You cannot bring God the tithe without bringing Him your heart, and you cannot withhold the tithe without withholding your heart — so tithing is really a test of who your master is.
Money is not really a math problem, it's a heart problem. Because your treasure and your heart are inseparably linked, God asks for the tithe not because He needs your money, but because He wants what your money is attached to — your trust and your love. Tithing is simply the way you show, rather than tell, that God is truly first in your life.
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Point 1 of 7
God's people had chased other gods for the sake of wealth, and He calls them back through the tithe
Pastor Linn sets the scene in Malachi 3: Israel looked at prosperous neighboring nations and turned to false idols hoping to get rich. God tells them to return to Him, and when they ask how to prove they're sincere, He points them to the tithe rather than church attendance or singing louder.
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Point 2 of 7
God doesn't need the money, He needs the heart that's attached to it
Pastor Linn explains that God knows people cannot bring the tithe without bringing their hearts with it. He turns to Jesus' words in Matthew 6 that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, arguing that a bank statement reveals what someone actually loves.
“He needs what their money is attached to, and their money is attached to their hearts”
— Linn Winters
A story from life
Story of getting engaged to Lisa and trading his own ring to buy her an engagement ring
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Point 3 of 7
You cannot serve two masters — money and God compete for the same seat
Building on Matthew 6, Pastor Linn shows that Jesus said no one can serve both God and money; one will always be master. He ties this back to Israel worshiping idols not because they liked the idols but because they wanted the wealth attached to them, and applies it directly: refusing the tithe is choosing money as master.
“You cannot withhold the tithe and not withhold your heart”
— Linn Winters
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Point 4 of 7
The widow's two pennies mattered more to Jesus than the wealthy people's large gifts
Pastor Linn retells the story of Jesus at the temple treasury, jumping to His feet when a widow drops in two small coins because it was everything she had. He says she loved and trusted God more than her next meal or rent payment, modeling the exact love and trust God is after.
Illustration
Retelling of the widow's offering at the temple treasury from Mark 12
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Point 5 of 7
The tithe belongs to God already, and it must be given first, not from the leftovers
Using Leviticus 27 and Proverbs 3:9, Pastor Linn argues the tenth already belongs to the Lord, so keeping it is like spending money from a stolen wallet. He illustrates with ten one-dollar bills that giving the first one takes faith, while giving from what's left over after all bills are paid takes no faith and isn't really a tithe at all.
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Point 6 of 7
Tithing is a New Testament expectation too, and every excuse for skipping it falls apart under questioning
Pastor Linn works through Jesus' words to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23, showing Jesus affirmed tithing even while rebuking legalism. He then dismantles common excuses — waiting until there's more money, or claiming there's not enough — noting statistics show wealthier people tithe less, and asking who you'd rather disappoint, Visa or God.
“It takes faith to give the first, it takes no faith to give God a leftover”
— Linn Winters
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
Point 7 of 7
God invites His people to test Him with the tithe and see Him open the floodgates of blessing
Returning to Malachi 3:10, Pastor Linn highlights that this is the one place in Scripture God invites people to test Him, unlike Satan's temptation of Jesus to test God in the wilderness. He frames this as God caring more about proven trust than spoken words of love.
“Would you rather disappoint Visa or disappoint God”
— Linn Winters
“I'll disappoint Visa all day long before I'll disappoint my Lord”
— Linn Winters
“Don't tell me how much you love you. Don't tell me how much you trust Jesus. Show me, show me by your actions”
— Linn Winters
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
Take it into your week
Pastor Linn's challenge is to ask God, "what are you hoping I'll do today?" and answer with action, marked on a card, not just words.
Application
Take the ninety-day tithe challenge
Commit to tithing for ninety days as a test of God's faithfulness; if God doesn't come through, the church promises to refund everything given during that time.
Give for the first time
If you've never given before, mark the card as a first-time giver and give a gift that reflects your love for God, even if it isn't yet a full tithe.
Become an intentional, consistent giver
If you've only given occasionally, choose a percentage — maybe 5% or 2% — and commit to giving it consistently, growing toward a full tithe over time.
Move into generous giving
If you're already tithing, consider giving consistently above the tithe, as Pastor Linn and his wife have done, to be part of more lives changed and more kingdom work.
Mark the card honestly and drop it in the basket
Take a moment to pray and mark whichever box reflects your decision, or drop in a blank card with no pressure if you're not ready to commit.
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI