What Test? | The Blessed Life Week 2

Giving away what you have left over is easier than giving the first thing you receive. Today we’re talking about why God asks us to tithe, surrendering the first 10%. God knows it says a lot about our hearts. Find out how we can break the curse we often feel in our finances by passing this Biblical test.

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    There's a test that's all through scripture
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    that God gives
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    And you get to pass the test every time you get paid.
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    When we do, great things happen in our life.
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    Hey, my name's Brian. Welcome this week to Crossroads.
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    - Welcome to Crossroads.
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    Before we do anything, let's talk about
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    this raw turkey on your lap here, buddy.
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    - Well, I actually brought this in because
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    I wanted you to know what salmonella smells like,
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    so just go ahead and give that, just the aroma.
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    - It was this moment I became a vegan. Look at that.
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    - Get you some of that. Get in there.
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    That's the turkey -- that's the bottom of the turkey.
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    I don't know what you did at work today,
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    but I got to hold a raw turkey.
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    And it's not just because we need to, you know,
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    show more GMO or non-GMO stuff on screen.
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    It's because we have a big thing coming up
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    called Thanksgiving Food Drive,
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    where we provide Thanksgiving meals,
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    including a turkey for people all over the country.
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    And we want to show you what that looks like
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    and how you can be involved right now.
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    -M Hey, Crossroads, it's time for
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    our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive.
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    For 25 years, this Crossroads team has filled boxes
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    and loved our neighbors.
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    Let's do it again.
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    Pick up a box, or 20.
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    Shop for the items on the list
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    and bring that bad boy back filled with hope and love.
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    [tone]
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    Oh, and one more thing, this year, let's do more.
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    Filling a box is just the beginning.
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    This year you can be the hands and feet of Jesus
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    working alongside local organizations
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    who fight food insecurity every day.
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    See where the boxes go, help distribute the food,
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    get proximate to the need.
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    Food fills the stomach, but serving fills the soul.
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    So, to recap, get a box, fill it, bring it back,
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    and sign up for a simple one time serve opportunity.
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    Thanksgiving is the perfect time for giving back.
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    This year, it's about way more than a meal.
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    - Hey, I actually want to encourage you guys
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    and challenge you a little bit.
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    Like, Thanksgiving Food Drive is one of those things
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    I want you to lean in for.
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    It's not a hypothetical thing.
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    It's not an imaginary someone somewhere
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    who will have a meal.
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    It's real people who have real food
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    and a real Thanksgiving because you stepped up.
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    My wife and I, we're going to be doing this.
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    I want you to jump in with both feet, too.
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    - Let's do it, man.
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    Every time I take the opportunity
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    that God puts in front of me to actually step out
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    and serve someone, not just talk about it,
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    but actually do it, I always end up in a better spot.
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    I always grow spiritually.
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    Not only do I help somebody, but God works in my life, too.
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    And that's what Thanksgiving Food Drive is all about.
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    You know what today is all about?
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    - What? - Test taking, baby.
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    We get to take a test today
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    and we actually take it every time we get paid.
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    And Brian's going to show us
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    how you and I can pass that test. Let's do it.
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    - We're doing a series called The Blessed Life.
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    We did this series several years ago,
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    and it's one of the most powerful series
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    that we've ever done.
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    And you're going to hear some stories from people
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    who went through it before.
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    So powerful that we're going to do it again.
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    Now, I've got to tell you, that kind of hurts my pride
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    because we haven't really repeated
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    very much at all at Crossroads the last 26 years.
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    And the first time we're going to repeat something
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    came from somebody else.
