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Practical Advice about Giving
Brian Kluth, Author of
www.GenerosityDevotional.com &
www.GiveWithJoy.org
Here is some practical advice for people who have questions, doubts
or fears about giving to the Lord’s work.
-
If you are NOT a Christian:
Don’t worry about giving to God. Instead, realize and accept
what God wants to give to you -- complete forgiveness, a brand
new start, the power to be good and to do good for others, help
for your problems, the ability to forgive, and a home in heaven.
If you recognize your need for these things, pray and invite
Jesus Christ to bring these things into your life.
-
For all Christians:
Always make it a priority to faithfully support the work of your
local church first. Then give special gifts and offerings to
other Christian causes, projects, missions or the needy as God
leads you.
-
If you’re fearful about giving 10% or more of your income to the
Lord, try a 90-day test:
In Malachi 3:10 God invites people to “test Him” in the matter
of tithing (giving the first 10% of your income to God’s work).
Therefore, I encourage people to try a 90-day test. Begin giving
10% of your income to the Lord’s work and watch and see if God
does not begin working in your life in ways you haven’t
previously experienced. If you regret that decision OR if you
feel you never experienced God’s divine help in your finances
during this time period, then discontinue the test. However, if
you experience God’s help, joyfully continue giving 10% or more
to the Lord’s work.
-
If you want to begin to actively give to God FIRST:
Here are four different ideas to choose from: (1) Whenever
you get any money, set aside 10% or more to give as the Lord
directs. (2) Whenever you put a deposit in your checkbook,
write out the first check(s) to God’s work for 10% or more. (3)
If you track your finances through a bookkeeping system or
computer program, set up a category for church giving and
another one for other Christian causes. Then begin to faithfully
set aside 10% or more of your income into these accounts. (4) If
you like to handle your finances electronically, consider using
www.networkforgood.org
or the electronic giving option from your church (if available)
to faithfully give 10% or more to the Lord.
-
If you are married to a Christian, but the two of you do not
agree on how much you should give to the Lord’s work:
See if your spouse will read through this material and/or listen
to some of the internet messages at
www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org or this website. Then talk and
pray together about a mutually agreeable “testing period”
concerning your giving 10% or more.
-
If you are married and your spouse is not a Christian:
Identify any money you have freedom to spend (read Luke 8:3) and
set aside 10% or more of this money to give to the Lord’s work
AN D/OR show this material to your spouse and see if you can try
the 90-day testing period.
-
If you are deciding whether to give off the gross or the net of
your income:
Pray and ask God what He wants you to do. If He prompts you in
your heart to give off the gross amount, go ahead and do this,
trusting Him with the results. If you don’t have a peace about
this, begin giving 10% off the net amount for a few months and
see what happens. After a few months, if you experience God’s
creative care in your life, then begin to give 10% or more off
of your gross income.
-
If you’re wondering about how much to give to your church and
how much to give to other places:
A good practice I have used is to give 10% of my main source of
income to my local church (i.e. my main income goes to support
the work of my main source of Christian fellowship and
teaching). Then, I use 10% or more of all other incomes sources
and unexpected blessings to help fund other Christian needs and
opportunities that God brings into my life.
-
If you have children at home:
Help your children set up a place where they can set aside
“God’s portion” of any money they receive (i.e., allowances,
work projects, gifts of money, etc.). Have them give at church,
to missions, and/or to help people in need.
-
If you have “fallen behind” in your giving to God’s work:
If you knowingly or accidentally have fallen behind in your
giving to God’s work, you will never regret the decision to “get
right” in this area. Review your financial records from the past
several months and pray about “making up” the amount you have
fallen behind. One elderly lady in her 90’s I heard about sent a
tithe check to the church office with the note, “I want to be
prayed up, paid up, and ready to go!”
©
Brian Kluth
www.GiveWithJoy..org
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Count Your Blessings
A pathway to more joyful and generous giving and
living
By Brian Kluth, Pastor and Founder of
www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org,
www.GenerousLife.info,
www.GiveWithJoy.org
A
number of years ago, I discovered a wonderful verse in I Corinthians
16:2, “On the first day of each week let each of you lay something
aside, storing up as he may prosper.”
