Episode #31 Gileads BHAG
GOD’S PERFECT STORMS
Gilead’s BHAG
Pastor Tom
Introduction – Without clear direction a church will stagnate. Proverbs 29:18a.
I. Giants realized. Numbers 13:29-33
- 1987 – The Audit $5.65 Million debt.
- 1988 – Bankruptcy- Chapter 11 reorganization protection
- Bank 1.0 million
- Secured creditors 3.1 million
- Unsecured creditors 1.1 million
- Total 5.2 million – Ouch!
- Church attendance goes from 1100 plus to 175.
- Church Repentance – Psalms 37:21
- Why Me? – I was not here when the debt was incurred. Esther 4:14b
II. Promises delivered
- By 1996 we paid the bank 1.2 million.
- Unsecured creditors were paid 1.4 million.
- Secured creditors were paid 2.6 million plus 1 million in interest.
- By 2002 the secured creditors received the final payment of $670,000.00 when we refinanced with the bank.
- How? The wall of grace – II Corinthians 8:1-5
- Church attendance increased to an average of 400 adults.
- Jericho moments – Joshua 6:20
- Owed $2.75 million to the bank (Miracle upon Miracle)
III. Remembering the vision
- Now $2.15 million owed
- Attendance 700 plus adults
- Unconquered territory – I Chronicles 4:9-10
- Caleb’s dream at 85 – Joshua 14:5-13
- Unfinished business
- $20.00 per adult for 130 weeks equal $1,820,000.00
- This is what I am doing.
- This is what you can do:
- Pray for God to enable us to dream of expanding our influence (ministry).
- Get involved (roll-up your sleeves).
- Get creative with giving.
Conclusion: What’s Your BHAG, Gilead? Freedom 2 Dream!
Posted on October 17th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
During Gilead’s toughest years, my husband worked as a mechanical engineer for a company that contracted to GM. We grieved when his job was out-sourced to India. One day as I was allowing God to bathe me in His healing balm, He spoke so sweetly to me with a thought that I had never considered. He allowed us to have the income we had during that time to help Gilead. Had He not blessed my husband with that job, we couldn’t have given the amount of money that we did during those years.
Now that we’re making about 1/3 of that income, we’re still planning on being part of Gilead’s BHAG. Our giving may not be on the level that it was before, but our God still is!