I have to confess that when I started CoastLife Church I had a bit of a consumerism mentality. The church that I took over had around 15 people attending on Sundays and when I inherited the account there was only a couple of hundred of dollars in it and we had about $800 worth of bills on the desk. Facing financial hardship meant that I was out to get every donation I could find. It was a struggle as we planned our relaunch, and even after our launch. About 6 months after our relaunch I was still praying and hoping for donations and financial support when I sensed the Lord asking me what I really believed about tithing. Heidi and I have always been tithers, but I knew this was about our church. I gave personally, but as the leader of our very small work I wasn’t giving from our church. About 6 months in to our venture as CoastLife Church I made the decision to tithe as a church. Jesus said in Luke 16, if you can’t be trusted with unrighteous wealth, who will trust you with true riches. Since making the decision to honor God with tithing our church has been trusted with true riches. Our attendance has more than tripled, many people have found Christ, been baptized, healed, and received ministry at CoastLife Church. I believe that being faithful in our giving is one of the reasons we have experienced true riches. Here are 10 Reasons I Tithe and insist that our church Tithes as well:

1. The first portion of all increase belongs to God and not to me

– Whether it was a child born to a family, fruit from a tree, crops from a field, a calf born to a flock, a city given to Israel, or financial increase. God consistently said the first portion was holy (Separated) and belonged to him. 

2. It is part of my worship

– David said I don’t want to offer to God something that cost me nothing. I don’t want to be a consumer of someone else’s worship. Tithing makes me an owner and investor into my place of worship. 

3. It honors God by placing him before everything else in my life
– I want the preeminent God to be preeminent in my life. I honor God by placing him first with my tithe. The promise of scripture is that if I give first to him, “all these other things” will be added to me. 

4. It is a place of practical obedience in my life
– Small acts of obedience are better than extravagant acts of sacrifice

5. It builds my trust and faith in God
– When I tithe it builds my trust that God is my provider.

6. Because scripture promises blessing will be released on the other 90%
– It has been said that 90% blessed is better that 100% consumed

7. Because scripture promises that Satan won’t be able to stop me
– It’s unbiblical to think that if I tithe that nothing bad will happen to me. I’ve tithed for years and my car has still broken down, things have broken at my house, and we still have medical bills from time to time. However, I believe the promise of scripture is that nothing will be able to stop me. The devourer, the one that would destroy my potential and promise is rebuked when I tithe. 

8. It reminds me that I am not my own
– God said to use the tithe to testify that you were once in slavery, but have now been redeemed

9. Because I believe CoastLife Church is my spiritual storehouse and I want it to be abundantly provided for
– The local church is the hope of the world. While there are many worthwhile organizations, the church’s mission and message is eternal. 

10. Because I love Jesus more than life
– For me, the only appropriate response to the cross is to give generously to the house of God. Jesus gave his all for me, the least I can do is give a portion of my income to build His church and spread the gospel.