Welcome

We seek to be a resource for those who are curious about the history, meaning, and application of Christian stewardship principles and their requirements

At Shiloh, the formal leadership of the Stewardship Ministry rests with the pastor, the Board of Trustees, and the chairs of the Ministry of Deacons and Deaconess Ministry. Shiloh’s Standing Stewardship Committee, which has taken as its mission of being “the arms and legs” for Shiloh’s Stewardship Ministry, developed the Stewardship Section and will endeavor to keep its material current and engaging.

It is our fervent desire that this resource is beneficial to all who seek to enhance their knowledge of Christian stewardship, and how its application plays a role in building God’s Kingdom not just at Shiloh, but here on earth.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

- II Timothy 3:16-17 -

What is Stewardship?

When we talk about stewardship within the context of the Christian life, we mean God is the owner of all things. These resources would be anything and everything He has given us. This would be our salvation, the gospel message, our churches, our education, our time, our energy, our thought life, the words we speak, the house in which we live, the cars we drive, our children, our spouse, our finances, our job.

Stewardship at Shiloh

i must give: time, talent, and treasure

Essence of Stewardship

OFFERING OUR PRAYERS, PRESENCE, GIFTS, SERVICE, AND OUR WITNESS

TIME

TALENT

TREASURE

DISCIPLES AS STEWARDS

A Greener Stewardship

Good Morning Shiloh, Rev. Smith, pulpit ministry, all Shiloh ministries, and all of our Shiloh’s listening congregation. Let us all be thankful for God’s blessings of this new day. I am Fran Lewis-Steiner, and our pastor, Rev. Wallace Charles Smith, has asked me to take the lead in a new ministry, that I named ‘The Greener Stewardship Ministry’. Greener as it relates to our awareness, care, and responsibilities to our physical environment, our one and only earthly home. Stewardship, Christian Stewardship, because it is inclusive of caring for and resourcefully managing the abundance of resources God has given to us here on earth. Water, air, flowers, sunshine, rain, trees, fertile soils from which our life sustaining foods grow, and the list continues. I invite all of Shiloh to join me in this ministry. Let us start with recycling. God through nature has given us many models. Nature recycles – Let’s look at a tree for example – it geminates, grows up, produces fruit & shade, it ages, it dies, decays, serves as food for fungus, bacteria and other microbes, it becomes part of the soil, serving as fertilizer, enabling other trees to germinate, grow and continue 

Another example – all of us appreciate a clean refreshing drink of water but there is no new water. God gave our earth all the water it needed at the beginning and a recycling model to copy. In God’s model, he sends the rain, – precipitation, it’s absorbed by trees and grass and soaks into the ground – percolation, it’s cleaned through infiltration, moves to the ground water giving us springs, wells, etc.; simultaneously, water moves to the sky from the oceans, rivers and lakes by evaporation, from the trees and grasses by transpiration and evapotranspiration; in the sky, water cools – condensation – making clouds; the clouds experience saturation which leads again to precipitation. Today using wastewater treatment plants God has allowed us to create this recycling technology to precipitate, percolate, evaporate and infiltrate our water and make it clean again and again for our daily use.

Through our Greener Stewardship Ministry, we hope to provide throughout Shiloh designated containers and informative signs encouraging each of us to always recycle. Until this is formally established here at Shiloh, I encourage all of us to start at home. Most of the things we use can be recycled – paper, cardboard, cans, bottles, the many plastics – on used containers look for the number inside the recycle symbol. If it is 1 through 6, recycle. It’s less expensive and less of an abuse to our nature resources to develop new products from recycled materials, fewer landfills (one of the greatest air, water, and soil pollutants) will need to be built. If more landfills are built, whose neighborhood will the policy makers decide to use?

Remember, if someone says to you, “Don’t recycle, just throw it away,” remind them that there is no AWAY! Everything we trash has to go somewhere on this one earth God gave us.

Let’s start today – join with me and become a member of this ministry. Use the few recycling containers Shiloh has already. At home, adopt the habit of recycling whenever possible. Let us all use God’s models and become Greener Christian Stewards wherever we are, in our homes or Shiloh, here at 9th & P.

Prove the Tithe Pledge Card

Allow the Lord to pour out his blessings by pleading your commitment to be a tither. Complete this card and return to a Deacon Leadership member.

a new beginning in stewardship

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.“ Malachi 3:10

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cumin, But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. “ Matthew 23:23

Tithers: In response to God’s love for me an in obedience to God’s expectation of me,

Tithing Guidance

“ And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me" - Deuteronomy 26:10

TITHING GUIDANCE FOR MY NEW BEGINNING IN STEWARDSHIP IN 2016

MONTHLY  B-WEEKLY WEEKLY 
IncomeTitheIncomeTitheIncomeTithe
$10,000$1000$5,000$500$1000$100
$9000$900$4500$450$900$90
$8000$800$4000$400$800$80
$7000$700$3500$350$700$70
$6000$600$2500$250$600$60
$5000$500$2000$200$500$50
$4000$400$1600$160$400$40
$3000$300$1000$100$300$30
$2000$200$500$50$200$20
$1000$100$450$45$100$10
$900$90$350$35$50$5
$800$80$300$30$25$2.5

Financial Peace University

Mission Statement: To empower and give hope to everyone from the financially distressed to the financially secure. FPU teaches financial stewardship – how to manage 100% of what God has given. Dave Ramsey does all the teaching in 13 video lessons. Dave is a personal money management expert, an extremely popular national radio personality and best-selling author of The Total Money Makeover. Other books he has written include New York Times best sellers Financial Peace and More than enough. The class consists of an exciting lecture by Dave and discussion questions relating to what has been heard during the video presentation.

  • The average family reduces their debt by $5,300 and saves $2,700 during the 13 week period.
  • Financial stress begins to dissipate throughout this program.
  • With the burden of debt lifted, families are able to give more to support worthy ministries.
  • Teaches families to handle God’s money God’s way.
  • Session #1 – Super Savers
  • Session #2 – Cash Flow Planning
  • Session #3 – Relating With Money
  • Session #4 – Buying Only Big, Big Bargains
  • Session #5 – Dumping Debt
  • Session #6 – Understanding Investments
  • Session #7 – Understanding Insurance
  • Session #8 – Retirement and College Planning
  • Session #9 – Buyer Beware
  • Session #10 – Real Estate and Mortgages
  • Session #11 – Careers and Extra Jobs
  • Session #12 – Collection Practice and Credit Bureaus
  • Session #13 – The Great Misunderstanding
( The classes are offered on Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 8:00pm. )

Debt Reduction at Shiloh

Paying off our debt will unleash us to continue the pursuit of our purpose and expand our mission in the years ahead. With each member praying and financially supporting this effort as God leads them, we can fulfill our dream of an incredible future in the decades ahead not only for us, but for those who follow us.

