Tag Archives: evangelism

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Are You Waiting To Be Told What To Do?

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Our business is not a big one in the grand scheme of things, but we do get a good cross-section of employees with roughly 100 people working here. As a result, I have seen those that learn the job quickly and others that do not. Some understand their job and do what is necessary without being asked while others are waiting to be told what to do.

waiting to be told

Waiting To Be Told

If you have been working for any length of time, you have probably witnessed this. For the most part, any new employee needs to be told what to do in the beginning, right? Unless they have worked that exact job before, there are things they need to be told first.

They probably need to know WHAT to do, WHY, WHEN, and HOW they are to do it, and maybe a few other tips. Once they get this, they should be able to go forward on their own with only occasional guidance along the way.

Still Waiting…

The problem is that some employees are still waiting to be told what to do. You probably know some of these people where you work. Maybe they work for you. No matter how many times they have read the job description or listened to the training, they refuse to take action on their own. They can sometimes be found actually standing around because no one stopped to tell them what to do next! It really amazes (and frustrates) me!

To be clear, I am not talking about waiting to be told about NEW tasks, responsibilities, or ideas. As employees are being developed for promotion or more responsibility, they need to be taught more. They cannot know the new stuff until it is taught to them. I am only now talking about what they already know (or should know) they are to be doing.

What About Us?

So now that I have you worked up and as frustrated as I am, let’s (again) turn this around to be about us. You probably knew this was coming, didn’t you? For the sake of this discussion, we are the “employees” in this picture and God is the “employer”.

As you go through the rest of this post, ask yourself if you are acting just like one of these employees. Ask yourself if you are “standing around” waiting to be told by God (again) what He wants you to do. Be honest with yourself and allow Him to guide you. He will show you what He wants you to see.

Examples

Let’s take an easy example to start with.

Our “handbook” (the Bible) says that we are to love God (Matthew 22:37-40), right? This is called the Greatest Commandment and we should all be aware of it by now. We have probably read it many times and have likely heard sermons (training) on it as well.

So, are you DOING it? Are you really LOVING God? Are you doing it with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength? OR are you waiting to be told again that you are to do this?

If I am honest in answering these questions for myself, then I would say I am doing it sometimes and I am trying to do it other times. I can’t really say that at any point in time I am sitting around waiting to be told again to love God. I think I have a passing grade here, but not by much.

Another Example!

Let’s get a little tougher. We have all likely heard of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) as well, right? We are told here to go and make disciples of all nations. Again, we have read it and heard many sermons on it. I doubt there are any of us that can honestly claim ignorance here.

So, again I ask the question. Are you DOING it? Are you truly making disciples? Are you mentoring someone in the Christian walk? Are you engaging your employees, co-workers, and others in Christian ministry? Are you teaching what you have been taught?

In the past, I could answer this question with an easy “Yes!” without blinking an eye. Lately, I have allowed distractions to creep in and now I am unable to answer with confidence. What about you? Have you made an effort? Have you allowed distractions to interfere?

More Examples!

I won’t go into detail with each of the following areas from our “handbook,” but I will at least list them and let you ask yourself the questions. Think about each category and ask yourself the tough questions. Where are you waiting to be told what to do? If that is difficult for you or if you think you will go too easy on yourself, ask someone else to help you. Maybe that can be the start of a discipling relationship!

Evangelism (Acts 1:8)

Tithing (Matthew 23:23)

Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-44)

Forgive your enemies (Luke 17:4)

Praying for others (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Bible study (2 Timothy 2:15)

Take Action!

When you have had enough abuse for one day and you are ready to close out this post, stop and do one more thing. Decide on one, only one, of these areas and commit to do something!

Commit to make at least one change. Start doing something that you already know you should be doing. It will be the first step down a great and rewarding path!

Where are you doing what you know you should be doing?

Where are you waiting to be told what to do?

What are you going to do about it?

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Are You A Bridge Builder Of Relationships?

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Many of my posts on this blog are directed at Christian business owners or leaders who can choose how they share their Christian faith at work. Normally, they are not prohibited from doing so. But what about others of you? How are you to accomplish the same results when you are limited in how you share? I think the answer is in becoming a relationship bridge builder.

relationships

Limited In Sharing Christian Faith?

