Tag Archives: share your faith

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Tim Tebow: Through My Eyes – Free Give Away!

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[title color=”orange-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”georgia” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-7em”]Free Book Give Away!!![/title]

Tim Tebow

Another Free Book Give Away?

You read that right! I am offering a free copy of Tim Tebow’s book, Through My Eyes!

How Do You Win?

If you scroll down just a bit you will see the Rafflecopter entry form which outlines a bunch of ways to enter the Tim Tebow: Through My Eyes giveaway. Just complete as many as you would like to be entered to win!

Why Am I Doing This?

I started this blog in an effort to spread the message of integrating the Christian faith into our businesses. I want to see more Christian business owners and leaders begin looking at their businesses from an eternal perspective and running them as platforms for Christian ministry.

While I know my posts are written toward this effort, I thought I would try to step it up a notch for 2013. My plan is to give away one book a month for the entire year! All I am asking from you is to follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. As you enter, you will be helping me to spread the word about this blog at the same time. We both win!

This Month’s Book- Tim Tebow: Through My Eyes

Former University of Florida star quarterback, 2010 first-round draft pick for the Denver Broncos, and devout Christian Tim Tebow tells the story of his faith, his life, and his career in football in Through My Eyes. Written with Nathan Whitaker, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Quiet Strength, with Tony Dungy, Through My Eyes gives fans a first look into the heart of an athlete whose talent and devotion have made him one of the most provocative figures in football.

Enter The Give Away

Follow the instructions below to enter the Tim Tebow: Through My Eyes contest and then spread the word to others! The contest ends at midnight on Tuesday, April 30th and the winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 1st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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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Final Lessons From David Green Of Hobby Lobby

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This is my third and final post in a series I am doing on lessons we can learn from David Green, Founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby. Recently, I shared an article from The High Calling (a Christian blog community) which was an in-depth interview of David Green. Because the article was so long itself, I did not expound on it in that post. Instead, I am taking a more detailed look in this short series of posts.

David Green

David Green

As I said before, I have never met David Green. Maybe one day I will be able to meet him and learn more about his Christian approach to business! Until then, I will simply do the best I can by reading various articles (and soon, his book More Than a Hobby). As I do this, I will attempt to apply what I learn. I will also share it here on this blog.

In reviewing the interview article I mentioned above, I found what I believe to be 15 clear lessons for anyone attempting to integrate faith and business. Though each of us has different situations and challenges, I think you will quickly see that these lessons span across industries and business sizes.

I have already written two posts covering the first 10 of these lessons. Hopefully you have learned something (again or for the first time!) that you can apply to your situation. In today’s post, we will cover the final five lessons.

#11 – Be bold about your faith.

This lesson will likely contradict what some of us have been taught – don’t mix business and religion. However, I think you need to hear exactly what David Green is saying here. Hobby Lobby does not ask about beliefs when hiring. There is not a faith requirement for employment.

However, he is committed to telling everyone – employees included – about his faith. A Christian business is not one made up only of Christians. Instead, it is a business in which the leadership or ownership sees the eternal need in all of us and seeks to share the One that will meet that need!

#12 – Have a clear statement of purpose.

Does your business have a Christ-centered mission statement or statement of purpose? If not, have you thought through the benefits of creating such a statement? I would encourage you to take the time and seek God’s guidance in this area. I think you will be surprised at the results.

David Green mentioned the Hobby Lobby Statement of Purpose. This statement effectively answers the question, “Why does this company exist?” This statement not only serves as a great roadmap for determining strategic direction, but can also be used in making the tough decisions we face every day.

#13 – Trials are good for us.

Two statements that David Green made when discussing the tough times in 1985 stood out to me.

At that time, I learned more than I ever learned in my life.

I know I couldn’t handle all of the success today, if I hadn’t gone through that.

Folks, James tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials. This is what he is talking about. David Green makes it clear that he is thankful for the trials. He knows the value they brought him. If we are willing to learn, God can do the same with us.

#14 – Recognize you are a steward.

