For whatever reason, I felt a prompting to give him some money.   He had not approached me.   He did not ask for it, but I walked over to the man and said, “Let me bless you today”, handed him the money, and turned away.

His surprise was obvious.

I have no idea what he did with the money, but I believe he probably needed that money way more than me.

LIFE LESSON:   Living generously is the only way to live.

ACTION FOR TODAY: Find someone that you can bless with a gift of money, service, or time – and do it TODAY!

Have you ever been able to bless someone like this?   Share your story with us in the comments!

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They did, however, care enough to ask how I was doing.   From there, an act of spontaneous generosity happened.   And I had the joy of being the recipient.

Have you ever been there?   Blessed because someone cared enough ask and then did something about it.

I’m sure you’re wondering what the blessing was.   Click HERE to see what it was and then read the rest …

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It was a cup of herbal mint tea with two doses of honey.

You see, I spoke for 10 hours straight on Wednesday at First Christian Church in Owasso, OK (an INCREDIBLE church!) and my voice was impacted greatly.   To the point that I woke up Thursday morning with hardly any voice.   I whispered my order of Pike’s Place Coffee (no room for cream or sugar), and yes, please make it a Grande.   The young lady taking my order asked how I was doing, and I said (whispered), “I wish my voice would return!”

Immediately, she said that I needed to try this special tea with honey in it.   It was an herbal mint tea with two doses of honey.     And the tea REALLY HELPED MY VOICE!!!   Her spontaneous act of generosity BLESSED ME GREATLY and humbled me at the same time.

When was the last time you blessed someone?   After all, that’s why you want to win with your money, right?   To bless others and fund your dreams and the hopes of others?   There is nothing greater than giving.

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You should really take the 4:18 necessary to watch this story – SERIOUSLY – WATCH IT NOW!

Click HERE to view it!

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Here are some of the responses:

jasonarredondo said …  @jsangl make a budget!

jaqbaldwin said …  @jsangl easy…. pay off all my debt. buy a house. invest the rest.

DanaTJenkins said …  @jsangl Theres a beautiful church building for sale downtown for $200K ; it was built in 1899; I'd buy it for our church to have a cool home

rodgray said …  @jsangl If I had $250,000 I would gladly give it ALL away!

MarkAsbell said …  @jsangl I would tithe $25k, invest $100k, give $10k away to someone deserving, pay off my mortgage, & buy you some new shoes & shirts     (Sangl says: I have never been accused of being a fashion expert)

thejrod said … @jsangl Payoff house & student loans!

JamieSalmon said … @jsangl Tithe. Give away another 10%. Pay off all debt, mine and friends.

_scotto_ said …  @jsangl www.fielder.org in TX gave $Ks to people n need…heard people gave over what the church did for people's lives to change! AMAZING!!!

WayneCordova said …  @jsangl tithe, save, payoff, give some more, home, nice date/cruise, Kindle, iPhone 3GS

Some humorous ones were:

MiloDavid said …  @jsangl buy scratch tickets

tptate said …  @jsangl crap my pants, tithe, pay off debt, buy new pants

What would YOU do with $250,000?

I was provided the huge honor to preview this book, and I believe that Ben is dead on with his observations of giving within the local church.

This book was written for church leaders and every leader who reads it will be challenged to view their role in a new light.  Ben has been the pastor of a small rural congregation while also leading LifeWay's Giving Envelope Service.

It was also just announced that this book has sold 6,000 copies in the first ten weeks!  Outstanding – especially when one considers that less than three percent of books ever sell more than five thousand!

Here is what I love about Ben – he is all about providing PRACTICAL information that is RELEVANT and can be IMMEDIATELY APPLIED.  If you have ever participated in any event I am a part of, you KNOW how much I value PRACTICALITY and RELEVANCY.

If you are a church leader, you would do well to PURCHASE BEN'S BOOK.

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But not necessarily in a financial sense.  It is much deeper.  I believe that selfishness leads to poverty of the spirit and soul.

Are we not all born with a drive toward selfishness?

It is proven to me every time I am standing in a line at Wal-Mart for thirty minutes.  I want to cut in line to avoid waiting.  Let's say that I did cut in line.  I would have the immediate gratification of getting out of the line and not having to wait anymore, but there would be a moment later that evening when I would have to wrestle with the fact that I was out-of-line – literally and figuratively.

It is proven to me when my wife is suffering from morning sickness which has turned into all-day sickness.  The magic fairy that somehow transformed dirty clothes and dishes into clean clothes and dishes has ceased to exist.  The magic fairy that managed the household – mail, laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, library trips, activities with the daughter, shipping IWBNIN resources, managing the financial affairs …  It all stopped.  Now I realize that it was my bride all along.  Now I have to clean, wash, shop, etc.  Poor me.

You know what drives the pity party, right?  Selfishness.  You know what selfishness leads to?  Poverty of the spirit.

No one wants to hang out with a selfish person.  No one wants to hear the pity party.

If you want to lose friends and ruin relationships, be selfish.

Everyone wrestles with it.  If you do not believe me, watch your children when they are little.  "MINE!", is one of the most uttered words.

