IndieReader Review
"Challenging long-held traditions is always a risky business, but the Webb’s fully explore a subject about which they appear passionate and sincere in their quest for a better way of exhibiting Christian charity. BEYOND TITHES & OFFERINGS (2ND Edition) clearly defines tithes and offerings, and provides a different approach for conscientious Christians to determine their own spiritually inspired criteria for sharing their wealth with those in need." – IndieReader Review
The complete IndieReader review can be found here.
Kirkus Review
"Despite innumerable divisions in Christianity over theology, styles of worship, and almost every other aspect of religious life, virtually no one seems to have seriously (or, at least, openly) argued against the practice of tithing. The Webbs change that with this lengthy book, in which they leave no stone unturned in their refutation of the tithe as a practice for raising church money." – Kirkus Reviews
The complete Kirkus review can be found here.
BlueInk Review
"Ultimately, this book is about more than tithing. It's a call to action for Christians to shift their focus from old ways of thinking and to place their attention on Jesus' teaching to 'love the Lord and thy neighbor.' Witty and sincere, this informative book should spark debate among Christians from all walks of life." – BlueInk Review
The complete BlueInk review can be found here.
Email Testimonials
Note: 1st Edition Testimonials
"A few months ago I wrote you about putting your book in the recommended reading of my book.
I never got back to you, and then was off-line for a while, so here I am again.
I decided, God willing, that I would put your book in an acknowledgement page of my book. You have one of the best books on tithing out there, and it needs to be read.
Thanks and God bless.
P.S. I still pick up your book sometimes and read it just for the chuckles.
Especially the bit about the NMV of the Bible.
Funny. You know, I used to be a legalistic tither. Only when the Holy Spirit directly told me to stop did I stop. Then He told me to live by faith and study Galatians. If it wasn't for God directly telling me to stop, I'd still be tithing. I even tithed on my student loans. Then, when I went to my church to ask for help when my electricity got turned off in the winter, they told me no, as I wasn't a current volunteer.
But, I kept tithing anyway (as I shivered and quivered under a sleeping bag in the dark). I could really relate to your book.
Anyway, rambling on here, God bless you all!"
-Kayla
"Thank God for your obedience! Finally, the truth of God's Word revealed through your book, Beyond Tithes & Offerings, has set this captive free-indeed! I am a member of a large congregation (approx. 5,000 members) and have been a Christian for almost 30 years. In all those years, I have never heard a sermon on grace giving.
... In my effort to gain knowledge and understand Christian stewardship in relation to my finances, I read Beyond Tithes and Offerings. My eyes of understanding have been opened and I now look at my "Spirit-led giving" and see the poor and needy differently, which is freeing. ...
...
Well, get the printing presses ready! Every conversation I have had recently (with my adult children and others) usually includes sharing the good news about this valuable resource! I have ordered three books for my family and a couple of my friends have ordered copies, as well.
I plan to continue sharing this good news with the TV evangelist/pastors that I normally watch, along with many others.
Again, many thanks!
God Bless"
-Cheryl
"I received the book yesterday. Thanks, this book is like, totally awesome. A lot of hard work went into it. I know this book will be a blessing to all who read it, again thanks."
-Jerry
Amazon Reviewer Comments
Note: 1st Edition Comments
This is a "MUST READ" for ALL Christians! The subject of Christian giving has been extensively researched by the authors. If you ever had questions about Christian financial responsibility to the church, this book will open your eyes about the misinformation Christians have been taught and what Christians should have been taught about giving. I was extremely upset after reading this book the first time. After the third time reading and simultaneously researching each point against the Bible, I finally had peace about my financial responsibility as a Christian and what true Christian giving is all about.
I was unclear since what I read in the bible was different from what I was hearing on Sunday. This excellent book explains that the requirement to tithe was only in the OT and never commanded in the NT. Tithes were based on crops, not money. Tithes were eaten and shared with the giver. In years 3 and 6 the tithes were given to the poor- which is a lot different than supporting church overhead expenses. This book is very detailed but nontechnical so you don't have to be a scholar to understand.
For many years I've agonized over traditional teachings on tithing. I couldn't reconcile them with the all-inclusive sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. This book has the Blood of Jesus coursing through from start to finish! This CANNOT be said of any book I've read supporting the tithe. I challenge any Believer to, first, look up "tithe" in Strong's Concordance (in which I was personally shocked to see that tithing stopped at the Cross!) and, then, read this book! Ask the Holy Spirit for the Truth. It'll change your life.
I have felt coerced and guilty by my (former) pastor who insisted we give 10% of our gross salary to our local church, or else face God's wrath... I have always given 10% out of love but then after being hammered at, I started doing it out of guilt, fear and self-righteousness. Money seems to be very important today. This is a good - but rather long book.
The motivation of this book is not to divide churches or turn members against their tithe-preaching pastors or from giving financially to care for the needs of the local church, on the contrary it encourages spiritual growth and attention to the reality and power of God's Word that needs to be wholly applied to our lives in every area. This book is not against giving, in fact it encourages it and pastors needn't feel threatened by the title. It is certainly not the common perspective of most church leaders and Christians in general today (and for many may be a little hard to swallow because it so severely offends the tradition many have religiously observed for years), but it is the biblical perspective and one that I believe has the potential to revolutionize the way churches operate today.
I especially encourage pastors to read this book, because, rest assured, probably a good number of your flock already are! It's going to make preaching the traditional tithe (with Scripture) a whole lot harder, as people begin to just read for themselves the simple truth revealed right in the pages of God's Word.
When I found out about this book on the internet, I knew I had to have it. I quickly ordered it and devoured it quickly after receiving it in the mail. I was stunned by the depth and detail with which the author exposes the true purpose and practice of the old testament tithing ritual. The book is exegetically sound and heavily reliant on scripture. The amount of scripture used to support Mr. Webb's arguments (as shown in the index of quoted scripture verses) is impressive.
The discussion of the old testament practices, in itself, was enough to conclusively demonstrate the fallacy of applying the tithe to the new testament church. The later chapters on the relationship between Christians and the old testament law (another area in which I believe tradition has supplanted truth) are succinctly and persuasively written. .... Finally, the book concludes with a fabulous discussion of why and how spirit-led grace giving should occur.
No doubt there are die-hard advocates of the tithe who will dismiss this book as written for people who want an excuse not to give. The beauty of this book is that it does NOT discourage giving. Rather, it ENCOURAGES GIVING THE WAY GOD INTENDED US TO GIVE. I felt such an incredible sense of validation as I read this book. My approach to giving will never be the same. I will NOT give less as a result of Mr. Webb's book. Rather, I will exchange Baptist tradition for biblical truth, and the oldness of the letter for the newness of the spirit. Thank you Mr. Webb!!!
I highly, highly, highly, highly, highly (one for each star) recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with these same issues.