Message Date: June 16, 2024

Money Talks, Part 3—“Practicing Generosity”

Victory Life Church, Durant — Sunday, June 16, 2024

What would you do if you had “more”?

2 Corinthians 9:11 (ESV) You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

What we would do with “more” is based on what we already do with what we have. If we are stingy and greedy with what we have (and how we think about what we don’t have), “more” will only amplify that. But the calling of Jesus followers is for our lives to be fully immersed in the Kingdom of God, including our financial life. That calling for every Jesus follower is to live generously. No matter what we have or do not have, generosity can be practiced and modeled. Why should we get “more”? To be more generous.

“There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, the mind, and the purse.”i ~ Martin Luther

2 Corinthians 9:11 (ESV) You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

Generosity should not just be an aspiration, it must become a practice. Practicing generosity is not just for a certain segment of Christians who reach a particular tax bracket. All of us can be generous right now with what we have, but it takes a Kingdom mindset and discipline.

Last week we looked at the mindset of a steward. That is what we are, a steward, not the owner. Jesus is the Owner, the Master, and we are his servants who must give an account to him how we stewarded his money.

Most of us don’t have a money problem, we have a mindset problem.

The accountability the Master brings to each servant is based on what they did with what they had, not what they didn’t have. Every servant is individually held accountable for what they did with the resources that were entrusted to them. When each of us stand before the Lord giving an account, we will have no excuses. It is simply this, “what did you do with what you had, not what you didn’t have?”

“A steward’s primary goal is to be found faithful by his master as the steward uses the master’s resources to accomplish the tasks delegated to him.”ii
~ Randy Alcorn

The desired outcome of each servant is to be found faithful. There is a reward for servants that have been found to be faithful stewards of the Master’s resources, and there is discipline for servants who were poor stewards. Being faithful and fruitful with the Master’s resources includes being generous with what has been entrusted into our hands.

Making the Mindset Shift

“William “Bud” Post III: When he was eight years old, his mother died. His father, unable or unwilling to raise him, later sent Bud to an orphanage. When he got out, he struggled to adapt to society and earn a decent living. He spent most of his adult life puttering on different jobs, from spray painting pipelines to being a cook and truck driver for circuses and carnivals. He had never owned a home or a car. Money had been hard to come by. He had even served a twenty-eight-day jail sentence for writing too many bad checks. Then one day, Bud decided to buy a lottery ticket. At the time, he was on disability and had a grand total of $2.46 in his bank account. He had nothing to lose and over sixteen million dollars to win; and it happened. William “Bud” Post III won $16.2 million dollars in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988. Some might even call him lucky….Bud chose to get his winnings in twenty-six annual payments of about half a million dollars each. Within two weeks of collecting his first installment, he had spent over three hundred thousand of it. Three months later, he was half a million dollars in debt—thanks to, among many other things, a restaurant in Florida he had leased for his sister and brother, a used-car lot complete with a fleet of cars he had bought for another brother, and a twin-engine plane he had bought for himself even though he didn’t have a pilot’s license. A year later, debt wasn’t his only problem. He became estranged from his siblings, and a county court ordered him to stay away from his sixth wife after he allegedly fired a rifle at her vehicle. Bud was a millionaire losing friends and alienating people, all while accruing a mountain of debt. His former landlady sued him for a portion of the winnings to pay off old debts. The judge ruled that she was entitled to a third of his lottery winnings, and when Bud couldn’t pay it, the judge ordered that all further payments of his winnings be frozen until the dispute was resolved. Desperate for cash, Bud sold his Pennsylvania mansion in 1996 for only sixty-five thousand dollars and auctioned off the remaining payments of his winnings. Bud squandered his remaining two and a half million dollars on two homes, a truck, three cars, two Harleys, a couple of big-screen TVs, a boat, a camper, and a few computers. By 1998, ten years after winning $16.2 million dollars, Bud Post was once again living on disability payments. He once lamented, “I was much happier when I was broke.” William “Bud” Post III died at age sixty-six of a respiratory failure, broke and alone.”iii

Most of us don’t have a money problem, we have a mindset problem.

1 Timothy 6:9–10 (ESV) 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Money is often an amplifier, in that it will amplify our mindset, our heart’s temptations, and our money habits. If we are stingy and greedy with what we have (and how we think about what we don’t have), “more” will only amplify that. If we struggle with the love of money, having more money will only amplify it, and you do not have to have money to love it.

