Okay, there’s some final prep for this day of giving that I want to provide for you. Just encouraging you to meet the moment with an open heart to God and an open hand to God. So, we’re going to read while you remain standing. We’re going to read uh the verse of scripture found in Luke 6:38. These are words of Jesus himself. And how about we do this? How about re we read it together? I’ll go slow and we’ll just read it together on the screen. Are you ready? Set. 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, it will be measured to you. Last line one more time. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Today, I want to continue talking on the topic of top it off. Top it off. So, on your way down to your seat, tell your neighbor, top it off. Top it off. Top it off. And you may be seated.

In biblical times, they when they would go to the market for grain and flour, sugar, corn, wheat, the honest merchant would pour the grain into the bag and then would grab the bag and would shake it, which would cause the grain to go down in the bag, filling every crevice, every fold, tightly packing it. And and then the merchant would come back and put some more in. He would he would fill it to the top with extra just pouring off. Kind of like that little sundae that you’re looking at, that ice cream sundae you’re looking at on the screen. Just kind of pouring off the sides. So people in the days of Jesus, they would they would say at the market, give me good measure. Get give me good measure. In other words, top it off for me. Put an extra amount on top. Be generous with me. Top it off. Somebody say it again. Top it off. One more time. Top it off. You see, giving a good measure is not just about money. It’s about mindset. Amen.

Rather than think of doing the bare minimum, think of giving more. And in Jesus teaching in fact taught in various ways this principle. He would say if your employer asks you to go a mile, go two miles.

More is a mindset. I said more is a mindset. See, there’s a mindset that just wants to give as little, do as little, barely get by, and if you in any way ask for more, it’s like, I don’t have to do that. I don’t need to do that.

So more is a mindset and when it comes to giving the mindset of more doesn’t think how much can I keep. I don’t know how you’ve prepared for this offering but I know the last few weeks I have been I have been asking myself how much can I give not how much can I keep how much can I give. like how generous can I be towards God who has been so generous towards me?

How can I top it off? Our legacy offering is used to resource our vision in three specific lanes of impact. For those of you that are not familiar with with this, there’s there’s three lanes of impact. The first one is expansion. It keeps our buildings and facilities in pace with our vision, our church growth. The second one is outreach. This is faith initiatives, education initiatives, crisis response initiatives, and then next gen or next generation because our vision is to have a top tier student ministry, K through 12 camps, conferences, one big nights. for fighting for our children. Bible study materials, curriculum, assimilated students, assimilating students into the life of our church.

A child’s world view is established by the age of 13. It’s largely established by the age of 13. Knowing that we’re just we’re just not leaving things up to chance. We’re going in hard. We’re going in strong. We’re going in young. And in the last year, we just ran some statistics. In the last year, we’ve served 2,000 kids and 1,200 youth. These are unique numbers. These are not repeaters. 2,000 kids, 1,200 youth because of of legacy offering. We could not do this without the giving that goes on and the generous over-the-top giving that goes on in our church.

You know, school has our kids five days a week. We have them one. So, we say we we get our strategy together and we say, “Come on, parents. Let’s become vigilant. Let’s become partners with the church. Let’s move in strong with our children. Let’s raise up a child in the way they should go. Cuz when we do, the Bible says that when they’re old, they won’t depart from it.” Like, we are not giving up ground. We are we are facing the future with faith, optimism, come on, hard work.

And we know that in this hour we’re living in, our children need us to stand up for them. They need us to help them. They need us to protect them. They need us to teach them, to equip them. I was in a store not long ago with my youngest grandson, Cody, and walked in and I I just kind of caught uh uh something in the in a man that was in the store and and in few moments like within I I was I was in between that person and my grandson who was he was trying to talk to to my grandson and and there was something not right about him. I could say more. You can read between the lines. Something not right about him. And I got in between that man and my grandson. It’s like not on your life. I’m not playing. I’m And you know, I just I when he was persistent, I just moved him on down the road. You say, “Were you rude?” Maybe a little bit, but I’m not playing when it comes to our children and to our kids.

