Archives by: Gary Hoag

“Victory is not found in the ease of our circumstances nor in the strength of our own resources but in the presence of the Lord who is with us.”

This quote attributed to Roy Lessin was on a sign at the home of my sister, Heather. It was great to see her and her husband, Tom, along with Peter and Simon, last night. I got to stay with my parents, Jack and Patsy Hoag, the last two days as I have been in the Cleveland area serving the Alpha NE Ohio leaders. What a joy!

Sadly, many live their lives from the perspective that resources are their source of strength. How we handle our resources shows where our trust is!

“To encourage generosity, our report also suggests that discussions of money should be brought up within the larger context of a parish’s mission and vision. Such discussions will be especially beneficial if parishioners gain a clear understanding that an active and growing spiritual life requires [everyone] to recognize money and possessions as gifts of grace, which they are called to manage and share as good stewards.”

Brian Starks in Unleashing Catholic Generosity: Explaining the Catholic Giving Gap in the United States, page 3.

While there are many other findings in this study that focused on giving in Catholic churches, I love the idea that everyone must understand that money and possessions are “gifts of grace” to manage and share as good stewards.

What do you have? Perhaps take inventory and give thanks for everything as “gifts of grace” but don’t stop there. Put those resources to work as a faithful steward while also sharing with others in need.

Once you are living this way, go teach others what you are learning. The research shows this will stimulate Christian generosity among your community of faith.

“Legendary leaders…

(1) Always go first, that is, they lead the way.

Why is this important? I don’t know about you, but I am always wary of someone telling me to do something that they have not done themselves first. Legendary leaders always go first as examples so that we might follow and support them. Think of a few times you have witnessed this and how motivating it was to you and others.

(2) Die to themselves.

This is a really critical but confusing point that has certainly gotten lost in American culture. Great leaders are actually servants. They represent others, not themselves, and are thus experts at servant leadership. That means the people they lead ALWAYS matter first. All of their thoughts, strategies, and actions are to encourage and lift all those they lead.

(3) Always “own” their actions.

They never, ever blame others for their frustrations or failings. They are in charge, so they own it. If you find a so-called leader accusing or blaming someone or something, turn your back and run because they will never be reliable or legendary.

I hope this is as thought-provoking for you as it has been for me.”

Adapted from John Scott’s thoughts in Cedrus 180 Q1 newsletter written in response to a recent sermon by Jim Bergen.

Why cite this today? My prayer is that the readers of these meditations become legendary “generous” leaders!

Recently an academic leader asked me this question: What characteristics must teachers exhibit if they desire to train students to grow in their understanding of biblical stewardship and their practice of Christian generosity?

My answer was quite similar: they must lead the way in obedience to Christ (by living out the red letters); they must die to themselves; and they must “own” their actions because someday they will have to give an account.

Do this and you will take hold of life (cf. 1 Tim 6:19)! It is also likely that many will follow you, and your legacy, well, it just might become the stuff of legends!

“Financial stewardship is an important area for spiritual formation…Giving provides the opportunity for us to grow in our relationship with God as we participate in giving to worship God; to align ourselves with God’s eternal purposes; to prove the promises of God in our lives; to strike a blow in the battle of the idolatry of this world in all the forms that tempt and pull us away; to be rich towards God; to learn daily dependence on God; and to lay up treasure in heaven.”

Philip Eubanks is vice president for advancement at Johnson University and both a former student and friend of mine. Johnson educates students for Christian ministries and other strategic vocations framed by the Great Commission in order to extend the kingdom of God among all nations. This statement was adapted from his remarks in “Student Missions Offerings” on 29 April 2014.

It’s doubly encouraging to me as a professor when profound statements like this are made by my former students. Why? It’s not about me! In so doing, the student surpasses their teacher because they have done the work of synthesizing and applying profound truths to impact the thousands of lives that are in their stewardship.

This summary statement reflects how Johnson University seeks to form students spiritually in a way that produces the outcome of Christian generosity. It’s a great summary statement for why we must teach about financial stewardship and giving in school settings.

How do Edgar and Gladys Güitz and the staff of Potter’s House impact the destitute poor in the name of Jesus Christ and see lives literally transformed?

“Each Potter’s House Program follows a four-step framework to assist, develop, and empower individual independence and responsibility.

Step One: I do it. You learn.
Step Two: I do it. You help.
Step Three: You do it. I help.
Step Four: You do it. I support.”

I love this framework because of the way it builds people up, positions them to grow and help others, and literally transforms lives. The whole process is rooted in Christian discipleship!

To learn more about Potter’s House, check out this video which celebrates their work and and the award they just received: the 2013 Norman Borlaug Humanitarian Award.

My family is returning to Guatemala City to minister at Potter’s House to encourage the staff and serve the Treasures from 28 May 28 to 3 June 2014. We love being a part of the support team that helps transforms lives in the name of Jesus. Would you join us in supporting Potter’s House by making a gift online today?

How much should you give? Check out the impact of different gifts in their gift catalog and give according to your ability. Please be sure to type “Hoag” when you make the gift in the “special instructions” section. In so doing, 100% of your gift will be put to use to serve the Treasures, and you will receive a report that summarizes the impact of our visit.

