Archives by: Gary Hoag

“We are committed to being good stewards of God’s grace and your gifts.”

Hector Rivas, Potter’s House 2012 Annual Report, 9.

Visit the Potter’s House Guatemala website to view the 7-minute Annual Report video or to view the report in pdf form. Please take a moment to view the video and/or the report to see the place my family is returning from May 25-June 1 and to see how God is at work in the garbage dump.

Who can be compared with the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high? Far below him are the heavens and the earth. He stoops to look, and he lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people! Psalm 113:5-8 NLT

“True greatness, true leadership, is achieved not by reducing men to one’s service but in giving oneself in selfless service to them. And that is never done without cost.” (cf. Mark 10:42-45)

J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership (Chicago: Moody Press, 1986) 20.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

“Ask, as a beggar asks alms.’’ Those that would be rich in grace, must betake themselves to the poor trade of begging, and they shall find it a thriving trade. “Ask; represent your wants and burdens to God, and refer yourselves to him for support and supply, according to his promise [in Matthew 7:7-8].”

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, notes on Matthew 7:7-11.

“No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions. He had money as well.” (Cf. Luke 10:25-37)

Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister, in Television Interview with Brian Walden on January 6, 1986.

“How do we know about God’s love, God’s generosity, God’s kindness, God’s forgiveness? Through our parents, our friends, our teachers, our pastors, our spouses, our children … they all reveal God to us. But as we come to know them, we realize that each of them can reveal only a little bit of God. God’s love is greater than theirs; God’s goodness is greater than theirs; God’s beauty is greater than theirs.

At first we may be disappointed in these people in our lives.  For a while we thought that they would be able to give us all the love, goodness, and beauty we needed.  But gradually we discover that they were all signposts on the way to God.”

Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) in Bread for the Journey entry for May 4 (San Francisco: Harper, 1997).

“The governing principle of life in the Christian community is love, for God and for one another. The two can be distinguished but never separated, and Christians must learn that their professed love for God in heaven will be judged by their behavior toward their fellow believers here on earth.”

Gerald Bray, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude (Downers Grove: IVP, 2000) xxiii.

“Have you ever thought about this before? “I need to be careful how much I give away because I don’t want to end up not having enough for myself.” If you have, you’ve got lots of company. My first response to this fear-based comment is, “Where is our trust – is it in our provisions or in our Provider?”

But just for the sake of discussion, let’s say you actually became so wildly generous that you ended up with no surplus, no reserves and not even enough to take care of your own personal needs for the future. Here is my question for you, “What would be wrong with living a hand to mouth existence, if it is God’s hand to your mouth?”

E. G. “Jay” Link, The Better Way Giving Series, p. 6. Download it in pdf form at:

http://www.stewardshipministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Better-Way-Giving-Sermon-Guide.pdf

Lord Jesus,
You came to show us that the meaning of life consists in giving. You told us that those who cling too tightly to what they have, without thought of You or others, end up losing everything.

You offered us new values by which to measure the worth of a person’s life. Help us to realize it is not temporal success or riches or fame that gives life meaning. Rather, it is the service rendered to You and others that brings fulfillment and makes our lives worthwhile.

May all our service help build the kingdom of God, and may our obedience bring true freedom, our generosity increase love, our sacrifices bear much fruit, and our death lead to eternal life.
Amen.

ICSC Stewardship Prayer for Generosity

“Poverty, whether systemic or localized, should be treated with relief…Wealth is given to be expended in generosity, so that poverty and suffering of less fortunate persons and churches should be relieved.” (cf. 2 Corinthians 8-9)

Ukachukwu Chris Manus, 2 Corinthians in the Global Bible Commentary (Nashville: Abingdon, 2004) 461.

“Sell and give away whatever is necessary to enjoy your riches in Christ. Your cluttered life can easily leave out the Lord. The complexity of stuff can cause you to miss the simplicity in Christ. Streamline your schedule, so you can go deep in your intimacy with your Heavenly Father, and your relational engagement with those you love.”

Boyd Bailey in Wisdom Hunters daily e-devotional April 25, 2013.