The Great Giving Adventure with Guest Cohost Ron Hutchcraft

Jesse:
Well trees are going up and giant inflatables are filling your neighbor's yard, so that must mean it's the Christmas season. And as the ringing of the bells outside of stores reminds us, it's also the season of giving. But with so many people in need, and what could also be a personally dry financial time, giving can come with challenges.

On this episode of Go Mad, we'll be taking a look beyond giving at Christmas into the heart of God, who has a heart for giving living. We think you'll be encouraged as we dive in with our guest host, Ron Hutchcraft, so stay tuned. Let's go mad.

Brad:
Well thank you Jesse and welcome back everyone to another episode of Go Mad with normally Doug and Brad, but uh today I have got a guest host with me and I'll tell you where Doug is in just a moment, but I've got my dad, Ron Hutchcraft, right next to me here. Dad, welcome back to the podcast.

Ron:
Am I a uh like uh like a co host now? You are. You are downhill from here.

I mean, uh life's biggest thrill right here. So is it go mad with Brad and Dad? Oh that's got a nice ring to it.

Sorry, Dad.

Brad:
No, I have to tell you before I tell you where Doug's at, you may have heard a as Jesse was introduced, you hear the word giving and really quickly you're like, uh oh, time to tune to another podcast. No, this is the season. It is the season and What we're not going to be talking about today, we're not talking about specifically where you give.

We're not talking about, hey, this is the tithe amount and everything else. What we're talking about is just our heart of giving and how God sees giving. That's what we're going to be talking about today.

Before that, I got to tell you, Doug would love to be here right now. But he is someplace I'm gonna say is even better than sitting here today, and that is being with his family because as you've heard him share on the podcast a few times about his son Taylor, even on the last one. He shared some of the challenges he's been through.

Our miracle boy. And others see that too and he had his make a wish wish granted and they are off celebrating that right now. So they are celebrating the life of Taylor thanks to the generosity of Make a Wish.

And uh so He is not here this week, but he'll be back next time around. So I'm very grateful that dad's here because I know we share a heart for uh just trying to personally in our own lives get more to the giving living mindset. Yep.

Ron:
That's right.

Brad:
It comes so naturally, doesn't it? It just Oh no. No. No No, well. Well, not to you, Jesse, either.

No. No, not at all. Ha, what do you know? So we should talk about it then.

We're gonna talk about giving living, but what I want you to know is we know right now It is a tough time for people. Well, you're coming up on Christmas and money's going out faster than it's coming in and you're trying to figure out how do I do the right thing.

Ron:
Was that a testimony? It's mine. You're giving my testimony. A lot of grandchildren.

Brad:
But the reality is that we know there are people going through hard times, and this isn't about the amount of money we're giving. That's not what we're talking about. We're talking about just this heart.

of giving today. So even if you're going through a tough time, a challenging time, inflation or whatever else that has hit you hard financially, it doesn't change the fact that you can have this giving mindset. in your life.

Ron:
You know, um great story comes to my mind that that really describes this so well Um your sister, Lisa, remember her? Uh J Well uh her kids, her boys were uh four and two years old. Oh wow and little grandchildren and or my grandchildren and Um, it started when the bananas were getting a little hmm, and uh so she decided that rather than eating them or tossing them, she'd make banana bread.

So she made four loaves of banana bread, they contacted the church. and said, who are some people that could use some lifting up right now? And so that she took the boys to be the deliverers of the banana bread.

So they go to the first house, there's a man there who's lost his wife recently. And he is so blessed by this and he insists on giving them both a dollar. And the and no, no, no, and he would not take no for an answer.

So they go to the next house and they take it in. In this case, the man's wife is very sick. And uh and and he he just and insists on um Uh he oh he gave them some candy.

And so they're like, Oh okay, thank you. They go to the next house and there's a a lady there who's lived alone for quite a while. She's pretty lonely and pretty serious, not really into it.

Until they um give her the banana bread and she just her her stoic face turns to a big smile She hugs them, almost smothers them with a hug. One last stop, and again, here's a lady living alone, and um she also she just was thrilled. She gave them hugs.

They went to the car and the older boy, four years old, I love what he said. He said, mommy, today was such an adventure. They discovered that day.

that giving living, it's a little picture for all of us that we think we're putting ourselves out, you know, and sacrificing or whatever. And it Jesus just promised, he says, Give and it'll be given to you. May not be money or well candy would be okay.

Um even a hug sometimes, but giving living has its own reward, even in your heart And they said, this is the great this is life's adventure. And a lot of people live their whole life and never experience that adventure because we're so about All about me. We got the disease of me.

