Giving is not something I HAVE to do but something I GET to do for God.
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In addition to being the founding and Lead Pastor of Element Church, I’m also a financial contributor. I give at least 10% of the income God has entrusted to me back to Him through my church which I love, and I wanted to share some of the reasons why:
First, I believe in the mission and vision of this church. I’m proud to be a part of a church that exists to help people experience LIFE to its fullest in Christ. I’m proud of a church that is seeking to make the kind of IMPACT in our community that if we were gone we’d be missed. I’m proud to be a part of a church that cares more about the heart of a person than how they look, where they came from or what they’ve done in their life. Every time I hear a story about a family put back together or a teenager who decides to follow Christ or a man who finally gets back in church, I know that my contributions played a small part in that. People’s lives are being changed and this church is a part of that. Jesus said that our treasure would follow our heart, so because my heart is with this church, I want to financially support it.
Secondly, I want to be an example to my children. I’m so tired of hearing people complain about the younger generation…they are just following our example! I don’t want selfish children, caring only about their iPods, clothes, cars, and friends. I want my kids to care about other people. That’s not gonna happen by accident…I have to be intentional about modeling that. I cannot tell them to care about others and then spend 100% of my paycheck on our own needs and wants. Parents, we’ve got to be responsible for teaching our kids to be generous, and we can’t do that if we are not generous ourselves.
Thirdly, I give because God commands me to give. In the Old Testament, God commanded his people to tithe, and obedience wasn’t an option. In the New Testament, Jesus talks a lot about giving and money. Paul writes about money. He tells Christians this: “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Every month, we automatically give to our church because that honors God. We want to honor God, even when it’s difficult, even when things are tight. There have been times that we’ve gone without something, but we never cancel the contribution to the church. I’d change where I live before I change how I give!
For me, I do all of this online. I set up a profile on our website and chose to make my monthly contribution automatic. It’s simple, safe and secure and it keeps me from forgetting to do what’s really important to me. I want to encourage you to automate the important by setting up your online giving profile today.
Go HERE to set up your online giving profile or text “Element” to 77977 and you can set up giving through an app on your phone.