Today, RIGHT before our offering, we had what can only be described as a spontaneous testimony service! 

One story after another—people sharing how faithful God has been as they’ve practiced giving and returned the tithe to the Lord…

It was powerful.

Since then, many of you have reached out with questions about tithing—what it is, why it matters, and how it fits into the life of someone who’s new to following Jesus…

SO…I took some time this afternoon to write my thoughts on giving, tithing, and church as a whole.

Our church is full of new believers, and I love that. 

It means we get to grow together and build a strong foundation. 

So this is meant to give you clarity, encouragement, and biblical truth about tithing and giving—no guilt, no pressure. 

Let’s talk about something that makes a lot of people uncomfortable when they start following Jesus—tithing.

If you’re new to church, maybe you’ve heard people mention “giving 10%” or “bringing the tithe.” And maybe you’ve wondered...

“Is this just a church thing? Is it in the Bible? Does God really want my money?”

Totally fair questions. I used to wrestle with those too.

Let me take you back to something that happened to me when I was just starting out in ministry.

 I was a church intern, and one day I had the honor (and I use that word loosely) of taking a pastor’s three kids to the movies. The pastor handed me his debit card—the real deal—and said, “Buy them whatever they want.”

So we went BIG. Candy, popcorn, drinks… you name it.

The oldest son got a share-size bag of Skittles. 

When we got to our seats—I think we were watching How to Train Your Dragon—I reached over and grabbed a few Skittles. No big deal, right?

Wrong.

That kid grabbed my wrist, pried my fingers open like a tiny IRS agent doing an audit, and took his Skittles back. 

I was in shock!!!!

I wanted to say, “Kid, I bought those Skittles. If I wanted to, I could go back to that concession stand and make it rain Skittles on your head. I’d drown you in rainbows right now if I wanted.”

And yet, there he was—gripping those Skittles like they were his life savings.

That’s exactly how we treat God sometimes....

We forget that He’s the one who gave us the debit card in the first place. 

We act like what we have is truly ours, like we earned it and God should stay out of it. 

But God’s not trying to rob us—He’s trying to remind us where it all came from in the first place.

The Bible says in Malachi 3:10-“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse… Test me in this,” says the Lord, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing…”

In other words “Try me. Trust me. Just see what I can do.”

Let me give you another story that hits even closer to home.

One day I took my son Hudson out to a steakhouse. 

He was finally old enough to eat a real steak, and I wanted this to be special—filet mignon, a rite of passage....YUMMM!

I had planned the whole evening. 

It was going to be a memory-maker. An EPIC FEAST!

But right before dinner, Hudson got hungry. 

He dug into his mom’s purse and found a package of crushed-up peanut butter crackers. 

And he lost his DANG mind. 

He wanted those crackers so badly, he was crying, screaming—completely unaware that his dad had prime steak waiting for him.

All he had to do was let go of the cheap stuff so I could give him the good stuff.

That’s what God’s asking from us.

He’s not trying to take something from you—He’s trying to give something to you. 

But as long as your hands are full of Skittles and peanut butter crackers, you’ll never receive the filet mignon He’s already prepared.

Tithing is one way we let go.

We say, “God, I trust You. I honor You first.” 

It’s not a tax. It’s not a subscription fee for church. 

It’s an act of faith, of obedience, of love.

The principle of tithing—giving the first 10%—goes all the way back to the book of Genesis.

Abraham gave a tenth to the priest Melchizedek as a way of honoring God (Genesis 14). 

In the Old Testament law, God told His people that the tithe was holy and belonged to Him (Leviticus 27:30). 

And in Malachi, He invites us to test Him—to see what happens when we return that first portion to Him.

Now, I know some of you might be thinking, “But I heard a YouTube theologian say tithing isn’t for NEW TESTAMENT believers.”

There’s a lot of debate around this topic...

But here’s the thing—when Jesus Himself says, “You should tithe,”that’s pretty clear to me. 

It’s found in Matthew 23:23, where He says,

“You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.”

Here's the thing....

