Back to the Basics: Giving Is a Lifestyle, Not Just a Donation

When we talk about giving in the church, most people immediately think about money. And yes, tithing is biblical and important—but giving is so much more than writing a check or dropping a few dollars in the offering plate. Giving is a lifestyle, a daily decision to live open-handed before God.

If we’re going to get back to the basics of our faith, we have to look beyond the offering envelope. We have to ask ourselves: Does my life reflect the generosity of the Gospel I claim to believe?

Giving Is the Heart of the Gospel
John 3:16 begins with one powerful truth:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave…”

God didn’t give out of obligation. He gave out of love. He didn’t give leftovers—He gave His very best, His only Son. That’s the model of true generosity. When we give—our time, resources, energy—we are living out the heart of the Gospel.

Too often, we treat giving like a transaction when it’s really supposed to be a transformation—something that changes us from the inside out and impacts everything we do.

Getting back to the basics means understanding that giving isn’t reserved for Sunday mornings. It’s a daily opportunity to be a blessing.

• Giving is showing up for someone who’s hurting.
• Giving is opening your home to share a meal.
• Giving is spending time with someone who’s lonely.
• Giving is using your gifts to serve your church and community.

When we begin to live with a heart of generosity, it changes how we see everything. Our finances aren’t ours—they’re God’s. Our time isn’t ours—it’s God’s. Our talents, our homes, our schedules—all of it belongs to Him.

The Tension Between Control and Surrender
One of the biggest challenges I see in believers is the struggle to let go. We like control and safety, but the life of a disciple is marked by surrender.

Jesus didn’t hold back. He gave it all. And if we are to be like Him, we can’t live with clenched fists—we have to live with open hands.

2 Corinthians 9:7 says,

“Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Cheerful giving doesn’t happen when we feel pressured—it happens when we understand just how much we’ve received.

Living Like the Gospel
Our lives should be living examples of the Gospel. That means we don’t just talk about generosity—we embody it. We give because He gave. We love because He first loved us.

When the world looks at us, they should see people who are radically generous—not just with money, but with grace, with time, with forgiveness, and with love.

Let’s Get Back to the Basics
Giving isn’t something we have to do—it’s something we get to do. It’s a privilege, a calling, and a reflection of the One we follow.

So let me challenge you, as your pastor and your brother in Christ:
Don’t let giving be something you do once a week out of routine. Let it be the way you live every day. Look for ways to bless, to serve, to pour out what God has poured into you.

Because when we give freely and generously, we become living pictures of the Gospel—and that’s what the world needs to see.

Let’s return to the basics, and live generously.

In Love,

Pastor Jody