Posts Tagged ‘Generosity Monk’
Your Most Important Message By Dr. Gary G. Hoag
Your most important message often appears as the least significant! As I navigate life, I realize the little things in life are really the big and important things. If I apply this idea to the many channels through which I receive messages, a keen insight emerges. At least I am learning this in my own…
Read MoreMy Grown-Up Christmas List By Dr. Gary Hoag
What is on your grown-up Christmas list this year? One of my favorite contemporary Christmas songs is “My Grown-up Christmas List” made famous by Amy Grant. Hopefully it is familiar to you. Two sections of the lyrics always grip me: the chorus and the climax. Consider the Chorus She leads into it with this statement:…
Read MoreHelping People By Dr. Gary Hoag
Helping People to Live Generously We can’t guide others to a place we ourselves have not been, so helping people develop a biblical mindset that shapes their generosity starts with you and me. Consider three words of wisdom that we’ve learned as a family for helping people. Hear and Do The Bible tells us repeatedly…
Read MoreTeaching Tips from Dr. Gary Hoag
Called to Teach God has gifted some of us to teach, but that does not make it easy! It gets complicated when we have to address controversial topics, when our audiences have a wide range of knowledge and varied expectations, or when God leads us into new teaching settings that take us far outside our…
Read MoreDiscern Direction By Dr. Gary Hoag
Discover the four critical practices that will enable you to discern direction for your ministry. By Dr. Gary Hoag ~ Recently, a non-profit ministry board chair and executive director asked me for advice on discerning direction for the organization they served. After further inquiry on my part, I learned that they were looking for clarity…
Read MoreNo Guest Room Available By Gary G. Hoag
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. ~ Luke 2:7 By Gary G. Hoag ~ Every year a different word or phrase from the Christmas story jumps out to me. Perhaps this happens to you as well. This year, I can’t get…
Read MoreHelp that Never Hurts by Dr. Gary G. Hoag
There is indeed one help that never hurts. By Dr. Gary G. Hoag ~ In recent years, helpful books such as When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert have raised our awareness to the fact that many of our charitable…
Read MoreYour Favorite Bible Verse By Dr. Gary G. Hoag
What’s your favorite Bible verse on stewardship? By Dr. Gary G. Hoag Recently I was asked to write a reflection of about 150 words about a favorite Bible verse that has been formative in my personal Christian stewardship and generosity journey. Here was my reply. “As a biblical scholar who helped review the content of…
Read MoreFinancial Stewardship Tips by Gary G. Hoag
Ten Global Financial Stewardship Tips By Dr. Gary G. Hoag – The Bible contains counsel for all cultures related to handling God’s money. During my recent trip to Hong Kong I learned that the biggest sin for Chinese people related to money for individuals as well as churches is hoarding resources on earth for personal…
Read MoreMinistry and Metrics by Gary G. Hoag
By Gary G. Hoag, Ph.D. Governing boards often require ministry leaders to use a variety of “metrics” to report results. These “metrics” often reflect the desired outcomes of ministry activity. Consider some examples of this practice: a Christian school might report enrollment figures, a medical ministry might tabulate the number of patients served, and a…
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