Life Community Church
Life Community Church
Mike Boone | Generosity Changed Everything And Here Is Why | This is Life
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Mike Boone sits down with us for a conversation that hits hard and stays honest. Mike tells the stories behind a lifetime of tithing and generosity: getting laid off right after sensing a warning from God, a front-yard moment where he felt God say blessing was tied to obedience, and the bold “prove me” promise that made him take giving seriously. He also shares how missions giving turned into real work on the ground, including building seven churches in Guyana, helping families with homes, and stepping in when it would have been easier to look away.
We also talk about money pressure and miracles that don’t fit a spreadsheet: recession seasons, a tornado that became unexpected provision, a huge deal rescued out of bankruptcy, and a moment of prayer followed by an impossible phone call that pulled his business back from the edge. Along the way we unpack “kingdom economy,” self-control, and what it looks like to release what’s in our hands so God can shape a future we can’t fully plan. If this conversation strengthens your faith, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.
Pastor Jamie.
SPEAKER_03Happy Friday.
SPEAKER_00Happy Friday. Happy Friday. This is, I believe, I mean, for sure, absolutely I don't believe I know it. This is the first podcast we've done since we've kind of wrapped up the Dream Big Campaign, month of February. Are you glad this month is over?
SPEAKER_03I am very glad.
SPEAKER_00Have you enjoyed this month?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. No, it's been a couple months of just uh obviously a lot of conversations and it's been good, but it's also been uh you know taxing for sure.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell Yeah. What is the maybe maybe share with us like this the Dream Big Campaign? Obviously, this has been in progress for a long time, but like it's been launched in February. It's when we've had most of the conversations in February. But what was maybe something that like you learned that you didn't expect to learn, or like thing that you know like hit you the most, or like just in this process, you're like this, I didn't expect this, and here I am.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think any anytime you evaluate slash reveal something, you know, something always surprises you, good and and bad. So obviously just the uh coming into the understanding that, wow, um, from a statistical standpoint, generosity, you know, it it's it's I almost measure it this way, you know, when you feel like you're in shape and then you get on the whole full body and they're like, wow, how what is my BMI? What it does and then like statistically, you're overweight and you're like, wow, I wouldn't classify myself as that, but that's what this thing's reading. I think that an evaluation is that. So like our evaluation was, you know, from a generosity standpoint, from the you know, national level, we're a little below average when it comes to our giving. And so like that was a a quick reveal, but then um through the dream big stuff and conversations, like I think then we exceeded. So like anytime we talk to enjoy, they're they're pretty blown away by the level of generosity, which just means when you evaluate and you you allow people's story, which is what we're talking about today, people's story to to kind of lead the charge of, hey, look what God has done. Um and then you let people do that. Uh people are encouraged by it, and uh, you know, they kind of come into this place, we're like, hey, I need to be part of that.
SPEAKER_00So yeah. What was uh as of today, what uh what is our um where are we at? Like our pledges. Do you remember the number?
Clearing Trees And Community Questions
SPEAKER_03So I mean through everything all in, we're we're right at that 2.7, you know, million mark. And um, you know, again, for for Enjoy, a miracle goal is two million. So to be there, and then I I think we're we're getting close to uh to having a million in the bank for for the building. So let's go. You know, so it's a it's a long process. Again, we're doing Dream Big because we want something that outlives us, and I believe this puts us in the best spot, you know, 50 years from now, where people are saying life community church is uh is in this moment because the church in 2026 uh believed God could.
SPEAKER_00And uh so I think the most important question that we have to we have to answer today is uh especially for the Colombians, why is it that you decide it was a good idea to cut some trees down on our hill? And what exactly are we gonna do with the white shed on West Bottom?
SPEAKER_03I know I I reference the Colombians a lot because uh you know there's a face Facebook page that you know shares opinions and in my in my opinion, uh they they share some interesting ones. But you know, my favorite was oh, um, if they're moving there, what are they gonna do with the shed on on West Bottom Avenue? That was that was my favorite. That was a good one. Um but I what's crazy, and and I want this to I want this part to get to the Columbians, but like just by clearing trees, it's crazy that the interest that we've gotten from a commercial standpoint, like this is so much bigger than just putting a church on a hill. This is about community, this is about what we can potentially be a part of in bringing to our community. And so the conversations we're having, I guarantee at some point the people on the Colombians are going to be okay with it.
Introducing Mike Boone And His Role
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Maybe uh obviously because there's people that listen to this podcast that don't attend our church, but maybe describe or explain the big of the dream, the B I Gor.
SPEAKER_03I mean, to me it's it's the it's our name, right? So where can we bring life uh to this community and be the church that God has asked us to be? So on that on that 57 acres, potentially later more uh more acreage, it it's where can we be a part of a community that we're not just talking about a church being here, but also retail, restaurants, coffee, uh residential. Like it's a bigger picture than just it's taking land that has been talked about for years, and this is where I really think is is super important to understand. People have talked about doing something on this land for years. Um we're just dreaming big of actually doing it. Absolutely. So taking a step of faith.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, one of the things that we hear, obviously staff, is we hear all of these like generosity stories and uh dream big stories, how people are affected by the spiritual campaign, stepping out in faith, or the spiritual journey portion, giving, all those kind of things. And uh man, we want to encourage you to jump on a website and click share your dream big story uh so that we can start capturing some of these things. And that's what we're gonna do today is talk about generosity. And so do you want to introduce our guest? I'm looking forward to this one. I feel like we can get some really good stories out of this podcast.
