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well today I want to welcome you to week
two of a series that we’re doing called
ducks in a row and if you’re a visitor
we get excited around here because we
don’t have to do this we get to do this
a lot of us were lost and broken and
jacked up and messed up and in darkness
so deep that we didn’t even know our
left from our right and and the grace of
God came in and he saw us and he was
like yeah with all of that I’ll still
use you and he picked us up and and he
turned us around and and and and we’re
not where we want to be but we’re not
where we used to be and there there
comes an excitement in our hearts when
we get the opportunity to do what we
never thought was possible and so for
all of us as a church is we’re in this
month of generosity I’m hoping this
thing becomes contagious I’m hoping this
thing in you is not something we do for
a month it’s something that you’re doing
every day of your life you’re waking up
every day and say god how can you use me
today and so as we move in this I want
you to get out your notes and I want you
to be able to pull out your phones cuz
we’re gonna take notes today as we start
week two of this series that we are
calling ducks in a row and this whole
series is about generosity and
stewardship and again those aren’t sexy
words but they’re significant words
those are words that God it gets his
attention and more than the words get
his attention
the actions of generosity and
stewardship get his attention and we’re
talking about finances we’re talking
about how we live our lives we’re
talking about giving and I don’t want
nobody to check out cuz this is the
point where a lot of people get tight
and they’re like oh my god I knew I
shouldn’t have came here this Sunday I
need everybody to relax because we’re
gonna approach this thing with
information and inspirations from the
Word of God and then I’m gonna let you
do whatever you need to do with the word
that God places on your heart okay but
the word tells us in proverbs chapter 11
verse 24 one of my favorite scriptures
it says the world of the generous gets
larger
and larger but the world of the stingy
gets smaller and smaller a lot of people
are trying to figure out why things that
were once booming are now decreasing
it’s because the generosity factor went
down the you used to give so much you
used to share your contacts when you
didn’t have many like when you didn’t
really know nobody if you could help
somebody you would now you didn’t got up
a little bit on top and somebody asked
you for anything and you feel like
sharing with them may be a threat to
what you’re doing and God says no no no
you’re doing it backwards because the
world of the generous gets larger and
larger but the world of those who have
to keep everything to themselves and
keep all of it for them and make sure
that just me and my four and no more
have anything it gets smaller and
smaller and what you end up you go from
guarding a kingdom to something very
very small and God says that’s not how I
called any of my people to live I want
them to live a blessed life everybody
say blessed life say it with your chest
say blessed life and I really do believe
that that’s what God calls all of us to
do so last week I just asked a simple
question are your ducks in a row that
was the only question I asked because
there’s a priority a uniformity there is
a order to having ducks walk in a row
and we did this thing called the ducks
in a row assessments last week or I
called it the Dyer assessment and this
is what we came to the conclusion of I
want you to see this if you have your
ducks in a row according to the parable
in Matthew 25 you’ll have faith for the
future you will acknowledge God with
everything that you have and you’ll use
what you have right now everybody say
right now
well Pastor Mike it’s not a lot use it
well it’s not as much as them use it
well I’ve had some bad really bad breaks
and all I have is really not even worth
telling anybody about God said one of
the most extravagant gifts given in all
of history was a woman who came with her
very last and and they called it to my
and and and Jesus stopped all of his
disciples when all the big ballers were
coming in and dropping stacks and making
it rain he wasn’t impressed with none of
that all he said is huddle everybody
stop do y’all see that woman right there
what she just did
what’s more extravagant than everybody
else
he said she just gave out of what she
didn’t have so we’re not talking about
amounts we’re talking about heart
posture and and and see this is the
problem many of us with my hand up first
we’ve been in this category where we
would dig holes like literally go in
debt for stuff we didn’t need keeping up
with the Joneses and nobody knows who
they are
like y’all got what I’m saying and if
you’re if you’re digging the hole you
have fear of failure you assume that you
know what God’s gonna do and then you
use excuses for what you have right now
it’s not enough well I’m in college I I
only have a minimum-wage job I’ve went
through bankruptcy God said I don’t care
where you are he said I’m the god that
will see you through every situation but
but he’s just looking for somebody to
allow him to use what they have now and
so I’m not telling you where you are on
this list but my prayer is that at the
end of this series everybody that’s over
here will move to this side of the list
and will start to live a blessed life
everybody say a blessed life one of the
craziest things about the story we
talked about last week and if you have
time I want you to go back and watch
that message like if you’re watching
