Champion Life Magazine Fall 2010

Champion Life Magazine is now available onlinechampionscentre.com

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ITM

EN

T

Visit championscentre.com

for more information on

weekly service times and

our event calendar.

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Champion Life Magazine

purposes to equip

people to live successful

Christian lives.

ABOUT US

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. — Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

8 Extraordinary by Kevin Gerald

1 4 The Cup That Holds Liquid Gold by Erik Van Alstine

I N E V E R Y I S S U E

3 Let’s Talk

4 You to Us

6 Champions Foundation Update

1 3 Champion Finds

2 0 Real Life Champion

2 2 k.wise

FE

AT

UR

ES

106

20

Fall 2010 | 1

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHERS

Kevin Gerald & Sheila Gerald

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jodi Gerald-Cameron

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Jen Mueller

ART DIRECTOR Heather Stajgr, Hemisphere Design

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Abbie Buck, Andrea Dashiell, Stephanie

Jannsen, Raelynn Poulin, Leslie Powell, Elizabeth Quick,

Judi Shackett & McKenzie Zimmerman

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHY Laura Siivola Photography

CONTRIBUTING GRAPHIC DESIGN Venessa Koehn & Mickey Elliott

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Erik Van Alstine, Forrest Anderson, Chris

Dunayski, Kevin Gerald, Jodi Gerald-Cameron,

Sue Kahawaii & Brandon Stewart

DISTRIBUTION Kim Ludwick

PRODUCER Champion Life Magazine is produced by Kevin Gerald

Communications (KGC). KGC is a department of Champions

Centre in Tacoma | Bellevue, WA, a non-profit organization.

TO SUBSCRIBE

www.championscentre.com

Phone: (toll-free) 888-935-6914

TO SPONSOR If you are a business who would like to partner with

our magazine through distribution or sponsorship please contact

us at: 253-475-6454 x361

QUESTIONS / COMMENTS / IDEAS Let us know. We welcome your

feedback. Please write us at: [email protected]

MAIL

Champion Life Editorial

1819 E. 72nd St.

Tacoma, WA 98404

Produced by Champions Centre Publishing © 2010. All Rights

Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without expressed

written permission is prohibited and a violation of applicable laws.

2010 copyright

Printed by Capitol City Press

www.championscentre.com/conferences

Relationship Conference2.9-2.10

Women’s Conference5.19-5.20

Summer Conferencefor EVERYONE8.1-8.3

Men’s Conference10.6-10.7

worthyour time

LET’S TALKIt’s a dirty word to a lot of people. But the word “commit” doesn’t have to be

intimidating. Commitment is all about trust. Without commitment in a marriage

trust cannot exist. When commitment is lacking in a workplace, trust is hard to

find. Basically, where there is no commitment, trust goes out the window.

Part of being a committed follower of Christ is to become good stewards (or

managers) of the money God puts in our lives. So many people in the church

world cannot do some of the reasonable things that the Bible asks us to do

with our finances because they are trapped by debt. Get inspired to begin your

journey to a debt free life on page 14 in “The Cup that Holds the Liquid Gold”

from Erik Van Alstine. Erik is an entrepreneur who has been a long-time member

of Champions Centre and is part of our teaching team. His life experiences have

qualified him to help anyone break free from the chains of debt.

Being committed to a debt free life is a great place to be since we’re called to

be extraordinary in our finances and in our lives in general! We are not called to

live an ordinary existence. God wants us to be committed to live extraordinary

as individuals and as His Church. It all begins with recognizing and

believing that we serve an Extraordinary God (page 8).

You and I not only need to be committed to lifting our

own lives, but we can also bring a new and better life

to people in our communities and around the world.

Find out how Champions Foundation continues to

stay true to their commitment of bringing HOPE

LOVE and CHANGE (page 6). Plus, we’ve got a

great Real Life Champion story for you this issue.

A former Army Ranger tells his story of abuse,

anger, overcoming and victory. You don’t want

to miss this turnaround story (page 20)!

Now, you can hear what other readers are

saying about how Champions Centre is

impacting their lives on page 4 and you can

let us know how CLM encourages you by

emailing championlife@championscentre.

com or online at championscentre.com.

We do not have to be standoffish about

commitment any longer. We can choose to be

committed in everything we put our hands to

do. Don’t just live life—choose to build trust in

your family, your workplace, your church and

your relationship with God through genuine

and authentic commitment.

