After having established in the first three parts that "tithing" is not for Christians (by looking at the various Old Testament and New Testament scriptures about tithing), we now move on to what "giving" looks like in the Christian's life. The good news is that there are so many ways to give of ourselves (not just financially and not just to a 'church'), and we are absolutely free to decide in our hearts what we want to give, how we want to give, to whom we want to give, etc.
I cannot possibly go through all the ways that "giving" can happen in the Body of Christ, but I hope to help open your mind and heart to get outside of the box of conventional giving (and tithing), and to explore the various ways in which you can willingly and cheerfully give to others.
Below is the video and the audio for Part 4.
Download/Play MP3 (15 Min, 10 MB)
(Click to Play, Right-Click to Download)
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4
Amen! I struggled with tithing over the years until God taught me about his grace. I have to admit that my immediate reaction was to rebel and not do anything I used to do under compulsion which gave me a tremendous sense of guilt which is slowly wearing off. I`m worried that I`ll never go back to church again as they don`t preach grace but oddly enough I`m giving a lot of my free time to loved ones who can`t do for them selves and I want to do that. I pray way more now then I ever did in church and have a much better relationship with those people I help then ever before. My Dad was a preacher and we talked about grace as I was discovering it and we used to have spiritual disputes every time I visited( my fault ) Now he is suffering from dementia and when I visit I shave his face for him and take him on the odd walk. I wish I could have those previous visits back to do over... Grace is wonderful because someday we`ll get to talk again but differently.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing all of this, James. I know so many people struggle with similar things, and it's always great to hear how they've finally found 'victory' and peace through hearing about God's love and grace. Some people spend many years in church before they find this freedom.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you're able to now give your free time to others. I find much more joy and satisfaction working with and helping people just as I am, whether it's in a 'church' setting or not. One of the most freeing things for me has been to know that it's not about what goes on inside those four walls on a Sunday morning, but really it's about the 24/7 life of Christ in us wherever we are and whatever we do. I'm definitely not 'against' people going to church, but I just hope to help people see that Christ's life is in us all the time.
Over the years, I've also had many of those 'grace disputes' that I wish I could take back. Sometimes it's worth talking things over with people, but sometimes it's just better to love, and accept differences, than to try to get others to see it our way. We live and we learn, I guess. :)
I watched all 4 videos and you did a good job! It's not easy explaining our stance on tithing and yet also portraying ourselves in support of sacrificial giving.
ReplyDelete- jared
Thanks Jared. Yep indeed, I don't simply want to leave it at, "I'm against tithing," but I really do want to encourage giving in all kinds of ways, as that lines up with who we really are in Christ.
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated series Joel!!! Anne and I really enjoyed and found much freedom in the written version you put on here a while back. And we have been encouraged all over again by this video series. All you do, write, record, and have fun with is as always much appreciated by us and many others. God bless you for being you and for what you do.
ReplyDeleteRon and Anne
Thanks Ron and Anne! That really warms my heart, and I appreciate you taking the time to write here. Much love to both of you!
ReplyDelete