this on rebroadcast I want you to stop
it and go back and watch last week’s and
and if you’re in here I want you to go
back and study but in Matthew 25 verse
14 to 30 this whole story was about
three different people who who the grace
of God gave me one of them five one of
them two and one of them one and he
didn’t matter
it didn’t matter about the amounts he
just wanted them to do something with
what they had been given so in this
series this whole thing about us being
the the the blessed people that God
wants us to be
I really started to look at this
scripture cuz verse 29 really struck me
and I want to go there real quick as we
end last week’s service today and I’m
gonna start a new message today – I want
you to see this real quick Matthew 25
verse 29 it says those who use well
everybody say use well those who use
well what they are given even more will
be given and I said man God what if we
could have nobody have an excuse like
like we’re doing this random acts of
kindness thing we’re going out and we’re
blessing people and we’re investing in
people and I want y’all to know that
investing in people the Bible calls that
true riches like when you invest in
others that’s true it stirs more than a
stock in a bond and real estate when you
vest in people it’s true riches
everybody said true riches so I had this
wild idea like this crazy one that what
if we gave everybody the opportunity
that came to church today the
opportunity to live out this parable in
real life like what if we gave everybody
in the audience money and then told them
to go out and invest it like really I
want to give everybody in the audience
five dollars right now icers will you
start passing it out to everybody in the
audience right now
I want everybody know everybody that
comes to church to that transformation
Church in every service you’re getting
five dollars from transformation Church
okay now no yeah excitement okay now now
this is funny that there’s mixed
emotions right here because some people
in this moment it’s exposing where you
are because for some of you five dollars
five dollars
let’s find out as follows you didn’t
have that that’s the first thing about
it and and the second thing I want you
to know is this is five dollars that has
an assignment this is five dollars that
I want you to be led by the Spirit of
God this week not to eat it oh but you
know that’s what we do the thing that
God tells us to so many times we eat it
and many people don’t have when God
tells them to because they eat their
seed I don’t want you to eat this I want
you to be led by the Spirit of God to
walk up to somebody to do it anonymously
to leave it as a tip for your waitress
to go up to that person you know who’s
struggling that person for in front of
you that says I want ten and they drive
in a Ford f-150 the only one ten dollars
and gas you alive that’s all the money
you have I want you to put an extra five
on it
what I’m asking everybody is that a
transformation Church we’re gonna
represent nobody’s gonna have an excuse
not to participate and get this engine
of generosity going can I get one big a
man in the place hey this is the type of
church you’re a part of we don’t want to
just hear the word we want to do the
word amen amen
and so every service take your five
dollars and do right cuz I’m not gonna
come check on you but they’ll remember
what the scripture said those who use
well what they are given even more will
be given and I’m giving you more
let’s be honest because many times the
vehicle that God blesses us through one
time that’s the only way we expect him
to bless us but what you got to realize
is when you’re obedient in this lane
God’s working something over here and
when you’re obedient in this lane God’s
touching something over there
and so when you’re obedient it says they
will be given even more and they will
have an abundance or they will live a
blessed life but for those who do
nothing
cuz somebody’s gonna let this go and
they’re gonna let it fall under the seat
of their car and somebody else is gonna
be like I don’t want spend my own money
and they’re just gonna spin this and
ain’t nobody gonna come get you
except this Bible book but from those
who do nothing even what little they
have will be taken away we could go home
right here that like that
that’ll preach and so we as a church are
gonna live a blessed life everybody say
blessed life and transformation nation
we haven’t forgotten about you check
Instagram on Tuesday we haven’t figured
out a technology to be able to see an
area buddy who out to $5 yet cuz we all
know but we got something coming for you
so I want you to stay online cuz this is
not about just this church you’re an
extension of what God is doing all over
the world and we want you to be a part
of this too okay all right now this is
the part where most people when you do a
Finance Series and generosity and
stewardship people check out but I want
you to check in because this thing about
living a blessed life is more than
having a blessed wallet what we really
think I’m saying is we want blessed
wallets and blessed bank accounts no we
want a blessed life there are things
money can’t buy
yeah y’all know what I’m talking about
there are things that it doesn’t matter
how many zeros you have in your bank
account
if your heart is bankrupt it doesn’t
matter how much you have in your bank
account that’s how people with 50
million dollars can kill themselves did
y’all hear what I’m saying so we want to
live the life that God has encouraged us
to live and that’s why I get frustrated
with a lot of the teaching in church
around finances because what they’re
