Hey friends!

For those who were not with us on Sunday (as well as more detail for those who were), I want to recap the conversation Ken Hurley, John Hutchison, and I led about the church budget. When we started Life, we agreed that in living life together we want to be as transparent and candid as possible about both the good things and the difficult things. Presently there are two financial challenges we are facing:

The first challenge: As the economy has slowed, so has our giving. The trend thus far in 2008 has been that what is coming in is less than our expenses, and each month we are dipping into savings to pay the bills (to be more precise, we are about $11,300 behind for the year.) We aren’t alone in this – it seems every pastor I know is talking about similar challenges, and frankly I’m thankful and amazed that as a young church this is the first time we’ve had this type of need! Life has always been exceptionally generous (in mission giving alone we have exceeded what is typical of churches several times our size), and I really thank you for being so committed to honoring God in your giving.

The second challenge: We have an outstanding bill from 2007 (for our pensions) that needs to be paid as well, to the tune of about $13,500. For whatever reason we were never billed for this, and it not being the kind of bill that comes monthly we didn’t realize it had gone unpaid until the books were closed on 2007 and we were well into 2008. The billing situation has since been corrected, and thankfully there are no penalties involved, but our vision team is anxious to pay this off and wants to have us totally caught up by the end of 2008.

To that end, the vision and finance teams have hammered out a plan that involves cutting expenses, repaying what is past due, and of course sharing the need with all of you. Part of this is prayer and fasting too – ultimately God is our provider and we trust him to care for our church as he always has. I’m confident that God will not let us fall. Far from it; I am convinced that there is much more God is leading us into in terms of local ministry, church planting, and our work in Africa. He is faithful and will provide.

And friends, as uncomfortable as a struggle like this is, the reality is that we need these kinds of challenges. Without them a church doesn’t mature, the personal ownership we sense for our church gets mushy, and we don’t deepen in our trust in God and bond with each other. We need challenges if we are to move forward, and part of my prayer is that God will use this situation in exactly that way.

I want to challenge you to really seek God about your giving. I say this realizing we’re all in the same boat – gas and groceries have gone way up, many of us have gone from two incomes to one in the past couple years, etc. But I want to challenge you to trust God enough to ask him the hard questions and respond in obedience: Am I being faithful with what God has given me? Am I living generously? Am I practicing appropriate simplicity in my lifestyle? Have I given the prayer and thought to this area that I need to, or am I just winging it? Have I really owned this aspect of being part of a church, or am I relying on others to step up?

Below is the great handout John gave with his teaching on Sunday and invite you to use it as a guide as you seek God in this. And as always, please ask whatever questions you have of myself, Ken, or any of the vision teamers. Our desire is to be transparent and handle this as a family.

Lord bless you my friends, and we’ll see you this weekend –

Tim
Mt 6:33

"OUR MONEY MATTERS"
Guidelines for Christian Giving
LIFE Covenant Church 7-13-08

1. GOD WANTS US TO HONOR HIM BY USING OUR EARTHLY WEALTH TO BRING SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS TO OTHERS.

Prov. 3:9—“Honor the Lord with your wealth, and with the firstfruits of your crops . . .”

Matt. 6:20—“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Luke 16:9—“I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

2 Cor 9:12-13—“This service that you perform [financial giving] is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confessions of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”

2. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD AND USE OF MONEY IS AN INDICATOR OF WHERE OUR HEARTS ARE IN RELATION TO THE LORD.

Matt. 6:21—“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Luke 16:10-11—“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? . . . No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

3. THE AMOUNT OF OUR GIVING TOWARD THE LORD'S WORK IS TO BE PROPORTIONATE TO OUR INCOME

I Cor. 16:2—“On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income . . .”

Tithing in the OT – for further study
• Mention of it goes back to Abraham.
• More formally commanded under the Mosaic law, where it was a part of the requirements for the Israelites. They not only had a spiritual relationship with God, but functioned as a theocracy--a government under God. They actually were required to give more than a tithe (10%).
• Lev 27:30-33; Num 18:21-24; 26-28 - First 10% of all they had was given to the Lord to support the Levites and priests, who were completely supported by the people to carry out their duties.
• (Deut 12:5-6; 14:22-23). In addition, the Jews understood that a second tithe (tenth of remaining) was to be set apart in relation to the establishment of the temple in Jerusalem Further, offerings were also taken for the strangers, fatherless, and widows among the people
• In the New Testament there is no rule given for a Christian about the amount to be given to the Lord, though the principle of the tithe probably continued in the early church as did the principle of the Sabbath.

4. OUR GIVING AS CHRISTIANS IS TO BE GENEROUS AND SACRIFICIAL

2 Cor. 8:2-3—“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.”

2 Cor. 9:6-7—“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Acts 4:32-35—“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”

5. YOU CANNOT OUTGIVE GOD; HE WILL ALWAYS PROVIDE NEEDS AND EXTRA BLESSINGS WHEN WE GIVE SACRIFICIALLY.

2 Cor. 9:7-8—“ Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Phil. 4:19—“And my God will supply all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (response of Paul after receiving a financial gift from the Philippians)

6. GIVING SHOULD BE IN A SPIRIT OF WILLINGNESS AND JOY, NOT BECAUSE OF MANIPULATION OR PRESSURE.

2 Cor. 9:7—“ Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

7. GIVING SHOULD BE PRE-DECIDED, AND ACCORDING TO A PLAN.

2 Cor. 9:7—“ Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Excellent Books on Financial Stewardship:
• The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving by Randy Alcorn
• Fields of Gold by Andy Stanley