The more Theo held onto his finances, the less money he had.

He wasn’t tight-fisted. 

Money was just hard to come by. 

Growing up, Theo heard preachers on the radio and watched them on late-night television.

He recalls Dr. Gene Scott preaching on the importance of tithing.

“Scott used to say when we trust God enough to tithe, that is when God will put the Holy Spirit to work in us,”

Through Dr. Scott’s teaching, Theo knew that giving back to the Lord is how Christians show their faith and trust in him.

But still, Theo didn’t tithe. He worked hard. Money was tight. He couldn’t afford to give to the Lord, so he thought.

Meanwhile, as a Christian, he struggled to feel connected to God.

Then, Theo lost his job. 

He had hit rock bottom. Dependent on unemployment checks, Theo had to make do with even less money.

But God was already at work.

Just before Theo lost his job, God sent him a preemptive miracle… in the form of Your Move teaching from Andy Stanley.

“Andy’s messages about Lazarus, the crucifixion, the disciples, and even his workplace tensions have spoken to me in a way that never occurred before,”

Listening to Andy’s messages about generosity, Theo realized he’d been missing the entire point: When you give to the Lord, it shows your trust in the Provider.

“One cannot grow closer to God if we don’t trust Him to provide for us,” says Theo. “I thought I couldn’t afford to tithe. In reality, I couldn’t afford NOT to tithe.”

So even though he was unemployed, Theo began sending his tithe to the Your Move ministry. 

He was still strapped for cash every week.

But he also felt closer to God than ever before. “I sincerely believe that is because of the tithing,” he says.

Through his faithful giving, Theo experienced a series of other surprising blessings.

He has begun to see how God protects and guides him daily. 

“I sometimes only have a fingernail grip on God’s promises but I ask God every day for strength and guidance and He gives me what I need to get through the day,” 

He is also growing in the fruits of the Spirit, and this makes him a living testimony of God’s faithfulness. “The changes in my life are so apparent my roommate has started to listen to (Your Move) and is tithing himself now,” 

God provided Theo with a new job. And even though the pay was low, Theo kept giving—and found that he was never in need and always content.

“I’m still broke every week but I never go without,”

“Satan is always in our ears telling us we can’t afford to tithe,” Theo continues. “If God be for us, who can stand against us? I hang on to that promise every day and it keeps me with a level head.” 

“I am so very grateful to have found Andy in the chaotic world in which we live. This walk of faith is a little easier knowing there is (Your Move) helping sort out the chaos through God’s word.”