SPEAKER_03Well, uh, this is uh obviously uh a man that I cherish and man that's been pretty crucial to my journey, uh not just uh and being a part of his family and uh uh but my spiritual journey and probably uh a lot responsible for shifting gears when I was, you know, thinking I was gonna head one direction. And uh there's a lot of times I sat in his little garage office and had conversations about what the rest of my life looked like. I think he had invested interest because he knew his daughter uh and I were gonna get married. But um uh there's there's a lot of incredible encounters that we've had, some some amazing and some he's probably too embarrassed to share. Um button. We'll save that for a minute's talk. I just I want him to open up by uh acknowledging what he's done privately, but saying it publicly that I'm the best thing that's ever happened to this family.
SPEAKER_01Well, I hear that often.
SPEAKER_03It's primarily when his uh his mom, Kelly's grandma, will say something about me and I'll just respond with, you know I'm the best thing that's ever happened to this family.
SPEAKER_00I believe it 100%. But my father says that not that he's the best thing, but that he says that, right? Yeah, it's good. It's good to have my father-in-law.
SPEAKER_03Said way more than that. But yeah, maybe, maybe. It's good to have my father-in-law Mike Boone here.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely. Mike, you got anything you want to open up with? Or uh obviously we want to talk about generosity, but uh, you know, you've been a part of this journey since day one. You probably are part of this, you know, you're part of a table conversation where these guys were talking about planting a church, you know, in Columbia, obviously.
SPEAKER_01And so pretty much since day one, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_00Since day one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. But been amazed watching the journey. I I will tell you one thing. Uh when Jamie was over at the church over in St. Louis the day that that he was let go over there, uh I was one of the people that he called. I was driving somewhere and uh he told me what happened. And I told him that uh things were gonna happen fast, I think it was, uh down here. And that was I mean it was a dream, but it was certainly not a reality at that point. But but I really felt that I mean it w it was gonna be a very unbelievable turnaround and boy was it. I mean you were given our church was given a home, uh a building and cash. It was crazy. Yeah. But fast but it was what established financially.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00Fast is a good way to describe it. I think it's been fast for 15 years. It has been. For real. It has been fast.
SPEAKER_03Which even saying that it's been fifteen years is crazy. Right. In fact, fifteen years is wild to me.
SPEAKER_00Feels like yesterday.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it does.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome. Well, uh Mike, you had texted me just about some things that uh have happened in your life in regards to generosity and just really wanting to share that with the church body to encourage them. And obviously, then we were on the marriage retreat in Jamaica and you shared a lot of those stories, and I was like, this is incredible. Like it would be uh it would encourage and build people's faiths up in regards to like trusting God with their finances in a new way. And so we want to make sure that people get to hear that and get to be encouraged. And so I'm just gonna kind of let you start wherever you want to, and then we'll jump in and out for sure.
SPEAKER_01Well, I'm gonna start. Um I grew up in church, but I was according to my dad, I was pretty rebellious. I I mean I grew up in the 60s and the 70s, so um and I don't like people telling me what to do. So it's kind of worried.
SPEAKER_00She's like, okay, now where do we know where she gets it from? Just kidding.
SPEAKER_01But I I was was I had three kids, uh wasn't going to church, uh had no interest in church uh at that point. And I was I had uh been given the opportunity to go through a an apprentice program at a can manufacturing place over in St. Louis, and it was my dream job to become a my grandpa was a mill right, um which is a uh pretty high-end mechanic. Um it was my dream job and I had it. And I was driving to work one day, and well, I wasn't living a Christian life by any means. Um but as I'm driving to work, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, and he said, I've shown you what I can give you, and now I'm gonna take it away. And when I walked into the building, I was laid off. Wow. And you know, and that that during that it was about a three-month period, and during that that period is when I I really got serious with God. Um, you know, it was just okay, I think I better do it. So it's a crosswalk.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so your journey starts obviously starts there. And so what did uh when it comes to generosity, I mean generous with your money, because obviously, you know, I know that you own your own company, you've had success in, you know, being an owner of a business, and I know that's a long story in itself, that didn't happen overnight, but you know, when it comes to just uh, you know, encouraging Christians, you know, to actually live out and obey the Bible financially, uh, you know, how have you seen that play out in your life and how have you seen God show up and what Him do things?
