NEXT STEPS
Next Steps: Giving
What is Biblical Stewardship?
The biblical definition of stewardship is: The Proper Management of My Life in Order to Enhance God’s Kingdom. We could call it LifeGiving! It is about how we are handling our lives. How we handle our money is a clear indicator of how we are handling our lives. (Matthew 6:21)
But stewardship, tithing, giving is not really a money issue. It is a belief, trust, faith issue. It reflects how much we believe God can take care of our needs. (Luke 6:38) It takes faith to tithe! In order to be a proper steward, we need to understand that God holds the title deed to everything in our possession. We own NOTHING! We recognize this truth by tithing. Tithing is an admission that everything we have belongs to God and He is letting us manage it.
Our God is a giving God! He is a generous Giver! He is also a lavish Giver! On top of His grand generosity He also gives us His very best. He gives exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think. God’s giving is in equal proportion to His loving. What does your giving say about your love for Jesus?
What is a Tithe?
A tithe is one tenth of our gross earnings (first fruits.) (Genesis 28:22) To tithe is to return to God a tenth of what He has given us. Tithing is an act of love and obedience and tests the sincerity of our love. (John 14:21; 2 Cor. 8:7-8)
What is the Purpose of the Tithe?
The purpose of the tithe is to worship God. Tithing shows we acknowledge that everything is the Lord’s and that we have use of these things only because of God’s blessing. (Genesis.14:20; Proverbs 3:9; Matthew 6:33)
Another purpose of tithing is to provide for the livelihood of the pastors & staff (Numbers 18:8-20) and to provide for the poor, the widows and our brother who is in need.
What Part of the Tithe Must go to the Local Church?
The Bible states that the entire tithe (first ten percent) goes to the local church. (Malachi 3:10a) Giving to other organizations should always be above the tithe.
What if I cannot Afford to Give?
In faith we tithe first before paying our bills. When we trust God, He will bless us and provide for our needs.
-Tithing is an act of obedience (Proverbs 3:9-10)
-Tithing requires sacrifice (2 Samuel 24:24)
-Tithing is an act of faith (Malachi 3:10)
What Happens When God’s People Give God’s Way?
When God’s people give God’s way, the following blessings occur:
-We receive spiritual blessings (Malachi 3:7)
-We receive material blessings (Malachi 3:10-11)
-We receive the blessing of influence (Malachi 3:12)
What are Offerings?
An offering is giving that is over and above our tithe. Offerings can be consistent giving to a particular organization or offerings can be an occasional gift for an impoverished person, for a mission trip or for other needs that arise within the organization.