I am not supposed to choose favorites among these lessons, but I think I might have to at least hint at this one! At the same time, I will resist the urge to take the next 45 minutes of your time sharing my thoughts on this subject.

The Bible says that the earth and everything in it is God’s. We do not own anything! This includes our businesses, regardless of what the stock certificates may reflect. As a result, we are merely stewards of these businesses for the time God gives us. As stewards, we should be asking how God would have us use them for His glory and eternal impact.

David Green and his family have gone to great lengths to make sure this is clear among them. If you noticed, he described how the company is technically in their names, but they have all agreed (and signed) that they have no rights to any money from the stock. They earn their compensation through whatever jobs they hold – not through the value of the stock.

Whether you are willing to go to this length or not, you truly need to recognize that you do not own your business. Begin the mental and emotional process of acknowledging this fact to God and see what He does. I think you will be amazed.

#15 – Trust in God.

Though the above lesson is my favorite in the bunch, this one trumps them all. If you are not able to apply this lesson, then you will not be able to stick it out with any of the others for very long. For you to truly live out any of these other lessons, there are some basic assumptions you must accept first.

    God is good.
    You are a child of God.
    God has your best interests in mind.
    God is perfectly faithful.

If you will accept these truths in your heart, then you will KNOW that you can trust God. When you trust God, you will follow His lead regardless of the apparent consequences – even when others may be advising you in a different direction. David Green made decisions against the advice of some Christian professionals because he knew clearly what God was asking him to do. That is trust!

What lessons would you add from the article?

Which one(s) stands out to you?

What actions do you need to take as a result of these lessons?

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An Interview With David Green Of Hobby Lobby

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David GreenWhen I started this blog, I had several purposes in mind. They are listed in more detail below. As I look back at these purposes, I think think I have stayed true to them over the past 14+ months. Yet there are times when I run across a resource that does a much better job of communicating these purposes than I can. One of these resources is an article about David Green, Founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby.

David Green Article

For today’s post, I am going to do something I have not done before. I am simply going to refer you to that article. If I thought I could do a better job communicating this idea of Christian business better than David Green of Hobby Lobby, then I would try. Since I cannot, I will just allow you to read it directly from him.

I encourage you to read the whole article, though it is longer than my normal posts. Even if you have to save it for later, I promise you it is worth the time and effort.

I hope you enjoy the article!

Article: A Candid Interview With David Green

Hobby Lobby Statement of Purpose: HobbyLobby.com

The Christian Faith At Work blog has several purposes…

  • Enlighten – I am writing this to open the eyes of Christian business owners and leaders everywhere to the fact that we are called to more than just Sunday Christianity. We are called to be disciples of His the rest of the week as well.
  • Educate – I am writing this to share what I have learned over the years and what I continue to learn going forward. I want to share resources that I have found to be helpful. I want come alongside others and learn with them as well.
  • Encourage – I am writing this to encourage others that have chosen a similar path to mine. Whether through relating my successes or failures, I hope other disciples of Jesus will draw strength, encouragement, hope, and wisdom from the content here.
  • Enlist – My hope is that, as a result of reading this blog (and more importantly listening to God), others will decide to take the same path. I believe this is my part in going and making disciples!
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Are You A Missionary Or An Impostor?

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For the past year or so I have been writing this blog, one of the ideas I have been trying to explain is that we are all called to play the part of minister or missionary. I believe that, as Christian business owners and leaders, we are just as called to ministry as those on the church staff. While I have argued this from several angles, the following quote from C.H. Spurgeon makes our mission clear!

Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.
– C.H. Spurgeon

missionary

Your Reaction?

What is your reaction to that quote? Do you say, “Yeah! I buy that!” or do you say, “Huh? That can’t be right.” when you read it?

I think most of us would agree that the truth of this quote rests on how we define one word – missionary. If we immediately assume that a missionary is someone living in a hut in the jungle of South America, then I would have to disagree with Spurgeon. I personally do not believe we are all called to leave our homelands and run off to some remote region for mission work.

