How to Go From Not Enough to More Than Enough - Scotty Gibbons

Jesus came so lost people could be saved. This church is not a cruise ship where we lay by the pool. This is a battleship and for 23 years we've been on mission for Jesus. For 23 years we've been worshipping Jesus, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, reaching lost people, baptizing people, helping people know God and grow in God, discover a purpose and make a difference. We've been on the mission of Jesus. For one reason, one reason, to see more changed lives. Welcome to People's Church everyone. Come on will you stand to your feet. Let's worship the Lord today. He's worthy. Come on. I'm shaking off the heaviness. I'm dancing out my regrets. I'm throwing caution to the wind. Oh I am not ashamed to praise like this. Some would say it's foolishness. But I say it's worth the risk. I can't forget what Jesus said. Oh I am not ashamed to praise like this. Where are those chains that once held me? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. My sin is gone, how can it be? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. Look at what the Lord has done. I'm never going back to the way I was. I'll sing, I'll dance, cause I believe. I'm free, I'm free, thank God I'm free. I found a friend that never quit. No one loves as good as this. I don't care what anyone says. I'll never be ashamed to praise like this. Where are those chains that once held me? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. My sin is gone, how can it be? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. Look at what the Lord has done. I'm never going back to the way I was. I'll sing, I'll dance, cause I believe. I'm free, I'm free, thank God I'm free. You took the cross and you broke your body. You shed your blood, now the sinner can't sing. My debt is paid and my record is clean. I couldn't do it, so you did it for me. You took the cross and you broke your body. You shed your blood, now the sinner can't sing. My debt is paid and my record is clean. I couldn't do it, so you did it for me. You took the cross and you broke your body. You shed your blood, now the sinner can't sing. My debt is paid and my record is clean. I couldn't do it, so you did it for me. I couldn't do it, so you did it for me. I couldn't do it, so you did it for me. I couldn't do it, so you did it for me. I couldn't do it, so you did it for me.

Where are those chains that once held me? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. My sin is gone, how can it be? I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. Look at what the Lord has done. I'm never going back to the way I was. I'll sing, I'll dance, that's how it'll be. I'm free, I'm free, thank God I'm free. You took the cross and you broke your body. You shed your blood, now the sinner can't sing. My debt is paid and my record is clean. I couldn't do it, so you did it for me. You took the cross and you broke your body. You shed your blood, now the sinner can't sing. Now the sinner's heads hang My debt is paid if my record is clear I couldn't do it so you did it for me Look at what the Lord has done I'm never going back to the way I was Come on give Him praise Today we are celebrating life changes People go public for Jesus Through water baptism You can turn your attention to my left, your right Come on let's put our hands together And celebrate more changed lives I saw Satan fall like lightning I saw darkness run for cover But the miracle that I just can't get over My name is registered in heaven I believe in signs and wonders I have resurrection power Still the miracle that I just can't get over My name is registered in heaven My praise belongs to you forever This is my testimony from death to life Cause grace rewrote my story

I'll testify By Jesus Christ the righteous I'm justified This is my testimony God we believe it Come together sons and daughters Bought with blood and washed in water Sing the praises of the Spirit Son and Father Our God will finish what He started Our God will finish what He started This is my testimony from death to life Cause grace rewrote my story I'll testify By Jesus Christ the righteous I'm justified This is my testimony This is my testimony God we believe it Oh thank you Lord Come on testify If I'm not dead you're not done Do you believe that? Greater things are still to come Oh I believe If I'm not dead you're not done Thank you Lord Greater things are still to come Oh I believe If I'm not dead you're not done Greater things are still to come

Oh I believe If I'm not dead you're not done Greater things are still to come Oh I believe This is my testimony From death to life Cause grace rewrote my story I'll testify By Jesus Christ the righteous I'll testify This is my testimony This is my testimony This is my testimony From death to life Cause grace rewrote my story I'll testify By Jesus Christ the righteous I'll testify This is my testimony This is my testimony ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. ♪ Thank you, Lord. Hallelujah, oh we bless you, thank God. And we thank you for what you've done. And for what you're doing. Hey God, we believe that you're still at work. And you're still working miracles today. And you can turn things around. I'm praying God, come and turn this thing around. Come on, say it.

