WEBVTT - Increasing Your Credit -- Part 1 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:04.680 Increasing your spiritual credit. That's the subject today on Bold 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:05.960 Steps with Mark Jobe. 0:00:06.800 --> 0:00:09.840 And no matter what your situation in life is today, 0:00:10.000 --> 0:00:14.320 you are a contributor. You have something to give to others. 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:16.959 You are not someone that's sitting back and just says, 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:19.880 I need, I need, I need. Help me, help me, 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:23.840 help me. No matter what your situation is, you have 0:00:23.960 --> 0:00:25.320 something to give. 0:00:38.240 --> 0:00:41.680 Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is founding 0:00:41.680 --> 0:00:46.160 pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Sheppard. Well, 0:00:46.159 --> 0:00:48.879 today we conclude our series relentless by looking at the 0:00:48.880 --> 0:00:51.479 final chapter in the book of Philippians. Now, from a 0:00:51.479 --> 0:00:54.400 prison cell in Rome, the apostle Paul writes to fellow 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:58.160 believers who are experiencing challenges to their faith, encouraging them 0:00:58.160 --> 0:01:01.160 and all of us to keep their joy and energy. 0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:03.440 And what Paul is underscoring over and over again is 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:06.800 that God is bigger than your circumstances. Mark. You've titled 0:01:06.800 --> 0:01:09.520 this final message, increasing your credit. So tell us where 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:10.160 we're headed. 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:15.039 Yeah, well, this is not about your credit card or 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:16.039 line of credit. 0:01:16.280 --> 0:01:17.240 Your credit score. 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:21.679 But it is about your spiritual credit because Paul says 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:25.000 something interesting. He says, not that I'm looking for a gift, 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:28.800 but I'm looking for what may be credited to your account. 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:31.760 And he's basically saying that when we get into a 0:01:31.760 --> 0:01:34.960 spirit of giving, when we realize that we have something 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:41.760 to give, that it increases our spirit. Account. Credit account. 0:01:41.959 --> 0:01:45.120 And that can be drawn upon in the future. 0:01:45.160 --> 0:01:47.560 And that is a big account, isn't it? All right, 0:01:47.600 --> 0:01:50.200 let's open our Bibles to Philippians four, starting in verse 0:01:50.200 --> 0:01:52.480 14 as we get started with this message from Mark 0:01:52.520 --> 0:01:54.720 titled Increasing Your Credit. 0:01:56.400 --> 0:01:59.640 The apostle Paul says, yet it was kind of you 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:04.050 to share in my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know 0:02:04.570 --> 0:02:07.930 that in the beginning of the gospel when I left Macedonia, 0:02:07.970 --> 0:02:11.250 no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, 0:02:11.250 --> 0:02:16.050 except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help 0:02:16.210 --> 0:02:19.369 for my needs once and again. Not that I seek 0:02:19.370 --> 0:02:22.329 the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to 0:02:22.330 --> 0:02:25.130 your credit. Now let me read that again. Not that 0:02:25.130 --> 0:02:27.290 I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that 0:02:27.290 --> 0:02:32.410 increases to your credit. I have received full payment and more. 0:02:32.570 --> 0:02:35.970 I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts 0:02:35.970 --> 0:02:40.410 that you sent a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and 0:02:40.410 --> 0:02:43.930 pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need 0:02:43.970 --> 0:02:48.250 of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 0:02:48.850 --> 0:02:51.970 To our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 0:02:51.970 --> 0:02:54.930 Final greetings. