SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to the Live Boldly Podcast, brought to you by Celebration Baptist Church.
SPEAKER_01: I'm Jessica and today I'm joined once again by our business administrator, Natalie Thomas.
SPEAKER_01: Today Natalie is going to continue speaking on the subject of tithing and specifically on taking the next steps in increasing your tithe.
SPEAKER_01: Natalie, you mentioned that a challenge from Pastor David in 2016 is what inspired you and your husband to increase your giving.
SPEAKER_01: Walk us through your process at that time.
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
SPEAKER_00: Well, I remember seeing a ladder in church and Pastor David asking us to take a step up the ladder.
SPEAKER_00: For me, visually, that made sense because I could see the steps we had already taken in our financial growth.
SPEAKER_00: So our next step was going beyond our tithe.
SPEAKER_00: So we prayed about it and God gave us, gave me and my husband and I am out.
SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
SPEAKER_01: So when do you think that an in an individual or a family should start to increase the amount that they give to their church?
SPEAKER_01: When's a good time to do that?
SPEAKER_00: I think everyone should tithe because it's biblical.
SPEAKER_00: Um we did not go beyond our tithe until we felt led by God to do so.
SPEAKER_00: We felt led when we saw the ladder at church.
SPEAKER_00: We prayed and God gave it us, gave me and my husband and I am out.
SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
SPEAKER_01: So how did increasing your tithe affect your relationship with God?
SPEAKER_00: For me, the more I give to God, um, it's like telling him, I trust you not only in my words, but in my actions.
SPEAKER_00: The more I trust God, the closer um we become.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
SPEAKER_01: So in Malachi yesterday, we talked about uh the phrase, open the floodgates.
SPEAKER_01: So, how have you seen Christ open the floodgates to you and to others who have chosen to take the next step in tithing?
SPEAKER_00: Um, where do I start?
SPEAKER_00: Um, one of the biggest examples I would have to say for me is when I went back to school to get a second degree in um 2013.
SPEAKER_00: I remember going through a 21-day of prayer and fasting, and God told me to go back to school.
SPEAKER_00: What was so crazy was the timing because I had a one-year-old and a three-year-old.
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
SPEAKER_00: Um, God provided the money for my tuition and my books that I had to pay for this time around, and um, people to come alongside me to help me with the kids.
SPEAKER_00: It was definitely a journey, but God went above and beyond.
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
SPEAKER_01: That's really cool, Miss Natalie.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for joining me today.
SPEAKER_01: I'm looking forward to everything else that we're gonna talk about tomorrow on our last day with Miss Natalie.
SPEAKER_01: To all of our listeners, don't forget, follow Celebration Baptist Church on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
SPEAKER_01: Keep up with our current sermon series, live boldly, and explore everything else that's happening in our celebration family.
SPEAKER_01: Natalie, would you pray for us today?
SPEAKER_00: Lord God, thank you for giving us a Bible-based church.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for giving us a pastor who stretches us in our faith.
SPEAKER_00: I pray we all grow in our financial journey and that we don't hold back from you what is already yours.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, thank you for going above and beyond in my life and at and um at our church.
SPEAKER_00: In Jesus' name I pray.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Natalie.
SPEAKER_01: You're welcome.
SPEAKER_01: Be sure to tune in again tomorrow to hear the last day of Natalie's story.
SPEAKER_01: We'll see you then.