What I am about to share applies to all Christians, not just those in jobs where their Christian faith is unwelcome. The strategy works in virtually every situation. However, for the purposes of this post, I am going to direct my comments to those who ARE limited in sharing their Christian faith at work.

Daniel – Slave In Babylon

I want to start by looking at Daniel 1. In this chapter, we find out that Daniel is one of the exiles from Israel that was brought to Babylon to serve in the king’s court. Can you think of a more worldly job than to serve on the court of the king that just conquered Israel? Me either!

As we read on, we learn that Daniel was faced with defiling himself with the king’s food. Instead of compromise, Daniel persuaded the king’s chief official to allow he and his friends to eat vegetables instead of the offensive food.

This strategy worked. As a result, Daniel and his friends proved to be healthier than the other exiles. In fact, as servants in the court, they were found to be ten times better than any of the others.

While there is much to be learned from the entire book of Daniel about living out your Christian faith in a secular environment, I want to focus on just this one example. I encourage you to read the rest of the book of Daniel on your own for more learning.

Daniel – Bridge Builder

The point I want to make here is that Daniel was a bridge builder.

Daniel was not seen walking around the king’s palace with a bull horn, screaming about the injustices of having to eat something that conflicted with his Christian faith. He did not raise a stink by filing a petition with the king.

Neither was he seen silently sulking about his predicament. He did not whine about it or make excuses about why he could not be intentional or proactive about his faith!

Intentional Relationships

Instead, he pulled the king’s chief official off to the side and made a deal with him. Daniel knew the chief’s motivation was to look good in front of the king. Daniel played to this and built a relationship with this official that served to meet both of their needs.

Notice a couple of points here. Daniel and his friends were rewarded by God for their faithfulness. He gave them favor with the chief official. He gave them knowledge and wisdom and He gave them favor with the king in future chapters when Daniel was able to interpret dreams for him.

At the same time, it is clear that Daniel continued to operate as a servant in the king’s court. He did so by doing his job and doing it well, better than any around him. As a result, he was able to establish relationships that would later result in the king actually saying the following:

Your God is indeed God of gods, Lord of kings!
Daniel 2:47

Relationships In The Workplace

What we need to understand is how to take this example and replicate it in our workplaces. If we can do this, there are some amazing possibilities. People you think would be the last to acknowledge God will shock you with their turn-around!

If you want to see the results Daniel saw, then you need to do what he did.

1.) Trust God.
Rather than fretting over his circumstances (his home country was ransacked and he was carried into slavery), Daniel trusted God for His will to be done. Daniel remained faithful to God, but did so in a way that allowed him to build relationships where he was. He put his full faith in God and relied on Him for the results.

We need to do the same thing in our jobs. Even when it looks like there is no way we can influence others toward God, we need to trust God that He knows a way. Keep your eyes open and be on the lookout for the relationships He will use.

2.) Do your job better than anyone else!
Rather than throwing a pity party at the limits he faced in his new surroundings, Daniel threw himself into his job and did it better than anyone around him. He did not just get by, but excelled. This excellence helped with his bridge-building, at first with the court official and later with the king himself!

Take this same approach with your job. It doesn’t matter that your boss or owner is not a Christian. Work harder and smarter than anyone around you and set yourself apart. The reward will come – probably in a way you least expect it. And it may be more than you could hope for!

3.) Reach out.
Daniel did not allow his circumstances to dictate how he would exercise his faith. He was bold and reached out to those around him. I am sure Daniel had no idea that his plan to do so would eventually put him in front of the king. He simply knew that God had placed him there for a purpose and he knew that relationships could help with that purpose.

You and I need to think the same way. The relationships we build may be the ones that allow us to share our faith right there OR they may lead to other relationships that will. Either way, we must be bold and reach out to build them. God will use them!

Have you seen the evangelistic benefit of building relationships?

Can you look back and see missed relationship opportunities?

Who do you know right now that you need to reach out to?

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Are You To Be An Active Or Passive Witness?

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In many of the small groups I have been in over the years, there is one question that has come up quite often. This may not be the most popular question or even the most passionately argued, but it does come up a lot. The question is this – are you to be an active or passive witness?

witness

Passive Witness Camp

To be more clear, there are usually one or two people in the group that get a little uncomfortable when the subject of evangelism comes up for discussion. Immediately, they get images of standing on the street corner with bullhorn in hand and shouting out warnings to those passing by.

