WithoutWax.tv by Pete Wilson | Tag Archive | generosity
Tag Archive - generosity

To Tithe Or Not To Tithe?

May 15, 2012 in Spiritual Growth with 60 Comments

 

There’s a lot of debate these days about whether the Old Testament tithe still applies today or not. People often want to argue that it was part of the “law” and therefore doesn’t apply to us since Jesus fulfilled the law. We are now under the New Covenant and free from the legalism that so dominated the Old Covenant.

Much smarter people than me have spent their lives debating and researching whether that’s true or not. And quite frankly, I think it’s a mute argument.

If you ask me if you should tithe I would say. Probably not. I think you should actually be giving a larger proportion of your income away.

The grace of Jesus Christ should compel us to give more than the law ever required!

What are your thoughts on this topic?

A Vision That Can Sustain God’s Design

January 3, 2012 in Leadership with 34 Comments

I hope you guys all had a great Christmas and New Years. I know our family had a blast creating some unforgettable memories. So here we are again. The beginning of a new year. I’m genuinely excited about 2012 and all God has in store

I know some people are “anti” New Year’s resolutions.  However, I think this is an exciting time of year to set goals and establish new perspectives. As a matter of fact, this blog is a result of one of my New Year’s resolutions from four years ago (hard to believe I’ve been blogging that long).

My New Year’s resolutions this year start from of a broad perspective I want to establish goals which I believe will lead to making wiser decisions throughout the next 12 months.  It’s inspired by the following passage in Psalm 39.

4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.”
Show me, God, my life’s end. Show me the number of my days. Show me how fleeting my life is.

I want to live in 2012 with the awareness of LIFE GOES BY FAST and MY DAYS ARE NUMBERED.

Like everyone else I can get caught up in trying to rush through life acquiring things, trying to attain security, and achieving meaningless goals our culture has deemed worthy.  But so many of the things I focus on and worry about are simply futile.

I waste time regretting things from the past I can’t change. I settle for mediocrity trying to avoid difficult decisions and conversations. I get consumed with trying to be loved instead of loving others. I squander precious moments trying to control things I can’t control.

I don’t want that to be my life. I don’t want that to be my vision… because that vision cannot sustain God’s design for something as splendid as a human life. That is a vision born out of thinking I have an endless amount of time on this earth to make the impact God has designed me to make and this, my friends, is nothing more than an illusion.

So in 2012 I’m making a resolution, a commitment, a promise to view my life (my marriage, my job, my friendships, my purpose) through the understanding that LIFE GOES BY FAST and MY DAYS ARE NUMBERED.

I pray it will help me love deeper, pray harder, focus more intently, and seek to make the greatest impact with my one and only life that I possibly can.

And the first decision I’m making with my newly adopted perspective is a big one for me.

1) More nutrition, less junk- Our family doesn’t really have a weight problem, but we do have a health problem. Brandi and I are committed to making sure our entire family is eating healthier in 2012. I’m going to miss those Happy Meal toys.

2) More rest, less busyness. In 2012 I’m committed to a weekly Sabbath.  Practicing the Sabbath is going to require me to change some habits in my ministry routine that I’ve had for 15 years!

3) Give more, spend less. In previous years Brandi and I have spent a lot of time setting financial goals for our family (not a bad idea). However, this year we want to focus on how we can give more away. Excited to see how God uses this.

4) Read more, surf less. I’ll admit it. This past year I didn’t do a lot of reading. Part of the problem is just wasted time surfing the net at night. Sure, I stumbled on a few cool things, but this year I want to spend more time reading stuff that can challenge me in the the area of spiritual growth and leadership.

Okay, so let’s hear yours. What goals or resolutions are you making for 2012?

Money Lies

October 20, 2010 in Spiritual Growth with 43 Comments

Ever wonder what money would say if it could talk?

Well, I think money whispers all kinds of lies to us. Lies like…

“If you get more of me you’ll finally be satisfied.”

“If you make a few more of me you’ll finally have that peace that’s been eluding you all these years.”

But one of the biggest lies I think money tells us in our culture today is, “If you make more of me you’ll be more generous.”

What a crock!

This is one huge lie and yet some of you have totally bought it. You think the only reason you’re not generous is because things are too tight right now. You think “When I make more money than I’m going to give more.”

No you’re not.

One of the most reliable financial statistics that exists year after year is that lower income people give a higher percentage of their income away. The more you get the harder it is for you to be generous. If you can’t be generous when  you make $22,000 you will not be generous when you make $42,000. If you’re not generous with $42,000 you certainly won’t be generous with $142,000.

If you can’t be generous with what you have now you will never be generous with more.

Agree or disagree?

So Proud!

May 10, 2009 in India 09, My Family, Religion, Videos with 37 Comments

I’m so stinking proud of our Nashville campus right now I can’t stand it!

In my message this morning I knew I would be referencing my India trip, so late this week we had Compassion International overnight us 50 sponsor kits.  Each packet represents a kid who is waiting to be sponsored. While I wasn’t making a push for child sponsorships I thought it would be a good idea to have a few on hand in case people felt led to sponsor child. We actually had a missions table with several ways people could respond.

By the end of the second service every packet WAS GONE and people were signing up on an overflow list! I was blown away by everyone’s authentic desire to make a difference.

We made a pact today that we were not going to settle for our lives counting for anything less than changing the world. I believe more than ever the local church CAN change the world.

Thank you Cross Point. I’m so proud to be one of your pastors.

We’ve ordered 200 more packets for both campuses, but if you’re impatient like me and still interested you can click on the image below to look through a list of children who are waiting to be sponsored in India.


And by the way, here’s another video from India I forgot to post while I was on my trip. I saw it yesterday and just started cracking up. I saw a lot of things that continue to wreck me, but there were also a few light-hearted moments like this.  Sometimes you’ve got to laugh through the tears.

I think this is India’s version of a waterpark….

Wet & Wild from Pete Wilson on Vimeo.