In my previous post I began to discuss the reasons why I believe credit cards are particularly dangerous for those who strive to live a disciplined Christian life. It is my conviction that pastors and other church leaders should warn their people of the many dangers associated with credit cards and encourage their people to discover other ways of navigating the financial world. Beyond the mere temptation to purchase things irresponsibly, I believe many of us find a false sense of security in what we carry in our wallets.

Credit cards, for some, are less about being able to make purchases as they wish and more about a sense of security that should be found somewhere else. My wife would confess that she is less concerned about whether we can purchase something on a whim and more concerned about whether we can overcome any financial crisis that may come our way.  Credit cards offer us a sort of financial security blanket and eliminate some of the fear of the unknown.

For those of us who look at credit cards in this way, we must remind ourselves that our security is in God and our salvation comes only from Him. In Isaiah 41:10 we are reminded: Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. When we turn to credit cards instead of God, we deny Him the opportunity to meet our needs.

About eighteen months ago, our older appliances started going out on us. First it was the dishwasher, then the oven, and most recently the microwave. In each of these instances we decided not to purchase on credit and instead waited for an inexpensive replacement on Craigslist or until we had the money to purchase with cash. Going without theses appliance allowed us to discover that they were not as essential to daily life as we might have believed and encouraged to use some of the old-fashion ways of getting things done around the kitchen. You might be surprised at how amazing popcorn tastes when it is prepared on the stove top as opposed to the microwave.

Ron Blue writes in Christianity Today: The bottom line is that we should avoid putting a lender in the place of God by depending on them to meet our needs, and we should not play God in our own lives by deciding that the only way to meet our needs is to borrow.

In the midst of trouble, how often do we turn to our credit cards to resolve whatever crisis is at hand? How often do we pause in the midst of our frustration and ask whether our decision to fix, purchase, or replace something is even God’s will to begin with. Has access to quick financing interfered with our ability as a church community to respond to one another needs?

A couple of weeks ago I was preaching in a local church and referenced the decision my wife and I had made to live without credit cards. Immediately after the service a gentleman approached me and wanted to clarify whether he heard me correctly- yes, my wife and I have made the decision to not use credit cards. Admittedly, in the interest of full disclosure, I had to confess that I carried a corporate credit card that belongs to my employer.

He was obviously troubled by my remarks about credit cards and apparently wanted to come to their defense. I assured the gentleman that I did not believe that credit cards were necessarily evil and that the decision of whether or not to use them was not a question of right or wrong. There are plenty of perfectly good things in this world that we have managed to mess up, and financial instruments of all shapes and sizes just so happen to be high on that list. Unfortunately, of the things we tend to make messes of, our mismanagement of personal finances often remains a secret we hide very well.

There are several reasons why I believe credit cards are particularly dangerous for many of us who strive to live a disciplined Christian life. It is my conviction that pastors and other church leaders should warn their people of the many dangers associated with credit cards and encourage their people to discover other ways of navigating the financial world.

In James 1:13-14 we read: When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

And in 1 Corinthians 10:13 we read: No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Credit cards have always made resisting temptation particularly difficult for me. With a limitless cash flow in my back pocket, impulsive, unnecessary purchases are always a tad bit easier. Now don’t get me wrong, the little plastic guy doesn’t just jump up on the counter and say swipe me baby. No, but without the little plastic guy in my pocket, the chance that I will give into the temptation is greatly diminished. The first step towards resisting temptation is to recognize our tendency to be tempted by our own desires and then to discover how God would have us avoid those temptations. If fleeing temptation simply means cutting up credit cards, so be it.

This discussion is similar to the debate about whether McDonalds and other fast food restaurants are responsible for our being overweight. It is no more the credit card companies fault that I make purchases I can’t afford than it is McDonalds fault that I am overweight. While we have no reason to blame these things for our sins, we can certain flee them. Scripture makes it clear that fleeing temptation is not cowardly but instead very admirable- 2 Timothy 2:22 reads: Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness… Wise people recognize that by removing themselves from temptation can often be the most courageous action to take.