God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. I'm calling on the name that changes everything. That changes everything. Say it. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. All of my hope is in the name, the name of Jesus. Breakthrough will come, come in the name, the name of Jesus. I'm praying God, come and turn this thing around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. I'm calling on the name that changes everything. I'm calling on the name that changes everything. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. Say it. All of my hope is in the name, the name of Jesus. Breakthrough will come, come in the name, the name of Jesus. God, turn it around.

God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. He is up to something. He is up to something. God is doing something. Right now, He is up to something. He is up to something. God is doing something. For right now, He is healing someone He is saving someone God is doing something, right now, right now He is healing someone He is saving someone God is doing something, right now, right now He is moving mountains Making a way for someone God is doing something, Right now, right now He is moving mountains Making a way for someone God is doing something, right now, right now He is moving mountains Making a way for someone God is doing something, right now, right now He is moving mountains Making a way for someone God is doing something All of my hope is in the name

The name of Jesus Breakthrough will come Come in the name The name of Jesus All of my hope is in the name The name of Jesus Breakthrough will come Come in the name The name of Jesus God turn it around God turn it around God turn it around We believe in your eternity God turn it around God turn it around God turn it around Oh hallelujah Thank you Jesus Lord we thank you for turning it around for us God Yes God Thank you Lord that you can break every chain Lord that you can give us strength And that there does not need to be any fear in any situation that we may Lord we trust you Put our hope in you, God. Hallelujah, Jesus. Come on, will you sing this with us? The moment that we see you, we are changed. Come on, pray this. Holy, holy ground, yeah.

Holy, holy ground. Have your way, God. Have your way, God. Yeah. Here, not by power and not by might. But only by the cross we come alive. Here, we're undone. Overcome by heaven's love revealed before our eyes. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. In wonder and surrender we fall at your hand. In wonder and surrender we fall at your hand. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. Let every burning heart be holy ground. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. In wonder and surrender we fall at your hand. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. Let every burning heart be holy ground. Oh, have your way, God. Let the chains fall right now. Let the fear bow in your presence, God. We sing, chains fall. Chains fall. Fear, bow, heal now. Jesus, you change everything. Lust, heal and hope found. Heal now.

Jesus, you change everything. Sing, chains fall. Chains fall. Fear, bow, heal now. Jesus, you change everything. Lust, heal and hope found. Heal now. Jesus, you change everything. Oh, have your way, God. We sing, chains fall. Change our situation. Oh, have your way, God. Have your way, God. Have your way, God. Come on, church. Let's sing it there just one more time. Sing, chains fall. Chains fall. Fear, bow, heal now. Jesus, you change everything. Lust, heal and hope found. Heal now. Jesus, you change everything. Yeah, come on. Let's give him praise for how he changes everything. Father, we thank you for your presence that is here today, and we thank you, God, for the promise of your presence. And today, Father, we lift up to you every need of every single person joining us in person or online, and we ask that by your power, by your might,

you would do what only you can do. God, would you provide miracles? Would you touch hearts? Would you change lives today by the power that's in your name? Lord, we love you and we thank you. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray, amen, and amen. Come on, let's give him a hand clap of praise. He's worthy of all of our praise. Well, church family, before you're seated, we're a friendly church around here, so let's take a moment to connect with two or three people we don't know. Let's go right now and get a few people's names. God, we love you and we thank you. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray, amen, and amen. Come on, let's give him a hand clap of praise. He's worthy of all of our praise. Well, church family, before you're seated, we're a friendly church around here, so let's take a moment to connect with two or three people we don't know. Let's go right now and get a few people's names. Well, church family, before you're seated, we're a friendly church around here, so let's take a moment to connect with two or three people we don't know. Well, it's so good to see you today. My name is Pastor Sean, and I'm an associate pastor here at People's Church, and whether you're joining us