The Front Yard Tithing Wake Up
SPEAKER_01And I was uh after we I gave my heart to the Lord, uh we me and Diane were we were tithing. Uh we had moved around to there was some things going on in the churches that we were in, and we had moved around to a couple different churches, and I actually had quit tithing. Um I was standing on my I was doing some yard work in my front yard, and my neighbor who was an old retired guy, his lawn was just always perfect. It was beautiful. They'd get out and him and his wife would crawl through the grass pulling out anything that hung in there. It was crazy. But I couldn't grow any. And I'm looking down at this grass and I'm because I like I liked my house to look good. And I'm looking down at this grass and I'm I'm I said to the Lord, I said, I can't even grow grass. And he said, Well, I can't bless you if you're not tithing me.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
Called To Build Churches In Guyana
SPEAKER_01And from that day on I I got serious about it uh and and started tithing. I had sat down with um a good friend of mine, Roy Boyer, uh back in nineteen ninety. And he had been down to uh South America, down to Guyana and uh come in and and was sharing pictures to me and man it just it caught me. And as I explained, I he sent me a letter that I had sent to him uh just last year and I was explaining to him he was he was living in Arkansas at the time, but uh exactly how that affected me and God called me at that point to start building churches. And you know, I in the letter I had promised him uh twenty-five thousand dollars to build a church. I didn't know where the heck I was gonna get it from. Wow. But that's what Lord the Lord laid on my heart. And so I I started doing that. Um and we built we built a church, we went down in '91 uh to dedicate it. And uh from there I've we've built I think seven churches we built. Uh I have also built two homes. Uh I've paid for several funerals and several marriages down there. But uh, you know, just God really just got a hold of me to help. There's one pastor down there in particular who wasn't a pastor at the time, he was a deacon in the church, but uh we were in a boat riding out to the jungle and uh God spoke to me and said, I want you to help this guy. And I've I've built two homes. Uh one of 'em uh I had gone to his home. Um he always portrayed himself as which as as kind of middle class down there. Uh very poor country, but um when I went to his home and it was just it was sheets of corrugated metal basically. Um and it was it was awful. I mean uh I had to watch where I stepped on the floor so I didn't fall through a door and uh you looked up and all you saw was sky penetrating through the holes and the city and anything. It broke my heart. I actually approached the pastor uh at the time or church I was going to about building him a house and his comment back to me was well if he was a pastor we'd do it, but he's just a deacon, which killed me. Um so I I endeavored to do it myself. And there was a problem because of the the piece of land that we wanted, um they were squatters on on the property and they they had two pieces that that they somehow had gotten. And the way that the laws worked down there, the the oldest in the family owned it, which is it was his mother at the time, and she was living in the same home with them. Uh but a sister was involved who was the next oldest, and after when the mom died, that property was gonna go to her, there was nothing sitting on it. And we were trying to figure out how to make that work. I built we built a house for him uh to live in and his family because right after uh about two months after I was down there, uh major rainstorm came through and just knocked the thing down. And it put us in a position that we could we had some leverage on that sister. And uh I told him I said, You get it, it's gonna be legal documents. She gives you that piece of property, rights to that piece of property. We'll build a house for you and your family, your mom, and he had two brothers living with him at the time, and his his wife and two daughters. Uh we'll we will um build that house and then we'll start building another house because now you own this property and nobody can take it. We've we've got a a house and a church there now, but uh but it was you know just the timing of it was just phenomenal.
SPEAKER_03It's incredible. On the and you know, 1995, you know, I go with him for the first time, you know, just as a um, you know, a guy who's dating his daughter, but also obviously we're at the same church and and then the youth our youth pastor, who we deemed our youth pastor, who did our wedding and who we had a relationship with, we went, you know, all together and then the next ten years of my life, we we the next ten summers I took teams to to Guyana and then um took a year off and then was in Omaha and went in 2007 and as we talked about recently, haven't been since then, which is crazy.
SPEAKER_00Um but it's been since 2007 since I've been since he's been he's been since then.
SPEAKER_01Um but actually the church paid for me to go back several years back.
SPEAKER_03That's awesome. Yeah, I mean it was it formed so much of uh who I am now. I mean, I think you've heard me tell the story. I know Kelly's told the story where uh we were there and we'd taken teams, and that was my greatest joy as a youth pastor. I mean, I still know people in our ministry today because of that trip and uh taking people on that trip, but I'll never forget like the best learning moment for me is that we're on this trip and he led the he led the charge. I was just the youth guy. He he was the leader. And um I had taken uh there's probably 20 of us from our our team, and everybody had a team. So you're doing human videos or singing or whatever, and whatever reason, that night I was going by myself, and I was like, I remember, I mean, Kelly's like, you were freaking out because I was like, I wanted a team, but I was going by myself, and I just it was uh it was extremely difficult. And it was that was the night I saw, you know, two of the greatest miracles I've ever seen. And um again, I I've shared that story before, but like so much was forged in me there, including that first trip where you know I spoke in front of people that you know I'd never preached before in my life. You know, I just and they gave me a seven o'clock service on a Sunday, and there's more people there than I'd ever been in front of. And wow, here I am. Like I felt super least qualified because you know, there my youth pastor was there, he was there, everybody was there, somebody else could be a good thing. You're the one up there, but I'm the one up there. It was like I'm you know 19 years old. So uh again, he instilled that in us, and uh uh he's done so much overseas, so much for Guyana, I mean so much for uh for missions and uh and beyond that. In fact, when I shared, I don't know if you knew I shared a story this past week of of Ishmael and uh just his coming to Jesus story, you know. Yeah, shared that this past week was a phenomenal miracle, yeah. Yeah, and so uh I knew he would appreciate that. I know how good of a friend Ishmael was to him, and so it's awesome.