Fall 2010 | 3

We want to hear from you!Do you have feedback or a story to share? CLM welcomes your

comments. Please write us at: [email protected]

Mail: Champion Life Editorial, 1819 E. 72nd St., Tacoma, WA 98404

I don't want to be a Church that

comes in, turns on the lights,

has a service, and never takes

on a challenge #breakingfree

— @kevingerald

2day I’m dreaming like money

doesn’t matter. New vision new

passion stirring the heart up.

#breakingfree — @tramsdell

Headed to life group in seattle.

The NW is #breakingfree.

What are you dreaming about.

@ccbellevue — @Jakesutherland

Love msg about encouragement

and finances...not for selfish

reasons but for God reasons.

We've got dreams. @cctacoma

and @ccbellevue — @suekahawaii

@ccbellevue about to kick off!

Wake the dead church is about

to begin! Can't wait to see what

God will do in people today!

— @Ry_Cam

I am about to walk through some

huge career changes in my life

and @kevingerald is bringing

the perfect word for me.

#BreakingFree — @rstantonjr

Such a good message from

@kevingerald that @ramandt7

can't stop agreeing out loud

in Starbucks - we may just get

everyone saved! — @sheilagerald

@kevingerald just double dawg

dared @cctacoma to DREAM

BIG!! Can't walk away from a

dare especially a double dawg

dare lol! Let's DREAM again!

— @Big_Luis

People assume they can live

outside community and still live

within God's plan for their lives.

Via @kevingerald this AM

— @brandonmstewart

Success begins on Sunday! Get

out of bed + get to ur church :)

@ccbellevue is gonna be great if

ur on the Eastside. #breakingfree

#noregrets — @Jod1gc

TC2010 Conference There are no words to describe how this

conference has impacted my life; and

I am convinced I won't fully know the

impact for months, possibly years. I do

know the value of investing in myself,

equipping my self and gaining wisdom

because of the 5 years I had to spend

away from this House. What I didn't know

was how serving my house with my heart

and soul for the entire conference would

change me. I gained more than I could

have ever possibly given, by investing in

the lives of other, and standing for the

vision of the house. I went to the pre-

conference service in Bellevue, and up

until Sunday night I hadn't been to the

Bellevue campus. I was overwhelmed

with inspiration and gratitude. During

closing worship last night, I just began to

weep, at how consumed by honor I felt,

for being part of such an amazing house.

Loving you, serving this house and your

vision with heart and soul. — Melinda F.

Champions Centre TweetsHere are some of the online tweets we’ve seen about Champions Centre lately in 140 characters or less. Join the conversation at twitter.com.

YOU to US One miser. One night. One life changing miracle.

This December.www.championscentre.com/scrooge

A C INEMAT IC EXPER IENCE BY CHAMP IONS CENTRE

WEEKENDS IN DECEMBER WWW.CHAMPIONSCENTRE.COM

For more info on Breaking Free

Champion Life Groups, see article on

page 14 or online at

www.championscentre.com.

4 | Champion Life Magazine

One miser. One night. One life changing miracle.

This December.www.championscentre.com/scrooge

A C INEMAT IC EXPER IENCE BY CHAMP IONS CENTRE

WEEKENDS IN DECEMBER WWW.CHAMPIONSCENTRE.COM

N ku li , Age 6Champions Fore ver Home

Nkuli Before


The excitement children feel when the tree goes up and decorations are

brought out is universal the world over. The first year that Lily, now four, saw

Christmas stockings being hung up, she tried to put them on her feet, think-

ing they were new shoes. She had a hard time understanding why there was

only one stocking with her name on it. Nkuli came to our home unable to sit

up, walk, hold her head up or breathe without oxygen around the clock. She

was two years old. The first Christmas, our prayer was that she learn how to

walk. Our prayer was answered just before the holiday. Nkuli is now six, and

is partially deaf. She recently underwent surgery to correct ear problems.

However, her inability to communicate fully does not diminish her excite-

ment each time the Christmas tree lights are turned on. Warren and Glen,

brothers who are 11 and 13, barely survived life in neighboring Zimbabwe in

their early years. Their previous wishes were simply to have enough to eat.

Today, the Champions Forever Home has provided a safe refuge, allowing

them to become children again, and dream of bicycles, games, and toys.

