Wow. Wow. Good morning everybody. Good morning church. Good morning church. Good morning church.

How are we today? Don’t we love our sound technicians? And so thankful for them. I just need to breathe out some real appreciation for them right now. They’re late on getting my mic on. So what do I do? I bless them right now. I say thank you very much for all that you do in the way that you serve in whatever area you’re serving.

We had a team a team appreciation night on Thursday and uh as you’ve already heard here in the service that you know that there’s so much room for so many more to come along be part of team church and there is such a joy when you actually get connected and start serving in the house of God. You’ll be the one who will regret waiting so long to actually get on the team when you get on the team. Am I helping anybody like want to want to join like come along?

I also want to uh just say a great big congratulations to all of you who have are finishing up our leadership development program 10 weeks leadership development program. Congratulations to you and to all of those who are completing the rooted the rooted Bible study. Congratulations to you. Let’s give these guys a great big hand. People pressing in, people moving forward.

Thank you to the young people today and uh the the the families today who have testimonies like the ones that we’ve seen and are sharing because we’re so excited about legacy offering. Legacy offering is our it’s our once a year opportunity for everyone in our church to bring an offering at the same time and to sew our best seed into the life of our church. We love to give. I said we love to give.

Our church comes alive in this season and people start talking about giving, praying, sharing, encouraging one another, believing God for things in our own life. So, it’s just an exciting season for the church and the kingdom of God.

And when we look back as a church, we see God’s faithfulness in the past 39 years of receiving a legacy offering. 39 years of every year, bringing our best. The first legacy offering was $7,000. The biggest legacy offering is $2 million. Come on, give yourself a hand.

God has been faithful. God has been good. God was faithful then. He is faithful now. And when we’re obedient and we just surrender oursel to the will of God individually and corporately, God continues to do great things in our life.

So, are you excited about legacy offering 2025? Come on, Yakama. Come on, Belleview. Come on. Come on. Come on, Dupant. Come on, Tacoma.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Everybody say, “My heart’s open.” My heart’s open. My mind’s ready. My mind’s ready. Make me better, God. Make me better. By your word. By your word. I receive it. I believe it. I won’t be the same again. In Jesus name. In Jesus name.

Tell your neighbor, I’m glad you’re here today.

Okay. My topic, my message topic today is top it off. Top it off. Say it with me. Top it off.

Luke 6:38 reads like this. Give and it will be given to you. A good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

A few years ago, an ice cream shop in the Midwest went viral. Not because they had the best flavors or necessarily the best ice cream, but because of the way they scooped. Whatever serving size you asked for, they always pressed it down and pushed it together. And then they added just a little more on top. People started calling it the overflow scoop. And customers lined up around the block for ice cream. But not just for ice cream. They lined up to experience the overflow scoop.

And here’s the best part is that when reporters asked the owner why, he said this. He said, “My dad always told me, son, the way you measure out to others is the way life will measure back to you.”

When I read that story, I I said, “There’s no way that he got that anywhere else.” I’m talking about his dad got that verbiage anywhere else but from Jesus.

The owner’s dad had learned that from Jesus who said the measure that you use it will be measured to you.

In biblical times, when they would go to the market for grain or flour or sugar or corn or wheat, the honest merchant would pour the grain into the bag and then would grab the bag and would shake it. You know, it just grab hold of the top of the bag and would shake the bag, which would then cause the grain to go down into the bag, filling every crevice and every fold in the bag, tightly pack it, and then the merchant would take another portion and fill it to the top with extra pouring off the side.

So people would say literally in Bible times, people would at the market literally say to the merchant, “Give me a good measure. Give me a good measure.” In other words, top it off for me today. Put an extra amount on top. Be generous with me, right? Top it off.

So, I I don’t know if you like Starbucks or where you like to go, but top it off. G give me Don’t leave space in the cup. Do you ever get any of those coffees? You open the lid and you’re like, “Where’s the other half? What happened here?” It’s the same idea that the customer would say, “Hey, I’m here giving you business. Take care of me today.” Top it off.