"All things are possible with God." Matthew 19:26

For every dollar we sacrificially give to pay off our debts today, a dollar is unleashed in an exponential way into ministry and mission of our church. We have two choices: pay the bank or unleash ministry. The monthly mortgage payment with our bank is more than $40,000 and the mortgage is structured to be paid off by 2029
  • Pray for the mission and ministry of Shiloh!
  • Talk with your family about debt—your own and the church’s.
  • Share your enthusiasm with other church members.
  • Examine your finances to position yourself to pledge over the next 36 months, give a one-time gift, or as you can over the next three years to Shiloh’s debt reduction campaign.
  • Jump in and see what God can do in and through you!

frequently asked questions

Shiloh will benefit greatly from paying off the remaining debt on our sanctuary’s mortgage. The desire to pay our debt in full resulted from conversations with our leadership and invested members. We are excited to envision what we, the church, might look like if we were debt free. By paying off the existing debt/mortgage on the sanctuary, more funds will be unleashed for greater impact—for the glory of God.

Our monthly payments are more than $40,000 per month. Each year we pay down the debt on the mortgage, we save approximately $260,000 in interest payments. Since we entered our renovated sanctuary in March, 1998, we have not missed a mortgage payment.

The sacrificial gifts toward debt reduction help to pay the monthly mortgage note which includes both principal and interest.
We invite you to roll over your commitment. If you are currently making regular gifts, we would encourage you to continue this commitment until we are debt free. If you have questions regarding your pledge, please contact a member of the Debt Reduction Committee led by Barbara Williams at barbaraji@me.com.
Absolutely not. Participation in the campaign and how much you give is entirely up to you. We ask you to pray and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance on what your sacrifice should be.
We encourage pledges and contributions at any time. We will never refuse a gift or commitment, whenever it is given. The maintenance of Shiloh’s mission for 153 years continues and relies on Saints such as yourself to support and grow that mission.
Absolutely! All pledges matter, regardless of the amount, and because as we all participate according to our ability, God multiplies our giving.

There are a variety of ways to give: cash, check, or via e-giving at www.shilohbaptist.org.

Stewardship
Baptist Faith and Message, Article 13

by Douglas Walker
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Walker is vice president for institutional advancement
at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
in Louisville, Kentucky

A full exegesis of Article 13 of the Baptist Faith and Message would consume a lengthy volume and yield fruitful discourse. At least three topics deserve our attention here.

First, God owns everything, and therefore we are to be stewards of all he gives us. A basic tenet of a Christian worldview holds that God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. As Creator he thus owns all that is or ever will be. He owns our lives and bodies, our health and welfare, our goods and possessions and even the air we breathe.

In his wisdom and providence, he has placed in our hands and at our disposal certain blessings and gifts for our use for his glory. We, in turn, are thus responsible for using his blessings for his glory, our benefit and the welfare of others.

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 makes clear that our responsibility is to multiply the gifts given to us by God. A thoughtful stewardship of all that we have is part of our Christian discipleship.

A second topic for our consideration is the command given in Scripture for us to give “cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally …” to the Lord’s work.

The command to tithe is clearly given in the Old Testament. Some have argued that since the tithe is not mentioned in a positive way in the New Testament, the tithing injunction does not apply to Christians.

In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Paul says, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of the week each of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collection be made when I come.” And again in 2 Corinthians 9:6 he writes, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

The New Testament teaches that Christians should give even above the tithe as God so blesses. The tithe is not done away with in the New Testament, but a greater principle of giving is placed upon the disciple of Christ. Christians are to give sacrificially as God blesses them.

Jesus commends the widow in Mark 12:41-44 who had put into the treasury “more than all the contributors” because she “out of her poverty, put in all she owned.” May the Lord find us faithful in giving above and beyond the tithe.

A final topic mentioned in Article 13 is the motivation for our stewardship – the glory of God and the benefit of others. Stewardship obviously involves more than our income or possessions but refers to every aspect of our lives.

Giving of our means is part of true Christian worship. Taking care of our bodies likewise is part of our stewardship so that we can serve God with all of our might. We work in order to be able not only to provide for ourselves and our families, but so that we might give to the Lord’s work.

Southern Seminary has been blessed by those who were so motivated that, for God’s glory and the benefit of the Kingdom, they have provided money to help train, educate and prepare God-called men and women for faithful service.

In our materialistic society we must challenge believers to work not for bigger houses and better cars, but so that they might give to the Lord’s work around the world. God’s glory should be the driving force behind how we use all the gifts and possessions that God has placed in our care.

At the end of our lives may we be found as faithful stewards of all that he has entrusted to us.

Source: http://www.baptist2baptist.net/b2barticle.asp?ID=256

References (SCRIPTURAL)

“These selected scriptures, among the many in the Bible, pertain to Stewardship:

  • Genesis 2: 15
  • Genesis 28: 20-22
  • Exodus 35: 29
  • Leviticus 27: 30
  • Deuteronomy 16: 17
  • 1 Chronicles 29: 13-14
  • Psalm 24: 1-2
  • Psalm 96: 8
  • Proverbs 3:9
  • Proverbs 16:3
  • Malachi 3: 10
  • Matthew 6: 19-21
  • Matthew 23: 23
  • Matthew 25: 14-29
  • Mark 12: 41-44
  • Luke 11: 42
  • Luke 12:48b
  • Luke 16: 2-4; 16: 11
  • John 3:27
  • Acts 20: 35
  • Romans 12: 1-2
  • 1 Corinthians 4: 1-2
  • 1 Corinthians 16: 2a
  • 2 Corinthians 8: 9
  • 2 Corinthians 9: 7
  • Colossians 3: 23-24
  • 1 Timothy 6: 17-19
  • Hebrews 7: 1-10
  • 1 Peter 4: 8-10”

Standing Stewardship Committee

charter members

  • Elizabeth Adams, Deaconess
  • Keith Anderson
  • Mary E. Buckley, Deaconess
  • Patricia Cherry, Deacon
  • Brenda Crutchfield, Deaconess
  • Roland Edwards
  • Latecia Engram
  • Mattilyn N. Green, Deaconess
  • Rochelle Hardy, MD
  • David Hayes
  • Evelyn Hider
  • Elias E. Kibler, Deacon
  • Charles Lowery
  • Gladys Myatt
  • Lavinia Thorton Odejimi
  • Gregory Prioleau
  • Edith R. Roberts
  • Charles D. Smith, Deacon
  • Gilbert A. Smith
  • Theodore J. Smith
  • Margaret Williams
  • :Linda Winfrey, Deacon

current members

  • Patricia Cherry, Deacon
  • Latecia Engram
  • Mattilyn Green, Deaconess
  • David Hayes
  • Pam Irving, Deaconess
  • Elias Kibler, Deacon
  • Charles D. Smith, Deacon
  • Frank Walker
  • Davina Wiggins
  • Linda Winfrey, Deacon

Testimonies and Reflections

deacon joan b. allen

Good Morning Church: 

This is the second Sunday we have had “Prove the Tithe Sunday”. This is a two part mission, first, we explain why we are tithers and the second reason is to encourage others to become tithers.

