As a pastor, I have been repulsed by the topic of money. I would rather preach about sex, predestination, hell or the devil than money. I simply hate the topic.

However, money may be the most universal and important topic in our lives. I hope many of us will never experience divorce, adultery or hell, but everyone of us will have to deal with money.

So we must ask the question, how do we deal with money without becoming a slave. We do not want to be a slave to excess nor to worry about the lack of money. How can we live freely, and glorify God with our money.

In short, to do that we must remember that our money is God's money. He has given it to us, and he intends us to use it for his Glory. We do that by providing for our own needs, enjoying his goodness, and by giving to his work.

Here the reality of our faith shows through. We all say we believe that every good gift comes from God, and we live by his mercy. But do we believe it? By giving we reveal the genuineness of our faith. The loudest sermon I preach every week, I preach to myself every time I put that check in the offering plate. I declare that I actually believe in God enough to make him one of my biggest expenses. I declare my faith to myself, and as I do my faith grows stronger.

Now our Church faces a time when we must ask, do we believe what we say we believe? Do we believe in our mission in Tulsa strongly enough to alter our lives? Do we believe that God has called us to reach Tulsa for Christ so strongly that we will make a sacrifice and give to establish a permanent identity here?