“We live in an acquisitive, narcissistic culture. From an early age we have been socialized to measure our worth according to the impressiveness of our possessions and our security according to our financial holdings. By contrast, Jesus warns his followers of the spiritual danger of money: “‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21) It requires immense spiritual strength and the support of a counter-cultural community of faith to resist the lure of measuring one’s life according to riches.”

Craig L. Nessan in “A Well-Formed Stewardship Leader is Grounded in Biblical and Theological Principles” as part of a larger collection entitled How Much is Enough? A Deeper Look at Stewardship in an Age of Abundance ed. Catherine Malotky (Columbia, SC, 2011) 13.

Does your church teach counter-cultural, biblical stewardship? Do your friends encourage counter-cultural obedience to Christ with regard to handling riches?

We must not allow ourselves to be fooled. Let’s shape our world together by living differently with God’s help!

“The great paradox of life is that those who lose their lives will gain them. This paradox becomes visible in very ordinary situations. If we cling to our friends, we may lose them, but when we are non-possessive in our relationships, we will make many friends. When fame is what we seek and desire, it often vanishes as soon as we acquire it, but when we have no need to be known, we might be remembered long after our deaths. When we want to be in the center, we easily end up on the margins, but when we are free enough to be wherever we must be, we find ourselves often in the center. Giving away our lives for others is the greatest of all human arts. This will gain us our lives.”

Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) in Bread for the Journey entry for April 30 (San Francisco: Harper, 1997).

I read this over and over. Nouwen sounds so much like Jesus with these statements.

God help me live according to these paradoxical realities so that my relationships, my influence, and my destiny remain solely in your capable hands rather than get all messed up in mine.

“God of heaven and earth, we pray for your kingdom to come, for your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Teach us to see our vocations and occupations as woven into your work in the world this week. For mothers at home who care for children, for those whose labor forms our common life in this city, the nation and the world, for those who serve the marketplace of ideas and commerce, for those whose creative gifts nourish us all, for those whose callings take them into the academy, for those who long for employment that satisfies their souls and serves you, for each one we pray, asking for your great mercy. Give us eyes to see that our work is holy to you, O Lord, even as our worship this day is holy to you. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Steve Garber in Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good (Downers Grove: IVP, 2014) 239.

Steve Garber, another one of the speakers at this gathering in Minneapolis, offers us this prayer in his new book. In a word, it is a prayer for perspective.

Perspective to see ourselves, our work and our world through the lens of a working God who has called us to bring Him glory and reflect His generosity through our work, whatever it may be. May this “Prayer for Vocations” open your eyes to this perspective today.

“A large stewardship of our calling in the workplace is faithfully showing up every day and demonstrating to others around us our good in and through our work. Seeking to live out a faithful presence in our workplaces means that we incarnate the gospel by doing good work and being exemplary workers. It means that we extend common grace to our coworkers and our customers and seek their good. As image-bearers of God, who is a worker, we must remember that our work has intrinsic value in itself and is to be an act of worship. We also must grasp that our work has instrumental value in that it provides for our economic needs, allows us to care for the needs of others, and creates a sphere of influence for the gospel to be lived out and shared.”

Tom Nelson in Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work (Wheaton: Crossway, 2011) 60.

Our work has both intrinsic and instrumental value. Tom Nelson is spot on! Intrinsically, when we put to work the gifts and abilities in our stewardship, we bring glory and honor to God. But it does not stop there. We are positioned to be conduits of blessing.

Instrumentally, our work positions us to care for our needs and that of our family members, as well as the needs of others, such as our neighbor, others within our community of faith, or the poor. As resources are generated from our work, we are also positioned to advance the gospel.

What is emerging in the discussions I am participating in with people like Tom Nelson this weekend is the role of God’s leaders in helping people maximize this aspect of their stewardship for God’s glory. We are also discussing best practices for doing this in local church settings.

As I reflect on Scriptures like Colossians 3:23, read books like Work Matters and listen to dialogue on this topic, I am learning that I must model and teach God’s people that our work has both intrinsic and instrumental value.

“My life and my whole eternity belongs to God. All this stuff is temporary. Money, fame, success…temporary. Even life is temporary…Jesus…that’s eternal…in our every day lives there’s always this opportunity to explain your faith to people who are not believers…We don’t feel like we’re shoving any religion down anyone’s throats…We’re just being ourselves.”

Willie Robertson, CEO of Duck Commander made famous on the TV series Duck Dynasty in Fox News interview with Sasha Bogursky on 19 March 2014.

Over the next three days I am with a group of EFCA pastors and lay leaders in Minneapolis discussing how to best integrate our faith and our work. I love how the Robertson’s do it unashamedly.

If you’ve never watched Duck Dynasty, check out an episode or two. Our family has enjoyed how real families like the Robertson’s of West Monroe, LA, make a living selling great duck calls while also fearlessly living out their faith. While success could tempt them to value the temporal over the eternal, they choose to treasure Jesus over all else.

As the Robertson’s put it: Fear God. Love you neighbor. Hunt ducks.