really teaching is giving your gift
giving your gift and that transformation
church we we teach give to give not
expecting anything back because when you
give to give you get the heart of God
like that’s how let’s think about it for
God so loved the world that he he gave
on a maybe there was no guarantee you
were gonna accept him there was no
guarantee that you were gonna give your
life to Him many people but he gave His
only Son with no guarantee he said when
you start lending to people and you
bless people and you give to people with
no guarantee of it coming back when you
honor me with your tithes when you give
in the house of God he said and you’re
not looking for people to do what you
say when you get you get my heart this
is why I need you to know if you get
this concept this is the thing that can
change your life it’ll change your
marriage it’ll change your family it’ll
change your health it’ll change all of
your relationships and so I want us as a
church to live a say it one more time
with me bless life okay go to Matthew
chapter 7 verse 1 I feel this thing
already
and I want to read this scripture to you
it says judge not that you be not judged
for with the judgment you judge you will
be judged and with the measure you use
it will be measured back to you let me
ask you a simple question was the word
money mentioned anywhere in that
scripture okay I just I just want us to
be very clear so I want you to say this
statement with me say judge not and you
will not be judged
and with the measure you use it will be
measured back to you turn to Luke 6:37
and I want us to say that one more time
everybody say judge not and you will not
be judged come on say like your turn
coffee this morning and with the measure
you use it will be measured back to you
look at the first sentence and the last
sentence of Luke 37 and 38 it says judge
not and you will not be judged no you
don’t gotta say you know I gotta say
this condemn judge not and you will not
be judged condemn not and you shall not
be condemned forgive and you will be
forgiven give and it will be given to
you good measure pressed down shaken
together and running over will it be put
into your bosom for with the same
measure you use it will be measured back
to you now this may shock you but the
word money was never mentioned in that
scripture either and it’s funny that
every time we hear Luke 36 or Luke 38 is
that all for a time it’s like yeah ha ha
and it’ll be giving back to you good
mash up
shaking together satan and worrying over
haha what men put it in your like
they’ll win okay heard it all my life
matter of fact I’ve done it okay but the
word money is never used in these
scriptures which lets me know that God’s
trying to teach us a principle see see
this whole scripture is talking about
judging it’s talking about condemning
people it’s talking about forgiveness
and God saying that if you if you give
it a certain way it’s gonna come back to
you a certain way I heard a pastor tell
a story one time and he was interviewed
and um the the reporter asked him he
said um how much do you talk about
giving and he said every week and the
reporter said what you talk about giving
every week he said yes he said I think
what you meant to ask me is how much do
I talk about giving money see because
every time you even hear the word giving
you think money and what happens is the
enemy has now perverted a term that is
really the backbone of the entire Bible
so that when he tells you to give all
you think about is how much you don’t
have and how you were taking advantage
of and God said I wouldn’t even talking
about money but your heart was shut down
to the concept of giving and this
reporter said oh you talk about giving
every Sunday and he was like you got to
realize that you can’t talk about grace
without giving because for God so loved
the world that he you can’t talk about
having a healthy marriage without giving
because a marriage will not work without
two people who are willing to sacrifice
and give and so giving is the theme of
the Bible and what the enemy wants you
to do is anytime the word give our
generosity comes up he wants you to shut
your heart and your mind down because
then you get locked out of a key of the
kingdom of God and today I want to bring
this thing back alive in you
make it so prevalent so that you can
walk in everything God has called you to
walk in and you can live a blessed life
can I get one big a man so write down my
first point right now giving is all
about the heart honestly giving is all
about the heart let me prove it to you
Matthew 6 verse 21 it says for where
your treasure is not where you promised
it’ll be not where you would like it to
be where your treasure everybody say it
is there your heart will be also your
treasure is a tracking device to your
heart wherever you put your money your
heart will be there and I know a lot of
people they they’re like no no no no no
I love God I really everything about
show me your bank account because the
Bible doesn’t say were you where you
hope we’re you one day would it would
project that it says where your treasure
is your heart follows your treasure and
I didn’t say it don’t be mad at me this
is Jesus if you search your Bible this
is in red okay I’ll just plan everybody
this wasn’t an apostle or a minor
prophet or major prop this with Jesus
who said this wherever you put your
treasure your heart follows it and I can
prove it to you if you take your money
right now you put it in a stock you will
check that stock every day you didn’t
care nothing about to stock before you
didn’t care if the business failed or if
it went but the reason you care now