I am a tither not to receive blessings; I am a tither because God has been so good to me. I have been blessed to join the official senior citizens of Shiloh, God has given eighty years of live this year. This may not seem important to some, but to me God has blessed me to outlive the age of parents and two of my siblings. In all of my eighty years of life and out of the goodness of God, I have never had a day where there was no food or shelter.

Shiloh, God has blessed us for one hundred and fifty two years, let us show God our love for His goodness. Let us become tithers.

I am so grateful for all that He has done for me and will continue to give at least a tenth of my time, talents and treasure to Almighty God.

deacon christine barker-odom
How Do I Define Christian Stewardship? 

Good morning. As I was preparing for this Prove the Tithe Sunday, I pondered on “How Do I Define Christian Stewardship?” For me Christian stewardship is my response to my gratitude to God for what He has done for me in spite of my shortcomings. For me stewardship is not haphazard. It is an intentional, conscientious decision to commit to the fundamentals of being a Christian through prayer, sharing my skills and talents, and giving financially to the church.

Now don’t get me wrong, I did not come to this place in my life overnight and it has not always been easy for me. Though I have been a single mom, who raised two sons and two nephews with the help of my aunt, it really is not about all that. It is about showing an attitude of gratitude for God’s grace and mercy. In that vein, I cannot begin to count how God has blessed me and my family over the years.

This year marks the 40th year of my career. While I have worked for several companies, I have not had a single day of unemployment. And God willing, I will be retiring later this year. I have a loving family, which includes a wonderful husband and two beautiful grandchildren. I am in reasonable good health – spiritually, physically, financially, and mentally – though some who know me best question that mental part. God has never wavered with His faithfulness to me – the least I can do is be faithful with my time, talents, and treasure.

Now, it is not my place to try to convince you how to use your time, talent, and treasure. That is between you and God. However, with that said, genuine love for God should be expressed through service to others because a heart that truly loves God will be filled with compassion for others which includes effective use of your time, talent, and treasure. So I encourage you to prayerfully seek guidance from God in your journey to embrace a stewardship lifestyle. Completing the tithing pledge card is an excellent start. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 speaks to the wealth or “abundance” of our lives as being a gift, not just a given. That is, no more than with life itself is what we have something we can earn or deserve. It is not about entitlement and I submit to you that whatever we have is a blessing that is meant to be shared with others. So I can only stand here and tell you that I am fully committed to do what I can to further the kingdom of God. And stewardship is how I do it.

mary buckley
June 18, 2017 

Deacon Duke Smith has given me 2 minutes to share with you my blessings and basis for my tithing.

God has truly blessed me. As I often reflect on my life, from poverty as share croppers in Mississippi to integrating an all-white school, graduating from universities, health challenges, a career, a world traveler, in every aspect God has been there and carried me through all the difficulties and there were many.

When I was 4 or 5 years old, my grandmother or mother would give each of my siblings and me 3 pennies, a nickel or a dime to put on the collection table. I wanted badly to take that nickel and buy an ice cream, but she’d told us it was for the church because it belonged to God. When it came time for church collections, our preacher would quote Malachi about robbing God. I didn’t understand that, because it was my money and since I didn’t see God, I didn’t know how I was robbing him.

When I asked my father why I had to give the church money, he’d say because the Bible tells us to, even though he never showed me where (in the Bible). But, I trusted my dad because he’d never told me anything other than the truth (except at Christmas about Santa Claus as I later learned). My father feared God and he wanted to be obedient to God’s word.

As Baptists, we believe the Bible is the only authority for our faith and our practice. “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is what life is all about,” (Eccl. 12:13). In the Book of Malachi the Israelites had returned from captivity in Babylon. They had completed building a temple for worship; now they were committing all kinds of sins against God, one sin was not tithing. The reason for their captivity in the first place was their sin and disobedience to God and not following His Commandments. In Malachi 3:8, it says “You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are asking, “’How are we robbing you?”’

“You are robbing me of the offerings and the ten percent that belongs to me. That is why your whole nation is under a curse.” In the Book of Jonah, 3:10, in our Sunday school study several weeks ago, we see that it pleases God when we respond obediently to His word. In Jonah 4:5-11, we can determine that God’s harsh judgement is reserved for those who persist in rebellion.

Over the years, I see my 2nd/3rd graders in Sunday school, squeezing a dollar & not wanting to put it in the Sunday School collection because they have other plans. I tell them what my father told me, but, I explain it to them. And, they become so willing to give. They even tell another hesitant child why they should surrender that dollar.

The bottom line is that God commands us to tithe. All of our possessions belong to God because it is made possible only by God and God commands that we give back to Him 10%. So, please take a yellow pledge card from back of the pew and pledge to give AND do give back to God what is God’s.

May God continue to bless you.

christine b. clark 
Chairman Emerita, Board of Trustees and Deaconess Emerita

A Message on Stewardship

Good Morning Pastor Smith, Pulpit Associates, Shiloh Family and Friends. We often sing with the choir Count Your Blessings. See what God has done. Have you really taken the time to count your blessings? I am sure you would start with life, shelter, employment, food, family, friends, church just to name a few. But after witnessing the outstanding performance of our Senior Choir and guest Artists on last Sunday as they presented Handel’s Messiah we must recognize the blessing of talent. Our technicians were in excellent control. Note the ability to perform with excellence right here in our own sanctuary. Question is How do we show our gratitude?

Do we follow scripture advising us to be good stewards, managers, and servants? Or do we just say thank you Lord and keep on going? A good steward gives back to God a tenth of our earnings, additional offerings, and dedicated service when and wherever needed. A good steward takes care of all obligations. Let me remind you of the outstanding debt on our beautiful sanctuary that we enjoy in comfort on Sunday mornings. So as we move forward be reminded of our Debt Reduction Campaign; Tithes and Missions to secure our operations and services to others. Debt Reduction to secure our space. Think about it. Are you a really good Steward? Can you answer yes, yes, yes?

Merry Christmas and God bless you! To God Be the Glory. Amen

deaconess reather j. felton 

Tithe Testimony and Journey as a Tither Deuteronomy 12:6

Good morning Shiloh. (Pause) Today is Prove the Tithe Sunday.

And Deuteronomy 12:6 says “There, bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.”