SPEAKER_00What uh so you you know you said um and I read the letter that you sent over to me by way of picture, but so you had committed to give twenty-five thousand dollars. Uh did you hit that mark?
SPEAKER_01Uh we went well over that mark. You went well over that mark. Yeah. Uh the first church uh it actually cost us about ten thousand to build the church. Um but we've we've built, like I said, seven uh since the total churches down there. So we we were well beyond the dollar mark, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So how did that, you know, some of the kind of stories you told me is how that affected your family? Uh just because your whole family's making the sacrifice, right? Absolutely. The whole family's making it, you know. You're obviously your girls don't realize it, but they are. Your son doesn't realize it. I mean, I'm sure they did, you know, but so everyone's making a sacrifice when obviously the leader of the home is kind of leading everybody in this direction. So how did it affect your family? Uh you know, how did that sacrifice affect your family physically, and then how did it affect them even financially? Like what did you see happen in the start of your business and how all that took place and God showed up in miraculous ways and those kind of things?
SPEAKER_01Well, I'll tell you the the the end of the story today. Uh all three of my kids live in much nicer houses than I have. Um they are all very blessed. Um my son's a pastor out in Pennsylvania and uh but I I really I believe that they're living under my blessing. Yeah. I don't I don't have any doubt about that, but you know, it's a it's a cool thing.
SPEAKER_02But yeah.
Tornado Loss That Became Provision
Giving Everything And Winning The Deal
SPEAKER_01Um you know, I've as I shared with you, I've had some just unbelievable experiences and and you know you you had made the comment back to me, um, you know, it's it's the only giving tithing is the only real promise in the Bible where God says, Hey, prove me and see if I'll do it. And man I I've had to prove him several times, but um you know, we I I think the first time that that really uh was a a significant thing uh we during the early eighties, uh you know, our economy, we'd been in and out of recessions during the 70s and uh Reagan was in office. Uh I went a year without a job. And we we were to the point, uh, I think we were about six months in, uh, hadn't been able to make my house payment. Uh we were under a loan where they they couldn't take the house for a year, but how do you catch up six months or seven months of payments? And you know, sometimes God sends disaster to save you. And our house got hit by a tornado. We were able to not only everything that needed to be replaced in our home that you know our furniture had glass in it and things, and it was things that really needed to be replaced anyway. We were able to improve on our house, uh uh catch up on the payments, and you know, I I always looked at that as a miracle that you know uh we we went through that. Uh but God saved my house at that point. Yeah. Um we I I've gotten pretty bold with God in the past on some things. Um I one s story that that just always blew me away. Um I had had been involved in missions already, and uh there was a missions conference coming up at our in our church, but we were uh in a volleyball tournament. We we were going to be the champions of the volleyball league at that point, and the pastor demanded that we go to this uh missions conference instead of playing our playoffs. You know, I wasn't real happy about it.
SPEAKER_03Church volleyball back in the day. It was like nothing else.
SPEAKER_01But I I was pretty aggravated about it, to be honest. But uh I got to thinking about it and contemplating on it. And you know, uh why why am I feeling so much uh friction or whatever the word was uh against this when it's something that that I really believe in. So I I went ahead and we went. And I had been working on a huge deal back then. Uh I sold machine tools to factories, and this was a pretty massive job. And it was in competition with several other manufacturers on trying to get the the job to put the equipment in there. Ernie Moen was it was a simply of God uh thing. Ernie Moen was the superintendent at the time, and he's standing up front, getting ready to take an offering. And he says, you know, I really feel like God's telling me that I need to just take everything out of my pocket and put it in this offering. And the Holy Spirit told me that you need to do that too. And I'm, you know, I might have 40, 50 bucks, I didn't have a bunch in my pocket. But uh as the KFC bucket went by, um, I I dropped everything in. And and uh and literally uh as I I took it in my left hand, dropped it in, took my right hand, and as soon as I released that bucket, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, I'm giving you that deal. And I got it. Um but in the midst of all that, the company that was purchasing the equipment they filed for bankruptcy. And I already had one piece of equipment sitting on the floor. Uh these were quarter million dollar machines, uh, had one sitting on the floor, one, actually two sitting on the floor. The first one was operating, second one, the our service tech was going in that Monday to set up, and the third one was on the boat and coming from Japan. And I get a fax um canceling the order from the leasing company. I was like, okay, well, this ain't good.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And it was it was money that that was definitely needed, uh and it was a pretty good chunk of change. Um but over throughout that bankruptcy, uh, it it looked like we not only was I not gonna get it, but I was I I'm on the hook for some money here. And I was praying one night, it was a Saturday night, I was praying, and I had built several churches by then. Um and I I told God, I said, you know, I've built your house, but mine's becoming desolate. And the uh that's a whole prayer. Yeah, it was, and it was a scary prayer. Uh I asked God, I said, Are you a liar? And you know you I I don't know anybody's theology, but God has spoken to me many times, uh, and he has spoken through me through messages in tongues. And that next morning I went to church, and it was a message, and the uh the interpretation of it was, I am God, I am not man, I can't lie. It was it was verbatim by prayer.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
SPEAKER_01And things I I ended up with that we were the only company, uh, and this was a big manufacturing facility, they probably had six, seven hundred people working there. Uh we were the only company, including all their utility companies up there, uh, we're the only ones that came out clean on the deal. Wow. It cost about$10,000 in legal fees, but every every piece of paper was in line and everything. And we're the only company that came out of that thing without losing money.
unknownTrevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_03And I uh I wasn't my freshman year of college, I worked for him. He stuck me in some corner of the garage and said, make cold calls. And so uh productive equipment. This is Jamie. You know, like I still remember the tagline that I'm reading to people. I think I made one sale. You know what I mean? So I under I understand.
SPEAKER_01You've been problems ever since.
SPEAKER_03Again, let's go back. The best thing that's ever happened made you a great grandfather.
SPEAKER_00That's crazy.
SPEAKER_03Several times over. Yeah. Yeah. No, so like hearing that, like that's a miracle. Wow. I mean, that's that doesn't just uh and and he said it like it's it's the um it's this in-between that we have. And I mean it's a great, it's a great visual. It's in one hand and I hold it, or it's in one hand and I release it. Well, the difference is so many people, and we've heard this story the last couple of weeks, so many people saying, I've never fasted, and since I fasted and I've dedicated this to the Lord, I've seen him move. Well, he only moves because of that fasting. Yeah, right? He can't do it if if if you don't do that. Yeah, so many things we're holding on to, unless we release them, which again we talked about in small group even today, self self-control is what everybody at my table in our small group talked about. Man, we're control, we're control. The only thing that God asked you to control was yourself, yeah, not anything else. Nothing else. And so it's like I can have self-control to drop or to hold. That's what I get to control.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and then and man, you know, just the whole self-control talk in light of finances, like you could choose to hold on to that money, which would re-intern, like, be an example. I mean, it'd be literally you holding control of your financial future. But yet releasing it, you gave God the opportunity to be in control of your financial future.
SPEAKER_01Exactly as he spoke to me in my front yard that day, I can't bless you until you start tithing. Wow. And you know, it it it was something something I certainly took to heart at that point. You know, you you think about God. Uh I mean uh it he's I'm fan of I'm fan of the bull, but uh you know, the most powerful being in not the universe and the entire creation, and you have the opportunity to speak to him and he speaks back to you, that's pretty unbelievable.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that was incredible. The pray that you the prayer that you prayed, and the next day, right, like through the gifts of the Spirit, uh God answers directly. He's like, hey, listen, nobody else is really gonna understand what this means, but there's one person there that I need to say something to. And uh I just said it and it for you.
SPEAKER_03What's cool is it it I agree with you, but specifically for him, but it but it still rang true for everybody else, right? Definitely was a I am not man. Yep. Right? So and I would even continue that. I can be trusted. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_01Can I promise something and not bring it to a pass as it was part of that, you know? Yeah. And he certainly did bring it to pass.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's the reason he says test or or prove me. You know, test me in this.
SPEAKER_01During the Gulf War, and again I sold machine tools, so uh if manufacturing, we were always probably six months and ahead of the curve. But uh you know, our during that, that was the first war that was actually a televised war, and everybody was paying attention to that instead of anything else. I went six months without one nickel coming into my company. Uh just nobody was buying anything. And I I was out of money. Um I had a standing job offer with a competitor that I could have taken over a couple year period, I could have taken it. And I had set a di deadline for a Friday at one o'clock that if something hadn't happened, I was gonna pick up the phone and call that competitor and go and take the job and close my company down. One o'clock hit and I was sitting at my desk praying. I said, you know what? You're the one to put me here. Um it wasn't my idea. God, you know, he he says he'll give us the very desires of our heart. And when I got saved, God changed my desire because I I like I said earlier, I had my dream job, and all of a sudden God just I you need to go into business. And man, I started devouring every business book and and really learning. Um at one o'clock that day, I I sat down and prayed, and I just told God, you know what? You've put me here. No matter what, I'm going to trust you. And Sunday night uh I was praying, and I mean we were in trouble. And it was the second time we were about to lose our house. And I mean Jamie knows because he was he saw all that happening. And I uh was praying again, like I said, I you know I got about gold bold with God, you know. I said, Hey, my house is I I've built your house, but mine has become desolate. And it had, we were about to lose it. Uh the mortgage company, uh they were starting to put us into foreclosure. Uh actually the guy, the mortgage guy that started talking with me, uh, he and we had been several months into not being able to pay the house. And you know, that's that's a kind of a sound or a weird way of talking about blessing. Here I am, can't afford my house payment. Um but the guy on the he he said, I can't believe that that we've taken so long. We should have started this several months back. Uh he said, but you know, things happen for a reason. That Sunday night I was I was praying in um you know, I flat out, hey, I I have built your house, but mine's becoming desolate. And I heard the most violent voice uh the the the most violent thing I've ever experienced in my life, and it was God saying to me I'll raise up a standard against it. And it was I mean, it just shook me. Monday, that was Sunday night, Monday morning, I get a phone call about 10 after 8. I'm in sitting in my office. Hey, this is and he said his name. I couldn't even tell you his name today, but um and I'm with such and such company. Uh you sell this brand of equipment, don't you? And I said, Yeah. He said, I I want to buy this specific machine. And the crazy part of that was uh number one, I'd never talked to this guy in my life, I'd never been in his building in my life, but it was a brand new piece of equipment that had never been in the States yet. Uh I knew about it because I was a dealer and I I didn't hadn't seen any pictures of it or anything or no any specifications, but I knew it was coming. That was the piece of equipment this guy wanted to buy. How he knew about it, I couldn't tell you.