“No one loves and trusts money more than those who have none…We do not have to own things to love them…The percentage of those in bondage to wealth is no greater among the rich than among the poor. It is not money or gain, but the love of it, that is said by Paul to be the root of all evil, and none love it more desperately and unrealistically than those without it.”iv ~ Dallas Willard

To rid ourselves of the love of money, Jesus calls us to live faithfully and generously. That means, among many other things, adopting the mindset of a steward (not an owner), and be faithful with what is entrusted to us, however much or little that may be. And with a steward’s mindset, live generously.

Generosity ensures that the things we own do not own us.

Generosity

One more time, what would you do if you had “more”?

2 Corinthians 8:1–7 (ESV) 1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

In one verse, Paul describes the Macedonian Christians as being in a severe test of affliction and extreme poverty, yet having an abundance of joy and a wealth of generosity. These things do not belong in the same sentence normally, but because of the work of the Holy Spirit and their transformation, they can be both severely afflicted and joyful in abundance, experiencing extreme poverty and a wealth of generosity. Paul uses this testimony to challenge the Corinthian Christians in their generosity. In light of this, we need to get rid of excuses for not being generous. Wherever we are now, we can start being generous now.

2 Corinthians 8:7 (ESV) But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

The Corinthian church was excellent at many things. These are things that make a church have lasting impact and transformational effect: faith, speech, knowledge, steadfastness. But now excelling at something takes a plan and a practice. Though they had excelled at these other things, Paul is admonishing them to excel in the grace (God’s empowering strength) of giving. For them to excel at a grace in giving, they must put it into consistent practice with a plan.

Isaiah 32:8 (NLT) But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.

The Macedonian Christians excelled at the grace of giving (generosity). Paul is challenging the Corinthians Christians to excel at the grace of giving. We need to excel at this as well.

Proverbs 3:9–10 (ESV) 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Remember, we are stewards, not owners. It all belongs to him. We honor the Lord in the wealth entrusted to us by keeping him first in it. That means giving to the Lord our first and best of what comes into our hands, keeping in mind that all of it belongs to him anyway.

Proverbs 3:9 (MSG) Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best.

The best way (but certainly not the only way) to do this is to start with tithing. Literally, the “tithe” is “a tenth” — 10%. There’s much more to say about the tithe, but here are a couple key things to know about tithing: it is standardized across all incomes, everyone is called to return 10% (at least) back to God; and if your income increases, so does your 10%.

The tithe is only intended to be the training wheels for generosity. In the Old Testament Law, there were three separate tithes. Many of the things that the tithes were for in Israel would be things that are included in our taxes today. The first tithe went to the Levites and Tabernacle and Temple (Leviticus 27:30-33, Deuteronomy 14:22-29). The second tithe was for underwriting the festivals and ceremonies, to be spent for celebrations (Deuteronomy 14:22-27). A third tithe was every third year to be collected and used for a type of welfare safety net for the most vulnerable in society: the widows, orphans, and sojourners (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).v (If the church in America had kept doing what we were called to do in taking care of the vulnerable of society, the government wouldn’t need to.) Averaging these three tithes out annually, the ancient Israelite under the Law gave around 23.33% of their income. This is not including the freewill offerings, sin offerings, alms-giving to the poor beyond these tithes. It is very likely, those with much and those with little, gave 25%-30% of their livelihood away, maybe even more.

By comparison, here is some information on where the American church is today when it comes to generosity: Yes, American Christians are statistically more generous than those who are religiously unaffiliated. However, Christians are giving about 2.5% of their income. By comparison, American Christians during the Great Depression gave 3.3%. Only 5% of churchgoers give the full tithe (10%).vi Between 33-50% of church members, those are individuals who have bought into the church’s ministry, give nothing.vii But interestingly, of those who do tithe, over 3/4 (77%) give more the 10% of their income.

