Tithes and Offerings:What's really going on?

WHAT IS FIRST FRUITS?

First Fruits offering is a free will offering, separate from and in addition to your tithe. In the Old Testament this was the offering that God required be given to Him from the earliest ripening produce (the first fruit) of any grain or fruit harvest. He also required the first male born of the womb, whether human or livestock, to be dedicated to Him. The first fruit was given before the entire harvest was taken as a deposit or down payment guaranteeing God’s blessing upon the rest of the harvest.

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM THE TITHE?
The tithe is the 10% of your gross income, which God claims as His own. According to Malachi 3:8, if you choose to not give your tithes, you are robbing God. The “First Fruits” offering is a free-will offering where you determine the amount.

WHAT DOES A “FIRST FRUITS” OFFERING MEAN TO US TODAY?
For us, a First Fruits offering is a yearly event where we give God an offering based on what we are believing our financial harvest to be. We offer God a First Fruits for two reasons: 1) it acknowledges God’s ownership of all that we own, and 2) it is given as a deposit or down payment guaranteeing God’s blessing upon the rest of our financial harvest.