Donation: The Reward Of A Succesful Steward Series

In the Old Testament God’s people were robbing from God. When God told them that they were robbing from him, they were amazed. “How do we rob you?” they asked (in Malachi 3:8).

“In tithes and offerings,” God said. “You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.” The people were not giving God what rightfully belonged to him. They were holding back what belonged to God.

And then God made an amazing promise. He said, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10).

Whether or not the tithe is still in effect today is a topic for another day. But let me say this. Even if the tithe is not in effect today, the principle of sacrificial giving (which probably is not less than a tithe) is still in effect today. So, either way you slice it, God calls you to be a sacrificial giver.

Some of you say, “I am a student, and so I can’t give because I do not have much money.”

Or, “I am retired, and I have very little income, and so I can’t give because I don’t have much money.”

Or, “I am under a pile of debt, and so I can’t give because I don’t have much money.”

Or, “I do have a reasonable income, but I have to save for retirement, and so I can’t give.”

Listen! Whether you have little or much, what you have is from God. Determine today that you will be a giver. Give sacrificially. Give God his due. Sit down today and plan a budget—and give God his due. Don’t rob from God.

I’d like to help you give God his due. If you consider the Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church your church family, the place you believe that God wants you to invest in, then pull out the card from your bulletin.

Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church’s annual operating budget from Tithes and Offerings for this past year was approximately $450,000. Presently we have roughly 75 active, resident family units who have at least one communicant member in our church family. The median annual household income in our community for 2003 was $68,361. (The average annual household income for our community for 2003 was even higher—$83,092.) Ten percent of the median household income is $6,836. Multiply $6,836 by 75 family units, and our church’s annual income should be $512,700. That is more than enough to finance the mission of the Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church. Instead of receiving $512,700 this past year we received approximately $355,000. That is giving at less than 7% on average per family.

Personal Worksheet

New Tampa Median Annual Household Income: $68,361

% to TBPC Annual Contribution Weekly Contribution

3% $2,050 $39

5% $3,418 $66

7% $4,785 $92

10% $6,836 $131

12% $8,203 $158

Personal Annual Household Income: $____________

% to TBPC Annual Contribution Weekly Contribution

3% $__________ $________

5% $__________ $________

7% $__________ $________

10% $__________ $________

12% $__________ $________

Let me encourage you to evaluate your present giving to the Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church. Make a note of your Personal Annual Household Income. Then, calculate the percentage of your Annual Contribution to the Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church. Divide that by 52 for your Weekly Contribution to the Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church. Using this Personal Worksheet will help you calculate your present level of giving, as well as help you estimate a potential higher level of giving.

When you do that, you will discover that you will be blessed by God. May God help every one of you to be successful stewards of God’s gifts. Amen.