Money with Meaning | Tithing | Pastor Nathan Johnson

Devotional

Day 1: The Tithe Belongs to God: Possession, Not Ours to Withhold

The Bible confronts us with a startling question: "Will a man rob God?" When we withhold tithes, we treat what belongs to God as our own property. Everything we have—money, homes, even our breath—is on loan from the Creator. Tithing isn’t charity; it’s returning what’s already stamped with divine ownership. This truth reshines our relationship with resources, exposing the illusion of control. God invites us to live as stewards, not owners, in a world where even our car titles are temporary leases. [40:06]

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
(Malachi 3:8-10, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been acting as an owner rather than a steward of your resources? What practical step can you take this week to honor God’s ownership?

Day 2: Curses, Blessings, and the Devourer Rebuked

Financial strain often feels like locusts devouring our peace. Malachi reveals a sobering connection: withholding tithes invites spiritual vulnerability, while faithfulness activates divine protection. This isn’t a prosperity promise but a spiritual reality—our obedience positions us under heaven’s covering. God doesn’t promise problem-free living, but He does pledge to rebuke forces seeking to bankrupt our souls. When we tithe, the 90% in His hands outweighs 100% in ours. [43:30]

“Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.”
(Malachi 3:11, ESV)

Reflection: What “devourer” (anxiety, debt, scarcity mindset) needs rebuking in your life? How might tithing shift your posture from defense to trust?

Day 3: Windows of Heaven: Provision Poured Out Until It Overflows

Malachi’s window isn’t a transactional slot machine but a portal to relational abundance. Ancient houses had small windows—when God promises to open heaven’s, He’s offering floodgates of grace. This provision isn’t just monetary; it’s the light of perspective that transforms how we see resources. Like morning sun through an open sash, tithing illuminates God’s faithfulness in paying mortgages, funding youth camps, and keeping church lights on. [57:08]

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse…put me to the test…if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
(Malachi 3:10, ESV)

Reflection: When have you experienced “overflow” blessings unrelated to money? How does tithing train your eyes to see God’s broader provision?

Day 4: Stewards, Not Owners: Managing God’s Resources with Open Hands

The chair you’re sitting on, the device in your hand—none are truly ours. Psalm 24’s declaration that “the earth is the Lord’s” dismantles the myth of possession. Stewardship turns budgeting into worship, bill-paying into communion. This truth liberates us from both greed and guilt, inviting us to manage temporary resources with eternal intentionality. Every dollar becomes a seed for kingdom harvest when held loosely. [41:05]

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”
(Psalm 24:1, ESV)

Reflection: What possession feels hardest to hold loosely? How would managing it as God’s property change your relationship to it?

Day 5: The Dance of Generosity: Aligning Our Hearts with Heaven’s Rhythm

Tithing isn’t a rigid duty but a divine dance—God gives, we return, He multiplies, we rejoice. Like a couple synchronized in worship, each step (giving) reveals the Partner’s character. This rhythm transforms wallets into worship instruments, bank statements into love letters. The dance floor includes church storehouses, missionaries, and pizza-fund teens—all moving to the music of “test me in this.” [01:01:23]

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
(2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV)

Reflection: What part of generosity’s dance feels awkward for you? How might embracing it as relational (not transactional) change your next step?

Sermon Summary

Malachi names a hard thing and then opens a bright door. “Will a man rob God?” exposes possession. The tithe belongs to God, not to the giver, so withholding it counts as robbery, but returning it simply gives back what is already his. That line reaches deeper than ten percent. Psalm 24 says the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. God owns it all, and people do not stand as owners but as stewards who manage the Lord’s stuff for the Lord’s purposes. The refrain rings true: money has meaning when it serves the Master.

The text then presses protection. Lives and resources sit either under a curse or under a blessing. Under God’s blessing, ninety percent goes farther than a self-guarded hundred ever can. Tithing therefore functions as faith in action. It runs counter to human nature and cuts against the grain of control, but it moves the whole life under God’s active care. Old Testament objection? The pattern shows up before the law in Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek, and Jesus never lowers the bar. “You have heard… but I say” does not relax righteousness; it raises it. The New Testament horizon of generosity looks like selling houses and land and laying the proceeds at the apostles’ feet. Tithing becomes the floor, not the ceiling, and righteousness must exceed Pharisaic scorekeeping.

Provision follows. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse so there will be food in my house.” The house of God becomes an oasis in a spiritual desert, where lights stay on, kids and students get shepherded, the poor receive benevolence, and the people are fed with real nourishment. Provision also lands on the giver. God opens the windows of heaven and pours out blessing until it overflows, and he rebukes the devourer. That does not mean water pumps never fail, but it does mean the Lord himself stands between the devourer and the harvest.

The window image carries a second gift. An open window lets warmth in and gives perspective out. Tithing becomes a window into God’s character and faithfulness. The heart begins to “dance” in step with the Father’s generosity, a give-and-give-back rhythm that aligns the manager with the Owner. The call lands simply: consistent tithers, keep pressing into generosity; sporadic tithers, step into consistency; those who have never started, “test me now in this.” Freedom sits on the other side of obedience.