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers 0:02:54.930 --> 0:02:57.850 who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, 0:02:57.889 --> 0:03:01.250 especially those of the Caesar's household. The grace of our 0:03:01.250 --> 0:03:05.410 Lord Jesus Christ. Be with your spirit. Amen. Word of 0:03:05.410 --> 0:03:08.730 the Lord. Today I want to talk to you. I've 0:03:08.770 --> 0:03:19.850 entitled this message increasing your credit, increasing your credit. Many, 0:03:19.850 --> 0:03:25.450 many years ago, when I first got married. I decided 0:03:25.450 --> 0:03:27.649 that I would try to surprise my wife and take 0:03:27.650 --> 0:03:32.250 her on a decent, nice honeymoon. Except I had a problem. 0:03:32.970 --> 0:03:34.850 I had a great idea for a honeymoon, but I 0:03:34.850 --> 0:03:38.450 had no money. Anybody else have those problems? You got 0:03:38.490 --> 0:03:41.170 great ideas, but, like, hey, I got a great idea. 0:03:41.210 --> 0:03:43.090 I just don't have any money to fulfill that idea 0:03:43.130 --> 0:03:48.610 as of yet. And so I had really saved up 0:03:48.610 --> 0:03:53.290 to buy her what I thought was a decent ring in. 0:03:53.330 --> 0:03:54.970 Years later, I look at it and say, that's pretty 0:03:54.970 --> 0:03:57.089 pathetic there. No, no, it was, it was, it was 0:03:57.090 --> 0:04:00.980 full of love. Full of love. Um, but I bought 0:04:00.980 --> 0:04:04.420 her a decent ring. I was saving up, doing everything 0:04:04.420 --> 0:04:06.180 that I could. I just started in the ministry. So 0:04:06.180 --> 0:04:08.580 I was really, really, really poor. The congregation was really, 0:04:08.580 --> 0:04:10.580 really small and they could afford a very, very, very 0:04:10.580 --> 0:04:14.420 small salary. My salary was $8,000 a year, so I 0:04:14.420 --> 0:04:18.620 couldn't really splurge very much on anything. But I decided 0:04:18.620 --> 0:04:21.300 that I really wanted to take her on a nice honeymoon. 0:04:21.300 --> 0:04:25.539 And so I decided that I would, in faith, buy 0:04:25.620 --> 0:04:29.740 tickets to Spain. It's where I grew up, and I 0:04:29.740 --> 0:04:32.900 wanted to take her to Europe. So I saved up 0:04:32.900 --> 0:04:36.980 money and I bought tickets, round trip tickets to Spain 0:04:36.980 --> 0:04:39.340 so I knew we could go there. I just knew 0:04:39.380 --> 0:04:41.979 that once we were there, I had no money. Once 0:04:41.980 --> 0:04:47.099 we were there. And I figured at my wedding that 0:04:47.100 --> 0:04:50.500 people would give envelopes with gifts and money, and I 0:04:50.500 --> 0:04:53.180 was counting on the cash that would come in during 0:04:53.180 --> 0:04:56.820 the wedding to be able to pay for my trip 0:04:56.820 --> 0:05:01.779 in Spain, and so on. Our wedding. after the wedding 0:05:01.779 --> 0:05:05.820 ceremony and so forth. Uh, we were ripping up. We 0:05:05.820 --> 0:05:08.580 were ripping open envelopes and saying, okay, a little bit 0:05:08.580 --> 0:05:11.340 more cash. Let's. And I was leaving the next day. 0:05:11.339 --> 0:05:15.179 So I got the cash. And, uh, I told my, 0:05:15.220 --> 0:05:18.339 my father said, well, you know, you could take this 0:05:18.339 --> 0:05:22.860 cash with you and the cheques will deposit in the 0:05:22.860 --> 0:05:24.980 bank and then we'll just transfer it over to you 0:05:24.980 --> 0:05:26.820 if you run out of cash. So I went with 0:05:26.860 --> 0:05:29.940 a whole bunch of cash. That was the money because I, 0:05:29.940 --> 0:05:32.779 I had no money for the honeymoon. My father left 0:05:32.779 --> 0:05:36.219 his car in Spain, and I put a tent in 0:05:36.260 --> 0:05:39.860 the trunk of the car. And so I know it 0:05:39.860 --> 0:05:43.859 sounds pretty exotic, extravagant. I was driving up through Spain, 0:05:43.860 --> 0:05:47.380 through Italy, through Switzerland, but I was sleeping in a 0:05:47.380 --> 0:05:50.140 tent and eating ham sandwiches. So but but but but. 0:05:54.020 --> 0:05:58.020 And I took the cash with me. And then halfway 0:05:58.020 --> 0:06:01.390 through my trip, I ran out of cash, and I 0:06:01.430 --> 0:06:04.110 called my father up and I said, hey, dad, did 0:06:04.110 --> 0:06:07.550 you deposit the checks? Because I need cash? I mean, 0:06:07.550 --> 0:06:12.429 I'm down to I was ham sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches. 0:06:12.470 --> 0:06:15.950 Now I'm down to bread sandwiches and I. I'd like 0:06:15.950 --> 0:06:17.909 to have a little ham and cheese in my sandwich. 