SPEAKER_03There's no internet or anything like that. No, no. No.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Pamphlets.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, and they were non existent. Yeah. Uh so I had to call the manufacturer and get all the information so I could give the guy a price and a quote. Drove over there and he says, I'll have an order for you in the morning. And okay, great. Yeah. Uh so the next morning he calls me up and he says, hey, uh, we want to buy two of them. And again, I sold machine tools. Machine tools are expensive pieces of equipment that take several months to build and then ship and get set up and everything. Uh there just happened to be two of them sitting in a warehouse because they the manufacturer brought them over because they were getting ready to introduce them. And I got down payment uh on Tuesday for two machines, which allowed me to catch back up with everything. Uh when all was said and done, I the president of that company, it was a huge of the manufacturers that I was representing. Uh the president of that company calls me because it was a big deal because it was those the first two machines that they had sold in of this type of machine. And he's thanking me for for the order and for getting the order and everything. I I said, Did this guy call you guys? Because I don't know how he ever found out about it. Oh, he never called us. How how in the world he found out about the equipment? Because I didn't know much about it. Um but you know, not only that, but it was in stock and I got paid immediately and pulled us out, and then from then on, you know, we were in good shape again. But I mean, you want to talk about a miracle and God massively intervening in something. Uh and again, like I said, that that voice that I heard that night was just man, you know, I'll build a standard against it or I'll raise a standard against it. So good.
SPEAKER_03Mike, I know I don't know how much time we have, but I know that um so talk about real quickly your shift into HVAC. Okay. And um what was the timeline? I I just remember when you moved from Lynch to Binger. Like, wasn't that is that the day that you lost a job? Yeah. The day you were closing? Yeah. Is that when you started Energy Stars?
SPEAKER_01Or was it close to that? No, I was still about two, almost three years after that. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Yeah. But like tra you you're selling machines, you transitioned to Yeah, all my customers decided to move to China.
Illness Then Unexpected Financial Stability
SPEAKER_01Uh so you know, ma our manufacturing base in this country was decimated. People, I don't think, realized how deeply it was decimated, but uh I had to reinvent myself and it it took several years of going through different things. In fact, my grandkids were uh laughing because I was changing jobs every several months because I was trying to find, okay, what's next. And I ended up in in the uh HVAC industry. Um I had no desire at all to go back into business. I I I wasn't interested in doing it. Um my wife wasn't interested in in doing it. And I ended up literally being forced into opening the company. Um the guy I was working for at the time, uh he was an interesting fellow. Let's let me put it that way. He he he changed my pace seven times in one year. So that's kind of an interesting guy. Um I was trying to get out of there and uh actually one of the companies I interviewed with uh the guy at the end of the interview looks at me and he says, Why don't you just go start your own company? I don't want to. And I was I was forced to start this company. I I really was. It was it was the craziest scenario I think I've ever been through, but uh I couldn't get anybody to hire me. I was was I was a sales manager of the company that I was at and had doubled that business in less than two years, uh very successful. Uh people knew that I was successful, but for whatever reason nobody would hire me. And so I I ended up um starting this company. It again was something I didn't want to do, but uh in 2018 I I built it to to that point to where it was we were a very successful uh company. Uh 2018, as you guys know, I uh uh at actually this time of the the year in 2018, uh I I shouldn't be walking the earth anymore. Um and you know it I ended up with what are stroke-like symptoms. I my blood pressure was extremely low for quite a while and it it affected me uh in various ways. Um I can't work and I couldn't work anymore. I couldn't concentrate enough to work. Uh but I had built the company, I was forced to build a company, let me put it that way, uh that has, you know, I was 62 when that happened if I couldn't get a job anywhere else and I couldn't perform the the functions of managing this company. Um but I make more money today than I've ever made in my life. Uh I I can work about six to nine hours a week. I go in Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and don't they call it work, but it's not really much. Can't do a whole lot. But I as I think the the investment that I made to God early in life and throughout that period um was my bank account. And you know, I I I live very comfortably now. Um you know, I don't know anybody in nickel. Uh it's it's a beautiful thing. Um but I I really attribute it to the giving. I not only did we personally pay tithe, but my business at the time, uh productive equipment, it it paid a tithe also. And that's you know, we were able to do the things that we were able to do through it.
