Archives by: Gary Hoag

“When all is said and done,” suggests veteran church consultant Lyle Schaller, “there are only two good reasons why anyone should be asked to contribute money to the church. The first is to help promote the giver’s spiritual growth…The second reason is even simpler. Christian discipleship is Christian stewardship…How else do God’s people grow in grace?”

Lyle Schaller as recounted by Elmer Towns and Warren Bird, Into the Future: Turning Today’s Church Trends into Tomorrow’s Opportunities (Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 2000) 206.

“Regrettably, not much intentional training on stewardship is happening in churches today…church members have changed from stewards into consumers. They demand a higher level of comfort and services from their congregations than did previous generations…Stewardship is successfully managing your time, talents, and treasures for the glory of God.”

Elmer Towns and Warren Bird, Into the Future: Turning Today’s Church Trends into Tomorrow’s Opportunities (Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 2000) 206-207.

“We must love the unlovable. I have a dear friend who works hard to help other people, especially children in need…she is a giving person. Yet, when we discuss loving those who do evil towards others, those who stand in the shoes of the enemy, she replies that she hasn’t reached that level yet. She doesn’t hate them, but she doesn’t express love toward them either.

Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” Jesus had to apply that love to those who became His enemies, those who were of the household of Israel, and He had to love those who weren’t. God was our first love giver and His Son, Jesus, was a love giver…

Jesus applied His love to the Roman ruler, the enemy. Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire was wealthy, literary and artistic. The Romans worshiped many pagan gods. In 63 B.C., Palestine fell into the hands of the Romans. After this takeover, there was increasing desecration of the Holy land.

In the midst of this political climate that was taking place, Jesus began His teaching ministry. His words were directed to the House of Israel. He profoundly said to love your enemy so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. Rome was the enemy, symbolizing total frustration. But Jesus walked in love.

Christian love conquers all…To walk in love requires us to show respect for others, control our attitudes, words and actions toward others. If we are not doing this we are not walking in love. Love for God is inextricably tied to love for others…

When we truly love one another, Paul contended, we would do everything in our power to strengthen others as we walk with them in the way of Christ…I challenge all of us to live righteously. The challenge is to love Jesus more than we love all else, to serve Him with all of our heart, mind and soul. And then we will walk in love.”

Addie June Hall, Must I Tell It? I Gotta Tell It! A Book of Sermons That Are Promoting, Pronouncing, Propelling, Prospering and Providential (AuthorHouse: Bloomington, 2009) 17-19.

“Stewardship is about much more than how we give. Stewardship is about how we live.”

Mark Alan Powell, professor at Luther Seminary, excerpt from preface to “Stewardship for the Missional Church” video of February 23, 2012.

“One there was a group of people who surveyed the resources of the world and said to each other: “How can we be sure that we have enough in hard times? We want to survive whatever happens. Let us start collecting food and knowledge so that we are safe and secure when a crisis occurs.”

So they started hoarding, so much and so eagerly that other people protested and said, “You have much more than you need, while we don’t have enough to survive. Give us part of your wealth!” But the fearful hoarders said: “No, no, we need to keep this incase of an emergency, in case things go bad for us too, in case our lives are threatened.” But the others said, “We are dying now; please give us food and materials and knowledge to survive. We can’t wait, we need it now!”

Then the fearful hoarders became even more fearful, since they became afraid that the poor and hungry would attack them. So they said to one another: “Let us build walls around our wealth so that no stranger can take it from us.” They started erecting walls so high that they could not even see anymore whether there were enemies outside the walls or not!

As their fear increased they told each other: “Our enemies have become so numerous that they may be able to tear down our walls. Our walls are not strong enough to keep them away. We need to put explosives and barbed wire on top of the walls so that nobody will dare to even come close to us. But instead of feeling safe and secure behind their armed walls they found themselves trapped in the prison they had built with their own fear.”

Henri Nouwen’s “Presbyterian Peace Fellowship Breakfast” address as recounted in Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit (New York: HarperOne, 2000) 73-74.

“That we may not become weary of doing well, for which the danger is near, the apostle has added that “love suffers long, and is not easily provoked.”

The Lord commands us to do good unto all men without exception, though the majority are very undeserving when judged according to their own merits.

But Scripture here helps us out with an excellent argument when it teaches us that we must not think of many’s real value, but only of his creation in the image of God to which we owe all possible honor and love…

If anyone, therefore, appears before you who is in need of your kind services, you have no reason to refuse him your help.

Suppose he is a stranger; yet the Lord has pressed his own stamp on him and made him as one of your family, as he forbids you to despise your own flesh and blood…

Suppose that you have no obligation toward him for services; yet the Lord has made him as it were his substitute…for numerous and unforgettable benefits…

Suppose that he is unworthy of your least exertion; but the image of God which recommends him to you deserves that you surrender yourself and all your possessions to him.

If he has deserved no kindness, but just the opposite, because he has maddened you with his injuries and insults, even this is no reason you should not surround him with your affection and show him all sorts of favors.

You may say that he has deserved a very different treatment, but what does the Lord command but to forgive all men their offenses and to charge them against himself?

This is the only way to attain that which is not only difficult, but utterly repugnant to a man’s nature: to love those who hate us, to requite injuries with kindness and to return blessings for curses.”

John Calvin (1509-1564) in The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life ed. Henry Van Andel (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1952) 36-38.

“Society says: God plays no role in handling money, and my happiness is based on being able to afford my desired standard of living. Scripture says: As you learn and follow the Scriptural principles of how to handle money, you will draw close to Christ and learn to be content in every circumstance.

Society says: What I possess, I alone own, and I alone control my destiny. Scripture says: What I possess, God owns. He is the sovereign living God who controls all events.

Society says: You earned your money, now spend it any way you choose and you will be happy. Scripture says: You can only be content if you have been a faithful steward handling money from the Lord’s perspective.

Society says: Use debt as often as you wish, buy now, pay later. Scripture says: The Lord discourages the use of debt because He wants us free to serve Him.”

Howard Dayton in Your Money Counts (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1996) 13, 23, 31, 53.

“The indispensable condition of receiving the kingdom of God is to acknowledge our spiritual poverty. To the poor in spirit, and only to the poor in spirit, the kingdom of God is given. For God’s rule which brings salvation is a gift as absolutely free as it is utterly undeserved…Pray for a fresh awareness of your spiritual poverty and his generosity.”

John Stott, The Beatitudes: Developing Spiritual Character (Downers Grove: IVP, 1998) 14.

“Accept, O Lord, my thanks and praise for all that you have done. I thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of your love. You’ve lavished gift upon gift and blessing upon blessing. And I joyfully offer back my life to you in devotion and praise. I gratefully give you all praise, honor, and glory. Amen”

Stephen Macchia in SILENCIO, a resource of Leadership Transformations, Inc., November 2013, eleventh edition.

“When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”

G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) as recounted by Stephen Macchia in SILENCIO, a resource of Leadership Transformations, Inc., November 2013, eleventh edition.