because your treasure is there some of
y’all check your bank accounts more than
you check on your kids you hear what I’m
saying like at lunch you’d be checking
your bank account another change only
get paid twice a month but just in case
come on let’s be honest
before you make every purchase you like
hold on let me get on my app but the
only reason you do that is because
that’s where your treasure is some
people right now if you buy the shoes
that you like and you know the shoes
that you like if somebody steps on them
you ready to fight why it’s because your
treasure is that mean if you do and
restore an old car and you put your
treasure in that car nobody can drive a
car it’s a problem nobody drives it and
it gets more baths than you do do you
hear what I’m saying like like why it’s
because your treasure is there you want
your heart in the kingdom of God you got
to put your treasure in the kingdom of
God I’m not even talking about this
church like there are people watch them
from all over the world and if you
belong to another church
I’m not soliciting you to come here I’m
just talking about wherever God has
called you to
don’t say that God has your heart and he
don’t have your treasure
because it does I know it’s tight I know
I know
but it’s right and I’m telling you this
because I love you and I want you to
live a blessed life I was in delusion
from this truth forever I thought I
could serve and play drums and help
creatively and all this other stuff and
God was like he know he know my heart
and he said that’s exactly why I keep
you at the place you’re at cuz the only
person I can trust to this next level of
elevation is somebody that I know they
have their heart and that’s why I tell
people all the time that God’s not
concerned about your habits first he
said if God gets your heart he can help
change your habits the church has done
it backwards for years it’s like change
your habits stop smoking stop drinking
stop fixing it stop this it’s not that
it’s stopped
like they do all of these stops okay but
it only lasts for a moment because the
heart wasn’t transformed so when God
gets your heart he can change your have
give somebody thank God that he’s a God
that won’t ask you to do something that
he won’t help you with thank you lord
okay but let me take it a step further
okay if God gets your heart he can
change your habit but if God can get
your wallet he has your heart
so a lot of people don’t know if God has
their heart I had somebody come up to me
last year when we preached a series I
was like how do you know that God has
your heart how do you know and I said do
you return tithe every time you get paid
I’ll pass the mic there some situations
going on in my life right now and that
whole voice changed and I said I said
you’re not a bad person
if you don’t return tithe here maybe you
weren’t taught maybe you came on hard
times maybe this is just a redirection
to the way God has called us to do some
people don’t give money but some people
lie so we’re not judging or putting
anybody on a higher standard but I said
when you when you know better you do
better and and I said I said the way you
know the way that I know God has my
heart is on the 1st and the 15th before
I do anything and it hurts every time
like don’t let nobody tell you that it
every disease I stopped looking at it I
don’t even see it just take it like I
own but the crazy thing about Uncle Sam
don’t ask you you don’t ever ask you do
you want to give this he take it like I
know the angle honor me subject but the
crazy thing about God is it can’t be
love if it’s not a choice
oh I’m teaching good up here right now
it and so so that will never take your
finances
never you have to willingly give and so
all I’m asking you today is how’s your
heart
like if if generosity and stewardship in
giving is all about the heart how’s
yours cuz I gotta ask myself that
question every day Mike how’s your heart
cuz I don’t I don’t know
I don’t want to loan to my family member
who just called me like I actually haha
I actually don’t feel like paying for
this that that matter of fact what I
wish I could do and we go through all
these things I’m not saying what it is
for you but I’m saying what it is for me
and all I can do is be transparent right
here but every day I have to get up and
ask myself Michael where is your heart
and I cannot use the world social media
or anything as my gauge to where my
heart should be I have to go back to the
Word of God and that’s why every time
Matthew 16 anyone comes up and it shocks
me up and it says for where your
treasure is where’s your heart so then I
stop asking myself how’s my heart I just
start looking where’s my treasure and
when you just start looking to where in
the last 30 days you put your treasure
you’ll find your heart you’ll find it
some of us our heart is right here
oh you think I plan we eat okay let me
get off of it cuz these people over here
saw somebody throw a middle finger up
over there they mad
so if it’s if it’s all about the heart
that means we need God to do heart
surgery on us all of us and so if we’re
gonna do that then I want I want us to
to to open our minds right now and let’s
turn this whole room and wherever you’re
watching into a doctor’s office and
today I want to be um a specialist for
you I want to help you I’ve studied for
one week on how to do this and um we
need to prefer to perform heart surgery
cuz um today I think many people in the
body of Christ when it comes to
generosity or having a heart attack
we’re in a place where our heart has
gotten to a place where where it’s no
longer able to flow like like the things
that God wants us to do they’re no
