Generosity Thesis

“I will run after you with delight in my heart, for you will make me obedient to your instructions. Psalms 11932 TP

Purpose Statement

God gives us money as a tool to fulfill His purposes, which include the flourishing of our families, personal enjoyment, Kingdom projects, caring for themarginalized, economic prosperity/innovation, and expanding the gospel.Ultimately, God entrusts us with wealth to be faithful stewards, using it in ways that honor Him and benefit others, while maintaining an eternal perspective.

“If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light shine in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. Is

Theology of things

‍“The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,Psalm 241 ESV

“You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. —Matthew 6:21

Abundance Mindset

“It is more blessed (happiness/well off) to give, then receive.Acts 20:35

NT Themes

The New Testament church emphasizes stewardship, teaching that all resources ultimately belong to God and we are called to be faithful managers of what He has entrusted to us. It also strongly encourages generosity, presenting giving as a joyful opportunity to participate in God's work and express love for others.

Stewardship: The Bible consistently teaches that all resources, including money and material possessions, ultimately belong to God. As His creation, we are called to be faithful and responsible stewards of what He has graciously entrusted to us. This concept emphasizes our role as managers rather than owners, encouraging us to use our resources in ways that honor God and benefit others (Luke 16:10-12, 1 Corinthians 4:2).
Contentment: The New Testament strongly encourages believers to cultivate a spirit of contentment, regardless of their financial circumstances. This teaching stands in stark contrast to the worldly pursuit of wealth and material accumulation. Instead, Christians are urged to find satisfaction and joy inGod's provision, recognizing that true fulfillment comes from a relationship with Christ rather than material possessions (Hebrews 13:5; Philippians 4:11-13, 1 Timothy 6:6-8).
Generosity: Giving is a central and recurring theme throughout the NewTestament, with a particular emphasis on cheerful and sacrificial giving. This principle goes beyond mere financial transactions, reflecting the generous nature of God Himself and encouraging believers to be conduits of His blessing to others. The act of giving is presented not as a burden, but as a joyful opportunity to participate in God's work and to express love for others(2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Acts 20:35).
Enjoyment: God also blesses us financially so we can enjoy life and experience the God desires that are uniquely placed in our heart. 1 Timothy6:17 encourages those who are rich not to be arrogant or put their hope in wealth, which is the influence of mammon. Instead, they should put their trust in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. God wants us to enjoy the abundance of his provision! Father loves to bless us by granting the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4).
Responsibility: While warning against the dangers of materialism, the NewTestament also emphasizes the importance of diligent work and responsible provision for one's family and dependents. This teaching balances the spiritual aspects of financial stewardship with practical considerations, encouraging believers to be productive members of society while maintaining their spiritual priorities (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, 1 Timothy 5:8).
Warning: The New Testament contains strong cautions against the love of money and the dangers of materialism. These warnings highlight the potential for wealth to become an idol, competing with our devotion to God. Believers are reminded that the pursuit of riches can lead to spiritual pitfalls and compromise one's faith (1 Timothy 6:10, Matthew 6:24).
Eternal perspective: Christians are consistently encouraged to adopt an eternal perspective when it comes to wealth and possessions. The NewTestament teaches that true, lasting treasures are spiritual in nature and should be "stored up" in heaven rather than accumulated on earth. This principle helps believers maintain a proper balance between meeting earthly needs and investing in eternal values (Matthew 6:19-21). Desert Fathers and Generosity Thesis 4monastics often pray with an old human skull to remind them of the short, temporal time on earth.

Tithing

In the Old Testament, tithing refers to giving one-tenth of one's income or produce to God. This practice was established as a way for the Israelites to honor God and support the Levitical priesthood and the poor.

Abraham gives 10% of spoils to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-24)

This was a voluntary gift, as opposed to an act of obedience to an already existing command. Abraham ends up giving the other 90% of the treasure to his people. Abraham’s view of the treasure was that it belonged to God, not himself(stewardship). Here is a clear example of an individual who saw the blessing of resources as a gift from God.

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Jacob’s commitment to give 10% of his resources (Genesis 28:13- 22)

God promises Jacob great land and numerous decedents and Jacob responds with a conditional term: “If God does these things, then Yahweh will be his Godand he will give God one tenth of his possessions.” Jacob goes and works for his future father in law Laban for 20 years. Scriptures do not mention Jacob offering anything to the LORD during this 20 year period.