And it it's it means you're it's a small, small world all all the time then.

Brad:
And I love that giving adventure phrase. I really do. That is Because it's really what it is.

When we're following God's heart, and we're going to talk a little bit about what God's heart is for giving, there is this reality that's an adventure in following where he's going in these things. Now I I gotta say, Jesse, you and I were talking a little bit when we were talking through some of our heart on giving It's just I think one of the biggest challenges for people, I'm just gonna address this up front because I think it sets a stage a little bit for some of what we'll talk about One of the biggest challenges for people with giving is not being content with what we have. It's it's this feeling like we're lacking something.

Um and the the reality is the Bible addresses this specifically. First Timothy six, verse six and eight. But godliness with contentment is great gain.

If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. So we see the goal. But I don't know.

There what's the challenge here? What's the challenge with this contentment?

Jesse:
Yeah, I'd love to hear y'all's input on this. I I was thinking about this all the way back to the garden. and thinking about Adam and Eve having everything that they needed. Well and being tempted. Here's the one thing you can't have.

Ron:
They had paradise.

Jesse:
That's what I need. Is the one thing I can't have that's what I need. And so since then I get the sense We're all afflicted with this sense that what I don't have, that's what I need. I need and if I don't have it Um how I can't be okay. So I'm I'm hoarding, I'm keeping things for myself because there won't be enough to go around if I don't make sure I'm taken care of.

Ron:
Somebody asked John D. Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest men in the world. Uh what uh how much money was enough money? He said a little bit more.

Whatever we have, a little or much, it's like I I think I mean more. It's because we're looking for our satisfaction and contentment in the wrong place. It's not stuff.

That'll you'll never have enough stuff.

Brad:
That's really true. And if we all of a sudden I like what you said there, Jesse, when we have this mentality of, I have to protect me, and sometimes it's Even the feeling of I have to protect my family. It's not just always selfish towards ourselves, but to those around us that I have to protect the ones I care about, and it's my job.

And the reality is that if I'm the one looking out for me, I'm in a lot of trouble because I make some really not great decisions along the way. even with how I give or what I keep or whatever else. And so if all of a sudden we are just sitting there trusting ourselves instead of God who says, I have got what you need and I'll provide for you Oh, that is not a good place to be.

The best place to be is following what he has for us and realizing when we are content with what he provides. Man, that starts the giving adventure in a great place.

Ron:
And here's the here's the economics of heaven. Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly. Whoever sows generously, so if you say, Well, my family well, let this be the family adventure of learning to give together Whoever sows generously will reap generously.

Hello? And then I went to Proverbs, where all the smart stuff is. And it says in Proverbs eleven, One person gives freely, yet gains even more.

Another withholds. Oh, I gotta hang on to it, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper.

Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. You know, it is true that if you have a broken heart, if you're feeling lonely, if you're feeling sad, if you're feeling like a victim. .

. One of the greatest cures for all of that is to turn on your kneodometer and say, wake up in the morning. You've heard me say this before, probably here.

that the great way to wake up in the morning is to say who needs me today? And that may there are a lot of ways. It may need something material.

They may need an accomplishment. They may need an encouragement. They may may need prayer, but if you if you are the one who goes out with giving living, saying, who not who do I need today, but who needs me?

This is where the Jesus revolution comes in. When you're a baby, you're all about me. You're like, hmm, feed me, hold me, pick me up.

Change me, please. Or I will make your life miserable. And uh so it's have memories of that.

They're coming back right now. I remember you like anyway, so So it all revolves around me. And something and it will until Jesus comes in and he says, I've got you now.

You have put your life in my hands. So I am covered. I'm I'm good.

Jesus has got me. I'm free to care about you now. I don't have to be All about me the rest of my life.

I could be all about you as we say in New Jersey. Lived in New Jersey.

Brad:
Yeah Well, I wanna it I it's so true. When we look at God's heart for giving, we learn these things, how to be part of the giving adventure and not be about me. So I want to take a look real quick at God's heart towards giving.

Now you can find a ton of verses in the Bible about how God sees money. You can read how Jesus cared about how people were using their money and and how they were giving. But a couple things stick out to me.

First of all, it's clear he wants us to be generous people. You just read that from Proverbs that Acts twenty thirty-five says you should remember the words of the Lord Jesus. It is more blessed to give than receive.

Oh yeah. So all of a sudden we have that reminder that we're supposed to give. That's where the greater blessing is.

So God wants us. To be generous people. But he also wants us to give.

Now I had to make a Christmas reference. Are we okay with that? I mean, it is Christmas time here.

