Steal God's Money?

I frequently browse CNN for interesting articles and found this one today. Two incidents of people who stole money from collection plates at their church for years. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/27/collection.plate.theft.ap/index.html

Why steal God's money? Well, does He really need it (I mean, it's not like he's walking around with an empty wallet, right...)? Hmmm... here are some of the things off the top of my head that collection plate money (tithing) goes for in most churches and synagogues:

• wages for the church staff (hope we pay them enough for a vacation every now and then)
• overhead (the church needs a place to meet, maintenance, printing costs for bulletins, and all of the utilities)
• programs (some include food, supplies, Sunday School, youth groups, wardrobe, instruments, the "cookies and juice" also known as Communion)
• people the church supports (missionaries, community groups such as addiction groups, the poor... )

People who steal from the "Big Man Upstairs" are stealing from all of these benefits that come from the plate - and even in small churches/temple's, that's a lot. So I guess the question I'm pondering for myself is... are you stealing from God if the plate lands on your lap and you're not putting anything in it?

I think maybe it has more to do with putting your heart in it, then putting your money in it. With the heart first, doesn't the rest usually follow?