longer flowing because maybe something
got in and clogged up an artery of our
generosity and and I just I just need
everybody to know that this is the
season where God wants to release us as
a church and I just need to know maybe
maybe you’re one of those that were like
me um that had things clogging my
generosity and today I just need you to
ask your neighbor real quick are you
having a heart attack just ask them or
are you having yeah are you having a
heart attack yeah
so today my name is dr. Michael and I am
your cardiologist and I just want to do
a test on you today to see if you’re
having a heart attack now let me explain
to you as my patient one of the common
practices that I do is I explain to
people what the heart looks like as well
as how a heart attack happens so if you
could please go to my big board this
right here is a heart attack and a heart
attack it one out of four people will
have a heart attack this year and what
ends up happening is there’s veins or
passageways that things are supposed to
flow through like it’s supposed to flow
through and what happens is when there’s
fats and plaque or wrong thinking and
wrong thoughts that start to build up
what happens is it comes and it clogs
the area that you’re supposed to let
things flow through and what ends up
happening in it allows an area of the
heart to die and when the area of the
heart dies then all of the heart
functions stop and people have an heart
attack and I don’t take this thing
lightly because I have people close to
me that have got heart attacks
I’m the Bishop of this church had a
heart attack some of my friends watch
family members I’m going to be with the
Lord because of that this is a serious
thing and maybe it’s a serious thing in
the body of Christ when we’re supposed
to have a heart of generosity but we get
things and ideas that the world puts in
our head that begin to funnel and
corrode what God wants us to do and when
it looks up and God says hey could you
give to them there’s a blockage and what
you realize is there’s not a lot of
arteries if you have blockage in your
heart and you stop that thing this is
the crazy thing about the heart the
heart is not the biggest muscle in the
body but it’s the most important because
when the heart stops pumping the hands
stop working the eyes stop work when the
heart stopped could it be that when our
generosity stops pumping
that our grace for people that our
ability to have self-control if it could
it be that our generosity is the
linchpin to everything else in the
kingdom of God and many people are
sitting here right now having a heart
attack just ask your neighbor one more
time are you happy heart attack come on
just ask him are you having a heart
attack see there has to be a flow of
blood and oxygen the same way in the
kingdom of God there has to be a flow of
giving and stewardship and if you cut
those things off it shuts down the very
thing that everything is supposed to
pass through do you know you have miles
and miles and miles of blood that is on
the inside of you and all of it passes
through the Oh God
that’s where there’s a scripture that
says that guard your heart above all
because out of your blood throws every
issue every issue every issue in your
life
and too many people are having a heart
attack so today let me just help you
again I’m your doctor dr. Michael and I
just want to let you know if you you’re
having problems in this area there’s
some things that God want us to diagnose
and he wants us to treat today so could
you go with me to Deuteronomy chapter 15
Deuteronomy chapter 15 and I just want
to treat your heart today okay
it says if there is among you a poor man
or your brethren with any within your
gates in your land anywhere around you
that the Lord God is giving you who gave
you the land the Lord God yeah you shall
not harden your heart
remember it’s all about the heart nor
shut your hand from your poor brother
this is a
another message but your heart in your
hand are connected when you have a hard
heart your hands close when you have a
soft heart your hands open let’s just
stop right there it says verse 8 but you
shall open your hand wide to him and
willingly lend him sufficient for his
need whatever he needs
um this is crazy because the children of
Israel walking through this season where
God is basically saying hey don’t get
fooled and and know that you’re in a
brand new season where you came out of
slavery and you’re not where you’re
gonna be but I don’t want you to get
stingy in your process because everybody
says when I get it
when I’m balling when I have more than
enough and God says you’re stopping
you’re more than enough because of how
you’re handling just enough so he’s
telling the children of Israel yeah like
don’t if your brother comes to you and
he said y’all have bad crops this year
bro could you help me be able to get out
of this situation don’t say to yourself
hold on hold on 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 oh no no
no this is the year we almost at the
year of release because back in this day
and it’s funny because the word here at
transformation churches this is the year
of okay
so back in this day every seven years
God had instituted an economic system
that after every seven years all debt
would be taken off of everybody’s
account just real quick how many would
like God to reinstate that economic
system amen okay but but but so he’s
saying if your brother comes to you and
asked you when there’s only a little bit
of time left before it’s the year of
release can I borrow don’t say to
yourself nah bro cuz I know you Rufus
and you ain’t gonna pay me back before
