1. Money What was God thinking about? Part 2: Malachi 3:8-11

2. What was God thinking about? Freewill A situation where you can make meaningful choices Principles to help you make better choices

3. What was God thinking about? 1)Beware the love of money 2)Everything belongs to God – we are just managers 3)The generosity cycle

4. Malachi 3:8 Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! But you ask, 'What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?' You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.

5. Malachi 3:8 Offerings "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats' hair; ram skins dyed red, badger skins… (Exodus 25:2-5)

6. Malachi 3:8 Tithes And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord. (Lev 27:30) "One tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy. A tithe is a tenth

7. Malachi 3:8 Tithes "Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting. (Numbers 18:21)

8. Malachi 3:8 Tithes Jesus said tithing was right "What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. (Luke 11:42)

9. Malachi 3:8 Don’t get legalistic about the percentage Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on. (Mark 12:41-44)

10. Malachi 3:8 "Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! "But you ask, 'What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?' "You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.

11. Malachi 3:10a Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house Old Testament principle was to give a tenth of your income towards the work of the temple and as worship New Testament principle is to give a tenth of your income towards the work of the church and as worship Not a tenth of what you own!

12. Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. And try Me now in this,“ Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. God says He will bless those who tithe He says we can test this!

13. Malachi 3:11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,“ Says the Lord of hosts There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. (Proverbs 11:24)

14. Money- what was God thinking about? Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2) "Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.“ (Psalm 35:27) And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

15. Money- what was God thinking about? Prosperity means to make progress down the road To have an improving situation Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don't have. Of course, I don't mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. (2 Cor 8:11-13)

16. Money- what was God thinking about? He gives us principles to help us live a great life Beware the love of money Be a manager of God’s money Become a channel in the generosity cycle –By giving tithes and offerings And God will prosper you