Walk by Faith

For we walk by faith, not by sight. - 2 Corinthians 5:7  
 
He calls us to trust him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through. - Francis Chan 

 The Christian experience, from start to finish, is a journey of faith. - Watchman Nee 
 

I try to not live with regrets; they’re not productive.  
 
However, if there was one thing I could do over, if there is one thing I regret, it was a time when I lived by sight and not by faith, and I have always wanted a chance to do it all over again.  
 
It was year 3 at Bridges. Our initial support was running out, and we were about to face a shortfall of about $7,000/month or at least that was how I saw it. We as leaders prayed. I prayed. But if I am transparent, I really didn’t expect God to work. It seemed so obvious that it was an obstacle too big. The end had already been written. Something had to be done. I trusted my own opinion over my faith in God.  
 
So, we decided to cut our expenses. We moved out of our offices. We cut here and there, but the main thing we did was cut back on our staff. Our worship leader went from fulltime to part time. Stacey, who was leading the Children’s Ministry, went from ½ time to very part time. I took a pay cut. It was a very hard time.  
 
Mario, our worship leader, eventually left. He couldn’t afford to live off what we were paying him. He had just bought a house. He was and is a good man, a great pastor, and a wonderful brother in Christ. One day, we helped him and his family load up their moving truck. It was my birthday. I will never forget it.  
 
We struggled as a church. I have struggled with that time ever since.  
 
Years later, I met with Mario and as we shared lunch together, I confessed to him my lack of faith during that time, and I’ll admit that there were some tears – tears of frustration over a decision I made based on what I thought I saw in the future and not on trusting God.  
 
God has since made good out of it all. Mario and his family are in San Antonio, near where he grew up, and doing a great job at a great church. A few years ago, we got to visit with them, family with family, and it was wonderful. God is good.  
 
And now, we are about to enter into another journey of faith. It is not the same, but it is similar.  
 
At our annual meeting a few weeks ago, we shared that for the upcoming fiscal year, rather than run another capital campaign, we are moving our mortgage payment into our regular budget. We have also taken out an interest free loan to replace our HVAC system for our Worship Center. And we are increasing our giving to missions and outreach so that we are tithing (10%) of our total income instead of just offerings.  
 
Our monthly needs are going up about $7,000. I don’t think that is a coincidence.  
 
So often, our journeys of faith involve money. Is that true for you? 
 
Do you find yourself stressing over money? Do you wonder how you will make it through? Do you wonder if God will come through? 
 
Do you look at your bills and think by sight rather than by faith?  
 
I think it is true of most people. Will we trust in our riches or trust God? 
 
This year we are stepping out in faith as we are calling for a special offering in the month of April, above and beyond what we typically give. We have set a goal of $72,000 for the month - $50,000 above our monthly need to help tackle the issues we face. That’s a big number. Part of me wants to operate by sight, but my heart says to move forward by faith.  
 
We are not alone on this journey; we are walking by faith together. This time we are praying and fasting. This time we are sharing this with you as the church, rather than just having the leaders face this on their own. This time we are walking more by faith and not by sight, looking to God because He has a plan. 
 
Ultimately, this is about trusting God. He is the source of all good things. The church belongs to Jesus. We are simply stewards.  
 
So, we are about to head out on a faith journey for the next year, not just in finances but in moving forward in every area as we come out of Covid. I trust Him, and I am grateful for this chance to do it over again.  
 
At the end of all of this we will have another story to tell, another testimony to the grace of God. We step out knowing that His love won’t give up on us. He is the God of second chances.  
 
We choose to live without regrets, walking by faith and not by sight. That is what following Jesus is all about