Sewing into God's Kingdom

"A lot of people don't go to church because the church will take everything you have and when you need help, they'll tell you they don't have any money to help you. Where is the return on my investment?"

I heard this line during a trip to the barbershop this past Saturday. It's not a belief I prescribe to, but it's something that I believe Christians can't avoid in discussions with unbelievers and those that have had bad experiences with the church in this day and age.

I think what many people see are affluent pastors, laden with gold and accoutrements, luxurious church buildings and they don't see that transferring over into their own lives. There then comes a point of frustration and out of that a sense of jealousy.

It's during this time that the focus comes off God and is instead focused on the perceived shortcomings of the church and its leadership. Giving tithe has nothing to do with what you'll get back. It has everything to do about sewing a seed in God's kingdom.

If people don't trust giving tithe to the church, then perhaps they should find another church that they can support and get behind. At the end of the day, it's not going to matter what someone else did to you, but rather how you served God's kingdom.