the year release and then if it comes
here I’m a half to give you nah I ain’t
doing it God said don’t do that
he said because that’s selfish and he
said I don’t want you to be worried
about giving it because
I’m the one that will give you seed – so
this was more of a test for you then it
was even an answered prayer for them
because I want you to get the spirit of
generosity so the first thing I got a
diagnose number one thing we have to do
is deal with the selfish heart we got to
deal with the selfish heart look at
verse 9 it says beware lest there be a
wicked thought in your heart I want you
to see where everything’s taking place
it’s taking place in your heart
saying that the seventh year the year of
release is at hand and and your eye be
evil against your poor brother he broke
a hand gonna pay me back at all and you
give him nothing and he cry out to the
Lord against you and it becomes sin
among you notice that selfishness is
wickedness in God’s eyes and become sin
it’s the Bible so what I’m saying to you
is don’t be selfish let me ask you this
question why did God invent giving why
did he create it cuz he had to create it
and I’ve asked people this question
before and a lot of people like he
invented giving so that his work could
could be funded in like his work could
be done and my response to that is
really is the light bill in heaven too
much now the did the streets of gold run
did they run out of gold for the street
God did not invent giving for his sake
God invented giving for ours everybody
sake for my sake because through this
principle it is the number one thing
that works selfishness and greed out of
your heart and I need you to understand
this it’s only when you’re about to give
that selfishness really rares it head
you know you you’re on oh no I’ll give
I’ll give and then somebody ask you for
something that you don’t want to give
and it oh hold on oh no not that why
because it’s only challenged when you
have to give something and this is what
I’m asking everybody in this room is to
be ones that don’t hold
back from God but be ones that say God
whatever I have is yours
and I will give to you everything that I
have everybody needs to know the first
thing that we got to deal with is a
selfish heart now ladies I need to tell
you there’s one area of selfishness that
men I don’t think are gonna grow out of
they don’t want to share their food let
me be very clear that’s why when we went
to the drive-through we asked you do you
want anything I should be I should hear
the men given a roar of do you want
anything and what are the women saying
no I’ll just have some of yours no you
won’t no you want I want my fries and
the fries at the bottom of the bag is
mine too
can I get one big amen I’ll buy you
three you ain’t getting none of these
maybe the man needs a deal with the
selfish heart lord help us okay second
diagnosis here we go we got a deal with
the grieving heart if we’re not gonna
have a heart attack if these things are
going to to block the flow of generosity
we can’t have a selfish heart blocking
us but then we can’t have a grieving
heart look at it in verse 10 it says you
shall surely give everybody say give you
shall surely give to him and your heart
should not be grieved when you give to
him because when you do this thing and
that’s giving with the right heart the
Lord your God will bless you in all your
works and in all to which you put your
hand this is the thing you gotta realize
it I passed so many homeless people that
I had a thought like I’m gonna get him
no money cuz they’re making more money
than I’m making just sitting out here
not doing nothing God says don’t do that
he said because you’re messing up your
blessing obedience is not about what
they do with it it’s about what you did
with what I gave you
and God said you’re blocking up your
next level because you’re worried about
all they’re just gonna buy some alcohol
with it are they just gonna do something
with this God said I asked you to be a
conduit to work the muscle of generosity
and that’s why we can’t grieve after we
give it’s one of the craziest things
that many times when I’ve given a large
seed or when I’ve done something that
was outside of my comfort zone
automatically something breaks on the
way home run out of gas or somebody
needs something or the children need
something and the enemy automatically
comes to see senator net where’s your
God now what what’s happening this is
the trick and you need to learn this
this is so you don’t have a heart attack
that selfishness tries to attack us
before we give but grief tries to attack
this after we give you were so confident
what you were gonna do until after you
let it go I go and automatically like oh
man I shouldn’t have done that I
shouldn’t got saying no he said when you
did that you just qualified for another
level of my favor he said when you walk
into a place after you give with the
right heart not for everybody to see not
so you can get across but so I can see
he said what you do is you make
everything you do have a Midas touch you
ever heard of a Midas touch that
anything they touch turned to gold
he said what you do is you make
everything that it says all your works
everything your hand touches will be
blessed what I’m encouraging you right
now is if your heart if that pathway is
being blocked up because you’ve been
selfish maybe it’s a learned behavior
maybe it’s what you were taught or if
your hearts been blocked up because
you’ve been grieving today the healers
here so that you can get a new everybody
say flow no longer you’re gonna be a dam
where everything stops with you
you’re gonna become a river and God says