online or in person, I want you to know we're family. I want to take a moment to give a big welcome to all of our first-time guests. Come on, can we celebrate them today? Church family, one thing I love about our church is how your generosity and my generosity is truly making a difference locally, nationally, and around the world. In fact, your giving supports 100 kids in Haiti and provides ministry to the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic through our partnership with Mission of Hope. Check out this video update. Good morning, People's Church. My name is Otis Gerson, and I'm with Mission of Hope. I'm standing here on our campus in the Dominican Republic, and from here, I just want to say thank you to Pastor Herbert and Tiffany for their support and for People's Church's support of Mission of Hope over many years and for sponsoring 100 students. Our ministry does medical. We do nutrition. We do education, and even though Haiti right now is in a really bad place, our staff of over 200 strong are doing amazing ministry across the country. We have served over 20 million mills to schools and orphanages and displaced people groups who have had to flee their village because of gang violence. In spite of that, we have seen thousands of people's lives

transformed for the gospel. And again, we just want to say thank you because it's churches like you that allow us to get to do what God has called us to do. Thank you. Come on, let's praise God for how he's impacting Haiti. Your giving is truly making a difference all around the world, and together we're going to see even more lives changed. I just want to take a moment to thank you for your faithfulness to tithe and give to dream builders so we can meet needs locally, nationally, and around the world. God, we pray for our friends at Mission of Hope and the incredible work they are doing in Haiti. God, we pray that you would use them to minister to and to reach those who need it the most. And Father, we pray that as they share the message of hope and forgiveness that's only found in Jesus, that they would reach many, many more people for you. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray, amen. ♪♪♪ Well, hello, church family. Glad to be in God's house today. Come on, put your hands together, all of our campuses. My name is Scottie Gibbons, I'm the lead pastor here at People's Church, and we do want to welcome you at whatever campus you're attending today. Those who are watching online, welcome to you as well,

all of our sisters out at Mabel Bassett. We love you. So glad that you're a part of our church family. Our senior pastor, Pastor Herbert, is preaching for service today in Las Vegas at a great church, so make sure and pray for our pastor as he preaches. Well, today is the final message in our series that we've been in for a few weeks now called Overwhelmed to Overcoming. Overwhelmed to Overcoming. So I did a quick search to find out why so many people in our world today feel stressed out and overwhelmed in life, and as you may have already guessed, financial pressure is the clear number one cause of stress in America. If you can't say amen say oh my like, you know that financial stress is real So many people with a living with just an intense Financial burden can't sleep at night Feel anxiety over how they're gonna pay rent or pay for groceries or medical bills. The stress is Real and as you've heard us mentioned already a couple times in this series It's important to note that God's Word speaks to this issue like he does all of the problems and issues that we face in life Interesting to note when you read the Bible there are over 500 verses on prayer less than 500 scriptures on the subject of faith but over 2,300 on money and Possessions God knew that this would be a battle He knew that it would be a burden and God doesn't want you to live burdened. He wants you to live with peace Not burdened by worry or anxiety and and that's why we're doing this series

This is not a series on giving or on generosity or about our more campaign This is about helping our church family to go from being overwhelmed To overcoming you remember when pastor Herbert kicked off the series week one He talked about how if we're gonna go from overwhelmed to overcoming we have to learn to think differently We have to change our Mindset and then in week two he talked about how we need to act differently. You can't just think differently We have to take steps and act differently. And and if you were gonna sum up today's talk It would be along the lines of not just thinking or acting but living Differently the story been learning from is found in 2nd Kings chapter 4 2nd Kings chapter 4 We're gonna look at it together today So you can open up your hard copy of God's Word if you brought your Bible or you can pull up the Bible app where? We have all of our sermon notes there or you can look at the sky Bibles on the screen and we're gonna look at 2nd Kings chapter 4 It says now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha Your servant my husband is dead and you know that your servant feared the Lord but the creditor has come To take my two children to be his slaves imagine the emotion of that Imagine the pressure that she was living with verse 2 and Elijah said to her. What shall I do for you? Tell me what have you in the house? And she said your servant has nothing in this house Except a jar of oil and then he said go outside borrow vessels from all your neighbors Empty vessels and not too few Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels and when one is full What does it say? Set it aside So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons and as she poured They brought the vessels to her when the vessels were full She said to her son bring me another vessel and he said to her there is not another then the oil stopped flowing Look at verse 7 She came and told the man of God and he said go Sell the oil and pay your debts and you and your sons

