WHY WE GIVE
Generosity is our privilege because Jesus was first generous towards us. At Christ Community, we believe generosity is a lifestyle. One that comes with a blessing from God. One of the ways we do that is through what the Bible calls a tithe.
The word “tithe” literally means a tenth or 10%. We give 10% of our income as a reminder that God is the supplier of everything. It teaches us to always put God first in our lives. We teach and practice the Biblical principle of tithing. God not only calls us to give as an act of obedience but to give freely with pure motives. In other words, we give without expecting anything back in return. And it teaches us to be good stewards of what God has given us.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT TITHING?
• According to Leviticus 27:30 (TLB), “A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, is the Lord’s, and is holy.”
• In Malachi 3:10 (NASB),“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”
• And 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
EXPRESSION OF WORSHIP
Tithing was created for our benefit. It teaches us how to keep God first in our lives and how to live unselfishly. Unselfish people make better spouses, friends, relatives, employees, and employers. God is trying to teach us how to prosper over time.
Tithing and giving comes down to a faith question that we must ask ourselves as we look at how we handle the money God has given us.