - For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Victorious Over Sin

This is who you are to God. You are triumphant over sin. You come face-to-face with sin and you win every time.

But the only reason you are able to do this is because you’ve received God’s gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ. 

Righteousness is a gift. You receive it and you walk in it.

Let me put it to you this way:

Romans 6:11 NLT - Consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Once again, this is your true identity in Christ. You are dead to the power of sin and alive to God. How do we walk in this?

Romans 8:13 NLT - ...through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature.

How do we walk free from sin? Through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is so good. Let’s tie it all together.

Obedience comes easy when I know who I am in Christ. Walking in this obedience enables me to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And when I’m filled with the Holy Spirit, sin is dead to me.

The Three Step Process

I’m a step-by-step kind of guy. So let me put it to you this way:

1. Find out who I am in Christ.
2. Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. Enjoy freedom from sin.

Take a moment to figure out where you are in this process.

Step One:

If you are on step one, there is no shame. But don’t just sit back and wait for me to spoon feed this to you. Get in the Bible every single day and find out who you are in Christ.

Let me give you a hint. Your wrong thinking is not overcome by reading a scripture once. Find your scriptures about who you are in Christ and speak them out loud over and over and over.

Write them on your bathroom mirror. Write them in your journal. Underline them in your Bible. Read them out loud every day, multiple times a day until you get it.

You’ll no when you get it because you no longer doubt it.

At first, when you say you are dead to sin, it might feel like a lie. But put in the work to repeat that scripture over and over and over and one day, it hits you. I really am dead to sin!

Step Two:

Maybe you are on step two. Your identity in Christ is secure and you are walking in obedience because of it. But, you’ve yet to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

If you’ve made it through step one and you’re struggling with step two, I get it. I’m a practical guy. I don’t like to make decisions without seeing the data first.

So, being filled with the Holy Spirit is still kind of strange to me. He tells me to do stuff all the time without an explanation. There’s no data to back it up. It usually doesn’t make sense.

This past Tuesday, I had a lot of work to do. Actually, I have a lot of work to do every Tuesday because Monday is my Sabbath where I take the entire day off and rest every week.

I know, it’s kind of weird to choose Monday for Sabbath, but when you lead a church, weekends aren’t very restful. But, since nobody else is taking off on Monday, Tuesday greets me with lots of emails and things to do.

This past Tuesday, it was time to get to work. I was ready to knock it out, but when I got to my office I sensed the urge to pray. As I was praying, I was led to pray over the land that Beth and I are believing for.

You may remember a few months ago when I encouraged everyone to embrace extravagant asking. I mean, since God has promised to give us what we ask for, we might as well learn to ask for things that will really make a difference.

That Sunday, I revealed that Beth and I are believing God for 300 acres in Skiatook. It’s listed for just over one million dollars and we are believing that it will be ours without debt.

As I was praying about the land, the Holy Spirit told me to go to the land and bind the plan of the enemy. My response was, “Can’t I just do that from here? I need to get to work!” Silence.

When the Holy Spirit tells you to do something, He will usually only say it once. Then it’s up to you.

Being Obedient

So I went and got in my car, drove to the land. As I was approaching the land, I saw the for sale sign now had another sign attached to it that said, “Under contract.”

But you know what, it didn’t even bother me. Honestly, my first thought was, “The contract will either fall through, or the person who is buying the land will sell it to us when it’s time.”

You know why that was my response? Because for months now, Beth and I have been proclaiming Deuteronomy 28 where it says that God will bless us in the land that He gives us.

I drove onto the land and did what the Holy Spirit told me to do. I rebuked the plan of the enemy. I don’t know what he was trying to accomplish, but I put a hard stop to it.

I tell you this story to encourage all of you who struggle with the mystery of being filled with the Holy Spirit and doing what He asks you to do. I get it. I’m with you.

There was even a time when I would ignore the Holy Spirit because I couldn’t get out of my own head. I truly believed that my ability to think and reason was superior to simply obeying the Holy Spirit.

I’ve since learned that obeying the Holy Spirit is a whole lot easier. Otherwise you spend all this time thinking about it, researching, developing your own plan, just to find yourself failing and retreating back to exactly what the Holy Spirit said in the first place.

Y’all, I am saving so much time and energy by following the Holy Spirit immediately, whether it makes sense or not. I still don’t know the outcome of what He asked me to do Tuesday, but I will tell you when I find out.

If you’ve been hiding from the Holy Spirit, I hope this has encouraged you to come out of hiding. You need to be filled so you have power and boldness to accomplish God’s will on the earth.

Step Three:

Now, to step three: Enjoy freedom from sin. Y’all, life is so much better without sin. I don’t know why people even fall for the lie that living in sin is loads of fun. Here’s the truth:

Sin does not give you a good life; it destroys you with a slow, painful death.

This is why you should be diligent to follow the path to freedom from sin.

1. Find out who I am in Christ.
2. Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. Enjoy freedom from sin.

The last step, enjoying freedom from sin, is something that I like to call God Privilege. We don’t deserve freedom, yet God gave it to us anyways.

My next book is actually going to be titled, God Privilege. Before we end today, I want to explain to you what I mean by comparing it to the woke counterfeit called, White Privilege.

God Privilege

I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but I would definitely be categorized as white. Although, if you want to get technical, I am a mix of many different races. I even have enough Cherokee Indian blood to be considered part of the tribe.

That’s beside the point, though. As far as woke folks are concerned, I am a white male, and they aren’t very happy about it.

In my early twenties, I went to work for a church that had a predominantly black congregation. For the first time in my life, I was the minority in the room.

Growing up, I vividly remember my mom teaching me that we never treat people differently because of their skin color. As a kid, it made total sense. So I fully embraced this truth.

I’ve discovered that, by default, kids don’t care about skin color. My six-year-old daughter saw a black man with the same body type and beard length as me and said, “Daddy, he looks just like you!”

Even though skin color isn’t something I think about, I’ll admit that the first few days at the new job, it felt strange to be the minority. I was the only white guy in the office.

It only took a few days to get over the shock of a new environment before realizing what a gift it was to emerge in a culture other than my own.

Every time we had lunch at the church, the sweet ladies in the kitchen would bring food to my office. And let me tell ya, it was some good cookin’!

They were always worried that I was too skinny, so they would bring me more than one dessert and expect me to eat it all.

I only remember one negative race-related experience in the three years I worked there. A woman came into the main office, peeked into mine on the way to the secretary, and started yelling, “You mean to tell me we hired a WHITE BOY!?”

I didn’t know if I should hide or run away. But the secretary, who is still a dear friend of mine, did a tremendous job handling the situation, and we moved on without bringing it up again.

Reconnecting

Several years after I had moved on from this job, I reconnected with one of my coworkers there. It was the great year of 2020, so, of course, race was being exploited for political gain. She saw a Facebook post of mine that hit a nerve, so she wanted to talk about it.

We hopped on the phone, and she started the conversation with, “Kade, the time we spent working together made me realize that not all white people are racist. I was expecting you to slip up, and you never did. So, I know, without a doubt, you aren’t racist.”

This statement shocked me because she always did a great job hiding her suspicions. I never knew that I was under trial. But I am so thankful God used me to help her overcome these challenges.

Growing up, she had been taught to look out for white people, and for a good reason. The history between whites and blacks is very troubling. My compassion runs deep for those who have been hurt by the evil of racism.

But if we step back and take an honest look at the tension between blacks and whites, we’ll find that the enemy works to stir up the peaceful waters and turn the tables every time we are on the verge of resolve.

We’re deceived into elevating one race over the other. On the surface, it seems like a solid solution. But think a little deeper, and you’ll realize that equality can never exist when one is elevated over the other.

The woke church helps the enemy advance his agenda. They proudly wear their race-elevating gear to church and go home feeling really good about themselves.

Is It Godly?

This is a good place to pause and explain how to know if what you are doing is godly or not.

Do your actions elevate you, or do they elevate God? If you go home patting yourself on the back, you can be sure it had nothing to do with God.

A good example is the people who bow down to the god of racism by publicly apologizing for being white. Then they walk off with a smile on their face because they feel so good about what they just did.

