Living Open Handed

We are on the closing stretch of our "Blessed Life" series and all I can say is WOW at the first two weekends of 2013! I honestly hope that you have opened your heart to the messages in this series. We are seeing an average of nearly 600 people to kick off the year! So many people taking their next steps...that's our ultimate win as a church! A few notes as we close out the Blessed Life series:
I believe in the power of generosity....God can not pour into a closed fist. But an open hand that gives generously is also ready to receive blessings. When we started this church, so many other churches taught me what it meant to live open handed. Churches with next to nothing in their budgets wrote us checks for hundreds and some even thousands of dollars. Why? Because it was for the Kingdom. Because they knew you could never, and I mean never, out give God. I've seen great pastor friends of mine give away thousands, and God turn right around and bless them with TENS of thousands. An open hand is ready to give and also ready to receive blessings. 

I want all of you to read Luke 9:12-17 this week in preparation for the last message on Sunday. I want you to see what God can do with a young boy who was willing to share all that he had only to see Jesus multiply to minister to thousands! The young boy probably had no idea that his willingness to give it away was all Jesus needed to pour out a blessing. So much so, that there was food left over! That's exactly what God promises in 
Malachi 3:8-12-

“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. 9You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me.10Bring 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! 11Your 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. 12“Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies

Remember these 3 things to live the Blessed Life:

1. The Power of First
Put God first in everything. Give Him the best off the top of what you make. It belongs to Him. He gave His life for us, 10% is not too much to ask from us. He could ask for 100% if He wanted to...and He would deserve it.

2. Can You Be Trusted?
Don't live above your means. Make a budget, handle your blessings wisely. Live generously but not foolishly. God has entrusted you with resources, money, and time. Spend them each wisely.

3. The Power of Multiplication
Come next Sunday to hear this message but one thing to remember...little placed in the hands of a big God is always better than in our closed fist.

Remember, I want generosity FOR you. I want generosity for myself. I want to be blessed so that I can be a blessing. I want to be able to give outrageous gifts to the church and to people in need. I want to see Jesus take my little and make it much for the building of HIs Kingdom. I never want to see our children's ministry and student ministry have to do fundraisers to accomplish big things. I want to see our church fund the two most important ministries at GC. 

We have a big dream. Big dreams take big faith. Big faith requires HUGE obedience. Living open handed has never caused anyone to go poor. The people that God has blessed most are the people who give away the most. Let this series change your life...forever.