This morning, I was reading Hebrews 11, the Hall of Faith. Each story began with “By faith” . . . As I was reading, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “By faith . . . in 1989 the Lawson family left California and all that was familiar to them to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Wow, God!
That took my breath away and caused me to stop and reflect on the power of that one single choice. That choice in all reality didn’t just have a ripple effect, it was more like a tsunami. Because of that one choice, we’ve had the honor of leading thousands of kids to Christ. All three of our kids are in ministry and have affected tens of thousands of lives. They married godly spouses and gave us nine wonderful godly grandkids.
Our oldest son, Erik, and his wife, Christy, started Element Church that ministers to nearly 4,000 people each week . . . “by faith.” Our daughter Heather and her husband Bob were the original people to help Erik and Christy launch the church from their basement office in Chesterfield . . . “by faith.”
Today, Kip and I, and our daughter Heather, serve on staff there.
Our son David, married Charity, the daughter of the Pastor Willie George of Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma. That’s the church we moved from California to serve at. David still serves there on staff.
All from one choice. . . “by faith” . . . And what God started by that “by faith” is still continuing to unfold all because of one decision a phone man and a stay-at-home-mom made nearly thirty years ago.
What if we had not left California? We probably would have had a nice life, but in my heart, I know it would have been a shadow of what could have been, a glimmer of what unfolded because we took that step of faith.
What is God challenging you to do today . . . “by faith?” What step of faith is He asking you to take? What wonderful plan will unfold before you when you do? You’ll never know, if you don’t take that first step . . . “by faith.”
I challenge you to read Hebrews 11 and ask God, “What is my . . . by faith?”
S. Courtney Lawson
Writer and speaker Sandy Lawson recently hit two Amazon.com best-seller lists with the new business book, "Transform," co-authored with best-selling author and speaker Brian Tracy.
Sandy Lawson serves as a Care Pastor at Element Church, in Wentzville Missouri, one of the fastest growing churches America. Sandy recently joined noted business development expert, best-selling author and speaker, Brian Tracy, along with a select group of the world's leading experts, to co-author the book titled, Transform: The World's Leading Entrepreneurs and Professionals Get to the Heart and Soul of Transforming your Life, Business & Health. The book was released on September 18, 2014 by CelebrityPress™ - a leading business book publisher.
On the day of release, Transform reached best-seller status in two Amazon.com categories - reaching as high as #6 in the "Direct Marketing" category. The book also reached best-seller status in the "Marketing and Small Business" category. Sandy contributed a chapter titled, "The Relationship Transformation...Taking Relationships From Terminal to Transformed."
Sandy Lawson has over 30 years of experience partnering with her husband, Kip, in family ministry and outreach. She's had the privilege of serving on staff at three mega churches prior to Element Church. In addition, she and her husband also had the honor of building the bus ministry of the Oneighty Youth Group at Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 400 riders weekly to nearly 1,500 riders each week.
Her biggest joy is coaching people in their personal relationships and helping them reach their God-given potential. She and her husband have helped hundreds of couples turn failing marriages into happily-ever-afters, as well as assisting parents in their quest to create healthy thriving families. In their career, Sandy and her husband have been a major influence in the lives of thousands of children, teens, and adults around the world. Sandy is the mother of three, and the grandmother of eight wonderful grandkids. She and her husband have been married over 46 years.
She is the author of a parenting book, "Parenting Through the Mirror" which explores the concept that great parenting must begin with personal transformation. She is also the author and illustrator of a children's geology book, "Iggy and the Volcano" that teaches kids the cycle of igneous rocks. Sandy is a freelance writer, speaker, blogger and was a major contributor to an internationally distributed children's curriculum.
After such a successful release, Sandy Lawson will once again be recognized by The National Academy of Best-Selling Authors™, an organization that honors authors from many of the leading independent best-seller lists.
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scourtneylawson 
Brilliant post. “[I] will never know if [I] don’t take that first step ‘by faith.'” Thank you.
Hebrews 11 was in one of my devotions tonight. And now I read this amazing story and am so grateful your “by faith” happened which eventually led to my “by faith” move to Missouri.
I’ve never personalized my “by faith,” but there are a lot of them. I guess there harder to see when the seed is planted and is still maturing.
Love you! Thanks for writing this!