At first, I didn’t understand how the verse could apply to my life. But
my wife and I began a Sunday evening practice of “looking back and
writing down” how God provided for us in the previous seven days. Each
week, we discovered there were many ways that God provided for us
outside of our normal income. We began giving 10% of my main income to
our local church and we then started a “Blessings Fund” that represented
10% or more of the myriad of blessings God creatively brought into our
life week by week.
At the end of the first year, even though my main income only brought in
$15,000; I discovered we had given $1500 to our local church and an
additional $2500 out of our “Blessings Fund” to other Christian causes.
This meant that God had blessed us with $25,000 of blessings during the
past year that was over and above my $15,000 salary!
We did this for several more years and discovered that each year God
doubled and tripled what we were able and willing to give to the Lord’s
work because we counted our blessings. Here are the lessons we learned
and practiced that helped us live a more joyful and generous life:
-
Plan a time each week
where you
will begin to write down God’s provisions from the previous week in
a “Blessings Notebook.”
-
When you
meet together,
think back
over the
following areas and write down anything that comes to your
remembrance:
Main Income?
If you were paid during the week, write down that amount. For us, we
gave 10%
of this
amount
to
our local church.
Additional Income or Unexpected Cash?
Write down any cash gifts, overtime pay, bonuses, second salary,
moonlighting, investment returns, sale of any possession, refunds,
inheritance, etc.
People’s Hospitality?
Meals, lodging, or entertainment that others gave to you or paid the
cost.
Special Help or Assistance?
Help with car, house, equipment repairs, free babysitting, etc.
Discount or Sale Items?
Any money saved on discounted clothing or household items, garage
sale/thrift shop savings, discounts on recreational activities, etc.
Purchase of New Possessions?
When my wife and I were buying a major item or a luxury item, we
sometimes included the cost of these items in our blessings fund in
order to give an additional 10% or more to the Lord’s work.
-
Write down
the financial value for each item OR (very important) write down the
amount you WOULD HAVE BEEN WILLING TO SPEND for the item. For
example: A family member gave me a $1000 radial arm saw. I would
have never been able or willing to afford a $1000 tool like this,
but I might have “been willing to spend” $200 on a used radial arm
saw at a garage sale. So, in this example, I put down the value of
the blessing at $200 (not $1000). Therefore I ended up giving an
extra $20 to the Lord’s work, not an extra $100.
-
Add up the value
of the
total number of blessing items for the week and take 10% or more of
the total and decide where to give it OR set aside the week’s
amount in your notebook or put the money in a special place or
account and consider this your “BLESSINGS FUND”.
-
Faithfully give
your church
10% or more of your main income. Then begin to joyfully and
generously use your “Blessings Fund” to help support missions,
missionaries, special projects and needs, building programs, the
needy, Christian workers and organizations.
4-Week Challenge:
I
am confident that the LORD has been blessing most people’s lives week by
week. But most people don’t “see” the blessings because they don’t take
time to “look back over the last seven days to see what God has done to
provide for them.” Because of this, I challenge you to try this for at
least four weeks to see what God is doing for you! I believe it will
truly lead you to a more joyful and generous life!
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10 Biblical Reasons to Give 10% OR MORE
of Your Income to the Lord’s Work
By Brian Kluth, Pastor and Founder of
www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org,
www.GenerousLife.info,
www.GiveWithJoy.org
As materialism and consumerism have continually infiltrated our lives in
recent decades, many people have drifted from any biblical moorings
concerning their Christian giving. Here are 10 biblically-based reasons
to make giving 10% or more of your income your highest financial
priority in life.
1. It is a proven pattern of giving done by Christ followers for many
generations.
In 1899, a bibliography was compiled of books related to systematic
Christian giving. There were over 500 books listed in this bibliography
from over 100 years ago, and yet many Christians today do not understand
the importance of faithful giving.
Scriptures: Genesis 14:17-20, 28:16-22, Leviticus 27:30, Proverbs
3:9-10, Malachi 3:7-15, Matthew 23:23
2. It will help you reverence God more in your life.
If you showed me your check book records, I would be able to quickly
tell you who or what you feel is important. By giving the best of what
you have been given to God, you are expressing your allegiance to Him
and you will grow in your respect for the Lord and His working in your
life.