For the majority of American Christians, the data shows that the Old Testament Law is about 10x more effective than New Testament grace when it comes to generosity. Even if you factor in taxes today, the Law was still two to three times more effective in people’s generosity than the grace of Jesus is having on American Christians today. And anyone that has experienced freedom from legalism and the grace of Jesus would say that grace is better than the Law. Then why hasn’t it impacted our generosity and giving to the same or greater effect than the Law? 10% is not required in the New Testament, and it is just the starting point, the training wheels, of grace-empowered generosity. Jesus never diminished the Law’s standard, he only increased the bar.viii

So 10% is a start, not required of us, but a place to learn how to live wisely and generously in order to grow in our generous lifestyle. What if God is calling us to a deeper trust in him and generosity that we could give no just 10%, but 20%, 50%, maybe even some could 90% and live on only 10%? Some may grow to this point. But where we all can start is 10%.

Think of what would be possible if the American Christians increased our giving from 2.5% to 10% of their annual income. An estimated additional $165 billion would flow into the Kingdom, just from American Christians. To show the global impact those resources could make, consider the following:

$25 billion would relieve global hunger, starvation, and deaths from preventable diseases in 5 years.

$12 billion would eliminate illiteracy in 5 years.

$15 billion would solve the world’s water and sanitation issues, specifically at places in the world where 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day.

$1 billion would fully fund the Great Commission.

$100 – $110 billion would still be left over for additional ministry expansion.

2 Corinthians 9:11 (ESV) You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

Generosity ensures that the things we own do not own us.

Conclusion

Those who have encountered the transformative power of the grace of Jesus are called to mirror the character of Jesus in all aspects of our lives, including generosity. We are God’s mechanism for transforming the world. We are called to be the kind of people who have the character to handle great amounts of wealth, yet living generously, bringing transformation to the world.

“The organized churches must become schools of spiritual discipline where Christians are taught how to own without treasuring (Matt. 6:21); how to possess without being possessed (Mark 10:22); how to live simply, even frugally, though controlling great wealth and power.”ix ~ Dallas Willard

What would you do with more? If we live generously, then we can receive more and still give even more in order for God’s transformative power being released into our communities.

2 Corinthians 9:11 (GW) God will make you rich enough so that you can always be generous. Your generosity will produce thanksgiving to God because of us.

Going Deeper Notes

1 Timothy 6:6–10 (ESV) 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

“No one loves and trusts money more than those who have none…We do not have to own things to love them, even serve them. The percentage of those in bondage to wealth is no greater among the rich than among the poor. It is nor money or gain, but the love of it, that is said by Paul to be the root of all evil, and none love it more desperately and unrealistically than those without it.”x ~ Dallas Willard

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV) Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

1 Timothy 6:17–19 (ESV) 17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV) 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.”xi ~ A.W. Tozer

Matthew 6:24 (ESV) “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Last week we looked at Jesus’ parable about stewardship in Matthew 25. Another one of the stewardship parables of Jesus is Luke 16:1-13. At the conclusion of this parable, Jesus bluntly gives the key takeaway. This conclusion includes Luke’s passage of this same idea Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that we looked at last week and began this week with.

Luke 16:10–12 (NLT) 10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

“Faithful” is Greek πιστός (pistos). adj. trustworthy, faithful; trusting, believing. Describes a person or thing as characterized by trustworthiness or belief. It can be a way of describing someone who is “responsible.” Jesus is saying that if you were responsible for little things, you’d be responsible for larger things. But the opposite is also true: if you are irresponsible, dishonest, and unjust in little things, you will be irresponsible in larger things. No matter how small or seemingly insignificant, be responsible with it, have integrity in it.

“Dishonest” is the Greek word ἄδικος (adikos) which can also mean “unrighteous.” This makes verses 10 and 11 together make a little more sense, which says, “One who is faithful (pistos) in a very little is also faithful (pistos) in much, and one who is dishonest (adikos) in a very little is also dishonest (adikos) in much. If then you have not been faithful (pistoi) in the unrighteous (adiko) wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” Jesus is making a play on the words to drive his final point home.

How do we become better stewards? Be faithful in every little thing we have in our hands. If you only have a dime to your name, what can be done to steward that properly? Tithe a penny of it. Are you in a rental property? Steward it as if it were yours. If you are not the boss or the leader at work, treat your specific job with the care and attention as if you were the owner.

Luke 16:13 (NLT) 13 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

In the ESV, NKJV, KJV, Luke 16:13 begins with “No servant can serve two masters…” “Servant” in this verse is the Greek word οἰκέτης (oiketēs) which is the word for a household servant. Jesus is telling us that we are household servants, and that he should be our Master, yet there is also a possibility or “Money” being our master. “Masters” is the Greek word κύριος (kyrios), which is often translated as “Lord,” as in the “Lord Jesus Christ;” “owner, ruler” are also possible ways of translating this word. Jesus is telling us that we can either be owned by money or God, but not both.

