My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. Proverbs 3:1-8 NKJV
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Malachi 3:10 NASB
1 Tithing is obedience to God's plan. Personal Plan - Percentage Plan – Practical Plan Priority Plan - A Place Plan
2 Tithing was endorsed by Jesus. Woe to you, ... hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Matthew 23:23 ESV
3 Tithing helps keep money in its proper perspective.
4 Tithing is an antidote to selfishness/materialism. The love of things versus a love for the Lord alone.
5 Tithing is the only way God has told us that we can prove him. Is God real? Is He faithful? Try tithing and discover God. Discover that He is at work.
6 Tithing brings God's involvement into your life and finances.
7 Tithings brings immediate blessings from God.
8 Tithing brings the supernatural protection of God. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:11-12 NIV
9 Tithings expands your faith. You will never know the joy of tithing until you tithe.
10 Tithing is the fairest way to build the church & the Kingdom. Both those with much and those with little share equitably in the work and rewards of God.
Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV
CELEBRATION SUNDAY – WHAT TO EXPECT Celebrate Salvation – Believers' Baptisms Celebrate the Resurrection – Observing the Lord's Supper Celebrate First-fruits' Offering - Bringing 1st BFT Offering to the LORD Celebrate Together as Spiritual Family – Potluck Dinner
OCTOBER 11, 2026
The Grace of Giving – The Giving of Grace
And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 2 Corinthians 8:1-10 NIV
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” 2 Corinthians 8:11-15 NIV
The Bible says more about money that it does about prayer.
The Grace of Giving Philippi and Thessalonica were suffering because they shared Jesus; suffered financially for building the Kingdom of God, yet they gave eagerly and generously. Jesus, our example of grace giving, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Jesus traded everything to be poor; through his poverty we might become rich.
A faithful manager of God’s resources gives cheerfully. We have three choices. We can give reluctantly or grudgingly OR gratefully, cheerfully, and eagerly OR not at all. Rarely is there ever a financial problem in a church. A financial problem is a symptom of a spiritual problem. What we give is a reflection of what is in our hearts. OT = Tithe NT = We are asked to give as the Lord has prospered us; as our love for him dictates.
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Jim Elliot
OCTOBER 4, 2026
PROSPERITY WITH GOD
#1 God owns everything in this world and the world to come.
Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly: “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. Our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 NLT
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. John 1:1-3 NLT
Through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Colossians 1:16-17 NLT
For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. Psalm 50:10 NLT
#2 It all belongs to his children. What my Father has is mine. Father to the older son, "Son, everything I have is yours." John 15:31
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14 NASB
ISRAEL
A Great Land – A Great Family – The Savior – Prosperity "I will bless." #3 He wants it all in circulation. Our God is a God of plenty-plenty of air, water, food, grass and love. He wants it in circulation. #4 The secret of getting is giving. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:38 NASB #5 We are to give, not out of our apparent resources, but from God's actual resources. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6 NIV
WITH FAITH YOU WILL _______________ GOD,
AND HE WILL BE ______________ TO BLESS YOU.
Building Faith Together is an invitation; an invitation to trust God more fully, to seek God urgently and to hear God clearly. Building Faith Together is voluntary. No one must ask God what He would have them give. Asking is an act of faith. The great adventure of living by faith is for you to STAND BEFORE A GOD you cannot control to find out what He would have you to do WITH HIM, BELIEVING you could never do it without Him, and ACTING IN OBEDIENCE to please Him. If you do it without Him, it would not require any faith
SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
I Give Because I’m Happy? I’m Happy Because I Give?
Giving is part of a disciple’s response to God. These notes explore generosity, the purpose of tithing, and the joy of sharing what God has entrusted to us.
Scripture references
Luke 6:30–37 — generosity, mercy, forgiveness, and loving without expecting repayment.
Luke 6:38 — giving generously.
Joshua 3:5 — preparing ourselves for God’s work.
Leviticus 27:30 — the tithe belongs to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 14:22–23 — tithing and learning reverence for God.
1 Corinthians 16:1–2 — setting aside a portion regularly to help God’s people.
Reflect on the message
What motivates my giving?
How has God sacrificed for me?
How can regular giving become a joyful expression of faith?
The notes describe a tithe as one-tenth and emphasize giving through the church.
Summary of the current Planning Center sermon notes, reviewed September 29, 2026. The sermon title and date follow the September 27 bulletin; the notes page still displays the previous week’s heading.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2026
We need a Manager on Aisle __?__
Stewardship means managing what belongs to another. This message invites us to see God as the owner and ourselves as temporary managers of everything He entrusts to us.
Scripture references
Genesis 1:26 and 2:15 — humanity’s responsibility to care for God’s creation.
James 4:14 and 2 Peter 3:8 — our brief lives and God’s perspective on time.
Colossians 1:16–17 — all things were created through Christ and are sustained in Him.
Matthew 6:33 — putting God’s kingdom first.
Key themes
All creation belongs to God, who created and sustains it.
Faithful management brings God glory and applies to every part of life.
We are responsible for how we use what has been entrusted to us.
Giving and rest remind us that God is the owner.
Building Faith Together
The message presents the building campaign as an invitation to seek God’s direction about giving beyond the tithe toward the new church building.
Reflect on the message
What has God entrusted to me, and how can I manage it faithfully?
Gehenna: Where Maggots Never Die & the Fire Never Goes Out.
Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.
Mark 8:31-32
Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
Mark 8:34-37 NLT
Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.
Mark 9:30-32 NLT
After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”
Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”
Mark 9:30-37 NLT
John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”
“Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us. If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.
“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’
Mark 9:38-48 NLT
“You don’t have to go to Hell.”
Adrian Rogers
If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
1 John 1:9 NLT
Repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
Acts 3:19 NLT
Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NLT
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Romans 10:9-10 NLT
Prayer of Faith – “You don’t have to go to Hell.”
Jesus, I confess I am a sinner, I turn from the sinful way; I turn to You. I declare Jesus is Lord. I believe in my heart that You were raise from the dead. I will live for You from this day forward. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen
“For everyone will be tested with fire. Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”
