WHAT TO DO – WHEN PRAYING FOR THE TITHES/OFFERING
Goal: Encourage giving and ask for the right motives and the Lord’s blessing, prudence, and grace upon our finances (both giver and the church). Please be aware of your allotted time.
ENCOURAGE (around 2 MINUTES)*
Share a word of encouragement on giving and/or a passage related to Tithes and Offering. Possible passages: 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Malachi 3:10, Matthew 6:33, Luke 6:38, Proverbs 3:5-10, Matthew 6:1–4, Matthew 6:19–21 (if the Lord leads you to a passage not listed above, use it)
Encourage the church:
- To give as the Lord leads their heart to give.
- Via online: www.riverlifeaustin.org/give
- The best way to give is through the “blue box” in front right after the prayer for our tithes and offering (while the music is playing or the choir singing).
- Encourage people to support our Church Building Fund.
PRAY (around 2 MINUTES)*
- Thank the Lord that he has faithfully provided the needs of our church and the needs of every member
- Thank the Lord that we are able to support not only our local ministry but also missions around the country and the world.
- Ask the Lord to bless our church with wisdom and guidance to be able to use all our resources wisely: our treasure – as well as our time, talent, thinking, team – for his praise, glory and honor.
- Anything else the Holy Spirit leads your heart to pray for.
First Sunday of the month, Elders to remind the church what is tithing all about:
Tithing has been practiced even before the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, in Genesis 14:20 “Abram gave him a tenth of everything” – God also commanded the 12 tribes to give a tenth of their produce and grain to the Lord (today, for instance it could be monthly earnings and many Christians practice this faithfully, even here in Riverlife Church). However in the New Testament we are commanded to give “what he has decided in his heart to give” 2 Cor 9:7, we usually call this an OFFERING. Whether you give a TITHE or OFFERING – “give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”
*2 minutes is reading font size 11 notes off a 1/4 sheet of letter size paper. Straight reading will only take around 1 minute, but when you’re in front the time always expands (the theory of relativity has not been able to explain this phenomenon yet).
RIVERLIFE CHURCH – JANUARY 2024