Malachi 3:10-12
New International Version (NIV)
10 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. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
So, the last few weeks with the progress we have made, I've looked at the budget and have been tempted to not tithe monetarily. It was so tempting to see how much a snowball payment we would be able to send each month if we didn't. I tried to rationalize it, by telling myself we give of our time instead, since we are up there almost all day Sunday and then Tim gives of his time several days during the week. As I've been contemplating doing something like this while we are working on getting out of debt, I have been bombarded from every direction to do exactly the opposite. Our church started a series call "In the Zone". You can check it out at www.FellowshipChurch.com. It's all about being the the "sweet" spot. The pastor, as if talking straight to me, talked about how we try to bargain with God like we have something to bargain with. About how some people with state, I'll just give my time, and keep "my" money for myself. Also, I listen to Steven Furtick podcast sermons on my way to and from work. The last two sermons have been about different kinds of greed and also about giving and being generous and about tithing. Today at church, the started a 7 week challenge to the congregation to tithe the first 10%. This challenge would end at the end of the year, which is really interesting considering a few months back when Tim and I had originally started to tithe regularly, it was based on a dream telling me to test God until the end of the year. I have received the tangible and intangible blessings of God and then got greedy and I was tempted not to, and right at that time I get a helpful reminder. I would rather be Blessed with the 90% then cursed with 100%.
So we've recommitted to bringing back to God what is already His today. So excited to see whats in store for our church during the next year. And God is so amazing....today I had signed up for a red shift at work that I thought would be impossible to actually work because according to the other night I worked, we would have had too many nurses already scheduled, let alone need anybody else. But I got the call to come in and got it early. So here's hoping I don't get canceled later the week like last time.
So, the last few weeks with the progress we have made, I've looked at the budget and have been tempted to not tithe monetarily. It was so tempting to see how much a snowball payment we would be able to send each month if we didn't. I tried to rationalize it, by telling myself we give of our time instead, since we are up there almost all day Sunday and then Tim gives of his time several days during the week. As I've been contemplating doing something like this while we are working on getting out of debt, I have been bombarded from every direction to do exactly the opposite. Our church started a series call "In the Zone". You can check it out at www.FellowshipChurch.com. It's all about being the the "sweet" spot. The pastor, as if talking straight to me, talked about how we try to bargain with God like we have something to bargain with. About how some people with state, I'll just give my time, and keep "my" money for myself. Also, I listen to Steven Furtick podcast sermons on my way to and from work. The last two sermons have been about different kinds of greed and also about giving and being generous and about tithing. Today at church, the started a 7 week challenge to the congregation to tithe the first 10%. This challenge would end at the end of the year, which is really interesting considering a few months back when Tim and I had originally started to tithe regularly, it was based on a dream telling me to test God until the end of the year. I have received the tangible and intangible blessings of God and then got greedy and I was tempted not to, and right at that time I get a helpful reminder. I would rather be Blessed with the 90% then cursed with 100%.
So we've recommitted to bringing back to God what is already His today. So excited to see whats in store for our church during the next year. And God is so amazing....today I had signed up for a red shift at work that I thought would be impossible to actually work because according to the other night I worked, we would have had too many nurses already scheduled, let alone need anybody else. But I got the call to come in and got it early. So here's hoping I don't get canceled later the week like last time.
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