Sermon

There’s a danger that doesn’t show up when life is hard.

It doesn’t usually appear when money is tight, when doors are closed, or when you’re praying for God to make a way. In those seasons, remembering God comes naturally. You depend on Him. You call on Him. You acknowledge Him.

But something shifts when life starts getting better.

When things begin to work…
when opportunities open up…
when the income increases…

that’s when remembering God becomes a choice.

That’s why Scripture gives us this reminder: *“Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.”*

Because the truth is—God isn’t just the One who blesses us in hard seasons. He’s also the One behind everything that’s working in our favor when life feels stable.

And if we’re not careful, success can slowly rewrite our memory.

We start saying things like, “I worked for this.”
“I built this.”
“I made this happen.”

And while effort is real, it’s not ultimate.

Because even your ability to work came from somewhere. Your strength, your mind, your opportunities, your timing—none of those things originated with you. They were given. Positioned. Allowed.

That’s what makes this principle so important.

God doesn’t just want to bless you—He wants you to remember Him when He does.

In the early days, when God introduced His people to tithing, it wasn’t about money—it was about recognition. Their wealth came from things they couldn’t control. Rain had to fall. The ground had to produce. The seasons had to cooperate.

Every harvest reminded them: *this didn’t start with me.*

And when they gave back to God, they were doing more than offering something—they were acknowledging Someone.

They were saying, “You are the source.”

Today, it’s easier to lose that awareness. Our income doesn’t grow from the ground. It shows up in accounts. It comes through systems that feel predictable and structured. And because of that, it’s easier to disconnect the blessing from the Source.

But the truth hasn’t changed.

God is still the One who makes it possible.
Still the One who provides opportunity.
Still the One who sustains what we have.

And one of the ways we stay grounded in that truth is through remembrance.

Giving is one of those reminders.

Not as a transaction.
Not as a pressure.
But as a response.

Because tithing was never about God trying to get something from us—it was about teaching us how to respond to His generosity.

It’s a way of saying, “God, I see You in what I have.”

It guards our hearts from pride.
It interrupts the slow drift into self-reliance.
It keeps gratitude alive when success could easily make us forget.

And if we’re honest, forgetting God doesn’t usually happen overnight.

It happens gradually.

It happens when the blessings become normal.
When provision becomes expected.
When we stop seeing what we have as something given—and start seeing it only as something earned.

But every time you intentionally remember God, you push back against that drift.

You remind yourself that you didn’t create the source—you’re living from it.

And that changes everything.

Because when you remember God, you stay humble in success.
You stay grateful in increase.
And you stay connected to the One who made it all possible.

Reflection Question:
Where in your life has God been increasing you—and how are you intentionally remembering Him in it?

~Pastor D.L.Williams