An African saying is that “It takes a village to raise a child.” This is so true

when viewing the staggering statistics that AIDS has wrought, especially in

Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is estimated there are more than 12 million chil-

dren who have been orphaned or abandoned due to HIV/AIDS. The Champi-

ons Foundation has launched a Village Sponsorship program for the Forever

Home children. Participants can select a child they want to sponsor all year

long, as well as at the holidays, for $30 per month. With a Village Team of 30

people offering this same support for each child, we are able to pay for all

medical care, medications, schooling and education costs, housing, clothing,

and support for that child. Please go to www.championsfoundation.com to

read about our children, and to find out how you can become part of these

limited Village teams that adopt each child. Regular updates, photos, and let-

ters will be brought back from the kids each time we have a team that visits

the home. And you will be able to write to your adopted child as well. The Vil-

lage sponsorship program makes a great family gift at Christmas. What better

way to honor the spirit of giving at Christmas than by giving the gift of life to

a child? If you would like more information on this initiative, or any of our

other programs, you can also call us at (253) 475-6454, ext. 135.

UPDATE

ChampionsFoundat ion.com 253.475.6454 x135

Nkuli w

ith Sheila Gerald

The Champions

Foundation has been

serving our community

for more than 20 years

at the holiday time.

Through outreach

programs for children

and youth, and

providing resources

to partner agencies,

we have been able

to assist thousands

and thousands of

families at Christmas

in the Puget Sound

region. In 2007, when

we launched our

Champions Forever

Home in South Africa

for AIDS orphans,

we expanded our

assistance to the other

side of the world. This

year, children in our

Forever Home are

celebrating Christmas

joyfully as well, some

of them for the very

first time.

Fall 2010 | 7

EXTRAORDINARYby kevin gerald

EXTRAORDINARYPerhaps one of the greatest threats to God’s purpose is being okay with status quo. It’s so easy to blend in with our surroundings — to think ordinary, talk ordinary, and live ordinary. We become ordinary and experience only the ordinary. God lives outside the ordinary — in the extraordinary.

The book of Ephesians is an encouragement to God’s people to elevate their

thinking in regard to God, themselves and God's church. It isn't only for the

church of history; this writing is for us today. The writer, Paul, uses word

pictures and illustrations to tell us that we serve an extraordinary God, that

you are an extraordinary person, and that we belong to God’s extraordinary

church!

My hope is that the writings of Ephesians will help all of us to recognize

just that: God is extraordinary, you are extraordinary, and God’s Church is

extraordinary.

GOD IS EXTRAORDINARY

Expectations hold real impact on the outcome of situations. In Jesus’ life on

earth, He could not perform many miracles in his hometown because people

saw him as ordinary. The people from his hometown knew him as Mary and


EXTRAORDINARYJoe’s son, the carpenter’s boy, classmate and childhood

friend. How often do we allow God to become ordinary

in our lives because we lose sight of His extraordinary

nature? He becomes familiar and, in turn, we drop our

expectations of who God is and who He wants to be in

our lives. We forget that He is the Living God, Savior,

Creator of the universe, El Shaddai, Jehovah Jireh (our

provider), Jehovah Shalom (our peace), Yahweh, King of

Kings, Name above all names, and the list goes on and

on. He is everything. He is more than we could ever hope

for or imagine.

Not only is He extraordinary, but He has also done

extraordinary things for you and me. Most people have

no idea of the extraordinary investment heaven made so

we can live extraordinary lives and be an extraordinary

church. In Ephesians one alone, we see six key things

God has done:

• He blessed us. (v3)

• He chose us. (v4)

• He accepted us. (v6)

• He redeemed us. (v7)

• He lavished wisdom and understanding on us. (v8)

• He made known the mystery of His will to us. (v9)

It is extraordinary that the Creator of the universe is also

intimately acquainted with each and every one of our

circumstances. And, it is extraordinary that the eternal

God would send His Son, Jesus Christ, to the planet to

become sin so that you and I and everyone before us and

everyone after us will have the ability to have a personal

relationship with—and direct access to—God and live in

freedom. We serve an extraordinary God who is in the

habit of doing extraordinary things.

YOU ARE EXTRAORDINARY

It’s easy to let our surroundings cause us to lose sight

of who we are. We get caught up with all the particulars

and analysis—or worse, guilt, shame, regret and the

Fall 2010 | 9

like. But, we are not extraordinary because of our

surroundings, our ability, our talent, or even our good

works. We are extraordinary because we’re born to be

a child of God.