So he wants us to give with the new Grinch heart. Not the old one. He wants us you if you remember in in the uh how the Grinch stole Christmas, all of a sudden towards the end You get the moment where the Grinch realizes what Christmas is all about and really he realizes what kind of this spirit of giving is about.

It's not about the stuff. It's about these experiences even that people are having. And it says his heart grew three sizes that day.

And that's what God is looking for. He's looking which Which this may all right, sec 2 Corinthians 9 7 says, each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. I hear people talk way too often about, well, what is there the tithe?

Was the tithe the old covenant? Is it the new covenant? Well, is it really 10% way?

You know what? That's not what God is saying. He's saying give cheerfully and not because I even because you're being told to give Give because you want to partner with me in what I'm doing.

Give because you have the heart I have for giving. Give as I've given to you. So it's not about a percentage.

It's about what's the heart behind this, and we can't outgive God.

Ron:
I I heard it put this way, that uh we shovel out, God shovels in, but he has a much bigger shovel. You know did you know that that word cheerful not original, but I don't even know where it came from, but it's good. Um the uh the cheerful giver.

And the original word in the original translation of the Bible, the Greek language, is Hilariaus. It's like God loves a hilarious giver who says, Oh my goodness, this is so much fun. I love this.

I feel so good when I'm doing this. Oh I love that.

Jesse:
Yeah. So I I noticed with giving and not just um financially, but in any aspect, it inherently opens you up to getting hurt or getting burned How do you deal with the fact that um and this is the broadest sense of giving, I'm giving of myself. And I know God can take care of me, but I don't know how other people are going to take it. And I've opened myself up and I've been vulnerable and I've given of myself. How do I keep from becoming self-guarded when it comes to giving?

Brad:
My thoughts on that, Dad, would be, and Jesse, would be something actually that I just read this morning. In s from Psalm 67.

Ron:
Cool.

Brad:
This said this had just never really hit me before this way, but verse one and two say, May God be gracious to us and bless us. So praying God's blessing us, and we know He does. May He make His face shine upon us.

The very next words So that your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. I think the motivation for giving is really key to guarding our hearts because it's there's times I'll I mean I'll be honest, there are times that I give because I want to get that small. I want to help someone, but I'm also looking for that, oh man, you get that moment of that twinkle in the eye.

Yeah, where you just like you get that affirmation. And then all of a sudden you give it and Someone's like, Thanks. And you're like Or not.

Maybe I should I give this again? Just so you and and the reality is sometimes we do give and we don't get in return in that immediate moment. But what we are part of is when we give, when we bless others the way God has blessed us, we are partnering in his gospel efforts.

Wow. I mean I I just that blew my mind at this point. I was just like Another reminder, God, I I'm personally, God has been giving me reminders recently.

You know, as a family, and let me just encourage people with this as a family. We uh do want to give together and I I think that's important for families to give together. So whether it's Samaritan's Purse around Christmas or different times of the year where we give to people who need help.

The reality is that I still in those moments that I'm still being challenged recently with God saying, but can't you do more. And I think the reality is for me, what I saw in uh Deuteronomy 16, 17. Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.

And to me, that is where I've been challenged is beyond tithe or anything else, do I really give in proportion? To the way God has blessed me. No, there's no way.

I sit there and I'm just like, there's no way I can give the way God has given to me. But I can make it a goal and I can help that be, let that be a challenge to me. That I want to have the goal and be challenged that I want to give with the heart of God.

And I think that's part of what the verse is saying there is As I said before, you can't outgive God, so give in proportion, give as he gives, which is not thinking about, as you said before, Jesse, the hoarding and what's there for me. And it's not thinking about how I might get hurt, realizing that there may be hurt with it, but just saying, I get to partner with God in how He wants me to be giving.

Ron:
You know, um Ephesians 5. 1 puts it this way. Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us.

How did he do that? And gave himself up for us. as a frank fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.

Live that life of love. So, you know, Jesse, you ask about the response we get when we we give. Does it matter?

That giving, that act of giving is a Christ-like gesture in itself Full stop. Whatever you do does not decide whether I did the right thing. It does not take away from in any way the fact that I have just brought a touch of Jesus.

into someone's life. I have done what he would do with that for that person. He even said, when you fed that hungry person, you've done it unto me.

When you've clothed that person with no clothes, you have done it and to me. So Jesus said, I am very much with the broken and the hurting and the marginalized and the poor and the disadvantaged And uh so uh and let me tell you, you talk about giving and getting a lousy response, Jesus knows that feeling. What was in it for him to die on that cross?

For many people to look just the guys who crucified him stayed there, kept gambling for his robe. Wow. Does he stop?

