In addition, Scot is the Audit Quality Control partner in charge of a diversified practice relating to states, counties, cities, schools and other government entities, including audits of financial institutions. He has presented on the topic “Professional Ethics” more than 120 times. He has also been a member or chair of several of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He also has co-authored with Michael A. Crawford numerous books and publications related to the accounting field. As of January 2019, Scot was voted on the First National Bank of Sedan (KS) Board of Directors.
How did you learn to place Christ at the center during your time at Tabor? It came through sports, academics and interaction with people. Many people had an impact on my life. However, Ted Bloemhof, my roommate for two of the four years and my lifting partner for 3½ years at Tabor, made the most profound impact.
Ted was the middle linebacker on the Tabor football team. We met in Accounting I class our freshman year, and our relationship took off from there. Ted was at his desk every morning reading his Bible — and he lived it every day. He told me when I moved in with my new stereo my during sophomore year that we would be listening to nothing but contemporary Christian music — none of that worldly rock stuff!
I was raised to read my Bible every day and listen to the right music, but got distracted at times and didn’t carry through. Since meeting Ted as a freshman at Tabor, I have carried on things I saw in his life and have never turned back. I read my Bible every day and spend time in prayer with God. I have basically listened to nothing but contemporary Christian music since August 1980, when I moved in as Ted’s roommate as a sophomore with a new stereo. I started lifting weights with Ted on April 1, 1980, and have literally kept up my same workout four to five days a week: 30 minutes cardio and 30 minutes weightlifting.
How do you do that now while working in a “secular” vocation? I walk the talk, and try to be the same person in church, family, business and our communities. My wife, Jenny (Vogts) Loyd, has been a huge encouragement to me sticking with all of this in the “tough” times of life over the past 35 years. It is only by the grace of God that I go forth. Our stories in life are a gift from God and we need to figure out how to use those God-given stories to encourage, influence and impact the lives of people every day. I feel this approach of telling God stories is very valuable within our business and beyond our business. It’s what I call “Divine Appointments” with people throughout my day.
What would you tell students to make a lifelong habit of placing Christ at the center of everything they do? Keep it simple. People try to make spiritual and physical exercise and life in general way too complicated. I have done that throughout my life. Romans 10:17 is one of my favorite verses: “FAITH comes by hearing and hearing from the Word of God. People wonder why they never hear from God or God doesn’t give them a vision for life. I believe most of those people are not in the Word of God — if we are not in the Word of God, we will not hear from God. Everything in life starts with God, while so many times we start our lives with ME!