The document discusses the importance of dedicating all aspects of life, including time and money, to God, rather than limiting worship to specific times or amounts. It emphasizes that everything, including one's work and possessions, belongs to God and should be managed according to His values. Additionally, the text highlights the misconceptions surrounding tithing and worship, urging a holistic approach to living in accordance with faith.

1. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE This is an article found in “ The Word In Life Study Bible TM ”

2. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Mark 12:28 NET Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?"

3. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 29 Jesus answered, "The most important is: ' Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength .'

4. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 31 The second is: ' Love your neighbor as yourself .' There is no other commandment greater than these." 32 The expert in the law said to him, "That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him .

5. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

6. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." Then no one dared any longer to question him.

7. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE When Jesus recited the greatest of the commandments, He repeated the word "all" four times. What aspects of life was He including?

8. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Later, Paul emphasized that "all things were created" through and for Christ. Colossians 1:15 NET He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,

9. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him — all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers —

10. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE all things were created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him.

11. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.

12. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE How much of "all" is all? Here's how a typical American who lives to be 75 years old will have spent life: In light of this use of time, when does a person "love the Lord God" as Jesus commanded?

13. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Is that limited to what one does for an hour or so on Sunday morning? If so, then worship takes up a mere 4,300 hours, or 1 percent, of one's waking life—assuming that one goes to church every Sunday for 75 years!

14. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Is that what Jesus or Paul had in mind? No. Christ is Lord of all of life—not just Sunday mornings, but weekdays, too, including time at work.

15. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Furthermore, He is Lord not only of our time, but of our money and possessions as well. Unfortunately, many Christians in the West have developed some dangerous attitudes in these areas that push God to the fringes of life. For example:

16. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Myth : One-seventh of our time belongs to God. Some Christians speak of Sunday as "the Lord's day," a day for religion. And so it might be if Christians worshiped from sunup to sundown.

17. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE But for most people Sunday worship means an hour-long service before an afternoon of televised sporting events. Thus the "day of worship" is effectively reduced to less than one-twentieth of the week.

18. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE That was never what God intended. Originally, the seventh day or Sabbath rest was viewed as the completion of the week, not a break or separation from the work week. It was a time for review, celebration, and restoration.

19. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Yet already by Jesus' day there were major distortions regarding the Sabbath. It had become a day of legalistic ritual. Jesus sought to restore it as a day of compassion and worship.

20. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Luke 6:1 NET Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples picked some heads of wheat, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?"

21. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 3 Jesus answered them, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry — 4 how he entered the house of God, took and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for any to eat but the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?"

22. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 5 Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." 6 On another Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching. Now a man was there whose right hand was withered.

23. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 7 The experts in the law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a reason to accuse him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Get up and stand here."

24. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE So he rose and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?" 10 After looking around at them all, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."

25. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE The man did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with mindless rage and began debating with one another what they would do to Jesus.

26. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Dedicating all of our time to God does not mean apportioning so much to family so much to a job, so much for ourselves, and a little left over for God.

27. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE No, all 168 hours of the week, all 52 weeks of the year, and all of the years of a lifetime belong to God and are on loan to us to manage for Him.

28. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Myth : Ten percent of our money belongs to God. Some Christians believe that God expects them to give a flat 10 percent of their income to church and other ministries.

29. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE The reality is that on the average, American believers give only 2.3 percent of their income to religious or charitable causes of any kind.

30. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE The underlying principle that needs to be considered is that God has given us the ability to earn money so actually all 100 percent of our earnings belong to Him.

31. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE We are called to manage our money—not just what we give away, but what we keep, too—according to His values.

32. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Tithing was intended as a discipline to remind God's people that all of what they have or earn belongs to Him. Originally a voluntary activity.

33. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Genesis 14:13 NET A fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty with Abram.)

34. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 14 When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he mobilized his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders as far as Dan.

35. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 15 Then, during the night, Abram divided his forces against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 He retrieved all the stolen property.

36. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of the people. 17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King's Valley).

37. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 18 Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) 19 He blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth.

38. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 20 Worthy of praise is the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything. 21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself."

39. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, "I raise my hand to the LORD, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow 23 that I will take nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal.

40. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE That way you can never say, 'It is I who made Abram rich.' 24 I will take nothing except compensation for what the young men have eaten. As for the share of the men who went with me — Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre — let them take their share."

41. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Genesis 28:20 NET Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food to eat and clothing to wear, 21 and I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will become my God.

42. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 22 Then this stone that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely give you back a tenth of everything you give me."

43. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE It was intended for the care of others and as a representation of the worship of God. Deuteronomy 26:1 NET When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you occupy it and live in it,

44. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 2 you must take the first of all the ground's produce you harvest from the land the LORD your God is giving you, place it in a basket, and go to the place where he chooses to locate his name.

45. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 3 You must go to the priest in office at that time and say to him, "I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD promised to our ancestors to give us."

46. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 4 The priest will then take the basket from you and set it before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 Then you must affirm before the LORD your GOD,

47. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with a household few in number, but there he became a great, powerful, and numerous people. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, forcing us to do burdensome labor.

48. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 7 So we cried out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, and he heard us and saw our humiliation, toil, and oppression. 8 Therefore the LORD brought us out of Egypt with tremendous strength and power, as well as with great awe-inspiring signs and wonders.

49. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 9 Then he brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now, look! I have brought the first of the ground's produce that you, LORD, have given me.”

50. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Then you must set it down before the LORD your God and worship before him. 11 You will celebrate all the good things that the LORD your God has given you and your family, along with the Levites and the resident foreigners among you.

51. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 12 When you finish tithing all your income in the third year (the year of tithing), you must give it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows so that they may eat to their satisfaction in your villages.

52. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 13 Then you shall say before the LORD your God, "I have removed the sacred offering from my house and given it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows just as you have commanded me.

53. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE I have not violated or forgotten your commandments. 14 I have not eaten anything when I was in mourning, or removed any of it while ceremonially unclean, or offered any of it to the dead;

54. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE I have obeyed you and have done everything you have commanded me. 15 Look down from your holy dwelling place in heaven and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us, just as you promised our ancestors — a land flowing with milk and honey."

55. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 16 Today the LORD your God is commanding you to keep these statutes and ordinances, something you must do with all your heart and soul. 17 Today you have declared the LORD to be your God, and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commandments, and ordinances , and obey him.

56. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 18 And today the LORD has declared you to be his special people (as he already promised you) so you may keep all his commandments.

57. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE 19 Then he will elevate you above all the nations he has made and you will receive praise, fame, and honor. You will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he has said.

58. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Tithing was never intended to replace obedience to all of God's commands. Matthew 23:23 NET "Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites!

59. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law — justice, mercy, and faithfulness!

60. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE You should have done these things without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!

61. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Myth : Only some real estate belongs to God.. Too many Christians have fallen into a dangerous pattern of identifying a few buildings as the Lord's property—

62. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE religious institutions like churches, schools, and church-owned hospitals. By implication, other real estate is ours to do with as we please.

63. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE However, Scripture opposes that view. Paul says that "all things were created through Him and for Him." Colossians 1:16 NET for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him —

64. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers — all things were created through him and for him.

65. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Even our bodies are temples of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 NET Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

66. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE God calls us to serve Him in all that we do. Colossians 3:17 NET And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

67. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Therein lies the path to true blessing, peace, and truth. Christ has come to break our bondage to anything less.

68. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Equipped by His Spirit within us and instructed by His written Word, we can live wholly for the kingdom.

69. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE How are we doing? Do we consider God’s Grace in providing all we have? Our Time, Our Money, Our Property

70. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE Worshiping God consists of more that a couple hours on Sunday morning. Does our worship reflect God to others in all our activities, every minute, every day, every week, all year?

71. LIFE - THE BIG PICTURE How about the management of our God given money and property? Are we good stewards of all God has blessed us with?