Maybe their picture is more subtle, but just as uncomfortable for them. Either way, they usually say something like, “I don’t have the gift of evangelism.” Maybe they say, “I don’t like to talk about my faith.”

Many suggest, “I think we should just live our Christian life by example. We should not have to tell people what and why we believe. They should know it by the way we live.”

Are these people in the “passive witness” camp wrong?

Active Witness Camp

Before you answer, let’s look at the other camp. When this discussion about our responsibility to witness comes up, these others jump all over it! They are quick to talk about the number of times they have shared Jesus with some complete stranger, a customer, or maybe a childhood friend.

They can tell crazy stories about how people have accepted Jesus as a result of them simply asking an innocent question that led to an intense conversation about eternity. This discussion really gets the people in the “active witness” camp fired up!

Are they wrong?

Who Is Right?

So what is the answer?

Are you to be an active or passive witness?

Fortunately for you, I have the answer! That answer is “Yes!”

Active And Passive Witness!

Yes, you are to be an active witness. Yes, you are to be a passive witness. You are to witness both actively AND passively! Neither of these options is acceptable only by itself. If we are to be fully committed disciples of Jesus, then we are to witness in every way available to us.

Sure, there are some personalities that are naturally more outgoing. These people will most likely witness to people in situations where the less outgoing may be uncomfortable. That is fine.

However, that does not remove the responsibility from the less outgoing! It only means that these people need to be more intentional about building relationships with the lost around them for the purpose of eventually talking to them about Jesus and their eternity.

The Workplace Needs Active!

When you look at the statistics of the workplace, Barna reports that roughly 40% of the U.S. adult population is unchurched. That means there are plenty of people around you in the workplace that need what you have. They need you to share your faith.

If you do not already have a solid relationship with them that would allow you to do this, then you need to get to work! Start intentionally working on your relationship with them. Get creative, but get closer. Of course, you are to do this with a sincere desire to touch their heart, not for a tally mark in your Bible.

The point here is that you are to be active as a witness for Jesus. Using a bullhorn is not the only way to do this. Whatever your personality or circumstances, find a method that plays to your strengths. Then start!

Example Still Necessary

And for you “active witness” campers, do not let your natural ability to witness to others overshadow the need for you to also live out your faith by example! Whatever your personality, you are also called to live a godly life as an example for those who are watching.

This means your business practices are to be above reproach. You are to walk what you talk! You are to live out all that Jesus has commanded us – in every facet of your life.

You are not free to live as you please simply because you are good at approaching complete strangers with the truth of the gospel. Your witness and your example should go hand in hand!

Scripture Backup

I will leave you with a few verses that can serve as back-up for what we have discussed here. There are plenty more where these came from, but this is a good start!

You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lamp stand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Philippians 1:27

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
1 Peter 3:15

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How To Win The Lottery

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Have you ever thought about actually winning the lottery? Have you allowed your mind to wander into the thoughts about what you would do with the money? In my last post, I posed the question, “What if you won the lottery?”. In discussing the answer to that question, we looked at all of the various ways we could use the money. Today, I will show you HOW to win!

lottery

How To Win

Without taking the time for the necessary drumroll or hoopla, I will dive right in and tell you how you can win the lottery. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I want you to stop right now and follow these two steps:

1.) Close your eyes.

2.) Open your eyes.

Presto! You are now a lottery winner!

Lottery Winner?

Don’t believe me? Take a look around. If you are reading this blog right now, you are among the top 34% of the world population simply because you have access to the internet. Not good enough for you?

Let’s look a little further. While there are certainly exceptions, I am going to assume you have an annual income of more than $10,000 per year. If so, you are among the world’s top 15% richest. Let that sink in.

If you make more than $25,000 a year, that ranking jumps you to the top 2% of the world’s richest! That means 98% of the world’s population makes less money per year than you do! No kidding. (Go to http://www.globalrichlist.com to see your own income ranked! )

Disagree?

So, please tell me how it is that you think you have not already won the lottery?

Clearly, virtually everyone reading this post has huge wealth advantages over the vast majority of the rest of the world. There really is no way to argue that. So now, let’s go back and review some of our thoughts from the last post.

