This Sunday I will preach the second of three messages in the series Bringing Faith to Your Finances. In this second message I am going to do a whirlwind survey in the scriptures of how and why God's people gave to Him and his work. Then I am going to cover some general principles of giving that we find in the Bible. Last, I am going to address specific questions people have submitted about giving to God and the church, which to date include the following: During a recession do the rules still apply to giving? Does the tithe strictly involve giving to the church you are a member of? Can the tithe involve an outside ministry such as sponsoring a child or giving to the homeless? Do ministers tithe to their congregation? What does it mean to be a "cheerful giver"? We are such a money-driven society does it mean the same thing now as it did throughout history? Did the early church tithe or were the gifts for the saints (in Judea) their tithe? What is the difference between tithes, gifts and offerings? Can we direct our giving? Why tithe? What is faithful giving? These are very thoughtful and good questions and I actually plan to address all of them. As always, bring your Bibles!