REPORTER: George and Melissa Arroyo

were like many who relied on credit cards

to help with their living expenses.

We had 56 credit cards.

We used one to get to the other.

The children needed clothes.

The children needed food.

We needed to pay for the electricity.

We needed to pay for our rent.

REPORTER: George and Melissa both worked as teachers

in the school system.

Stretching the money on their salaries was tough.

The monthly payments on their credit cards

became nearly impossible to pay.

It would almost take us a year to even pay down a little bit.

We paid forever.

REPORTER: Within four years, their 56 credit cards

had a combined debt load of $50,000.

With no means to pay them off, they declared bankruptcy.

It was hard for me as a man because I

felt like I had failed.

I believe that our lack of obedience to God in tithing

cost us to slip all the way to the bottom,

when we have to declare bankruptcy.

REPORTER: In the middle of their financial difficulties,

they went through a very tough time

when Melissa was diagnosed with cancer.

MELISSA: My first thought was that my life was over,

that my children were going to have to graduate with me,

that my husband was going to have

to live his life without me.

GEORGE: It's like you going 100 miles an hour with your car

and making a screeching stop.

Life stopped right there.

REPORTER: Melissa was facing eight months in the hospital

to undergo aggressive chemotherapy and blood

transfusions.

She and George continued to pray and believe God for the best.

George and Melissa were now putting God first

in every area of their lives, including their finances.

You look up to the sky and you say, you know what?

Lord, it's yours.

It's yours.

My wife is yours.

My money's yours.

My life is yours.

We need to give it all to you.

I always knew in the back of my mind

if I'm really walking with God and trusting him,

why am I not giving him the full tithe that he asked me for?

REPORTER: The couple tithed faithfully

even after Melissa had to take a leave of absence from work.

They believe God honored their obedience

through unexpected gifts from others.

There were sometimes money order in cash in the mail,

in cards, and we didn't really know who had sent them.

But we were blessed abundantly.

REPORTER: Encouraged by what God was doing,

they decided to do more and started giving to CBN.

Then a month after treatment ended,

Melissa went back to the doctor and learned

she was in complete remission, and has been for 12 years.

I could not help but thank him every single moment of my life.

In fact, I still do.

I cannot believe that he saw me through such a hard time.

REPORTER: George and Melissa have seen God's faithfulness

to their obedience to be good stewards of their money.

George even received his dream job as director of coaching

at the football soccer club in Tampa.

And that was the Lord.

And he's provided us with more money, more blessings.

Since then, they increased their giving to CBN.

They say their current financial stability is the result

of their obedience to give.

God is a good father.

So when he gives us principles and guidelines to live by,

he wants the best for us.

He wants to give us hope in a future.

Give abundantly.

Give graciously.

Give cheerfully, because it's his and God loves you.

And when you do that, it shows your obedience to him,

and that's what he wants to see.