Come on, church. Come on, church. Come on, men of God. Our main focus this year is in our offering is to build God a house in West Valley, Yakimal. [Music] And that building is going up right now because of the generous giving of our church. And we want to just we want to keep moving on. There is no greater return on investment than investing in a church building like this. No greater return.

See, when you invest in a church building, you’re investing into countless stories of salvation over many generations.

There’s now been almost five decades of church services here at our Tacoma location. There’s been tens of thousands, perhaps I’m sure hundreds of thousands of people who have been in services here in this building. And I’ve often thought if these walls could talk, what stories they would tell of people whose lives were changed here in this place. In this place, people find hope. In this place, people find freedom. Amen. Amen. In this place, people find faith. Lifelong friends, people get saved here. People learn the ways of God here. They learn to walk with God, trust God. They learn men learn to be better men of God. Women learn to be better women. [Applause] Come on, guys. Yeah. There. There you go. Thank God for his house. Amen.

We learn how to be better moms and dads in this house. Marriages are restored. families are built in this house. Things happen here that don’t happen anywhere else. You know, I like to say that. I just don’t want you to ever forget things that happen here that don’t happen at the grocery store. They don’t happen in the schools. That they don’t happen in the mall. Things happen here that don’t happen anywhere else. Lives get changed here. Destinies are formed here. Bondage gets broken here. New beginnings begin here.

And and I’m telling you this today because my point is that we’re not just building a building in Yakama. We’re building God a house. We’re building a legacy where people come on. God will be worshiped and lives will be changed for generations to come. Can we give the Lord a good hand for that? Can we just thank God?

Say it with me again. Say, “Top it off.” In Exodus 36, Moses received an offering for the building of the tabernacle. And the people were so inspired to give and had that and had a mindset that caused them to eagerly bring offerings in good measure. They brought and then others brought and then those who brought to legacy offering would go home and think, “I’m not done yet.” And then they would bring more. Not because they were wealthy, not because they were rich, but they were just so excited to build God a house. And the the Bible says Exodus 36 and 6, it says that they brought so much that the people were restrained from bringing more.

Imagine that. Somebody had to stand up in church and say, “You’ve exceeded our expectations. No more offerings. There will be no more offerings.” Imagine that. The leaders happen to say, “Sir, if you don’t stop giving, somebody’s going to have to restrain you. I’m going to get security on you.” There was such an enthusiasm for building the house of God.

See, good measure is not the amount that you give, but the amount you give in proportion to what you have. That’s what good measure is.

Jesus was at at the uh temple standing near the offering, the place where they brought their offerings. And the Bible says he looked up and he saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And then he saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mics. And he said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all.” More. There’s that word more. has put in more than all. For all of these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God. But she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had. And he was commending her. Why? Because good measure is not an amount, but it’s an amount in proportion to what you have. And he saw good measure happening in her life.

Does that make sense? Let me tell you something else about good measure. Giving in good measure makes room for blessings and miracles in our lives. That’s why we’re having prayers. That’s why we’re bringing our requests. There’s a story about in in scripture about Elijah who who was a prophet of God and and God told him he was hungry and God told him to to go and find the widow in Zerapath and find this person and and she would provide food for him.

But when Elijah found her, the woman didn’t even have enough food for her son and her to survive. But she had faith and she knew that giving to him was giving to God and to the work of God and she gave what she had to feed the prophet. And scripture says, listen to this. Scripture says that from that one act of faith, the Lord filled her jars of flour and oil and they were never empty again. They were never empty again.

Safeway gave her free food for the rest of her life.

She gave in good measure. Somebody shout, “Good measure.” Good measure. Come on, say it again. Good measure. Good measure. Somebody shout, “Top it off.” Top it off.