A boy found an egg in the woods, took it home and

placed it under a goose, and it hatched. It was a freakish

creature—its claw-like feet made it stumble as it tried

to follow the little geese around. Its beak was not flat

but pointed and twisted. He didn’t fit in with the geese.

Then one day a giant eagle flew across the barnyard

low enough for the little creature to see him. The misfit

goose lifted his head and stared at what was in the sky.

Immediately something in him identified with the eagle

and he began to hobble across the barnyard flapping

his wings. Then it happened: The wind picked him up

and carried him higher and higher into the blue sky. He

had discovered what he was. He was not a goose—he

had been born an eagle!

The good news of the gospel is that we can be identified

with the family of God. The royalty of heaven flows in

our veins. Yet, we often forget who we are. You will

never rise above the image you have of yourself in

your mind. Every image, idea, and concept that doesn’t

match God’s has to be traded in. You can’t live your new

life, thinking like you did in your old life. Thoughts that

are attached to who you were will hold you back from

the great things God has in mind for you in your future.

There was a man in Bible times named Gideon. An

angel appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you,

you mighty man of valor.” Believe it or not, that’s how

God sees you. He regards you as a strong, courageous,

and an overcoming person. You might say—No way!

God wouldn’t see me that way. He spoke to Gideon

like that because he was secure, confident—he was a

great leader.

Not so. In fact, when the angel began to tell Gideon

to go save his people from the enemy, a vicious

pagan people who had over run their land, Gideon

immediately began to speak out of his insecurity. He

said, “How do you expect me to help? I come from the

poorest family in the tribe and I am the least among my

Thoughts that are

attached to who you

were will hold you

back from the great

things God has in mind

for you in your future.

OR

DIN

AR

Y


family." In other words, I’m at the bottom of the barrel of

potential. My history is against me.

It’s interesting how God spoke to his potential, not his past,

isn't it? Gideon felt weak, but God saw him as strong. This

is how God sees you and me. He does not judge our future

based on our past; He judges our future based on His past.

He judges our strength based on His strength.

God has called us to reign and have dominion on the earth.

Once we understand that we are not called to live in the

shadows of guilt and regret, we step up into new levels

of fulfilling the God-purpose for each of our lives. You are

extraordinary—not because of anything you have done

or could do—but because you are made in the image of

God. Next time you question whether you're qualified to

represent God, just remember that God doesn't call the

equipped and qualified as much as He calls the willing.

WE ARE EXTRAORDINARY

See the church as God's idea—don’t see the church as

ordinary! The church is God's plan… it’s plan A, and there is

no plan B! From what we can tell from history, the church at

Ephesus that Paul wrote to was a “good” church, but Paul

saw their potential to become a “greater” church. Paul saw

the church at large becoming an extraordinary influencing

church in every region of the world.

The book of Ephesians says, “The church, you see, is not

peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the

church.” Peripheral is what you happen to see while you’re

focused on something else. The church is not meant to be

supplemental to your life. The church is the focal point for

Jesus. It is His hope for the world!!

It is ordinary for Christians to think that it’s Okay with

God if they love Him and have a distant, uninvolved

relationship with His church. The right way of thinking

(not ordinary) is that the church is God’s bride. He has

great love for the church. The apostle Paul is saying,

“don’t think of the church as ordinary—as a social club

or a place to casually attend and hear a sermon. See

the church as Christ in the earth.” The Bible says, “The

church is Christ’s body, in which He speaks and acts, by

You are extra-

ordinary—

not because

anything you

have done—

but because

you are made

in the image

of God.

EX

TR

A

Fall 2010 | 11

which He fills everything with His presence.” Recognize

the church is what He has chosen to change the world

one life at a time!!

God calls all of us to not just believe but to belong to

His house—the church! God wants us to unify around His

plan, to become His team and build His church!

The truth is that local churches are only as extraordinary

as the people in them. The people in a church make it

an impacting church for Christ. When the people are

passionate, committed, friendly, welcoming and soul

winning, then the church automatically takes on those

same characteristics. A passionate church that loves

and honors God begins with individuals who love and

honor God.

If you’ve had problems with the church, God wants you to

reconcile and be committed to the church. If you’ve had

differences, God wants you to set aside your disputes and

division and see the bigger picture—choose to belong to

His church. You can decide to be a builder of the church!