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 14:23, Malachi 1:6-8
3. It will bring God’s wisdom and order to your finances.
If I get dressed in the morning and get the first button out of place on
my shirt, all the rest of the buttons will be messed up. When it comes
to finances, the first button to get in place is your giving. When you
get this area in order, everything else follows. Giving is also the only
known antidote for “affluenza” (the desire for more things) that
permeates our world today.
Scriptures: Matthew 6:19-21, 24-34; Luke 12:16-21, I Timothy 6:6-10,
17-19; Ecclesiastes 5:10
4. It will serve as a practical reminder that God is the Owner of
everything in your life.
By faithfully giving the Lord 10% or more of all you ever receive, you
are actively acknowledging His ownership in your life. As someone once
told me, “God owns it all and God loans it all.” We are not owners, only
temporary possessors and managers of what God entrusts to us during our
lifetime.
Scriptures: I Chronicles 29:11-18, Psalm 24:1-2, 50:10-12, Haggai 2:8
5. It will allow you to experience God’s creative provisions.
One of the most amazing things about learning to faithfully give to the
Lord is the joy so many people have experienced in receiving unexpected
blessings in their lives. When you acknowledge God’s ownership through
your generous giving, you begin to experience His creative provisions in
amazing ways.
Scriptures: I Kings 17, Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:7-15, Haggai 1:4-11,
2:15-19; Luke 6:38, Deuteronomy 28, Philippians 4:15-19, Mark 12:41-44
6. It will encourage your spiritual growth and trust in God.
There will be times when you will decide to be a faithful giver of what
is in your hand, even when you have no idea how you will make it through
the coming day, week, or month. But by going ahead and giving to God,
your trust in the Lord will grow and you will grow in your ability to
see Him provide.
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 14:23, Proverbs 3:5-6, Malachi 3:8-10, Haggai
1:4-11, 2:15-19; 2 Corinthians 8:5
7. It will ensure you of treasure in heaven.
Jesus encourages you to store up treasure in heaven. The only way to do
this is to live generously now. Someone once said, “We can’t take it
with us, but we can send it on ahead.”
Scriptures: I Timothy 6:18-19, Matthew 6:19-21, Hebrews 6:10, III John
8, I Samuel 30:22
8. It will strengthen the work of your local church.
Many churches struggle for lack of finances. However, when people in a
congregation gain a vision for being faithful givers to God at their
local church, the whole spirit of a church begins to change -- needs are
met, people are cared for, more outreach begins to take place, and
long-awaited improvements start to happen. God-given momentum builds as
people honor the Lord through their giving at church.
Scriptures: Acts 2:42-47, 4:32; 2 Corinthians 9:12, 13
9. It will help provide the means to keep your pastor(s) and
missionaries in full-time Christian service.
It has always been God’s plan that his servants are taken care of by his
people. Across America and the world, many pastors and missionaries are
struggling financially or are even leaving the ministry because of a
lack of adequate finances. Your faithful giving can make sure this
doesn’t happen among the pastors or missionaries you know.
Scriptures: I Corinthians 9:9-11,14; I Timothy 5:17-18, III John 5-8,
Philemon 4:15-19, Galatians 6:6, Luke 8:3, II Kings 4:8-10
10. It will help accomplish needed building projects and renovations.
Some
of the most exciting times in the life of a church or ministry occur
when facilities are being improved or expanded. But for building
projects to succeed, large extraordinary gifts are needed. Building
projects only happen well with special gifts that are “above and beyond”
people’s normal giving.
Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 24:4-14, Exodus 35,36; II Kings 12:2-16, Ezra
1:4-6, I Chronicles 29:2-19
© Brian Kluth www.GiveWithJoy.org
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God’s Creative Provisions
Experiencing God as Your Provider
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.
Psalm 24:1
By Brian Kluth, Pastor and Founder of
www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org,
www.GenerousLife.info,
www.GiveWithJoy.org
One of the most amazing discoveries you will make as you begin to more
faithfully and generously give to God’s work at your church and beyond,
is that God will begin to show himself as your provider in unique and
creative ways.
