Tithing

God wants to reward your giving

Giving to the church is a sensitive topic. It challenges the way donated money is spent after it's given and threatens our own selfish natures. Ultimately it's our concern that if we give too much away, we won't be able to make ends meet. God's Word teaches us that in His economy, He always provides. The Lord owns everything, and He will generously reward His faithful, obedient children spiritually, physically, and financially, even beyond our wildest imaginations. He's just waiting for our trust.

Reasons for giving:

It motivates greater faithfulness.
Jesus taught His followers to live by a higher standard than the one given in the Old Testament. For example, when the Law said "do not murder," Jesus said that anyone who hates his brother is a murderer. Would it be any less logical to give less than the Old Testament standard of tithing?
It releases God's financial blessing. He promises that as we tithe, He will be faithful to "throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it" (Mal. 3:10). He adds, "Test me in this!" This is one of the most remarkable passages in the Bible. God said they could check Him out and see if He was telling the truth. People who have taken Him at His word give testimony to His blessings, that go beyond worldly logic. Remember, you don't give to be blessed, you give because you are blessed.

It expands Kingdom work.
The average percentage of Christian giving is only 2.5%. It doesn't take a mathematical genius to see that churchwide tithing would allow ministry efforts to virtually explode. Imagine how much greater God would be glorified if the kingdom of Christ quadruples its resources.

It changes spending habits.
If your giving standard has been low, starting to tithe may seem to stretch you financially at first. But in the process of tithing, you will learn to prioritize your spending pattern and develop a sound financial budget. This will allow you more money to give. You'll also find that the discipline brought on by tithing will help you fight the materialistic urges prompted by the marketing gurus of our consumer-driven society.