Early in our marriage, rent ate half our income.At the end of one of our first months living together, we had $35 total left for a week’s worth of groceries.Christine was stressed. (Totally understandable.) I started building a compelling, highly spiritual case for “maybe we skip giving this month.”
Christine cut through my rationalization with five words: “Of course we are tithing.”
That moment kick-started a lifelong journey into generosity. And here’s the honest headline: we’ve received more through generosity than we ever imagined we’d “lose” by giving.
So no, money isn’t some awkward side topic we avoid like a seventh-grade sex talk. It’s discipleship, it’s spiritual formation, and the way you handle it matters.
Bad money preaching feels like a timeshare pitch; good money teaching changes lives.
Why Teaching on Generosity Matters (Right Now)
* The Bible won’t be quiet about money. There are somewhere around 2,350 verses on money, wealth, and possessions—far more than many other themes. The precise number depends on how you classify passages, but the sheer volume is the point. [
ref]
* Jesus talked about money a lot. Depending on methodology, many analysts count 16 of 38 parables touching on money/possessions. The exact ratio is debated, but the broader truth stands: money saturated his teaching because it reveals our hearts. [
ref]
* Culture is catechizing your people already. U.S. household debt hit $18.39T in Q2 2025; credit card and auto balances keep inching up. Translation: Your congregation is being discipled by debt, fees, and friction. If the church won’t preach a better story, Visa will. [
ref]
* Teaching influences behavior. Barna’s recent work highlights a “
virtuous cycle”; people who experience generosity are more likely to practice generosity. Teaching that pairs theology with tangible experiences catalyzes that cycle.
And yet many churches go quiet. A recent poll found about
a quarter of churches don’t teach on generosity at all. Silence is also a sermon; it just lets culture preach.
If you’re not talking about money, Amazon, Amex, and Apple are happy to.
If you won’t preach discipleship of dollars, Prime, points, and payments will.
The Rich Young Ruler isn’t a “rich guy” dunk; it’s a mirror. Money threatens to become identity, security, and scorecard. Jesus’ money talk isn’t fundraising …it’s heart surgery.
The church can’t heal what it won’t name.
And here’s a reality check on tithing language in the pews: only 21% of Christians say they give 10% or more to their church; among practicing Christians, the figure rises to 42%, but it’s still not a majority.
Clear, confident teaching matters.
So, here’s the deal: if less than half of your people are tithing,