Jason and his wife Erika live in York, Pennsylvania where they are raising their four children- Gordon, Christina, Jack, and Mary. The Lewis Family are active members of the City Church. Jason is the Director of Advancement at Logos Academy. Jason is an AFP Master Trainer, maintains his CFRE, and often speaks to churches and Christian ministries about leadership, generosity, ministry advancement, and personal finances.

 I often speak to pastors about the strategic steps they can take to ensure that their congregations are becoming a generous church. Inevitably in each conversation I encounter barriers that consistently share very similar underlying themes.

My first observation has been the church’s tendency to rely on crisis in order to spark generosity. Fortunately, in the midst of a crisis, most people can be counted on to be generous. Emergencies of a local, national or international scale often prompt extraordinary responses. Unfortunately, dependency on crisis will not effectively train up a generous church. Leaders quickly discover that it takes another disaster to ignite a similar response.

My second observation is simply our unwillingness to broach the subject. We are fearful and hesitant to address anything that might challenge our views on money and possessions. I have known pastors and other church leaders who will talk with their congregations about all sorts of awkward and uncomfortable topics, yet money and possessions remain on some mysterious short list of unapproachable topics. 

My third observation has been the legalism that surrounds financial stewardship in the church. One of the ways we have overcome our fear and hesitation of money is by constructing a list of where-to’s, how-to’s, and who-to’s. We have deceived ourselves into believing that this somehow resembles the joy of giving. We have convinced ourselves that somewhere after bringing it to the storehouse, calculating the tithe, and making sure we haven’t stolen from God we will discover what it means to be a cheerful giver.

Jason Lewis is the blogger at The Generous Life. Jason and his wife Erika live in York, Pennsylvania where they are raising four children- Gordon, Christina, Jack, and Mary. The Lewis Family are active members of the City Church. Jason often speaks to church and para-church ministries about leadership, generosity, ministry advancement, and personal finance.

A pastor might say to me I preach a stewardship sermon regularly, and we pass the offering plate every Sunday; but nothing seems to change- the money problems never go away. When the economy tanked, it just got worse.

Over the years I have seen some of the best, and worst, practices when it comes to encouraging Christian Stewardship. The best I refer to as the Five Disciplines of a Generous Church.

Encourage Giving

The most familiar of the fives disciplines is to Encourage Giving- it’s a no-brainer. The churches I talk to usually have this one covered. While pastors don’t necessarily relish the idea of a stewardship sermon, they, nonetheless, try to deliver on this expectation. Unfortunately, sermons are not especially effective if they are not delivered in conjunction with other disciplines that influence the church culture.

Empower Leadership

Abe Lincoln once said, If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax. Church leaders must be prepared to lead in stewardship. We are called to Be shepherds of God’s flock  not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5:2-3 NIV

In his book The Chief Steward, Richard Borg admirably confronts church leaders who neglect their stewardship responsibilities. With experience as a senior pastor, church planter, capital campaign consultant, and leader in the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, Borg insists that pastors are in the most influential position to disciple their flock in Christian Stewardship.

Expand Worship

The church is instructed to gather together with a broad understanding of worship which includes singing, praying, teaching, participating in communion, and giving. In 1^st Corinthians, Paul tells the Macedonians that �just as you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us to see that you also excel in this grace of giving.  (1 Cor. 8:7)

In his book Speaking About Money, Mark Vincent describes �the person who encounters the saving power of Christ is motivated by a response deeper than obligatory tithing, goodwill toward others, or seeking more of God�s blessings stewardship through worship is no longer something you do, it is something you become.

Experience Generosity

We reference giving and being generous synonymously as if the two go hand in hand. Being generous describes the way in which we give- it reflects the heart and attitude behind why the gift was given. We can certainly also give grudgingly or with regret – these two giving experiences are very different.