Key Takeaways

1. God owns the tithe and all God’s claim precedes any budget. When the tithe is God’s, returning it is not philanthropy but faithfulness. Seeing everything as his frees the heart from grasping and turns management into worship. Stewardship starts where ownership ends. [40:43]
2. Blessing rests where trust lives Malachi draws a stark line between curse and blessing. Entrusting the first tenth declares that God can do more with ninety than self can do with one hundred. This is not math, it is lordship, and it reorders how a life holds everything else. [44:04]
3. Jesus raises, not lowers, giving Pre-law Abraham tithed; Jesus then lifted every command from behavior to heart. The New Testament horizon is radical, Spirit-led generosity that often exceeds ten percent. Tithing becomes a starting line, not a finish line, for grace-shaped giving. [49:27]
4. The tithe feeds the house “Food in my house” turns generosity into concrete ministry. Worship, discipleship, mission, and mercy all draw strength from a well-stocked storehouse. A local church becomes an oasis where weary people find real nourishment. [52:10]
5. The window opens and reorients vision God promises to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessing, and he also gives perspective through that open window. Tithing trains sight to read providence, not coincidence, and to move in step with the Father’s generous rhythm. [57:08]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[36:52] - Money serves the Master
[37:38] - Malachi 3 and three P words
[38:59] - What is a tithe
[40:43] - God owns it all
[43:02] - Curse or blessing
[45:06] - Is tithing just Old Testament
[49:27] - New Testament generosity horizon
[50:16] - God rebukes the devourer
[52:10] - Food in God’s house
[57:08] - Windows of heaven opened
[59:20] - The dance of generosity
[62:39] - Three kinds of givers
[63:53] - Test God in tithing
[64:24] - Closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Malachi 3:8-11 (ESV)
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.

Observation questions

What two outcomes does Malachi 3:9-11 contrast for those who withhold versus those who bring the tithe?
According to the sermon, how does Psalm 24:1 expand the idea of ownership beyond just the tithe? [40:43]
What New Testament example was given to show generosity exceeding the tithe? [49:27]
How does the sermon describe the practical impact of the tithe on the church community? [52:10]

Interpretation questions

Why does Malachi frame withholding the tithe as “robbing God” instead of merely disobedience? How does this language reveal God’s perspective on ownership?
The sermon claims tithing is “faith in action” that “reorders how a life holds everything else.” How might trusting God with finances reshape priorities beyond money? [44:04]
What does the metaphor of an “open window” (Malachi 3:10) suggest about how tithing changes our perspective of God’s character and daily life? [57:08]
How does the idea of the church as an “oasis” connect to the command to bring the tithe into the “storehouse”? What needs might this address in a spiritual “desert”? [52:10]

Application questions

Reflect on your current view of ownership: Do you mentally categorize any portion of your income or possessions as “yours” first, or do you see it all as God’s? What practical step could help shift this mindset? [40:43]
The sermon challenges sporadic givers to “step into consistency.” What obstacles (practical or emotional) make consistency difficult for you? How could you address one this month? [01:02:39]
If tithing is a “window” to see God’s faithfulness, what specific area of your life needs this perspective right now (e.g., anxiety about bills, distrust in provision)? How might starting or increasing giving act as a step of faith here?
The church is described as an “oasis” fueled by tithes. Which ministry or program at your church most inspires you to give? How could you intentionally support it beyond finances (e.g., volunteering, prayer)? [52:10]
The sermon says, “Freedom sits on the other side of obedience.” Where have you experienced freedom through obedience? What area of giving (tithing, offerings, time) feels like a “next step” toward greater freedom? [01:03:53]
For non-tithers: What would it look like to “test God in this” (Malachi 3:10) for 60 days? What fears or practical adjustments would you need to confront?
How could your small group hold each other accountable to generosity without legalism? What would healthy encouragement look like?

Sermon Clips

God takes the 90% and underneath his blessing, it accomplishes way more than a 100% ever could accomplish when it's in our hands. Tithing, and this whole thought of generosity, is an incredible step of faith. It doesn't make human sense. Neither does hardly anything else in scripture make it's counter culture. It goes against our nature so often times. And this whole thing of tithing is the same thing. [00:44:04] (32 seconds)

But I'd like to take it a little bit farther today by saying it's not just a tithe, but actually God owns it all. David said, Psalm twenty four one, the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. It's all God's. Everything that you see today, everything that we can feel or touch, whatever it is or possess, it's God's. And you and I, we are simply stewards of God's stuff. [00:40:43] (32 seconds)

But what it does says, I I will, God says, I will rebuke the devourer for you. The third and final word I wanna draw your attention to is this, is provision. He says, bring the tithe into the warehouse, into the storehouse so that there can be food in my house. And test me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open up for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. When we tithe, what happens? It brings provision. I I love this. It brings provision. [00:51:28] (39 seconds)

you know, the the the fresh morning air. And so I think every window on our house, at least upstairs, was was was open just allowing all the cross drafts and and winds. And it was refreshing. And when we tithe, what happens is that God opens up the windows of heaven and pours out his blessing upon us. It's an incredible promise. And so I would just say, if if you're here today and maybe this is a foreign thought, maybe this is something you've really wrestled with, I wanna encourage you to really to begin really to begin this process of just of tithing and test it says, test me now in this. [00:57:41] (41 seconds)

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Money with Meaning | Tithing | Pastor Nathan Johnson | Freedom Church