Let me clear this up for you. That’s called worshiping an idol. The idol of racism. The woke church may be encouraging it, but Jesus’ church stays far from it.

Critical Race Theory

This idol expresses itself in many ways, one of which being Critical Race Theory (CRT). Notice it’s a theory, which means it is an idea. 

Legal scholars developed the idea to examine racism in the legal system. That’s a worthy cause. If racism is built into our legal structures, I think we all agree that it needs to be found and dealt with.

But CRT has been hijacked by the enemy. It is now being used as a racial weapon in our public schools.

Teachers who bow to the god of racism “teach” Critical Race Theory thinking they are doing a service, but all they accomplish is turning students against each other.

White kids leave class feeling ashamed of their race. Everyone else leaves upset with their “privileged” white friends.

White Privilege

This reveals the next expression of the racism idol: white privilege. Yet another theory, or idea, that white people have the upper hand in life simply because they are white.

Go ahead and prove that idea to all the white people struggling to get by. I’ll wait.

Have you ever noticed how people look for ways to put down those who are more successful?

“It’s because they have rich parents.”

“It’s because they don’t pay their employees enough.”

“It’s because they are white.”

The reality is, there will always be someone who was dealt a better hand in life than you. They have more resources. They are more talented. They have better connections.

But the only person you are responsible for is you. When you get to heaven, God is not going to ask you how someone else used their talents. He’s going to ask how you used yours.

God is not impressed by those who have the most. He’s impressed with those who multiply what they have. Read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

White privilege is not a part of the solution. It’s a distraction. So, what is the solution?

The Solution

In the book of Romans, you’ll find the Apostle Paul working hard to disarm racial tensions between the Jews and the Gentiles. Interestingly, he addresses the issue of the Jews being privileged and the Gentiles not.

Instead of trying to make the Jews feel bad about their privileged status, he invites the Gentiles to become part of it. Take a look:

Romans 5:2 NLT - Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand.

This is what I like to call “God Privilege,” and it’s available to all who believe in Jesus Christ—no matter their race.

The woke church doesn’t want anyone to be privileged. But Jesus’ church seeks to walk in God Privilege and help others do the same.

This is the answer to racism. Instead of teaching others about Critical Race Theory and White Privilege, we must focus on leading people to Jesus and making it known that God Privilege is available to all who believe.

God Privilege is available to me, and it’s available to you. So are you going to keep griping about how life isn’t fair? Or are you going to step into the promises of God and show others how to do the same?

If you are ready to enjoy freedom from sin and walk in God Privilege, stand on your feet and raise both hands. This is a sign of surrender letting God know you are elevating Him over yourself and everything else.

Mark 11:22-25 NLT - Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

In this short lesson from Jesus, He gives us four things that determine our ability to receive miracles from God:

• Have faith in God
• Speak your faith
• Remove the doubt
• Forgive others

We’ve talked about all four of these in detail already (find them here). We also talked about another foundational subject, your God-given authority. It’s very important for us to understand that God has given us all authority here on earth and all authority over the devil.

Yet, most Christians willingly give their authority to Satan. That’s what Adam and Eve did when they ate of the forbidden tree and that’s what we do when we habitually live in sin.

Honestly, the American church is pretty pitiful right now because we’ve bought into the idea that in order to love people, we have to tolerate sin. And in many cases, we are celebrating sin so people feel accepted.

The problem is, if we don’t resist sin, we hand our authority and power over to Satan to do what he wants to in this world when we should be the ones using our authority to bring forth the kingdom of God into our world.

Love others AND stand for truth.

I don’t have time to get into it, but it is absolutely possible to love people and stand for the truth at the same time. We don’t have to tolerate sin. We can confront it and love people at the same time.

Actually, I’d argue that you really don’t love someone unless you are willing to confront sin in their life. Because sin always leads to bondage. If you don’t speak up and help your friend see the truth, it’s like leaving them in prison when you have the keys.

This all comes back to our own fear of rejection. We know if we confront sin, they may not like us anymore. And we’d rather them like us than have a hard conversation to help them step into freedom.

That is not the topic for today, but somebody needed to hear it. If you struggle with everything I just said, I want you to go find the series on our website called “Truth or Dare”. It will help you out.

The Origin of Multiplication

Everything we’ve talked about the past two months has set us up to receive miracles from God. He has always been ready to perform miracles, but we tend to get in the way through doubt and unbelief.

Now that we are ready to cooperate with what God has always wanted to do in our lives, let’s talk about the miracle of multiplication.

Multiplication was set in motion the moment the earth was created. Consider an apple. In it, you’ll find several seeds. It just takes one of these seeds to grow an entire apple tree that will produce countless apples that each contain multiple seeds.

Talk about divine multiplication. We can’t even comprehend how many apples can be produced from one apple seed. And get this:

Our first command from God was to multiply.

Take a look:

Genesis 1:28 NKJV - Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it...”

The first thing God asked us to do was multiply. And wrapped up in the same command was to subdue the earth, or take the authority God has given us over the earth and multiply it for good.

Now you can see how my previous message about your God-given authority ties into seeing the miracle of multiplication in your life. If you don’t understand your authority, you’ll struggle to multiply.

If you still struggle with the authority thing, go back and listen to that message over and over until you get it. It’s one of those subjects that you have to hear more than once to fully understand it.

So, divine multiplication has been around since the beginning of time. It’s so important to God that He didn’t just ask us to multiply, He commanded us to multiply.

Jesus demonstrated multiplication.

Of course, Jesus gave us an example of this many times. One time, Jesus was just trying to get some time by himself. He had just gotten the news that John the Baptist had been killed and Jesus just needed some time.

But, someone spotted Him and then the word got out that Jesus was in town. So a bunch of people gathered to receive healing from Jesus. When I say a bunch… I mean like tens of thousands of people. Here’s what happened:

Matthew 14:15-21 NLT - That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered. “Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

It’s believed that when you add women and children to the count, this crowd was probably more like 15,000 or more. That’s a lot of people to feed! And all it took was five loaves and two fish combined with divine multiplication.

The early church demonstrated multiplication.

Or how about in the early church? There were 120 believers in an upper room waiting on the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised. They all received the Holy Spirit, spoke in other tongues, and then Peter gave a powerful message to people who were struggling to believe what had just happened.

After his message, look at what happened:

Acts 2:41 NLT - Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

In one Sunday, this church went from 120 people to 3,000. In one Sunday! That’s what you call divine multiplication!

Y’all, this is just three places in scripture where you discover the reality of divine multiplication. And we could keep going. But what I am trying to get you to understand is that multiplication is a big deal to God.

God has not just asked us to multiply - He commanded us to multiply!

Yet somehow we’ve gotten off on this idea that multiplication is a bad thing. You’ll hear people say things like:

• “God just wants our church to be small.”
• “God just wants me to be poor to keep me humble.”
• “I can’t handle more than one kid.”

Well… I’m going to call it. BS! God commanded us to multiply. Therefore, any idea that is contrary to multiplication is deception. If you believe multiplication is a bad thing, you’ve been deceived.

So, cast off the deception and buckle up because I am about to fill you with truth.

Faithful = Multiplication

Since God has given us authority over the earth, that means we are stewards of the earth. In other words, God put us in charge of what He owns and we are responsible for taking care of it.

Since we are stewards, we need to find out what is required of a steward:

I Corinthians 4:2 NKJV - Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

There is only one requirement for stewards mentioned in this verse. You have to be faithful. And it is not a suggestion - it is a requirement.

How would you define faithfulness? Loyal? Committed? Dependable? Trustworthy?

All these things you’ve mentioned are great qualities to have. And they even line up with what the dictionary says about faithfulness. But there is one very important definition that we missed: multiplication.

You are faithful when you multiply.

Some of you might be really concerned for me about now. You're wondering how in the world can I define faithfulness as multiplication. And that’s a fair argument. But hang with me, because the Word of God will reveal it to you too.

To explain, let’s head to the parable of the talents.

Matthew 25:14 NLT - The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.

