iServe: Open the Floodgates

Published: Nov. 6, 2009, 2:45 a.m.

b'When it comes time for the offering at church, do you think of it as a necessary evil, an act of obedience, an opportunity for thanksgiving, an extension of worship, or a combination of more than one of these?\\nIs putting money in the offering bag like putting a donation in at the Little League field? How is it similar? How is it different?\\nWhen you hear talk about money at church, do you react negatively, positively, or neutrally? Take a couple of minutes and consider WHY you react as you do? What causes that reaction? Do things from your past affect how you feel currently?\\nAs we said in the message, tithing is giving 10%, ideally the first 10% of what comes in. Think about how much you give and calculate what percent that is of what you make. How close are you to tithing? What would it take for you to begin tithing? Do you need to ease into it, a few percentage points at a time, or are you willing to plunge all in?\\nAs we said in worship, what would happen if for a month or two you tried tithing, taking 10% right off the top? What\\u2019s the worst that could happen if you tried this and it didn\\u2019t work out for you? What\\u2019s the best that could happen if you tried it and it DID work out for you?'