While I am not an advocate of the prosperity gospel and the health and
wealth religion promoted by some TV evangelists, I have seen that people
who honor God in their giving experience God’s blessings in a variety of
ways. Since the Bible clearly teaches that God owns EVERYTHING, He can
be very creative in how He goes about providing for your needs.
Scriptures that have shaped my understanding and experience of God’s
creative provisions include:
•
Proverbs 13:22
A
sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
•
Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the sinner, God gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to
hand it over to the one who pleases God.
•
Job 27:16-17
Evil people may have all the money in the world, and they may store away
mounds of clothing. But the righteous will wear that clothing.
•
Isaiah 45:3
I
will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places.
In these verses and in my experience of walking with the Lord, I have
seen that He often “transfers the ownership” of specifically needed
items without cost or at significant savings to faithful givers.
Many people think that their needs are met through their paycheck, and
not necessarily from God. While God may use a person’s wages to provide
for many needs, God is so much bigger than a paycheck! A company may be
your employer, but God is your true provider.
I
encourage you to pray and ask God to lead you to His provisions to meet
your needs. The Lord may choose to use your current income, savings,
increased income, or He may lead you to the very item you need without
cost or at a significant savings.
Some ways I have seen the Lord creatively provide beyond a regular
paycheck include:
Needed items provided through friends, relatives, neighbors, or other
Christians:
As people move through the different seasons of life, they often have
possessions they no longer need. They are often willing to give away or
sell items at significant savings to someone they know could use them.
Inheritances, bonuses, and scholarships:
I
have known of people that have been totally surprised by amounts of
money they have unexpectedly received from relatives, employers, or
educational institutions.
Retail stores and manufacturers:
In today’s tight retail economy, there are many sales that will allow
you to experience 40-90% off through sales, clearance racks, overruns,
returns, floor models, and demo merchandise.
Bankruptcies, estate sales, repossessions, and auctions:
While you have to know the market value ahead of time, these outlets for
merchandise, vehicles, housing, etc. can be great sources for God-given
provisions.
Government:
There are many ways a government program can be used by God to directly
benefit someone.
Consignment shops, thrift shops, and garage sales:
Often you can get quality or functional merchandise for 50-95% off the
retail price through these sources.
As you become more of a faithful and generous giver, be sure to pray
about God’s provision for your own needs, and don’t be surprised at the
creative ways He may supply for you!
© Brian Kluth
www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org
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Excel in the Grace of Giving
Crossing "lines in the sand" to give more generously
Wherever you are in your journey to a more generous life, God wants to
take you further!
By Brian Kluth, Pastor and Founder of
www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org,
www.GenerousLife.info,
www.GiveWithJoy.org
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 8:7, “Just as you excel in
everything…see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” I have
discovered that the Lord will draw a new line in the sand for each of us
to cross over in order to live more generously and to experience Him
more fully. Every step of the way, God calls us to consider the
resources He has placed in our hands. Then, He invites us to release
them for His work and to trust Him to be our provider. At each point, we
may find ourselves fearful and want to hold on to what we have instead
of letting it go and trusting God with our needs. In my life, these
lines in the sand to become more generous have included the following:
Giving more than I thought I could afford to give
As
a young man who had recently come to a personal faith in Jesus Christ, I
was prompted in my heart during a church service to put a $20 bill in
the offering plate. Prior to that time, I had never given more than a
few dollars. As I wrestled with this prompting, I contemplated putting
the $20 bill in and taking out change! Ultimately, with a shaking hand,
I gave the $20 (without taking change) and in the next few days I
experienced God’s peace and provision in such a way that I did not
regret giving that amount.
Giving even while I was in debt
There
was a season in my life when my bills had piled up so high that I had
more month than I had money! It was during this time that I was prompted
in my heart to start giving 10% of my income to the Lord. This didn’t
make sense to me since I didn’t have enough money to pay my bills and
take care of my needs every month. But I decided to trust God and cross
over this new line in the sand to live and give more generously. The
next time I received a paycheck, the first check I wrote (hesitantly)
was a check for 10% to the Lord’s work. As I continued to do this, I
noticed that I was not as foolish with my money, I had a greater trust
in God to provide for my needs, and I began to make progress in paying
off my debts. I also joined a Crown Financial Ministries Bible study (www.crown.org)
and learned how to prayerfully develop a spending plan to help me get
out of debt completely within a few years.