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The 3 OT forms of tithing:

Levitical tithe: This 10% annual donation supported the Levites, who had no land inheritance and were dedicated to serving in the tabernacle or temple. It provided for their basic needs and livelihood. (Numbers 18:20-24)
Festival tithe: This 10% tithe funded the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating God's deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery. Israelites were instructed to "eat" this tithe themselves, often in the form of grain or animals. If using money, they would buy food to consume during the feast.(Deuteronomy 12:17-19; 14:22-27; 26:10-16)
Charity tithe: This 10% tithe, offered every 3rd and 6th year of the Israelites' seven-year societal cycle, supported foreigners, orphans, and widows.(Deuteronomy 14:28-29)

These three tithes amounted to 23% of an Israelite's income annually, not the 10%commonly taught in today's churches. Notably, one tithe was used for celebration—revealing that God provides for our needs, enjoyment, and service to others. It's also worth mentioning that the New Testament shifts the focus from strict tithing to generosity and cheerful giving.

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Mosaic Law commands us to provide justice to the poor

The year of Jubilee was a mechanism for redeeming families who have lost their property. It was a redemptive reset in society every 50 years. Land leases would end, families would receive back inherited land, and slaves would be freed.(Leviticus 25)

‍Deuteronomy 15 commands us to care for the poor in our community. The main this passage is clear that wealth is a gift from God, so we can help provide for the needs in our community.

The “gleaning” principle was established in Israel (Leviticus 19:9-10), so farmers would leave the edges of there fields unharvested, so the poor would have a source of provision. Boaz, in the book of Ruth is a shining example of a farmer who used his resources to care for the widow and the poor. The wealthy are commended to care for “the least of these.” God expects those of us blessed with abundance to actively serve the needs of the poor in our community.

Warnings

The Bible provides several warnings about money and wealth. Here are some
examples:

Love of money: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." (1 Timothy 6:10)
Indifferent toward the needy: “The rich man and Lazarus”. —Luke 16:19-31
Serving two masters: "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." (Matthew 6:24)
Trusting in riches: "Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." (Proverbs 11:28)
Serving two masters: "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." (Matthew 6:24)
Hoarding wealth: "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten." (James 5:1-2)

Parameters

We are convinced that God's aim is to cultivate a generous heart rather than enforce a rigid set of rules. From Genesis to Revelation, the themes of stewardship and generosity are central, yet the methods of expressing them appear unique to each individual. Our attempt with these parameters is to ensure a heart of generosity is being cultivated while tending to our unique faith journey.

Lifestyle: We want our hearts to find contentment in every season. For any significant lifestyle upgrade, we intend to pray and seek input from our advisors and community before making changes.
Celebration: We set aside 10% of our income into a “enjoyment” fund to honor the LORD by celebrating his provision.
Caring for needs: We will set aside 10% of our income to care for widows, orphans, and the poor in our community.
Flourishing of family: We strive to use our financial resources wisely to ensure we empower callings, and build connections for generations to come.
Debt: We are called to be the lender and not the debtor (Proverbs 22:7), so we want to take a proactive stance to retire our debts as soon as possible.

Practices

The goal of our practices is that we would consistently be pruning our hearts to be
free from this world, while also expanding our capacity for generosity.

Weekly spontaneous and intentional acts of generosity aimed at blessing others unexpectedly and cultivating a habit of giving.
Monthly financial review with our advisor to make Spirit-led financial decisions across all areas.
Quarterly simplicity practice. A Spirit-led evaluation of our lifestyle and possessions to identify areas where we can practically detach from the influence of culture.
Annual impact allocation. At the beginning of every year, we re-evaluate our impact projects to determine the priorities for this upcoming season.

Impact

The goal of our impact-giving is to support projects that align with our mission as a family.

These are our current high-impact projects:

Great Commission: We believe in the Gospel's transformative power and its ability to change lives and bring hope to individuals, families, and communities. We look to partner with organizations with a proven track record of producing healthy, multiplying churches and disciples.
Israel: Like Paul, we desire Israel's salvation. We strive to strengthen bonds between communities and Israel, fostering mutual understanding, respect, and support.
Christian education: We believe in fostering academic excellence alongside spiritual and personal growth. We aim to prepare the next generation to be courageous gospel ambassadors in various spheres of society.

Here is how we evaluate the fairway of opportunities for our impact projects

☑️ Empowering local Indigenous leadership
☑️ Proven existing movements or organizations
☑️ Strong financial accountability
☑️ Funds going directly to the ministry project vs. administrative costs
☑️ Gospel centric solutions

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"And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” —Matthew 25:40

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