Shiloh, I understand what that scripture means, but my spiritual journey has not always been easy when faced with financial challenges as a single Christian. Although my foundation was religious and I was taught the significance of tithing, freewill offerings, and special gifts, I did not start to tithe until the age of 25. Afterward, and through God’s grace, I saw my career and life succeed. Indeed, my faith was a process as I took Crown Financial Bible Study to increase my faith and wisdom.

During this time of spiritual growth, I experienced periods of transitions with employment as I never gave a company 10 years because the jobs ended through no fault of my own, nor was it due to lack of performance on contracts through various government agencies. Even though there are plentiful jobs, God’s purpose and plan showed me another life. Most people know that during times of recession, there is a feast or famine. Therefore, the word of God had to be spoken over my life. I did not know that God would take me through the red sea to know what hard times are like, as well as believe I am coming out, but that did not deter me for I gave my time, talents, and treasure to the Kingdom and my community.

Certainly, God will never put a good work in me and not see me through with faith and confidence to make decisions for my future. Through all the issues of life, I paid off a five year car loan in December 2015, and saw that God still provided another means of finances to know my FICO score was slightly over 800 with increased student loans after being blessed with two Master’s degrees.

I stand boldly before you this morning believing and knowing that God’s goodness and mercy has followed me twenty years later and will continue all the days of my life providing me with employment from the east, the west, the north and the south because His word says so.

I encourage you who are non-tithers, to prove your faith and obedience to God on this day, “Prove the Tithe Sunday,” knowing that God will bless you abundantly according to His riches in Glory. If you have not already completed a Prove the Tithe Pledge card, please take one from your pew, complete it, and return it to a member of the Deacon Ministry Leadership Team.

May God Richly Bless you and yours.

Davina Wiggins
May 15, 2016

deacon robert gunn 
One of my favorite passages of scripture is recorded in Proverbs 3: 5-6. [5] Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

The way I understand that, is that if you trust and believe in God, you have no choice but to acknowledge Him in ALL your ways giving of you time, talents, and resources. All He asks for you to give 10% of your resources. The remaining 90% is yours.

Do not lean to your own understanding, No, I don’t understand, and I don’t think I ever will that by just giving 10% back to God and in turn I receive blessings that that 10% can’t even pay for.
I’ve been a consistent tither since the early 1990’s. But before then I understood the concept of tithing but I just had to go head first and trust God and do it. Since then I can’t ever seriously remember ever wanting for anything. God has and continued to supply all.

It’s been well over 10 years since I stood before you and gave a tithing testimony. That time I had been let go from a job but the Lord kept me going, not missing a beat, even when I had to tithe from an unemployment check for several months- the Lord kept me going. You know I can laugh at that now.
Since that job I was let go from was well over 10 plus years, God blessed me with a few other jobs in the meantime all the way up to Him directing my path to this position that I’ve had for the last 8 years. And I’ll state again, even though I was on unemployment and worked temporary jobs I STILL gave my 10% to Him. That 90% was plenty.

Sure, I hit some bumps every now and then but, at least I didn’t hit a wall. I stumbled a few times but didn’t fall. Utilities and other bills and were paid on time, mortgage was never late, and I never went hungry.

Paul in his letter to the church at Philippi wrote, as it is recorded in Philippians 4: 11-

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I was content; I was so busy thanking God for his goodness to me that I didn’t have to ask him for anything. I was happy and content in realizing that God said I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee as recorded in Hebrews 13:5 but, I had to make sure my conscious was clear by being obedient and giving Him His 10%.

Sure the tangible blessings are nice but I’ve learned to appreciate the intangible blessings God gives as well. For instance, I’m a transplant from Illinois and have just a few biological family here but I have a loving and caring church family – right here, that’s a blessing. I have some talents given by God that people have called on me (if you’ve ever tasted my baking you know of one). And I’ve had type 2 diabetes for 27 years and have maintained good control without any complications.

I could go on but I’ll to back to Proverbs 3: 5-6

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Trust and acknowledge the Lord to the point that you will be obedient and give him your tithe. Don’t try to understand how he will bless you, just know that He will.

deacon roland hill 
Sunday, March 19, 2017

I have two mentors from the Old Testament that I would like to build my tithing testimony around. One is Abraham because of his obedience, and the other is Job because of his trust.

One of our members who gave a tithing testimony recently said tithing was a personal thing. I feel the same way. We all have a story we can tell about how God has blessed us. I am no different. God has brought me from a very long way. From a troubled youth – what they called it back then was a juvenile delinquent.

Back in 2011, I was diagnosed with having cancer. God delivered me from that. Just to name a few. I thank God for my two prayer warriors I had in my life – my mother, who never gave up on me, and my grandmother. They kept me prayed up. Back then I did not have enough sense to pray for myself. Well, I’m still not what I ought to be. You know the saying, but I am not what I use to be.

Some years ago our theme for the debt reduction was not equal giving, but equal sacrifice. I have always liked that theme. We can all give according to what God has blessed us with. Some more, some less. It has been said, to whom much is given, much is required. Whatever we give to God, God will bless us beyond what we give.

Luke 6:38 says “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Second Corinthians 9:7 says “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Shiloh, I want you to know God is not “broke.” He does not need our money. I heard the preacher say that the cattle on a thousand hills belong to God. Jesus said my father is rich in houses and land. Church, we cannot beat God giving, no matter how we try. Obedience to His word, that is what God wants. Obedience is better than sacrifice; and putting your trust in God.

The Old Testament speaks more on tithing. The New Testament speaks more on giving. They go hand in hand. Different times, different ways of doing things. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the needs are not that different. The same God spoke in the Old Testament speaks in the New Testament. He is still asking us to give. Shiloh, God has not changed.

Obedience is better than sacrifice. You know the story about Abraham, how God promised him a son. God kept His promise. God blessed him with his son Isaac, the son that he loved. After a time, God called on Abraham regarding Isaac and Abraham was obedient to God’s call.

Genesis 22:1-2 says “Some time later God tested Abraham; he called to him ‘Abraham!’ And Abraham answered, ‘Yes, here I am!’ ‘Take your son,’ God said, ‘your only son, Isaac. Whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me.’”

Abraham took Isaac to Mount Moriah as the lord had told him. Scripture says because of his obedience, God blessed Abraham.

Genesis 22:15-18 says “The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time, I make a vow by my own name –the Lord is speaking—that I will richly bless you. Because you did this and did not keep back your only son from me, I promise that I will give you as many descendants as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the seashore. Your descendants will conquer their enemies. All the nations will ask me to bless them as I have blessed your descendants—all because you obeyed my command.

Church, obedience is better than sacrifice.

Trust. I will trust in the Lord. If you trust and never doubt, He will slowly bring you out.