Can look at these last words right here live on the rest Powerful story and if you allow yourself to go there emotionally you can only imagine what she must have been feeling Her husband is dead She's worried how she's gonna take care of her two sons creditors are coming and asking for the money that the family owes and Because she lacks the means to pay she knows she's about to lose her two sons A mother's just worst nightmare of the tragedy and the loss and the grief and now the Desperation and yet Elijah sets her up for a miracle. It's really beautiful You know a few years ago quite a few years ago I was driving through the plains of Kansas you've ever driven across the state before you know You can drive for miles and not see civilization You could just be looking ahead and driving and driving and driving to think I don't know if I'm ever gonna get Anywhere any time like it's something going to show up and I was driving a car across Kansas at one point and and as I was, you know It's kind of one of those moments we look down and go I'm not quite ready to stop But you look at the gas gauge and go at some point. I'm gonna need to stop for gas But I don't really want to stop yet. I'll be hungry a little bit So I'm gonna pass by this one and I'm gonna get the next one You already know where I'm going with this story, you know, exactly What I was feeling when I passed that one and as I drove and I drove I drove and I drove waiting for another exit and I'm looking down at the gas gauge and watching that needle get lower and lower and lower and then you know that panic that sets in you've been there before every one of us you've ever driven for any amount of time you get to that point to where that gas light comes home and when it does it's almost like it's mocking you it's almost like it's going you sorry good for nothing you should have stopped back there but I got you now there it is just looking at you and I thought oh my goodness the light is on and I continue to drive and it looked like my needle on my dashboard

wasn't just on E have you ever had your needle pass E have you ever had it go it just went right past E and I'm thinking man I'm past empty I'm not just empty I'm past empty and with every passing of the mile my anxiety was growing I turned off the air conditioning I don't know if that's the thing but I turned it off I turned off the radio I'm pretty sure that has nothing to do with miles per gallon but I didn't I couldn't risk it y'all I just had that I turned off the radio I'm holding my breath now I know that doesn't help me at all but I was trying to do everything that I could just trying to get there by the grace of God I finally got to an exit and I pulled over and I stopped and I vowed to myself I will never be in this position again what made it so bad was the fact that I did not have to be in the place I was in I brought that on myself how many of you know today that we have enough problems on our own without bringing more problems on ourselves like we know life is hard enough without me making decisions or choices or living my life in a way to I just say that one is on me well that's a little bit about what we're talking about today and for our title it's we're looking at how to go from not enough to more than enough how to go from not enough to more than enough it's a teaching on living with margin in your life I'm just here to tell you today I think living with margin is a very very spiritual issue you're gonna see as we unpack this from Scripture today but I would just say from my observation that it's extremely undervalued in the lives of most of us as Christians we don't put it up next there to prayer or to or to obedience or or evangelism you say well let's talk about margin it sounds a little bit like a JV topic you know what I mean it sounds just a little bit like a why you want to talk about that I believe the Lord's gonna speak to you today and it's gonna help you to have some breakthrough in your life so that you can go from overwhelmed to overcoming just by being intentional and right out of the gate I would just tell you that I know in my own life that I've had to grow in this area for my wife Casey and I we have not always valued margin the way we should we've had to work at this we've had to grow in this but it's critically

