September Newsletter
Do You Obey God With Your Money Or Disobey Him?
Luke 21:1-4, “As He looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Do you trust God enough to obey his command to tithe? Family, He is faithful and will always come through.
WHY SHOULD I TITHE? HERE’S 8 REASONS FROM GOD’S WORD
- Because God COMMANDS It.
Lev. 27:30, “A tenth of all you produce is the Lord’s, and it is holy.”
- Because Jesus COMMENDED It.
Matthew 23:23, “Yes, you should tithe, and you shouldn’t leave the more important things undone either.”
- Tithing demonstrates that God has FIRST PLACE in my life.
Deuteronomy 14:23, “The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God in first place in your life.” (LB)
- Tithing reminds me that EVERYTHING was given to me by God!
Deuteronomy 8:18, “Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”
- Tithing expresses my GRATITUDE TO GOD for all He’s done for me.
Ps. 116:12, “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?”
Deuteronomy 16:17, “Each of you should bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.”
- God says that refusing to tithe is STEALING from Him!
Malachi 3:8-10, “God says ‘Will a person rob God? Yet you are robbing me!’ But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ God says, ‘In tithes and offerings … Bring your whole tithe to My house.'”
- Tithing gives God a chance to prove HE EXISTS and wants to bless you!
Malachi 3:10, “Bring your whole tithe to My storehouse. Test me in this” says the Lord, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you won’t have room enough for it! I will prevent pests from devouring your crops and the vines in your fields will be protected from plagues.”
- Tithing proves that I TRULY LOVE GOD.
John 14:15 (Jesus), “If you really love me, do what I command.”
2 Corinthians 8:7b-8, “… I want you to be leaders also in the spirit of cheerful giving … This is one way to prove that your love is real, that it goes beyond mere words.” (LB)
The truth is family, giving or not giving reveals my spiritual maturity. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
Is Jesus your LORD, or is money or something else? Do you truly trust him with everything, which includes your money?
2 Corinthians 8:7, “Just as you excel in everything else… in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness… see that you also excel in the grace of giving.”
HERE’S SOME REAONS WHY GOD WANTS YOU AND I TO GIVE, 7 Benefits!
- GIVING MAKES ME MORE LIKE JESUS.
John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave his only Son …”
- GIVING DRAWS ME CLOSER TO JESUS.
Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.”
- GIVING IS THE ANTIDOTE TO MATERIALISM.
1Timothy 6:17-19, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arro-gant nor to put hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to be generous and willing to share. In this way they may take hold of the life that is truly Life!”
- GIVING STRENGTHENS MY FAITH.
Proverbs 3:5,9, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of your income, and he will fill your barns to overflowing.”
Luke 6:38, “Give and it will be given to you … For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
- GIVING IS AN INVESTMENT IN ETERNITY.
1 Timothy 6:18-19, ” … Give happily to those in need, and always be ready to share whatever God has given you. By doing this, you will be storing up real treasure for yourselves in heaven – it is the only safe investment for eternity.” (LB)
- GIVING BLESSES ME IN RETURN.
Proverbs 22:9, “A generous person themself will be blessed.”
Proverbs 11:25, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
Psalm 112:5, “Good will come to him who is generous …”
- GIVING MAKES ME HAPPY.
Acts 20:35 (Jesus), “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.”
Family, you can’t outgive God! He will always bless you in return. Your tithes and offerings all go to the ministry and the mission of this church to make fully devoted disciples out of all people. Your giving makes it possible to do ministry and have a pastoral staff. Our vision is to be a church that everyone loves to attend, because of our love and that we speak God’s truth in love. Your giving makes that possible!
We want you to know that our Lead Staff and Leadership Board takes the task of being good stewards and being financially responsibility, very seriously. We have great accountability and checks, to keep integrity with all the money given here at WVC.
So then, you might ask, What is tithing?
“Tithe” means “a TENTH part.” A “tithe” is giving ten percent of my income to my local church.
An “offering” is anything I give above my tithe. Remember, God will meet all your needs, Philippians 4:19, and bless you in return when you obey Him and give your tithe.
Did you know that in the key words that are used in the Bible, the word “believe” is used 272 times. The word “pray” is used 371 times and the word “love” is used 714 times. But here it is, the word “give” is used 2162 times! I pray that you’ll trust and obey God, by giving your tithe here at WVC. Your time and money are essential to us fulfilling God’s call on our church.
In Christ,
PD & Julie