if I could get it to you and get it
through you you know I mean right now
it’s crazy I shouldn’t even say this but
I just had this thought and I gotta be
real like after church I’m going to eat
after church and I just thought about it
like I don’t have no money
right now to be able to UM feed my
family and the sky what’s that but the
Scout just gave me a hundred dollars
thank you brother sky now why what’s got
so excited to give up dinner
and give me this hundred dollars cuz I
gave it to him before charge so Scott’s
not grieving this hundred dollars cuz
the only way he would start grieving is
if somehow he thought it was his the
problem with most of us is you think you
go to work and you’re working for your
money you think you made that investment
and it was yo money but all I have is
God songs 24/7 like this DARS is the
Lord’s and the fullness thereof when you
understand that everything I’ve got I’m
just managing anyway it doesn’t matter
if I gotta give it away cuz the source
has an endless supply and so brother
Scott here you can come get this back
real quick and so because he was
faithful to be obedient it’s very simple
for me to trust him with more hey Scott
matter of fact I know I just gave it to
you but what’s your name bro
Luke he’s come here bro so Scott give it
to Lucas
now now thanks now bless me Lucas aw sit
down hey Scott cuz you were faithful
with the little I can always trust you
wouldn’t this is the concept you have to
give God is not trying to keep anything
from you he’s trying to get lured to you
but you gotta be faithful of what he’s
already given to you somebody give God
some praise in this place glory to God
I’m not looking for Lucas he don’t
notice whether to put it in his pocket
and I he like are you gonna use me
God will so you walked in here more
blessed than you your then you’re about
to your leaving more blessed then then
you walked in and so when God asked you
for something it should be very simple
you didn’t deserve the job you got don’t
even qualify to be here your life should
have been gone all crap you did in
college you should be a wreck but the
grace of so the first thing we got to do
is we got to deal with the selfish heart
and then we got a deal with the grieving
heart and then number three we got to
develop a generous heart okay
look at verse 14 it says you shall
supply him this is Rufus who probably
ain’t gonna play us back God you want me
to do what supply him liberally be
generous to him from what from the
church know from your flock from your
threshing floor from your line press
from your bank account from your clothes
that’s what it says from what the Lord
your God has blessed you with you shall
give to him y’all know we were born
selfish right
like our sin nature were born selfish
but the great thing is we’re born again
generous but we have to renew our and
the crazy thing about it is you don’t
never have to teach a child mine like
you don’t have to teach a child my
matter of fact I have a real-life
example I don’t know if this um speaks
of my parenting failures or anything but
this week as I was prepared for this
message a lot of times just do home
videos and my kids and stuff and just
look what my little baby one and a half
year old Ava can’t save but seven words
look what she said hey shared hey are
you saying that Wow no you share it’s
good to share do you understand me Ava
yeah are you gonna share are you gonna
share a bus a share I have felt
[Applause]
but isn’t that what God’s trying to get
us to do as his children and isn’t that
our reaction
I said Ava are you gonna share she said
uh-uh can’t even say but seven words and
then when I asked her again she laughed
ha ha the truth is many of us look like
that but we’re 50 I mean you’re not
doing that in a bathtub with a rubber
duckie but like but when God asks you
you say mine and God says share and you
say uh-huh
and he says are you really not gonna
share you say and at some point if Ava
keeps walking in that behavior I’m gonna
say when will you grow up like that will
be like after a certain amount of time
there’s grace for it right now
but at some point after I’ve given her
everything that she had the bath water
she was in I supplied that the rubber
ducky she was saying was my thing ah no
money like you after she is not generous
with what I’ve already given her at some
point I’m gonna say when are you gonna
grow up and be more like your father
who’ll give with no guarantee today I
just think God’s checking all of our
hearts is that maybe you need to give
and grow up and not trying to fight what
we’re in the tie visit the Old Testament
over set the New Testament when people
start talking like this I already know
they have a selfish heart it’s that no
it’s okay
you’re keeping yourself from the next
level of blessing but when are we gonna
grow up and be more like our father who
loved us so much that he what day the
last thing I’m gonna tell you last thing
blasting plastic okay number four thing
we have to do is we have to develop a
great
heart yeah we got to be grateful look
what Deuteronomy 1515 says it says you
shall remember though that you were a
slave he told these people he’s like
y’all you can’t be selfish cuz you just
a few years ago
you are a slave in the land of Egypt and
the Lord your God redeems you therefore
I command you this day be generous God
is saying I command you to be generous
well what authority do you have to
command us to be generous is that
everything you have came from me and
sometimes you just need to remind
yourself where you were and where God’s
brought you from and now that’ll that’ll
stir up some generosity in your heart
think about yourself at your lowest