Does he say, well forget? He says, Father, forgive them. That's the touch of j I have the opportunity.

to bring a breath of Jesus into somebody's life. And Brad, when you read from Psalm 67 that says, Lord bless us, bless us, you know, take good care of us, it says, so that Why? So I'll be blessed.

Didn't say that. So that your ways may be known on the earth. People who have never been touched by Jesus could be touched by an act of random kindness.

or sacrificial generosity on my part. Whether or not they get that message. I have sown some of Jesus in their life And m Jesus is smiling.

Brad:
Wow. Dad, that is so good. And I love what you said before because it ties in there.

We uh we give with the risk. We have this risk that's there, but the other part of God's heart forgiving Is that in return for our giving, he wants to bless us as we bless others. Now, there's a fine line here to walk.

We know that, but he wants us to bless others. And then he wants to bless us. Luke 6.

38 says, give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

So that's all in that verse. I'm making things up there. The reality is, hey, if I give $10, am I getting $10 back?

I don't know. I have no idea I don't know what the return on the investment is, but what I know is there's a return on my investment in giving that God will blow out of the water with anything I could ask or imagine. It doesn't mean that I get the physical thing I'm looking for.

It doesn't mean even for some people who give because they're looking, hey, maybe he'll hear my prayers more. That's not how that works. But what does work is God says.

Give as I give, and then I will give back to you. So it may just be here on earth. It may be for an earthly gain.

We we get that from God. We have been blessed incredibly. In fact I was writing down this the other day.

I was like, how do I view what I have in the bank? What I drive? Because one of my cars is a 2003.

with uh you know 250,000 miles on it.

Ron:
I saw you pushing that in the parking lot.

Brad:
Yeah, there you go. Um how do I view my furniture, my food that I eat? J'ai filling up my tank with gas.

Am I viewing that as a blessing from God that I can even do those things? Well that'll help with the contentment thing. Well exactly because if all of a sudden we are viewing this as a blessing from the Lord then we're not giving expecting to get things back.

We're giving and we are receiving. We already are. We're receiving his blessing.

So all we're doing is loading up and saying, hey, now I'm gonna give to others.

Jesse:
We're freed up to give. Uh if we're if we if we are realizing how much God is but like you you mentioned filling up the gas tank. I don't go to the gas tank thinking, God, thank you so much.

I get to do this. Instead I end up thinking, well, well of course I'm gonna do this because I always do this. But if I'm going everything that God's blessed me with, thank you, God, thank you, God, thank you, God, I start to recognize God's taking care of me, and that frees me up To give sacrificially.

Brad:
Yeah, and I complain about the cost of gas much more often than I celebrate and thank God that I could fill my tank with gas. And I know there are people who can't do that. There aren't people who are able to do that.

So when I see it the way God intends we get to see that he is blessing us and we in turn we need to be blessing others. I love his research. Doug may not be here, but he sent us uh this actually he's still among us.

Oh he loves this topic of giving. He said if you have enough food, decent clothes, live in a home that shields you from weather, and own some kind of reliable transportation, congratulations. You're in the top 15% wealthiest in the world Add some savings, two cars in any condition, a variety of clothes, and own your own house.

You've reached top 5%. You may not feel wealthy, but only because comparing to those who are mega wealthy gets us in the wrong mindset, and then we are not content. I love that.

And we're reminded, Matthew 6, 21. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Where's your focus?

Where's your focus on what we have and what we give

Ron:
You know, you reminded me of a verse. It says in in Corinthians, those who compare themselves by themselves are not wise. It God says, You know the tenth commandment, you shall not covet?

You know where cut you where covet starts? You would never covet if you never compared. Coveting always goes, you break that commandment as soon you're starting to as soon as you get to the point where you're like.

. Well, they got better one than I do oh they got more of it than I do. Our definition of enough is messed up.

That's the problem. That's why we're never content. And uh it this this is so exciting if I you know, you said there's risk involved, and yeah, there there there is risk, but I'll tell you what is no risk in giving.

If you will listen to the promptings, if you know Jesus and the Holy Spirit of God lives in you, I'll tell you this, he is prompting you all day long to notice a need. Maybe it's just to send somebody an encouraging post on social media, whatever it is. But he is prompting you all day long into these little acts that are obediences, little obediences that put you in the middle of the work of God in that person's life.

Though you may not know, why do you want me to do this? Nike, just do it. Okay, because God said so.

So uh in the process of doing that, it is so enriching to you, it so enlarges your life, it puts you in the middle like I said, of God's work on earth. And uh this is let's go back to our my grandkids who said Mommy, this is such an adventure. Today was such an adventure.

You could say that about every day if you if you say, I will uh what is not a risk is You will not take a risk that God's not going to keep his promise. God's never broken a promise. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever has he broken a promise.