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    We've borrowed this content from Gateway Church
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    in Dallas, Texas.
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    I had pastor after pastor, person after person saying,
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    "Oh, my goodness, this material is,
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    sounds like a really religious cheesy word,
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    but it's true, is anointed."
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    There's something special about it.
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    Now, listen, this is not a campaign.
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    There's no commitment coming at the end
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    where you're going to sign anything.
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    There's no big ask of, you know, whatever, whatever.
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    This is not a campaign.
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    We are going to challenge you
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    because Jesus challenges us,
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    but we just want you to listen, consider,
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    and ultimately be blessed.
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    That's the Blessed Life.
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    I cannot lie,
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    or at least I can't lie without people knowing right now.
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    I can't lie, today it could be very difficult for you,
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    but it could also be life transformative for you.
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    Have you ever owned something or believe something
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    that other people didn't own or believe,
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    and you couldn't believe they didn't own and believe it?
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    You just wanted them to know, like,
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    "Oh, you got to know this thing."
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    And then when someone talks to you about that thing,
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    because you have that thing, you're like,
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    "Oh, yes, finally someone's talking about this.
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    This is perfect."
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    This is what it's like for many of us today.
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    I'm going to talk about the biblical concept of tithing.
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    And those who tithe, they're like,
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    "Oh, yes, I love hearing about this."
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    And those of us who don't are going to think, "Oh,"
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    in fact, you might have already turned off all ready.
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    Don't, don't, don't turn it off. Don't turn it off.
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    I'm telling you, hang in there, please.
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    Allow yourself to be a little pushed today
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    and your life may be the better for it.
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    I'm not going to lie, obviously.
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    It's amazing the kind of things
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    you can get on eBay these days, you know?
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    The principle of the tithe is talked about
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    all throughout the Bible.
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    Maybe the most clear place that's talked about
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    is in the book of Malachi, the Italian prophet.
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    It's not Malachi, it's Malachi, the Italian prophet.
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    And let's just read it verse by verse,
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    and then we'll talk about it.
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    Okay, here it goes, Malachi 3:8, God says:
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    Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me.
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    God says, "You're robbing Me."
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    People are going, "Oh, no. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
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    No, no, no, no, no, we haven't."
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    See all of us who have been stolen from,
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    we know what that feels like, we've been violated.
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    It takes -- it gets really, really personal to us.
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    First thing I had stolen from me of any significance
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    was the 1975 Pittsburgh Steeler baseball card team set.
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    Yes, they stole from me.
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    I'm sure it was Matt Czechowski.
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    He's not owned up to this after all these years.
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    Come on, Chez, you know it was you.
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    It still bothers me a little bit.
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    I reach out to him on Facebook every once in a while
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    and say, "Come on, man, just come clean."
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    Like crickets. Total crickets.
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    I remember when that happened, I felt it was just,
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    it was mine. You took what was mine.
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    If someone's ever broke into your house
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    and stolen something from you, it just feels weird.
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    It's like something -- someone has ever stolen your car.
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    When you get it back, you're thinking -- I don't know.
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    My daughter got her car back after it was her stolen.
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    It came back, she almost, like, didn't want it.
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    It was like it had cooties on it.
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    She was like, "I don't -- I don't know."
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    It's a violation.
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    And God says, when we steal from Him, it's a violation.
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    Well, how's -- how did we steal from you?
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    He says in the tithe. What is a tithe?
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    A tithe is the first 10% of everything
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    that God gives you and I, the first 10%.
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    It's pretty amazing that God owns the cattle on 1000 hills.
