Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Luke 16:9-13
And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.
He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Mammon is trying to compete with God for your heart.

Jesus said: The alternative master vying for your heart's devotion is Mammon.

What Is Mammon?

Money isn’t just currency—it’s a rival god.

The spirit of Mammon doesn’t just try to leave God out; it works to take His place.

Mammon is the spiritual force behind greed and materialism, a dark power that blinds us to the needs of others and turns us inward to serve ourselves. It is a rival to God, demanding loyalty and corrupting our allegiance to Christ.
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Replacing Bad Habits with Good Ones

Attempting to simply "stop" a habit without replacing it often leaves a behavioral void, increasing the likelihood of relapse.

Studies show that replacing a bad habit with a good one is more effective than merely trying to quit the bad habit.

Tithing

Tithe - tenth, a tenth part.

The Tithe Is A Test

Malachi 3:6-12
“I am the Lord, and I do not change. Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.
“But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’
Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.
You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the Lord of hosts.
“And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.

Tithing is an ordinary principle of behavior for God's children.

When we keep the tithe, we’re robbing God of the ability to bless and protect us like He wants to.

Galatians 5:1
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

“Stand firm” = to maintain your freedom—to refuse to return to the broken, enslaving ways of this world.

Freedom Through Tithing

When we don’t tithe, when we hold on to what God has asked us to release, we’re choosing to align with the broken system of this world instead of God’s freedom and blessing.

Malachi 3:10
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

Almighty - having complete power, leading an army.

When God says, ‘Test Me,’ it is no idle challenge, for He is the Almighty who governs the heavens and the earth. To tithe is to entrust our substance to Him who owns it all, knowing that His power and promise are certain. If we obey, we shall see His blessings flow, for He who commands the tithe commands the treasures of heaven itself.
— Martin Luther

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Statistics on Tithing

• According to research by the Barna Group, only 12% of born-again Christians actually tithe.
• 80% of people who do not tithe regularly give less than 2% of their income to charitable causes.
• 77% of tithers go beyond the 10% benchmark, giving between 11% and 20% of their income.

Tithing isn’t just about following a rule—it’s about cultivating a lifestyle of generosity.

The habitual act of giving, such as tithing, changes us. It transforms our hearts from selfishness to selflessness, teaching us to trust God with our provision and to care for the needs of others as extensions of His grace.
— C.S. Lewis

Blessings Through Obedience

Psalms 31:19
Your goodness is so great! You have stored up great blessings for those who honor you.

Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Practical Steps

1. Tithe: Start Now

   Malachi 3:8 (MSG)
   Begin by being honest.

2. Steward Well: Manage What You Have

   Luke 16:10
   Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.

   Tithing is about alignment—it’s putting God first. But stewardship is about integrity—how we handle the rest. Many people tithe but don’t see the full blessing because they’re still living by the world’s rules with the other 90%. God’s way isn’t just about generosity; it’s about living with purpose in everything.
   — John Mark Comer

3. Practice Simplicity

   Matthew 6:19
   Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.