We serve an extraordinary God who is working through

us, His extraordinary people, to work together and build

His extraordinary church.

KEVIN GERALD is the lead pastor

of Champions Centre in Tacoma and

Bellevue, WA. For great resources

from Kevin, visit kevingerald.tv.E

XT

RA Champion Find:

40 Days to the Extraordinary

Living the Extraordinay Life


253.475.6454 ext. 361888.935.6914kevingerald.tv

CHAMPION FINDS

New Release

Right now all around the world people

are talking to psychics, reading their

horoscope, or consulting a fortune

cookie. But while there’s nothing wrong

with an innate sense of curiosity about

our future, it is important to realize that

the future isn’t something that happens

to us, it’s something that happens

through us. In this new release you will

learn to recognize the Forces that Form

Your Future!

resource yourself at KevinGerald.TVgo online to find a wealth of resources, including mp3s of messages and free video downloads from Kevin Gerald.

Fall 2010 | 13

Whenever I conduct a live Breaking Free financial seminar, I start one of the sessions by bringing two people to the front of the room. I fill a pitcher of water, and I tell each of them I’m going to give them a cupful.

But I don’t give a cup to the first person. I ask them to cup their hands, and I

start pouring. I pour a cup’s worth of water into their palms.

Sure enough, most of the water is gone immediately. It overflows and spills onto

the floor. Then the audience watches and laughs as they try to hold the rest of

by Erik Van Alstine

Liquid

The CupThat Holds

Gold


it. They struggle to keep their hands tight, all the while water is spilling out between

their fingers. A minute goes by and there’s nothing left, for all their struggling, but

a few teaspoons of water.

But for the second person, I give a cup. They hold it out, and I pour in the water. They

have no trouble holding it all. They don’t spill a drop. A minute later, the water is still

there. While the person without the cup was struggling just to keep a teaspoonful,

the person with the cup is relaxed and keeps it all.

Both people had good intentions. In fact, the person with the cupped hands worked

harder than the person with the cup. But when it comes to containing and directing

the water, neither intentions or hard work matter nearly as much as having a cup.

In Proverbs 27:16, Solomon described a similar cupped-hands effort in futility as

"grasping oil with the hand." Consider the frustration in Solomon's word-picture, as

you imagine trying to get a cup's worth of olive oil without the cup. You dip your

hand in the vat, and scoop some out. It oozes all over and makes a mess. Without a

container, forget it. You aren't getting much oil.

The flow of money into our lives is like the flow of my pitcher of water and the flow

of Solomon's oil. It's one reason we call it “cash flow.” Every time we get paid it’s like

our employer is pouring out a cupful of water. The question is, are we showing up

with cupped hands, or do we have a container? Are we containing and directing it

effectively, or is it spilling out all over?

Unfortunately, most of us are spilling. Our research has shown that the average

household spills at least $4,000 per year. High-income households spill much more

than that. Without mastery of a specific, structured method for managing the flow

Every time we get paid it’s like our employer is pouring out a cupful of water. The question is, are we showing up with cupped hands, or do we have a container?

Fall 2010 | 15

of money (i.e. the cup), the guaranteed

outcome, despite all our efforts and good

intentions, is spill.

Ever check your bank account and

wonder where all your money went?

Very likely, the answer is spill. Ever

wonder why you could make so much

money and have so little left over? The

answer, again, is spill.

Ruling Our Money and Transforming Our LivesGod, the ruler of everything, has created

us in His image to rule. We, like God,

are designed to be advance planners

and master managers, who decide

in advance what to do and do it well.

God rules everything and is ruled by

nothing. As people made in His image,

we're called, under God, to rule over

everything and be ruled by nothing

except God himself (and his delegated

authority in the form of policemen,

fathers, pastors, and so on).

Nowhere is this more important

than with our money. Too many of us

wonder where our money went instead

of telling it where to go. We don't rule

our money. It rules us. God is calling us

to be different than that. He wants us

to have more than enough to fulfill our

purpose in life, so we can live and give

at our full potential.

What would happen if you completely

eliminated your money spill? In our

Breaking Free classes, we teach a

simple, spill-free method for managing

your money. Imagine you mastered

that method. Every year from this year

forward, you had $4,000 more than

before. Would that change your ability

to give? Eliminate debt? Fulfill your

God-given purpose? I think it would.