moment and how if somebody woulda came
and gave to you in that moment what that
would have meant for you today I had a
reminder this is one of my lowest
moments right here this is my release
form from you know what it is don’t you
this is my release form of my record
being expunged after I had gotten caught
when I was a young younger adult for car
insurance fraud God in a car accident
didn’t have insurance went home called
Geico you know the number lied and said
I had insurance at the on the day of the
accident not at the time of the accident
I told you I was manipulating conniving
five years afterwards
a young adult pastor hundreds of kids
following me
mr. top you got to turn yourself in the
devil is a liar
I rebuke no no no you can’t rebuke the
consequences I don’t have to carry the
guilt in the shame of it but the
consequence was still real and so I was
facing real jail time this was a eight
this wasn’t a misdemeanor my dad took me
first I wouldn’t got my hair cut because
I knew if I was gonna take a picture my
answer was gonna be right first when I
got my haircut and then my dad with a
lawyer took me down right up the street
less than two miles away from here and I
deter myself in and then I got out of
that situation and I had to do community
service for like 90 days or something
and I’m a pastor my desk is back here
and I was like I can’t come to work
today cuz I got a um I gotta go pick up
trash and as I was sitting in my house
this week with my three kids as a free
man guy said do you remember where I
brought you from do you remember that
all this that you obsessing about in and
do I want the large version of the
extra-large version of the extra-large
you could be choosing whether you wanted
to play checkers or chess today
see it’s very simple to give when you
realize what he’s already given for you
and you may not have a story like this
but I’m telling you you we were all lost
all broken all dead but Jesus Christ
gave it all for us so today I don’t know
if you’re in the middle of a heart
attack right now and the generosity is
not able to flow because you’re being
selfish and you’re grieving but today I
believe God wants to develop in you a
generous heart and a grateful heart
and when we understand that then we’re
able to flow God will give us resource
beyond our imagination cuz he knows if
he gets it to us he can get it when it
stops flowing it dies and so today I
want to pray that even over this next
three weeks as we continue to go some of
y’all that this was just the beginning
of surgery we’re gonna have to work out
this thing but I believing that
everybody under the sound of my voice
will live a blessed life and let the
things that have tried to stop your
generosity are gonna be uncapped
and you’re going to let it flow
everybody say it’s gonna flow if you
know there’s an area of your life that
you need it to flow better in the area
of generosity and stewardship at every
service if you’re watching this I want
you to stand to your feet all over this
place this is not about anybody else
this is for you and God I’m gonna pray
over you right now because I feel the
power of God in this place right now
come on lift your hands all over this
place father I thank you for every
person who’s saying god it’s me father
there’s been an area of my heart whether
it be grieving father God or whether it
be being selfish God that has been
stopping up my heart of generosity and
today we’re asking you to be the healer
let it slow again in the name of Jesus
father even as we take these random acts
of kindness cards and as we take this
five dollars that you have given us I
thank you that this would just be the
start of something being able to flow I
come against General
curses of poverty generational curses of
Greek generation or habits father of
selfishness and I thank you today that
we choose to live a blessed life that we
will no longer sit dormant but we will
press for it and everything you have for
us we trust you that when people see us
they’ll see you who love so much the
first reaction is not what will you do
for me but the first reaction was that
we gave give us your heart in Jesus name
hey listen if you’re in this room I feel
the presence of God in this room if
you’re in this room and you’ve never
given your heart to the one who gave His
his son first today you get the chance
to make the greatest decision of your
life he didn’t just give you money and
give you life he gave you salvation
Redemption forgiveness grace today the
only thing you have to do is receive it
I know you probably did some things this
week that you’re not proud of and you
wouldn’t get up here and say but God was
there and he said and I still loved you
through it and I still care about you I
need to change my habits I need to get
some stuff right God says no no if I get
your heart I hope you change your habits
so today if that’s you I don’t care if
you’ve been in church all your life or
this is your first day today is the day
of salvation and today we want to pray
for you would you everybody just close
your eyes and bow your head not as a
religious moment just I want you to
focus and if God is far away from you
and you want him to be close to you I
want you to pray this prayer and mean it
with everything you got and a
transformation Church we’re a family so
nobody prays alone so we’re all gonna
pray this prayer for the benefit of
those today who are coming to Christ
everybody say God thank you for giving
your son today I need to save you
and I choose you I believe you lived and
you died and you rose again just for me
so change me renew me transforming I’m
yours in Jesus name