Giving God the First from the Heart | Pastor Joel King

Jul 26, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Straining Gnats, Swallowing Camels

Jesus exposed religious leaders who meticulously tithed spices like mint and cumin while ignoring justice and mercy. Their obsession with minor rules blinded them to their own greed and pride. Like straining gnats but swallowing camels, they prioritized appearances over heart transformation. Faithful giving matters, but Jesus demands more: lives marked by compassion, integrity, and surrender. True obedience weighs both actions and motives. [09:29]

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” (Matthew 23:23–24, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been meticulous about small spiritual habits while neglecting weightier matters like justice or mercy? How might your giving or service reveal misplaced priorities?

Day 2: The Tax Collector’s Empty Hands

Two men prayed: one boasted of tithing and fasting, the other begged mercy as a sinner. Jesus honored the tax collector’s humility over the Pharisee’s pride. Giving becomes toxic when it fuels comparison or self-righteousness. True worship begins with empty hands, not a resume of sacrifices. God justifies the broken, not the impressive. [13:27]

“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ‘…The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people… I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” But the tax collector… beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”’” (Luke 18:9–13, ESV)

Reflection: When has your giving or service subtly made you feel superior to others? How might confessing “God, have mercy” reshape your approach to obedience?

Day 3: Freely Received, Freely Give

Jesus sent disciples to heal and preach without charging fees. The gospel isn’t merchandise—it’s grace to share, not sell. Yet He affirmed supporting workers: “The laborer deserves his wages.” Kingdom giving fuels mission without commodifying grace. We steward resources to advance Good News, not profit from it. [25:37]

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay… And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart… The laborer deserves his food.” (Matthew 10:8–10, ESV)

Reflection: Have you ever treated spiritual practices or relationships as transactions? How can you both guard against exploiting grace and generously support God’s work?

Day 4: More Than a Percentage

Jesus didn’t abolish tithing—He deepened it. The Pharisees gave 10% but withheld their hearts. Christ demands full surrender: money, motives, and mercy. Tithing trains us to put God first, but it’s a starting line, not the finish. True discipleship trades religious math for radical allegiance. [30:58]

“So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:10, ESV)

Reflection: Does your giving feel like a completed duty or a doorway to deeper surrender? What area of your life still resists being “reckoned” as God’s property?

Day 5: Substitute or Surrender?

Giving can mask hypocrisy if it replaces heart change. Jesus exposed those who tithed herbs but exploited the poor. Faithful generosity expresses worship, not bargaining. Examine whether your offerings flow from gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice or a desire to negotiate with God. [35:44]

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1, ESV)

Reflection: Is your giving a substitute for full surrender or an expression of it? What would it look like to offer your whole life—not just your wallet—as worship?

Sermon Summary

Jesus takes up the tithe not by tossing it aside and not by letting it become a religious shortcut. Jesus presses deeper than a percentage. Jesus moves from the hand to the heart, from the act of giving to the kind of worshiper doing the giving. Jesus is not after less than the tithe. He is after more than the tithe. He is after the heart.

Matthew 23 shows Jesus affirming careful giving while exposing hypocrisy. The Pharisees tithed their mint, dill, and cumin, even the little spices growing in the window, and Jesus does not say that was ridiculous. Jesus says they should have practiced justice, mercy, and faithfulness without neglecting the former. The problem was not that they were too faithful with small things. The problem was that they strained out a gnat and swallowed a camel. The tithe can be spiritually helpful when it teaches a person to put God first, but the tithe becomes spiritually dangerous when it lets a person think God has received enough while the rest of life stays off limits.

Luke 18 pushes the warning even further. The Pharisee in the temple fasts and gives a tenth of all he gets, but his prayer is full of comparison. His words are addressed to God, but his heart is centered on himself. The tax collector stands at a distance, beats his breast, and brings no resume. His prayer is simply, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus says the broken sinner went home justified, not the tithe paying man who trusted in himself. The issue was not fasting or tithing. The issue was pride, contempt, and self righteousness dressed up in religious discipline.

Matthew 10 shows another side of the same truth. Jesus sends the twelve with the kingdom message and tells them, “Freely you have received. Freely give.” The things of God are not merchandise. Grace is not for sale, prayer is not for sale, forgiveness is not for sale, and ministry must never become manipulation. Yet Jesus also says, “The worker is worth his keep.” The old principle of supporting those set apart for ministry does not disappear, even though Christ fulfills the temple, the priesthood, and the sacrifice.

