This is an exciting journey of faith that the Grace Point community is on. As we commit to time in prayer and respond to the Holy Spirit's promptings in obedience, we are going to experience God move. He will show Himself in ways we do not expect. This is a place to record our journeys as a Faith Story. Here we can be encouraged and rejoice in God's work in each other's lives.
Do you have a faith story? Click here to share!
Thank You Gift
A member of this church has made a significant contribution to my life in terms of time and advice. This past year I encountered significant legal expenses, and this person stepped in with advice that enabled me to keep the process moving forward without attorneys, but with sound counsel. The counsel was right on and the process moved forward successfully. So, rather than this money going to attorneys and knowing this person would not accept any payment; it is on my heart to Pay It Forward with a gift of $2,500. And thanks, to this person, I, too, am moving forward.
Anonymous
Car Savings
The Lord put on our hearts to give to Pay it Forward in a neat way. Our second car died a sudden death back in June. So we decided to try and 'make do' with one car for the next six months. Granted, we have two very active teens who have pep squad, dance and band practices almost daily. We made the six months and saved almost $1,000 (in gas, insurance, maintenance) and are delighted to report to give this to Pay it Forward. We look forward to donating our time and effort to the Youth Ministry in 2009.
Michael and Yolanda DeSalles
Provision Through Loaves
In September, my eight year old decided she would bake five loaves of bread every week for 50 weeks and charge $5 in order to raise money for the Student Center. If she was faithful, she'd be able to give $1250.00 to the building. This week, she received a check in the mail for $1250.00 and the contributor said they only wanted one loaf. Instantly my little entrepreneur went to doing the math, and realized as she put it: "It's a miracle--God multiplied the loaves and I'll be able to give $2500.00 to the Student Center." We were all amazed as we watched God provide in a miraculous way.
Pastor Jeff
Exceeded Expectations
We both received raises recently at our jobs, but the increased income is dependent on productivity--the better the businesses do, the more we make. We did not want to put a definite dollar amount on our giving to the youth center, we wanted to trust God to do the work and we could marvel at his provision. We decided to live the next year budgeted from our old salaries, and anything extra we made would go to Pay it Forward. In the first month of our decision, God has already proven Himself. Traditionally, September revenue has been slim for Scott's business--usually, he would have taken home very small paychecks if anything. However, this year he was the only one to take home money, and God abundantly blessed him with an extra $4,000 over his old salary! If this is what God can do with just one month, what a rejoicing time this will be!
Scott and Amy Thomas
Coffee Reflections
So the other day at the coffee shop this lady I was with bought my latte without me even knowing it. I said "thank you" and then randomly, half jokingly, paid for the guy standing behind me. I overheard the cashier tell the man that his order had already been paid for so he generously paid for the guy behind him. Well it seems that kindness really is contagious because for the next 30 minutes no one purchased their own cup of java. It was really cool watching the smiles on people’s faces while they experienced the simplicity of changing their world by “paying it forward.”
Through this I'm reminded that God will use everything to better his kingdom. We are just called to give it back. He blesses us in order that we can carry on those blessings to others. If we are the church then we must be the change. He doesn't give it to us to keep. He gives it to us to enjoy and there is no greater joy than knowing that I am living in Him and Him in me. So for the next year instead of buying a $4.00 cup of coffee I'll pay for a few bricks in the new youth building.
Anonymous
Run for Him!
I listened several Sundays ago to Pastor Harris preach about how we all could “Pay it Forward” and could not help but wonder what it was that I had done in my life to sacrifice for God. Sadly, I could come only up with spending no more than a few hours on the occasional Sunday in church. I believe that God has given me a calling and set before me not only a task, but a test of faith, to finally sacrifice for him and to “Pay It Forward.”
I was out running the day after hearing the sermon on paying it forward when another runner came alongside me and simply asked, “What are you training for?” I thought for a moment and simply replied, “Nothing!” He looked at me and then asked how far I was running. I told him ten miles. He looked puzzled and stated said that it was a long way to run for nothing! It was at that moment that I started thinking--why not do this for a purpose and run for God? I immediately started rationalizing things and thought, what a crazy idea! On the way home that evening a red car stopped in front of me causing me to hit my brakes. I happened to look at the personalized plate and it read, RN4HM. This translates as “run for him.” It was with this that I knew what I needed to do.
My goal is to run every day, pledging 1 dollar per mile that I run to go to a cause in the name of God. I would like to also get others to sponsor me by donating some amount whether it is 10 cents or 1 dollar per mile that I run. Absolutely NO profit will go to personal use. Starting this month, I will be attempting to raise money for the Student Center for the next year or until completion. My goal is to run 2000 miles in the next year. I will be setting up a website named www.run4him.com where daily and monthly mileage can be tracked as well as place and times that I will be running so that anyone who wants to join me can do so.
Dustin Kiker