For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9
As promised in Sunday’s sermon, here is a list of resources designed to help us understand what it means to be God’s stewards, or managers, and how to grow in the grace of giving.
I’ll start with a favorite quote from C. S. Lewis,
“I do not believe one can settle on how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving too little. If our charities do not pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our charitable expenditure excludes them.”[1]
May these resources help each one of us live in such a way that we feel the pinch of generosity as we seek to live lives that more fully show our faith in and dependence on Christ.
Resources on stewardship and generosity
- The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn
- Act of Grace, James C. Petty
- A 20-Day Study in Stewardship, Redeemer Presbyterian Church
- The Generosity Matrix, Justin Taylor
- 4 Creative Ways to Be Generous, Kristen Wetherell
- More than Money: Tim Keller on How to Live Generously, Matt Smethurst
Resources on tithing
- Are Christians Required to Tithe?, D.A. Carson
- 7 Reasons Christians Are Not Required to Tithe, Thomas Schreiner
- The Bible Commands Christians to Tithe, William Barcley
- “Will a man rob God?” (Malachi 3:8): a Study of Tithing in the Old and New Testaments, Andreas J. Kostenberger & David Croteau
- Reconstructing a Biblical Model of Giving: a Discussion of Relevant Systematic Issues and New Testament Principles, Andreas J. Kostenberger & David Croteau
Resources on giving to your church
- Should All of My Tithe Go to the Local Church?, John Piper
- May I Split My Giving Between My Church and Another Ministry?, John Piper
- Why Giving to the Church is Different from Paying Your Bills, Erik Raymond
Midweek Musings on Living Generously
- Living Generously in an Age of Consumerism (8/15/19)
- Stewardship: Who Owns My Stuff? (8/22/19)
- How to Grow in Generosity (8/29/19)
- Should I Tithe to My Church? (11/21/19)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Mark Mullery
P.S. Got comments or questions about this post, or ideas for another one? Email me at .
[1] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 86.