0:06:17.910 --> 0:06:20.750 So can you transfer the money? And so we went 0:06:20.750 --> 0:06:23.550 to check out. This was years ago, before we had 0:06:23.550 --> 0:06:27.190 all the fancy ATM machines and so forth. And we 0:06:27.230 --> 0:06:30.470 discovered that Spain was one of the only countries that 0:06:30.470 --> 0:06:38.469 would not allow for wire transfers. My wife should have known. 0:06:38.470 --> 0:06:42.469 Then she was in for a ride. And so here 0:06:42.470 --> 0:06:49.230 I was, stuck in France with no money. And so 0:06:49.230 --> 0:06:51.710 I'm driving the car, hoping that the fumes of the 0:06:51.710 --> 0:06:54.750 gas will kick in. I have no money. And at 0:06:54.750 --> 0:06:57.910 the time I had no credit card because I had 0:06:57.910 --> 0:07:01.029 no credit and I couldn't afford credit. And at the 0:07:01.029 --> 0:07:03.750 time I was thinking what I need, oh, what I 0:07:03.750 --> 0:07:07.870 would give for a good credit card. But but because 0:07:07.870 --> 0:07:12.110 I had no credit, I had no credit card, I 0:07:12.390 --> 0:07:15.110 couldn't go with a little piece of plastic and say, well, here, 0:07:15.150 --> 0:07:18.670 let me let me pay for it on credit and 0:07:18.670 --> 0:07:22.350 I'll pay you later because I'm good for the credit 0:07:22.350 --> 0:07:24.830 that I have. But I had no credit. And I 0:07:24.830 --> 0:07:28.390 wish at that time, boy, I really wish I had 0:07:28.590 --> 0:07:33.510 a credit card. Thankfully, by God's grace, I made our 0:07:33.510 --> 0:07:37.750 way to Spain and the church in Spain. Unbeknownst to us, 0:07:37.790 --> 0:07:40.310 the pastor was in tune with the Holy Spirit. We 0:07:40.350 --> 0:07:42.430 went and visited and out of the blue he said, 0:07:42.430 --> 0:07:44.750 you know what? I just feel led of the Lord 0:07:44.750 --> 0:07:48.070 to take up an offering for Mark and Dee that's here. 0:07:48.070 --> 0:07:49.830 And they took up an offering. Little did he know, 0:07:49.830 --> 0:07:52.030 he saved our life. You know, we were able to 0:07:52.070 --> 0:07:58.070 live off of that money. God supplies. God supplies. Yeah. 0:07:58.110 --> 0:08:05.320 God supplies. But I remember thinking at that time, hey, 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:07.000 one of these days I need to get a credit 0:08:07.000 --> 0:08:11.200 card because it would be nice to have credit to 0:08:11.240 --> 0:08:14.600 my account. But in order to have credit to your account, 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:16.880 you have to have something in your account. You have 0:08:16.880 --> 0:08:18.840 to be able to pay. You have to be able to. 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:26.000 This passage is really about credit in your account. I'm 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:31.679 not talking about financial credit. I'm talking about credit in 0:08:31.680 --> 0:08:35.400 a spiritual way. And so I want to break down 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:39.559 this passage for you because it's extremely powerful passage on 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:43.959 the power of giving and what giving does in our lives, 0:08:44.120 --> 0:08:48.280 not just financial giving, but a spirit of generosity throughout 0:08:48.280 --> 0:08:51.280 our entire life. And it's interesting that the Apostle Paul 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:56.520 chooses to end the entire book on this topic of 0:08:56.800 --> 0:09:02.200 generosity and giving and releasing. And so if you're taking notes, 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:04.440 I want you to jot this down. There are three 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:07.439 things you need to know about increasing your credit. And 0:09:07.440 --> 0:09:11.520 I'm talking about spiritual credit. You see, there's such a 0:09:11.520 --> 0:09:15.280 thing in this passage talks about there's such a thing 0:09:15.280 --> 0:09:20.199 about a spiritual credit account. Now, what's a credit account, 0:09:20.640 --> 0:09:24.160 a credit account if you. Well, if you've ever gone 0:09:24.160 --> 0:09:30.040 to get a credit card, you know that the credit 0:09:30.040 --> 0:09:34.199 card company will look at you and look at your history, 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:39.320 see how faithful you've been in making your payments. What 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:43.199 is your income? Do you pay things off? And based 0:09:43.200 --> 0:09:48.040 on your history, they will determine what line of credit 0:09:48.040 --> 0:09:51.880 they can give you. If you have a good history, 0:09:52.559 --> 0:09:56.360 then they give you a bigger line of credit. If 0:09:56.400 --> 0:10:00.450 you have a bad history, then they either deny your 0:10:00.450 --> 0:10:03.490 credit card or give you a little bit of credit 0:10:03.490 --> 0:10:07.610 because you have a bad history in paying up on 0:10:07.610 --> 0:10:09.010 your credit count. How many of you know what I'm 0:10:09.010 --> 0:10:13.130 talking about? You're like, yeah, pastor. I applied for a 0:10:13.130 --> 0:10:16.530 credit card and they gave me like $50 credit limit. 0:10:20.250 --> 0:10:22.970 But the amount of credit that you get depends on 0:10:22.970 --> 0:10:28.730 the history that you have. The apostle Paul is talking 0:10:28.770 --> 0:10:32.210 to the believers in Philippi, and he talks to them 0:10:32.210 --> 0:10:36.730 about something that he refers to as spiritual credit. And 0:10:36.730 --> 0:10:38.850 I want you to understand what he's talking about here. 0:10:38.850 --> 0:10:41.330 So there's three things you need to know about increasing 0:10:41.330 --> 0:10:45.770 your credit, because the higher your credit, the more you're 0:10:45.770 --> 0:10:49.090 able to extend yourself in time of needs. When you 0:10:49.090 --> 0:10:53.050 have a bigger credit, the first thing he says, jot 0:10:53.050 --> 0:10:58.970 this down. Giving releases credit to our spiritual account. The 0:10:58.970 --> 0:11:02.010 apostle Paul is talking to these believers, and he says 0:11:02.010 --> 0:11:05.250 to them, it was good of you to share in 0:11:05.250 --> 0:11:10.610 my troubles. The apostle Paul was in prison. And he 0:11:10.610 --> 0:11:14.530 goes on to say that the Philippian believers shared with 0:11:14.530 --> 0:11:17.930 him when he was going through a difficult time, just 0:11:17.929 --> 0:11:21.290 like Pastor John from New Life, Humboldt Park said, thank 0:11:21.330 --> 0:11:24.130 you to us because when they were going through a 0:11:24.130 --> 0:11:29.050 difficult time, we helped out as well. Moreover, as you 0:11:29.050 --> 0:11:31.650 Philippians know, he says in the early days of your 0:11:31.650 --> 0:11:36.050 acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out for Macedonia, 0:11:36.809 --> 0:11:39.810 not one church shared with me in the matter of 0:11:39.809 --> 0:11:45.530 giving and receiving, except for you only. It's interesting that 0:11:45.530 --> 0:11:47.970 the apostle Paul points to the Philippians and he says, 0:11:47.970 --> 0:11:51.730 you know what? I started a lot of churches. I 0:11:52.090 --> 0:11:55.250 was on mission. And none of the other churches that 0:11:55.250 --> 0:12:00.010 we were involved in actually were involved in missions or generosity, 0:12:00.140 --> 0:12:03.620 accept you the Philippians. I want you to notice that 0:12:03.620 --> 0:12:07.340 the Philippians seem to be the people with the greatest joy, 0:12:07.620 --> 0:12:10.140 but they also seem to be the people that knew 0:12:10.140 --> 0:12:13.620 how to give the most. I've discovered over the years 0:12:14.460 --> 0:12:17.180 that there seems to be a direct correlation between people 0:12:17.179 --> 0:12:20.300 that have discovered a spirit of generosity and people that 0:12:20.300 --> 0:12:21.580 have a spirit of joy. 0:12:27.580 --> 0:12:30.500 You're listening to Bold Steps, the Bible teaching of Mark job. 0:12:30.500 --> 0:12:32.780 And we've still got more coming up on today's program. 0:12:32.780 --> 0:12:35.939 But real quickly, we know life gets busy. And if 0:12:35.980 --> 0:12:38.540 you missed any part of today's broadcast, you can catch 0:12:38.540 --> 0:12:41.580 up any time with a Bold Steps app, listen to 0:12:41.620 --> 0:12:44.699 Bold Steps Daily, The Bold Steps Minute and our Spanish 0:12:44.700 --> 0:12:49.460 programming all in one convenient place. Go to Bold steps.org today, 0:12:49.980 --> 0:12:51.860 and if you enjoy learning through video, be sure to 0:12:51.860 --> 0:12:55.020 visit our YouTube channel, Bold Steps with Mark job. You'll 0:12:55.020 --> 0:12:58.620 find teaching segments, bonus content, and our powerful series called 0:12:58.620 --> 0:13:02.180 Bold Testimonies, where Mark sits down with real people, sharing 0:13:02.179 --> 0:13:05.180 how God has used bold steps to transform their lives. 0:13:05.540 --> 0:13:09.260 These are genuine stories of hope, healing, and spiritual breakthrough. 