For those who call Desert Springs their church home, giving of finances cheerfully and sacrificially is a big part of worship. As followers of Jesus, our goal is not to gain personal wealth and “stuff”, but to be good caretakers of the resources that God has entrusted to us, and to use these resources to serve the church and the community God has placed us in.
The ministry of Desert Springs is supported financially by your generous gifts . We call our church family to give, not by meeting an obligatory percentage, but by sacrificing for the sake of the gospel because Jesus sacrificed for us.
Our money always seems to be a touchy subject...
That is particularly true when it comes to churches and other charitable organizations. A prevalent perception is that ministries are more concerned about getting into a person’s pocketbook than they are about caring for the person’s needs. Unfortunately many unprincipled pastors and ministry leaders have fueled that perception by constantly asking for money - guaranteeing great financial returns for those who contribute and threatening grave consequences for those who don’t. This abuse has prompted some churches to promise that if you come to their church, “you will never be asked to give”. While that may sound good, there is a problem with this pledge … it’s not true. That would be like telling someone that when you get married, you will never have to make any sacrifices. The reality is that in any committed relationship you will be asked to make significant contributions – of time, of personal involvement, and yes, even of money. What holds true of our human relationships is also true in our relationship with God. To one degree or another, each child of God is responsible to contribute toward the mutual benefit the church family and to help in meeting the needs of those in the community who are in our sphere of influence.
This brings us back to that sensitive subject of giving. While sacrificial giving has historically been a significant part of the worship of God’s people, it would be wrong to consider it as a religious ritual by which we are trying to appease an angry God or even as a “necessary evil” to provide capital for maintaining some religious institution. A more accurate view of giving is that we are simply responding with thanksgiving for who God is and for what He has done for us. The Bible reminds us that God is the One who initiated this process by giving to us … He gave us the gift of eternal life. “For God so loved the world (that’s us), that He gave (read “sacrificed”) His uniquely born Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). He gave us the right to be part of His family. “To as many as received them, to them He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12). He gave us His Holy Spirit to help us know how to live and to empower to live a life that is honoring to Him and healthy for us. “It is God” … “who has given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Cor.1:22). I think that you get the point … God has given so much to us. The question is how can we appropriately respond to Him?
There are many ways to display our appreciation to God for what He has done, but one significant way is through our giving of the material resources that He has entrusted to us. We can learn much about financial giving from the biblical instruction concerning a collection that was being taken among the churches in the Mediterranean area for famine relief. “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor.9:6-7). We also see the importance of giving in the Apostle Paul’s coaching of his protégé, Timothy, concerning what to teach believers about the use of money. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Tim. 6:17-19). As you can see, properly motivated giving is honoring to God … and … it is healthy for us.