Previous Statements

We agreed that many of us have made some of the following statements about what we would do if we won the lottery. How do these statements look now…?

I would tithe on the income!

I would give away a huge portion of the income!

I would not have any debt!

If I could not afford it with the lottery income, then I would not buy it!

My expenses would never outrun my income!

I would carve out a portion for savings for those unexpected expenses!

I would not fall into the trap of trying to keep up with the Jones’!

I would set aside a portion to help those around me in crisis!

How Do You Feel?

What are your thoughts now? Do you see any hypocrisy in the above statements or do you feel good about how you are handling your wealth? I have to admit to having bruised toes myself.

So, what should we do? What does the Bible say about how we should handle our wealth? Good question. Let’s look.

Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good reserve for the age to come, so that they may take hold of life that is real.
1 Timothy 6:17-19

We ARE The Rich!

Folks, If you have read this passage before and not realized it was talking directly to you, then you are not alone. Typically, when we read this, we think of all those people that are richer than we are.

However, as we see in the statistics above, we ARE those who are “rich in this present age.” So, what are we doing with that wealth? What are we doing with the businesses we own or operate?

Are we “rich in good works”? Are we “generous, willing to share”?

Are we “storing up for ourselves a good reserve for the age to come”?

Use Of Wealth?

When you read that last question, what comes to mind for you? For me, it is the following verses that I have used frequently on this site. Take a look:

If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.
1 Corinthians 3:14-15

Eternal Impact

We are to be using the wealth WE ALREADY HAVE to be rich in good works, generous, and willing to share. We are to use this wealth to store up a reserve of reward that will last into eternity – eternal impact!

As I have said before, we are to be multiplying silhouettes – adding to the kingdom. In this way, we give God the only currency he wants – more souls to spend eternity with Him.

We have to take a look at our current “lottery” income and resources. We have to do a deep search into our hearts to make sure we are using what He has given us for His purposes.

What comes to mind when you think about your situation?

What do you wish you had done differently in the past?

What do you need to change now?

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What Will Your Funeral Look Like?

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I have said many times before that I am a reader. I love reading and learning new things. For some reason, it is a burning desire of mine. However, there is something I love more than reading – that is being able to actually apply what I have learned in a way that changes how I live! The best example of this came from Stephen Covey and the image of my funeral!

funeral

Start With The End In Mind

If you are a reader and also a leader in the business world, then the likelihood is high that you have read Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If you have not, please stop now and go get it. His writing is a lot better than mine!

Well, if you are still with me, then I assume you have read Covey’s book. One of my favorite parts of the book was called “Start with the end in mind.” In this section, Covey recommended that we imagine our own funeral and what is being said about us. He then went on to effectively say that we should determine what it is we want people to say about us and begin living that way.

When I combined this idea with Scripture that talks about the rewards in eternity versus the futility of chasing what this world offers, I began to form a picture of what I wanted my life to look like.

“Well Done”

In fact, the one thing I am most driven to hear said about my life is, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your Master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21)

The challenge with hearing this is making sure to focus on those things with which He wants me to be faithful. I have to tell you, He is not concerned with the money I stack up or the luxuries I accumulate. He is not going to praise me for my wealth or my fame.

He Wants Eternal Impact

He already owns all of that and does not need any more from me.

What Jesus wants from me is eternal impact. He wants me to leverage all that He has given me in a way that points more people to Him. He wants me to spend every ounce of energy and effort that I have in me to increase the number of souls in eternity with Him. I picture these as silhouettes HERE.

Your Funeral?

So, if we go back to Covey’s illustration of our funeral, I think there is something you need to think about. As you picture yourself lying there and your funeral is in progress, what is going through your mind? What are you proud of? What are your regrets?

If your funeral was happening today, would you be pleased with how you finished?

The Difference

When we reach the end of this life, we will all wish we had done more ministry. None of us will wish we had done more business. The difference is that the person with the eternal perspective recognizes this now and tries to live accordingly.

What is God leading you to change?

Have you ever taken the time to imagine your own funeral?

Were you pleased with what you saw?

What would you want to change?

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My Life Purpose Is Multiplying Silhouettes!

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Add Silhouettes

What is your life purpose? What actually motivates you to fulfill that life purpose? When the going gets really tough and you are tempted to give in, what thought do you cling to for the strength to keep pressing forward? While you think about the answers to those questions, I am going to share my answers to those same questions. Maybe my answers will help you think through yours!

