It's time to look past the current economic meltdown.....to giving.

What a road this fall has been for our economy (and personal finances as well)! Anyone that has money invested in the stock market knows that the term "fall" would certainly apply to more than just the leaves falling from the trees. Unfortunately I believe there is more to come as we are beginning to experience what Larry Burkett called "The Economic Earthquake" in his 1991 book.

Hopefully you are learning with me some of the lessons from these nasty times that God wants us to learn.

Since this is a blog and not a soap box I would really like to hear some of your thoughts. In an effort to encourage discussion, I would like to post some of the questions and comments that arise during the "Journey to True Financial Freedom" (JTTFF) seminar that I do for Crown Financial Ministries.

This time of year is the beginning of the "Seminar Season" for Crown. For whatever reason, there are more JTTFF seminars scheduled in the fall and early spring than any other time of year. My guess is that it has to do with Christmas shopping and the pressure to use and pay off the credit cards that come with the holiday season.

For what it is worth, I will include my thoughts on any question or topic with my next post.

OK, here is the first topic I would like to offer for discussion. I probably get as many questions about giving as I do any other topic during a seminar. Here is the question: Assuming that we understand that tithing refers to 10% of our income, should the entire tithe go to our local church?

I really look forward to hearing others thoughts on this question.