This story is a parable, which means it is a made up story to help us understand something. And if you’re like me, you struggle with anything that is not literal. So, us literal people have to think a little deeper to understand the symbolism.

Let me help you out. In this story, the man going on a long trip represents Jesus and the servants represent all of us.

Notice it’s a long trip. If you were wondering what is taking Jesus so long to return, now you know. He gave us a heads up. In the meantime, while He is gone, He has fully entrusted us with His possessions.

Another thing to notice is that this man who went on a long trip didn’t occasionally come back to check up on the servants to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to do. No, he told them what to do and entrusted them to do it for a looooong time while he was gone.

We have a hard time understanding this because most managers and supervisors are micromanagers. They give us an assignment and then check up on us a thousand times to make sure we are doing it right.

God doesn’t do this. He gives you an assignment and then fully entrusts you to do it. If you are a manager or supervisor, take some tips from God here. You’d have a much healthier team if you didn’t micromanage.

Let’s continue the story:

Matthew 25:15 NLT - He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

Most Bible translations use the word talent instead of silver in this verse. The reason the NLT uses silver is because a talent is a measure of weight and is mostly used for gold and silver. One talent is roughly 75 pounds.

Most experts agree that one talent of silver is worth about $18,000. So, the first servant was given about $90,000, the second $36,000 and the third $18,000.

The exact amount is really not what is important here. What we need to get is that these servants were entrusted with a significant amount of responsibility. I mean, 75 pounds of silver is no chump change!

Now, I have to take a moment and help out all my literal friends. Since we are talking about money, you might get stuck into thinking this parable is about money. But remember, this isn’t literal. This is a parable.

Most likely, the money here represents the gifts God gives us to make an eternal difference in the lives of others.

And notice that not everyone is given the same amount of gifts. We all know people that seem to be more gifted than us. There are even people who share the same gift as us, but the magnitude of the gift is much greater.

For example, there are a lot of great singers out there that inspire those who hear them. But then there are those who seem to rise above them all, like Michael Buble or Kelly Clarkson or Natalie Grant.

So, the silver in this story represents the gifts God gives us and we all have a different amount. Let’s continue:

Matthew 25:16-18 NLT - The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

Let’s make this story more real. I am going to give all three servants a name:

• Moe: Started with 5 and ended with 10.
• Larry: Started with 2 and ended with 4.
• Curly: Started with 1 and ended with 1.

Now, after his long trip, the master returned and had them give an account of how the money had been used. Let’s start with Moe’s response:

Matthew 25:20 NLT - [Moe], to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, “Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.”

Now listen to the judgement of the master:

Matthew 25:21 NLT - The master was full of praise. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

Don’t miss this! He said, “You have been faithful.” In other words, Jesus directly attributes faithfulness to multiplication.

There was nothing else this servant had done that was highlighted. It didn’t say he was dependable, or consistent, or loyal, or anything else. Yes, those are all good qualities, but the only thing tied to faithfulness here is multiplication.

The same is true for Larry:

Matthew 25:22-23 NLT - [Larry] came forward and said, “Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.” The master said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

Once again, the servant multiplied what was entrusted to him and it clearly connected to being faithful.

And notice the master’s response was exactly the same. This means that when we get to heaven, God will pay no attention to the number of gifts. The only thing that matters is, did you multiply what He gave you?

So quit comparing yourself with someone who has more gifts, or “higher caliber” gifts than you have. The amount of gifts is irrelevant. The only score that matters is, did YOU multiply what God gave You?

An example would be a stay-at-home mom who multiplied her effectiveness by pouring into her kids day in and day out. She will be equally as praised as the entrepreneur who multiplied his business and his giving to the kingdom.

Now, let’s see what happened to Curly… the guy who hid his money:

Matthew 25:24-25 NLT - Then [Curly] said, “Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.”

Before we read about Curly’s judgement, let’s examine what is going on here. First of all, Curly didn’t multiply - he maintained what was given to him. Don’t miss this. He didn’t multiply. He maintained.

Also, he didn’t understand the character of his master, so he incorrectly perceived him as harsh and unfair. Therefore, he was afraid. Fear shut him down and kept him from multiplying.

This happens to so many Christians. They don’t understand God’s character because of wrong teaching or not spending enough time in the Word of God. And so they think God is harsh and unfair and this fear causes them to go in their little hidey hole and live a pitiful life.

But God is love. He is just. He is righteous. And He loves you too much to leave you in your little hidey hole. That’s why he gives Curly a very stern rebuke:

Matthew 25:26-27 NLT - But the master replied, “You wicked and lazy servant!”

Oh man. Can you imagine someone saying that to you? What if I said that to you? You’d leave the church and go tell everyone on social media that I wasn’t a real Christian because I said something that hurt your feelings.

Nevertheless, this is going to be the response we get from Jesus if we fail to multiply what was given to us.

I can see how the word ‘wicked’ in this verse could throw you off, making you think this kind of servant would lose their salvation. So let’s dig into the greek word translated to wicked here for a better understanding.

Ponēros (wicked) - Full of labours, annoyances, hardships; of a bad nature or condition

Wow. Digging into these words brings such a greater understanding, doesn’t it? This servant lived a terrible life because he chose not to multiply.

He probably worked an annoying, dead-end job. He probably didn’t make enough money to care for his own family, so they lived under the stress of credit card debt. Something was always breaking down and going wrong.

And because his life sucked, he developed a bad nature. No one wanted to be around him because he was no fun to be around. In other words, he was called to make a difference in the lives of others, but all he did was run people off.

Now you see why the master called him wicked and lazy? He didn’t do what he was asked to do! God had an abundant life planned for him that would impact countless other lives, but because he refused to embrace multiplication, he lived a miserable life.

Let me summarize this for you:

Those who multiply are good and faithful. Those who maintain are full of hardships that cause a bad nature.

Ouch. That hurts. I think we could just stop here and all go lick our wounds. But we’re not going to do that. We are going to repent of all the times we’ve chosen to maintain instead of multiply.

Because whatever God puts in our care - whether it’s finances, or gifts, or kids, or a business - we are to return it to him multiplied. And here’s the good news - you don’t have to do it by yourself. God unloads His grace to help you.

You might feel discouraged right now, but that is not the purpose of this message. I simply want to make you aware that the call to multiply is on your life.

This can be overwhelming. And even the Apostle Paul was overwhelmed with the call of God on his life in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. But look at the Lord’s response when Paul was crying out for help:

2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT - “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

One of the Greek words for weakness is limitations. Just like you and I, the Apostle Paul had limitations. But limitations are actually a beautiful thing because when we reach our limit, God’s power can work through us to make up the difference.

That’s why Paul went from whining about his limitations to rejoicing about his limitations. He realized that God’s grace is more than enough to handle every area where he was lacking.

Isn’t that good news? You don’t have to have it all together. You don’t have to know everything. You don’t have to know how to do everything. But you do have to learn how to rely on God’s grace. This is called living by faith.

Romans 5:2 NKJV - ...we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand...

The only way to multiply is by faith.

You can’t do this by yourself. You can’t do this without confidence in God’s Word. You can’t do this without faith.

You must trust God to give you His grace every time you need it. You must trust in the promises of God even when it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. You must really believe our core scripture:

Ephesians 3:20 NLT - Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

It would be overwhelming and discouraging to try to multiply on our own. Thank God we don’t have to! Here’s the good news:

Your calling is greater than your natural ability.

And since God has called you to do something that goes beyond what you can do on your own, He will fully equip you, by His grace, to accomplish what He has called you to do. But you have to stop trying to do it on your own and receive His grace by faith.

Believe it or not, this parable is not over yet. And we haven’t even covered the most shocking part yet! Take a look at what happens next:

Matthew 25:28 NLT - Then he ordered, “Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver.”

What?! Take from the person who only had one bag of silver and give it to the person who had ten? That’s just not Christian. The right thing to do would be to take from the person who has more and give it to the person who has less.

Socialism, anyone? We’re about to find out that God is far from a socialist.

Socialism is not God's idea.

Let's recap. Moe has ten. Larry has four. Curly has one.

Now, because the master commanded it, Curly has to give his one to Moe. Now Moe has eleven and Curly has none.