Another thought from many is that a missionary may be someone that stays in their homeland, but they certainly quit their job and live off of the support of others. Maybe they volunteer full-time in a ministry or even live on the streets in an effort to reach those who have no other choice.

Dictionary Definition

What does the dictionary say?

missionary

Missionary = Leave Home?

Most people think that being a missionary requires leaving wherever they currently live and work to go somewhere else and spread the gospel. As you can see, this definition does not specify leaving anything. We can be missionaries if we are (1) on a mission, and (2) in a territory! Who says your “territory” can’t be where you are right now?

Most people have never considered this possibility that THEY could actually be a missionary without changing their address or their job.

I Felt The Same!

I have to admit I was a member of that group at one point! In fact, I went so far as to try to walk away from our family business because it never occurred to me that I could do ministry and business at the same time! Once God showed me the two can coexist, I have been a missionary in the marketplace!

In light of this revelation, I see Spurgeon’s quote as on target. If we are truly disciples of Jesus Christ, then a change has occurred in our lives. If this change is real, then there is no way we should be able to stay quiet about it. If the love of God is in us, then we cannot help but spread that love to those around us.

Changed By Impact!

David Platt described it this way. Imagine a friend of yours walked up to you and apologized for being late to meet you for dinner. Imagine they offered the excuse that they were changing a flat tire on their car when an eighteen-wheeler hit them from behind. They go on to tell you that though it really hurt, they got up, dusted themselves off, and finished changing the flat tire so they could finally meet you for dinner.

Would you believe them? Would you think they were nuts? Certainly someone that has been hit by an eighteen-wheeler would look and act differently after that impact, don’t you think?

Well, Platt asks, shouldn’t someone that has come face to face with Jesus, the creator of the universe, look differently as well? Should we not be forever changed as a result of our salvation?

Changed By Salvation!

If this is true, it would be reasonable to expect someone that experienced a life-saving experience with Jesus to share that experience with others, regardless of the setting or circumstances. Someone filled with God’s love should be eager to share it with anyone in their immediate circle of influence – and beyond!

Today, I encourage you to be a missionary right where you are! I am not suggesting you take a bullhorn to work, but that you start spreading the love of God wherever you go – work, school, or the soccer fields. Spread this love to anyone that needs it. You do this and you are full-fledged missionary!

Have you already realized this truth?

What are you doing differently now versus before?

What is God leading you to do next?

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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?

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What Does Victory Look Like In Christian Business?

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Picture someone right now in the business world, or in your industry, that you respect and admire. This needs to be someone that you see as successful – someone who has seen their share of victory. Maybe it is even someone that you wish you could switch places with (at times). Do you have that person in mind?

Make A List

Okay, now that you have someone in mind, I want you to write down the reasons that you have for seeing them in this light. What is it about them that you wish you could have or experience? How do you measure their success? When you say they have seen their share of victory, what do you mean? Be specific with your list. Don’t leave anything out.

victory

Our Look At Victory

For the last week, we have taken some time to look at victory and come to some conclusions.

Victory In Business?

Today, I want us to take a hard look at what victory actually looks like in a Christian business. While this may sound simple at first, it really is critical. See, if we do not have a crystal clear picture of what it looks like in our business or on our job, then how do we really expect to strive for it or experience it? How can we expect to recognize it when it comes?

Your List

Let’s get back to the person you look up to in the business world.

Take a look at your list and tell me what you see.

Are your observations related to his financial success in his business? Do you connect his acquisition of other businesses to your view of his success? Do you like the fact that he has a reputation within the business world for being shrewd and able to generate strong returns on his investments?

What other items are on your list? Did you mention anything about her involvement in industry associations? Did you list some awards she may have won as a result of her hard work or creative solutions to workplace challenges? Maybe you considered her life-long tenure at the same company as worthy of your respect.

Your View Of Victory In Business

Whatever the case, your list is a rough picture of the way you define victory in business.

The tough question is this…does our list match up well with Scripture? Does it fit with the definition the Bible gives us for victory? Can you make a case for a direct connection between your list and the life and example of Jesus? Are you working toward living a life that does the same?