This phrase in this verse “For you will hate one…” is stating that if we are owned by or serve money, we will eventually hate God. “Hate” is the Greek word misēsei. The English term “hate” generally suggests emotional connotations that do not always do justice to the word “hate” in Scripture, especially to the Semitic “shame-honor” oriented use of שָׂנֵא (Deut 21:15-16) in the sense “hold in disfavor, be disinclined to, have relatively little regard for.” In the same way that Biblical love isn’t only a matter of emotion, neither is hate. It is a systematic choice to favor money over God.

The proper understanding of this kind of “hate” is to think in contrast to “preferential treatment.” It is the opposite of how you show favorites of a special person.

Deuteronomy 21:15-16 (ESV) “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn, in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn.”

“Unloved” is שָׂנֵא (“sane“). This verse highlights what shame-honor “hate” looks like. You can’t say that the husband hates his wife in the English sense, because he had a child with her. It’s about preferences. One wife is preferred over the other. Moses’ command here is that that husband must still honor the inheritance of the firstborn, even if that boy comes from the wife that isn’t preferred.

The NKJV translates the last phrase in verse 13 as, “You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Luke 16:14–15 (NLT) 14 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. 15 Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.”

In a world of comparison, ultimately it does not matter what other people think, only what God thinks. Do we love God or do we love what other people think of us? Are we a lover of God or a lover of money? In this story and the story of the talents, everyone else’s evaluation of the steward (us) is utterly meaninglessness compared to the judgment of our one and only Master. In the day that we stand before our Master and Maker being held accountable, what will matter is one thing and one thing only—what the Master thinks of us.

Proverbs 3:1–10 (ESV) 1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, 2  for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. 3  Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4  So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. 5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

The father in this speech to his son is saying that you cannot depend on your own wisdom and understanding. Handling money the way God has called us to will not make sense to the world, but follows God’s wisdom. This is why we are called to live in honor before the Lord, and our honor for him must include honoring him with our wealth, which is giving him our first and best.

Proverbs 3:9 (MSG) Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best.

The Apostle Paul, in line with his encouragement to the Corinthians church concerning the generosity of the Macedonian church in 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, places the Gospel message within the context of finances. Finances are to been seen through the lens of God’s magnificent grace revealed in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 8:9 (ESV) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9 (MSG) You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became poor and we became rich.

There is so much revealed in these verses, but to understand 2 Corinthians 9:11 more fully, it helps to see the context Paul lays out in verse 6.

2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (ESV) 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

In 9:6-7, there are three main ideas conveyed in this passage: 1) there is a relationship between sowing and reaping, 2) we are supposed to give according to what we’ve decided in our heart, and 3) God loves a cheerful giver. The context of this passage is that Paul is sending some of his fellow workers to Corinth to pick up a gift the Corinthians are making to Paul’s ministry. The brothers are there to make sure that this gift is given freely and not “as an exaction” or in exchange for something. It’s not a fee, but a gift. “The point is” is answering the hypothetical question of “Who cares if it’s a gift or a wage?” “The point is” that if the Corinthians are giving freely and with joy, it will be counted to them as a blessing. If they are given under compulsion or are upset, it won’t be counted to them as a blessing.

A crucial element of this verse that often gets overlooked is that this passage’s primary focus is not the money, but the heart. We have no idea how big the gift to Paul was because that wasn’t the point. Whether they were greatly blessed or sparingly blessed has nothing to do with the amount but their heart when giving it. The takeaway, then, is less a matter of how much a person is giving but their attitude toward the giving.

“Bountifully” is the Greek word eulogiais which actually means “blessing” or in this tense “blessedly.” “Whoever sows blessedly will reap blessedly.” This is a more antiquated way of saying the sentence, but it might convey the intention a little better. The exchange is not about the bountiful financial gain but rather about the heart being blessed.

Sowing and Reaping (v. 6): Paul uses an agricultural metaphor to teach a spiritual truth. The principle of sowing and reaping reflects a broader biblical theme where the measure of one’s actions influences the measure of outcomes. Generosity in giving aligns with God’s nature and results in spiritual and material blessings.