In order to give generously, we must first receive generously. This begins with the understanding that we are the benefactors of the most generous gift of all – eternal life through the Jesus Christ. I encourage congregations to seek out opportunities to help one another and to share one another’s burdens. I also encourage them to give time and money to direct-service organizations in the community or directly to a families and individuals in need.

Ensure Integrity

Church leaders rarely understand how their behavior affects the confidence of their congregations. Annual stewardship campaigns are often driven by subtle fear and anxiety over the church�s budget. Many pastors are guilty of unnecessarily apologizing from the pulpit as if the message was wrong or sinful.

Just in the last week newspaper headlines read Pastor Allegedly Steals $50,000 from Non-Profit and another read Preacher Faces Federal Charges. This is not the first time people have encountered these headlines which leaves them hesitant to trust the church. In order to remedy this, the church must earn the trust of its congregation. Policies and procedures must be in place to ensure the integrity of those who handle money and other church assets.

I like what Dr. Steve McSwain, author of The Giving Myths, says The Macedonians had every reason to quarantine the meager resources they did have. Instead, however–and this is what shocked Saint Paul–their generosity was outlandish�. Just as in Macedonia, this kind of outlandish generosity exists today it isn’t because of sermons on tithing or the pulpit scolding of those who do not give. If your interest is in growing a spiritually healthy church, motivation for giving must come from somewhere other than guilt for not giving or shame for giving too little.

This article was originally posted at ChurchCentral.com

As often as I talk to individuals, congregations and others about Christian stewardship I rarely talk specifically about tithing. Most of us have suffered through enough sermons, testimonies, and banquets where the primary task was to convince us to tithe. I personally believe there are other ways, many ways, to encourage generous giving; and, frankly, the tithe is usually last on my list. There is plenty of Biblical content of which to speak without having to rely on the infamous rule of ten-percent.

My observation has been that a complicated approach to Christian stewardship is the last thing in the world most church leaders want. They want something simple and, no doubt, the tithe sounds like a winner. Unfortunately, even for those who adamantly insist that the tithe is a Biblical mandate for the church today, there are some things to think about when we make tithing the centerpiece of our stewardship teaching. It is quite possible that tithing could make things more complicated than we might assume.

Never Reaches Our Hearts

Tithing is often equated with showing up on time, wearing a tie, carrying your Bible, and volunteering in the nursery- assumed to be one of the requirements for being a good church member. During the service, tithing simply becomes a reference point; immediately after praise and worship and before we release the kiddos for children�s church. Stewardship sermons, Sunday school lessons, and small group curriculums may successfully convince us in our heads that tithing is the way to go; but rarely does tithing reach our hearts.

Difficult Place to Start, Wrong Place to Finish

The likelihood that an individual will transition from zero, one, or two-percent to ten-percent is simply unrealistic. In many instances, individuals who are unwilling to make this adjustment in their budget will simply choose not to give. When they refuse to take this enormous leap of faith, we miss the opportunity to encourage them to take smaller steps of faith. The tithe may simply be the wrong place to start. In contrast, there are also those who refuse to go any further once that leap has been taken. In the life of a generous steward, the tithe may not only be a difficult place to start but an especially disappointing place to finish.

Don’t Talk About My Money

Ironically, we will discuss all sorts of personal matters in the church with one exception – our finances. Tithing means ten percent which we assume to be ten percent of a person�s income. This simple formula makes tithing an especially vulnerable proposition for fear that one�s financial status will be discovered. This tendency might explain why some people of more humble means refrain from giving at all while those of larger incomes chose to give inconsistent yet substantial gifts during the holidays or during the tax season – all in an effort to conceal what our church culture has decided is the most private of concerns.

Tithing is about obedience, responsibility, our obligation to the church or to God – everything else we read in the Bible concerning gifts and giving is about grace received, generosity expressed, an act of worship, discovering the joy of giving, being a cheerful giver – giving always measures far greater an experience for the giver than the receiver. Unfortunately, when we try to force tithing into that experience, it get’s complicated.