God is great, even when life isn’t
In all we’ve observed and experienced, that’s the most honest conclusion we can reach.
Average Us is Lon and Dawn Hetrick – yes, we know our names rhyme (sort of, depending on your accent) – an average Christian couple discovering day-by-day that God is the only truly great thing we will experience in life. Married since 1986, our family consists of three unique kids, three beautiful grandchildren, two predictable cats, and one typical house in an average suburb of Atlanta.
Dawn
Dawn’s passion is to shine the light of the gospel on her own struggles with anxiety and depression. She wants people like her to see how a relationship with Christ is the best hope of emotional stability in this world, and complete wholeness in the next. Read more about Dawn.
Here’s a sample of Dawn’s posts:
Lon
Lon enjoys engaging others in honest conversations about Christian faith and spiritual life. He hopes Average Us will nurture a more soul-satisfying and God-honoring faith in Jesus for both Christian, and non-Christian, readers. Read more about Lon.
Here’s a sample of Lon’s posts:
- Why WWJD Isn’t WJWD
- Treating Prayer Like Magic
- Awesome, Arrogant, Insecure, Average
- Following Jesus is Easy…or Hard…or Something Like That…
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I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. – Jesus
Average Us 
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Hello, is there a way to email you, or would you contact me please? Thank you, Steven.
You can message me through our Facebook page. Thx. Lon.
You have some good articles. What denomination of pentecostal were you affiliated with?
Thank you, Kevin. I graduated from an Assembly of God Bible college, and was an A/G pastor. Thanks for checking out our blog!
Thank you so much. I just heard a preacher on you tube that said if you don’t give your tithe than you are opening the door to (I took it as some sort of demonic stronghold). Now, how is a majorly depressed person terrified of demons supposed to take a statement like that? I am so tired of preachers manipulating people!!! I really needed to see this!
People who belong to Jesus by faith in Him belong to His Kingdom, and are therefore under His protection and God’s fatherly care. There is no stronghold that can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1, and 8:31-39) thanks for writing. I’m glad you were encouraged. Tell a friend. Grace to you. Lon
I enjoyed your series on “tithe”…however, i feel you are overlooking one crucial point…Jesus, nor did any disciple “exchange green dollars”, the way we conceive the exchange of money today, EVER, in exchange for the giving of the gospel The gospel is FREE… and this is where so so many churches go wrong in misinterpreting the scripture, ripping it from it’s context….It was never about money with Jesus ! Everything I read on this subject always brings me back to this basic truth ! That Jesus never took payment of any kind PERIOD ! God met their need of basics for living which was food, water, shelter…money was never exchanged…their basic needs were met by the saints…no one received houses, cars, private jets, silk suits, or a salary ! Giving is meant to meet the needs of people .. the poor, sick, widows, orphans…NOT FOR THE GIVING OF THE GOSPEL … which means Pastor, get a job like the rest of AVERAGEUS ! and God will meet your need according to his riches and glory if we indeed are doing the right and noble thing !
Hello and thank you for reading, Josephene. I’m actually not aware of any pastors/churches who attempt to tie giving to the gospel, though you may have. (There are a lot of wolves out there.) I have heard of pastors/churches who unwisely link tithing to church membership, or healing, or prosperity, or who make it seem that salvation may be dependent on tithing.
As for pastors and work, I believe congregations can determine whether they want to support their minister or not. The danger is when pastors demand certain levels of income from a church, exploiting tithing as the justification. Still more concerning to me is our western obsession with the church building. I suspect that far, far more money is invested in church buildings, than in church ministers, ministries, or missions.
Thank you for taking the time-