You know the story about Job. God gave Satan permission to have his way with Job, to do as he wanted, except take his life. Job was stricken by Satan with sores and boils all over his body. From the crown of his head, to the soles of his feet. Attackers came and stole his cattle, sheep and goats; killed his servant. A great storm came and his children were killed in the storm. Things got so bad his wife said to Job “Why don’t you curse God and die?” Job’s response was (Job13:15) “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”

Because of that trust, scripture says God blessed (Job’s) latter years more than (his) beginning years. Job 42:12-17 says of Job’s life, “The Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life even more than he had blessed the first. Job owned fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, two thousand head of cattle… He was the father of seven sons and three daughters. There were no other women in the whole world as beautiful as Job’s daughters. Their father gave them a share of the inheritance along with their brothers. Job lived to a hundred and forty years after this, long enough to see grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

Those of you who are not tithers, if you put your trust in God and be obedient to His word and become tithers –just like God blessed Abraham and Job, he will surely bless you. So pray on it.

Malachi 3:10 says “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].”

Malachi 3:6 says “I’ am the Lord and I do not change.”

God will provide (for) all your needs according to his riches in Glory, if we are obedient to His word and trust in Him.

Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Because I have put my trust in God and been obedient to His word and became a tither, God has blessed me beyond my giving. Become a tither and see what will happen. What you give will come back to you.

It’s not our money God wants. It’s trusting God and being obedient to His word.

If you have not already filled out a Prove the Tithe Pledge Card, there should be some in the pews. Fill it out and give it to any member of the Deacons’ Leadership Team.

O Lord, we thank you for your steadfast love and mercy on us. Father, we believe that every word in the Bible was breathed out by you (2 Tim. 3:16), and we believe your promise that you will bless us when we are obedient to your word, and (we) put our trust in you as Abraham and Job did in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

deaconess keisha jackson
Mt. Sinai Circle My Stewardship Journey 
September 10, 2017

As I reflect on my stewardship journey, I understand that a steward is one who manages the possessions of another. We are all stewards of the resources, abilities and opportunities that God has entrusted to our care, and one day each of us will be called to give an account for how we have managed what the Master has given us. For as long as I can remember, my mother made sure I attended Sunday school as well as Church and my grandmother had me singing the Lord’s praises in the children’s choir and attending Sunday school at her church. My mother and grandmother would give me money to put in church. At that time, I did not know why I was putting money in the basket, but I was happy knowing that I was doing what everybody else was doing.

Deuteronomy 12:6 states bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.

Like the servants in the Parable of the Talents, we will be called to give an account of how we administered everything God has given us, such as; our time, money, and talents. I learned very early in life that giving is not only an act of worship, but an act of obedience. I started to tithe very early in my Christian journey because of my relationship with God and the investment I have in my church.

Colossians 3:23-24, states whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord you are serving. My Christian journey started as a child as I begin to understand and except the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior.

At an early age, I also begin to give of my time as I realized my compassion to help people young and old which I would say is a call on my life, but one of my greatest attributes would be my gift to work with the youth. I love mentoring and exposing our youth to opportunities such as participating in both of President Obama’s Inaugurations , teaching them to use resources wisely, and providing an environment where they are allowed to strengthen their abilities which is achieved in Girl Scouts. As the current Program Leader and a Troop Leader of the Girl Scouts here at Shiloh, I am humble to bear witness to a young girl’s transition from a girl into a young adult. I do not take this call on my life lightly, for I know it is a privilege and honor to work with God’s children.

I believe in sowing seeds into our young girls because they are a part of our future. I sow seeds of prayer, confidence, courage, empowerment, respect for themselves, compassion for others, development of leadership and teamwork skills through specific activities, as well as the influence of positive adult role models.

Each one should use whatever gift they have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If you have not already fill out a Prove the Tithe Card, I encourage each of you to complete the Prove the Tithe pledge cards available in the pews and return them to a member of the Deacon Leadership Team.

Thank you and God Bless each of you.

shirley q. marshall 

Good morning Shiloh. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in today’s ‘Prove – the – Tithe Sunday’. Humbly, I stand before you to share my personal journey and testimony.

When first asked to do this, while I said yes, I had reservations about doing so. To tithe is indeed a personal choice. As a Christian tithing is expected. However, it is a choice that you must make for yourself, and only as a result of your knowledge of God’s Word, and after a personal conversation between you and our Lord and Savior.

There are many factors that may come into play as one makes the commitment to tithe. For most people, the availability of excess resources is usually high on the list of barriers to overcome before making a tithing commitment. This was certainly a factor for me. However, I am here to tell you there are greater forces than finances that influenced and guided me as I made the decision to become a tither.

Though I am not a long-time member of Shiloh, through family relations, I have a long history with Shiloh. I was born into a Christian home with both parents. My early years were influenced by Christian principles and experiences. I attended Catholic Church with my Dad and I attended Catholic schools. Frequently, I also attended services with my Mom, who was born into a Methodist family, but converted to the Baptist faith later in life. I guess you can say we believed in diversity.

With that as a backdrop, Shiloh did not become my home church until approximately three years ago. At that time, I was faced with making a decision about the sacrifices I would need to make in order to support my growing faith and my wonderful new church home. However, there were a number of life-experiences that fed into the choices I would soon make:

First, was the need to honor the spiritual foundation my parents had instilled upon me to be a responsible Christian, which included the need to nurture a sense of caring and sharing, and a desire to achieve happiness through giving rather than receiving. In my early years, my parents also taught me to put a nickel, dime, quarter, and if they had a good week, perhaps a dollar in the giving plate when it passed before me. This foundation made a commitment to tithe a ‘must do, and find a way to do it, with a smile’ decision for me, in spite of my share of challenges.

Secondly, prior to and in the midst of making the decision to join Shiloh, I was also faced with the evolving and traumatic health issues of my precious Mom and the God-selected love of my life, Ronald; which culminated with the ultimate loss of these two loving and kind people — all over a short period of time. The losses were emotionally devastating. The experience was indeed life changing. However, God was with me and kept me hold! I owe my all to Him!

Lastly, as I grieved, I too had to deal with personal health issues. I had to learn how to fill voids, like the physical absence of family; and, how to live only on my God-given resources. I learned quickly that as the Lord had directed the steps of my loved ones, and He was doing the same for me; He spoke to me during this trying time; His hand was on my shoulder; He answered my prayers, and He sent caring angels my way, many of whom are here in the sanctuary today. By asking for God’s help and making necessary sacrifices, today I am a tither and the mortgage and the bills are being paid. Each morning I wake up to a brand new day with new opportunities and challenges. How blessed I am! For these things, I am honor-bound.

For the young people who are here today, God is with you and can help you on your Christian journey and your road to future success. Simply call on Him as you follow His Word. In the ever-changing circumstances of life, there’s a faithful, never-changing God in control. Remember, every day begins and ends with His purpose, every moment of our life is in His care. I learned over the years that God works ‘24-7’ on our behalf. In return, we should indeed do our share as He requires, by committing a minimum of 10% of your resources to His Kingdom. Personally, I find tithing is a way to demonstrate discipline and obedience and thankfulness as a Christian and a believer.

