What does the Bible teach about money?
Here is a selection:
"The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap
bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your
mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
"No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the
one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise
the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Luke 16:13)
"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before
you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,
so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have
received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your
alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in
secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:2-3)
"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)
What does the last quote have to do with money? Well, money can
become a person's "god", i.e. the object of the person's worship, that
which he or she seeks most in life. This is not what God wants from us.
God Himself wants to be No. 1 in our lives, and rightly so. Money in
itself is neither good or bad. It is a tool that can be used to do good or
bad. It is the love of money that is a problem.
As on any other question in life, the Bible also has an answer for this
problem. We are told how we can free ourselves from the grip that
money and wordly possessions can have on us: By giving it away. How
much are we supposed to give away? The Bible, in the Old and New
Testament, consistently talks about "tithing", e.g. in Leviticus 27:30:
"All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the
fruit from the tree, are the Lord's; they are holy to the LORD.
The tithe is the tenth part of what we own. God blesses it (and us) when
we give 10% of our income back to Him. Numerous people have
experienced this blessing in their lives. Tithing not only teaches us
emotional independence from money, but it also brings very touchable
blessings. God returns it to you in ways you did not think were possible.
You cannot "outgive" God.
As the congregation of Christ Lutheran Church, we tithe. Ten percent of
our annual budget leaves the congregation to do God's work
elsewhere. This keeps us financially healthy. We also strongly
encourage our members to tithe. We do not expect them to give their
tithe to us. We ask that they offer their tithe to God and pray for direction.
God will show you what He wants you to do with it. You can split it up
and give e.g. to the Red Cross, the local food bank, and your struggling
neighbor next door, wherever the Holy Spirit leads you. If a part of your
tithe goes to Christ Lutheran Church, we thankfully accept it. Like all
churches, we depend solely on donations. We are a non-profit
organisation, and you can deduct your donations from your income tax.
We will send you a statement at the end of every calendar year. You can
place your donations in the offering plate on Sundays, send it in the
mail, or have it automatically sent by your bank every month.
Thank you!
Here is a selection:
"The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap
bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your
mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
"No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the
one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise
the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Luke 16:13)
"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before
you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,
so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have
received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your
alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in
secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:2-3)
"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)
What does the last quote have to do with money? Well, money can
become a person's "god", i.e. the object of the person's worship, that
which he or she seeks most in life. This is not what God wants from us.
God Himself wants to be No. 1 in our lives, and rightly so. Money in
itself is neither good or bad. It is a tool that can be used to do good or
bad. It is the love of money that is a problem.
As on any other question in life, the Bible also has an answer for this
problem. We are told how we can free ourselves from the grip that
money and wordly possessions can have on us: By giving it away. How
much are we supposed to give away? The Bible, in the Old and New
Testament, consistently talks about "tithing", e.g. in Leviticus 27:30:
"All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the
fruit from the tree, are the Lord's; they are holy to the LORD.
The tithe is the tenth part of what we own. God blesses it (and us) when
we give 10% of our income back to Him. Numerous people have
experienced this blessing in their lives. Tithing not only teaches us
emotional independence from money, but it also brings very touchable
blessings. God returns it to you in ways you did not think were possible.
You cannot "outgive" God.
As the congregation of Christ Lutheran Church, we tithe. Ten percent of
our annual budget leaves the congregation to do God's work
elsewhere. This keeps us financially healthy. We also strongly
encourage our members to tithe. We do not expect them to give their
tithe to us. We ask that they offer their tithe to God and pray for direction.
God will show you what He wants you to do with it. You can split it up
and give e.g. to the Red Cross, the local food bank, and your struggling
neighbor next door, wherever the Holy Spirit leads you. If a part of your
tithe goes to Christ Lutheran Church, we thankfully accept it. Like all
churches, we depend solely on donations. We are a non-profit
organisation, and you can deduct your donations from your income tax.
We will send you a statement at the end of every calendar year. You can
place your donations in the offering plate on Sundays, send it in the
mail, or have it automatically sent by your bank every month.
Thank you!
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| A Lutheran Church in the Evangelical Catholic Tradition |
| A Lutheran Church in the Evangelical Catholic Tradition |
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| Christ Lutheran Church - ALCC 177 East Main Street, Stevensville, MD 21666 Church Office: 237 Chatham Lane, Annapolis, MD 21403 Tel: (410) 268-1858, Fax: (410) 268-1858 E-mail: info@christalcc.org |
This Sunday at 11 a.m.,
afterwards Coffee Hour
Sacrament of
Reconciliation on Fridays
between 2 and 4 pm or by
appointment
afterwards Coffee Hour
Sacrament of
Reconciliation on Fridays
between 2 and 4 pm or by
appointment
Sunday School at 10 a.m.