Everybody say that with me. Top it off. Say it again. Top it off.

See, God gives in good measure.

When Jesus taught about good measure pressed out, this is what he was referring to. They knew exactly the phraseology that he was using. It was part of their everyday life that was referring to this bigness, this unselfishness, this generosity.

And not only that, but Jesus was representing heaven. And he was calling his disciples and his followers to be like God because God gives in good measure.

How many of you have received more than you deserve from from God? Oh, come on. How many of you you know in your heart it’s been better than you deserve.

Scripture says, “For God so loved the world, he gave his only son.” Now that’s good measure. He didn’t give one of five, one of 10. He gave his only. Somebody shout, “Good measure.”

First John chapter 3 says, “For what great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God.” That word lavish means to give generously and in abundance.

God is a God who gives in good measure.

He wants us to know him. There there’s seven basic Hebrew names and titles and reference points for God. And one of them is El Shai. And what it means is the God of more than enough. Right? Not barely enough, not just enough. He introduces himself to humanity as the God of more than enough.

People who don’t understand this, they pray barely get by prayers. They don’t feel like they should ask God for anything except bare minimal survival. But he is not Elsteni. He is El Shadai. He is the God. Come on. The God of more.

Somebody shout more than enough.

Jesus said this. He said, “If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more? How much more? How he’s wanting us to know him like this. He’s the God of more than enough. How much more if you know how to treat your children well then times 10 times 50. How much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?”

Very good.

So those who heard Jesus teach good measure knew that he was referring to giving an above and beyond generous portion. This top it off kind of generous lifestyle was not something that Jesus just mentioned. It was something that Jesus drove deep into the culture of the early church. Do you hear me today?

If you you you would feel like really ashamed and bad. I’m being honest with you. If you go too far in trying to compare the mindset, the attitude, the sacrifice of early Christians compared to us today, right? I don’t ever like I don’t I I go there sometimes to remind you but any all of us would have hard time coping with the comparison because we’re nowhere near.

And and I think actually God is trying to move us from where we are in our mindset about giving of oursel, giving our time, giving giving our talent, seeking first the kingdom of God. I think God is really trying to move us in a season where if you’ll look around you, there’s some stuff going on in the nation and the world right now. That this is not a time to hold back.

This is not a time like to think of yourself in a st if you’re a believer. This is time to step up. This is time to give give your best.

Others are giving their best with evil ideologies and with evil dark religions and and this is not a time for God’s church to shrink back individually or corporately and to see how little we can get by with.

Jesus didn’t say what to give. He said how to give. He was teaching that the amounts will vary, but God’s way is to give in good measure.

In good measure. Say it with me. Good measure.

And he was also saying that God responds to our measure. When we hold back, life holds back. When we pour out, heaven pours out.

Somebody say, “Top it off.” Top it off. Say it again. Top it off. Top it off.

I want to give you a quick glance at what legacy offering has meant to our church.

On the screen right now, you’ll you’ll see a list of just different things that we’ve done. This was like it didn’t take us long to compile this list. Just just just take a look because it’s pretty amazing.

Like all the children’s areas at Tacoma, 40,000 square feet. You know, you know how how we got it and how we pay for it. Legacy offering.

Bel Belleview location construction launch. You know how we paid for it? Legacy offering. people topping it off.

Theater seating, new dome replaced a few times. There’s been there’s been years where you walk through Tacoma and you find you see buckets in the lobby or something. That’s cuz the roof is leaking. You know how doesn’t leak is when we put the whole new roof on. You How many of you know that cost a lot of money?