0:13:09.460 --> 0:13:12.740 Reminders that God is still powerfully at work today, even 0:13:12.740 --> 0:13:16.260 when life seems confusing. If you need encouragement or a 0:13:16.260 --> 0:13:19.900 fresh reminder of God's faithfulness, bold testimonies will speak directly 0:13:19.900 --> 0:13:23.060 to your heart. Find it all on YouTube by subscribing 0:13:23.100 --> 0:13:26.220 to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. And if you're looking 0:13:26.220 --> 0:13:29.620 for programs like today's to listen to and watch on YouTube, 0:13:29.620 --> 0:13:32.260 we've got a channel just for that. Search for Bold 0:13:32.260 --> 0:13:36.180 Steps with Mark Jobe programs on YouTube. Right now, let's 0:13:36.179 --> 0:13:39.620 get back to Mark's message. It's titled Increasing Your Credit. 0:13:44.380 --> 0:13:46.940 I've discovered over the years that people that know that 0:13:46.940 --> 0:13:51.220 they have needs but are not needy typically have the 0:13:51.220 --> 0:13:54.780 greatest sense of joy. In fact, what I've discovered is 0:13:54.780 --> 0:13:57.740 the people that are most stingy, the people that grab 0:13:57.740 --> 0:14:00.470 most of what they have, the people that release, the 0:14:00.510 --> 0:14:04.150 less are usually the most unhappy people in the face 0:14:04.150 --> 0:14:07.550 of the world. The people that tend to not give 0:14:07.590 --> 0:14:10.150 of their love or their compassion, of their friendship, of 0:14:10.190 --> 0:14:14.510 their finances. People that have a spirit of non generosity, 0:14:14.510 --> 0:14:19.070 people that have a, people that have a mentality of, of, 0:14:19.070 --> 0:14:23.230 of shortcoming, people that have a scarcity mentality tend to 0:14:23.270 --> 0:14:26.750 be the people that operate and live with less joy. 0:14:27.350 --> 0:14:29.870 The people that have an abundance mentality tend to be 0:14:29.870 --> 0:14:32.830 the people that have a greater sense of joy because 0:14:32.830 --> 0:14:34.110 they look at what they have and they say, I 0:14:34.110 --> 0:14:37.430 have something to give. I may not have a lot 0:14:37.470 --> 0:14:40.470 in my bank account. I may not have everything that 0:14:40.470 --> 0:14:45.310 someone else has. But listen, I have something worth giving. 0:14:46.830 --> 0:14:49.070 And when we start stepping into that place where you 0:14:49.070 --> 0:14:54.550 realize that you well, you may be struggling financially, but 0:14:54.550 --> 0:14:59.230 it doesn't make you a needy person. You may have 0:14:59.230 --> 0:15:02.000 your own trials in life, but you have something to give. 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:05.800 God has invested in you the power of the Holy Spirit, 0:15:05.920 --> 0:15:09.120 spiritual gifts inside of you. And no matter what your 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:13.360 situation and life is today, you are a contributor. You 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:16.840 have something to give to others. You are not someone 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:19.360 that's sitting back and just says, I need, I need, 0:15:19.400 --> 0:15:22.360 I need. Help me, help me, help me. No matter 0:15:22.360 --> 0:15:27.480 what your situation is. You have something to give. Amen. 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:31.600 And when you step into that mentality to know that 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:35.280 I have something to give, there's a joy about releasing 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:39.040 into other people's lives. A joy when you start discovering 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:42.000 that I'm a giver, not just a taker, not just 0:15:42.000 --> 0:15:46.600 a receiver. So the apostle Paul, well, he, he talks 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:50.040 to the church of Philippians and he says, you're the 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:54.840 only ones that really shared with me when you first 0:15:54.840 --> 0:16:00.320 became believers. And I want you to notice that although 0:16:00.320 --> 0:16:04.960 they were young believers, they had discovered the power of giving. 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:08.240 And he says, when I set out from Macedonia, not 0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:11.680 one church shared with me in the matter of giving 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:18.480 and receiving. What they had was not the norm. Most 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:23.840 of the believers in the days of Paul were not releasing. 