Christian giving must hold the balance Jesus gives. Giving should support the work of the kingdom, care for the vulnerable, send workers, and make room for worship and discipleship. Giving must never become a substitute for surrender. Jesus gave not merely 10 percent, but himself, his body and blood, and that grace turns giving into worship, gratitude, trust, joy, and a whole life surrendered.

Key Takeaways

1. Giving cannot replace heart obedience Jesus affirms faithful giving, but he will not let giving become a cover for injustice, harshness, or withheld mercy. The danger is not only greed, but religious compartmentalizing, where one obedient act becomes an excuse to keep other areas untouched. The tithe becomes dangerous when it says, “God has enough,” while the heart remains unsurrendered. [10:36]
2. Small obedience can hide camels The image of straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel exposes a strange kind of blindness. A person can become exact about visible religious details while tolerating huge inward corruption. Jesus does not mock carefulness, but he confronts carefulness that has lost justice, mercy, and faithfulness. [08:41]
3. Grace makes giving humble The Pharisee’s giving became evidence in his case against other people, while the tax collector came with nothing but need. Christian giving is not a way to rise above others or prove righteousness before God. Grace turns giving away from comparison and toward gratitude, because acceptance rests on what Christ has given. [20:54]
4. The gospel is never merchandise Jesus sends his disciples with power and authority, but he tells them not to sell what they received as a gift. Ministry becomes corrupt when prayer, blessing, access, or grace gets treated like a transaction. The things of God must be freely offered, even while the work of the kingdom is rightly supported. [26:10]
5. Surrender is the real question The deepest question is not merely whether money is being given, but what that giving is doing to the soul. Giving can become mechanical, proud, or self protecting, or it can become an expression of a heart already yielded to Jesus. Jesus exposes the heart not to shame it, but to heal it and lead it into truth.

## [35:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:27] - What Did Jesus Say About Tithing?
[03:16] - More Than the Tithe
[05:08] - Jesus Confronts the Pharisees
[08:41] - Straining Gnats and Swallowing Camels
[11:48] - Giving as Self Righteousness
[12:22] - The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
[22:16] - Ministry Workers Are Worth Supporting
[25:20] - Freely Received, Freely Given
[30:37] - From Percentage to Surrender
[33:08] - Five Applications from Jesus
[35:44] - Has Giving Replaced Surrender?
[38:50] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 23:23-24
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” [05:19]

Luke 18:9-14
“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 'Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.'” [12:22]

Matthew 10:5-10
“These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, 'Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.'” [23:18]

Observation questions

In Matthew 23, what two things does Jesus hold together when he speaks to the Pharisees about their tithing of mint, dill, and cumin?
What details in Luke 18 show the difference between the Pharisee’s posture and the tax collector’s posture before God? [17:36]
In the parable of Luke 18, what specific religious practices does the Pharisee mention, and what one simple request does the tax collector make?
In Matthew 10, what are the disciples told to give freely, and what reason does Jesus give for their support as they go? [23:37]

Interpretation questions

Jesus says the Pharisees should not neglect tithing, but also should not neglect justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Why does Jesus call those “weightier matters,” and what does that reveal about the kind of obedience he wants? [10:48]
The image of straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel is vivid. What kind of spiritual blindness does that picture expose in a religious person? [08:41]
In Luke 18, why is the Pharisee not justified even though the things he lists are not bad in themselves? What does that say about the danger of religious practices without humility? [19:33]
Jesus says, “Freely you have received. Freely give,” and also, “The laborer deserves his food.” How do those two truths help a group think rightly about money, ministry, and the gospel? [29:49]

Application questions

Jesus is after more than a percentage; he is after the heart. In what ways can giving become a way to keep the rest of life untouched? Is there any area where it feels easier to give money than to surrender obedience? [31:21]
It is possible to give faithfully and still neglect justice, mercy, or faithfulness. Where is there a real danger of being careful in one visible area of obedience while ignoring a heavier matter in daily life? [10:36]
The Pharisee turned good spiritual practices into a reason to compare himself with others. Has any act of obedience ever quietly become a source of pride, resentment, or superiority? What might repentance look like there? [20:17]
The tax collector came with no resume, only a cry for mercy. What would it look like this week to come before God with that same honesty instead of trying to impress him? [20:54]
The things of God are not merchandise. Have there been experiences with churches, ministries, or Christian culture that made grace feel transactional? How can a group help one another resist that way of thinking? [26:10]
Supporting the work of the kingdom is good and right. What are some practical ways a believer can gladly support gospel work, care for the vulnerable, and make room for worship and discipleship? [35:13]
Giving can either be a substitute for surrender or an expression of a surrendered heart. Which of those two feels closer to the truth right now, and what is one concrete step toward deeper surrender? [35:44]