SPEAKER_03But uh what's crazy is that you know, God asks you, or you know, someone tells you to start your own business at 62 when that happens, if you're just working a normal job, you're probably medically can't do it. But because you're the boss and you started the company, there's a there's a difference in in how you proceed out of because obviously you can function and you know you're not limited. I mean, uh you probably see more of your limitations than other people see in your limitations. We I don't see it as limitations, but obviously you communicate, you know, uh cognitive and all that kind of stuff, but like, you know, um but but I've also seen a different you the last eight years because um it it seems like there's less stress and more appreciation for life in what you're getting to do. I don't I mean you barely missed any of our marriage trips because you you're able to to to do those things and physically you're able to do those things. And and uh I mean I I tell Kelly every year that we you we go and you're on it. I was like, Well, these are the appreciation moments for for us because we don't know you know how long that will be. And so I I I mean I feel like borrowed time might sound too dramatic, uh, but I mean obviously I remember that March day like it was yesterday. Um and uh I know you do too, Sean. Like, I mean, uh where I was, all that was happening, and so like it's it is like a like I feel like the last eight years have been more of an appreciation of who you are, what you've done, what you've been through. Right. And God is just blessing you for that. I mean, who who can say in their you know late sixties that I'm making more money than I've ever had and you're probably working less than you've ever had. A whole lot less than you ever had. But but the but still the the influence that you have is priceless. Because in theory, if we're basing off that, you should make double what you make because of your value and what you bring. But that would have never happened had you not started your own company. You'd be in a different spot.
SPEAKER_01Aaron Powell I'd be in trouble.
SPEAKER_03Probably having a different conversation right now.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. I'd be begging you for money. He built that church. He poured a lot of money into it. And him and another guy up there pretty much built the thing. And you know, my grandfather wasn't a wealthy guy by any means, but he was but he was uh a very secure guy and and you know had some money. Um but you can't outgive God. You know, it it was something that was placed in me when I was a child, and uh you know, I watched his example. I didn't I didn't actually watch it, he did it before I was born probably, but I but I saw the blessings and the fruit.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
unknownYeah.
Kingdom Wealth And Lasting Legacy
SPEAKER_00Man, I tell you, you know, Mike, when we were in Jamaica and we sat there and talked for a couple hours just about, you know, um just what I would call kingdom economy, kingdom wealth, you know. And uh I could just sense in your heart, like, you know, um I think most most men work really hard to leave something great uh for their families, for their kids, for their grandkids. Do you have great grandkids yet? Not yet? No, okay, okay. Oh Harlow, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hello. And so great grandgrandkids, you know what I mean? Like, and uh your kids, you have grandkids that are working in your company with you right now, and uh which is incredible. And you know, I think that what what you know what I love so much, two things. One is like you're describing it, I can sense it in you, I can hear it in you, I can see it in you. Uh you've genuinely are overwhelmed by joy with the fact that you you've you're leaving something with generations of people that that are, you know, that you're over, you're covering that that is worth that actually is worth something. Right. And then and then in in cultures that we grow up in and environments we grow up in, I'll just say in Columbia and in Waterloo, like, but it's all over the United States. You know, we have this idea that the best thing we can do is financially make sure that everybody's secure. And you're sure, yeah, your family is financially secure, but what more they have, what they have more than anything that is like kingdom wealth. Right. You know what I mean? Like kingdom wealth, like you, it's unbelievable. And uh what an incredible like thing to teach, you know, your sons and daughters, your grandkids, your great-grandkids, you know, and uh what a uh an incredible uh thing, you know. Uh Jesus says it's more blessed, and I've just been so like just it it brings me tears just to even talk about this, but I so moved by this passage of scripture, and I've read it. We've all read it a thousand times, but it is more generous to give than it is to receive. I know what it feels like. I personally could tell you story after story after story after story, what it feels like. I've I have sensed joy when I've received God's blessing. I know what that feels like, but what I want to leave behind, what I want other people to feel, what I want to experience, and and you have experienced this. This is what you're talking about, is Jesus says it is more joyful to be the one that actually gives. I know the joy that it feels when someone hands me something that I wasn't expecting and it meets a need that like I could never meet. I I sense so much joy. I am overwhelmed, like I am taken back, like it stops me in my tracks, like it's amazing. Yet Jesus says, Hey, Sean, there's something even greater than that that I would love for you to experience if you would trust me. It there's greater joy. Yeah, right. And to me, like what what better thing can you pass on to multiple to your family than that type of generosity?
