Text: Genesis 2:8-17
Memory verse:
”For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.“ ‭‭
I Timothy ‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬

One of the richest men in history is John D. Rockefeller. John, who paid tithe worth millions of dollars, once remarked, “I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.”
One of the benefits of tithing is that it helps men to deal with greed, which is a common problem. Greediness made the first man to yield to the temptation of eating the forbidden fruit. God gave them everything in the garden except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ”And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”“ ‭(Gen‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬-‭17‬). Yet, Adam and Eve were not satisfied with all that God gave them. Instead, they set their minds on eating the fruit of the tree, which God forbade them not to eat from. Greediness! Greed doesn’t meet needs. Greed is ingratitude, which is well polished! Erich Fromm described greed as “a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the needs without ever reaching satisfaction”. There is no greater disaster as greed. ”For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.“ ‭‭(I Tim‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬).
People who are greedy don’t tithe. They always have enough reasons to spend all their income. They spend both the 10% of their income that God, the Giver, has reserved for Himself and the 90% that God has graciously left for them. “Ten percent of everything you harvest is holy and belongs to me, whether it grows in your fields or on your fruit trees.” (Lev 27:30 CEV). Jesus also commanded tithing (Matt 23:23). 10% tithe was the benchmark for the New Testament church (Acts 3:35-37; 2 Cor 9:6-7). If you are not faithful in tithing 10%, you are simply greedy and are still carnal! Man is naturally selfish, always thinking of himself or herself alone. Faithful tithers show gratitude and prove that they have overcome greed in their lives. No temptation is strong enough to make them take that which God has reserved for Himself.
Friends, unfaithfulness in paying the 10% minimum tithe is an indication that you have not overcome greed. Are you greedy?

Prayer points
1. Father, deliver me from every form of greediness and help me to be faithful in my tithing, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, I receive grace to grow in tithing beyond the 10% minimum in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. Faithful tithing is an indication that I have overcome greed.
2. I practice the New Testament tithing by giving beyond 10%.

Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng