As believers in Jesus, it is our responsibility to use what we have to help others and to use each day to become more like Jesus.

The Bible tells us to give in proportion to our income.

Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income. 1 Cor. 16:2

So we make a habit of giving a percent of our income.

Giving a percentage of your income back to God through your local church teaches us a few things Jesus knew:

Everything belongs to God.

We can trust that God has and will always provide for us.

Sacrificing some of what we want grows our faith and character.

Giving is a way to show that we trust God with our lives and our finances. Giving isn’t for God’s benefit. He doesn’t need our money. Giving is meant for our benefit, because sacrificing a portion of our income reminds us to rely on God to meet our needs, helps us avoid greed and discontentment, and it makes us more aware of the needs of others.

When you give, it helps your church actively be the church by helping others.

A tithe is 10% of your income given to your local church. (The word tithe actually means tenth in Hebrew.) Many Christians practice tithing as part of their faith.

Tithing began in the Old Testament with verses like: Leviticus 27:30 “A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, is the Lord’s, and is holy.” And Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” Then, in the New Testament, we are challenged by the early church to go beyond tithing in verses like Acts 2:44 “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”

Nope. But being generous and giving away some of what God has entrusted you with, is an important part of a healthy and happy life. How much you give away will be based on prayer and personal prompting.

We don’t have to tithe to earn God’s love—because we already have it. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus warns against focusing too much on the rules of tithing without paying attention to the more important things like justice, mercy and faithfulness. This isn’t about a rule. This is about your heart.

Bottom line? You should be giving in some way. But tithing is more of a spiritual topic than a financial one. It’s about living with the attitude that we’ve been blessed to be a blessing.

2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Being outrageously generous is the most fun you’ll ever have with money. And it just starts with that 10%.

You might hear people say “tithe” or “offering” interchangeably, but they are actually different. A tithe is a specific amount (10% of your income) that you give first, and an offering is anything extra that you give beyond that.

After you tithe and pay bills, the extra money in your budget can be used to go above and beyond in your generosity. This can look like an extra gift to your church, money to a charity, supporting a friend or stranger in need, or anything you feel prompted to give.

We believe God honors our generosity and today is always the right day to start giving away some portion of what God has entrusted you with. Today is also the right day to make a plan to reduce debt, by revisiting your budget, and really praying over each dollar God is moving through your life. Ask God where the money should go. Reach out to us if you'd like more resources at andrew@thecrossing.com

But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you, see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 2 Cor. 8:7

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38

But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you, God? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! 1 Chronicles 29:14