Archives by: Gary Hoag

“So, what needs to happen in your heart and mind if you’re not generous, if you tend to be afraid of sharing your possessions with others?

If you feel afraid of giving generously, you need to consider how much God has loved you, you who have nothing to bring to him to deserve his generosity. His love is so complete for you that he has adopted you as his own child. As this Gospel truth-once you were destitute, but now you have been made whole-becomes more of a reality to you, the more you’ll want to alleviate the burdens of others with the resources you’ve been given.”

Corey Jackson in “Sharing our Possessions” blogpost on June 21, 2011.

…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… Galatians 5:22-23 (NRSV)

“God has been unceasing and extravagant in his gifts to us…We are given the fruit of the Spirit to give out of love rather than out of pride or guilt.”

Howard Freeman, “God’s Generous Gift of the Spirit” in The Redeemer Report, a publication of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, May 2010.

“One of the greatest gifts we can give others is ourselves.”

Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) in Bread for the Journey entry for April 14 (SanFrancisco: Harper, 1997).

There is nothing we have
that we have not received;
all we have and are belong to God,
bought with the blood of Jesus.


To spend everything on ourselves,
and to give without sacrifice
is the way of the world
that the Father cannot abide.

But generosity is the way of those
who call Christ their Lord;
who love him with free hearts,
and serve him with renewed minds;
who withstand the delusion of riches
that chokes the word;
whose hearts are in heaven, and not on earth.


We are determined to increase in generosity
until it can be said
that there is no needy person among us.


We are determined to be faithful stewards
of such a little thing as money
that Christ may trust us with true riches.


Above all things, we are determined to be generous
because our Father is generous.

It is the delight of His daughters and sons
to share their Father’s traits,
and to show what He is like to all the world.

To learn more about Trinity Grace Church, visit:
http://trinitygracelife.com/post/7505289989/generosity-liturgy

“God’s grace does not terminate in the recipient, but it is to be reproduced in generosity. This is the “proof of love” and of obedience to the confession of Christ through the gospel.” (cf. 2 Cor 8:8, 24)

Paul Barnett, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997) 448-449.

“Because men believe not in Providence, therefore they do so greedily scrape and hoard. They do not believe any reward for charity, therefore they will part with nothing. They do not hope for succour from God, therefore are they discontent and impatient. They have nothing to raise their spirits, therefore are they abject.”

Isaac Barrow (1630-1677) English Christian Theologian and Mathematician in The Works of Isaac Barrow (New York: John C. Riker, 1845) 178.

“Our culture today is miles away from being willing to share everything we have. Instead we patent everything and assert our ownership of even the smallest things.

Case in point: MGM Studios has actually patented the sound the lion makes at the beginning of their films. Who knew you could own the sound of an animal…

The Early Church realized that everything they had was a gift that they were to steward. They learned to hold on to their possessions with a loose hand allowing them to use their things for the good of others.

Not only did they mentally understand that God has ultimate ownership, their hearts were changed motivating them to living that way.” (cf. Acts 2:42-47)

Bob Wollam in the Think Sheet entitled “Generosity: Churches That Change Things, June 17, 2012.

Largely Thou givest, gracious Lord.
Largely Thy gifts should be restored;
Freely Thou givest, and Thy word
Is, “Freely Give.”
He only, who forgets to hoard
Has learned to live.

John Keble (1792-1866) Anglican churchman and poet in The Christian Year, reading for the Sunday after Ascension.

“Put not your trust in money but put your money in trust.” Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935)

“[Money] is like manure, of very little use except it be spread.” Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

These two quotes are cited by Thomas Binney (1798-1874) on the title page of Money: A Popular Exposition in Rough Notes.

“If you put your trust in riches, if money or Mammon be your master, the God of your idolatry, you will expect everything from it; you will give it your heart; you will make “gold your hope, and fine gold your confidence.” Your supreme desire will be to accumulate it; you will live for that; it will fill your thoughts and form your dreams; it will give color and shape to all your feelings, and direction and strength to every purpose: and, if so, and so long as it is so, your soul cannot repose with faith on God, nor your heart swell and beat with love to him. Nay, you will be incapable of seeing his glory, of appreciating or discovering his character…

The man whose trust is in money, whose exclusive confidence is in what he can touch and look at, and feel that he possesses, if he is destitute of that which constitutes his security—his sole security—against the calls of life, the realities of today and the possibilities of tomorrow; why, he will be just as incapable of receiving the kingdom of God, as the man who can fare sumptuously every day, and has much good laid up for many years…

He who “loves the world,” and who is manifested as such, either by the pride of success in “laying up treasure,” or by the canker of disappointment eating into his soul, “the love of the Father is not in him.” It is not only not in him, but while either mental condition lasts, it cannot be; by the very constitution of things, by all the laws which govern the mind and regulate thought, it must of necessity be excluded.” (cf. 1 John 2:15)

Thomas Binney (1798-1874) Money: A Popular Exposition in Rough Notes, excerpt from Sermon I.