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    And we've never created anything.
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    God's the only one who creates.
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    We've never created oxygen.
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    We've never created water.
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    We never created the atmosphere.
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    We never created the business opportunities we have even.
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    At its core, it's all assets
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    that God has blessed us with and done for us.
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    So, we're just maybe reformatting a bit.
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    And He's choosing to make an investment
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    in us with these things.
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    When somebody invests in a business, what do they want?
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    They want a return, annualized return, like, forever,
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    at least as long as the contract is.
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    If you put $1,000 into something,
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    you want a 10% return on and on and on,
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    just leave 1,000 there.
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    But I just keep wanting 10% over and over and over
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    and over and over again.
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    It's kind of crazy that God makes a deposit in your life
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    every time you get a paycheck.
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    God makes a deposit in your life
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    every single time your stock portfolio goes up.
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    God makes a deposit in your life
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    every time you get an inheritance.
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    God makes a deposit in your life every time
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    you sell your house for more than you bought it for.
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    God makes all of these deposits and what He asks
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    is just a one time 10% gift to him.
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    This is what's called the tithe.
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    Let's keep going here. God says:
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    Saying the whole nation of Israel is robbing Him
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    because they're keeping back this 10% for themselves.
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    And He uses really heavy language here:
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    You are cursed with a curse.
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    It's like God intentionally makes a point of saying,
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    "There's one of my children
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    that's choosing not to tithe.
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    And I'm going to see to it
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    that some things don't go their way."
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    Or he doesn't see to it specifically,
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    but things just naturally don't go our way.
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    I meet person after person after person
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    who for whatever reason,
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    they just can't figure out their finances,
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    for whatever reason they can't get a break,
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    for whatever reason their whole life,
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    all the way they go through,
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    it's always hand-to-mouth and the ends don't meet.
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    They're always scrimping on and on and on.
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    And it's one thing to be that way when you're 22,
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    new married and you've got a kid.
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    But like, come on, you're 52
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    and you still haven't figured this stuff out?
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    What is it? Is it that we're really stupid?
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    Or could it be that there is such a thing
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    as a curse that's on our finances?
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    And the way that we break that curse is by tithing.
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    And God is lovingly saying this to His children.
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    You know who doesn't believe in tithing?
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    People who don't tithe.
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    That's because those of us who tithe,
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    we simply believe in it.
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    People who don't tithe, who are believers.
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    I'm not talking about atheists.
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    I wouldn't expect an atheist to understand this,
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    though I'd be happy to explain it to you.
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    But people who don't believe in tithing
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    and are believers, they have a vested interest
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    to not do this test.
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    In fact, they say things like, "Well, you know,
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    tithing was just a thing that was in the Old Testament times."
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    "Well, tithing isn't something that's relevant today."
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    I think, "You ought to read the Bible sometime.
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    It's in there again and again and again."
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    The law portion of the Bible really is clear
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    in Deuteronomy in Leviticus.
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    This is where all the thou shalt nots are
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    and all the dietary restrictions,
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    all the sexual restrictions are in those two books.
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    In the book of Leviticus, 27:30 and in --
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    excuse me, Deuteronomy 26:1-2,
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    we see the very clear, specific teaching on tithing,
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    that's in the law.
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    Before that, before that way, way back
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    in the very first book of the Bible,