Now imagine what would happen in your

church if everyone eliminated spill. That

amounts to a collective savings of your

entire church's budget, year after year. I

frequently speak with church members

who want to give but just can't seem to

find a way. But when spill is saved, there

is a way. I dream of the day when whole

churches are dramatically strengthened

as their people start ruling their money,

recovering their spill, and directing it

toward tithing and giving. It would mean

hundreds of thousands of dollars for the

local church to reach the lost, disciple

the found, and help those in need.

Pouring into Cupped HandsNow let's talk about the guy with the

pitcher — God our provider, that is.

God is the giver of everything. He's our

pitcher-holder. And, imagine that the

water in his pitcher is liquid gold. Every

ounce is worth a thousand dollars. It is

extremely valuable.

How is the pitcher-holder going to feel

about pouring it out when someone

shows up with cupped hands? He's

probably not going to pour much out!

Not because the person with cupped

hands shouldn’t have it. No, He doesn’t

pour into cupped hands because He

doesn’t want it to spill on the ground!

God wants to provide for you, not the

dirt at your feet. So He doesn't pour.

But when you show up with a cup,

He's eager to pour. He can trust that

you won’t spill it. He knows you have a

structure to hold the liquid gold. He's

excited to give it. In fact, He'd much

rather give it to you than the person


with their hands cupped. He wants his

liquid gold to make a difference. He

wants to do as much good with that gold

as possible. Therefore He is compelled

to give very little to the person with the

cupped hands, and give more to the

person who brings a cup.

Does this remind you of Jesus’ parable

of the talents? Three servants were each

given a certain amount of money to

invest. When the master returned after a

long absence, the servant who invested

his money wisely got even more, but the

person who didn't increase it got shut off.

And to add insult to injury, the servant in

the parable who squandered the little he

had was asked to give it to the one who

had the most!

If we don’t understand the “holding

the liquid gold” principle we’ll think the

master unfair. But when we understand

the idea that the resources flowing into

our lives are extremely valuable, it makes

perfect sense. These resources must be

contained and directed wisely. And it’s

tragic when they aren’t. The flow of liquid

gold is diverted from places that waste it to

places that put it to good use!

So, do you want financial increase? Learn

to contain and direct your cash flow.

Show up with a cup!

A few years ago, Erik and I really started using the Breaking Free cashflow management strategy for ourselves. Between us, we realized that we were spilling literally thousands of dollars a month, all because we weren't properly following a simple, proven system for containing and directing our money.

Even though neither of us were taking on debt or in financial trouble,

we weren't containing and directing our resources like we really wanted.

We realized that the more money we made, the more we needed the

cashflow system we teach!

Think of it like this. If the pitcher was a fifty-five gallon drum, pouring out

gallons at a time, spill would be greater and greater the more that poured

out. The more we made, the more we would spill! The spill problem had

to be resolved.

So we decided to become each other's accountability partner. Every

month, we take our Breaking Free assessment, a brief survey that helps

us see specifically how we can get better. And we send each other our

spending plan for the month.

At first, it was a challenge. But it transformed us from just knowing

what we should do to actually doing it. Today, our lives are completely

different because we've figured out how to rule our money instead of

letting it rule us. Every month, we tell our money where we want it to

go with a specific type of spending plan. Then we use a specific method

for following that plan that, if followed, keeps us on budget. Instead of

looking back on the month and realizing we've overspent, we got control

of our money. It made all the difference in our lives.

I encourage you to do the same. Seek mastery of the principles and

practices of Breaking Free. It will help you and those around you break

debt, build wealth, and discover your God-given purpose.

By Chris Dunayski

Showing Up With A Cup

Chris is co-founder and President of Project

28, marketing entrepreneur, passionate coach,

husband of fifteen years, and father of three.

Fall 2010 | 17

“... a brilliantly crafted, effective small group program

that has the power to transform your life, your

church, and your community!” — Kevin

Gerald - Senior Pastor, Champions Centre

“Erik’s passion is to help us have more

than enough to fulfill our God-given

purpose. That’s a fantastic reason for

Breaking Free!” — Steve Gladen - Small

Groups Pastor, Saddleback Church

“Breaking Free is the most powerful coaching

system I’ve ever seen.” — E.B., Fortune 1000

executive coach

"Even with the recent lay-off we have

been positioned to make our monthly

commitments, including our tithing

and campaign pledges, Praise God for His

provision and the equipping facilitated through

programs such as these!" — A.M.

