I will be faithful to God. I will follow Jesus. I will be loyal to Wesley Chapel and uphold my church with my gifts. Read Leviticus 27:30-33. Moses was the leader of the Hebrew people for 40 years. He wrote the first five books of the Bible to give the people an identity and to form them into a new society. The new society focused on the worship of God. To ensure proper worship, the structure of the society included a tribe of priests, the Levites. The Levites were responsible for worship and the necessary rituals and practices. According to the Law of Moses, the other tribes of Israel gave a tithe, or a tenth of their income, to the Levites to ensure the proper worship of God. The Levites depended on the tithe because they were not given land to grow crops and herds. Today, we continue the practice of tithing to support the mission of making disciples for the transformation of the world. Jesus gave his life on the cross so that we could be forgiven of sin and restored into a right relationship with God. We are no longer under the law to give a tithe. We are now under grace and are free to give from the heart. In the Book of Acts, it is implied that Christians who gave from the heart were giving beyond the obligation of 10% to the ministry. When you become a member of Wesley Chapel, you pledge to be faithful with your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness. We have not passed a law that you must give 10%. Instead, we trust one another to the best we can to support the worship, the ministry, and the mission of the church so that people will become disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. 

Dear God, in the name of Jesus and by the power of your Holy Spirit, thank you for making us in your image. We give our lives totally and completely to you. As we put our faith in Jesus, may we be rooted in the love of Christ and continue to grow in grace. Transform us to be more like Jesus. May we be faithful to the mission of making disciples for the transformation of the world. Amen.