Never, ever, ever will. And so when he said given it will be given to you. Bless and I will bless you.

He gets to define bless. I don't get to define it He knows better for me what bless is. Bless for me might be different.

It might not be money. I might think it's money I need, and he might send it in a different form. God will define give and God will define bless, but he will keep his promise and his shovel will be bigger than the one you shovel out with.

Brad:
Man, time is flying by and we gotta wrap up here pretty soon. No, but it's so good. It's so it's so and it challenges me.

Just hearing from you guys is challenging me as well because uh the reality is we've seen, Dad, uh growing up, we've seen and we've shared this on the podcast before, but we've seen groceries just show up on a doorstep. We've seen a medical bill be paid that we didn't know how we were gonna pay. It it didn't come financially to us, but God was caring for our needs.

I want to cover this one thing before we wrap up here today, and that is make sure you pray through what you are giving and where you're giving. Ask the Lord to put burdens on your heart. But I do want to share one clear area that he wants to at least be part of our giving, to see people as he sees them.

God wants at least part of our giving focus to be on the broken. If you read in Deuteronomy 14, 28 and 29, and Deuteronomy 24, 14, here's what you're going to see in that list. You're going to see the poor.

Foreigners, fatherless, and widows.

Ron:
Wow.

Brad:
Right. You are going to see those people that are represented. That doesn't mean that's the only place we're giving, but it's obvious that's important to God that he wants us caring for that group of people.

They are God's VIPs These are God's very important people, and we need to be giving to them not just at Christmas. There's a lot of focus on that at Christmas, but year-round. And I'm gonna, if it's all right, can you Wrap us up with a personal story, guys.

So here's what happens when you give to some some of these places that are helping the broken. There's a place great, I'm gonna get emotional probably here because there's a place near i in Chicago called Pacific Garden Mission. And uh we as a family just uh helped do some Thanksgiving meals there, just uh sponsored some Thanksgiving meals.

And so I thought, well, I want to go back and listen to my great-granddad Hadley's Bill Hadley's hope story that was on the show Unshackled. And produced by that mission. Produced by that mission.

And so we w listened to it as a family the other day. And I know the story. I had forgotten some parts of that story, actually.

I know the story and I am just a wreck on the couch as we are listening to that. And here's what it boiled down to. His heart was changed.

His life was changed. He was desperate. He was ready to end it all.

And that night going to uh Lake Michigan. And he passes by Pacific Garden Mission. And because there were people who believed in giving to a place that helps the broken, He was saved.

His life was changed. You don't always get to see the result of how you give and what you give, but please just know that wherever you are giving, if God leads you to these places, Give places that are helping the broken, helping those who need to hear about the hope of Jesus. Because when you do that, it makes a difference, not just in one life.

But that life of Bill Hadley has gone on to impact countless others, and I am one of those living that impact of one place. that people believed in the give to who helped the broken. And it's just part of my hope story.

And I want to give more like Jesus when I think of practical things like that.

Ron:
Without that there is you have no mom. That's right. You would have died that night.

but for that intervention and someone's gifts making that possible. Truly giving living is the great adventure. Jesus led the way, giving at a level we never will be asked to, and giving everything he had for God so loved the world.

that he gave his one and only son. And so because of that great gift, we can be a part of this great adventure. Don't settle for anything less.

Anything else is a small, small world.

Brad:
Amen. I'm going to wrap up with a prayer that I wrote in my journal when uh just recently, this last stretch, where God has been challenging me, and I pray it will be an encouragement to you as well. I just wrote, Lord Please keep speaking to me about contentment and about giving.

I don't want to lose the giving lessons because of passing time or financial stress. May we give joyfully with the heart of our giving Father And overall, help me be more content with the basics. Grow a spirit of generosity and giving in my children too, Lord.

That's our heart for you today. That's our heart for ourselves, for me personally, that I would just not give so others see it. not give because it's out of obligation, but give because I have been given to by my loving Heavenly Father, and that inspires me that how else can I give to others even when?

Times are tough.

Ron:
Let's let Jesus wrap it up in his words. Freely you have received. Freely give.

Brad:
Hey everyone, thank you for tuning in one more time to go mad with, well, Brad and Dad, I guess, today. Dad and Brad Substitute Teacher. Doug, I Doug is looking forward to being back next time.

Thank you for listening and we pray that you've been encouraged in what you've heard today. Hey, if you would take time, take a few moments to go leave a review. where you listen to podcasts and share this with a friend.

We just want people to learn how they can go mad and specifically today how they can go mad. through their giving. So until next time, go mad