I just finished a three hour lunch with my Student Leadership Team.  It seems that every time we meet I walk away encouraged as a youth pastor.  God is really doing some things through our ministry.  2009 was a great year, but as I look to 2010 I am thrilled at the possibilities!  The Student Leadership Team isn’t perfect; we have a long way to go in our training and team development, but today six students took three hours out of their Christmas break to continue preparations for a major outreach Super Bowl party that they are planning.  They could have done anything today, they are on Christmas break, but they chose to use their time for ministry, God is good!

I have just finished counting the offering, we are thousands short of our weekly need, and this has been a regular occurrence this year.  The difference is that now I no longer worry about it.  The reason is that during this time we have always had just the amount of money needed to pay each and every bill when due without fail.  This I have come to trust and count on, God does provide.  I have learned that I cannot analyze or trend God’s gifts.  In other words I have found little correlation with the number in attendance and the offering; we have received the most with the fewest in attendance, and received the least with the most in attendance. The only thing I can now predict is that when we have an obligation God provides us with just the amount of money we need to pay it.

A song we teach to kids says “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

The Bible also tells us not to worry and that God will provide, see Matthew 6:25 – 34.  There are many things I believe because the Bible tells me so, but have not seen.  I am thankful and blessed that I get to see God’s hand at work with our finances.

A prayer I included on the financial summary report last year as the LCC financial prayer is from Proverbs 30:8-9 and says, “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’  “Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

God has certainly answered this prayer for us this year.  He has given us neither poverty nor riches but has given us only our daily bread.  Thank you Father. 

-Bill Banghart