Q & A, 3

Q: Does ones tithe all have to go to the local church?
A: I tend not to get "hard nosed" about this question. Some teach a "storehouse" principle (Malachi 3:10) where God says bring the whole tithe into my storehouse (storehouse = temple). They say the modern equivalent to the storehouse is the church. Again, I don't hold tightly to that. God's work is God's work--whether that's at Crossroads or The Billy Graham Association. I will say that I believe your local church should get the majority of your tithe. Why? It's where you're at. It's major focus is your community. It invests in other worthy ministries (at least it should...at Crossroads we invest over $100,000 in ministries outside our church). And, you know what's really going on in and through your local church. You know the leaders. You know the mission and vision and the work that's really going on. You local church is where your heart and your family are at. So, invest heavily in it.