October Focus: Week Two: Give for Your Heart
According to Jesus, a primary motive for financial generosity is shaping our hearts. He instructed: “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:20–21). We should give to our church so that our hearts are shaped to love the things that God loves.
Our hearts naturally follow our money. Begin saving for retirement, and you will suddenly develop an interest in stock market reports. Give to a good charitable cause, such as hurricane relief, and you will suddenly become more concerned and prayerful about a disaster. Give to a missionary and you will suddenly pay more attention to their email updates and pray more diligently for them.
Jesus’ instruction means that your bank account is like a thermometer revealing what you value and love. Where you direct your money reveals your heart.
Jesus' instruction also means that your money can act like a thermostat, training your heart to give attention to what the Lord says is important. Do you want your heart to burn more warmly for the Lord? Then support the church for which he is redeeming. Your heart will follow your money.
Practically, do you know what you have given to your church in 2025? Last week, our church's financial system auto-generated quarterly giving statements, as we do every three months. These are sent by email and are also available in the Church Center app (Profile > My Giving > Statements). How are you doing meeting your 2025 giving goals?
If you did not receive a statement, there are several potential reasons. Loose cash is not linked to a giving profile. The church may not have a correct email address for you. Or, you have not given in 2025.
May the Lord continue to strengthen us in the grace of giving as we focus on this spiritual exercise of faith during the month of October.
Update On The Pillar Network
Last Tuesday and Wednesday, Cole and I attended the Unite Conference, which is The Pillar Network's annual meeting at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. This trip was our first time attending the gathering of over 700 pastors and church leaders. We went to observe and learn more about Pillar, as our church is considering joining this network in November.
The conference was warm and encouraging, as speakers challenged pastors to pursue partnership and church multiplication. We met pastors from across the US and across the world who all share Pillar’s DNA. I am even more enthusiastic about our church joining this network now than I was before the trip, because I see how Pillar churches are trying to get to know one another.
As a reminder, in August, the elders recommended to the church that we join the Pillar Network. Please refer to my article from August 8, "Introducing The Pillar Network." At our quarterly members' meeting on November 16, the church will have the opportunity to affirm this partnership.
I am thankful for the members who have looked into Pillar and have brought their questions and clarifications to me or other elders. There seem to be essentially two questions that members are asking:
1. What are our concerns with the Southern Baptist Convention and/or the North American Mission Board that are motivating our desire to partner with Pillar?
Partnering with Pillar is not a move away from our SBC and NAMB partnership, but is focusing it for more confident cooperation. Many church plants supported by NAMB reflect the healthy church DNA that Pillar values. However, others do not.
Some churches started via NAMB are, in our evaluation, fundamentally unhealthy. Some of these churches exhibit characteristics such as open and non-Baptistic membership practices, a weak public confessional identity as a Baptist church, satellite campuses with video sermons, a lack of plurality of elders, and preaching that is not text-driven. We believe these churches intend to preach the gospel faithfully. However, we think that unhealthy church DNA will, in due course, obscure the gospel and compromise congregational health.
We want to see NAMB and the SBC plant healthy Baptist churches that reflect the DNA that Pillar promotes (see my August 8 article for a list of this DNA). Pillar provides an inner-SBC path that encourages greater church health within the SBC.
2. What are the financial implications for Crestview’s budget?
Pillar requests that churches move toward allocating 1-2% of their budget to the network. Our elders and finance team are currently working on the 2026 budget. Although not yet finalized, we currently plan to allocate approximately $2,000 to Pillar next year as a starting point (around 0.5% of our budget). Additionally, we will partner directly with a church plant in the Pillar network. This partner will be McIntosh Baptist Church, with whom we are already partnering. We will continue to prioritize McIntosh for the next several years until they are established. In time, and within our financial capacity, we will aim to partner with other church plants as the Lord enables us. In the next couple of years, I hope we will start a multi-year partnership to start a new church in an international location.
If you have additional questions about Pillar, please ask an elder ahead of the November members meeting.
Men's Low Country Boil
Please pray for this Sunday night's Low Country Boil. Our men and boys will enjoy a great meal, hear a gospel talk, and walk away with some fun prizes. Some of you are bringing unbelieving friends and family. Please pray for the Spirit to work in all hearts. Thanks to everyone who has registered. If you plan to attend and have not yet registered, please call the church office on Tuesday so we can ensure we have sufficient food for you.
For His Glory,
Pastor Thomas