By Darrel Proffitt, Lead Pastor
I was researching stewardship recently, and I came across this article that was offered by Focus on the Family.  The author is Harvey Nowland.  His words both challenge and comfort me.  He reminded me that I do not own anything but am simply a steward of all that God has given me.  That means that God has a purpose in giving me what I have and I am to care for it.  As I mentioned in my message this past weekend, God wants us to be conduits of His blessings not containers.
As we draw near to our Presentation Sunday (when we present our pledges to God for the ministry at COTHA) this coming weekend, I know that many people are still undecided about their pledge.  There are many reasons that you may be feeling that the time is just not right for you to take this step of faith.  Or you may be wondering if God will really bless you if you step out in faith.  Wherever you are and whatever you are feeling, I am praying for you.  I offer these words from Harvey Nowland to help you in your thoughts and prayers:
“God’s goal isn’t simply to keep you and your family reasonably comfortable – He has a kingdom to build, and you’re a part of His management team in accomplishing that plan.

• The bad news is that often we’re prone to behave as though we own what we can get our hands on and then set our own rules for how we use those things. But if we look around us we can see how mismanagement – lack of good stewardship – based on sin has yielded some pretty disastrous results.
• The good news is that when King Jesus came to earth, the kingdom of God arrived. And as the King’s voluntary subjects, Christians are to acknowledge Jesus as the rightful owner of the resources we manage. That means we’re to manage His property according to God’s values and to accomplish His will according to His Word – stewardship.

Christians need to understand that opportunities to achieve God’s agenda in building His kingdom involves not only our material possessions, but also our abilities, knowledge, skills and relationships.
To make it really simple – everything from your backyard and bank account to your mind and body - is a resource that you must manage for God. No false humility required here, you are an important member of God’s management team – stewardship.
You may be thinking, Sure, sounds good, but I have a job, medical bills, the car needs tires, the kids need braces and the economy has all but flat-lined. So, if God owns everything – can’t He do most of this stuff Himself or at least help with some of my bills?
Building the kingdom of God and stewardship aren’t simply “nice ideas” for which missionaries, pastors, Bible teachers and youth workers are responsible. Kingdom building certainly includes those responsibilities, but ministry and stewardship begins with God working inside of you and me.
The key to having an appropriate sense of stewardship, with the ability to make clear and wise choices, is to consciously take this first step: hand over ownership of all your resources to God. You could look at it this way. You don’t have – and you never will have – enough money, possessions or time not to take this step. The alternative will draw you to, or keep you in, the modern rat race that leads nowhere.
Stewardship can seem daunting. After all, being managers of our families, possessions, the earth and builders of a kingdom isn’t small stuff. But remember, God promises us that He’ll never require something of us that we cannot accomplish. Furthermore, whatever God may require of us, He provides the ability to achieve.”
“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed”(2 Corinthians 9:8 NASB).
Join with me as I continue to pray for all of you and the ministry God has entrusted us with at COTHA.

By Darrel Proffitt, Lead Pastor
As I mentioned in the letter that I sent last week, our “In His Steps” Stewardship program is entering an important stage for us at COTHA.  As a church, we have been praying for our stewardship response since early this fall.  On this coming weekend, we will be presenting out pledge to God for the ministry at COTHA.  I have been personally praying for all of you as we respond to what God is calling us to give.
Our stewardship response has nothing to do with fundraising.  Instead it is an opportunity for faith-raising. We are called to live generous lives and to invest in what God is doing in our world.  I want to thank you for continued love and support and for the way you are making a difference through the ministry at COTHA.  I also want to thank God for the way He continues to move among us.  One of the greatest blessings of my life is to serve all of you at COTHA.  I am excited to look forward to seeing what God will do in 2015.  We are close to calling a Student Pastor, and we will also soon be welcoming a Children’s Pastor as well.  This is only possible because of your generosity and faithfulness.
Many good things are ahead of us in 2015 including deepening our local, regional, national and international outreach.  We look forward to growing as a church family, welcoming more people into our midst.  Our discipleship efforts, helping all of us grow as followers of Jesus will continue.  Taking care of our own, as well as making a difference in the Katy area continues to be a major focus.  Our compelling worship continues to give God the honor and glory due His name.  As we invite all to come, connect, grow and go our light burns brightly alongside the Grand Parkway.  Your faithfulness and generosity pave the way for God to make us a place where we violate the status quo with Biblical truth and seek to connect the disconnected to the COTHA family.
I am praying for each of us that we will open up the floodgates of God’s blessings by trusting Him with everything, including our financial resources.  I encourage you to pray as well as we put our trust in our generous God!

By Darrel Proffitt, Lead Pastor
Andrew Murray in his book Absolute Surrender writes “the reason for the weakness of your Christian life is that you try to work it out on your own, only allowing God to help you when you are desperate.” As I read those words, I was amazed that he wrote them in the 19th century. Nothing has changed much in the intervening years. That’s still the problem for many of us. Every time I go through a difficult stretch I find a common denominator: I tried to work things out on my own. It never works. Indeed, it makes things worse. We are given freedom to do this, and, as Murray says, only seeking God when things get difficult.
As many of you know, Julie and I were gone for a week to gather with our family as we laid Julie’s dad to rest in peace. I have reflected a lot on those days but perhaps I have spent more time thinking and reflecting upon her dad’s life. We will all take that same journey one day. None of us knows when that day will come, but we do have today. Life is full of challenges, disappointments and failures. But life does not have to be lived in such a way where we try to work it out on our own.
I reemerged from my time away with a fresh commitment to live my life in such a way that God would receive glory. Murray has it right. I need to be reminded that seeking God in all things and trusting Him in all things is the way that God will receive glory from my life. Living a life in that way begins when we do not stand in the way of what God wants to do with our lives. As Murray writes, “you must become utterly helpless, allowing God to work in you and through you and for you unreservedly.” That is the kind of life that will bring God glory and our ultimate satisfaction.