That doesn’t seem fair. So let’s play this out as a nice Christian. Most people think this is how God would really handle it.

First, we have to go back to the beginning of the story to correct something. Everyone would start with the same amount. Moe would get three, Larry would get three, and Curly would get three. Ah, now my socialistic ideas are satisfied.

Staying true to the story, the first two would multiply but Curly would still be lazy. So here’s what the outcome would be: Moe would have six, Larry would have six, and Curly would still have three.

Now, we should all feel sorry for Curly for being lazy, so Moe and Larry must each give one to Curly so everyone is equal. Now, everyone has five.

Doesn’t that seem so much better? Isn’t this how Jesus should have told the story?

I wanted to play that out for you so you clearly see that socialism is not God’s idea - it is man’s idea. And because it’s man’s idea, it will never work. We learn the reason why in the very next verse:

Matthew 25:29 NLT - To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

As you can see, socialism goes against the very wisdom of God. It is actually an antichrist spirit that rewards laziness and penalizes faithfulness. No matter how hard culture pushes its socialistic agenda, this principle will always remain:

God rewards those who multiply with more.

And we all know what the more is for. It’s not so that we can have a bigger house or newer car. The more is for others. We are to live in abundance so we can be a blessing to those around us.

Let’s pause here and make sure we are all on the same page on something very important. God has also called us to take care of the poor. In no way am I saying that we should neglect the poor.

We just have to learn to identify the difference between lazy and poor. A socialist approach gives equally to the lazy and the poor. But if we give to the lazy, we just enable their dependence on us.

We don’t want people to be dependent on us. Our goal should always be to lead people towards God and discovering their own gifts so they, too, can multiply.

Now, let’s wrap this up by making it practical. Here’s the one commitment you need to make if today’s message has touched you:

I will multiply the gifts God has given me through faith.

It’s that simple. Make a decision today that you are no longer going to waste time maintaining, but that you are going to press in to the gifts God has given you and rely on His grace to help you multiply.

There’s this one question that every human being has struggled with at some point or another. And for some people, it’s something that nags at them every day.

It’s that question that keeps popping up in your head and you have no idea how to answer it. So you try to ignore it. And it may go away for a little while, but it somehow keeps coming up. And here it is:

What is my purpose?

Why am I here on this earth? Can I really make a difference? Does my life really matter?

And it’s not just Christians who struggle with these questions. It’s everyone. Only, here in the church, we phrase it a little differently.

What is God’s purpose for my life?

God wants to take every single one of us on a clearly defined spiritual journey. It can be broken down into three steps, and each one of us will find ourselves somewhere in these three right now.

Step 1: Know God

Before anything else, you must come to know God in a personal and vibrant way. You see, Jesus removed the barrier to make this relationship possible, and the Holy Spirit helps you understand who God really is.

If you want to know God, then you need to know the Bible. Because just like we talked about the past three weeks, the Bible is God.

And if you struggle to make the Bible a priority in your life, I encourage you to go on our website and listen to those three messages. Because they will help the Bible come alive in your life.

Step 2: Find Freedom

You’ve already been saved and forgiven through the blood of Jesus. So the next step is not to get right with God, that’s already been done. But now it is time to find freedom from all that stuff holding you back.

We can’t confuse forgiveness with freedom. When you receive Jesus, you receive forgiveness, past, present and future. You also receive the power to obtain freedom from all those things that are holding you back.

Some of them fall off the moment you receive Jesus. But many of them you have to work out with the power of the Holy Spirit working right alongside you.

Step 3: Discover Your Purpose

Once you know God and have stepped into the freedom He provides for you, it’s time to discover your God-given purpose. He has amazing things planned for you.

And that is exactly why you have that feeling that there is something more than just going to work, coming home, eating, sleeping, and doing it all over again.

God has something for you to accomplish in this life. And even your wildest dream wouldn’t compare to what He has for you.

That’s why we are all looking for purpose. Because what’s inside of us knows it’s potential, but it hasn’t quite made it to our mind and we’re not acting on it.

And really, the purpose for your life is not as ambiguous as you think. It’s not some big code that no one will ever crack. It’s actually pretty simple:

The ultimate purpose for your life is to make a difference.

Our culture likes to tell us that life is all about me. If I can get me happy and fulfilled then I will live my best life.

Turns out, this doesn’t work. And the reason it doesn’t work is because life is not about you. It’s about those around you.

John 15:8 NKJV - By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

You see, a tree bears fruit not for its own enjoyment. At least, I’ve never seen an apple tree eating apples. Maybe you have?

But a tree bears fruit for the enjoyment of all those who encounter its presence. And this an exact representation of what living your best life looks like.

In other words, going to church does not make you a Christian. It’s not what you do inside these walls, but outside these walls that makes you a true disciple of Jesus.

And the Father is glorified by this kind of life. And although this is a great reason to live life for others, this isn’t just for God’s benefit. Check this out:

John 15:11 NKJV - These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

This is God’s nature right here! He gives you a benefit for being obedient when none of us really deserve it.

I mean, really, how much obedience do you think it would take to undo everything you’ve done in your past?

You probably couldn’t even get there, because just as soon as you get close, you’ll do something else that needs to be undone.

But, thank God, we don’t have to undo our past or future mistakes. Jesus took care of that, and now our job is to live our lives for others. And when we do, we will live a life of pure joy.

It’s funny. When you do things for others, you think it is for their benefit. But, turns out, you get a benefit too. And it’s called joy!

Even when things don’t go as planned, our joy will remain. Even when things seem to be falling apart, we will still be full of joy.

But only if we are living our lives in a way that bears fruit for others to enjoy. So, if you’re having a joy problem, the first thing to ask yourself is, “Is my life all about me?”

And if it is, just flip it around and start living your life in a way that makes a difference in other’s lives. It’s not that you think less of yourself, but you just start thinking of yourself less.

And when you connect with this purpose for your life, which is the same purpose God has for all of us, your life becomes more than you could have ever dreamed it could be.

God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others.

When you are on mission and living your life in a way that benefits those around you, God’s blessings start to chase you down.

And here’s what I mean by God’s blessing. It’s when He gives you more than what you need to take care of yourself. More financial provision, more energy, more drive, more passion, more talents, more abilities.

But this comes only when we break away from the “me” culture and start caring about all those around us. Otherwise, these blessings would ruin you and make you more selfish. God knows what He is doing!

Genesis 12:2-3 NKJV - I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

God blessed Abraham, gave him way more than he needed for himself, so that he would be a blessing to all the families of the earth.

And this same blessing and purpose is on us today! Check this out:

Galatians 3:14 NLT - Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham...

This promise wasn’t just for one man thousands of years ago. It is for us today! This same blessing is on you! It’s on me. It’s on this church.

God wants to pour it out. He wants to give you more than enough. He wants to blow you away with the amazing things He can accomplish through you. He’s just waiting for you to let go of the “what about me”.

Let me show you what I am talking about. This scripture was actually not written to the church, but it was written to the pastor of a church. This is the apostle Paul writing instructions to Timothy for his church:

1 Timothy 6:17 NLT - Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

In other words, don’t put your hope in money because it will let you down at some point. But, even when you have money, put your hope in God. Because He will ALWAYS provide everything you need.

And did you notice that it said “for our enjoyment”? So, take a deep breath of relief. God does not expect you to live like a nomad and never enjoy anything He gives you. Some of the stuff He gives you is for YOU to enjoy!

You see, there is a belief out that that you are only holy when you are poor. You have to give everything away and maybe even go hungry to fully serve the God that is more than enough and owns the entire universe.

Yeah, that’s a bunch of bull. This kind of life is not godly, because it usually means you live your life in a way where you can’t even take care of yourself.

And, how are you supposed to impact others when all you can do is take care of yourself?

So, God wants you to have things for your enjoyment, BUT, not everything He gives you is for you. Let’s keep reading:

1 Timothy 6:18 NLT - Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

And when you do this, the reward is crazy:

1 Timothy 6:19 NLT - By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

You’re sowing seeds for your future! You’re laying the foundation for the kind of life that most people want but never experience. And you are even storing up treasures in heaven.

