It was, on this exact day, five years ago that God would give myself and the team of people who started theMOVEMENT Church in Oakland an opportunity that would result in $1,000,000. For real.

FEBRUARY 19. 2013.

My wife and I had only been living in Oakland for a little over a month. We were seven months away from launching weekly services. But, we had only $12,000 pledged towards the $190,000 we needed by September to start the church. A significant gap to say the least.

Having very few relationships with churches, organizations, and people who could actually make raising this amount of money a reality - we were truly walking by faith (or foolishness) depending on how you want to look at it!

But Rich Johnstone, a member of the original team of 20 people who started theMOVEMENT and the Send City Coordinator for the Southern Baptist Convention for the San Francisco Bay Area, graciously gave me the opportunity to share the vision of our church with a group of pastors (primarily from the South) who were interested in investing in new church starts in the Bay Area - an opportunity of a lifetime.

They came.
I shared the vision for our church.
I asked for their support.
My pastor affirmed my calling.
They prayed for me and our team.
They left. Then...
We waited.

A week later, we received our first email from a church (1st Baptist Trussville), letting us know they were interested in supporting us. Several weeks after that, we received another email...then another...then another.

By May of 2013, we had raised more than what we needed to plant the church! We were stunned.

But God wasn't finished. God isn't finished.

Over the last five years, through denominational support and church partnerships from all across the country, God has brought over $1,000,000 in financial support into our ministry!

One day.
One moment.
One 15-minute presentation.
One million dollars.

We did only what we could do then God did what only He could do.

We arranged the room so the guests would be comfortable. We printed the visual aid so they'd have something to take home with them. We prepared the presentation so the vision would be understood. We set-up the website so there would be a way they could respond. We prayed. We trusted. We waited.

God provided the opportunity. God ordained who would be there. God moved on the hearts of those who'd partner with us. God compelled the missions committees to approve. God gave us His favor. God showed us His grace. God poured out His blessings. God moved. God acted. God delivered.

How do you turn moments into miracles?

Do the natural. Trust God to do the supernatural. Do the ordinary. Trust God to do the extraordinary. Do the possible. Trust God to do the impossible.

There is no other way.