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Apostle Paul And Marketplace Ministry, Part 3

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In my last two posts, we have been looking at an example of marketplace ministry from the life of the Apostle Paul. I showed you how the Apostle Paul set an example for us in the marketplace of Athens. I also reviewed the first two steps in Paul’s 4 step process of sharing the gospel in the marketplace. In today’s post, I want to break down the last two steps of this four-step marketplace ministry method and how we can apply it in our current-day Christian business settings.

marketplace ministry

Paul’s Marketplace Ministry In Acts

As a refresher, please take another moment to read the passage – Acts 17:16-34. As a reminder, here are the first two steps from last post:

Step #1 – Be observant and sensitive to your surroundings.

Step #2 – Listen to what they say.

Now let’s move on to the final two steps…

Step #3 – Use their language to communicate your message.

Paul – If you remember back in Step #1, Paul had observed an altar “To An Unknown God.” While this may seem silly to us, it was obviously important to his audience. Rather than mocking them for their rampant idol worship, Paul used that very altar to lead into his discussion on the one, true God.

He went on in his message and talked about how God is not one dwells in temples built by human hands. As a society worshipping many gods, they were very familiar with temples and had many scattered around Athens. Finally, Paul even mentioned (and quoted) their own poets.

Application – We are called by God to be separate and different than the society in which we live. At the same time, we should follow Paul’s example and be familiar enough with the “language” of this society that we can carry on meaningful conversations. Too often, we act like we cannot even associate with “those people” that we see as sinners and non-believers.

If you read about Jesus’ ministry here on earth, you will quickly see that “those people” are the very ones with which he associated. We are to do the same, talking to them in ways they understand, not in “churchy” language that confuses them.

Step #4 – Tell them the simple truth.

Paul – Paul observed their surroundings, listened to what they had to say, and tailored his message to their language. What he did not do is water down the gospel message. He did not skip over the resurrection because it might “offend” or cause them to ridicule him. He did not acknowledge their beliefs as another option for salvation.

In his marketplace ministry, Paul stuck to the simple truth of the gospel message. He did not swerve from it to the right or the left. The results? Some sneered and others mocked him. But still others came to believe and followed him to learn more.

Application – There is so much pressure today to show tolerance for other religious views. Christians are ridiculed for believing that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father. As a result, many Christians (even some pastors!) retreat from this message and water down the gospel. I think this is simply a tragedy.

Our responsibility is not to modify or reduce the gospel message to one that is more easily swallowed by a stiff-necked crowd. We DO need to present it in a way that is understandable by the crowd. Otherwise, we may as well leave it written in Latin. But to go beyond this and CHANGE the message itself is not acceptable.

Stick with the simple truth and God will honor your efforts. Even if you are another Jeremiah without a single convert, you cannot lose heart. Only the Holy Spirit can do the work in their hearts. Our job is to cast the seed. The rest is up to Him!

Do you see how you can engage in marketplace ministry?

What does it look like in your situation?

What obstacles are holding you back?

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Apostle Paul And Marketplace Ministry

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For the past nine years, I have been attempting to run our business from an eternal perspective – effectively using it as a platform for Christian ministry. Unfortunately, this is not very common and therefore I often find myself explaining exactly what I mean by marketplace ministry. Today, in an effort to shed more light on this, I want to take a look at an example of marketplace ministry in the life of the Apostle Paul.

marketplace ministry

Paul The Tentmaker

We know from Acts 18:3 that Paul was a tentmaker by trade. We don’t necessarily know how much of his time was spent making tents versus doing ministry, but it is clear that tent making was his occupation. The following verse refers to Paul coming to stay with Aquila and Priscilla.

Paul came to them, and being of the same occupation, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Acts 18:3

Because we don’t necessarily know how much time Paul spent making tents, I am not going to attempt to draw an exact parallel between Paul’s ministry and a current-day Christian business. That is not the point of this post at all.

Marketplace Ministry

Instead, I simply want to broaden your understanding and awareness of the existence of (and need for) marketplace ministry – dating all the way back to the days of early church. Then I want to give you some simple tips, based on Paul’s example, for following Paul’s example in your business today.