Yes, you will experience true life in heaven. But, I believe that God wants you to experience true life here. And it all starts by always being ready to share with others.

It all starts with generosity.

Gallup did a survey several years back that asked the American population how much money they needed to earn each year to be considered rich. The consensus?

Rich = $150,000

But, when you talk to the people who make $150,000 per year, they don’t consider themselves rich. Because they have school bills to pay and all kinds of other expenses that seem to zap it away.

So, they changed the survey and only asked those who make $30-35k per year how much it takes to be rich. And their answer:

Rich = $75,000

Some of you look at that number and think, “That’s not rich! That’s barely getting by!” Yet, to someone, that is rich.

Then they did a survey that asked the people who read Money Magazine how much they need in liquid assets to be considered rich. Their answer:

Rich = $5 million

And even still, these people don’t think that they are rich. So, here’s the bottom line:

Nobody is rich, but everybody knows somebody who is.

So, how do we know who is truly wealthy? Well, here’s the simple truth.

If you make between $40-45k per year of combined household income, meaning even with two incomes combined, you are in the top 1% of the world.

Yet, if I asked you if you thought you were rich, no one would raise their hand. But, if I asked you if you thought you were blessed, many of you would raise your hand.

And you know, this is evident by the things we complain about here in America. Actually, this is a conversation Beth and I have often, “It must be tough to be an American.” Here are some examples:

“Man, the internet sure is slow on this airplane taking me to my Florida vacation.”

And, some of you did this this morning. You went to that room where your clothes live, stared at a pile of clothes and concluded, “I don’t have anything to wear.”

Please know that I am not saying any of this to make you feel guilty. Guilt is not a productive emotion, nor will it motivate you to create permanent change in your life.

Actually, I want you to take the guilt off. Throw it off and never pick it up again.

God doesn’t want us guilty. He wants us responsible.

I’m not and never will try to guilt you into giving to our church. All I am doing is reminding you that you are blessed.

God will always take care of you and He wants to do more in your life and through your life than you could dream of. And all we have to do to live this kind of life is to take the focus off of me.

And the reason we need to remind ourselves of this is because human nature tends to gravitate towards selfishness. Actually, this fact says it all:

The more a person makes, the less they give.

You know why? Because the more money you make, the more tempting it is to put your trust in your wealth instead of in God.

When you make barely enough to get by, your only option is to trust God if you want to survive. There isn’t any wealth to put your trust in.

As soon as you obtain even a little wealth, a war is declared on your mind.

And, if I’m honest, this is often a daily battle for me.

Beth and I lived with barely enough for many years. For 5 years, I drove a car with belts that squealed, a broken air conditioner, and a window that would fall down into the door.

I even cleaned pools out of this 2-door car. I would load the trunk down with bags of salt to where it looked like I was popping a wheelie. But I was just lucky to get up to speed on the highway, much less show off.

And now we are blessed far beyond what I ever could have imagined back in those days. And now God is pulling me into even greater things.

But what’s holding me back is this battle going on in my mind to trust in my wealth instead of trusting in God.

You see, running a business does not guarantee income. At any point, my online course could stop selling. And then what?

At any point, my clients could decide they no longer want my services, or their business could even go under. Then what?

These are the questions that plague my mind. And if I give into it, I’ll get stuck and even go backwards. Because that’s exactly what it looks like to put your trust in wealth instead of in God.

And this is a struggle for all of us.

Maybe you fear losing your job. Or, maybe you fear starting the business that you know you are supposed to start because you don’t want to let go of your trustworthy salary.

But it really doesn’t matter how secure you think your income is. At any point, it could dry up.

Just like the scripture said, wealth is unreliable. It will always let you down. But, put your trust in God, and He will richly supply all you need for your enjoyment.

Because, here’s the deal. No matter how much or how little you have now:

God has more and wants us to have more.

How do I know this? Check out this scripture:

2 Corinthians 9:10 NLT - God will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

This is what God wants for you. It’s what He wants for me.

He wants to first provide for your needs. Then He wants to move on to step two and increase your resources so that you can produce a great harvest of generosity.

The truth is, there is no end to His provision and there is no cap on how much He can increase your resources. The only one putting the cap on is you.

We just can’t forget what the more is for.

In Jewish tradition, whenever a dad divided his inheritance to his children, the oldest son received what was called a double portion. In other words, he got twice as much as the others.

Deuteronomy 21:17 NIV - He must acknowledge the son … as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has.

I used to think this was just the privilege of the firstborn. They were here first, so they win the prize. But, turns out, it was actually for a reason.

Deuteronomy 21:17 NIV - That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right (judgement) of the firstborn belongs to him.

The first son is given a double portion to first of all display the father’s strength.

Secondly, the firstborn had a responsibility to make sure the family was taken care of, which is what is meant in this scripture by the ‘right of the firstborn’.

In other words, the firstborn had a responsibility that the other’s didn’t have. If dad died, he was the one to not only carry on his name, but also carry about the purpose of the inheritance by taking care of the family.

This is the exact image we need to keep in mind as God continues to bless us. We’re not blessed because it's our privilege as Christians. We are not even blessed because we pray a lot or come to church every Sunday.

We are blessed so that we can display the strength of our Father, and to help take care of His children. This is exactly why Jesus gave us these instructions:

Luke 12:48 NLT - ...when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

In other words:

With increased blessing comes increased responsibility.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the thought that your job promotion is just for you. It’s so you can finally get the car you want, or go on more shopping sprees.

But, the more isn’t just for you. It’s for those around you.

This isn’t an attack on your character, and I am not trying to make you feel bad. I am simply reminding us all, myself included, that our culture and human nature is misleading us.

Living all about me will never bring joy! The only thing that brings true joy is when I live my life for others.

Hebrews 12:16 NLT - Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.

Esau was a guy talked about in the Old Testament. He was Isaac’s firstborn son. And one day, he got so hungry that he traded his birthright as the firstborn just to eat a bowl of soup.

It sounds ridiculous, but many of us do this very thing every day. We trade our right as a child of God to get a little something for me. We forfeit a greater blessing because all we care about is “me”.

And again, please don’t waste energy feeling bad about yourself for doing this. We are all fighting this battle. And today is simply a call to arms.

Don’t live like everyone else.

Be one of those people that makes everyone else wonder what you’re up to. Smile all the time, even to those who cut you off with their grocery cart at Sams.

Pay for people’s lunch just because. Let someone borrow your car even when its a bit inconvenient for you. And be one of those weirdos that gives the first part of every paycheck to God.

Because you know what? I am 100% confident that if we all followed the instruction the Bible gives us of giving the first 10% of our income to our church, there would not be one need unmet here at NoLimits.

We would be able to take care of our NoLimits family when needs arise. And the impact we would have on our community, in Mexico, in the Philippines, would be unfathomable.

We can’t even imagine what God wants to do for our church! And the way we get there is to never forget what the more is for. And then all come together and do our part.

Now, some of you may be planning your exit strategy right now so you can leave before we take up another offering. But just relax. We are not taking up another offering.

I just want to encourage those of you who wrestle with giving God the first part of your income. It’s never too late to get started.

God has a next level for you, but He may just be waiting for you to transition your trust away from your paycheck and back to Him.

And one of the best ways to do this is to make your flesh a bit uncomfortable and give God the first 10% of your income.

And here’s something we can’t ever forget:

It’s what’s in your heart that matters most.

Isaiah 58:5 NLT - You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?

What’s being described here is religion. And if we are not careful, we fall for the same trap.

We show up to church, we give, we lift our hands when the worship leader tells us, but our heart is not in it. We get upset if church didn’t satisfy me and meet my needs.

Sound familiar? Because this is pretty much the American church culture. And it even plagues the city of Owasso.

Let’s keep reading, because we are given the antidote.

Isaiah 58:6-7 NLT - No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

This is exactly what Jesus told us to do, and He sums it up really nicely:

John 15:12 NLT - Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

In other words, we help others, we give of our time and finances, we help even the people who have hurt us. We do all of these things not as religious duty, but because we want to love like Jesus loves.

