The First Tithe

In one paragraph

Brian walked the church through what the Bible actually says about tithing, why Jesus talked about money more than most people realize, and what our instinct to hold on to what we have reveals about where our trust really sits. The conversation was interactive throughout, with the congregation adding observations and connections as the teaching moved from Genesis to the Gospels. The central idea...

Read together

1. Matthew 18:20 Lissa's opening prayer, wherever two or more are gathered he is there in the midst
2. John 8:36 whom the Son sets free is free indeed, closing prayer before worship
3. Luke 6:38 Brian quotes Jesus, give and you will receive, pressed down shaken together running over, to connect with the principle of sowing and reaping
4. Genesis 14:14-20 primary Old Testament text, Abram rescues Lot and gives Melchizedek a tenth of the recovered goods
5. Mark 12:41-44 opening passage read aloud by a congregation member, the poor widow who gave two small coins
6. Luke 14:33 Brian quotes Jesus, you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own
7. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Brian reads Paul, you do not belong to yourself, God bought you with a high price so honor God with your body
8. Matthew 6:24 congregation member connects the tithing and trust theme, no one can serve two masters, you cannot serve God and be enslaved to money

What was said

• If you have been carrying a financial worry, write it on the back of a connect card and drop it in the box at the back so the staff can pray over it this week.
• Set a specific time with God this week, put it in your calendar like any other appointment, and keep it.
• Come to the town square at 5 PM this Sunday, find a Jewish community member who is there, and ask them why they are standing there.
• Pick one area of your life where you have been gripping tightly rather than holding with an open hand, and tell God out loud that it belongs to him.
• If you are a young adult or know one who needs community, show up to or spread the word about Tuesday night young adult service at the TMC.

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about how asking 'where do you go to church?' in Jackson feels as intrusive as asking someone what's in their bank account. Why do you think conversations about faith and money both tend to make people uncomfortable, and how have you experienced that in your own life?
2. The first tithe in scripture shows Abram giving a tenth of everything to Melchizedek after a military victory. What stood out to you about the circumstances of that first tithe, and what does it tell you about what giving is meant to be a response to?
3. Brian walked through the idea of filtering Old Testament law through the cross, saying it either gets confirmed, modified, or deleted. How does that framework change the way you read commands in scripture, and how does it apply to how you think about tithing specifically?
4. Lisa shared the memory of standing in the driveway in Tulsa, lifting their checkbooks up and saying 'our name is on these checks but these are yours.' Has there been a moment in your own life where you had to make that kind of concrete surrender with your finances or something else you were holding tightly? What happened?
5. Brian closed with the idea that 'the test of tithing proves the truth of trusting,' using the image of a child holding onto M and Ms. What does your first instinct when asked to give reveal to you about where your trust actually sits right now?