important for all of us if we're going to live the life that God intends for you so everybody turn to your neighbor say this one's for you this one is for you you need some margin tell the person on the other side say you look like you need some margin in your life you have that look like you just tired you need some margin I want to share with you a few thoughts on margin so that you can go from overwhelmed to overcoming number one is this margin is what I have beyond what I need say what are we talking about when we're talking about margin margin is what I have beyond what I need for the widow God performed a miracle a little bit of oil she was in desperate situation he said what do you have in your house he said I don't have anything well except just a little bit of oil and then the Prophet spoke to her and said go and borrow some vessels go and gather some jars and so she did and he said take that oil and begin to pour it into the different vessels and and so she did we just read the story powerful miracle of provision God met her at her point of need at her point of pain she's now not going to lose her sons and then the Prophet says to her now live on the that's big right there think in terms of extra think in terms of excess think in terms of more than enough she's not only going to be able to pay her debt now she had margin for the future here it is God didn't Just give her a miracle. He gave her margin Because our God is always a God of more than enough. Can you say a good? Amen to that today? He's always the God of more than enough notice paying her debts removed her immediate pressure But her ability to live on the rest was about her preferred Future hear me today church. God doesn't just want to get you out of a jam He wants you to live in his freedom He wants you to live in that freedom Proverbs chapter 21 verse 20 says the wise Store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down. Don't you like that verse? The wise store up just choice food and olive oil, but the fools gulp theirs Down wise people understand you don't spend every penny and you don't schedule every minute You have to live with margin if I need to drive to an event. That's 30 minutes away

But I leave with 45 minutes to get there. I have 15 minutes of margin if I have $50 but my bills total $40 I have $10 margin whoo. I love me some margin I love living with margin because when there's no margin There's no time to think and clear your head when there's no emotional margin you find yourself exploding over small Issues we need margin to breathe margin to dream margin to enjoy our kids and our marriage and when you don't have margin You don't have enough and you feel that pressure most operate at a deficit When it comes to time energy or money and it's negatively impacting our mental health our emotional health our Relationships and this isn't something to where we need another miracle We just need some margin Margin is what I have beyond what I Need let me give you a second thing number two when margin goes down stress goes up When margin goes down stress goes up My wife Casey and I way back when we were youth pastors. We got invited to speak at a winter camp in Northern, California, and so we were on our trip we got our rental car and we started driving up into the mountains where the The camp was going to be held and as we did the snow started falling and the mountains just looked so beautiful It was picturesque. We're like, oh look at that. Beautiful snow This is lovely and as we continue to climb and wind that mountain and get higher and higher the snow was coming down and it was Thicker and thicker. Well, of course now because the altitude, you know, you're getting up You can look down and you can see well, that's a long ways back down And then all of a sudden as you as you realize those tight curves as you're going around cars were coming from the other Direction and the road started getting slick. How many of you know, I didn't feel like it was a Hallmark movie anymore

She's like, oh, isn't this so pretty I'm just like straight ahead. I'm just looking at I'm holding that ten and two I got both hands on the wheel and now I'm watching because just to the right of us was the edge of the road And I was like, oh, there's not enough margin right there. There's not enough shoulder right there and so it wasn't like I could cheat over to the left because cars could come around the curb and it wasn't like I could Just go super slow to take it easy because we're on this steep Slippery road and I thought if I lose momentum if I have to give this a little more gas It could really get messed up. How many of you know that when margin goes down? Stress goes up and That's why this widow was so stressed if margin is the difference between what you have and what you need. She was trapped The debt she owed versus the resources she had put her in a desperate Situation and there are some listening to this talk today. You can relate You feel like you can never get ahead You feel like there's never extra and Because of that the stress is always so high Living from paycheck to paycheck when some emergency comes in or or you hit some tough moment You're now stressed and full of anxiety and worry. How am I gonna make it? What am I gonna do? I don't want to go deeper in there without margin everything feels urgent Every delay creates anxiety when there's no margin. Every problem becomes a crisis when there is no margin. You ever been in a hurry before? You had 20 minutes to get somewhere and it was a 20 minute drive and then you found yourself rebuking the red light. Have you ever done that before? I had that happen just the other day.