So media equipment, the screens you’re watching us on, the seats you’re sitting in today, I’m not exaggerating any of this, is is this is made possible by the generosity over the years of our church and the allocation of resources to the house of God. That’s right.

so that we can keep going and keep building and not just stay open or barely get by, but offer some of the best spaces and places in the whole state of Washington for people to come bring their families, bring their children to worship God.

shuttle buses, building remodels, parking lot paving, launch Dupont location, on and on. And then outside of the house, Philippines mission support bought vans for the LA Philippine startup this year, just a few months ago. Bought them a ban. They needed a van. We bought it. Bulgaria, South Africa, Dream Centers, Human Trafficking Prevention, Tacoma Rescue Mission, We Support Causes, Team Church, which is our it’s a national actually international organization of networking with churches that we lead and we sponsor.

And for a few years, we helped and funded it and resourced it out of our legacy offering to get it started. Now, we still do our part, but now churches all over the the the world actually give to this and help us help us to make it possible for us to build God’s great church and minister into the lives of those who are in ministry.

So, we’re now like we’ve upgraded. We just did a $2 million project at our locations a few years ago, two or three to all of our children’s areas again and one big nights that we have for youth. Like it’s none of that is possible.

We ministered this year. We actually serve basically 2,000 2,000 children and 1,200 young people. unique. By the way, these are not repeats. These are unique young people, children that Champion Center served in the last 10 months. Come on, give God a great big hand.

And now we’re building a new Yakama location in West Valley. Praise God. We’re going to open up a brand new church. And we are building. We’re moving forward. We’re taking territory.

So going back to the text, the measure you give determines the measure you receive.

Okay, let let me talk a minute about that and give you some scripture. It says, for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Again, that’s Luke 6:38.

But Paul echoed this, the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9 and 6. And he said, whoever sws sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully.

It’s called the law of seowing and reaping. Listen to me everybody. It’s not gimmicky. Do not let the critics of the world continue to damage your interpretation or interpret for you as a Christian the principle of giving.

They don’t know what they’re talking about. When they use phrases they I’m talking about outside. Well, the church just wants money. The church, they don’t say that about McDonald’s hamburgers.

We offer a service, a holy service. You get stuff here and people get stuffs here you do not get anywhere else. You don’t get it anywhere else.

People get baptized here. Children are taught the word of God here. Young people are led. They get support here. Their lives are changed here. We sponsor camps and conferences and convention. This is like the most important cause and purpose on the earth.

It’s not gimmicky. It’s not gimmicky. Tithing and offering is a biblical principle taught in the word of God as the way in which we support God’s work in the earth.

God created the world. The good God that says give also created the world to operate according to the laws of sewing and reaping. Not just the kind of seed.

So if you take and you sew a seed for corn, you get what? That’s the kind of seed, but also the measure of seed.

If you sew corn in a field the size of the stage I’m standing on, that’s where that’s how much corn you get. Yeah. But if you sew corn as big as the parking lot here at the Tacoma camp, that’s how much it’s measure.

And so it’s not just you get back in kind, but it’s also you get back in same measure.

Everybody say good measure. Good measure. Say it again. Good measure.

We get back in measure. Now, does that mean that you’re supposed to go empty your bank account today, throw it all into the church? No. Doesn’t mean that. Why? Because scripture doesn’t teach that. Scripture teaches giving in good measure. Scripture teaches giving tithe and offering. Not just tithe, but tithe and offering.

Somebody shout, “Good measure.” Good measure. Somebody say, “Top it off.”

I hope you don’t feel condemnation today. But I hope that if you are not giving to God, you will feel conviction because God has been so good to you. And everybody can give something. Everybody can give something.

So let’s go back, read it again. Give and it’ll be given unto you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. It’s not saying give that way. It’s saying this is the way it’ll be given to you.

And then I added, I think this is what’s on your screen, the King James version, because I just kind of like it for this reason. It says, “Shall men give into your bosom?”

There’s two kinds of ways that we get a return on our giving when we give to kingdom cause.

And that is we get a spiritual return. I like to call that what money can’t buy. Right? Your children learn about God and choose God. You can’t buy that. That’s great.

Your family, the members of your family you’re believing God for. Angels go and minister to your family. You get protection from an accident. It wasn’t your time to go, but the enemy tried to take you out. You get deliverance from a habit that is killing you.