My friend, Jake Beaty, once asked another friend, Jamie Salmon, this question: "Why do you give?"

Jamie's answer rocked Jake's world.  When I heard it, it rocked my world.

Jamie said, "I give to keep from being selfish."

Well said, Jamie.  Well said.

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It is a book called "The Go-Giver".   It is authored by John David Mann.

It took me a couple of months to sit down and read it, but I wish I would have read it sooner.

Seriously, it is a fictional story the relays POWERFUL business (and personal) concepts related to giving.  It could even be called a framework for how one can have an amazing life.

I LOVED this book.  Here are some of the reasons why:

• It focuses on giving.  I love giving.  My wife loves giving.  I believe that everyone loves to give.
• It is highly focused on a few principles.  This book does not attempt to share too much.  I read this book one chapter at a time over a period of several days.
• It has caused me to reflect on how this applies to my crusade.  And I am making changes as a result of this book.
• It was short and to the point.  For some reason, I have difficulty developing the willpower to pick up a four-inch-thick book.
• I have seen it at work in my friend's life.  Casey (you should follow him on Twitter) has been applying this stuff as well.  He is FIRED UP about it!  So am I!

Have you read this book?

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I have seen the the simple act of giving completely transform lives.  My education is a direct result of GIFTS.

Purdue University

• My beloved university where I received my bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) was founded through gifts.
• In 1862, President Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act that would give public owned land to any state that would use the land or proceeds from the sale of that land to found a college teaching agriculture and engineering.
• In 1869, Indiana signed on and accepted GIFT from John Purdue ($150,000 – in 1869!  At 4% annual inflation, that equates to a gift of $38,614,733!).  They also accepted a GIFT of $50,000 from Tippecanoe County (where Purdue is located) and 100 acres from local residents.

Clemson University

• The university where I received my masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) was founded through the same Morrill Land Grant Act!
• In Thomas Green Clemson's will, he bequeathed the Fort Hill plantation and a considerable sum from his personal assets for the establishment of an educational institution of the kind he envisioned.

Giving made my education a possibility.  John Purdue, the residents of Tippecanoe County, and the local residents who donated land all made Purdue a possibility.  Thomas Green Clemson made Clemson a possibility.  Although the residents of Tippecanoe County who donated tax dollars and land are not mentioned, they are just as much a part of it as John Purdue and Thomas Clemson.

Key Lesson: GIVING allows me to make a difference in future generations.

Sources

• Purdue University web site
• Clemson University web site

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I wrote last week that I would be giving away some I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. gear, and I was able to meet some cool folks in the process.

That is Aaron Swenson, LifeGroups/LifeMissions Pastor at LifeChurch.tv's Tulsa Campus on my left and to my right is Michael Harrison, Lead Pastor from The Community Fellowship.

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That is Heather and Amanda.  One is an awesome volunteer and the other is on staff at their local church.  For some reason, I did not write down their church's name.  AARGH.  Anyway, they are pumped about what is going on at their church, and I was glad to give them some books.

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I was blown away by Catalyst.  I will be sharing some of my favorite moments in tomorrow's post.

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• The reasons that Jenn and I give
• How we determine who we give to
• How we decide the amount to give
• The results of our giving

Today's Focus

• The results of our giving

Giving is by far the most rewarding thing that Jenn and I get to do!  There is NOTHING like being able to bless someone or an organization with a financial gift or our time.

Here are some of the rewards that we have enjoyed as a result of giving.

• Seeing lives changed at our church.  We have seen over 1,000 people commit their lives to Jesus in the past year.  We have seen over 1,000 people baptized and publicly proclaim Jesus as their Lord – in just the past year.  This happened in part because of our giving.  Someone once asked the question, "How much ministry can be accomplished for $100?"  The response was so right, "About $100 worth!"  God has given a huge vision to NewSpring Church.  I LOVE being a part of that!
• Having a great spending plan that works!   "What?!!!". you might ask.  Listen, Jenn and I could not give like we do without having a great spending plan that follows the magic formula INCOME – OUTGO = EXACTLY ZERO.  By having a great spending plan, we are able to KNOW that we can give AND save AND spend money.  It is awesome!!!  Don't have a good spending plan?  You can start yours right now by clicking TOOLS at the top of the page!
• Seeing Purdue University grow.  I spent four years there having my world rocked!  Jenn spent five years there.  It is awesome to go back and see all of the new buildings and KNOW that they are grooming phenomenal talent for generations to come!
• Seeing the reports from the missionaries.  I actually place their reports in my investing binder.  Why?  Because this is our investment into leaving a legacy that will last far beyond us!
• Teaching our daughter the power of giving!  This is an awesome way to teach your children a lifetime of learning!  Melea clearly understands that we are giving to causes that we really believe in.
• Knowing that we have been a part of something great.  NewSpring Church, Nappanee Missionary Church, Purdue University, Missionaries …  The list goes on.  We have been a part of some great things!  What better way to live life?  To be able to GIVE, SAVE, and SPEND is to be live a FULL, RICH LIFE!!!

What can I say?  We love giving to worthy causes!  When you have been as blessed as Jenn and I have been, you can't help but be compelled to give!

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