Dynamic Giving

With only 4 percent of American church members tithing, many churches badly need a boost in offerings. Unfortunately, most of us pastors have no training in stewardship development and have no idea how to lead people to generous, biblical giving. The Bible tells us what to do in this situation: Hire a stewardship consultant. Okay, that's not exactly what it says, but the message is there. In Proverbs, the wisest man who ever lived tells us that 'Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed' (Proverbs 15:22). And when the apostle Paul wanted to make sure the Corinthians gave generously to the famine-relief collection, he sent men to Corinth to encourage the people. 'So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work [the collection] as well.' (2 Corinthians 8:6). 'So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange before

Here's a great Valentine's Day gift idea for the couples in your church: present them with a sermon series on financial stewardship. I'm not kidding. You can renew their passion for each other by teaching them God's principles of financial contentment, wise money management, getting out of debt, generous giving, and true prosperity. So, what's so romantic about getting your finances in order? It is widely recognized that couples fight more about money—how much to spend, how much to save, how much to borrow, and how much is enough—than about any other topic. Check out these stats. According to the National Survey of Marital Strengths, 80 percent of happy couples agreed with the statement, "Making financial decisions is not difficult." Only 32 percent of unhappy couples agreed. Agreement with the statement, "We agree on how to spend money," for happy couples was 89 percent. But only 41 percent of unhappy couples agreed. Obviously, conflict over m

For years I've been in a contest with God to see who can give more: me or God. No matter how much I've given, He has always given me back more financial blessing than I've given to Him. This is one contest I LOVE losing! www.dynamicgiving.com

Many of God's people struggle financially because they have a worldly view of financial prosperity which is summarized by the bumper sticker that says, "The one who dies with the most toys wins". Understanding the true nature of financial prosperity will bring great spiritual and financial blessing. I encourage you to practice and preach the following principles. According to the Bible, you are financially prosperous when three things are true of you: 1. You never worry about money. "Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things" (Matthew 6:31, 32; all Scripture quotations are from the NASB original edition). Financial prosperity, according to Jesus, means that you never lie awake worrying about how to pay the bills, you aren't distracted by money worri

Welcome to my new blog: Dynamic Giving! I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts about biblical prosperity and how our giving affects our financial status. I'm also eager to read your thoughts. Here is one of my fundamental convictions: It is biblical to pray for--and, therefore, to desire --prosperity in every aspect of life, including finances. The apostle John makes this clear in 3 John 2 when he writes, Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. "In all respects" is universal and covers every part of life, including money. Although He never promises to make us rich, the Bible teaches that God wants to bless you financially. More about what that means next time...