Many and irritating are the sermons on tithing. It is a great shame that when it comes to a message on giving back to the greatest giver of all, we should squirm in our seat, or be in any way put off by the subject. But, all too often, a message on giving in the church, or tithing, is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to put a biblical veneer over a flat out guilt trip to meet the congregational budget. What does the Bible actually teach about how God wants us to deal with our finances? What should our response really be to God meeting our needs, providing for us and our families as He does? Do we tithe today at all? If we are supposed to give to God somehow, what is that somehow and how can we be sure? Here, in this small volume, are the answers to those questions and more. Here you can read a thorough, well laid out presentation of the obstacles to biblical giving, the Scriptural instruction on the subject, God's attitude, and the responsibility we have in our day. Avoid the pitfalls of bad or guilt-ridden teaching on tithing and let giving become the joyful, worshipful experience it is meant to be!
About the Author: Bob Morris was born in 1947 in Newport, Rhode Island, the first-born son of a Jewish mother and Gentile father. He was circumcised and redeemed in accordance with Jewish law by a local Rabbi. Beyond that, however, he received no spiritual training. As a teenager, he rejected his Jewishness on a religious basis and only grudgingly admitted that his heritage was Jewish. In 1966-67, during his sophomore year at the University of Washington, he encountered genuine Christians. Because of these contacts, he received Jesus as his personal Savior when he was 19 years old. As a result of Bible study, Bob saw that Jesus was also his promised, Holy, Jewish Messiah. At that time, he embraced his Jewishness. In December 1979, Bob met Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Director of Ariel Ministries, at a prophecy conference held at Bob's church. God used the Biblical message presented by Dr. Fruchtenbaum to convince Bob that he should be personally involved in presenting the message of Jesus the Messiah to his own Jewish people. In May 1981, he set a new precedent by became Ariel's first volunteer missionary. He established the Beth Ariel Center in Seattle, Washington and for three years saw the programs at the Center effectively disciple Jewish and Gentile believers. In September 1984, Bob attended Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in order to prepare for a future staff position with Ariel Ministries. He completed a Masters of Divinity program with a concentration in Jewish ministries in the Spring of 1988. In the fall of 1989, he planted Kehilat Ha-Mashiah (Congregation of the Messiah), a Messianic Jewish congregation in Portland, OR. Concurrently, he carried out responsibilities as a Bible camp director/teacher and as a conference speaker. These ministries took him across the United States as well as to Russia, Germany, and Israel. In the fall of 1997, Bob became Ariel Ministries Executive Director. He reorganized the ministry, began and directed Ariel's Department of Missions and Training, and served as Field Representative. In March 2001, Bob began another pioneering work when he became the Director of HaDavar Messianic Ministries in Irvine, CA. HaDavar's field of service is Southern California, the second largest Jewish population center in the United States. Bob's ministry focus consists primarily of teaching the Bible from a Jewish perspective, thereby training Christians to reach their Jewish contacts effectively.