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    Genesis 14:18 and following, we have Melchizedek,
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    who's participating in a tithe.
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    Before it's even been mandated by God,
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    we see God exalting and encouraging
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    and using people as models
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    who are operating with the tithe.
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    Same with the Book of Genesis 28:22, first book of the Bible.
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    We see 400 years before the law,
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    we see the tithe being promoted and talked about.
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    And we say, "Well, okay, that's -- that's the law.
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    That's the Old Testament stuff.
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    That's a book of Malachi. But what about Jesus?"
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    Yeah, what about Jesus?
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    Jesus affirms the tithe in Matthew 23:23, He says,
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    "These people, they're getting so hung up on things,
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    like, their tithing their cumin and their dill,
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    but they're neglecting weightier matters of the law."
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    Jesus says, "You should have done the former
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    without neglecting the later."
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    Jesus is saying, "Yes, justice,
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    that happens in our in our country and our culture,
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    justice for those who are oppressed.
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    That's very, very important.
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    But remedial, remedial stuff is
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    the first 10% goes to God."
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    And He says, "Just don't neglect that."
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    Let's keep going. Next verse, verse 10.
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    Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.
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    This was when the nation of Israel
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    would surrender their tithe, their first 10%,
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    and they would bring it to the temple
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    where things were distributed for the priest
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    and where worship was paid for
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    and where also they would have benevolence
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    to what happened outside of that money as well.
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    But they would surrender it to the storehouse.
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    The modern day equivalent of the storehouse
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    would be the synagogue if you're Jewish
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    or the local church if you're a Christian.
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    And you surrender it to the storehouse,
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    that's the tithe, which is the first 10%.
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    That isn't like after the government takes theirs,
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    after they take theirs.
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    It's 10% of your gross pay.
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    You surrender that because God that says that's His.
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    You surrender not just the God,
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    you surrender it to the local church that you submit to.
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    Your kids' private Christian education,
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    that's not a tithe.
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    Compassion International, that's not a tithe.
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    Supporting a friend of yours on a mission trip,
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    that's not a tithe.
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    All those things may be good
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    and all those things may be fine.
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    And you may be -- may want to do all those things.
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    That's fine, but that comes with
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    what's above and beyond the tithe.
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    The tithe is the first 10% and it gets surrendered to God.
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    I'll just spell it out for us.
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    I'll just just show it here for us.
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    Here we have, we've got -- I've got $10.
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    This would represent a paycheck that you might get.
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    You probably get more than $10.
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    Let's say your paycheck is $1,000.
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    So, imagine this is ten
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    $100 bills that you get paid.
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    Here it goes.
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    1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
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    6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
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    Which one of these is God's? Which one of these is God's?
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    This one, the very first one.
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    It's the first one because it's an act of faith.
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    If I go through all of my bills and all the things
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    that I want to pay for and all of my movies
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    and all of my subscription services,
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    and I do, I spend all that stuff, all of it goes down.
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    And then I've got a dollar left and I give that to God,
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    what am I giving Him?
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    I'm giving Him leftovers.
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    And actually, I'm giving according to
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    what I have left over in my abundance,
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    I'm not giving a quarter faith.
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    Faith is the first one, God, I'm trusting You.
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    God, look at this. Here it is, God. See this?
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    The first one I'm sending you a message, God,
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    that says I trust You and this is Yours,