The Apostle Paul wrote this verse that’s just very much like the the Luke 6:38 about giving specifically about giving, by the way. And and here’s what he said. He said, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sws bountifully will reap bountifully.”

So, I want to just try to be really open and honest and let our church family know today that when people approach giving with a with a sparing attitude with, you know, well, I’m going to use this for I’m going to use this for, you know, my Christmas presents. I’m going to use this for this new thing I’m working. I’m going to and then they get to the bottom and okay, there’s a little leftover. I’m gonna give that to God. I just want to say to our church family, that’s not good measure. That That’s not good measure.

If we want bountiful return, we sow bountiful seed. Giving is seed that we put into the soil, believing God for a harvest in the future and sewing sewing with this mindset that says I’m going to give God my first and my best will create favor in heaven toward our lives. Stretching, topping it off, going the extra mile is the kind of giving that really moves heaven on our behalf.

This past Friday, a young lady got married in our church and her name is Misha. She’s a worship leader. Yeah, she’s a worship leader. Many of you know who she is. Well, the I asked them to pull up pictures because the last two years at Legacy, she brought an offering and she wrote on the wall both years asking God to bring the right man into her life.

She had I just want to tell you, she wasn’t just asking for a husband. She wasn’t just needy, greedy, can’t be by myself no more. She was petitioning heaven that he would bring her a man of God because she wanted the right man and she wanted a family. That was in her heart. Just like a story in the Old Testament, a woman named Hannah came to the priest in the in the Bible and and she she was really really hungry. Like the Bible says that as you know she was in the prayer line and being prayed for. It was almost like she was drunk because she was so so desperate with heaven like I want a I want a child. and she was barren and had been barren.

And a few years later, she brought a a lad back. She didn’t live near the the house of God. She lived a distance away. She brought him back to her priest whose name was Eli. And she told Eli the story. She said, “You may remember me. I was that woman who stood here and and I made my request and you prayed over me and and and and I went home and I conceived and this is my son.” And you know who that little boy grew up to be? He grew up to be Samuel the prophet. It all started, come on, with a bold request in heaven.

So my point is when we give, we make room for God to move. We make room for God to give back to us in good measure, shaken together and running over. That’s why we write down what we’re believing God for as we bring our offerings.

Now, the Bible says Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t be anxious about anything. Don’t let anxiety rule your life.” But in every situation, by prayer and petition. Petition literally means your your Bible might even say salutation, I think it is, or no, I can’t remember the other word used. I like petition, but petition both words mean the same thing. And petition simply means writing it down. Write it down. So, and petition with thanksgiving. Present your request to God.

I want to say this. Next Sunday, we’re going to have a thanksgiving prayer and praise service next weekend. And we’re going to have a special prayer time in our services. We’re going to anoint people with oil and with thanksgiving. We’re we’re going to make our requests known to God. When we give, we make room for God to move and for God to give back to us in good measure, shaken together and running over. And we’re just going to bombard heaven in this season we’re in right now. We’re just going to bombard heaven with boldness and courage and faith. Amen. Come on. You believe God’s in the miracle working business today? Come on. You believe God can do anything? Nothing’s too hard for God.

Matthew Henry said it like this. He said, “We are not enriched by keeping but by sowing. The hand that op is open to give is the hand that God fills.” Again, I hope I’m encouraging you today. I’m hoping I’m bringing you right into the moment that we’re in. This is my 39th year of pastoring. I think it’s our 39th legacy offering. And we are so grateful. Come on. We are so grateful for this good God we serve.

Okay, I have one more. I have one more. In Acts chapter 4, the Bible says that those who own fields or houses sold them and they brought the price of the sale to the apostles and they made an offering of it. They took something that they owned and they made an offering of it.

So, giving in good measure means that sometimes you’ll need to create an offering. They took something they had and they made an offering from it. Those who own fields, it says, or houses, sold them, and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it.

