[Sean]

Originally Posted by good samaritan

Sean your funny. I have particularly enjoyed this thread. I totally agree with you non-tithers on a lot of your points. There are people who teach tithing out of greed and there are people who don't tithe out of greed. I believe it is truly a matter of the heart and I wouldn't ever want someone to feel that they had to do tithe or else. If you don't want to then don't and I don't condemn you to hell and we would welcome you to our church. I do hope you in some way support your local church, though.

I don't wish or proclaim a curse on those who don't, but I do pray the Lord bless those who do. I am against preachers getting rich, but I support the principle of honoring God with your increase (tithing a good place to start).

P.S. know were the money goes in the local church. I don't advocate dumbly following. I think accountability should go both ways not just one.

Amen to the above my brother... I am waiting on the Lord to show me my next move.

If I may offer a word of advice to you as a pastor. Never show favoritism in any way to the big givers of your congregation. I have seen this all of my life, even to the point of a pastor making a leader of a mens' group of a rich chain smoker.(seriously). I have seen the rich coddled and preferred in every way imaginable. The average saint sees that and it upsets them.

Judge a man by his walk with God and not by his earthly successes....in my opinion, this is a great sin of ministry and a stumblingblock to saints that are Godly and poor.