Sowing and Reaping

Sowing

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

God created this world, which operates according to the rules He has established. This was part of the foundation of His promise to Noah after the flood: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). Each of these represented a natural cycle that God established in His creation. Yet one of these cycles – “seedtime and harvest” – referred to more than just a period of time. Harvest indeed follows seedtime or sowing. Yet the outcome of the harvest would depend – at least in part – on what was planted, when it was done, and how it was conducted.

This idea is universally familiar to us. Even if we do not engage in the work of farming, we understand this principle. So this illustration of sowing and reaping is used throughout the Bible to discuss more than just agriculture. We will notice a few passages that teach us about sowing and reaping to see what we are to do, what we are to avoid, and what the consequences are of our choices.Continue Reading

A Megachurch Forcing Staff to Tithe Ten Percent (04.13.23)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week I’m joined by Kristofer Gardana, and we’re talking about a megachurch that is facing a lawsuit because they were forcing staff members to tithe 10% of their wages to the church. Not only does this story bring up the issue of tithing to the church, it also gives us an opportunity to discuss how the church conducts its “business” – whether as a business or as a local community of Christians.Continue Reading

Offering a Money-Back Guarantee for Tithing (03.24.22)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re going to be talking about churches offering a money-back guarantee on your tithing. A Chicago-area church has recently made an offer to its congregants that if they tithe for one year and they are “not fully satisfied” with the results in their lives, then the church will give them their money back.Continue Reading

Monthly News Roundup (09.30.21)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This is the last episode for the month of September – time for our monthly news roundup. In this episode, we’ll be talking about the number of kids growing up in two-parent families, a shrinking pool of donors for churches, and a TV preacher raising money to speed up the return of Christ.Continue Reading

Modern Methods of Giving

Texting

[Note: The following article was included in the updated edition of my study, Now Concerning the Collection: A Study of Giving. I am posting it here for the benefit of others who may be considering different methods of giving that have been made available by our modern technology.]

I wrote the original study, Now Concerning the Collection, in 2006 after preaching a lesson (by request) on the topic of giving. At that time, the standard practice for churches to take up the collection – at least the congregations where I had attended – was to pass a basket down each pew into which those in attendance would place their contribution, either in the form of cash or check. This was the way we took up the collection.

Over the fourteen years since then, we have seen many changes that have taken place in our world – including changes in how we use money and make transactions. Many churches now offer online giving that allows someone to give using a credit or debit card online. Other churches offer the option of text giving (via text message) or a mobile giving app.Continue Reading

Regular Christians (Part 2): Philemon

Regular Christians

Philemon was one who used his possessions to help others. We can read about this man in the short letter written to him by the apostle Paul.

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker…and to the church in your house” (Philemon 1-2).

At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you” (Philemon 22).

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What Should Characterize Our Giving?

Collection plate

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

Periodically, it is good for us to evaluate what we do in our service to God in order to make sure we are doing what we should do with the right attitude to the best of our abilities. In this article, we are going to look at one aspect of our service to God – our giving on the first day of the week. This is not about examining the total amount that is contributed by everyone assembled in a congregation; rather, it is about individually examining ourselves by the standard of God’s word.

With this in mind, let us use the New Testament to help us consider the following question: What should characterize our giving?Continue Reading