Today is Giving Tuesday, a movement that began in 2012 to encourage generosity. According to givingtuesday.com, "GivingTuesday is an opportunity for people around the world to come together through generosity in all its forms by sharing acts of kindness and giving their voice, time, money, goods, and advocacy to support communities and causes."

Spending is a typical daily occurrence for us today. The difference between our spending and people living one hundred or more years ago is that not all our spending is necessary for our survival. Modern inventions and industry have made it possible for us to get what we need quickly and at affordable prices. This progress has not only freed up more of our time, it's made surplus, having more than what's necessary to provide for basic needs, a reality for most people.

It’s a common feeling for many believers to feel “called” to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s as if God is constantly looking for donors to fund his mission; he’s got a goal set and those buckets keep sloshing around dimes and nickels. Pair that with the trend in many churches to do capital campaigns where Pastors reveal a “number” God gave them, and if we’re not careful, it can feel like we’re doing God a favor by giving generously.

God cares about more than the gift we bring. Explore Psalm 51:16-17 and learn how biblical generosity flows from repentance, trust, and wholehearted surrender.

Planned giving is not for the faint at heart. Nevertheless, an increasing number of churches across America are hosting estate planning (wills and trusts) educational seminars. These churches are serving their members with essential end-of-life decisions while at the same time adding hundreds of thousands of dollars, even millions of dollars, of future gifts for ministry.

There's a huge disconnect between what Christians are instructed to do and what they actually do when it comes to giving. Why is that? Most Christians know the Bible encourages them to be generous, yet a large majority of them give little or nothing at all. Is this open rebellion or something entirely different?