God Cares About Your Heart’s Desire

Phlegon and Kristen Joseph of Leesburg, Virginia have been married two years and are navigating life together as new parents. She teaches at a private middle school, and he works in sales. Even though they live in the one of the most expensive counties in America, money isn’t something they stress about. Their secret? Tithing.

“Tithing gets my mindset in a way where I make the right decisions. We can actually give it to God and really just focus on what He’s doing in the moment and not what we’re doing in the moment,” Phlegon declares.

“You can give that 10% in faith and then you can see the Lord move in all areas of your life,” Kristen agrees.

Phlegon began tithing consistently while he was still single. When he met Kristen at church and they started dating, tithing a full ten percent was something they agreed on right away.

“We would always talk about how it was a standard, you know, that we believe as Christians that tithing is super important,” Kristen recalls.

They married in August of 2023, and the following year found out they were expecting a baby.

“As soon as we got pregnant, we realized we needed something bigger,” says Kristen. “We need a backyard; we need someplace where we can walk and have the stroller.”

The two of them dreamed of buying a home of their own. However, with the competitive housing market in their area, it was a dream that seemed completely out of reach.

“When you come here, it's like what you get for a townhouse, you know, you could buy two houses in Delaware, or three houses in Georgia,” Phlegon declares.

“It seemed impossible,” Kristen agrees. “You are usually, ninety-nine percent of the time at a bidding war when you go to buy a house and they're going to take the best offer, obviously.”

As daunting as purchasing a home seemed, they realized their future came down to one thing.

“We're not buying this house in our own strength and our own intellect; we needed to one hundred percent trust in the Lord,” Kristen observes.

“It's not gonna be us who gets the house,” Phlegon agrees. “It's gonna be God.”

So, they increased their giving.

“We put the pressure on God, because the Bible says to test him in this area, and the windows of heaven will be open,” says Phlegon.

“It was definitely a huge step of faith, and Phlegon was very obedient in doing that every single Sunday.

As we would give, he would take the envelope, he would write specifically down: we're praying for a home for our family,” Kristen recalls.

Their church prayed with them and in July of 2025, the Josephs were able to buy a house.

“We found the perfect house, and it was really exciting that the Lord did provide for that!” enthuses Kristen. “We have a huge backyard, and we have a driveway, and we have more than what we thought we would get for our first home together.”

Since the birth of their son, David, they have seen God continue to provide. Phlegon has a new job and Kristen is also thriving.  

“He is getting a really nice salary where he can stay at home and take care of David at the same time. I was able to get an increase at work too. So, I saw the Lord's favor in that as well,” notes Kristen.

The Josephs agree that to survive—and thrive--in today’s economy, tithing is non-negotiable. They encourage others to give and watch God move.

“I've let him down, but he's never let me down,” says Phlegon. “We're just, you know, regular people who love God and who love what he's doing in our lives. Tithing has definitely brought blessings to me, and it's only the beginning.”

Kristen agrees. “He loves us so much, but He wants to give us more. He wants to give us so many blessings, but we need to trust him first. And that's putting him first, in our finances specifically. Just be consistent in it and don't be fearful of the numbers because he will make a way.”

Psalm 41:1 says, “Blessed is he who considers the poor; the LORD will deliver Him in time of trouble.” When you partner with CBN, you do more than just give to the poor. You provide hope and the love of Christ through life-giving surgeries, food and clothing programs, humanitarian aid, and so much more! Become a CBN partner, and help transform lives in the name of Jesus Christ! Join us now!