And we got a lot of that. I look around our church family and I think if it were not for God, if it were not for God, I know that you there are so many of you that would not be and you know this, you would not be where you are in life if it were not for God.

Come on. Money cannot buy that. I said money cannot buy that.

But God has honored the heart of a person who has come to him seeking first the kingdom of God, doing their best. And God says, I’m going to give back to you in good measure.

I’m going to hear that prayer. I’m going to answer that prayer. I’m going to bless you. I’m going to open up doors for you. I’m going to give you favor that you would not have otherwise had.

So that’s the spiritual return of good measure.

But there’s also the natural in that that verse I read to you, the King James version says, “Shall men give.” Sometimes you’re thinking that the blessing of God will show up in your mailbox, you know, or you’ll get a cash card at your email from heaven.

I mean, I’m just trying to be honest. Like, we’re like God gives something. Like, we don’t often times realize God uses people.

Oh, wow. I’m preaching as good as I can today.

He says, “Shall men give to you?” That’s why every time something good happens to you and it seems like just a boss at work or person who had a good word for you, you can thank them. But will you also thank him? Because every good and perfect gift comes from the father above.

I’ve been so shocked sometimes that the favor I’ve had from people who didn’t like me and then like man something happened. Well, it it was God. They had a change of heart. It was God.

people who were complete strangers. Let’s believe in God for time when our church was really going through a challenging time. And out of nowhere, some of you heard the story. In fact, Lindsay’s in the front row. I wasn’t planning on telling the story until I saw her a minute ago. And she was working in our offices at that point.

And it was very tight financially in our church. It was one of those seasons years ago was really difficult, really, really tight, challenging praying, asking God, and all of a sudden the check showed up. She checked it out. It was it was real. And I got a note about the amount. And I said, “Who’s it from?” Well, the names on the check is this.

Well, I want to thank them. That’s more than we actually ever get from anybody.

Well, then it wasn’t just one check. It was another check and then it was another check. And I’m like, please tell me who is sending these checks.

They said they saw you. They’ve watched you from a distance. They’ve watched you on television. It was, I believe, around $200,000. It came from one place. And then, you know what? it was gone. I’m like, please don’t stop.

But I look back at that and I think there’s no way God did. And God used man. God used man.

Okay, quick story. There’s a couple sitting here in Tacoma today. Their their name is Harold and Linda Kors. And he wrote me a letter, and I want to share it with you. I want to just read it to you. You can see a picture of them on the screen.

It goes like this. In September 2021, my wife, Linda, a 13-year career agent for a major company selling health insurance for Medicare recipients with over 900 clients, a six-f figureure income, faced a company mandate that was to be adhered to, or if you weren’t adhering to it, you would be terminated.

And this particular date was significant because it was also the start of a 7-week enrollment period critical to all agents.

So we both chose, he says here, to not comply with the mandates for multiple reasons. And we asked for religious medical exemptions. We were denied twice.

I was nearing semi-retirement. My wife’s income was crucial to our financial state plan. But we felt like God was calling us to stand firm in our beliefs and trust him.

So after prayer consideration, we explored going independent with her business. And although it was scary, we decided that we would follow God’s lead, even if it meant losing her salary, her clients, and starting from scratch with our own company.

During the legacy offering that same year, 2021, we prayed for God blessing. We committed this situation to God.

We felt at the time we were to give what was at that point a really generous offering.

And because of the way the dates, the transition and so forth, my wife didn’t have seven weeks. He only had five weeks, but she still achieved the highest sales in the Northwest region for an independent agent in just five weeks.

Okay, not over.

2022 rolls around and again we sought God’s direction and we increase our giving grateful for his blessings. I also prayed and asked for a restore relationship with a granddaughter and that prayer was answered.

He said this. He said, “Many may misunderstand legacy offering as a church fundraiser, but for us it’s an opportunity and test of trusting God’s promises.”