Your heart is crying out to be more than just a churchgoer! You want to make a difference, and you want your life to count. And it’s not what you do that satisfies this hunger.

It’s the heart behind what you do that brings fulfillment and joy.

It’s amazing, really. When you commit your life to loving like Jesus loves, giving just becomes a natural response. Loving those who have hurt you is no longer a struggle. All because you know what the more is for.

And look what happens when you live your life this way. This is a continuation of what we were just reading in Isaiah. This is God saying, if you love like Jesus, here is what I will do in response. And there are actually 12 promises listed.

Isaiah 58:8-12 NIV - Then your light will break forth like the dawn (1), and your healing will quickly appear (2); then your righteousness will go before you (3), and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard (4). Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I (5). If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday (6). The Lord will guide you always (7); he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land (8) and will strengthen your frame (9). You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail (10). Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations (11); you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings (12).

God is looking for people who understand what the more is for.

He’s looking for those who will say no to culture and selfishness and commit themselves to a life of generosity. He’s looking for those who will love like Jesus.

And this is something we are all capable of because the power of the Holy Spirit is in you. You just have to make a decision.

Are you going to keep doing what you’ve been doing, or are you going to do things God’s way?

God wants to accomplish amazing things through you. As a matter of fact, you don’t even have the ability to dream up what He has for you.

But the only way any of us will ever see this come to pass, the only way we can truly live limitless life in Jesus is to love like Jesus.

In my last message, we discovered that God is all about abundance. The first commandment He gave us was to ‘multiply’!

We also learned that, as believers, we have a responsibility to live in abundance. It’s not something that’s for some people and not others. It’s God’s plan for each and every one of us.

Now that the Word has convinced you that abundance is for you, let’s talk about the things that are going to keep you from it. Because as you know, the enemy is going to try to keep you from the things of God.

But the good news is, we can uncover his sorry plan and overcome it with the Word of God.

Abundance Blocker #1: Lack of Contentment

1 Timothy 6:6-8 NLT - True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

When reading this scripture, you may imagine an impoverished life. One where you have just enough food to survive and maybe a few changes of clothes so you don’t have to walk around stinky or naked.

Considering we’ve been taught Christians are supposed to be poor, this scripture seems to confirm it. But, what’s interesting is that the original Greek word for content (arkeo) means ‘to be possessed of unfailing strength’.

I’ve never known someone living in poverty to appear to be possessed of unfailing strength. When I lived with barely enough to pay the bills, my life sure wasn’t displaying strength. Actually, I felt quite insecure.

Let’s continue on with this section of scripture so the truth can really come alive.

1 Timothy 6:9-10 NLT - But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

So this is contrast of the content person we are supposed to be.

• “People who long to be rich” - When you long for something, you can’t get your mind off it. It’s all you can think about.
• “Craving money” - Think of a pregnant woman craving something to eat. Nothing is going to stop her from getting it. So, when you crave money, nothing is going to stop you from getting it, even if you have to take advantage of others.

You’d think people who devote their lives to money, like this, would end up with a lot of it. But according to this scripture, it just ends in ruin and destruction. Not a good destination if you ask me.

So, what’s the point here? Does God want us to live in poverty? No. Here’s the whole point of this scripture:

God wants us to be content regardless of our financial state.

In other words, our contentment should in no way be tied to money.

Yet, we tend to put our contentment somewhere in the future when we have more money. “I’ll be happy when I have a bigger house.” “I’ll be happy when I have a brand new car.” “I’ll be happy when my kitchen is renovated.”

But what we have to realize is, it’s these very things that rob us of God’s plan for abundance in our lives. He needs us to get to a place where we are content, not because we have a lot of money, but because we are rooted and grounded in Him.

When we were a few months away from having our second baby, Beth and I realized the need for a different home. The house we were in had plenty of room to raise a family, but the problem was, I also ran my business out of the house. Having my office right next to the kid's bedroom just wasn’t working out.

So, we found the perfect house where the upstairs could be my office and the downstairs could be where we lived, providing much-needed separation between the two spaces. And it was seated on this plot of land that I seriously believe God designed just for me.

Only problem was, the price was a little out of my comfort zone. I ran the numbers over and over, and it fit in the budget, but I can be a little bit of a tightwad. So, I was balancing out, do I let the business suffer or do I invest in a better space so my business can flourish.

Before putting in an offer, I remember asking Beth, “If we get this house and for some reason down the line are unable to pay for it, will it be devastating for you to have to move to something smaller?”

I didn’t know it at the time, but this is a question God was using to measure our source of contentment. Did it come from the home that we lived in, or was it rooted in Him?
We learned earlier that contentment is synonymous with unfailing strength.

When our contentment is sourced in God, not in what we own or how big our bank account is, our life is a walking billboard of strength. That in itself is a life of abundance.

Don’t misunderstand. This scripture does not say that Christians can’t live in financial abundance. But, if your contentment comes from money or you are waiting to be content until you have more money, that’s probably the very thing that is keeping you from financial abundance.

Pursue contentment in Christ and financial abundance will be a side effect.

Abundance Blocker #2: Comparison

I Thessalonians 4:11-12 NKJV - ...aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside (unbelievers), and that you may lack nothing.

Have you ever noticed how life tends to be a comparison game?

When someone asks what you do for a living, in most cases, they just want to figure out if they have a better job than you or not. The most intense game of comparison revolves around parents talking about their kids. “My kids plays football and makes straight A’s. What does yours do?” “My baby started crawling at 6 months, has your’s started yet?”

This reminds me of a story of two siblings. One was always ahead of what doctors deem as ‘normal development’. They were at the top of the growth charts, they talked early. They even knew the entire alphabet and could write several letters by the time they were two and a half.

The other seemed to be falling behind. Their weight kept falling lower and lower on the growth chart. It was time for them to crawl, according to what is “normal”, but they just didn’t seem interested. They were content to just chill.

This is the story of my two girls, Leanna and Adalynn.

Beth and I were just having a discussion about how hard it is not to compare Adalynn’s growth to Leanna’s. We’ll catch ourselves looking back at pictures and videos of Leanna when she was Adalynn’s age and realizing how much faster Leanna seemed to progress.

For example, at 9 months old, Leanna was in 18-month clothes. Adalynn, on the other hand, is in 9-month clothes with room to spare.

During our discussion, Beth and I realized that this is our chance to learn not to compare one kid with the other. Every one of our kids will have their own strengths. Every kid will be different, and this should be celebrated, not used for comparison.

With this in mind, let’s go back and read the first part of that verse.

I Thessalonians 4:11 NKJV - ...aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands.

The is explaining a life where we don’t measure ourselves by other people. Because, when we compare ourselves, we limit what God wants to do in our life.
We tend to look to our parents, or television, or other people to show us how we should live, but the only thing we should be looking at is the Word of God.

Comparison tricks us into thinking God’s blessings are in limited supply. When they win, you lose, right? Comparison also pulls us in to what is going on around us. If there’s a recession, then you have to participate, right? If your grandpa died of heart disease, then the same thing is going to happen to you, right?

No! We have a choice. We can live according to the world’s systems, tagging along with their recession, accepting the flu because everyone else gets it, or we can live according to God’s system.

Heaven doesn’t go through recessions. Heaven doesn’t have a flu season. In Heaven, they don’t hand down heart disease and cancer. The problem is, we believe what the news says more than we believe what the Word of God says.

So, when there’s a recession, we cut back our giving because we might need that money. But, according to God’s system, this is the worst thing we can do.

God’s system says you have to sow to reap a harvest. The world’s system says you have to hoard so you don’t run out. So if a recession hits, the best way for you to step out of the worlds system and into God’s is to increase your giving. That’s a bonus tip.

Remember how we just talked about the importance of contentment? Well, here’s what’s interesting.

Comparison is out to steal your contentment.

If you’re busy comparing yourself to others, when they get a better car than you, it’s going to steal your contentment.

And when you lose your contentment, you step out of God’s plan for abundance and into the world’s attempt at abundance, and all it ends in is a crapload of debt, insecurity, and disappointment.

