July Newsletter

Hey beautiful people,

WE'RE ONE YEAR OLD! Wow! It doesn't seem like that long but it has been one year since we decided to step out into the streets and do this crazy thing called "Vanguard Street Ministries" full time. Praise God! He has certainly come through for us just like He said and I thank Him for being greater than advertised.

Even though we're looking back on God's wonderful provision we're also looking forward to what He is calling us to do this next year. Part of this means looking at what needs improvement and what is doing well. This list is being compiled for our board members to consider, but something I felt the Lord asking me to share with you could be a personal challenge for all of us.

As I was looking at what needs to be adjusted within Vanguard, the Lord challenged me to believe bigger this year than last. I sensed Him asking me to add more line items to our budget and increase our giving to other ministries. When I asked God why He said, "Nate, if you get comfortable where you're at, your faith will become stagnant." Wow! And I could immediately see how getting comfortable with being able to believe Him for the success of Vanguard at last year's level isn't good enough for this next year. If Vanguard is to move forward and take back more territory from the enemy we need to make sure that we are constantly challenging ourselves to believe God bigger than we ever have. This is an uncomfortable place to be sometimes because it means being in a place where if God doesn't come through the whole ship may sink. But this is where He asked me to place Vanguard and so we are in the middle of seeing exactly what that means.

How does this relate to you? I ask you to challenge yourselves as well. Don't be okay with the level of God you have seen in your own lives. Press out in whatever way you sense God asking you to press out in. Increase your offerings to your church. Increase your volunteering in your ministry areas. Start a business. Help someone else start their business. Pay someone's car off for them. Pay someone's house off for them. Begin laying hands on every sick person you meet believing every time that one of these days someone is going to jump up completely made whole. Ask God to help you get up ten minutes earlier to intercede for your neighbors. Pray for your enemies. Forgive and then FORGET ABOUT IT. Love like you mean business. Boycott religion and support relationship. Be a better friend than you have been. Look for God everywhere.

All I'm saying is that when the widow in 2 Kings 4 stopped finding jars to fill with oil, the oil stopped flowing (read the story if you don't know what I mean. It's really powerful). I don't want to hinder God's work in my own life or the life of His street ministry by coming to a place where we can manage by ourselves. I think I have seen the wisdom of always being in the place where, on paper, it looks like disaster is only inches away. Only then can He really be seen for who He is, and only then will we never see our faith go dormant.

Let's spur each other on to greater and greater acts of faith and together see how great our God really is!

I love you guys!


N8

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