For Shiloh members, I invite you to reflect on your awesome love for God and your devotion to this great historical institution… Shiloh Baptist Church. As we celebrate Black History Month, let’s work together to celebrate Shiloh’s longevity. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to consider making a commitment to tithe. Let us all honor the past scarifies of Shiloh’s founding men and women, and the members who came before us who demonstrated their commitment to stewardship so this Ship of Zion will live on. We stand and sit here today because of them. Let us also acknowledge that everything we have is a gift from God and lovingly do our share in return. Let us give out of love for the Lord and a desire to see His Kingdom advance. Always remember, our help comes from the Lord!

Thank you, and may God Bless you abundantly!

Shirley Q. Marshall
February 19, 2017

queen victoria murphy
Tithing Testimony of Queen Victoria Murphy 

January 20, 2018

I’ve been broke without a dime to my name,

but all my bills got paid because I called on JESUS name.

Good Morning Shiloh & visitors

I’d like to give a special Thank you to Deacon Smith.

February 2006 I was in my ninth month of unemployment because I had been laid off.
My severance package was to end in three months, May 2006.

I was visiting my mother and she asked had I started looking for work. Before I could answer
she asked you still tithing ain’t you? I said yes mama.

About ten minutes into my ride home my telephone rang. It was a lady from HR who’d
interviewed me a few months before I was laid off. She explained the company had moved and
while unpacking boxes there was my resume. I started work the following Tuesday after
Presidents day.

If we do GOD’s will and practice good stewardship he PROMISES, did I say PROMISES that he
will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing we won’t have room to receive.

Please fill out the “Prove the TITHE Pledge cards in the pews or from the Deacons and return to
a member of the Deacon Leadership team.

You can’t beat GOD’s giving.
Thank you & BE BLESSED

clarke a. perry 
Stewardship: The Heart of Giving
2014

When I think about stewardship, I think about a statement heard years ago: “Stewardship is having the heart to give back out of love a portion of every gift that has been entrusted to me by God.” Growing up in the church, I sang in the choir, served on the usher board, participated with the youth council, and periodically led as worship leader. I did these things because I had no choice, but it did not take long for these to become activities I enjoyed and wanted to do. In those days, I knew God and served him, but I did not realize the foundation that was being laid for future things that I would have to go through as I navigated my way through adulthood.

As an adult, I have had to work through adversity; some of which I caused myself, and other extraneous situations that were out of my control. God has brought me through dangers seen and unseen that I not have been able to navigate through without Him. In good and bad seasons, I continued to serve God through my time, talent, and treasure. Since God is who he is, and he has blessed me in many ways, I want to give to him what is due. I do not mind giving up time to volunteer for the building up of God’s kingdom. I do not mind sweating through my suit when directing the choir or singing a solo. I do not mind presenting God with one tenth of my earnings and being a cheerful giver. Why, you may ask?… Because I have no choice but to give God my everything. Through His grace, I have been given things I do not deserve. Through His mercy, the things I do deserve, that could have destroyed me, were withheld from me.

Growing up, I did not fully understand what I was doing by devoting my time to God and His church. Now that I am older, and have experienced life’s curve balls, I get it. I understand what it means when they say, “only what you do for Christ will last,” and “it pays to serve Jesus.” In life I’ve learned to seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). So as I keep God first, God blesses me, and I give back to him in love through my time, talent and treasure.

deacon neal pitts, jr. 
January 15, 2017

The presence of the Lord is here!

I have no reason not to tithe because God has been good to me every day. Throughout the good times, difficult challenges…….my prayers, having faith and trust in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I have been redeemed.

I have so many testimonies to share but so little time (got 2 to 3 minutes) to tell them all.

I became a Deacon and started tithing at Shiloh in April, 2002, soon thereafter my Mother passed away the following year. We had the opportunity to chat briefly the night before her passing and her last words to me was “Are you ok, you are a good son and that she was ready to be with the Lord”. That was the ultimate blessing for me to receive through the Lord with his grace and mercy.

My commitment as a Tither is manifested in my completion of a Prove the Tithe Pledge Card. Today is Prove the Tithe Sunday, and I encourage all non-Tither to complete the Prove the Tithe pledge cards located in the pews and return them to a member of the Deacon Leadership Team. (Deacon Leadership Team would you please raise your hand to be recognized.)

Falling in love with Jesus is the best thing I had ever witnessed because he has never failed me.

I have experienced my share of deaths of love ones and special friends, temporary unemployment, family struggles and health challenges (detached retina/cornea transplant) and I can see, but I still hold onto Gods unchanging hands and have strengthened my spiritual maturity, for the love of God has humbled my heart.

There is a song that Les (Talley) and the Gospel Choir sings that illustrates my love for my father in Christ, “I Won’t Complain.” The lyrics go like this……

“I’ve had some good days
I’ve had some hills to climb
I’ve had some weary days and some sleepless nights
But when I look around and begin to think,
All of my good days has outweighed my weary days
So, I won’t complain.

God has been so good to me more than I could dream of.
Therefore, just a little talk with Jesus daily makes it right for me.”

What a Mighty God I have the pleasure of serving. To God Be the Glory!

deaconess reather j. felton 

Tithe Testimony and Journey as a Tither Deuteronomy 12:6

Why do I contribute to the Church?
Good Morning Family,

Today is Prove the Tithe Sunday. My name is Donald Richardson and

I am here this morning to share with you why I Tithe and to encourage you to become a tither.

When Deacon Smith asked me to talk about tithing – I wondered what I could say that would change a person that is not currently participating. After some thought I had some anxiety because the first two reasons are reasons that I believe everyone here would agree with and already knows.

Reason 1 –I have been blessed. I suspect if I ask for a show of hands this morning of how many in the congregation feel like they are blessed, every hand in the sanctuary would be raised. I would answer by throwing up both of my hands and if I started to list the blessings I would never get to the end of the list.

Reason 2. I know that I can’t beat GOD giving. I also suspect if I ask for a show of hands of those in the congregation this morning that believe that they can beat GOD giving. Of course there would be no hands. GOD gave his son to die on a cross for me so of course this gift will never be beaten. If I were asked, I would answer by lowering myself to my knees.

Reason 3. I give because the good works of the Church. We have programs designed to change young lives, feed the hungry, help those in need and bring souls to Christ.

I give because I am blessed, I know that I can’t beat God Giving, and the good works of the church.

Then there is the ultimate reason: because Momma told me to. You remember when Momma gave you a penny at 5 years old to put in the plate so you could participate in giving back to GOD; at to 6-8 it became a dime. If the ten cents consisted of two nickels you might find yourself negotiating with your conscience to pull back a nickel for candy after service. Later, you were up to a quarter to put in the plate when it came around. Eventually, hitting the big time, you put in your own dollar in the plate.

