This week in Radial we’re wrestling through 1 Timothy 6:17 & 18, a passage purposed on rearranging the way we look at & lean on money. In our services we’re unraveling “three lies that help us horde” (which you can grab a listen to on our Radial Preachifications Podcast under the title “Schemers”). But the overall challenge this: God is calling us to be givers. He’s blessed us so we can bless others. But, like most things, it’s easy to fundamentally agree with the philosophy & never put it into practice. Here’s the deal though: What you do, more than what you know, reveals what you believe. Which begs the question: Where do I go from here? How do I make sure the beliefs I voice are echoed even louder in my behavior? Glad you asked. Here’s a few steps to get you going in the right direction:
Start tithing.Which means: giving God the first 10% of anything He gives you (which is everything you have) through your local church. Even if all you got coming in is a $10-a-month iTunes allowance from mom & dad which is pretty much pre-dedicated to Justin Bieber downloads–give God a dollar first. I have never not tithed as an adult. You want to know why? Because I got in the habit when I was a kid. It stuck with me me, and my life is blessed because of it.
Fast a financial addiction. All of us have certain ‘wants’ that frequently rise up to try & convince us they’re ‘needs’. Taking a break from whatever that thing is for you will help you force that ‘need’ to admit it’s really a ‘want’ in disguise. Whether it’s dropping coin for Starbucks or shoes, music or the movies, rerouting your cash & concentration away from those things & towards God for a short season will help you put your priorities back where they belong. I’ve found most of my addictions take about 40 days of new behavior to break the habit, but even a week will give you new perspective about the things you own & the things that have come to own you.
Practice “Gorilla Giving”. Gorilla Warfare is a fighting style based on catching your enemy by surprise; striking hard, fast & unexpectedly. Please, don’t barbarian ax battle anyone out of the blue in the name of giving, but do look for creative ways to swoop in at random moments to practice generosity on unsuspecting people in need. Give a homeless guy a hot mean, buy someone’s movie ticket, get someone a gift they’ve been eying, leave a ridiculously large tip for an over-stressed server, buy a stranger’s Starbucks, tank of gas, or cart of groceries. The possibilities are endless. And, to be honest, the more sneakiness you inject into the whole experience, the bigger the adrenaline rush. But more important than that, Gorilla Giving trains your brain to constantly be on the lookout for how you could bless others (as oppose to just yourself).
Scheme to give big to a big thing. We all naturally scheme to GET what we want, but God’s challenge is for us to invest that same high-powered scheming energy to GIVE what we want. Find a good cause that moves your heart & map out a master plan to throw money in that direction—whether it’s building wells in Africa, sponsoring orphans, feeding the hungry, sending Bibles overseas, supporting missionaries, funding cancer research, or sending kids to summer camp. But I will warn you–this will require you to rearrange your life a little bit. Because you can’t give something away without giving something up. But I guarantee you, in the long run, it’s worth it. Make a plan to give big to the big things you believe in & then follow through.
Get some accountability. Find someone trustworthy to tell your giving goals to that will encourage you towards them & call you out when you’re tempted to wuss out what you’ve committed to do. What God has called you to do, you can’t do alone. And quite honestly, if you think you can, you’re not dreaming big enough. We all need those people in our lives who refuse to let us give up on WHAT God has called us to do & more importantly WHO He’s called us to be.
Well, my friends, camp is just around the bend. We’re barely a month out from packing our bags, awkwardly kissing our mums goodbye, tucking our tushes into posh padded seats on classy charter buses, and trekking ourselves cross-country caravan style to sweet summery California–for a week so awesome it can’t be put into words!
So, here’s the deal: Get registered! Don’t be one of these procrastinators who pretends to wonder if camp is really going to live up to all the hype and be as face-meltingly, live-changingly awesome as everyone always says it is. It will. And that’s just a fact son.
But–even though it’s completely impossible to go to camp and not fall in love with it–meet a million sweet new friends, rock a week of mountain-side cabin life, dip your toes in the ocean, ride a zip line, battle till exhausted in a new generation of ridiculous tribal wars games, and get your mind blown by a handful of God-encountering worship services of epic perportions–we can (even though its a huge headache-having strain) understand your hesitation.
After all, it’s one thing to hear about camp, and quite another to see the ample goodness flicker in front of your very eyes until you get dizzy with glee. So, check this–two incredible camp trailers highlighting monumental moments from years past. So…watch em, share em with a friend, post em on your Facebook page, and then–for the love of Sasquatch–fill out the form & get your name on the list because Radial summer camp (The Rise) is going to be the best thing you do ALL summer. Unless, of course, you don’t do it. Then, in that case, it’ll be the best thing everyone else did all summer that you missed out on and now cry yourself to sleep at night wishing you would have signed up to be a part of before you missed your window. Don’t be that kid! Get there!
The Counterfeit Conspiracy: Devotional Reading Plan
During this series we’re going to be cranking through the books of 1 & 2 Timothy. To ensure you soak every last drop of Godly goodness out of The Counterfeit Conspiracy, we suggest you read along with us the books of the Bible that inspired the messages. Below is a reading plan that syncs up a slow-paced devotional schedule with the chapters we’ll primarily be speaking from in our services for that week. So–dive in, read along, and catch some life-changing stuff you didn’t even know you were missing until now.
Beginning this week on both campuses is a brand spankin’ new Radial series–The Counterfeit Conspiracy–set to unravel the New Testament books of 1 & 2 Timothy. So–in the meantime (being those few unbearable days before your next neighborhood local Radial service)–to peak your interest & boggle your mind–in excitable anticipation of the awesomeness that is to come, check out this enigmatic video bumper:
Alrighty-tighty folks. I know you’re shocked, but please–don’t attempt to adjust your screens, or scissor-pinch yourself with your most jaggedy fingernail to make sure you’re really awake. You most definitely are. This is reality and what you are witnessing is correct–Radial is back online in a zesty new way with this–our online electronic urban lodge (complete with a mounted deer head and faux wood paneling).
The truth is: we couldn’t be more stoked about our new site & all the nifty new tricks we plan on tackling with it. Curious? Intrigued? Giddily wanting in on our double-stack of webtastic browserific dominance?
Well–let me give you a peek behind the giant red velvet curtain. With this site you can scroll through a list of Cadres (leader profiles and locations) for both campuses, check out service times, browse upcoming events, download nifty Radial wallpapers, scroll through our Vimeo video archives, connect with Radial friends on Facebook, hop links & legally cyber-stalk your youth pastors via Twitter, read weekly new blog entries about life, faith & culture, and listen to the multi-campus message Podcast through iTunes. And that’s just scratching the surface, my friends.
So, here’s the deal: Quick–before you get distracted by a pesky moth fluttering about and forget what awesomeness glows beneath the color-pixeled flatscreen in front of you–save this site in your favorites section. Revisit it. Shoot your friends and family the link and be prepared for hours upon hours of future good times. We’ve only just begun.
