Increase your dependence upon the Lord

Do you want to increase your faith and dependence on the Lord? Try starting a church basically from scratch with no real funding and a few dedicated people. If you do that it won't take long till you find yourself on your knees.
 
At that point you realize how helpless you really are and how much you need to depend on God to supply every need and to build His church.
 
At that point you realize you really are nothing but a vessel, a servant, a willing slave of Jesus to do His bidding.
 
If you try to stand on your own two feet you will fall. If you try to build the church yourself you will fail. All you can do is be faithful and let God do what He wants to do with you.
 
The benefits of stepping out in faith is great though. I have seen the Lord provide in many ways that I would have never seen if I hadn't followed the Lord to Fellowship. I have seen people grow in their walk with God. I have seen my own family blossom in their serving of the Lord.
 
I have also seen Satan attack in many ways, letting me know he is not happy and will do what he can to stop the Gospel from reaching those in Middletown.
 
I worry sometimes that with the little money we have, it wouldn't take much to get ourselves in financial trouble. As a father and husband I worry about how I will provide for my family. But then I remember how great of a God I serve and remember how He got me to this point and then I am confident that He will take care of our needs at just the right time.
 
I reminded someone the other day that the passage "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" is in the context of money and contentment. In the two verses before this statement, Paul told the Philippians that he had learned to be content in whatever situation he found himself. It didn't matter whether he had plenty of money or lacked enough money to survive, he was content because it was Christ who strengthened him, not financial security. Paul was the original church planter and things still haven't changed for us church planters today.