There are a number of Bible principles that we can apply in order to honour God and partner together through our finances:
Measured Giving
Tithing is the basic practice of giving the first tenth of your income to your church. This is God’s way of resourcing the local church, and it is an active decision to trust God and put him first in our lives.
'... bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lᴏʀᴅ Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be enough room to store it...' Malachi 3:10 NIV
Generous Giving
God blesses us in a multitude of ways so that we can be generous and bless others.
'You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.' 2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV
Prepared Giving
While we want to be open to spontaneous opportunities to give and bless others, this is to be in addition to our regular, prepared giving.
'On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.' 1 Corinthians 16:2 NIV
Thoughtful and Joyful Giving
Rather than giving carelessly, our generosity is to be characterised by thoughtfulness and joy.
'Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.' 2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV
Above and Beyond Giving
As well as giving regularly, we also want to look for opportunities to go beyond this level of generosity, as the early church did.
'They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.' Acts 2:45 NIV