Comparison is a trap and there is nothing beneficial about it.

Refuse to measure yourself against others. Don’t allow yourself to feel inferior around those who think they are better than you.

I don’t care if they live in a house 10x the size of yours, or if they are a successful business owner, or doctor, or multi-millionaire. You walk up to them knowing that you are just as valuable as they are.

It doesn’t matter if they believe it or not, you believe it because it’s what the Word of God says about you.

On the flip side, don’t even entertain the thought that you are better than someone else. There’s always going to be someone who has less that you or is missing a skill that you have. But, you are not better than them.

And here’s why we mind our own business, work with our own hands, and stop the comparison game:

I Thessalonians 4:12 NKJV - ...that you may walk properly toward those who are outside (unbelievers), and that you may lack nothing.

Abundance Blocker #3: Debt

A study by Pew Charitable Trusts found that 8 out of 10 Americans hold some form of debt. 7 out of 10 believe that debt is necessary, but would prefer not to have it. Yet, 85% of those with debt use it to live beyond their means.

Get this: Although most Americans consider debt a necessity in their own lives, they view it as a negative force in the lives of others.

The bottom line is, we want stuff we can’t afford. And debt allows us to get it - and get it right now.

Remember our talk on contentment regardless of our financial state? It is now becoming clear that all the prosperity thieves we are talking about today lead back to a lack of contentment.

The biggest wealth killer today is the beloved car payment.

We LOVE our cars, and we LOVE to take out loans so we can get the car we want. After all, everyone has a car payment, right?

The average car payment is $475 on a six-year loan. Then, before we actually pay it off, we trade it in for a massive loss on what we originally paid for it and then take out another loan on another new car. And the payment continues.

But, if we would have invested the $475 into a good growth stock mutual fund, you would have over $100k in 10 years. Keep it going for 20 years and you’d have $470k. What about 30 years? $1.6 million!

Instead, over that 30 years, the average American would have financed about 4 cars, totaling around $104k plus an additional $50-60k in interest. In other words, you left about $1.6 million on the table at the end of this 30 years because you decided to drive new cars instead of investing. As Dave Ramsey would say, “I hope you like the car.”

Proverbs 22:7 NLT - Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.

We go into debt to try to find contentment. And in the process, we give up our freedom. The worst thing is, what we went into debt for may bring a few moments of the feel-goods, but it doesn’t last long. In the end, it’s a lose-lose.

So how do you get out of debt?

First step is to stop adding more debt. Cut up the credit cards, commit to only buying cars with cash, don’t take out loans for furniture or anything else. If you don’t have cash to buy it, don’t buy it.

To pay off your existing debt, go to nolimits.church/debtsnowball. This will lead you to an article by Dave Ramsey that will walk you through the best process for getting out of debt.

Abundance Blocker #4: Lack of Focus

Proverbs 21:5 AMP - The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance and advantage, But everyone who acts in haste (unnecessary, thoughtless, quick action) comes surely to poverty.

The Hebrew word for ‘plans’ also means: curious work, imagination, invention.

The Hebrew word for ‘diligent’ also means: determination, sharp-pointed, a trench that's been dug out.

In other words, the curious work of those who stay focused will surely lead them to abundance and advantage.

On the other hand, those who just live life on a whim, buying whatever they want, jumping from job to job, end up in poverty. This may be a normal thing to do, but it is not God’s plan for you life.

Creative Ideas + Intense Focus = Abundance

God wants to pour creative ideas into you. He wants your work to be full of purpose, full of curiosity and imagination, and fully focused.

Problem is, we get busy working jobs we don’t really like to pay for things we can’t afford. All because that is what everyone else is doing.

In Andrew Wommack’s book, Don’t Limit God, he says, “If you’re not excited about getting up on Monday and going to work, or if you get excited on Friday because you don’t have to work the next two days, you haven’t found God’s will for your life.”

The world’s system says you’ve made it when you get an 8-5 job, Monday-Friday, 2-weeks of vacation pay. It doesn’t matter if you like it or not, it’s just what we do.

In the world’s system, you have to trade in your dreams for this so-called security in a steady paycheck.

During my first year at Rhema Bible School, I realized the importance of Beth attending as well. At this point, she was the sole provider of our home, holding down a really stable 8-5 job.

We met for lunch one day and I pretty much told her she was going to quit her job and go to Rhema when the next school year started. She thought I was crazy, but I didn’t really give her a choice. I felt that strongly about it.

One day I was at the church cleaning when we were a mile down the street and I noticed a new business was going in next to us. I walked over there and asked the owner if he was looking for any part-time work.

That day, I got Beth a job that would work with her school schedule and even pay more per hour than she was receiving at the time. It was like God orchestrated the whole thing. She quit her job, started the new job and started school. She even ended up liking the new job better than her previous job!

And then one day, Beth walked it to work after school and her boss said the business was closing and to never come back. Turns out, her boss was embezzling money and the IRS found out.

Wait. Wasn’t this the ideal job that God has orchestrated? How could God let this happen to two people who were in Bible school?

But you know what we learned from this situation? That the world’s system only provides a false sense of security, yet they ask you to give up on your dreams, what you are called to do, in return.

Sounds like a crappy deal to me. So how do you get out?

Stop the business.

Stop the unnecessary, thoughtless, and quick action. Take your quieted mind before God and ask Him to pour in His plan for you life.

Take time to imagine the type of work that brings you fulfillment, peace and joy. Because this is the work God has called you to.

Then, get determined and focused. Keep doing what you are called to do and trust God for the provision. Even when it seems like it is not working, stay focused, don’t stop.

Remember what we just read: The curious work of those who stay focused will surely lead them to abundance and advantage.

It all leads back to contentment.

When you’re doing something you are not called to do just to earn a paycheck, you lack contentment. So you buy things you can’t afford to try to find contentment and all you end up with is a load of debt.

You compare yourself to others, hoping this will make you feel better about yourself, and just end up with more discontentment.

And a lack of contentment is the very things that keeps us from experiencing abundance.

To bring it all together, let’s re-read the scripture we started with.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 NLT - True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

Next Step

Be content regardless of your financial state. It’s a choice and one that you will have to make daily until it becomes a new way of life.

Contentment is a prerequisite to abundance. You have to find contentment through Christ first before God can pour abundance into your life.

There is a lot we can learn about prosperity and abundance in Luke the fifth chapter. But, let's first examine what happens leading up to this story.

Jesus Steps Into Ministry

Jesus’ ministry started when he was baptized by John the Baptist and filled with the Holy Spirit. Then He was immediately led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for forty days. And of course, the devil failed to get Jesus to sin.

Once the tempting was over, Jesus began to preach the good news and people were astonished. Well, until he made it back to his hometown where they tried to kill him when he told them he was anointed to preach the gospel.

He continued to travel around not just preaching the gospel, but also casting out unclean spirits and healing people.

After a long day, Jesus went to Simon’s house where he found Simon’s mother-in-law very sick. Jesus rebuked the fever, it left her immediately, and she got up and prepared a meal for them.

Then, one after another, sick people were brought to Jesus and he healed every one of them.

Jesus invests in us first.

Luke 5:1-3 NLT - As Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

When you’ve read this in the past, you may have assumed this is the first time Simon met Jesus, but it wasn’t.

Remember, Jesus has already been to his house, healed his mother-in-law, and I am sure Simon watched Jesus heal people one-after-another. It may have even happened at his house. So, Jesus already had Simon’s respect at this point, which explains why Jesus used his boat.

This reveals something about Jesus’ character. He invested in Simon’s life before He asked for something from Simon.

Often, we think that Jesus just wants something from us. He wants 10% of our income. He wants our time. He wants our commitment.

Yes, He does want all of those things, but He made the first move. He invested in your life first. We are not trying to buy salvation. It’s already been given to us. Our job is to act on what’s already been done.

Tithing, giving, and everything else we do for God is simply a response to what He’s already done for us. It’s how we say thank you. It’s how we worship.

All this time, you may have thought the only form of worship was singing. But worship is anything we do in response to God’s love for us.

What convinced Simon?

