Yesterday, we finished our Fall Kickoff series called, Live Like You’re Dying. We tackled the big topic on “Give Like You’re Dying.”

I know, you hear that title and think fall… new people… big crowds… and giving? Yeah. Giving. We broke some of the rules that you abide by during a high traffic season.

  • Don’t talk about Giving.
  • Don’t give the offering at the end of service.

I must admit, I misjudged this day and how Pastor Dan was going to deliver this message. He was on vacation the last week, so we didn’t have him in the office to hear how he was going to take it.

We didn’t know if he was going to go straight into his topic and talk heavy about tithing or giving, or if he was going to hit it in a broad sense that we need to give our lives away. I had a feeling because of the high traffic season, he would take the broader approach.

Well, he hit both. He hit tithing hard with a solid Biblical backing and he addressed Four Heresies about giving:

  • You can pick and choose the sayings of Jesus you want to follow.
  • We don’t have to tithe. It’s an Old Testament Standard
  • If you give, God will make you wealthy and healthy.
  • You can give to any cause you want and call it your tithe.

Dan ended the message with a 90 Day Challenge. Tithe for the next 90 Days and if you don’t feel God has showed up and blessed you Westside will give it all back. We’ve heard of other churches doing this and how their people have taken the challenge and it was time for us to make the same challenge.

You can catch the full message here.

We had a good day overall, well other than the light board freezing up right when Pastor Dan was supposed talk at the beginning of the 8:30a service.  He recovered well and didn’t skip a beat.

We also sang a song that I wrote the chorus for. If I can get my hands on a recording of it, I’ll post it here.

And we had 97 people attending our online campus!


2 thoughts on “Weekend Reflect: 9.26.10

  1. I am still struggling with the following “Heresy” regarding tithing supported by Biblical backing:
    "You can give to any cause you want and call it your tithe."

    Personally, traditionally I looked at my tithing from the Big C church standpoint and not the little C church standpoint. If I am financially helping with a mission trip, a soup kitchen, the guy on the street, who ever and what ever it might be as long as it is furthering the kingdom of God – isn’t that part of the Big C church? Isn't that what God would call being part of the Big C church – looking out for each other – helping each other – doing it without thought? Does it really need to be these things, plus give an additional 10% (or the first 10% and then these however you want to look at it) to the little c church?

    Interesting.

    1. The difference I think is that the monies are given to Kingdom driven organizations. There are several soup kitchens that are meeting the needs of the people in their communities, but for me to take the 10% that belongs to God and give it to them knowing they are not interested in telling them about the gospel is where this heresy applies.

      The Old Testament mentions bringing the tithe to the storehouse. I don't know of a definitive argument to say Big C over Little c is right or wrong. This is the strongest evidence I have for bringing the tithe to your local place of worship: Malachi 3:10 "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple." We are to give 10% so ministry can keep going. The temple was the place people would bring sacrifices and it was the place where the people heard from God.

      It is up to interpretation and this is how interpret that verse.

      A lot of people will reference that as an OT practice and not applicable today. However, in the NT there are references to the Little c church, that just began assembling, bringing their offerings (which was everything – not 10%!) to be given away to each other. NT living is about 100% giving.

      Another argument worth mentioning, is that if you are going to a church that you don't believe you can give to, why are you going?

      My take is that my responsibility is to obey and give. I want to be able to give more. My wife and I give way more than 10% away every year. The first 10% goes straight to my church. The rest is through missions, causes, gift cards, etc. We love to give. It isn't always economically easy, but we love doing it. When I obey and give that is all I'm responsible for to God. Then those I give my money to are responsible to God for what they do with that money.

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