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    and I want to honor it so that
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    the next 90% of what I have,
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    I'm trusting that You show up in my finances,
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    that You somehow make a way.
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    Because the Bible also does call you a waymaker.
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    When you do this, things break for you.
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    We have a whole group of people at Crossroads
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    known as the Blue Team, who are people who are tithers,
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    and we give them special encouragement.
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    We give them special insights.
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    Let's hear one of their stories.
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    - Take one.
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    - So, I was seeking God, I guess in part because
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    on one hand,
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    I think God planted a seed of curiosity in me.
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    I was in the military at the time, early twenties,
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    and there was these guys that I saw around me.
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    They were just enthusiastic about their faith,
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    and I couldn't understand it.
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    Because I was coming to a point where I needed
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    to either commit to this whole faith thing or not.
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    But I hadn't yet found something that gave me
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    a specific reason to have faith.
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    And so, I found this verse in Malachi 3:10.
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    It was all about tithing.
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    And so it said, "Test me."
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    And this is my kind of summary of it,
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    "And I will pour blessings out."
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    Now, money for me was a very, very sensitive topic.
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    I grew up pretty poor.
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    Years later, again, to create a bit of context,
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    one of my sons asked me,
  • 00:16:47
    "What did you want to be when you grew up?"
  • 00:16:48
    And I said, "Not poor."
  • 00:16:50
    And it shocked me that that was really my response.
  • 00:16:52
    I didn't have an aspiration
  • 00:16:53
    as much as a fear of something.
  • 00:16:55
    And I told Ann, who had just come to visit me
  • 00:16:57
    for a couple of days.
  • 00:16:58
    I said, "I'm going to do this thing tomorrow.
  • 00:17:00
    I'm going to tithe.
  • 00:17:01
    And what this means is if I do,
  • 00:17:03
    I'm not going to have enough money
  • 00:17:05
    for the rest of the month."
  • 00:17:06
    - My initial thought was, "You're crazy."
  • 00:17:09
    And I slept on it.
  • 00:17:10
    And the next morning it was like this transformation in me.
  • 00:17:13
    I don't know if God worked through me during the night,
  • 00:17:17
    but I woke up and I said,
  • 00:17:18
    "You know what? I'm going to do it to."
  • 00:17:21
    - So my view was, if I do this, if I follow this,
  • 00:17:24
    this what I see in Malachi
  • 00:17:27
    and everything turns out for the month,
  • 00:17:29
    then I'm going to have enough of a reason
  • 00:17:32
    to maybe have faith.
  • 00:17:33
    So, we did that the very next day, we tithed,
  • 00:17:37
    which was a frightening moment at the time to do that.
  • 00:17:41
    The very next day I was pulled out of my regular job
  • 00:17:44
    for a week, lived in a dormitory kind of environment.
  • 00:17:46
    And I was asked in this one week of the year
  • 00:17:49
    just to help clean the dorm.
  • 00:17:51
    In Germany, at the time, when you buy beer,
  • 00:17:53
    you buy it in what looks like kind of milk carton
  • 00:17:55
    kind of crates.
  • 00:17:56
    When you're done with those, you take them back to the store
  • 00:17:58
    and they'll give you a sizable deposit.
  • 00:18:00
    So, I asked the door manager,
  • 00:18:01
    "What am I supposed to do with these?"
  • 00:18:03
    He said, "I don't care, keep them or whatever."
  • 00:18:05
    So, I gathered them up
  • 00:18:06
    and through the course of the day
  • 00:18:07
    I gathered up enough was about 60% of the tithe
  • 00:18:11
    that I given 24 hours earlier.
  • 00:18:15
    Two days later, I get a check in the mail
  • 00:18:17
    that was also about 60% of the tithe.
  • 00:18:21
    Then it just hit me that in the course of three days,
  • 00:18:25
    we had more than the tithe that we had given.
  • 00:18:29
    And that's when I said, "I think this might be real."
  • 00:18:35
    And it was after that that I prayed for the first time,
  • 00:18:37
    after that that our faith journey really started,
  • 00:18:41
    and it never stopped.
  • 00:18:44
    - This moment sealed our faith in tithing,
  • 00:18:48
    our faith that God was real, the Bible was real.
  • 00:18:52
    It just -- it was an incredible moment.
  • 00:18:55
    - We never looked back after tithing the first time.
  • 00:18:57
    It was the foundation.
  • 00:18:58
    And it's never occurred to me to not tithe.
  • 00:19:03
    - Correct.
  • 00:19:05
    God is the greatest provider.
  • 00:19:07
    I mean, He is so faithful.
  • 00:19:11
    He's been so faithful in our lives.
  • 00:19:13
    And again, it hasn't always been easy, but he's there.
  • 00:19:17
    He was there yesterday. He's here today.
  • 00:19:19
    And he will be here tomorrow.
  • 00:19:23
    - Isn't that good?
  • 00:19:24
    There was -- that verse we read earlier says,
  • 00:19:26
    "See that I don't give you a blessing
  • 00:19:28
    until there is no need."
  • 00:19:30
    Doesn't mean give you a blessing until there is no greed.
  • 00:19:34
    Doesn't mean that if you tithe
  • 00:19:35
    you're going to be driving Mercedes and have yachts
  • 00:19:39
    and have second homes and having third homes.
  • 00:19:41
    It doesn't mean that.
  • 00:19:42
    But there is a basic sustenance that God kyries you through.
  • 00:19:49
    And there's a lot of people
  • 00:19:50
    who see crazy abundance financially
  • 00:19:53
    to have maybe some of the things that I just mentioned.
  • 00:19:56
    But it's a test.
  • 00:19:57
    It's a test that you take with God.
  • 00:20:00
    We're going -- we want to make this easy
  • 00:20:01
    for you at Crosswords, as easy as we possibly can,
  • 00:20:03
    because we've seen how God has blessed us
  • 00:20:06
    and thrown open the windows of blessing on us, \
  • 00:20:10
    the windows of bringing things to our church
  • 00:20:12
    and our personal lives,
  • 00:20:13
    that we're going to help you get started if you want to.
  • 00:20:16
    If you choose to tithe for three months
  • 00:20:19
    and you can sign up for the tithe test.
  • 00:20:22
    And at the end of those three months, if you say,
  • 00:20:24
    "I just can't do it. I didn't -- I didn't --
  • 00:20:26
    I didn't sense the presence of God.
  • 00:20:28
    I didn't sense God blessing me
  • 00:20:29
    in any way, shape or form."
  • 00:20:30
    We will refund you all your money.
  • 00:20:32
    We've been doing this for years and years and years.
  • 00:20:35
    1 to 2% of everybody who signs up