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:27.240 They did not operate in a spirit of generosity. The 0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:31.080 Philippians had an attitude that was different than the other 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:35.400 people around them. They had discovered the power of generosity, 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:39.000 the power of giving, the power of sowing seeds. And 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:42.720 Paul commends them. He says, hey, you're different than other 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:47.200 people around you. You you've discovered the power of giving 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:50.880 and releasing. One of the things I decided years ago 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:56.160 when we started this church is that we may have needs, 0:16:56.160 --> 0:17:01.480 but we will not be a needy church. I started 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:04.160 pastoring this church when we were at 44th and Paulina, 0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:06.920 back of the yards neighborhood. Anybody from anybody from back 0:17:06.920 --> 0:17:09.520 of the yards neighborhood. All right, all right. Some people 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:12.560 grew up there. We are on the corner of 44th 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:15.359 and Paulina. We were very, very small church. We had very, 0:17:15.359 --> 0:17:19.640 very few people. The budget was very dismal. We did 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:24.000 not have a worship band. We did not have a parsonage. 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:28.880 We were just a small, little struggling church. I was 0:17:28.880 --> 0:17:34.680 21 years old when I started pastoring. I was single, naive, poor. 0:17:34.840 --> 0:17:37.400 I just know Jesus saves and he's called me here 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:39.480 in the congregation was so desperate. They said, well, let's 0:17:39.480 --> 0:17:47.160 get this guy. How many of you know desperation and 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:52.399 naivety make a good marriage? Sometimes the congregation was desperate, 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:54.800 I was naive. We joined together and say, let's see 0:17:54.800 --> 0:17:59.850 what God does. And I'll never forget that some people 0:17:59.850 --> 0:18:02.850 in the congregation would tell some people from the outside 0:18:03.210 --> 0:18:07.090 that were not a part of the congregation. They would say, 0:18:07.290 --> 0:18:10.250 you're never going to make it there at 44th and Paulina. 0:18:11.130 --> 0:18:13.250 People from the outside would tell me this you're never 0:18:13.250 --> 0:18:18.130 going to make it at 44th and Paulina. You guys 0:18:18.130 --> 0:18:20.609 are never going to be able to pay the bills there. 0:18:21.369 --> 0:18:23.730 I had people tell me the church doors are going 0:18:23.770 --> 0:18:30.649 to close. You'll never survive. You need to raise support 0:18:30.650 --> 0:18:37.090 from the outside because there's too many needs there. You 0:18:37.090 --> 0:18:40.930 need help from the outside. People from the outside need 0:18:40.930 --> 0:18:42.690 to give to you. You need to be like a 0:18:42.690 --> 0:18:46.609 mission's point and raise support from the outside for that 0:18:46.609 --> 0:18:49.209 place to be able to survive and pay the bills 0:18:49.210 --> 0:18:52.370 because the people in the community aren't going to give, 0:18:52.369 --> 0:18:56.530 and there's not enough resources, and it's never going to 0:18:56.609 --> 0:18:59.660 amount to anything. You guys will always need help from 0:18:59.660 --> 0:19:03.139 the outside. How many of you know? There's a lot 0:19:03.140 --> 0:19:05.500 of people out there that look at who you are, 0:19:05.820 --> 0:19:08.139 look at where you're coming from, and they look at. 0:19:08.140 --> 0:19:10.180 And they despise the small. 0:19:10.340 --> 0:19:11.260 Amen. Yeah. 0:19:12.060 --> 0:19:15.060 You'll never be able to help anybody. You need help yourself. 