1. TRITON-UBF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP CLASSES

2. Giving (Offerings) As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Pet 2:4-5)

3. What Are Offerings and Tithes?  Offerings: giving something of yours to someone else, in this case to the church for the work of God  Tithe: one-tenth, so for example it would be 10% of your income (gross income!)  Giving is faith in action

4. Abram Gives a Tithe  Genesis 14:18-20  18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

5. Types of Giving and Offering  Time and talent  Teaching Bible to someone  Giving someone a ride to church  Giving 2 hours to campus outreach  Monetary  Regular Sunday offering (tithes)  Thanksgiving  Special offerings  Christmas service  Retreats

6. Who Should Give?  All believers should give  Acts 4:32  All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had  Luke 6:38  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

7. Why Should We Give?  To grow more and more to have a heart like God, to care about the things that He cares about and to be generous as He is generous  The greatest commandments  Love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength  Love your neighbor as yourself

8. Supporting Those Who Work in Ministry  Numbers 18:21  21 I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.  1 Corinthians 9:14  14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

9. Providing for the Lord’s People  Deuteronomy 14:28-29  28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.  2 Corinthians 9: 12,13  12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

10. To Express our Thankfulness to God  Genesis14:20b  Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.  Colossians 3:17  17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Things for which to be thankful  For the gift of his Son (John 3:16)  He builds us up (1 Peter 5:10)  He gives us strength to do the impossible (Philippians 4:13)

11. The Spirit of Giving  2 Corinthians 8:1-5  1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

12. God Loves a Cheerful Giver 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 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. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

13. Everything We Have Is From Him  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17  6 No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. 7 It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. Psalms 75:6-7  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1  We owe him everything! Our tithes and offerings are just a small token of what He has already given to us

14. It All Comes Down to Trust  And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:19  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Rom 8:31-32  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matt 6:33

15. It All Comes Down to Trust Do you love God enough and trust Him enough to be a cheerful giver?

16. Bring the Whole Tithe Into the Storehouse  Malachi 3:8-10  8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse — your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

17. Let’s Not Appear Before the Lord Empty-Handed  Deuteronomy 16:16  16 Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty- handed  Exodus 23:15  Exodus 34:20

18. Isn’t Tithing Just for Those Who are Under the Law? Abraham Commenced it (Gen 14:14-20) Jacob Continued it (Gen 28:20-22) The Law Commanded it (Lev 27:30-32) Jesus Commended it (Matt 23:23) Paul Confirmed it (2 Cor 9:7) Isn’t it Time to Consider it?

19. Q&A ?