First, let’s take a look at another passage in Acts, only one chapter before the verse mentioned above. This passage is too long to include in this post, so I will ask you to take a moment and CLICK HERE to read Acts 17:16-34. It will only take you a minute!

Paul Was Troubled

What is the first thing you read about Paul’s mindset in verse 16? It says his spirit was troubled or that he was greatly distressed. His problem was the rampant worship of idols in Athens. I am not sure what exactly brought this to his attention or whether it was related to his tent making. It really is not important.

The point of this is that Paul’s spirit was troubled at the worship of idols in Athens and so he went into the marketplace everyday to reason with those who were there. Don’t you think Paul would feel the same way today if he witnessed our marketplaces? Don’t you think his spirit would be troubled?

Are You Troubled?

If so, is yours? Paul told us to follow his example as he followed the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). If this is indeed what we should be doing, don’t you think our spirits should be troubled as well by the worship of idols in our marketplaces? Shouldn’t we be distressed?

Let’s assume for the moment that you agree with me on this and your spirit IS troubled.

What next?

What are you to do about it?

Paul And Marketplace Ministry

Well, those are good questions. For the answer, let’s take a look at what Paul did. Going back to the passage from Acts 17, we see in verses 17-18 that Paul did not just sit still when his spirit became troubled. Instead he went right to the people (some in the synagogue, some in the marketplace) and met them where they were.

It is certainly possible that he did this by turning his tent-making business into a marketplace ministry. Unfortunately, there is not enough detail in this passage to determine whether or not that is true. All we do know is that he did put himself in the middle of the marketplace and began sharing the simple message of the gospel.

Initial Response

The initial response to what Paul was saying was curiosity. The people told him that they wanted to hear more about this “new teaching” he was proclaiming. As a result, Paul was given the opportunity to talk to the very leaders and authorities in the marketplace (the Areopagus).

Results?

What were the results?

Well, some sneered and mocked him. They were not interested in what he had to say and they made it clear with their response. Others, however, believed him and began to follow Paul to learn more.

They Need What We Have

Folks, when you break it down, it is really this simple. The majority of the people in the marketplace today need the message that we have. They need to know the truth and we have it! All that remains is for us to begin going into the marketplace and sharing this message.

Different Methods, Same Ministry

This will look different for some than it will for others. We all have different opportunities and skills for entering marketplace ministry. God has determined this according to His will and we are only charged with following His lead. I encourage you to begin praying about how He can use YOU in this effort.

In my next post, we are going to break down Paul’s actual 4-step method from this passage and try to apply it to our current day marketplace ministry opportunities.

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Why Acknowledge Christ In Christmas?

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acknowledge ChristIn a couple of recent posts, I have been giving examples of how to acknowledge Christ in business – especially during the Christmas season. I told you about how we let our light shine by painting “Merry Christmas” on our showroom windows. I also described how I first started to acknowledge Christ through gospel presentations at the company Christmas party. While I have another example to share, I first want to explore the “why” behind our actions.

What Does the Bible Say?

As is a habit of mine, I want to go to the Bible to find direction in this area. Let’s take a look at the words of Jesus.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
– Matthew 5:14-16

Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
– Matthew 10:32

What Does This Mean?

What does this Scripture mean to you? I am sure you have likely heard it before…have you ever taken the time to really think about what it means to you? Have you considered how this may apply to you and your business? How are you to acknowledge Christ before others?

I think these verses are very clear. We are not to keep our faith to ourselves. We are to let our lights shine, not hide them! While this idea can be executed in various ways, it is up to us to do something.

Marketing?

I will go on the record that I do not think it is good for us to “market” our faith as a reason for consumers to patronize our businesses. I know there is a fine line here. What I may do, thinking I am not “marketing”, others may consider as going too far.

I do not know of any hard and fast rules here. This needs to be according to your best judgment after prayer. If you know of any Scripture that would help to answer this question, please share in the comments area.

How to Acknowledge Christ

Christian ministryThere are as many ideas on how to acknowledge Christ in your business as there are translations of the Bible! We will continue to explore many of these opportunities through this blog as we go. However, Christmas brings especially good opportunities to acknowledge Christ. I have discussed a couple of them in prior posts.

