Ask your family - Is our faith in God real enough to give Him our money?

If you want to strengthen your home in 2014 be sure to manage your life according to a family budget and above all, be sure to entrust your finances to God so He can bless you!

Discussing finances

Each week I enjoy the opportunity to meet with a number of men from our church for mentoring, coaching, prayer or sometimes just to encourage them.  Recently a couple of my meetings have had discussions revolving around the topic of giving to the church.  I didn't go into the meetings with that on my agenda but it came up anyway.  

I love to help young believers wrestle with this issue because it's directly tied to our discipleship.  Our willingness to worship God/trust God by giving sacrificially is an important step of spiritual growth.  Tied to this is the character formation that God is wanting to do in us that results in becoming people who are truly generous.  I see this as a topic I need to continuously revisit in my own life and also teach to my boys.

Family Bible Study

Would you say that in 2013 your family demonstrated true faith and worship through financial giving to your church?   What about to other mission causes?  

Looking at who you are today vs a year ago would you say you're more generous than you were...that you're growing in this area of your life?  If because of your financial situation or because you're new to your faith, you find that it is difficult to give more (or at least something) to God, that's good!   It's good because God is pleased by offerings that require sacrifice and faith.

This begs another question...because sacrifice and faith are what God wants to see in us, if you faithfully tithed 10% of your income in 2013, was it a sacrifice or simply your "duty?"  10% was the OT instruction to the Jews but with the coming of the Holy Spirit there is no limit to the amount of sacrifice God may instruct us to give.  If you have been giving 10% or 5% or 1% or 20% the issue is still, what does God ask of me?

As a family read 2 Sam 24:18-24.  Why wouldn't David offer something to God that didn't cost him anything?  What have you given to God recently that cost you something?  What amount or percentage of income will you give as an offering to God in 2014 that will require faith and sacrifice?  Do you believe God will bless you for your faith?

Some results of your giving

I'm thrilled with the heart of generosity I'm seeing in our church as the 1Q of 2012 wraps up.  Our offerings have been trending in the positive direction and there have been some generous donations to our missions and outreach goals.  For the first time in some time we're not drawing on our reserves.

Recently, we've had some needs that if they had arisen just a few months ago we wouldn't have been able to do them.  

1.  Stacy wants to begin creating some fun backdrops for the children's ministry but we already are in a storage space crunch...so, we're able to get a second mobile mini and I was able to say Yes create away!

2.  Our worship service computer crashed a couple Sundays ago and Michelle wanted to upgrade it.  When she asked me a few months ago I had to say no...this time I could say Yes!

3. Tammy wants to do her usual classy set up for Easter Sunday (brunch, decor, updated signage)...I said yes! 

4.  Jon & I have been talking about re-doing our MVCC orientation for some time (Newcomer BBQ's became a "GPS Party.")  Sunday we were able to pull it off with quality...catered lunch for adults & pizza & bounce houses for the kids.

5.  I met wit Brian yesterday to dream a little about developing youth leadership and I didn't have to say...figure out how to do it with the 5 dollars in your pocket!

6.  When McKenzie came back from Haiti and talked to me about if we can begin to plan to adopt an orphanage, 3 months ago I would have said we have to get our own financial house in order before we can dream that dream...instead I said let's start praying!!

I could go on with other examples, but you see the impact of what happens when you make tithing a conviction in your life.  It's a win for you because you're learning to trust God and you're demonstrating Godly priorities in your life...and as a church we win because we begin to dream big!