"Breaking Free has taken our finances off of life

support, and put them on a path for long-term success. We

are no longer striving to get by and living pay check to pay check,

we have a purpose and a future for our finances and we are taking

out our debts one at a time. This was the best financial decision

we have made. Thank you for putting the program together. My

wife and I are going through the program again in our church small

group now and it is even better the second time." — S.R. & K.R.

"The Breaking Free curriculum is straightforward, easy to

understand, and engaging. The online assessment promises to bring

accurate measurement and an accountability that other programs

lack. Thank you for the time and energy you have expended on this

project to equip us and others with tools for success! And thank

you for making it so affordable. We can see that it is truly a labor of

love!” — D.W. & J.W.

"Breaking Free was a great program for my husband and I to go

through together. We had several credit card bills, medical bills,

college tuition and an auto loan adding up to about $65,000. In the

short time that we've been married (2.5 years), we've paid off all our

bills minus my college tuition which sits at about $7,500 now." — K.

What They're Saying

Erik is the author of the Breaking Free personal

finance small group program, entrepreneur,

teaching pastor at Champions Centre, husband

of twenty years, and father of six. Reach Erik at

www.project28today.com

Champion Finds:Breaking Free

Workbook, Devotional, Small Group DVD, Audio Teaching


tithe | stewardship | vision | missions | generosity

Advancing the Greatest Cause on the Planet Giving to your local home church is all about advancing the greatest cause on the planet, which is the cause of Jesus Christ. He said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail” (Matthew 16:18). At Champions Centre we encourage our entire church to plan their commitments annually through our iPartner Giving Cards.The Bible refers to your tithing as firstfruits giving. It is the covenant that believers make with God to bring the first 10% of our income to build God’s house. God’s promise is to provide, protect, bless and prosper us when we honor him with a tithe of all our increase.Offerings are where generosity begins. There are two basic kinds of offerings. One is an instant, inspired and spontaneous gift and another is a planned and pre-arranged gift. At Champions Centre we have occasional opportunities for inspired and spontaneous giving while also encouraging everyone in the habit of planned giving. Below are the four major areas we encourage everyone, as part of managing their resources, to consider in their monthly giving habits. Our hope is for every individual to prayerfully determine the amount they give and enjoy the experience of generous, cheerful giving.

General Offerings » stewardship givingGiving to the operational needs of Champions Centre.

Kingdom Builders » vision giving Giving to resource the vision and future of Champions Centre.

Champions Foundation » missions giving Giving to education, hope and faith initiatives of Champions Foundation.

Liberty Offering » generous giving Giving, along with our entire church, an annual best and sacrificial offering to the many ministries of Champions Centre.

Why not make room in your monthly budget to advance God’s plans and purposes on the planet? The local church is God’s Plan A to bring hope and faith to all people. So let’s join our efforts together and make a difference while we’re still on the earth! -Kevin Gerald

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his

heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NIV)

Growing up as a child, I lived in an abusive home. My father, the alcoholic, was an extremely angry sociopath. Although my mother took the brunt of his rage, there were times when it would spill over onto my three sisters and myself. I can remember many times when I would be beaten with whatever was handy. My mother finally left him when I was six

years old. Not much longer after, he broke

into our house and raped two of my sisters.

We were sleeping in my mother’s room, they

were in the bed and I was on the floor. I

remember waking up to muffled cries and

the sound of cloth ripping. There was water

running somewhere and there was an unusual

odor in the air. I looked up from where I

was sleeping and saw the outline of him set

against the moonlit window. He was yelling

at them. Confused, I went back to sleep. My

sister Holly tried to wake me, tried to get me

to leave and get help, but I didn’t do anything.

I just lay there. This monster was my male

example in life.

As I grew older, I was extremely mad at God

and those who represented Him. I was de-

termined to find another way. This lead into

studying and practicing other “beliefs” such

as Brazilian voodoo, Egyptian magic, Satan-

FORREST ANDERSON

Joining my unit was extremely taxing on my newfound faith. Once we started deploying, everything changed.

REAL LIFE CHAMPIONS


FORREST ANDERSONism, Islam, Mormonism. Anything I could get

my hands on. I was trying to fill a void that I

didn’t fully understand. I felt so empty and

so alone. I began to push every negative

thought and feeling as deep as I could.

