While in Brazil last week I had a long conversation with a local pastor on the very subject we will be discussing this weekend. He was struggling with whether or not it was right for a church to have an offering as a part of the service. He was reacting to the tremendous emphasis that many of his fellow pastors put on the offering and guilt the people into giving or tell them to give because it will require (yes, “require”) God to give you great benefits. God gives because He sees needs and He has a heart of love; that becomes our example. “Inward thinking” (keeping it to myself) always pushes love aside.