And this is what I’m so grateful is in our history as a church. Story after story of people who are giving in good measure. I just got a few to rattle off to you. There’s so many I can’t say them all. But one man gave over $50,000 of stock. Another another person gave a piece of land that was worth $250,000 and we sold it. And he gave he took what he had and he made an offering from it.

An 11year-old asked his parents if he could bring his savings of over $100. Made an offering. A 22 year old got sponsors and ran 38 miles. You get so many miles, you know, with your sponsor. I mean, so much money per mile. He ran 38 miles. And that that young man is still he’s a vital part of our church family right now. He is serving God, serving the house. His children are growing up in the house of God.

A group of men in our church got sponsors and climbed Mount Reineer one day. I’m talking about taking what you have and turning it into an offering. This is what this is what good measure looks like sometimes.

A man sold an antique car, got $8,000 for it, and he gave it in the offering.

Yeah. I often like to remind people that God never asks us to give what we don’t have, but he sometimes ask us to give something we would rather keep.

So here’s my here’s where I wanted to get with to you today. So I want to ask you to consider something not not by command but by suggestion completely between you and God. And here’s my question. How hard would it be for you to give more than you were planning to give?

Just a question. To press down, shake together. and top it off.

How hard would it be for you? I know some of you already went there. Maybe you’re not included in this question or maybe, you know, you’re one who it doesn’t apply to, but I I want to just ask the questions.

Do you have the ability to double your your offering today? Do you have the ability to add percentages? 20%, 10%, 5%. Do you have a piece of property that you could turn into an offering? Do you have some toys? You know what I mean? Big people’s toys that maybe you’re not even using right now. They’re in the garage somewhere. there. You have tools that you could turn into an offering. Do you have stock that you haven’t touched for anything else?

But today, is this the time? Is God talking? I hope God just talking to all of us right now. I hope we’re listening. Is this a time for us to for you to take and to turn what you have into more because that’s what got us where we are. This is the legacy of our church, the legacy we’ve inherited and received, and the legacy that we want to continue to move into the future.

If you measure small, you stay small. When you measure big, you make room for miracles.

So can we right now like just in this moment I know as I as I ask you these questions I know that some of you would would say I hadn’t thought about that. I hadn’t even considered it. And this is a moment for you to just ponder it. Maybe some of you it hit right there and you’re like yes that is me. That is me. I didn’t put a lot of front thought into my giving, but I can actually I I actually could like it wouldn’t be that hard for me to figure out how to give more. Amen.

Here’s what I want to do right now. I want to just start thanking God for what he’s doing. I want us to just have a spirit. We’re going to go into a time of celebration. I want us to thank God for prayers being answered, needs being supplied, and I want us just to open up our hearts to him and say, “God, talk to us. Speak to us.”

Father, I thank you in Jesus’ name that we have what we have. We are blessed to be a blessing. And I pray God that you will talk to us, nudge us, speak to us. I pray come your kingdom be done your will in our lives in the life of our church. We seek first the kingdom and we know that all the other things will be added. In Jesus name in Jesus name.

If you’re here today and you need a new beginning in your life relationship with God raise your hands right now would you? I want to do that like no better time for salvation than right now. Just raise a hand up in the air and say, “Pastor Kevin, this is me.” Good, good, good, good, good, good. Just I want a new beginning. Good. God bless you. God bless you. Hands are going up. Good.

See, it all starts here. Just giving God our lives. I see people in the floor level. I see people in the upper level. Hands are up. Keep your hands up if you would. And we’re all going to we’re all going to just pray this prayer of not holding back our lives from God today. Are you ready?

Say it out loud. Say, “Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, welcome to my world. Welcome to my world. Forgive me of all my sin. Forgive me of all my s. Come into my heart. Come into my life. And make me a new person. Make me a new person. I receive you now. I receive as the leader as the Lord as the Lord of my life. And I’ll never be the same again. In Jesus name.”

And this is the highlight of the day. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Come on, let’s celebrate new beginnings. Come on, church family. Let’s celebrate new beginnings. God bless you guys.