So I know that I am blessed and that I can’t beat GOD giving then the only thing left for me is to feel comfortable is that the monies are being used wisely – As Chair of the Trustee Board, I can promise you that the Trustees are committed to being good stewards over our resources. How can you know that? – Well we are committed to

transparency –Come to the Church Meetings and I would encourage you to be a part of the process by getting involved in the Ministries where we are using the resources.

I am appealing to you to prayerfully consider tithing today. As we know, the WORD supports tithing. When the plates come around today, ask yourself these questions and I believe that you will find yourself tithing.

It is what GOD requires of us. It is what Momma taught me to do.

Prove the Tithe pledge cards are available in the pews or from the Deacons. Please fill one out and return it to a member of the Deacon Leadership Team, who will be in the Deacons’ Room on the lower level after the worship service.

Thank you for your time this morning. I ask you to consider tithing.

God Bless you all!

glenn smith 

You’ve probably noticed him in the front pew of the sanctuary swaying with the deacons, dignified and neatly dressed in his Sunday finery. A kind and gentle spirit, his name is Glenn. Glenn is 67 years old. Early in life, he was a normal bouncing baby boy until a bout with pneumonia and encephalitis when he was six months old left him with severe cognitive impairment.

Today, Glenn can neither read nor write, but he deeply understands the Word of God, and he lives to praise the Lord. Reliable as the morning sun, he is never late to service. Never has he fallen asleep; and most of all, Glenn loves to tithe.

While a young boy, Glenn’s attempt to join the Body of Christ was vetoed because it was believed that he did not fully understand its meaning.

But later, fully aware, with profound spiritually and most joyfully, Glenn offered his life to Christ at Shiloh seven years ago. Reluctant to be submersed, it was the compassionate hand of Pastor Smith who departed from Baptist tradition and baptized him through pouring. Glenn emerged with a new-found passion – TITHING.

His possessions amount to no more than the widow’s mite, but Glenn tithes with enthusiasm and the purity and innocence of a child. Mark 10:15 reminds us of Jesus’s words, “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

Glenn was most proud to receive tithing envelopes engraved with his own name; and he won’t let the tithing basket pass without dropping his envelope in it.

He makes no excuse because he knows that he is sustained solely by the loving hand of God, and not his own. Though some of us fear that if we tithe, we won’t have enough money to live on, Glenn trusts in the words that Jesus spoke to the disciples,

So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we

Wear?” Your heavenly Father knows that you need these things. Seek first His kingdom,

And His righteousness and all these things will be granted to you.

Glenn lives with a visible disability, but he is NOT spiritually dis-abled. His disability does not prevent him from having a relationship with God. When the altar prayer is lifted, Glenn is always in deep concentration and his audible praises are right on target.

Because of his cognitive limitations, Glenn is not caught up in the minor cares of society. But what appears as a dis-ability to the world is actually a spiritual hyper-ability for Glenn! God mercifully preserved his ability to love deeply, to know Him fully and to be joyfully obedient to His Word. In this way, Glenn is a tithing example for all.

Glenn is present today, fully cognizant of this occasion and excited to make his tithing pledge commitment public.

Perhaps you were a tither before, and fear or worry led you to doubt God’s promise; or maybe you have never adopted the practice of tithing. Like Glenn, I invite you now to let go of whatever worldly concerns are holding you back from trust and obedience.

The deacons will be in the aisles with yellow Tithing Commitment Cards. This will be one of the best decisions you will ever make, and an indisputable turning point in your life.

Let go, open your heart, and let God prove the words of His Son.

deacon charles d. smith
Deacon Charles D. Smith 
Stewardship Moment
Shiloh Baptist Church of Washington, D. C.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Good morning Shiloh. It is a special blessing to worship, fellowship and greet you today in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Once a month you have heard our fellow members present their personal tithing testimonies, and now it’s my turn.

My journey toward tithing did not start until after I became a member of Shiloh more than 20 years ago. Willa’s journey, however, began at a young age. Together, we felt that to be true Christians, we should be obedient and give back a portion of what God so freely gives to us.

We also decided that we would tithe on any additional income we would receive. We saw tithing as not only God’s plan borne from the Old Testament, but our response to what we, the congregation, has vowed to become — a 100% tithing church.

But really, should we stop there? The New Testament shows that God’s robust grace, offered through Jesus Christ, requires us to give more.

A few weeks ago as I was driving to Shiloh, I heard part of a local minister’s sermon on giving. He dealt with the usual barriers as to why church folk don’t tithe. To help his audience get a clearer picture of the responsibility Christians have to be more than tithers, he used an example of his school-age son.

He said his son was having a difficult time at school and when he brought home a ‘C’ in a subject, his son was thrilled. He was absolutely ecstatic. The minister cautioned him, however, that a ‘C’ was not that great. He urged his son to work harder to get an ‘A’.

The minister then said that if we – that means us too Shiloh – only tithe at the 10 per cent level, we are only doing C-level work.

Our giving should be at the A-level because of God’s grace, which sets no limits for our giving.

When you read scriptures from First and Second Corinthians you will find God’s financial plan for churches. These scriptures say that Christians are to give on the first day of every week; give as you have been prospered; that there should be purpose to your giving; that you should give from the heart and give cheerfully; and most importantly, that you are authorized to give beyond your means.

Please Shiloh. Don’t miss out on your blessings. God’s grace has justified and forgiven us; His grace has allowed us to experience His mercy and favor, His grace has instilled the faith of

Christ in us; and, His grace has allowed His spirit to grant us the willpower and motivation to grow in good works.

And finally, part of our Christian responsibility is also to become better stewards by not only using our treasure wisely, but our time and our talents. Please read more about Christian Stewardship on Shiloh’s website at www.shilohbaptist.org./stewardship. If you have questions, we look forward to answering them.

Enjoy your summer, but please do not forget your responsibility to your beloved Shiloh. May God bless all of you.

connie m. webster
August 21, 2016 

Good Morning Shiloh:

Today is “Prove the Tithe Sunday”, and several months ago Deacon Charles Smith approached me and asked if I would consider doing a testimony about why I tithe, and without hesitation I said yes. Several days later I started to think about his request and my response, and my heart got a little heavy as I thought, “Why did he have to come to me and ask me to witness about “my love for, and vowed obedience to God?” God has been so good to me, I really should have gone to Deacon Smith (or someone) requesting an opportunity to witness about tithing in my Christian journey, and why I make tithing a committed part of my relationship with God.

If I gave the succinct version of why I tithe, I would report that I tithe:

1. In obedience to God
2. To honor Him, by fulfilling my obligation.
3. To escape condemnation, and
4. To enjoy God’s abundant blessings.

