overcome the fear of tithing? What steps of faith do you need to take? Is there ever a time when it would be irresponsible to tithe or give?

TAKE IT HOME: 1. If you are not currently tithing, commit to the three month challenge.

Rewrite Malachi 3:10-12 as a promise from God to you. Post it where you will see it every day. Pray for those in your group who are taking this step of faith.

2. If money were not an issue, where would you most like to give generously? Hint: what are you most passionate about regarding God’s kingdom? How generous would you like to be in five years? Write down the steps you need to take to get there?

3. To increase your faith and develop God’s perspective of money, read, The Blessed Life, by Robert Morris. Ask God to do a supernatural work in your heart.

DISCOVERY QUESTIONS: 1. Read God’s tithe challenge in Malachi 3:7-12.

• How had Malachi’s peers robbed God? With what results? What

was the purpose of the tithe in the Old Testament? Why does God challenge His people to put Him to the test (vv.10-11)?

• What is wrong with giving to God with a ”what’s-in-this-for-me”

attitude?

• What will the Lord reward in the end (vv16-18)? Which does God

reward, outward behavior or the obedience of faith?

• To be blessed is to have God’s supernatural power working for

you. What does it mean to be under a curse? Who is the devourer? Do you think the curse is from God or from our enemy, Satan? (See John 10:10)

2. Read Paul’s instructions about giving from the heart in 2 Cor. 9:6-11.

• Why did Paul apply farming principles to giving? How are we to

give?

• Why? What does it mean to give as you purposed in our heart?

• What does God promise to those who give generously? Why

does God love a cheerful giver as opposed to one who grudgingly gives large sums? What do we need to believe about God in order to be a cheerful and generous giver?

3. Read in Luke 11:42 and 18:9-14 what Jesus had to say to those who were tithing for the wrong reasons.

• Who was Jesus addressing? What motivation did He say

governed their tithing? What did He say was most important?

• What inner attitudes about giving do you need to change so

that your motives are right? How can you keep your motivation in tithing pure and free from legalism?

VERSES FOR FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 14:18-20; Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26; Deuteronomy 14:22-23; Haggai 1:5-7; Matthew 6:4; 23:23; Luke 6:38; 21:1-4; 1 Corinthians 9:7-14; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Philippians 4:15-19; Hebrews 7:4-10; 11:6; James 4:3

Eternal Investments

A tithe of everything … from the land, whether grain from the soil

or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD. Leviticus 27:30

tithe: ma` aser (mah-as-ayr'); a _______________.

• Average Christian gives about ____% of their income.

• Fewer than ____% of Christians tithe. TWO KINDS OF BUSINESSES 1) THE __________________ BUSINESS. Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we

rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse-the whole

nation of you-because you are robbing me. Malachi 3:8-9

rob: qaba` (kaw-bah'); defraud, rob, spoil, _____________________.

• If I don’t tithe, I’m _____________________________ from God.

You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but

never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on

clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a

purse with holes in it. Haggai 1:6

2) THE _____________________ BUSINESS. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops…says the LORD

Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed…”

Malachi 3:11-12

SERMON NOTES

• 90% with God’s _____________________ is far ____________ than 100% without it.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food

in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "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

Tithing & the Three-Month Challenge

A tithe is 10% of your income. This is a big commitment for any-

one. So, try the three-month challenge: Tithe for three months.

If God doesn’t hold true to the promises in Malachi 3:10-11, stop. THE TITHE IS THE STARTING POINT!

…You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cummin. But you

have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice,

mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter,

without neglecting the former. Matthew 23:23-24

Don’t Do Life Alone

The invitation to accept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness is the most important consideration you will ever make. How does a person accept the Lord’s

invitation?

1. Believe that what Jesus said about you is true: “all have sinned and

fall short of the glory of God.” Confess your sins to God and agree

with Him about your need for forgiveness.

2. Receive Jesus into your life by telling Him that you believe that He is

your Savior and Lord. Confess to Him your faith in His death on the

cross for your sins, that He was buried and that on the third day He

rose again. Tell Him you believe He is alive today and you want

Him to live in you.

3. Commit yourself to follow Him as Lord. Ask Him to teach you His

Word and pledge to follow Him wherever He leads. Thank Him for

the gift of eternal life that He paid for with His own blood.

4. Tell others what God has done for you and learn more about

following Jesus Christ as His disciple through Baptism and reading

the Bible, and stop by the Next Steps table for other discipleship

opportunities. Welcome to the family of God!

Tailor the following questions to fit the needs of your group. Start with a BREAKING THE ICE question, then get real with two or three CONNECTING questions and end by challenging one another to TAKE IT HOME. For those who want to explore God’s Word further, use the DISCOVERY QUESTIONS. KEY POINTS: Two Kinds of Businesses 1. The Cursed Business • If I don’t tithe, I’m embezzling from God. 2. The Blessed Business • 90% with God’s blessing is far more than 100% without it. BREAKING THE ICE:

• What did you discover from working on your cash flow budget or

debt reduction plan this week?

• What are some excuses people use for not making eternal

investments? CONNECTING: 1. Have you ever stolen something? If so, how did it make you feel? In

what ways do we rob God everyday? What does our attitude towards our possessions reveal about our heart?

2. What is your idea of a “blessed business”? How have you experi-enced the “curse” played out in your finances? What are some of Satan’s lies that keep us from being financially faithful and free?

3. How is money a test from God? How does He use it to speak to us about our relationship with Him? Why is it important that we give our tithe first, before we know if we are going to have enough money to pay our bills and expenses?

4. Have you ever put God to the test? If you are tithing, encourage others in your group with stories of God’s faithfulness.

5. On a scale of 1-10 (1=stingy and 10=generous) what does your current level of giving reveal about how your heart perceives God? What wrong beliefs or attitudes need to be changed? What truth about God do you need to embrace?

6. If you’re not tithing, what’s holding you back? What can you do to

STUDY GUIDE

Eternal Investments