Another idea came to me just last weekend from a business acquaintance, Chris Zikakis, owner of Lompoc Honda in Lompoc, CA. He had his advertising agency, Radio Vision, Inc, produce a simple TV ad. The ad encourages the viewer to acknowledge Christ as “our most precious gift” and “the very Son of God” in a Christmas setting.

Once I saw the ad, I knew I had to share it with my readers. I emailed Chris to ask his permission. He responded that he would love for me to even go as far as having it modified for our dealership to use. He said his goal was to get the ad in front of as many dealers as he could in the hopes that they would use it as well!

I contacted Joe Pollaro at Radio Vision and asked if he could produce the ad quickly enough to begin running it the week before Christmas. Incredibly, Joe was able to make it happen! Below, you can take a look at the resulting ad.

I personally love this ad because it does not ask for anything from the viewer relating to business. It is not an effort to sell cars or anything else. It is simply a way to acknowledge Christ before others!

What are your thoughts about the ad?

What can you do in a similar fashion through your business?

What obstacles do you need to overcome in order to make something like this happen?

Originally posted 12/19/11 – The TV ad is updated for 2013.

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What Is A Ministry Superstar?

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Recently, I wrote a post called, “How Do You Become A Ministry Superstar?” that generated a variety of responses. Some of the comments and responses questioned the idea of a “superstar” and the negative characteristics that are commonly associated with that term. In an effort to clarify my picture of a ministry superstar, I thought a follow-up post was in order. I hope the following will shed more light on how I see a ministry superstar.

ministry superstar

C12 Group Material

In my earlier post, I borrowed the following three characteristics of a ministry superstar from a talk given by Buck Jacobs, founder of the C12 Group. In this talk, Jacobs was trying to communicate the need for Christian business owners and leaders to step up and use their businesses as platforms for ministry. Here is how he described those who have done this in a huge way:

    1. Ministry Superstars have a God-focused company mission statement. These mission statements point to God as they clarify the reason for the existence of the company and serve as tools to aid in the decision-making process.

    2. Ministry Superstars lead! These stand-outs are not the type to stand back and wait for direction from someone else. They are intentional and choose to take action on their faith. You will not find mere pew-warmers in this group!

    3. Ministry Superstars have an intimate, daily quiet time with God. Someone that fits in this category does not allow dust to accumulate on their Bible. They are so in tune with God because they are intentional about reading and studying the Bible and spending time in prayer every day.

What Other Qualities?

Assuming this is a valid list of characteristics, what type of person do you think you will find in this group? If these qualities are present to a fairly high degree in the members of this group, what other qualities do you think you will find?

Well, this is not an exact science, but I have an idea of what other qualities I think we would find. We are looking at a group of individuals who spend daily time reading and studying the Bible, truly seeking to do God’s will in their lives. As a result, the odds are high that these people recognize the need to follow the example of Jesus (1 John 2:6).

Other Ministry Superstar Traits

Following that logic, let’s take a look at the rest of the traits we could use to describe these ministry superstars.

1. They have an eternal perspective (John 6:27).

2. They submit to the Holy Spirit to seek and save that which is lost (Luke 19:10).

3. They are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

4. They are obedient – fulfilling the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandments.

5. They come to serve, not to be served (Matthew 20:28).

Though this is not an exhaustive list, I think you can get a good picture of what a ministry superstar looks like. We are not (necessarily) talking about someone in the limelight with media attention focused on their ministry.

No, these people that we are describing could be business owners with just a handful of employees or they could have thousands. The size or fame of their ministry activity is totally irrelevant! It is more about their effort and activity in relation to their God-given potential.

Willing To Trade

A true ministry superstar understands that this life is a small segment of their eternal existence. They are willing to trade immediate reward for eternal treasure. They accept that, while still on earth, the following may or may not result from their Christian ministry:

    1. Recognition, here and now.

    2. Prosperity, here and now.

    3. Friends / Reputation, here and now.

    4. Rest / Comfort, here and now.

While any (or all) of these results may occur for the ministry superstars during their life here on earth, these are not their focuses or goals.

Ministry Superstar’s Ultimate Goal

The ultimate goal of a Ministry Superstar is really only one thing. It is one simple phrase spoken by Jesus when telling one of his many parables.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.” – Matthew 25:21

Do you consider yourself to be on the path to becoming a Ministry Superstar?

If not, what parts are you missing?

Do you know a ministry superstar from whom you can learn?