WHY WE GIVE 10% OF OUR INCOME...

God so loved the world that He gave His only son... John 3:16 .

God gave it all! He gives extravagantly, outrageously, completely to the care of His children. God's radical generosity moves many of us to be outrageous in our giving. He gave it all and as an act of worship, we seek to give Him all in every aspect of our lives.

Concerning finances, God tells us to give as He has
given to us. "Freely you have received, freely give," Matthew 10:8 . Whoa! If He gave us everything He had that means... Wait! How will we pay the bills if we give Him everything?

Dating back to Abraham, God provided a practical means for His people to worship Him through their wealth and still provide for their families. The tithe according the Bible is a 10% donation of our income to our spiritual home or "storehouse" as the prophet Malachi calls it. "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house..." Malachi 3:10 . God refers to the tithe (10%) as His sacred property--to be used to establish His purposes on earth, "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord." Leviticus 27:30 (NIV)

The tithe is not a law or rule we need to keep to be good Christians but rather an act of worship. Out of gratitude, we give Him all our money (and its worries!) and God turns around and gives us back 90% to spend in ways that build up our families and strengthen us for service.

We believe that God's purposes are fulfilled through the local church. At Eastside Vineyard, we seek God's leading on how best to spend His resources. Our goal is to establish a community of believers who are authentic, relevant, casual and full of God's presence. We want people to feel the love of God when they meet us and to hear a message of healing, "Come as you are and be loved." We are committed to spending God's resources to establish this kind of church.

Our financial books are open for review. Anyone who would like a copy of our monthly budget reports simply needs to contact our church office.

PERSONAL COMMENT FROM WES:
When I first heard this teaching over thirty years ago, I wondered how I could survive on only 90% of my income and raise a family. But I had to try. I couldn't stop thinking about how God loved me so much that He spared nothing to rescue, heal, and strengthen my life. He held nothing back. With all my heart I wanted to follow a loving God like this. I wanted to trust Him and obey. So, I took a chance and did it. Immediately, His peace and warm approval enveloped me. (Probably the best benefit of tithing!) I had a sense that He was in charge and that I would be okay. He would take care of me. I've given over 10% of my income to God for over thirty years and He has always been faithful to meet my needs just as He promised in the verses below.

• "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it..." Malachi 3:10
  
• Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38 NIV
  
• Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV
  

  Let me be completely honest with you, I tithe for two "selfish" reasons. Faithful giving draws me closer to God. Now, God doesn't love me more because I give. It's not a matter of me earning God's love--He loves me no matter what. It's this crazy love, in fact, that makes me want to give! When I tithe, I feel like I am able to give back, if only a little, to the God who gave so much. I am able to show Him my gratitude in a real and practical way and that feels great. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21 I also tithe because I helps me to stop worrying about my finances. It brings me peace. When I tithe, I put my finances in his hands and under his control and make it His responsibility to provide. Faithful giving is an essential part of living a worry-free life.
  
  "But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today." Deuteronomy 8:18
  
  "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:18-19
  
  The bottom line is this: our check book ledger and credit card bill reveal our priorities and values. It's my prayer that our priority is to love God and that we value, above all else, His will and purposes for this 
  generation. "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24

  Your pastor, Wes Fleming