It’s Sunday night! Time to gear up for a new week. As always, the best way to do that is to PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD (Ephesians 6:10-18) but we also will focus on ONE area to strengthen our walk with the Lord. Just one focus to help us grow a faith that cannot fade with the demands of life and the pressures of this world. This week we will focus on TITHING!

Tithing can be a tricky sermon for preachers. They are inevitably met with accusations of only caring about money. But the subject of tithing can’t be ignored because God was very specific about it:

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

There’s a blessing that goes with tithing.

Leviticus 27:30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s: it is holy unto the LORD.

It belongs to Him to begin with. Is God the Person you really want to be stealing from?

1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Just in case you think tithing went out with the Old Testament, here’s a New Testament commandment!

There is a difference between tithes and offerings as well.

Tithing is 10% of your income. It should be given to your local storehouse aka your home church if you have one.

Offerings are given however you deem fit- an individual, a ministry, an evangelist. It is up to you how much and to whom.

What you shouldn’t do is deduct the offering amount from the tithe. Or decide to help a family in need instead of tithing.

The Lord has placed pastors over churches with the wisdom to use the resources to grow the fellowship and the ministry to others. Your church should be transparent about its finances, but you should also trust its leadership.

Months that have more days than money always end up having enough when you tithe first than when you wait to see if you have enough money left. Just like the widow woman and her son. God honors the cheerful giver.

The main reason, though, that you should tithe is so that your money doesn’t mean more to you than your obedience to God.