If that’s the ONLY PLACE in the entire Bible where my Lord says we should do something, as a Christ-follower, that should be enough for me.

But tithing isn’t just a New Testament idea—it’s woven all throughout Scripture. 

From Abraham giving a tenth to Melchizedek (Genesis 14) to God instructing His people in Leviticus 27:30, where a tenth of the produce was holy to the Lord.

So, think of tithing as a timeless act of worship, a way to say, “God, I trust You with my everything.” 

And as we let go of our Skittles and peanut butter crackers...

...we make room for the incredible blessings God has in store.

I’ve heard folks say to me, “Well Pastor Z...I don’t believe in tithing; I just give from my heart.” 

Oh really!?

That sounds great in theory. 

But in all my years, I’ve never met someone who says that and actually gives more than 10%... 

The real funny thing is, whenever we look at what God asks of us, it’s always MORE, not less. 

The truth is under GRACE, we’re called to a higher standard than the law because it’s about the heart. 

So, while tithing is a great starting point, the goal is to cultivate a spirit of generosity that goes beyond percentages.

...10% might sound like a lot. But in the big picture, it’s just returning what was already God’s in the first place.

But Let’s Be Practical for a Minute…

We’ve talked a lot about the SPIRITUAL (It's all spiritual btw) side of tithing—trust, obedience, gratitude, and honoring God. 

But can we be perfectly honest?

Can you agree that Ministry costs money? 

In fact, the quality of ministry that happening in our church is directly related to our willingness to invest our money into that ministry.

Like, actual dollars...

If you’ve ever walked into a church and thought, 

“WOW, this place feels welcoming."

"The kids area is clean." 

"The lights work. There’s coffee. The worship team sounds great." 

"Someone prayed with me, and there were materials available for me to grow in my faith.”

"They have air conditioning!" —that’s all ministry… and ministry isn’t free.

A hundred dollars’ worth of ministry costs a hundred dollars.

That’s just the reality. 

If we want to serve people, help people, reach the lost, disciple kids, and be a blessing to our communities—we need resources.

Lights, rent, curriculum, outreach, benevolence, microphones, diapers, Bibles, snacks for the toddlers, paint for the walls, speakers for worship, and yes… even Skittles!!!!

It all takes consistent generosity. EVERY WEEK! 

And guess what? 

God’s plan to fund the ministry of the Church has always been His people.

You’re not “paying the preacher” or “funding a show.” 

You’re partnering with the mission... 

Every time you give, you’re helping someone else experience Jesus in a real and tangible way.

ONE MORE THING TO CONSIDER....

Why does It feel weird when the Church talks about money? 

Why do some people get upset?

It's interesting isn't it?

Nobody flips out when Netflix charges their card...

Nobody storms out of H-E-B or Target yelling, “All they care about is money!”

Your gym has a membership fee...

Your favorite restaurant won’t let you eat for free...

Even our favorite political party send emails saying, “We rely on your support.”

But when the Church talks about tithing, suddenly it’s a problem? 

Here's why...

THAT’S BECAUSE MONEY IS SPIRITUAL.

Our money reveals what we trust. 

Our money shows what we value and what we’re holding onto.

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

So when the Church talks about giving, it presses on something deeper than just your wallet—it touches your heart.

HOWEVER...The Church isn’t SELLING you something...

We’re not a business with a product...

We’re a mission with a PURPOSE—to bring hope, healing, and the good news of Jesus to people who desperately need it.

If Starbucks can ask you to pay $6 for coffee...

...and Spotify can charge you for uninterrupted music...

...surely the Church can ask you to give to help change lives for eternity?!

Final Thought...

We don’t give out of guilt—we give because God has been good to us, and we believe in what He’s doing through the local church. 

That’s what makes the practical side of giving JUST AS HOLY as the spiritual side!

Tithing isn’t just a spiritual act—it’s a partnership.

And when we return that first 10%, we say, “God, I trust You with all of it.”--We stop clutching the Skittles like a stingy movie theater kid and we open our hands for something better.

And in God’s hands, better is always possible.

--PZ