Luke 5:4-5 NLT - When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”

Up to this point, Jesus had performed two types of miracles: healing and casting out demons. They had not yet seen what else Jesus could do.

Imagine. You just spent all day at work creating a document and it got deleted. Or, you spent all day working on a car and it still doesn’t work.

Then a guy who you respect and has even done some pretty cool things tells you to stay up all night and do it again.

“Alright, Jesus. I’ve seen you heal people. I’ve heard ya talk about some pretty cool stuff. But you really want me to fish some more after I just fished all night and caught nothing. You know if you don’t catch fish at night, it’s even more unlikely you’ll catch them during the day, right?”

So what convinced Simon to go ahead and do it anyway?

Jesus taught.

Luke 5:3 NLT - ...So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds.

What did Jesus teach about? We don’t know for sure, but I imagine it was relevant to what was about to happen.

It probably went something like this.

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…” (Genesis 1:28 NKJV)

But the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 11:9 NKJV)

Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. (Deuteronomy 30:5 NKJV)

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (II Corinthians 9:8)

Throughout the Bible, over and over, we can see that God is a God of abundance and increase. He is not the God of barely-get-along. He is the God of more than enough.

I imagine this is what Jesus was teaching that day.

Jesus would not expect Simon step out in faith and go fishing again if He had not first taught him (Romans 10:17) about increase and abundance.

Remember, there was no miracle up to this point that would’ve shown Simon that Jesus was capable of a miracle of increase. The only thing that could stir up Peter’s faith is the Word of God.

God exceeds expectations.

Luke 5:6-7 NLT - And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

Even after Jesus’ teaching, Simon still only took one boat out fishing. I am sure he went out knowing that he would catch some fish this time, but in his mind, he still put a limit on what God could do.

Just imagine the look on Jesus' face when Simon went out with one boat.

So, after an entire night of fishing and catching nothing, they go back out and within just a fraction of the time, they catch enough fish to practically sink not one, but two boats.

If Simon wouldn’t have stepped out in faith, none of this would have happened.

But, since Simon did step out in faith, putting action to what he had just heard Jesus teach, God exceeded his expectations. He broke the limit that was in Simon’s mind.

God requires our faith. But He does not require us to ‘fully get it’. Scripture says all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed and He does the rest.

He’ll meet you where you’re at. And even if you think you are all the way there, He is going to show up and exceed your expectation.

We think ordinary, God thinks extraordinary. We think “just give me enough to get by”, God thinks abundance. We think, “Let me manage this addiction”, God thinks freedom.

We ask for the possible when God wants to do the impossible. He specializes in exceeding our expectations. All we have to do is take one tiny step of faith and BAM, He’s on the scene.

Go beyond your comfort zone.

Luke 5:4 NLT - When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper...

In general, our tendency is to do just enough to get by. So I imagine when Simon was up fishing all night, he went just far enough where there was usually some fish. Because you know, it is quite a bit of effort to get out there and maybe even more effort to get back to shore.

But notice that Jesus didn’t ask Simon to go back out to where he was before. He asked him to go out deeper.

Go a little further than your comfort zone. Put in a little more effort than you did last time.

Because if Simon didn’t do this, he wouldn’t be acting in faith, he’d be acting on what he already knew.

God wants you to move past your comfort zone. He wants you to move beyond what you can do on your own. Because it’s then, and only then, that he can show up and exceed your expectations.

He’s not asking for a big jump. He just wants you to go a little deeper than what’s comfortable.

That small step allows you to activate your faith and believe God for a miracle. It allows you to believe for boat-sinking abundance and increase.

Now, let's read the rest of the story.

Luke 5:8-11 NLT - When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

All It takes is a small step of faith.

It is quite apparent that Simon wasn’t full of faith when he went out to fish again. He must have thought he’d only catch a few fish, which is definitely better than catching none.

We often put the disciples on a pedestal as if they had some kind of super faith we are not capable of. But it’s quite obvious they were just like you and me.

Yes, Simon obeyed Jesus’ command, but of course, he had to give him a bit of sass first. And even though he obeyed, he still wasn’t 100% sure of what Jesus could do. But Jesus still performed the miracle.

If all it took from Simon was a bit of obedience and the tiniest bit of faith, that’s all it takes for Jesus to show up in your life.

If you want abundance and increase in your life, he just needs you to take that baby step. To go a little bit deeper and to have a little bit of faith in the fact that there are No Limits to what he can do in your life.

Jesus goes on the journey with you.

This part of the story also reveals that Jesus was on the boat with them this whole time. He didn’t send them out to do this on their own. He went on the journey with them.

I kind of imagined Jesus giving the command to Simon and waving from the shore as they went out to fish. Turns out, I was wrong. Jesus went with them.

What does this mean for you? You are not alone on your journey to abundance. He’s in the boat with you, encouraging you to row the boat just a little deeper. And after you get there, just a little deeper. And when you there, just a little deeper.

He may start by filling two boats, but it doesn’t end there. Once again, Jesus wants you to go a little deeper and let him fill five boats, then 10, then 1,000.

And he’s right there beside you. Supporting you along the entire journey. He knows there are no limits and he’s excited to show that that to you, step-by-step.

Abundance is not just for us.

The most important thing to point out from this story is that God brings abundance into our lives not just so that we will have wealth, but so that our wealth can enable us to impact those around us.

Jesus took Simon Peter on this journey to change his mindset. Jesus couldn’t have a group of disciples with a poverty mindset. He needed a group of abundance thinkers.

It’s a common belief that christians should be poor, with just enough to get along. And, we’ve believed it for years. We wear poverty as a badge of honor as if we are displaying an amazing feat of humility.

This pours over into how we reach others. We’ve become satisfied with affecting just a small group of people at our church. After all, if we believe for growth or accidently become a mega church, we’ve deviated from God’s plan or somehow watered down the message. Because, you know, all big churches are leading people away from Christ, not to Him, right?

The poverty mindset is a disease.

The poverty mindset is a disease that has robbed the church of its ability to fulfill its potential.

I am not saying that every church should be a megachurch. But what I am saying is that our vision should always lean towards abundance.

We should be a church that believes we will always have more than enough financially to fulfill what God has called us to do.

We should be a church that puts no limit on the number of people that we minister to. Our vision as a church should always be bigger than the season we are in right now.

You have a responsibility to operate in abundance.

For the church to operate in abundance, you have to operate in abundance. And the reason we operate in abundance is so that we can be fishers of men.

Jesus took Simon Peter on this adventure not just to make him successful, but so that Peter would come on to his team with a No Limits mindset.

You better know that after this, Peter did not put a limit on the number of people that healed, delivered and set free by the ministry of Jesus.

Let’s back up in this story a bit.

Luke 5:7 NLT - A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

Notice that the second boat didn’t go out with the first. They hung out on the shore to see what was going to happen.

Even though the second boat was faithless, they were able to latch on to Simon Peter’s faith, and because they did, their boat was filled with fish too.

If we are struggling to be a faith leader, then we should surround ourselves with people who are.

If you struggle believing God for finances, surround yourself with those who are living the abundant life so you can latch on to their blessing and eventually take it for yourself.

If you struggle to believe God for healing, surround yourself by people who live in divine healing so you can latch on to their faith and eventually believe it for yourself.

The goal here is not to always rely on others for abundance. The goal is to become a faith leader yourself, so your abundance can overflow to those around you.

Abundance is not just for you. It overflows on those around you.

Jesus made the first investment by teaching Simon and healing his mother-in-law.

Then Simon gave to Jesus. It may have been and empty boat, but still, Simon gave what he had available at the time. Jesus took this gift and multiplied it by providing enough fish to fill two boats.

Simon’s blessing for giving, obeying and stepping out in faith not only benefited him, but also those in the other boat.

And even beyond that, just think of all the lives affected by Simon Peter’s obedience. His abundance is still overflowing on us today!

Next Steps

1. Accept your responsibility to live in abundance.
2. Respond to Jesus’ investment by giving back to Him.
3. Take a step of faith, go beyond your comfort zone, and dare to believe that God is going to break you boat-sinking abundance.