You’ve made it to your first Barn Church Service! Congratulations! You may be wondering…What comes next?
One of the most important parts of the community of faith is the “community”. The reason we meet every Sunday morning is not because of tradition. We meet because God’s Word tells us to meet together.
If you are a new believer who’s just starting out on your journey to the life that Christ died to give us, we have a course specifically designed to help you on your way. Most folks who come to Barn Church came on invation from a friend. We find it best to let that friend mentor you, helping answer any questions you may have about your new faith. See your friend as a guiding and helping hand. If you came to us on your own, we will gladly introduce you to a mentor.
Another step on the path is meeting on a regular basis with your new brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Men’s and Women’s groups help our members deal with challenges that every day life poses. Check out our different groups for our Men’s, Women’s, Couple’s and Youth groups under the Get Involved section of the links above!
For any of our special classes and groups, check out our latest Events (found under the Get Involved link in our links above).
Become a devout tither. Information on how to tithe can be found in our Giving section in our links above. Information on why we tithe can be found below.
Why should I tithe?
What exactly does the word “tithe” mean? It simply means one-tenth of a person’s income of which they devote to the support of the Church. What does the bible say about the practice of tithing? First, we look in the Law and the Prophets (Jesus’s term for the Old Testament):
Malachi 3:8-10, NKJV
8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You’ sIn tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.
10 tBring all the tithes into the ustorehouse, that there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the vwindows of heaven and wpour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
The premise here is that everything belongs to God, and we’re merely appointed as stewards of these various resources that were placed on and in the earth at its Creation; all the precious metals, all the forests, all the silicon used in modern day computer chips. Man was given dominion over it in Genesis Chapter 2 and was commissioned to “subdue the earth”. In other words, to take the provision inherent in the earth and fashion it to meet his needs and thereby create wealth. But at the same time, man was to remember that the provision is from God, and technically belongs to Him (man has a lifetime lease but not ownership).
The attitude of all successful stewards is that they are forever mindful that the Lord of the estate is its true owner. While they have many of the advantages of ownership and are able to use the assets they manage as if they were their own…the truth remains that they are not. The result of this insight into faithful stewardship is more blessing (Matthew 25:15); more to take care of.
Additionally, the way we prove to God and to others that we truly understand and believe these conditions to be the truth is not so much with our words…talk really is cheap. But with what we do with our money. Many claim allegiance to God and His Kingdom now among us, but what they do with their money belies a different story. Those who choose to give a the first tenth of their income to God and His agency here on earth which is the Church, are making a statement that they believe in the very order of God…that they truly understand that He is Lord, and that the meaning of the word Lord is “owner”.
The result is an onslaught of financial opportunity and favor, which results from our close cooperation with God and His purposes through our demonstrated faithfulness with what He has already given us. Just as most effective living wills dispense financial resources to the heirs as they mature in wisdom and demonstrate competence, for those living in the Kingdom of God, faithful tithing results in ever increasing disbursements of their inheritance in Him. The windows of heaven are opened, and heavenly rain is released on the seed they have sown in their various endeavors bringing harvest and prosperity.
To those who’ve sought to justify their failure to tithe claiming it to be an “Old Testament” practice which is not called for in the New Blood Covenant of Christ, I would direct them to:
Matthew 23:23, NKJV
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! rFor you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and shave neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.(emphasis added)1
Jesus never released New Covenant Believers from the practice of tithing and instead reinforced it as an important practice that is to be observed out of a heart of love and compassion; not one filled with religious duty. If we love Jesus and what He has done for us, how can we not give everything to Him…including our money?
t Prov. 3:9, 10
u 1 Chr. 26:20
v Gen. 7:11
w 2 Chr. 31:10
r Matt. 23:13; Luke 11:42; 18:12
s [1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:8]; Matt. 9:13; 12:7
1 The New King James Version. 1996, c1982. Thomas Nelson: Nashville