Attitude in Giving (v. 7): Paul stresses the importance of the heart’s attitude in giving. God values not just the act of giving but the motivation behind it. Joyful and willing giving is a reflection of one’s faith and love for God.

The principles in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 align with teachings throughout Scripture. Proverbs 11:24-25 and Luke 6:38, for instance, also speak to the idea that generosity leads to blessing. This passage reinforces the consistent biblical call to generosity and joyful giving. In the broader context of redemptive history, generous giving is a response to God’s ultimate gift in Jesus Christ. Believers are called to reflect God’s generosity and grace through their own giving, participating in God’s work of redemption and provision for the church and the world.

Believers are encouraged to give generously, trusting that God will provide for their needs and multiply their contributions for His purposes. The motivation for giving should stem from a sincere and joyful heart. Giving should not be out of reluctance or pressure but out of a genuine desire to support God’s work. Joyful and willing giving mirrors God’s own generosity and grace. It serves as a testimony to others and brings glory to God.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 provides a profound teaching on the principles and attitudes of Christian giving. Paul emphasizes that generosity leads to abundant blessings and that the heart’s attitude in giving is crucial. This passage encourages believers to give joyfully and willingly, reflecting the character of God and participating in His redemptive work.

More Data on Church Giving

5% of churchgoers tithe (Church Development).
Out of the 247 million U.S. citizens identifying as Christians, 1.5 million people tithe (Sharefaith).
77% of tithers give more than 10% (Health Research Funding).
If every Christian tithed 10%, faith organizations would have an extra $139 billion each year (Health Research Funding).
The average giving amount per churchgoer is $17 per week (Health Research Funding). That’s $73.67 a month per giver. That’s $884 a year per giver.
U.S. Christians collectively make $5.2 trillion annually — nearly half the world’s total Christian income (Health Research Funding).
The majority of church givers have zero credit debt.
62% of religious households give to charity compared to 46% of unaffiliated. Christians simply are more generous. Any argument otherwise is based on bias and emotion, not fact.
49% of the population gave to religious organizations (Philanthropy Outlook).
In the U.S., faith and religious services receive the most donations, more than twice as much as education, which came in second (Giving USA).
29% of charitable gifts go to faith and religious services (Giving USA).
Between 1990 and 2015, the share of overall donations going to faith dropped 50% (New York Times).
Even though inflation rose in 2022, church giving also increased by 3.6% (reachrightstudios.com).

i Martin Luther, as quoted in Paul B. Huffman, Stewardship and the Economy of God (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1984), 82.

ii Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions, and Eternity (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2003), pg. 140

iii Patricia Sullivan, “William ‘Bud’ Post III; Unhappy Lottery Winner”, Washington Post, January 19, 2006, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/01/20/william-bud-post-iii/e2c64b90-550d-470f-8337-d853795888bd/; Cited from Glenn Packiam’s Lucky: How the Kingdom Comes to Unlikely People (pp. 21-25). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

iv Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (HarperOne, 1988.), pg. 197, 199

v For more on the “tithes”, see Leviticus 27:30-33, but especially Deuteronomy 14:22-29 and 26:1-15.

viTithing Statistics: https://www.vancopayments.com/egiving/asset-church-giving-statistics-tithing; https://healthresearchfunding.org/21-tithing-statistics/

viiThere are numerous links here that express “What would happen if the church tithed.” I have included many so that if you desire to look deeper into it, you can: (1) https://www.ncfgiving.com/stories/what-would-happen-if-the-church-tithed/; (2) https://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-how-to/151049-brian-dodd-generous-church-ten-top-characteristics.html; (3) https://nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/church-giving/; (4) https://relevantmagazine.com/faith/church/what-would-happen-if-church-tithed/; (5) https://careynieuwhof.com/church-giving-statistics/

viii In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus continually showed how the Law only went so far, but following him is to have a deeper affect on the heart. Instead of just not murdering, he said we shouldn’t be ruled by anger. Instead of just not committing adultery, we shouldn’t foster lust in our hearts. Jesus always pushed further and deeper into the heart. Why not apply this to generosity? Specific to tithing, see Matthew 23:23.

ix Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (HarperOne, 1988.), pg. 215

xDallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (HarperOne, 1988.), pg. 197, 199

xiA.W. Tozer, “The Transmutation of Wealth,” Born After Midnight (Harrisburg, Pa.: Christian Publications, 1959), pg. 107