GIVING SCRIPTURES
Did you know that Jesus talked about money more than He talked about Heaven or Hell? Money is talked about more than any other topic in the Bible. This is because “where your treasure is, your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:21).
The following are scriptures that will help you gain a Biblical mindset about money as well as encourage you to live a generous lifestyle:
- Deuteronomy 8:10-18 – God gives the ability to produce wealth
- Matthew 23:23 – Jesus’ affirmation of tithing
- Malachi 3:7-12 – Holding back tithes & offerings is stealing from God
- 2 Corinthians 9:5-15 – God loves a cheerful giver
- Psalms 50:9-12 – God owns everything
- Proverbs 22:9 – Generous man will be blessed
- Proverbs 28:22 – Stingy man is eager to get rich, but gets poverty
- Proverbs 28:27 – Give and have enough, withhold and be cursed
- Matthew 6:25-34 – Get priorities straight
- Mark 12:41-44 – God’s idea of generous
- Deuteronomy 16:16 – Bringing offerings to God
- 1 Corinthians 16:2 – Systematic giving
- 1 Timothy 6:6-11 – Love of money and “stuff”
- Hebrews 6:10 – God remembering your gift
- Romans 12:13 – Sharing
- Acts 20:35 – Better to give than to receive
- Matthew 6:21 – Where is your heart
- Luke 16:10-12 – Taking care of your finances
- Proverbs 13:22 – Saving for your kids and beyond
- 1 John 3:17 – Love of God in a man
10 QUESTIONS ABOUT CHURCH AND MONEY
The answer is no. However, God does want your heart. In Matthew 6:21 the Bible clearly states that where you put your treasure is where your heart will be.
In the Bible tithes and offerings are two separate gifts. The tithe is 10% of your first fruits that God wants all believers to give (Malachi 3:7-12) and offerings are gifts that you feel lead, or prompted, to give.
The Bible tells us to tithe from our “first fruits”. Today our “first fruits” is what we get paid for working. Every month numerous bills need to be paid from our check in order to survive. This is actually true for all but one bill and that is taxes. Taxes are taken from our check before we even receive it. However, this does not change the fact that our “first fruits” is actually the gross pay before taxes.
Tithing is a precedent that predates Mosaic Law. You will see in scripture that Abraham tithed, gave a tenth, of everything that he had (Genesis 14:18-20). Jesus also affirms tithing in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42.
The Bible talks about money more than 800 times. It will provide you with standards to live by in areas such as debt, savings, budgeting, investing, giving, receiving, etc. God is interested in how you manage your money because it affects every area of your life. A recent statistic from Financial Peace University states that 37% of all marital problems are derived from financial situations.
The Church is called to equip the saints for the work of the Ministry as well as take care of the poor and needy. At City Life Church, we spend 64% of the money God provides on Ministry, Missions, College Ministry, Benevolence and Staff to facilitate all of this. 25% of the money God provides is spent on Administration and Facility needs. City Life Church is part of a larger group of Churches worldwide known as Every Nation Ministries. The final 11% of the Church Budget goes to this organization.
In Malachi 3:10, God is pretty clear that the tithe is to be brought to the church where the work of the ministry takes place.
This is a common misconception in the Bible. 1 Timothy 6:10 does not say that money is the root of all evil, but it does say that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil . The Bible warns us over and over not to focus on getting rich (Proverbs 28:22).
We think a better question would be, “can you afford not to tithe?” With so many promises from God’s word associated with tithing, tithing should be a lifestyle to you. Tithing is not something God does to you, it’s something God does for you! He doesn’t want your money; He wants your heart! The promises of tithing include, but are not limited to, spiritual blessing, emotional blessings, financial blessings, etc.
We have a class called “Financial Peace University” and occurs within our Small Group Ministries. In this class you will learn basic Budgeting skills that will allow you to take the first step in becoming a good steward of what God has entrusted you with. For more information on this class, please email Heather Mattingly.
HAVE QUESTIONS
Do you have questions about your online gift or questions pertaining to your account information? Please contact us at info@clchouston.com or (713) 300-9928. We would be happy to address any questions for you!