All In is more than just a series. It’s a radical call to living fully surrendered to Jesus.

Commit

From Sean Seay

Lead Pastor

On January 23, 2005, we gathered for the first Athens Church service at Cedar Shoals High School. That night, I shared about the heart of this church: a group of people fully surrendered to Jesus. I said, “What God wants most is for us to offer ourselves fully to Him.” We ended our first service by singing the song “Take My Life.” One of the lines in this song says, “Here am I, all of me. Take my life; it’s all for Thee.

As we wrap up our 19th year, we are more passionate about this idea than ever before. We want to be a church where people can show up with all of their imperfections. We want to value them and welcome them. We pray they eventually get to know God, who so intimately made them, and they trust Him with every aspect of their lives. We want this church to be filled with people who are saying to God, “Here am I, all of me. Take my life, it’s all for Thee!” This surrender is what it looks like when we have a growing relationship with Jesus.

We know that none of us drift toward a life of surrender. We all battle the sinful flesh within us, the broken world around us, and our spiritual enemy who despises us. So, we need all of the help we can get to live in a way that’s completely counter-cultural. We need community. We need worship. We need inspiration, and we need challenge.

That’s what this ALL IN season is about. It’s about all of us moving into a more eternally focused life. Even though we know it’s best for us, we get easily distracted, and we can even resist the things we need.

In Matthew 13, Jesus told a story about seeds being scattered on different kinds of soils. In v. 22, He explains, “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.”

This is what we face right now in our world. Many of us want to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, but we are distracted and tempted.

The ALL IN initiative is designed to help us live in a way that aligns with the teaching of Jesus. It’s a life that produces eternal rewards and greater peace in our everyday lives. Over the next six weeks, we hope you will encounter God specifically in the areas of your finances and generosity. As we do this together, we will fall more in love with Jesus, and even more people in our area will get to know Him as well. I am so excited about what God has in store for us. I don’t want you to miss it!

Bonnie & I are ALL IN! Will you join us?

Our goal is
100% engagement

All In is, first and foremost, a discipleship initiative. We want everyone who calls Athens Church home to have a personal encounter with God as it relates to his or her generosity and to follow Him in obedience. We strongly believe that stewardship is intertwined with discipleship.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are you asking me to do?

We ask that you pray and seek God for how He wants you to respond. Prepare your heart to hear Him, and then listen to what He says. Talk with your spouse and family about what this commitment will mean moving forward. Respond to the generosity of the gospel by giving obediently to be ALL IN.

How long is my commitment?

As this is not a capital campaign - your commitment has no end date. We simply ask you to prayerfully consider taking a step to become more generous moving forward.

How much should I give?

Knowing that we should give can be easy, but knowing how much to give presents a greater challenge. The standard for generosity set in Scripture is tithing—giving the first 10% of your income back to God through your local church. But God may be calling you to be more generous. We encourage you to prayerfully seek God and obediently give as you feel led by Him.

What if I'm new here?

We’re excited that God led you to Athens Church. We believe the local church is God’s plan for leading the people of our city into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Now is a great time to join our mission and say, “I’m ALL IN for the Gospel.”

What if I can't afford to give right now?

Even in times of scarcity, God wants your heart. The widow who gave her last coins did not make a very big financial contribution, but Jesus said she gave the largest gift of all - she gave everything she had (Mark 12:42). ALL IN is about surrendering to God and trusting Him. It may mean that God is asking you to trust Him by making a faith commitment. God has supplied your every need in Christ, and you trust that He will honor a heart that wants to give generously in response to the gospel. There may also be ways to be sacrificial with your lifestyle to create margin for generosity in your life. Find ways to involve the entire family and teach children to obey the Lord with a generous heart and to trust Him. This series is a great opportunity to take a look at your overall stewardship of all that God has entrusted to us.

What if I'm in debt? Am I still supposed to give?

It’s important for generosity to be a part of our lives at every point. If you are in the process of paying off debt, we commend you, and you should continue to do so. But, the Bible does not teach that we withhold giving until we are debt-free. When we honor God first with our giving, He promises to be involved with every other aspect of finances. We encourage you to consider going through Financial Peace University if you would benefit from developing a plan to gain control of your finances.

#ALLIN