Tithing: A Timeless Principle of Discipleship

Tithing: A Timeless Principle of Discipleship

By the number of emails I received recently from groups that want to help me face the summer financial crunch for my church, I am guessing many churches are experiencing major challenges when it comes to finances and budgets. Our church is no exception. It is my opinion that the church does not have a budget problem; rather it has a discipleship problem.

I doubt that there is any more threatening subject than that of tithing, which is why pastors today are nervous about bringing up the topic. However, we need to have this conversation. As Martin Luther put it, “There are three conversions necessary in the Christian life: the conversion of the heart, the mind, and the purse” (Randy Alcorn, Managing God's Money).

Some of the angst comes from people’s negative experiences with previous churches, pastors, and evangelists. We must confess that some pastors, on occasion, have used biblical texts related to tithing in a manipulative manner to raise the budget or to build a building. Such behavior should not be tolerated; however, this does not alter the basic biblical teaching on tithing.

Just so we are clear, the definition of tithing is: Giving ten percent (10%) of our income to God through His church. The original tithe was an offering of one's agricultural income to the Lord as an expression of thanks and dedication. Today, because we live in a monetary society, we give ten percent of our salary.

I recently preached a message at Centerpointe on tithing and its significant role in discipleship. You can find the video and the text at Tithing Message.

This subject is too important to not address.

Because I Care,
Pastor Keith