All the negativity that I refused to deal with

started manifesting itself in the form of

night terrors. Trying to push that all away I

became emotionally stunted. I couldn’t feel.

In my teen years I started doing drugs. I

thought for sure that this would not only fill

my void, but also help me to feel again. It

didn’t work…so I did the next “logical” thing.

I started to cut myself. I used scalpels that

I stole from my mother the nurse. Because

it is a very thin blade the scars were hardly

noticeable. For a while it worked. I felt pain…

but I felt something.

At the age of seventeen I moved in with my

Grandmother Anderson. I could no longer

live with my mother, and grandma was the

only one who would take me in. I continued

to do drugs and even started to sell them to

support my habit.

I finally broke at eighteen. I hadn’t cried in

however long and I wept like a newborn. I

didn’t understand why. That’s when I found

a cross that I had been given from my

grandmother Newton when she died. I never

really cared about it before but wanted the

reminder of my amazing grandma. This was

a woman of God. At that point I hadn’t seen

it in over a year and thought that it was lost.

I found it and immediately knew. This was

my wake up call. I didn’t feel like I really had

a choice; I was being told that despite every-

thing, Christ still loved me. It was my time to

give back.

Knowing my own limitations, I had to leave. I

joined the Army in May 2001. There was no

way that I could stay home and not fall back

into the life I had been living.

Joining my unit was extremely taxing on my

newfound faith. Once we started deploying,

everything changed. For me,

being on a mission, out to

“acquire” someone was easy

enough. Our relentless train-

ing made everything flow.

Reactions were instinc-

tual for the most part. Not

that there weren’t hard

moments to deal with. I

have lost my fair share of

friends to extreme situ-

ations. The hard part for

me was coming home.

Trying to reintegrate into

society and life. Loads

of my energy would be

spent trying to “want” to

be around people.

Now I am out of the Army and seeking the

completion of my degree in psychology.

I look forward to serving in this different

manner. Helping those who are having

difficulty overcoming their own mental

wars. Christ continues to bless the life of

my family, and I want to pass that on the

best way I can.

I didn’t feel l ike I really had a choice, I was

being told that despite everything, Christ

stil l loved me. It was my time to give back.

Fall 2010 | 21

The value of a piece of property is determined by what someone

is willing to pay for it. As many people in our nation have

discovered in the past couple of years, market changes led to a

decrease in home value and sales. In our world, value of goods and

property can change due to supply and demand. In other words,

value is attached to the price someone will pay for that item.

This is good news for us, as God’s people. Our value is revealed

by the price that was paid for us. Jesus, God’s son, gave His own

life in exchange for ours. The penalty of our sin was death. It was

more than we could afford. It was a price that had to be paid…by

someone. When He came and gave His life on the cross and rose

again, He made the final payment on our sin. The debt was paid,

and the account was closed!

This is how, as God’s people, we can discover who we really are.

“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living

for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he

had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of

the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”

(Ephesians 1:10-12)

I regularly see people who are asleep on the inside. I see people

housing greatness within them, yet unaware of it. Or worse,

maybe there is a sense of discouragement, frustration, or quitting.

It’s as if we can enter seasons of life where we fall asleep to our

true value and greatness. It’s time to wake up and discover who

we really are.

What untapped greatness is on the inside of you? We are

established by God, for God. We are seated with Jesus, at the

right hand of the Father. We are His sons and daughters, and we

were bought at a price. So today, consider the possibilities that

lie on the inside of you.

• What dream lays dormant on the inside of you?

• What purpose is untapped?

• What acts of generosity are waiting to emerge?

• What legacy is unborn?

• What untapped greatness is on the inside of you?

k.WISEUntapped Greatness

“It’s in Christ that we find

out who we are and what

we are living for. Long

before we first heard of

Christ and got our hopes

up, he had his eye on us,

had designs on us for

glorious living, part of

the overall purpose he is

working out in everything

and everyone.”

(Ephesians 1:10-12)


commitment in the face of conflict produces character

- unknown

www.championscentre.com/conferences

worth your time.

Relationship Conference2.9-2.10

Women’s Conference5.19-5.20

Summer Conferencefor EVERYONE8.1-8.3

Men’s Conference10.6-10.7

Champion Life Magazine Fall 2010

Documents

Transcript of Champion Life Magazine Fall 2010