Seeking to Glorify God with Our Resources
It is often asked whether Christians are required to tithe like Israel was under the Old Covenant. The answer to that is no. We are required to tithe like God’s people under the New Covenant, which means not merely giving ten percent, but seeking to glorify God with every penny we have, spend, or give. So, tithing, or giving ten percent is not the end goal, but living responsibly and giving sacrificially in a way that shows that Jesus is our greatest treasure is. Ten percent is perhaps a good starting point, but Christians should seek to give sacrificially.
In 2 Corinthians 8 we’re told that the churches in Macedonia gave sacrificially because of their abundance of joy in the Lord. We believe this is an example for all Christians to follow. God has given us life, breath, and everything (Acts 17). And more importantly, He has given us His Son, and mercy, grace, life, and peace in Him. Jesus loved us and gave Himself for us (Ephesians 5:2). We are not our own, for we were bought with the blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Therefore, everything we are and everything we have should be stewarded wisely, and leveraged for the glory of God and the good of His people. So, while seeking to be good stewards in all of life, we should also seek to give sacrificially to the local church and to the mission of the church.
Financial stewardship and giving are acts of worship, and therefore necessary and important. But in our giving we should be careful to take the words of Jesus to heart, when He said to not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (Matthew 6:3). So we have two primary ways of giving at CRBC: instead of passing a plate, we have an offering box near the entry doors of our worship center that you can drop your offering into at any time as the Lord leads you, or you can give online by clicking the button.