  • 00:20:37
    has asked for their money back after three months.
  • 00:20:40
    And we've done exactly that.
  • 00:20:42
    Most people don't because they see that
  • 00:20:44
    the windows of blessing of Heaven are open to them
  • 00:20:47
    in some way, shape or form.
  • 00:20:48
    And it might not be I got a raise at work.
  • 00:20:51
    It might be I just feel more connected with God.
  • 00:20:54
    I feel more in touch with my friends.
  • 00:20:57
    I just have an extra sense of joy.
  • 00:21:00
    This is a test.
  • 00:21:01
    And God says, "Test me, test me, test me.
  • 00:21:05
    I'm testing you to see if you have faith."
  • 00:21:07
    And God says, "Test me, I dare you."
  • 00:21:09
    It's the only place in the entire Bible
  • 00:21:12
    where God says, "Test me."
  • 00:21:13
    He doesn't say, "Go have sex with whoever you want,
  • 00:21:15
    and then test me and see if you don't get VD."
  • 00:21:17
    He doesn't ever say that.
  • 00:21:19
    He doesn't say, "Go eat whatever you want.
  • 00:21:22
    Jam calories down your face and deep fry
  • 00:21:24
    and test me, test me
  • 00:21:26
    and see if you don't get heart condition."
  • 00:21:27
    No, he doesn't say that.
  • 00:21:28
    He doesn't say, "Test me and go in the dog eat dog world
  • 00:21:31
    and just eat more people than they eat you
  • 00:21:33
    and be nasty in business and just see,
  • 00:21:35
    just see if it doesn't work." He doesn't say that.
  • 00:21:37
    But in this area He says, "Test me, test me in this."
  • 00:21:41
    Let's keep going. One more verse.
  • 00:21:57
    Here we get back to this curse idea.
  • 00:22:00
    God says our money is under a curse,
  • 00:22:04
    as a believer before we tithe,
  • 00:22:06
    all the stuff we're keeping and that when we tithe,
  • 00:22:09
    He rebukes the devourer.
  • 00:22:11
    The thing that devours our resources
  • 00:22:15
    before we have anything to show for it, He rebukes it.
  • 00:22:19
    I believe, I believe that if I did not tithe,
  • 00:22:23
    and I've been doing it for a long time,
  • 00:22:24
    I would have more cars break down.
  • 00:22:27
    I believe that.
  • 00:22:29
    I drive my cars into the ground.
  • 00:22:30
    They go a long, long time.
  • 00:22:31
    I believe part of it is because God rebukes the devourer.
  • 00:22:35
    My cars last a long time, not guaranteed, but they do.
  • 00:22:38
    I believe, I believe that I've had
  • 00:22:41
    such a great relationship with my kids right now,
  • 00:22:44
    amazing relationship with my kids,
  • 00:22:46
    and I've never had to pay for them with going to rehab.
  • 00:22:52
    I've never had them total a car of mine.
  • 00:22:55
    I've never had to go to counseling as a whole family
  • 00:22:58
    because our family is totally screwed up.
  • 00:23:00
    Though, to be clear, I've definitely worked hard
  • 00:23:02
    to screw up my kids.
  • 00:23:03
    You can talk to them.
  • 00:23:04
    They'll be -- they'll be in counseling eventually,
  • 00:23:06
    because I've got some issues.
  • 00:23:08
    But I believe that the harmony
  • 00:23:09
    that we have in our family, I believe it traces back
  • 00:23:12
    in large part to this decision our family has made
  • 00:23:15
    to always put God first in our resources and to tithe.
  • 00:23:19
    And I believe that's had a financial impact
  • 00:23:21
    on our family and a relational impact on my kids
  • 00:23:25
    and an intimacy impact on me and my wife.
  • 00:23:28
    Do you want God to rebuke the devourer in your life?
  • 00:23:33
    This verse says that the way that happens
  • 00:23:36
    is you send God a message that I am faithful
  • 00:23:40
    and I'm going to trust in You,
  • 00:23:42
    and the first 10% is going to go to You,
  • 00:23:44
    even before I'm sure exactly how
  • 00:23:45
    the other 90% is going to work out.
  • 00:23:47
    Rebuke the devourer.
  • 00:23:48
    Then it continues, it says this, last part. It says:
  • 00:23:58
    All nations will call you blessed.
  • 00:24:03
    The Blessed Life is when someone looks at our life
  • 00:24:07
    and they go, "You know, it just seems to work.
  • 00:24:10
    I don't know what it is. It works."
  • 00:24:12
    Someone looks at our life
  • 00:24:13
    and there just seems to be joy.
  • 00:24:14
    Someone looks at our life
  • 00:24:16
    and there seems to be good choices.
  • 00:24:18
    Blessed.
  • 00:24:19
    God says people will look us
  • 00:24:22
    and see that we are blessed.
  • 00:24:23
    And God says it pins to His involvement in our finances,
  • 00:24:29
    in our life because we choose to pass the tithe test
  • 00:24:34
    and return to Him what isn't even ours,
  • 00:24:37
    it's the first 10% of the money.
  • 00:24:39
    And here's a crazy thing. It's a double test.
  • 00:24:41
    God puts us in this double bind
  • 00:24:43
    where He's testing us to see if we will not rob from Him.
  • 00:24:47
    And He's saying, "Test me
  • 00:24:50
    and see if I don't open up the gates of heaven
  • 00:24:52
    and bless you in some way, shape or form."
  • 00:24:55
    Will you hit the lottery if you tithe? Probably not.
  • 00:24:59
    Are you guaranteed a 10% increase in pay
  • 00:25:02
    every year for the rest of your life? Probably not.
  • 00:25:05
    But there is a way that God gets involved in your life
  • 00:25:08
    that makes you say, "I am blessed."
  • 00:25:10
    And we want that for you.
  • 00:25:12
    So, you can go to crossroads.net/tithetest
  • 00:25:16
    and you can take the test if it makes it easier for you.
  • 00:25:18
    We just want you to have all of God wants for you
  • 00:25:21
    and we want the devourer to be beat back from your life.
  • 00:25:26
    This is how you do it. Let's be blessed.
  • 00:25:30
    - Well, good luck with that. No, no, it's a test.
  • 00:25:34
    It is a test and it is challenging.
  • 00:25:35
    But God always meets us when we step up to the challenge.
  • 00:25:38
    Isn't that right? - That's right. Yeah.
  • 00:25:40
    And I would just say, like, if you're, I don't know,
  • 00:25:42
    let's say, 25 and you're, like,
  • 00:25:43
    "Man, I got to get my finances together."
  • 00:25:45
    Hey, we see you.
  • 00:25:46
    Like, that's a real thing.
  • 00:25:48
    And whatever age you are, if you hear that,
  • 00:25:51
    you're like, "Oh, my gosh, that sounds rough."
  • 00:25:53
    Hey, that's real life. Like, that's part of it.
  • 00:25:56
    It's supposed to be a test.
  • 00:25:58
    It's supposed to have an element of challenge
  • 00:26:01
    and an element of risk.
  • 00:26:03
    Test God in this.
  • 00:26:04
    Go on the adventure of trusting God with your money.
  • 00:26:08
    Good stuff will happen. Seriously.
  • 00:26:09
    - That's real. And God's saying, "Test me."
  • 00:26:11
    Like, He's saying, "Test me."
  • 00:26:12
    And that's why we set up the tithe test.
  • 00:26:14
    It's a 90 day challenge.
  • 00:26:16
    Crossroads.net/tithetest. Put God to the test.
  • 00:26:19
    Watch incredible miracles show up in your life,
  • 00:26:22
    like in his life and like in my life.,
  • 00:26:23
    every time I take this test, it is a faith exercise.
  • 00:26:28
    And every time God shows up. - Yes.
  • 00:26:30
    Next week is going to be awesome.
  • 00:26:31
    You don't want to miss it.
  • 00:26:32
    Actually, Paco here is going to be teaching
  • 00:26:34
    on the principle of firsts.
  • 00:26:36
    You don't want to miss it. We'll see you next time.
  • 00:26:38
    - It'll be mediocre at best.
  • 00:26:40
    - It'll be great.
  • 00:26:41
    We'll see you next time on Crossroads Anywhere.
  • 00:26:44
    - Your money can be blessed or it can be cursed.
  • 00:26:48
    It all depends on what you put first in your life.
  • 00:26:57
    - Hey, make sure you hit the playlist button ahead
  • 00:27:00
    so that you can keep up to date on videos just for you.
  • 00:27:04
    And don't forget to hit the subscribe button below
  • 00:27:06
    to keep up to date on all the latest content
  • 00:27:09
    coming your way from Crossroads.