Sermon Clips

59s

#GivingRootedInGrace

“But Jesus says the justified person is not the one who comes before God impressed with themselves. The justified person is one who comes empty handed asking for mercy and understands that even if they are doing some of those things, it's because of God's grace and not because of them. That means Christian giving must always be rooted in grace. We do not give so that God will accept us. We give because in Christ, God has already shown his mercy and his acceptance. We do not give to prove that we are righteous. We give because Jesus is our righteousness. We do not give to rise above other people. We give because grace has humbled us. We do not give to earn our place in God's family. We give because the father has already welcomed us through the finished work of Christ. Amen? Amen.”

48s

#PercentageToPriority

“When we bring these passages together, we see that Jesus has not approached the tithe casually. He does not say giving is unimportant. He does not support, say supporting ministry is optional. He does not say, hey, since I've come, generosity no longer matters. But he also does not allow giving to remain a mere external requirement, which is what it had become. Jesus moves the issue from percentage to priority, from amount to allegiance, from duty to discipleship. That is why I believe there's a a helpful way to say this is Jesus is not after less than the tithe. He's after more than the tithe.”

63s

#SurrenderAllToJesus

“He's not after less. He's after more. And everything in the New Testament is like that. Everything in the New Testament is like that. You you thought the line was here. I tell you this. Jesus is after your heart, your will, lock, stock, and bear. I'm just full disclosure here. Jesus is not just here to make your life better. He's here to completely change your life and recenter your life around him. Period. And that's what heaven is, by the way. It's a it's a eternity surrendered around him. It's not just Disneyland for eternity. So so we're not I'm not here to sell you a better life, a better American dream. Jesus did not come for a better American dream. He came to say, if you love God, you will love me. And if you love me, you will give me all of you. And then I will do in you what you cannot do for yourself. That's important.”

54s

#TrustNotInSelf

“It was this it was the dirty, rotten sin that we all agree is terrible that went home justified before God. This would have been shocking. The tithe paying Pharisee went home unjustified, and the broken sinner went home justified? Now we need to be clear. The Pharisee was not condemned because he fasted and tithed. It's not what this passage is saying. He was condemned because he trusted in himself. His giving had become part of spiritual pride. His obedience had become a platform for contempt. His religious discipline had become a way to look down others. So saying the right thing in the wrong way does matter, and Jesus will not bless that.”

36s

#GivingRequiresHeart

“He is not saving saying that giving does not matter. In actual fact, he commends them for it. It's probably the only thing he commends the Pharisees for. He's saying giving cannot become a substitute for the deeper obedience of the heart. So when Jesus talks about the tithe, he does not lower the standard. He raises it. In effect, he says, yes, be faithful in giving, do not imagine that your giving excuses you from the weightier matters of loving and following God.”

72s

#GenerosityPlusMercy

“The point is clear. They were incredibly careful about small outward acts of purity while tolerating huge inward corruption. And that's where this passage, I believe, becomes relevant for us because it's possible to give faithfully and still be disobedient in other areas of your life, which, by the way, are more important. That's right. The pastor said it's more important that those other areas than you give to the church. It's possible to tithe and still be unjust. It's possible to give and still be harsh. It's possible to support ministry and lack in mercy. It's possible to give 10% and still withhold your heart from God. It's possible to be generous financially, but stingy relationally. It's possible to write the check, but refuse to forgive. It's possible to support the church but neglect the poor. It's possible to honor God with our money but dishonor him with our attitudes.”

37s

#TitheIsNotEnough

“The tithe can be spiritually helpful when it teaches us to put God first, but the tithe becomes spiritually dangerous when it allows us to think we have given God enough to keep the rest of our lives for ourselves. And right now, you're thinking, I should have stayed home this morning. So the first warning is do not use giving as a substitute for true heart change. For true heart change.”

52s

#DoesGivingHumbleYou

“So Jesus warns us, do not use giving as a basis for pride, Joel. The question is not merely do I give. The question is, what is my giving doing to my soul? Is it making me more humble? Is it making me more grateful, more compassionate, more aware of God's grace? Or is it making me proud, judgmental, and blind? See, this tells us something essential here. God is not impressed by giving that comes from an unsurrendered heart. And that's, by the way, of anything. Anything religious. because you're self disciplined enough to to do it. If the heart is still hard, of what benefit? You lose out on both, actually.”

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