0:19:16.020 --> 0:19:18.260 You'll never be able to be a leader because you 0:19:18.260 --> 0:19:22.020 just don't have the potential. You'll never be able to 0:19:22.060 --> 0:19:24.980 make it out. You're going to need to receive all 0:19:24.980 --> 0:19:28.020 your life and never be a giver in your life. 0:19:28.020 --> 0:19:30.180 And I was reading scripture and I said, God, I 0:19:30.180 --> 0:19:34.020 refuse to believe that you can, that you can't do 0:19:34.020 --> 0:19:37.660 something out of small beginnings. I refuse to believe that 0:19:37.660 --> 0:19:40.740 we will have to be a receiver church, because when 0:19:40.740 --> 0:19:43.820 I read the Bible, I see a giver church, not 0:19:43.820 --> 0:19:46.780 a receiver church. I see a church that can meet needs, 0:19:46.780 --> 0:19:49.820 not that is needy. I see a church whose God 0:19:49.820 --> 0:19:52.859 supplies all of the needs according to his riches and glory. 0:19:58.060 --> 0:20:01.020 I'll never forget the conversation I had with the suburban 0:20:01.020 --> 0:20:03.179 woman that came to visit the church, and her and 0:20:03.180 --> 0:20:06.699 her husband had were coming from the suburbs, and they 0:20:06.700 --> 0:20:08.899 came to visit the church. And they came from a 0:20:08.900 --> 0:20:12.939 pretty wealthy family. And, uh, she visited the church and 0:20:13.580 --> 0:20:16.260 she said, well, this is a really poor church, isn't it? 0:20:16.300 --> 0:20:17.899 I said, well, you know, some people think we are. 0:20:17.900 --> 0:20:28.100 I don't think we're that poor. And she said, well, 0:20:28.100 --> 0:20:30.580 these people need help, don't they? I said, no. Well, 0:20:30.580 --> 0:20:35.580 we need help, but we can give. She said, she 0:20:35.580 --> 0:20:40.100 looked at me and she said, do you expect these people. 0:20:40.500 --> 0:20:45.460 She's talking about my congregation, these people to tithe and give. 0:20:45.700 --> 0:20:47.139 Yeah. Go ahead. 0:20:47.380 --> 0:20:49.980 I said, well, I first of all, tithe and give 0:20:50.100 --> 0:20:53.500 first of all, me. And of course, I expect them 0:20:53.500 --> 0:20:55.860 to give because I think they have something to give. 0:20:55.859 --> 0:20:57.980 And she looked at me and said, I can't believe 0:20:57.980 --> 0:21:04.660 that you're asking these people to give. You see what 0:21:04.660 --> 0:21:07.700 she looked at? She saw a congregation and she said, well, 0:21:07.700 --> 0:21:14.260 these are poor, needy people. And from her world we 0:21:14.260 --> 0:21:19.220 were poor and needy and we needed help. I look 0:21:19.260 --> 0:21:21.580 and I say, no, no, you don't understand this lady. 0:21:21.580 --> 0:21:24.300 You don't understand. These are people of God in the making. Oh, 0:21:24.300 --> 0:21:26.020 they may not look like they have a lot. They 0:21:26.020 --> 0:21:28.140 may look like there's some poverty there they may be 0:21:28.140 --> 0:21:30.740 coming from, but they got something to give. And I 0:21:30.740 --> 0:21:35.060 will never, never accept the fact that we will be needy, 0:21:35.100 --> 0:21:40.060 we will meet needs. And let me tell you, it 0:21:40.060 --> 0:21:43.459 was that conversation that led me to say I was 0:21:43.460 --> 0:21:46.899 so mad at that conversation. I was so angry that 0:21:46.900 --> 0:21:49.260 that she would feel like, hey, we're these poor people. 0:21:49.260 --> 0:21:51.619 We have nothing to give. We'll never amount to anything. 0:21:51.619 --> 0:21:54.100 Because she was coming from some wealthy suburb. And I 0:21:54.100 --> 0:21:56.899 was so angry at that. Like, no, you lady, you 0:21:56.900 --> 0:22:01.070 don't understand. You don't understand the potential that we have. 0:22:01.109 --> 0:22:03.109 I went to our elders and I said, you know what? 0:22:03.109 --> 0:22:05.670 We're going to give 10% of whatever comes into this church. 0:22:05.670 --> 0:22:08.550 We're going to give it to missions. Yeah, we're going 0:22:08.590 --> 0:22:11.750 to give it away because I refuse to be needy. 0:22:11.910 --> 0:22:15.230 We will meet needs. We will give. And we determined 0:22:15.230 --> 0:22:18.429 at that time, and that was years ago, towards the 0:22:18.430 --> 0:22:21.109 beginning of this ministry, that we would give away 10% 0:22:21.109 --> 0:22:23.669 of what came in to missions, to church planting, to 0:22:23.710 --> 0:22:26.230 Africa to help other places, because we are not going 0:22:26.270 --> 0:22:29.030 to consume all the seed on ourselves, saying, oh, we need, 0:22:29.070 --> 0:22:32.950 we need, we need. No, we will meet needs outside 0:22:32.950 --> 0:22:35.430 of our own realm. We will be that people that 0:22:35.470 --> 0:22:36.230 meet needs. 