Last year, after only three years of running our own agency, we surpassed the income that Linda had been making after 13 years of working for another company.

So, when God says, “If you honor me, I’ll honor and bless you.” He really means it.

And it’s with so much joy that we were able to give last year the biggest single offering and legacy offering that we have ever been able to give.

Thank you guys for sharing your story. Come on, let’s thank the Lord right now. Come on guys, let’s thank the Lord right now.

Somebody shout, “Top it off.”

Stand to your feet if you would shout, “Top it off.” Say it again. Top it off.

So, let me just talk to you church family. The next time we see all of you together, it will be next week, Legacy Week.

And here’s what I want to say to you. If you’ve never been here on this Sunday, you don’t want to miss it. Like, it’s it’s really really special. It’s an incredible day.

It’s not a pressure day. There’s no hard press. There’s no hard sale. There’s no like nothing. There’s no condemnation. It’s a joyful opportunity.

The Bible Jesus said or the word uh the scripture says that God loves a cheerful giver.

So next week if you got something else going, cancel it. You don’t want to miss. Like this is a big deal.

And I want to remind you that in legacy season, everyone can give something. If that sounds condemning, then you are too tender and you you need to you need to let your hide get a little thicker cuz I’m I’m just saying to you the truth. Everybody can get.

And what am I wanting? I’m wanting you to give with expectation. I’m wanting you to top it off. I’m wanting you with good measure to be generous toward God’s house. And watch what God will do.

Amen.

God takes what’s in our hand, our measure, and then he turns it into good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Amen.

I brought up here with me. We have these available. Most of you already have them, but these are our legacy offering brochures. Talks all about it.

And the last page is our what do you believe in God for?

And I’m going to just pray. We’re going to pray here. Everyone stay where you are, please, for a moment of faith, an opportunity right now.

But we always go into this by writing prayer requests down in the lobby, putting them on a house. This is something you can even just do privately if you’re you prefer to do that. We like to write it down and we’re reminding ourselves of God’s faithfulness.

So, we pray for needs in our families. We pray for health and we pray for healing.

In fact, right now, how about you just like close your eyes and let’s make this the prayer.

We pray for financial needs to be met and blessings to come. We pray for the favor of God and the favor of men.

We pray for our children, for God’s protection upon them. We pray for God to open up doors not only for us but for them. Connect them with the right friends, the right teachers, put the right people in their path.

We pray a hedge of protection around our families and around our marriage and for all the marriages that are in a troubled and difficult place right now.

For example, we pray that God will intervene and that love and strength and faith would be involved and rather than a separation that there would be a reunion we pray and a reuniting of husbands and wives and that the fire would burn greater than ever.

We pray for the future of our church for buildings that we’re building. Pray for people to come and lives to be changed. That the year 2020 six, the kingdom of God would not be denied as we march forward in the mighty name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus.

Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given. Seek and you’ll find.” Jesus said, “Have faith in God.” Jesus said, “All things are possible when you believe.”

So today we stand on the word of God and we proclaim on earth as in heaven in Jesus name.

And everybody shout a great big Amen. Amen.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Hey, every head bowed, eye closed. somebody in this house and all the other places today who’s at a place and a point in your life where you said, “I need Jesus.

Your heart’s been talking to you even the last few minutes and God’s been he brought you here actually. He brought you here for a moment like this and you’re ready to just say yes to him. I want God’s way, not my way. I want God’s will, not my will.

Will you just put your hand up in the air right now? I want to pray.” Good. Hands are going up. I want to pray a prayer of new beginning. Good. Fantastic. Wow. Wow. Hands all over the room here and I’m believe in other other locations as well.

Just hold your hand up high and say this out loud. Say, “Lord Jesus, welcome to my world. Forgive me of all my sin. Come into my heart, into my life, and make me a new person. I receive you now as the leader, as the Lord. of my life and I’ll never be the same again in Jesus name.”

I want to give a great big welcome to all of you to the family of God. God bless you. Come on church, celebrate.