Process, journal or discuss the themes of this article - here's a few questions to get the ball rolling...

Welcome to the Weekend-Follow Up This is the group part of the Bible Challenge, so your questions are based on specific Bible passages from the weekend message. Each week, your group will discover what God might be saying to you, and how you can respond through a group discussion.

  1. What’s the hardest test you’ve ever taken? What made it so difficult?

  2. What stood out to you most from this week’s message?

  3. How do you feel about the idea of God testing you? Why might He do this? What impact could that have on our relationship with Him?

  4. What are some personal challenges you face in giving your 10%?

  5. How would giving 10% first change the way you look at money? How would it change the way you look at God?

  6. Let’s end with prayer. You can say something like, “Jesus, thank you for inviting us to test you. We believe you are faithful to your promises. Give us the trust to demonstrate our faith with generosity. Help us find security in you rather than in our finances.” Amen.

More from the Weekend

Bonus Questions! Check these out if you’re on a roll and want to go a little deeper.

  • Are you currently tithing? If not, what might be stopping you? If you are, how have you seen it impact your relationship with God?
  • How do you think tithing changes (or would change) the way you look at money? How would that perspective shift alter the way you live?

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(This stuff helps us figure out how many fruitcakes to make come December)

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Got it! Enjoy your discussion.


Nov 4, 2022

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