Tithing: It's Who We Are Message

Today, we gathered to reflect on what it truly means to be children of God—people marked by generosity, not just in theory but in the way we live, give, and steward all that God has entrusted to us. Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 cut straight to the heart, challenging us to examine where our treasure lies, because where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. The call is not simply to avoid loving money, but to recognize how easily our hearts can be drawn away from God by the things of this world—whether it’s wealth, status, or anything else we might be tempted to serve.

Jesus’ teaching is not just about money, but about allegiance. In his day, the image of a servant devoted to a single master was clear and compelling. For us, the question is: Who or what truly has our loyalty? Are we clinging tightly to our possessions, or are our hands open, ready to surrender and be used by God for his purposes? The truth is, none of us are immune to the pull of material things, and all of us, at some point, will wrestle with trust—trusting God to provide, to care, and to fulfill his promises.

But the good news is that Jesus is the only perfect, gracious, and forgiving master. He alone has served the Father perfectly, and through his sacrifice, he lifts us up, forgives us, and renews our hearts. Our giving, then, is not about guilt or obligation, but a joyful response to the overwhelming generosity of God. We love because he first loved us; we give because he first gave to us. This is the heart of Christian generosity: it flows from the gospel, from the reality that everything we have is a gift from God, and we are called to steward it for his glory and the good of others.

As we enter seasons of thanksgiving and celebration, let’s remember that our generosity is an act of worship, a declaration that God owns it all. When we give freely, we become conduits of God’s blessing, spurring others to gratitude and worship. The challenge is to ask ourselves: How can I be more generous like Jesus? How can God’s generosity flow through me? May we trust that God will supply all our needs, and may our lives reflect his generous heart to the world.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Where your treasure is, your heart follows Jesus’ words remind us that our spending and giving reveal the true orientation of our hearts. If our treasure is rooted in earthly things, our hearts will inevitably be drawn away from God. But when we invest in what matters to God, our hearts are shaped to love him more deeply. This is a call to honest self-examination and a reordering of our priorities in light of eternity. [02:26]
• 2. You cannot serve two masters The image of a servant wholly devoted to one master challenges us to consider our own loyalties. Divided allegiance leads to inner conflict and spiritual stagnation. True freedom and joy come when we surrender fully to God, trusting him as our provider and source of life, rather than clinging to money or status. [08:02]
• 3. Generosity flows from God’s grace, not guilt Christian giving is not about meeting quotas or appeasing guilt, but about responding to the lavish grace we’ve received in Christ. When we understand that God is the ultimate giver, our hearts are freed to give joyfully and sacrificially. This kind of generosity is transformative, both for us and for those we bless. [13:22]
• 4. Our giving is an act of worship and trust When we open our hands and give, we declare that everything belongs to God and that we trust him to provide. This act of surrender reorients our hearts, cultivates gratitude, and allows us to participate in God’s work of blessing others. It is a tangible way to express faith and to reflect the character of Jesus. [18:35]
• 5. God supplies our needs so we can bless others God’s promise is not just to meet our needs, but to equip us to be generous in every way. As we give, we become channels of his grace, and our generosity leads others to worship and thank God. This is the ripple effect of gospel-shaped giving—a community marked by gratitude, trust, and overflowing generosity. [17:33]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:41] - How Is Your Heart?
• [01:36] - Jesus’ Words on Treasure
• [02:26] - Where Your Treasure Is
• [03:55] - Why Money Matters Spiritually
• [04:25] - The Law of Diminishing Returns
• [05:22] - Universal Struggle with Money
• [06:07] - Trusting God’s Promises
• [07:09] - The Master-Servant Analogy
• [08:17] - Divided Allegiance: God or Money?
• [09:16] - Trust and Surrender
• [10:07] - Jesus, the Perfect Servant
• [11:32] - God’s Generosity Shapes Us
• [13:22] - Gospel-Rooted Giving
• [15:44] - Joyful Giving Blesses Others
• [17:33] - God Supplies for Generosity
• [18:35] - Giving as Worship and Surrender
• [20:14] - Practical Questions for Generosity
• [22:34] - A Prayer for Open Hands
• [23:43] - Amen

Bible Reading

Matthew 6:19-24 (ESV) — > “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
> The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
> No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (ESV) — > 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 decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”
> He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

John 3:16 (ESV) — > “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Observation Questions

1. According to Jesus in Matthew 6, what is the connection between our treasure and our heart? ([02:26])
2. What does Jesus mean when he says, “No one can serve two masters”? How did people in his day understand this? ([07:09])
3. In 2 Corinthians 9, what kind of attitude does Paul say God loves when it comes to giving? ([16:20])
4. How does the sermon describe God’s nature as a giver, especially in light of John 3:16? ([12:24])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus links our heart’s loyalty to where we invest our treasure? What does this reveal about our priorities? ([02:26])
2. The sermon says that divided allegiance leads to inner conflict and spiritual stagnation. What might this look like in a person’s life today? ([08:02])
3. The pastor said, “Christian giving flows from the gospel, not from guilt or obligation.” How does understanding God’s generosity change the way we view our own giving? ([13:22])
4. Paul writes that God supplies our needs so we can be generous in every way. How does this promise affect our willingness to give, especially when we feel like we don’t have much? ([17:33])

Application Questions

1. The sermon challenges us to examine where our treasure is. If someone looked at your bank statement or calendar, what would they say you value most? Is there anything you feel called to change? ([02:26])
2. Are there areas in your life where you feel torn between serving God and serving something else (money, status, comfort, etc.)? What would it look like to surrender that area to God? ([08:02])
3. The pastor asked, “Are your hands open, ready to surrender and be used by God for his purposes?” What is one practical way you can open your hands this week—whether with your time, money, or abilities? ([09:40])
4. When you think about giving—whether to the church, a friend in need, or a cause—do you feel joy, guilt, or something else? How can you move toward giving out of joy and gratitude rather than obligation? ([13:22])
5. The sermon mentioned that generosity is an act of worship and trust. Is there a step of generosity you’ve been hesitant to take because you’re worried about your own needs? What would it look like to trust God in that area? ([18:35])
6. The pastor encouraged us to “click it up a notch” in our giving. Is there a specific way you can increase your generosity this season, even if it’s just a small step? ([22:11])
7. Think of a time when someone else’s generosity led you to thank God. How might God use your generosity to help someone else worship and give thanks? ([18:04])