Giving a large gift that was worth half a year’s salary
As
a young couple, my wife and I were prompted to sacrificially give a gift
from our savings account to help a Christian ministry. At the time, this
five-figure gift was worth more than a half a year’s salary. As we
prayed and discussed this giving opportunity, we decided to write a list
of all the things we would be giving up if we gave this gift. We prayed
and decided that this was a new line in the sand that God was calling us
to cross. Again, with a bit of a shaking hand, I wrote the check. A few
years later, we found the list we had written and we were amazed to
discover that God had graciously and unexpectedly provided for every
item on the list that we thought we had given up. Through this
experience we learned that you can never out give God. Another time, the
Lord led us to give another gift that was equal to a year’s salary.
Giving increased offerings by “Counting Our Blessings”
For years, we would sit down on Sunday nights with a pencil and notebook
and list the ways God had provided for us over the last seven days
(e.g., my main income, my wife’s substitute teaching income, unexpected
financial income/ gifts, discounts on purchases, hospitality/help we
experienced, and more). Based on what we recorded, we would give 10% of
my expected salary to our church and give 10% or more of the other
financial blessings to other Christian causes and needs.
Giving more by limiting our lifestyle
There was a season in our lives when we were making more than we ever
dreamed possible. During this time, we felt God’s new line in the sand
for us was to limit our lifestyle spending so we could increase our
giving. We decided that we would limit our lifestyle spending to a
specific annual amount and that ALL monies received over this amount
would be given 100% to the Lord’s work. To do this, we opened up two
different checking accounts. The first check book was for our living
expenses (a set amount each month) and the other check book was for our
increased giving. God ultimately used this decision and allowed us to
not only increase our giving, but also for me to accept a Senior Pastor
position at a salary that was 65% less than we were making.
Giving more by giving higher percentages of our income
From this booklet, you see that I believe that giving 10% to the Lord’s
work is the starting blocks and not the finish line of faithful biblical
giving. In my own life and in the lives of generous people I’ve known,
I’ve learned that by giving 10%, it is much easier to obey God’s
promptings and learn to give higher percentages of income and assets to
the Lord’s work in the future.
What about you? What “line in the sand” is God calling you to cross at
this time in order for you to live a more generous life and excel in the
grace of giving?
© Brian Kluth
www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org
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Practical Tips for Godly
Lifestyle Adjustments |
|
R
Check
those that are good reminders for you: |
|
o
Live
simply and within your means.
1
Timothy 6:6-8 |
|
o
Do not
covet the possessions of others.
Ephesians 5:30 |
|
o
Follow
this wise advice: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do
without.” |
|
o
When
considering making a purchase, ask yourself: “Do I really need
this?” |
|
o
Learn
to discern between your needs and your wants.
1
Timothy 6:8-10, Hebrews 13:5 |
|
o
Examine
your home for evidence of hoarding.
Luke
12:18 |
|
o
Give
away anything that owns you.
Matthew
19:21 |
|
o
Do not
fall for commercial advertising – shop wisely based on good
counsel.
Proverbs
11:14 |
|
o
Avoid
fads; stick with the classics that are always in style.
Colossians
2:8, Romans 12:1-2 |
|
o
Analyze
the cost of seemingly small expenditures, such as eating out,
buying brand name clothing, etc. These purchases can add up to
substantial sums of money.
Proverbs
27:23-24 |
|
o
In
making major purchases, be sure to shop around, compare prices,
gain knowledge, and get at least three prices or bids before
making your final decision.
Proverbs
24:4-5 |
|
o
Actively deaccumulate by going through your closets, drawers,
storage spaces, garage, basement, etc.
Matthew
6:19-20 |
|
o
Be
willing to pray before making special purchases. Give God the
opportunity to lead you or provide for you in an unexpected but
more affordable way.
1
Peter 5:7 |
|
o
Be
willing to purchase or use pre-owned items. Oftentimes you can
save substantial money by getting what someone else
previously paid full price for.
Job
27:16, Proverbs 13:22 |
|
ADAPTED BY PERMISSION OF HARVEST BIBLE CHAPEL IN ROLLING
MEADOWS, IL.
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