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Who is First?
Un$trapped: Biblical Wisdom on Money
Part 1: Who is First?
Matthew 6:24 (MSG) – “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.
Matthew 6:21 (NIV) – For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The First is Given by Faith on the First
THE FIRST…
Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV) – Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Leviticus 27:30 (NLT) – One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.
Malachi 3:8-10 (NIV) – “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
THE FIRST IS GIVEN BY FAITH…
Genesis 4:2b-3 (NIV) – Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering.
Genesis 4:4-5a (NIV) – And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor…
Hebrews 11:4 (NIV) – By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings….
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) – And without faith it is impossible to please God…
THE FIRST IS GIVEN BY FAITH ON THE FIRST
1 Corinthians 16:2 (NLT) – On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.
Mark’s Tithing Story
Due to poor decisions I had made, I had been at a point in my life where I did not have any extra money, and at times had to decide which bill I was going to pay and which one could maybe slip a little. I was using credit cards to pay bills, creating a wheel that kept on spinning into frustration and despair financially. I was a financial mess (which affected other areas of my life as well).
I was giving to church, but not tithing. I gave a little each time I went, but it was out of what I had leftover, after making decisions on what to pay. It was never very much.
The church I was attending began a challenge. The challenge was to tithe (yes, a full 10% of a person’s income) for 90 days. Their challenge was that if a person’s life did not change for the better within that 90 days, the church would give that money back.
The numbers regarding my income and bills did not support doing this. I did not have enough money coming in to pay my bills. How could I possibly give away 10% on top of that. However, after thinking about it a lot, and praying for guidance (admittedly, my faith was not very strong then), I decided to give it a try. I had no intention of asking for my money back after the 90 days if things did not show improvement, but that option was there.
I made it through the 90 days of tithing and made all of my financial obligations. I made changes in spending. I was able to earn a little more at work through assignments. My attitude changed, this time for the better. That was a turning point in my life…
Now, my tithe to church (based upon my gross income, not my net income) is typically the first “payment” I make each month. Anything else I give is above and beyond the tithe. And I am blessed beyond measure….
We are debt free again, and it is a freedom unlike any other. It opens so many doors and opportunities to give. God blesses the giver. My blessings have come in so many ways; from getting a grasp on anxiety, depression, anger, and PTSD issues to simply becoming more aware of the everyday sightings and hearings from God.
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By 7 City Church
4.3
66 ratings
Un$trapped: Biblical Wisdom on Money
Part 1: Who is First?
Matthew 6:24 (MSG) – “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.
Matthew 6:21 (NIV) – For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The First is Given by Faith on the First
THE FIRST…
Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV) – Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Leviticus 27:30 (NLT) – One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.
Malachi 3:8-10 (NIV) – “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
THE FIRST IS GIVEN BY FAITH…
Genesis 4:2b-3 (NIV) – Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering.
Genesis 4:4-5a (NIV) – And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor…
Hebrews 11:4 (NIV) – By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings….
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) – And without faith it is impossible to please God…
THE FIRST IS GIVEN BY FAITH ON THE FIRST
1 Corinthians 16:2 (NLT) – On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.
Mark’s Tithing Story
Due to poor decisions I had made, I had been at a point in my life where I did not have any extra money, and at times had to decide which bill I was going to pay and which one could maybe slip a little. I was using credit cards to pay bills, creating a wheel that kept on spinning into frustration and despair financially. I was a financial mess (which affected other areas of my life as well).
I was giving to church, but not tithing. I gave a little each time I went, but it was out of what I had leftover, after making decisions on what to pay. It was never very much.
The church I was attending began a challenge. The challenge was to tithe (yes, a full 10% of a person’s income) for 90 days. Their challenge was that if a person’s life did not change for the better within that 90 days, the church would give that money back.
The numbers regarding my income and bills did not support doing this. I did not have enough money coming in to pay my bills. How could I possibly give away 10% on top of that. However, after thinking about it a lot, and praying for guidance (admittedly, my faith was not very strong then), I decided to give it a try. I had no intention of asking for my money back after the 90 days if things did not show improvement, but that option was there.
I made it through the 90 days of tithing and made all of my financial obligations. I made changes in spending. I was able to earn a little more at work through assignments. My attitude changed, this time for the better. That was a turning point in my life…
Now, my tithe to church (based upon my gross income, not my net income) is typically the first “payment” I make each month. Anything else I give is above and beyond the tithe. And I am blessed beyond measure….
We are debt free again, and it is a freedom unlike any other. It opens so many doors and opportunities to give. God blesses the giver. My blessings have come in so many ways; from getting a grasp on anxiety, depression, anger, and PTSD issues to simply becoming more aware of the everyday sightings and hearings from God.