God Doesn't Want Your Money—He Wants Your Heart

Ken Tram

1 Timothy 4:7-9; Ephesians 5:17; Matthew 6:21; Matthew 6:24; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Matthew 23:23; Malachi 3:10; 2 Corinthians 8:3-5; 2 Corinthians 8:9

Why does the church talk about giving so much, and what is it actually after? Pastor Ken closes the money series in 1 Timothy 4 by treating giving as a spiritual discipline, like prayer or fasting, meant to train your heart to trust God more than money. He explains what he means by giving, tithing, and offerings, walks through passages like Matthew 6 and Malachi 3, and ends with a simple challenge to start, be steady, or stretch. It’s for the skeptical, the curious, and anyone ready for a next step.

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS MESSAGE

Does God really want my money?

Pastor Ken’s big idea is that we give because God is after our hearts, not our money. He points to Matthew 6:21, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” and says Jesus talks about money as a matter of the heart, not as financial advice. In his words, giving is less about what God wants from you and more about what God wants to do in you.

Why is giving called a spiritual discipline?

Pastor Ken puts giving alongside prayer, Scripture, fasting, worship, and serving, each of which forms you in a different way. Giving, he says, loosens the grip that possessions can have on your heart and trains you to trust God more than money (Matthew 6:24). He is clear that these practices aren’t how you earn salvation; they grow out of what Jesus has already done.

What is the difference between a tithe and an offering?

Pastor Ken defines the tithe as intentionally giving the first tenth to God, training the heart to trust Him before spending on yourself. An offering is giving above and beyond the tithe as generosity, worship, and a response to God’s leading, as in 2 Corinthians 8:3-5. He teaches that the tithe goes through the local church, while offerings can go to other needs and ministries, and he sums it up: giving trains your heart, the tithe trains obedience, and the offering trains generosity.

Isn’t tithing just an Old Testament rule?

Pastor Ken points to Matthew 23:23, where Jesus says not to neglect justice, mercy, and faithfulness, but that you should tithe as well. He also notes that people tithed before the law was given, and that Jesus completing the law doesn’t make these disciplines optional. For the New Testament, he suggests asking a different question: has Jesus made me more generous?

What does it mean to “test God” in giving, and where do I start?

Pastor Ken notes that in Malachi 3:10, giving is the one discipline where God says, “Test me in this.” He says he is not asking anyone to treat God like a slot machine, but to find out whether God can be trusted in everything. His practical challenge has three steps: start somewhere if you aren’t giving, be steady if you give only occasionally, and stretch if you are already consistent.