For the past five weeks we’ve been teaching (@MapleGrove) a series called Miracles. This week we used the illustration of Jesus’ first recorded miracle in the Bible – when Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding.

You can listen to the message here. (Week 5 – Water to Wine)

So the basic point of the message is this; if you want a miracle from God you have to do what God tells you to do.

• (Jesus) mother said to the servants, “Do whatever (Jesus) tells you.” John 2: 5

• …faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17

• Because Jesus and the servants obeyed, a miracle happened.

• …I will show you my faith by what I do. James 2:18

And of course, with all the doom and gloom about the economy right now, Pastor Gary can’t help but using the example of finances to illustrate the point. Do you want a miracle with your finances? Are you obeying God? Don’t tithe? If you want your finances to get better, tithe. Try it. The bible says “test me”.

And here’s where it get’s interesting… he’s heard about a church where they offer a money back guarantee. Sounds a little risky, doesn’t it?

Then, after thinking out loud “do I want to do that?” … he says “I have that faith” … “For the rest of the year, if you tithe, and God doesn’t bless you, I will personally give you your money back.” Not from the church, but from his own pocket!

I’ve heard of other churches that have done this, it’s not all that new, but I have yet to find one where the pastor has done it personally. Now that’s personal faith.

If you would like to give to MapleGrove Church, you can start the process here.

Financial mentor Dave Ramsey is currently teaching a 3-week series at LifeChurch.tv for churches across the world to use. It’s called Life. Money. Hope.

Dave did an interview about the series (you can watch it below),  here are a few bullet points;

about money…

• When the economy changes, the rules don’t.
• Have an emergency fund.
• Don’t get into debt.
• Live on a budget.
• Diversify.
• Think long term.
• Fear is not a fruit of the spirit.

about leadership…

• Surround yourself with people that share your value system.
• Get good at delegating.
• Know you can trust the people you work with.
• Invest in people (don’t just hire talent)
• Remember your history (what worked, what didn’t).
• Be in unity with others in your organization.

Yesterday this guy said something to me that got me thinking.

“That will never happen” …

We were talking about some of those “what if” kinds of things. Dreaming big.

All these church “experts” are saying “watch out” right now because of the economy, money is tight, some churches are laying people off, others are cutting programs.

But … I choose to believe.

You’re in a jet, flying low over New York City. Both engines have failed. Any idiot can see that everyone on the plane is going to die. The pilot can fly into a building and kill everyone on the plane or he can try to line up on a street and kill the unsuspecting motorists instead. These are his only two options.

Well, I’m on that jet too, and I say this pilot is going to land on the Hudson River and the plane is going to float and everyone will get out safely and then we’re all going to hop onto some big passenger ferries that will be exactly where we need them to be.

Don’t laugh. It could happen.

A history book of ancient Israel tells of a starving city surrounded by an enemy army. “Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’-the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

That story ends happily. Not just for the lepers, but for everyone in the city. Well, not quite everyone. There was one man who insisted that God himself couldn’t save the city. Interestingly, everyone made it safely onto the ferryboats except for that guy. He was the guy screaming hysterically ‘We’re all going to die!’ while the pilot was trying to land the plane on the Hudson.

It’s really an interesting story. You ought to read it.