I've been studying for this message. I've been praying over this message. I've been preparing for this message and I didn't give myself enough margin. When I was driving somewhere the other day and I felt like every car in front of me was sent by Satan himself to slow me down and I was mad, I was like, what is their deal? What is wrong with them? Driving a mile under the speed limit. How dare they do that? What are they thinking? Listen, they weren't the problem. The problem was me. I didn't give myself enough margin. Without margin, everything is exasperated but God doesn't want you to live there to feel that. He wants you to live with peace so he teaches us to be wise and plan ahead. Ephesians chapter five verse 15 says be very careful. Somebody say very careful. Be very careful then how you live, not as unwise but as wise. Walking in wisdom means I think long-term not just short-term. Proverbs chapter six verse six says go to the ant, you sluggard, consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler yet it soars its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

I mean, I'm not calling you a sluggard but I am saying we can learn from ants today. Thinking ahead, you don't spend everything you have today because you know that there will be needs tomorrow. Ecclesiastes chapter four verse six says better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil. Somebody needs to hear this today that the pain you're experiencing may not just be because of something happening outside but because of how you are living inside your own decision-making power and ability. And you have to remember that when stress walks in, peace walks out, peace doesn't come from having more money. Hear this, it comes from having more margin. When margin goes down, stress goes up. Let me give you a third thing. Number three, margin has more to do with my mindset than my money. Some people think when I have more money, I will have more margin. Don't we naturally think like that? Like if I just had a little bit more money then I could have more margin but that's not necessarily the case. There are a lot of people who have a lot of money and are still stressed out because they have no margin. It's not about money, it's about a mindset. When it comes to living with margin, it's forward thinking. It's a whole new way of viewing your resources.

It's a whole new way of viewing your spending habits. The prophet told the widow in verse seven to use part of what she had to pay off her debts. And then he said, but to set aside the rest for what? Future living. Think about it. She could have gotten so excited about her miracle. Can you imagine what it would have felt like? She had just a little bit of oil. What do you have in your house? Nothing. Well, just a little bit of oil. Can you imagine what she must have felt with jar after jar coming in and she kept pouring a little and she, well, that didn't take a whole lot. Filled up another jar. Whoa, there's still quite a bit left. Filled up another jar, filled up another jar, filled up another jar, filled up another. Can you imagine what she must've been feeling and filled up another jar, filled up another jar, still has, she's like, where's the next jar? Bring it in. I'm on a roll right now. This is going good. And then he said, mama, that's all the jars. It's like, wow. Able to pay off her debts. And then there were a lot of jars still full of oil. And the prophet said, use the rest

for you and your family to live on. Think about this. What if she had gotten so fired up and excited about the miracle? Woo, look at that miracle that she threw a party. She invited all of her friends over. She rented a DJ. She rented a little light action coming in and she went out and bought her a new iPhone. Why? Because the Lord has blessed me. Went out and bought a new TV. I mean, she's all excited. She'd have gone straight back to broke. But that's what a lot of us do. We get out of a jam and then we want to celebrate good times, come on. But we got to be careful with what we do so that we can have some margin. We read Proverbs 21 20 a minute ago out of the NIV. Listen to how it's recorded in the New Living Translation. Proverbs 21 20 says the wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get. The wise live below their means. The foolish spend every penny they have. Here this is a church family. This must become a conviction. It's not just a nice idea. It's not a luxury. You can't just look at it as that's a good thought, but I never do anything with it. If you don't value margin, you will never get ahead. Every time you get a dollar, you'll spend a dollar. Every time you spend a dollar, you're out of dollars, needing another dollar.

