On March 1, we announced the incredible news that we are debt free, in less than four years of when this NEXT journey began, in less than 3 years of us even meeting in our current location!

With such great news, here are three temptations we face.

First of all.  We make this about us.  In essence, we pat ourselves on the back.  When in reality, it has never been, nor should it ever be about us.  This is not a man-made thing that has happened.  This is a God thing.

Psalm 115:1:  Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

So this doesn’t lead us to worship us, but worship God.  Because He has moved in and through His people and in ways that we never anticipated.  So He gets the glory, the praise, the credit.

The second temptation we face is that we remain indifferent to this great news.  In essence, we say, ‘eh’ and don’t recognize the miracle that this is.  The incredible provision from God that this is.  All the stats said this type of thing was impossible.  But God…

And so our response again is worship.  To come before the Lord with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving.

And the final temptation we face that I want to mention is that down the road, we forget this demonstration of His faithfulness.  In the Old Testament, especially in the book of Deuteronomy, we see God giving this continual encouragement to the Israelites to not forget.  Because He knows the tendency is that we forget quickly.  We say in essence, what have you done for me lately.  God knows that as the Israelites step into the Promised Land, they will be prone to forget the very God who brought them there.

So in Deuteronomy 8-9, you hear him saying these types of things…

• Remember the Lord who led you
• Remember the Lord who met your needs and fed you
• Remember God’s Word and how we feed on it as believers
• Remember who gave you this incredible land
• Remember to walk in humility and not puff up with pride on what ‘you’ve’ accomplished
• Remember God who is our great provider
• Remember the God who defeats your enemies
• Remember that you don’t deserve anything because of your own righteousness.  It is only because of God’s goodness and grace.
• Remember to humble yourselves and not be stiff-necked.
• Remember that ultimately this is for God’s glory and fame, not your own.  This is about lifting up His name, not your own.

I pray this season is a reminder for you personally of His faithfulness.  And I also pray that when we as a church, venture into another season of expansion and growth, that we not forget what God did the first time.  That where our flesh is tempted to doubt, we would  remember our God and how He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

1 Chronicles 29:10b-13:  “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. ¹¹ Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.  Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.  ¹² Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.  In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  ¹³ Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

Dave