Dapto Anglican Church

Neville Stumbles Shares His Conviction About Giving Generously

Much has been said over the years about the Christian’s responsibility to tithe, or give a tenth of his or her income to the work of the Lord. Now it is true that tithing is an Old Testament concept and not mentioned in the New Testament, but consider this thought … If the people of God were required to give a tenth of their crops and herds under the Mosaic Law, how much more should we, the people of the resurrection, be willing to give under Grace?

Therefore I believe the tithe should be a beginning – our gifts and offerings should be added to the tithe. Just think about how generous is our God! It is He who really owns all that we have, yet He only asks for a portion to be returned to Him for His Kingdom work. We should consider it a joy and a privilege to give generously and sacrificially to the Lord.

Even though we should not give in order to receive, you may be assured that God will honour generous and sacrificial giving. The Bible tells us that God is no man’s debtor, and I have found that to be true. Not once have we been compromised in any way because of our giving to God. In fact, the opposite is true – God has blessed us beyond measure as we have shared in financially supporting the work of Dapto Anglican Church, and I would like you to experience that same joy in giving. Our church has some wonderful ministries and programmes which are encouraging the spiritual growth of our people, and serving our community. It would be absolutely tragic if we had to curtail some of these programmes and ministries because of a lack of financial resources. Ask yourself this very pertinent question.. “Do I spend more money on entertainment and eating out and hobbies than that which I give to the Lord?”

I want to leave you with the words of John Wesley from a previous century, words that still ring true today … “Make all you can, save all you can, and give all you can”.