In our last issue, I wrote about the Four Fundamental Goals of our Giving Campaign, “Faithful Living, Generous Giving 2: Occupying the Land”. The goals are (1) To build a life of faith, (2) To build relationships, (3) To build a heart of thanksgiving and (4) To occupy the land.
This week, I would like to share with you the Four Essentials needed to reach our financial needs.
We must seek the Lord through prayer!
Nothing extraordinary is accomplished through ordinary people like us except by prayer. The Bible says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6
Prayer is our lifeline to God. It is through prayer that we communicate our heart and desires to the Lord. He in response guarantees us some sort of answer. James wrote, “You do not have because you do not ask.” James 4:2b
I personally have been praying every evening before dinner for the Lord to meet our financial needs.
We must believe that it can be done!
The Bible says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. Faith is important because faith not only causes mountains to be moved, but it causes us to be moved.
When we believe something can be done, we will expend the energy and resources necessary to proceed forward with confidence. Abraham had faith in God so he moved forward with the sacrifice of his son, Isaac (see Hebrews 11:17-19). Joshua had faith in God, so he moved forward with strength and courage to occupy the land of Canaan.
As a church family, we must believe that our financial needs can be met by the Lord through us. As a result, we will each move forward by faith in our sacrificial giving.
We must involve everyone in our church!
The Book of Joshua has been an inspiration to me as we are poised to occupy the land. In many ways, the corporate experience of our church family had paralleled the journeys of the people of Israel prior to occupying their promise land.
We went through a two and a half year wilderness experience. We experienced the challenge of purchasing then selling land after a lengthy ordeal. God has been molding us as a people these past ten years.
If you read Joshua, you will discover that it took everyone to conquer the land. It would have been virtually impossible to experience victory if a large portion of the nation decided to sit back and let everyone else do the work.
If everyone in our church family participates, we will experience victory.
We must be willing to sacrifice!
When I think of Joshua and the people of Israel occupying the land God provided for them. I am glad that we are us and they are them (forgive the English).
As they crossed the Jordan River, they were all willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. Some of them would die during the conquest. Without that willingness to make a sacrifice, no one would have crossed the river.
Extraordinary accomplishments by ordinary people usually include the willingness to pay the price. In order for us to reach our financial needs, we must all be willing make sacrifices. Remember our core value: “Equal Sacrifice, Not Equal Gifts”.
By the time you read this article, we would have already experienced worshipping the Lord at the new site. I hope that it will be a foretaste of what is to be.
May the Lord be honored and glorified in all that we do.

Blessings,
Pastor Cory, d.v.
d.v., deo volente: God willing