0:22:41.790 --> 0:22:44.790 You're listening to Bold Steps, a motivating message from our 0:22:44.790 --> 0:22:48.910 Bible teacher, Mark Jobe, titled Increasing Your Credit. We'll be 0:22:48.910 --> 0:22:51.550 continuing with part two of this lesson on tomorrow's program, 0:22:51.550 --> 0:22:54.230 so make plans to join us then. In the meantime, 0:22:54.230 --> 0:22:56.230 feel free to check out our website to learn more 0:22:56.230 --> 0:23:02.030 about our ministry and available resources. Just go to bold steps.org. Mark. 0:23:02.070 --> 0:23:04.950 A lot of people feel drawn to Jesus, perhaps, but 0:23:04.950 --> 0:23:07.790 there's just something holding them back. A question they can't 0:23:07.790 --> 0:23:11.190 get past or a doubt they've never had answered. I'm 0:23:11.190 --> 0:23:12.710 sure you encounter this, don't you? 0:23:13.030 --> 0:23:17.109 Yeah. As we talk to people about Jesus and about 0:23:17.109 --> 0:23:22.870 the gospel, sometimes there's lingering questions that become roadblocks or 0:23:22.869 --> 0:23:26.909 stumbling blocks to people embracing Christianity. Mhm. And maybe you 0:23:26.910 --> 0:23:30.030 have a son, a daughter, a friend, a coworker that 0:23:30.030 --> 0:23:33.430 gets stuck on, you know, things like, how can God 0:23:33.470 --> 0:23:36.350 be good when I see so much evil and suffering 0:23:36.350 --> 0:23:41.590 around us? Or, you know, I've been taught evolution, you know, 0:23:41.630 --> 0:23:45.190 does evolution contradict that? There's a creator God. 0:23:45.230 --> 0:23:47.550 Well, the fact that I have doubts, I can't possibly 0:23:47.550 --> 0:23:48.990 come to Jesus if I have doubts. 0:23:49.030 --> 0:23:53.070 Yeah. Many of us struggle with those things. And our 0:23:53.270 --> 0:23:58.390 monthly gift offer today is the case for Faith by 0:23:58.430 --> 0:24:04.240 Lee Strobel, who was a investigative reporter for a major 0:24:04.440 --> 0:24:08.960 newspaper in Chicago, and his own struggle with doubt led 0:24:08.960 --> 0:24:12.840 him to explore. And as an investigative reporter, he actually 0:24:13.040 --> 0:24:17.440 came to the conclusion that, wait a second, God is true. 0:24:17.480 --> 0:24:20.600 The Bible is real. Jesus is the way. And so 0:24:20.600 --> 0:24:24.600 he tackles these issues from that mindset. And I think 0:24:24.600 --> 0:24:26.600 a lot of people would find that helpful. 0:24:26.600 --> 0:24:29.040 And we'd love to send this to our listeners today. 0:24:29.320 --> 0:24:31.880 Just give your donation of any amount and request your 0:24:31.880 --> 0:24:34.840 copy of The case for Faith. Visit us online at 0:24:34.840 --> 0:24:42.639 bold steps.org or call us at 800 D.L. Moody, that's (800) 356-6639. 0:24:42.960 --> 0:24:44.960 You can also send your gift and request the book 0:24:44.960 --> 0:24:50.560 in the mail. Write to Bold Steps. 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois. 0:24:50.600 --> 0:24:54.399 606 ten. And when you partner with us by giving 0:24:54.400 --> 0:24:56.720 a monthly gift, we'll add your name to the growing 0:24:56.760 --> 0:25:00.560 list of Kingdom workers we call Bold partners because of 0:25:00.560 --> 0:25:03.400 your faithful support. We're able to share these biblical teachings 0:25:03.400 --> 0:25:06.240 to new listeners in your own community and across the world. 0:25:06.400 --> 0:25:08.840 In fact, your monthly donations are now bringing the Bible 0:25:08.840 --> 0:25:11.760 teaching of bold steps all the way to Malawi, Africa, 0:25:11.960 --> 0:25:16.280 where over 6500 listening groups will have the opportunity to 0:25:16.320 --> 0:25:19.520 hear and respond to the gospel. So if you'd like 0:25:19.520 --> 0:25:21.320 to play a part in this global outreach, be sure 0:25:21.320 --> 0:25:23.840 to sign up and become a bold partner today at 0:25:23.840 --> 0:25:28.440 bold steps.org or give us a call at 800 D.L. Moody, 0:25:28.600 --> 0:25:35.360 that's (800) 356-6639. Thanks for joining us today. I'm Wayne Shepherd, 0:25:35.359 --> 0:25:37.840 signing off, but make plans to listen tomorrow to hear 0:25:37.840 --> 0:25:41.320 the final segment of Mark's message on increasing your spiritual credit. 0:25:41.680 --> 0:25:46.720 That's Thursday on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Bold steps 0:25:46.720 --> 0:25:49.560 is a production of Moody Radio, a Ministry of Moody 0:25:49.560 --> 0:25:50.720 Bible Institute.