CHANGED LIVES


	CHANGED LIVES

Sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to fit one more item into our budgets. If we approach tithing in this fashion, most of us will find that there isn’t anything left to give once all of the other obligations have been met. However, God instructs us to bring back to Him first. Before we pay our mortgages and other monthly bills, before we entertain or treat ourselves, we are supposed to give back to Him what belongs to Him anyway. When we comply with God’s instruction, we find more peace and blessing because we begin to prioritize according to God’s will, not the way the world would tell us to do it. These people have found amazing blessings as a result of their willing obedience to God.

WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT A CHURCH THAT HAS BEEN A PART OF YOUR LIFE FOR THIRTY YEARS? A church that raised your children? A church that offered encouragement through divorce? A church that brought two extremely independent people together and helped forge a marriage and a family that is now the center of our lives? Our loyalty to our church is rock solid. Our attendance never waivers. Our desire to volunteer is set in stone. But what about financial support? What do we give, and why do we give? Consistent giving to the church is not an easy first step to take. It takes a love for the church and the work of the church. But most of all, it takes a trust in our God who commands us to do so. So many wise people helped us make our choice to give, and so many more have reinforced that decision. God surrounds us with those who will give us the message we need to hear. Two great examples of that are Roy Wheeler and Jim McKee. We will never forget the night twenty years ago when we invited Roy to come to our house to talk to us about tithing. We were newly married and had five children between us. Our church was very important to us, and we wanted to be a part of its success. Roy explained that sometimes you start small with your giving and then increase the amount to the goal that you want to achieve. That way, it becomes a natural part of your life. What a simple idea! Why didn’t we think of it ourselves? We did exactly what he said and in a few short years, we were exactly where we had set our goal (We love this story because Roy later told us that he was afraid he was being called to our house that night to do marriage counseling!! The tithe message was a piece of cake for him). And then there is Jim. We were in class one Sunday morning when Jim shared his very personal story about the way that he does his tithe. He told us that when you sit down to pay bills, just make your weekly gift out just like all other financial obligations. That way, it is a natural part of dispensing your money. He encouraged us to pray over each check and ask God to use it in the very best way to bring others to Him. We adopted this method and make out the next two weeks’ gifts to Hillside Christian Church as the very first checks that we write. We have been taught since we were little children that God’s church is not a building. God’s church is a body of believers who come together to worship Him. Because Hillside Christian has such a rich history of offering so many services to such a wide audience, we feel a building is definitely part of His plan for the growth of His church. A capital campaign that was held so many years ago enabled us to move to our incredible new building. We both work at BSA and believe us, we know about building projects. We tell everyone who asks us why our hospital is always under some kind of expansion project, “A hospital is like a living, breathing human being. If it is not changing and growing, it is dying. And our hospital is not going to die.” Why shouldn’t that same philosophy apply to our beloved church? Even though we have been in our new church building just over a year, we look forward to hearing of future expansions and new projects. It tells us that we are growing and meeting the needs of so many people who are desperate to know God. Our plan is to continue to give to our church and to continue to support the building projects that come along. Like Roy and Jim told us, it is now just a natural part of our lives. Larry & Mary Barlow

I GREW UP IN CHURCH AND HAD HEARD ABOUT TITHING SINCE I WAS A SMALL CHILD. As a young adult, I tithed periodically, but not faithfully. I justified it by saying that God also commanded me to take care of my family, and at the time, I had a young child. One Sunday, Scott Greer was preaching on tithing, and I felt very convicted. I remember him discussing the Scriptures that relate to tithing and the promise that God knows what we need before we ask Him. I began tithing regularly. Although it was scary some months, God was very faithful. There were times when I wanted to give less than my 10% and apply that money to other bills. Trusting God, I went ahead and followed through with the commitment. God met all of my needs and then some. A few years ago, my life situation changed, and I wondered how in the world I could make it. Again, God came through and took care of my son and me. Two years ago, I had the opportunity to become a leader in the Crown Financial classes. I have learned so much through leading and participating. I have developed (and reconnected) with some fabulous people here at Hillside. God has so much to share with us about how we can be good stewards with the money and possessions that He has given to us. He reminded me, through his Word, that everything that I have is His and that I work for Him. I have a great boss! Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men...It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Crystal Dockery

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A CLASS MAKES. In the Fall of 2006, Hillside advertised a class on studying the biblical principles of handling money. Crown Financial Ministries sponsored the class. I had heard of the class through friends, so I decided to sign up. Boy was I surprised! The structure of the class started off with a requirement to read a small book called “Your Money Counts.” What I learned was there are 2,350 verses in the Bible that speak on money and possessions. WOW. That’s more verses than prayer and faith combined. Our first class consisted of 13 people ranging in ages from 30 to 90. Seems like I was not alone in my search for guidance on financial matters. Fifteen years ago, my husband suffered a massive brain hemorrhage and stroke. It not only changed our lives, but it completely changed our financial security. We went from a two income household to living on one income, followed by three years of disability for my husband. With that life changing event came lots of doctor, hospital, education, and rehab bills, plus our normal household expenses. It’s taken a long time to get through the financial hump, but Crown seemed to offer a plan for a long term solution. After the 10 week course, I learned about God’s plan, and how we fit into His plan. I learned about debt, seeking wise counsel, honesty, and not only about the principles of tithing, but what it means to give. I learned about investing and received a new perspective on our financial future and eternity. I found structure and tools for budgeting and setting realistic expectations. Not only have we been able to tithe more, but we can also see an ending point to being in debt. I took the first Crown class without my husband, but I would come home after class and share what I had learned. We were both so impressed with Crown’s teachings and how it impacted our lives that we took the course to become Crown instructors. We taught a class last spring and again this past fall. That’s 12 more people who are following God’s plan for finances. The classes offer biblical teachings, Bible verses, and practical applications. How we handle money affects our fellowship with the Lord and is the guiding principle to the study. I assure you that it impacted our lives like I never imagined and blessings continue to flow like never before. I learned that everything we own belongs to God. Now before we make a purchase, we always ask ourselves if that would be what God would want us to do. It has really impacted our spending. The most important thing that Crown has taught us is to put God first not only in our lives, but in every financial decision we make. Tithing has become paramount in our lives, debt has been significantly reduced, and we have savings like never before. If you follow those principles, blessings flow from God. Carolyn Hurt