SPEAKER_01Uh, you know, to our human mind, it doesn't make any sense to give 10% of your income away. Uh you know, you're losing 10% in the way we think of it. But as I stated a while ago, uh that's my bank account. Yeah. You know, I didn't I didn't uh that was not my in ever my intentions for that to be the scenario. But you know, I know had God not forced me to open the company that I have today, uh, that I had no interest in doing. I zero interest in doing it. Um but I was pushed into it. Uh I had no I had no um choice in the matter. I had to do it. And then to go through what uh four years, five years, whatever it was after that, uh, you know, to to become ill and not be able to do anything. And that company uh you know, I I had uh an extremely large amount of money uh set aside right before I got sick. Um, we'd we'd had some very good years, and and uh fortunately that money was was sitting in the bank account at the time, uh, which let us get through the transition of of my partner starting to manage the business and and my daughter Kathy. Um but you know, I didn't plan that out by any means. But had it not been there, oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_03Well I think all three of us are sitting at this table not doing things that any of us planned on doing. That's very true. You know what I mean? Like I mean, I think we had all have an idea, which is why what I want people to see, like when they're like, well, what does it look like the next 10 years? I'm like, I'm not limiting God that way.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I I mean I could draw the picture for you, but it ain't gonna be the picture that you're gonna see in 10 years. Like just like if you said, if you would have drawn a picture April 23rd, 2011, does it look like this? Absolutely not. Not in my world, you know what I mean? But in in his, I remember when we were at 310 South Rap, we were looking at a a building that was 10,000 square feet, and I was like, that's it. That's it. And God was like, Really? 10,000 square feet? Right. And then next thing you know, we're we're here, and it was like, you know, 25,000 square feet, and we're like, there's this building's way too big. We should we should rent half of it out, you know, d to another business. And six months in, we're like, we don't have enough space. You know, so when we yeah, when you talk about fast, but the point is that I think all all three of us are going, I I didn't plan on being here. Like this isn't how I thought this would play out.
SPEAKER_01Um it's you know, if you let God lead you, um sometimes re reluctantly let him do it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
Final Takeaways And Prayer
SPEAKER_01But you know, it it's his plans are incredible. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, thing I mean, just a handful of things that I know that we've we've learned today is first and foremost, like, you know, God knows our future and we can trust him. You know, and if we're going to end up, you know, with this type of kingdom wealth, our our objec the only thing that we can do, and this is what was we we should be doing, is what's in our hands when he asks us to do something with it, we do something with it. And it will affect our future uh in a positive way because he knows the future and we don't, and he's okay with us not knowing it. And it's better that we don't, right? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And you can hold him to account. That's the thing.
SPEAKER_03Uh he made the promise. And well, think about it, Mike. You you did those things. Yeah. So if you don't do those things, I don't have I can't say, God, I've built your house when I haven't built your house. Yeah. I I think most of the time we we come to God going, where are you? Yeah. And he's asking the same thing. God Adam didn't ask God where he was. God asked Adam where he was. God already knew where he was. But it was for Adam's sake. I think most of the times God's asking us, Where are you? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, and living through adversity, you know, uh uh I I think one of the misconceptions that we have is when we become a Christian is life's gonna be jolly the rest of the time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And you know, just like with the tornado hitting my house, it was a disaster. I couldn't live in the house for well what four weeks. Uh but in in that disaster was the blessing. And you know, I've I've gone through that one many times, uh you know, similar scenarios that okay, you go you gotta prove that, you know, are are you uh man up there, God, man up.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you had to and uh what I love about your story is that it you didn't just pray that prayer once. You prayed it a couple times. And that's what it means to live a generous life. Doesn't mean it's gonna be easy. Right. Uh but it means that's a good thing.
SPEAKER_03Well just because it's easy, just because something happens doesn't mean it's like that the rest of your life. There's another you built on that trusting moment.
SPEAKER_01There's adversity and and God get you through it.
SPEAKER_03I mean my favorite scripture is grace upon grace upon grace. It's like it's a build like we don't God doesn't just give us grace once and say, here's a bag of grace. Right. It's grace upon grace upon that.
SPEAKER_00So good. So good. Man, I've loved this, love this conversation, been one of my favorites so far. And uh do you mind what we usually do is have uh the guests pray us out? Do you mind praying us out? Let's do it.
SPEAKER_01Father, we thank you for your promises. Um and not only your promises, but your em emphatic uh approve me. You know, it it's hard for us to give away 10% of our income. That's a hard thing to do. Um but you're you know, it's it's something that that is a promise in the Bible. Um and it's how you com your avenue for blessing us. And I thank you for the blessings that you've given to me, uh, to my family. And Lord, I I just ask that you would open people's ears to what those benefits of doing that are and you know, let them prove you and and your blessings will pour out upon 'em. We thank you for that, God. I thank you for the blessings upon Life Community Church, God. It's you know, it it again is an evident uh thing of you made a promise and you're bringing it to pass. And we thank you for it, Lord. And I just ask that you would would allow people to hear that and that they would would trust you and and go into that so that they can can be blessed. I I just ask that in the name of your son Jesus, and thank you for it, Lord. Amen.