Tag: money

January 6, 2026

January 6th, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 35-36

Highlight Verse:

“So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭36‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When was the last time you heard your church tell you to stop bringing donations?

Ever wonder why you’ve never heard it.

A quick look at the stats just confirmed it to me.

Only 10-13 percent of Evangelicals actually tithe. Half give 1 percent or less.

If all of the members of churches in even the poorest neighborhoods tithed, it would be incredible what they could do.

In the wealthier areas, they might have to tell people to stop giving for a while.

I admit that I have not always been a perfect tither. In those times when I slacked, there was no improvement in my finances. In those times when I have been more faithful to the point where it was scary,

God has always been faithful to meet my needs and then some.

You cannot out-give God.

The people of Israel discovered this. They gave above and beyond in both valuables and talents.

It wasn’t until they stopped being faithful that the blessings went away.

Giving does not come naturally. It takes another whole level of trust to get started.

But once we start, it gets easier and easier.

And the blessings come more often.

I’m not preaching prosperity theology here.

Sometimes the blessings are not monetary or even physical.

But even Harvard can tell you that giving makes you happier. (Harvard Business School study, 2023)

How has God provided for you when you have given in faith?
What would you say to someone to encourage them to give?
December 17, 2025

December 17th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Kings 7

Highlight Verse:

“One of Solomon’s buildings was called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. There were four rows of cedar pillars, and great cedar beams rested on the pillars.”
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭7‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

America has large homes. The average size now is about 2300 square feet. In 1950 it was 1000 square feet.

In King Solomon’s day I’m sure it was much smaller even though the average family was likely much larger.

But this one palace of his was 11,250 square feet just on the first floor, And there were two more floors!

When they say that Solomon was the richest person in his day, they’re not exaggerating.

Despite his incredible wealth, he put God first. He completed the temple before he started on his own palaces.

His palaces were more luxurious and larger than the temple, but the temple was built with far greater care and reverence and artistry.

He put great effort into ruling wisely and reverently.

I’d like to make the point that a wealthy person can still serve the Lord wholeheartedly.

That statement is true, though a wealthy person has to overcome far more temptations than a poor person. We will see that later in Solomon’s life.

For now, lets just be satisfied with the point that God should always come before material gain.

It is good when we can do great things for God with our wealth, but serving God should always come before gaining wealth.

Has it been easier for you to serve God wholeheartedly during time of prosperity or lack?
What are ways that you would like to use wealth to serve God?
June 15, 2023

June 15th, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading 1 Corinthians 15-16

Highlight Verse:

“On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There’s just a few short lines about giving in this letter. But, they are very telling.

The way Paul words these lines implies that giving is already on the minds of the people of Corinth. He just gives them a little advice to make it go more smoothly.

The lesson I get out of those short lines is to give regularly and don’t fall behind in your giving.

To that end, before I started writing I checked to be sure we were current on our giving. I forgot to tithe on my wife’s last paycheck! Don’t worry, I took care of it so I can write this without feeling like a hypocrite.

There are many other teachings about money. I won’t go into all those here.

What I will say is that giving on a regular basis is a freeing experience.

It is easy to become a slave to the almighty dollar (or Euro or whatever is in your country). Giving a portion of it to the church and/or other ministries frees you from that slavery and helps you trust that God has it all under control.

I know it’s easier for some to give than others. There’s been times in my own life when it has been very tough to give. It’s not easy right now.

But I’ve never been able to outgive God.

No matter how dire the situation, He has always pulled me through. Usually, when I’m giving regularly, I find He provides me with more than what I’ve given.

Do you have stories you can share of how God has provided for you when you’ve given regularly?
If you have a difficult time trusting God to provide for you, what would it take to earn that trust?

Tag: money

January 6, 2026

Only 10-13 percent of Evangelicals actually tithe. Half give 1 percent or less.

God has always been faithful to meet my needs and then some.

But even Harvard can tell you that giving makes you happier. (Harvard Business School study, 2023)

December 17, 2025

When they say that Solomon was the richest person in his day, they’re not exaggerating.

He put great effort into ruling wisely and reverently.

For now, lets just be satisfied with the point that God should always come before material gain.

June 15, 2023

The lesson I get out of those short lines is to give regularly and don’t fall behind in your giving.

What I will say is that giving on a regular basis is a freeing experience.

But I’ve never been able to outgive God.