Biblical Generosity

At The Lighthouse Fremont, we believe that giving is an act of worship and a reflection of God’s generosity. From tithes and offerings to spontaneous and radical giving, we are called to live generously and grow in the grace of giving. If you are looking for ways to be more like Christ, giving is at the top of the list. For God so loved the world, He gave…..

Tithes and Offerings

Giving is one of the greatest privileges we have as Christ-followers. It is an act of worship to the King of Kings, an overflow from a grateful heart. Jesus taught us, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” And that doesn’t mean that we should simply give for giving sake. No, that’s where true joy is found—on the giving side of life. It starts with giving God the tithe, the first ten percent of our income. Giving above and beyond the tithe is called an offering, and it’s one way to grow in generosity. It is a discipline that produces tons of fruit in the life of the believer. 

2 Corinthians 8:7 tells us “Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us – I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.” That is a message to a church like ours at a real time in a real place. And look at the instructions: because the gathering is ripe with all kinds of fruit, the instructions are to “also excel in the gracious act of giving”. Not just give but excel in generosity.

Excelling in the Gracious Act of Giving

Generosity begins with properly understanding this fact: everything you have is a gift from God, and is meant to glorify God in its uses. Biblical generosity is giving above and beyond what is expected without expecting anything in return. You don’t give so that you can see the church look the way you want, or to build credentials up for trying to gain position. You don’t give to be better than those that don’t or to get a pat on the back from the Lord or from the leaders of the church. Giving is meant to be selfless and sacrificial, and it is both the simplest way to worship Him, and the hardest. New believers and new families are often the categories of people who struggle most with this idea because they can look at their back account and say “i cannot afford it” or they can look at their lifestyle and say “I’m not there yet”. 

“God can do more in your life with the 90% you still have after tithing, than you can do alone with 100% of your paycheck.I began tithing while I was already not making enough to pay our bills. I had just been hired by the church we were saved in as the janitor and even though it was part time, I was there every day all day so I could learn. God showed me the idea of tithing through the pastor there, but He taught me generosity through me actually doing it. The month we began tithing 10% was the first time in over a year that all our bills were paid, and on time! I’m not promising that God will do that in your life, I am a person with a story, not a principle to be followed; I am saying that trusting in God with my finances was the best decision I ever made and it will be for you too.” -Pastor Adam.

No matter where you are in your journey of generosity, here are some practical categories to understand that will help you make strides in the gracious act of giving. Which category do you find yourself in right now. That’s how you’ll know where to start.

1. Giving Spontaneously

You may hear a vision for something the church is trying to do or purchase, or you may sense a need, and you feel compelled to do something about it. Spontaneous generosity is stepping up and stepping into that need with a gift of time, talent or treasure. There may not be a rhythm to your giving, but there is a reason. You give as the Spirit leads, and that’s where generosity begins. Paul spotlights the generosity of the Macedonians in 2 Corinthians when he says that the giving of the Macedonians was of their own idea, totally surprising to Paul and his traveling companions, and came as a result of the church giving themselves to God. When you align with the Lord, you begin to grow in generosity, it’s His heart, part of His nature.

2. Giving Consistently

If you are going to grow in any area of your life, consistency is key. Hitting the gym once doesn’t give men huge biceps or ladies the perfect figure. This concept is never more true than with generosity. This is how those spontaneous desires to be generous grow into habits we can be consistent with, and we have the added advantage of options like recurring payments through an app. Like any spiritual discipline, we’ve got to be careful that it doesn’t turn into rote routine or empty ritual. Even if you give automatically, take time weekly to pray over the money that is taken out of your account. The idea of a weekly offering traces its origins back to I Corinthians 16:2: “On the first day of the week, each of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income.” 

“One way Amber and I practice consistent generosity is by putting it in our calendar. Instead of just a reminder that it’s payday, I have a reminder to give my tithe. I check the paycheck, I open the Church Center app and I give. It’s the first thing we do when we get paid.”-Pastor Adam

Calendar reminders or recurring giving turn consistent generosity into clockwork. Of course, you can continue to give spontaneously to a wide variety of kingdom causes as the Lord leads you as well.

3. Giving Proportionately

2 Corinthians 8:11 says, “Give in proportion to what you have.” This idea of “proportionate generosity” traces back to the Old Testament tithe, which literally means ten percent. So anyone who says that tithing is only an Old testament idea is not reading their Bible. Remember though, it’s not any ten percent, it’s the first ten percent or first fruits. The tithe isn’t the ultimate goal in the journey of generosity, but it’s a key benchmark. Does that mean that we should give more than 10%? Maybe. If you can proportionately give 20% without impacting your life, you should. We firmly believe and teach as a church that giving should make financial things a little bit harder. Why? Because even though we cannot out-give God, we are called to be like him, and if we are comfortable in our giving, we are not imitating Christ. Which leads us to…

4. Giving Radically

In 2 Corinthians, we read that the Macedonian church was being tested by severe trials and tribulations. Paul doesn’t detail how those early Christians were being harassed and oppressed, but he points out that their “extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” He says, “They gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.” Radical generosity is giving above and beyond the tithe, above and beyond your ability. That’s how we stretch our faith, and that’s the goal. If you live to give, you will grow in the grace of giving. And God’s kingdom will advance because of it. In fact, your generosity will turn into someone else’s miracle! You’ll see the church of Jesus Christ expanding, the neighborhood you live in changing, and the lives and legacies of those you know and love transforming through the grace of God poured out. The prophet malachi wrote these words of God: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” Your radical giving is received and multiplied by God, He’s daring you to do it.