These are clearly the reasons that I tithe, but on this “Prove the Tithe Sunday” my testimony is a report of my life experiences where God has demonstrated His presence and his power and why I believe that He favors me for my obedience. First, I need to make it clear that I don’t believe in “luck” but “God’s Blessings”, nor do I believe in “Coincidence” but “Gods predestination” for my life. I have witnessed God’s faithfulness all through my life as I was reared by my grandparents, neither of whom was formally educated; in fact, an “X” was their official signature, and we were very, very poor. During those childhood years I learned “obedience to God” …and “I saw that He will make a way”. My grandfather did handyman’s work and my grandmother (a very sanctified and religious woman) washed and ironed clothes, or baked cakes, but it never resulted in enough money, so during that part of my life we experienced many hardships. Each month we were either without lights, gas, or the water was cut off, and on one occasion received an eviction notice, but through all of this, the one thing that stood out to me was the fact that even though there was so little money, my grandmother would take whatever money (more coins than bills) and separate out her tithes. So, as the smart young upstart that I was, I finally decided to have a talk with her, and I said “Madear, we don’t have much money and the bills are due, we need to keep the money that we have”, and her reply was “I don’t keep what belongs to God, and He’ll make a way for us somehow”. She always said it with such assuredness and confidence….and just as she said “God would always provide”. There were many times that we were without the comforts of electricity, heat, or we would have to get pails of water from our neighbors; and while not receiving any additional income, the Lord would touch our situation and out of the kindness of many, God did make a way. One very cold winter stands out in my mind, when we couldn’t pay the gas bill and the cut-off man came to our house, and when my grandmother went to the door he announced “I have notice to cut off your service, and my grandmother softly replied “I know”, so the man looked at her for a brief period and then he said “mam it’s too cold to be without heat….do you think you can get the money by the end of the week?” She started to cry and said “Yes Sir I’ll try”… and with extra orders for services (cooking and ironing) Madear paid her tithes, and we were able to pay the bill; and from all of this my grandmother replied “That’s the kind of God I serve”.

I accepted the Lord at the age of 12, but started working when I was 10, and I started my tithing relationship at that time, mostly because “Madear made me” and I’ve done it ever since. What is most important, I learned from my grandparents, that if one is obedient and faithful to God, and truly believe in His word, He will provide…. So as I stated at the start of this testimony, I don’t believe in “luck or coincidence”, and my 59 years of being obedient to God is grounded in that solid foundation laid by my grandparents who took me in as their own when they had so little; and just like the poor widow woman in the bible, God found great favor in their sacrifices to show love and to honor Him. It is clear to me, I was the blessing predestined for them and through his predestination for my life I have been very successful (blessed), and before their deaths I was able to buy them that house that they rented for years (but called their home) and paid their utilities and assisted with their health care. Further, I now provide parental care for my mother (with whom I grew close), I have purchased her home and take care of her monthly expenses. The word for me rings very clear “if you are faithful over a few things, God will make you successful over many”. Today, I can proudly say…since those early and very difficult life experiences and my trusting relationship with God, I consistently and joyfully give my tithes. I have never had a utility cut-off, nor an eviction notice, or a car repossessed, and having received four degrees, I have never had student loan debt…, I have given to the Lord as He requires in obedience to honor Him for all that He has done in my life and with my life. All that I am, or ever hope to be, I owe it all to God.

Brothers and sisters, I’ve put my testimony before you today, not to boast or to brag…but to speak to God’s goodness and His faithfulness, and I’ve done it as a witness to have you know that any sacrifice to God will be rewarded. If you’re struggling and always trying to make ends meet, or trying to find joy…. and you don’t tithe…Give obedience to God, and really trusting in His word, and making a sacrifice a chance. I strongly encourage you today, on Prove the Tithe Sunday, to complete a Prove the tithe pledge card available in the pews, or being distributed by the deacons here or seek a member of the Deacon’s Leadership Team in the Deacon’s Room in the Lower Level. If you were my patient, I adviser you on what was best for your health…If I was your financial planner…I’d give you my recommendations for financial success…so as your sister in Christ (one who has lived it and know it)…I advise you to tithe (your blessings will over flow and the joy of pleasing God is oh so comforting.)

Lastly, and before I take my seat, while I have told you about my strong commitment and endeavor to tithe, I must admit that Satan is always working to deter me. I sometimes have intrusive thoughts: you shouldn’t give that money to church. You can add to your savings account; or when my mother has a crisis there are recommendations to use my tithing money so that I won’t need to go to the bank, or when I get a little extra money back from taxes. Thoughts suggest that I’ve already tithed on the money when I earned it, so I don’t need to tithe again.

But to all of that, I’ve been able to say… God has been so good to me, and no matter what I do nor how I try…I can’t beat His giving. He’s been so Good.

Thank you for this time to share my story…but more importantly… make the tithing pledge, your life can and will change for the better.

davina wiggins 

Tithe Testimony and Journey as a Tither Deuteronomy 12:6
Good morning Shiloh. (Pause) Today is Prove the Tithe Sunday.

And Deuteronomy 12:6 says “There, bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.”

Shiloh, I understand what that scripture means, but my spiritual journey has not always been easy when faced with financial challenges as a single Christian. Although my foundation was religious and I was taught the significance of tithing, freewill offerings, and special gifts, I did not start to tithe until the age of 25. Afterward, and through God’s grace, I saw my career and life succeed. Indeed, my faith was a process as I took Crown Financial Bible Study to increase my faith and wisdom.

During this time of spiritual growth, I experienced periods of transitions with employment as I never gave a company 10 years because the jobs ended through no fault of my own, nor was it due to lack of performance on contracts through various government agencies. Even though there are plentiful jobs, God’s purpose and plan showed me another life. Most people know that during times of recession, there is a feast or famine. Therefore, the word of God had to be spoken over my life. I did not know that God would take me through the red sea to know what hard times are like, as well as believe I am coming out, but that did not deter me for I gave my time, talents, and treasure to the Kingdom and my community.

Certainly, God will never put a good work in me and not see me through with faith and confidence to make decisions for my future. Through all the issues of life, I paid off a five year car loan in December 2015, and saw that God still provided another means of finances to know my FICO score was slightly over 800 with increased student loans after being blessed with two Master’s degrees.

I stand boldly before you this morning believing and knowing that God’s goodness and mercy has followed me twenty years later and will continue all the days of my life providing me with employment from the east, the west, the north and the south because His word says so.

I encourage you who are non-tithers, to prove your faith and obedience to God on this day, “Prove the Tithe Sunday,” knowing that God will bless you abundantly according to His riches in Glory. If you have not already completed a Prove the Tithe Pledge card, please take one from your pew, complete it, and return it to a member of the Deacon Ministry Leadership Team.

May God Richly Bless you and yours.

Davina Wiggins
May 15, 2016