The standard for giving God gave to His people in the Old Testament was the tithe, or 10%. Each person was expected to give the first 10% of his income, as well as his livestock and his crops, to God. (Leviticus 27:30-33; Malachi 3:8; Luke 18:11-12) People were obligated to tithe under God’s Law given to Moses. Jesus’ death fully satisfied all of the requirements of the law. (Matthew 5:17) As believers in Jesus Christ, we are no longer controlled by the law. We give, not under obligation, but out of our appreciation for Christ’s sacrifice for us and his daily provisions and grace in our lives. We do believe that the tithe is still a Biblical standard for giving.

The New Testament teaches us a lot about giving to support God’s ministry through the local church. We should give regularly (1 Corinthians 16:2), privately (Matthew 6:3-4), proportionally (2 Corinthians 8:11-13), generously (2 Corinthians 9:6) and cheerfully. (2 Corinthians 9:7-8) Giving brings a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment to the Christian life.

Our attitude toward giving is important. Through our giving, we demonstrate our understanding that God provides everything we have. We express reliance on Him to meet our needs, not ourselves or our earnings. God wants us to offer ourselves to Him, fully, without reservation. If we do that, we will give our time, talent and money to support the building of the church.