Proverbs 23 5, some of you circled this in your Bible because you're like, that is so true. It says, cast but a glance at riches and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Anybody else besides me, you ever gotten a paycheck and you could just see the wings on it? As soon as you got it, you got it in your hand and then it just, you're like, there it goes. Cast but a glance at riches and they are gone for surely they will sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Maybe you've heard the saying before. If you don't tell your money where to go, you'll wonder where it went. We have to be intentional about it. We have to be diligent and disciplined about it. Pastor Herbert mentioned in a previous message about the budget template. He pulled it up on the screen to show it to our church family and it's posted on our people's church app. It's still there now. You can access that. Just go to our people's church app and there's a budget template for you to use. You can look at it. You can implement it or you could adjust it to make it fit for you. The important thing is, is that you will know where your money's going so you won't wonder where it went. Some of you would say, pastor, I'm so buried. I'm so behind. I can't even begin to imagine what life would look like with margin. Listen, that's why we're offering this free financial class that Pastor Herbert told you about. This is for every single one of our campuses.

First service at each of your campuses. We're offering this free financial class so that you can come in and you can learn how to get out of debt. You can learn how to create a budget and stick with it, how to spend wisely. We're just asking you, take some steps. You can do it. One jar at a time, one good decision at a time. You can do it. Proverbs chapter 13 verse 11 says, dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money, look at what it says, little by little makes it grow. Just take a step. It's a forward thinking mindset. I know I can't get out of this with one jump today, but I can take a step today. God doesn't want to just help you with your immediate pain. He wants to set you up for future peace, but you have to take a step. Let me give you this fourth and this final thought here on margin. This is a strong one. It's a good one. It's going to bless you. It says, margin allows you and I to live on mission. Margin allows you and I to live on mission. You ever watched any of those viral videos where people like go in and surprise somebody like paying for their meal or something like that, or something maybe like even Mr. Beast. You ever heard of Mr. Beast? My kids are all into Mr. Beast and he'll show up with a briefcase full of money and he'll bless somebody with it. I've seen some of the ones with Shaq. You ever seen Shaquille O'Neal go into a store and just a complete stranger there and he'll load up a cart and take care of them. I saw one where Shaq got somebody an engagement ring, a couple that they were in.

He paid for their engagement ring. I saw one where he bought somebody a car. I don't know what you feel when you're watching that, but the first thought usually is I wish Shaq would buy me a car. That's usually the first thing that we think But maybe you've moved beyond yourself just enough to think man. I wish I could do what Shaq is doing Whoa, wouldn't that be fun just to go in and just bless somebody? Wouldn't it be fun just going and surprise somebody and make their needs go away because you were able to take care of me Listen, I'm not saying that if you just go to the financial class You're gonna be like Shaquille O'Neal and has I'm not saying that what I am saying is this there are a lot of people today who cannot live on the mission of generosity that God has called them and Hopes for them to do and it's not because he's not providing. It's that I'm not living on Margin, and my lack of margin is hindering my mission Some people are so burdened by debt They aren't in position to do the opportunities that God's bringing their way They can't live generous lives and do the kingdom work because they're bound to credit card debts Proverbs 22 verse 7 says the borrower is slave to the lender So many are chained to debt buried in bills paying high interest dodging calls from the collector They can't imagine Going to target and paying for somebody to get some new clothes But when you have more than enough it gives you the ability to meet a need of a family member In your home or to care for someone in your small group when you've put away a little bit here a little bit there and little Bit by little bit it grows and you just have some margin You can be generous in your tithes or in your offerings or helping the poor when God drops it in your heart or to go on a missions trip as a youth pastor I saw young people get called to be missionaries and I watched them grow and then I would kind of watch and see how some were able to carry out that calling and

