Pastor Betsey’s sermon “Determination and Love” ties together the Old Testament command in Leviticus that a tenth of the land’s produce and livestock was holy to the Lord — pointing to the principle of dedicating a portion of what God has given us back to God — with Paul’s exhortation in 2 Corinthians that giving should come from the heart with determination and love rather than reluctance or compulsion. In Leviticus, the tithe signifies God’s claim on His people’s resources and the idea that acknowledging God with one’s firstfruits is an act of obedience and worship. In 2 Corinthians, Paul frames generosity as a cheerful and purposeful response to God’s grace, promising that God will provide and multiply what is given so that believers abound in every good work and that such generosity results not only in meeting needs but also in thanksgiving and glory to God. Together these texts emphasize that a life shaped by love for God and others is demonstrated through intentional, joyful generosity, rooted in trust in God’s provision and expressed in steadfast determination to give not grudgingly but with love that reflects the grace believers have received.