Some still stateside or still on square one and it's because they were so bound by the financial needs They could not step into what God had called them to do When you're a good steward of what God entrusts to you whether it seems like it's a little or a lot God will bless you with more You can experience the joy of being a blessing to others Let me share a couple of scriptures and we're going to wrap up 2nd Corinthians 9 verse 8 says and God is able to bless you Abundantly somebody say abundantly so that in all things at all times having all that you need you will abound in every good work Did you notice the so that in that passage God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times having all that you need you will abound in every what does it say good work Listen church family. God wants you to be blessed not only so that you can get out of your immediate pain But you can step into the future plan and calling that he has for you There's not only stuff that he's wanting to do to bless you and give you joy with where you are right now He wants to fill you up and so that there's extra. There's the rest. There's the the abundance There's the more than enough so that as you're walking through life You see a need you can meet a need why because you serve the God of more than enough Rather than the church being just as as grief stricken or or dead Tied down to everybody else around us don't even love God don't even serve God and we're going man. I'm right there with you I don't know how I'm gonna make it. I know what you're talking about. I'm full of stress. I'm full of anxiety No, it's the will of God that his people would be blessed and live with a biblical understanding of prosperity And more than enough. I'm not talking about a get-rich-quick plan I'm not saying you're gonna be like Shaquille O'Neal But I think it could be that you're in that place in that position where you're standing in the grocery line and God says this one right here And because you've made good decisions Because you've made wise decisions Because you've lived with margin you're able to say yes, Lord You can take advantage of that moment that opportunity to bless the person beside you Paul goes on to explain what that work looks like verse 10

He says now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will Enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that somebody say so that so that you can be generous on every occasion and through us your generosity will result in Thanksgiving to God listen, God wants to move in you and through you the devil wants you to be desperate and defeated But God wants you to be blessed so that you can be a blessing God wants to work in you. He wants to work through you. He wants to live you and for you to live with margin That's what it looks like to live with more peace than pressure. That's what it looks like to go from stress-filled to Satisfied that's what it looks like to go from barely making it yourself to being able to be a blessing to others That's what it looks like to go from being overwhelmed To overcoming. Would you bow your heads in prayer with me today? Lord I pray in Jesus name for all of us that you would help us to take this truth And not just say amen to it, but to implement it for the praise of your glory With heads bowed eyes closed No one looking around before we wrap up this service today There's no doubt in my mind that there are people at each of our campuses and people watching online Who if you were a gut-level honest, you'd have to say And the truth is Scotty. I can't call out to God in prayer for his help. I Can't commit to the Lord that I'm gonna live with margin or walk in the blessing He has for me because the truth is I'm not right with God I've gone my own way. I've done my own thing Today, I want you to know know that no matter where you've been hear this No matter what you've done There's a God who loves you and cares about you and he stands ready to forgive you of your sin If you just say say today God, I need your mercy and your grace God loves you so much that he sent Jesus Christ His only son to die on the cross for your sins so that your sins could be forgiven So that you could spend eternity in heaven Instead of hell and I'm going to pray

And if you'd like to be included in that prayer if you're ready to commit or recommit your life to Christ when I count to Three just shoot your hand up and say that's me one Two three raise up your hand. Come on all over the room at OKC at each of our campuses those watching online Say that's me. I want Jesus and if you mean it with all of your heart Just pray this prayer and let God save you today say dear God Thank you for your grace and your mercy. I ask you to come into my heart and to be Lord of my life Thank you for not giving up on me from this moment on I have decided I want to follow Jesus Thank you for saving me in Jesus name. We pray it and everybody said Amen, praise the Lord. I turn it over to the campuses Come on let's praise God for all those who said yes to Jesus today. Wasn't that an incredible message by Pastor Scotty? Yeah, I don't know about you, but I need God's help to live on Mission I need God's help to not let fear stand in the way or not Let the chains of my past stand in the way But to go all in on God's mission to make a difference in this world If you would all across this room, would you stand up with me? If you need God's help if you want God's presence, would you lift your hands up to God? Let's worship him Let's ask him for help today. He is a good choice. He's faithful Jesus you change everything Right Jesus you change everything Jesus you change everything Here and now Jesus you change everything Fear, vow Here and now Jesus you change everything Life, heal, and hope Frown right here now Jesus you change everything If you're a first-time guest with us today, you're looking for a home church, I want you to know you

don't have to look any further than right here. You're amongst some of the nicest and kindest people in all of Oklahoma. In fact, if you'd give us a year of your life, go to GrowthTrack, serve on the dream team. Plug into a small group and just see what God will do. Well, church family, we are family. If you would, shout it with me on three. One, two, three. We're family. See you next Sunday. ♪ Change, fall, fear, power right here ♪