If you can, congratulations!

If not, there is work to do.

Examples Of Victory In Business

In an effort to help you see this picture with a little more clarity, I have put together a list of actual examples that do match up with the Bible’s definition of victory in business (and life). Take a look and let me know what you think about this list in the comment section at the bottom of the post.

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    – The CEO of a national company is accused of discrimination because his company supports the Bible’s definition of marriage. As a result, at least one major city government is moving to block the company’s expansion into their city. (Read about it here.)

    – The owner of a young construction business chooses to take a risk and hire someone he truly cannot afford for a non-revenue-producing position. He decides hiring a chaplain for his employees is too important to pass up.

    – A company chooses not to match the operating hours of the rest of their competition, forfeiting a huge opportunity for revenue. Instead, they close on Sundays. (Read about it here.)

    – An operations director decides that his call to ministry in the workplace is more important than keeping a job where that is frowned upon. He is fired for his decision and is now on his own to start a business that will glorify God.

    – A corporate manager decides to pursue an online degree in apologetics so that he can be prepared to answer the tough questions he will receive from his clients as he makes more of an effort to share with them the reason for his faith in Jesus.

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Eternal Perspective

If you look closely, you will notice that each of these examples reflect an eternal perspective. While victory may not seem evident right now, each item on the list will still be having a ripple effect 1,000 years from now. This is usually the best indicator of true victory.

The other thing you will notice is that these examples would likely be looked upon as silly or even foolish in most pure business circles. Review this list at any of the nations top business schools and you will likely receive laughter or even be mocked.

God’s View

The truth is that God does not define victory as the world does. In fact, Scripture says that He chooses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise and the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). The experts may not agree with my list, but I am not so concerned with what they think. I hope you see it the same way.

How does your list look to you in hindsight?

Would this list have been different for you 5 years ago? Why?

What do you need to do to change your list?

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How Should A Christian Business Respond To Legal Issues?

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[box]Today’s post is a guest post by Dave Moser, who blogs at Armchair-Theology.net. Dave brings up a great question that more and more Christian business owners may face in the not-so-distant future. Read about the shocking story Dave discusses and think about how you might respond if your Christian business faced these legal issues.[/box]

legal issues

Legal Issues Facing Christian Business

In the realm of religious political discourse in the US, contraceptive/abortifacient funding and gay marriage reign supreme. These push other issues to the side – legal issues that have a huge impact on Christians in the workforce.

What if the government forced you to vindicate sin?

As a photographer, strongly considering photography as a source of income in seminary and if needed as a bi-vocational pastor, I couldn’t help but be touched by this story:

Elane Photography… received an email from a woman in a same-sex relationship inquiring about prices for shooting her and her partner’s “commitment ceremony” in Taos. The photographer knew that she could not in good conscience use her artistic skills to photograph a ceremony that communicated support for redefining marriage. Although the same-sex couple found another photographer for their ceremony, one of the partners filed a discrimination complaint with the state, subjecting the owners to a trial before the Human Rights Commission.

The owners explained that they tried to operate their business according to their higher principles, including those on marriage. The commission rejected their First Amendment defenses, found the company guilty, and ordered it to pay $6,600 in attorneys’ fees. The case is now on appeal and awaiting a decision by the New Mexico Court of Appeals.
– Santa Fe New Mexican (emphasis added)

The Human Rights Commission requires Christians in business to sponsor sin.

Not Just Homosexuality

This isn’t a rant against homosexuality. There are a myriad of business scenarios this type of ruling could impact:

  • The construction company which refuses to build an abortion clinic.
  • The cleaning service which refuses to clean a strip club.
  • The newspaper which refuses to run advertisements for a casino.
  • The doctor who refuses to conduct abortions.

If the government prevents Christians from recusing themselves from business deals based on moral grounds, we could find ourselves required to perform actions we abhor.

How Can Christians Respond?

Christians have many options in responding to this trend. I’ve listed some here along with some of the difficulties I see them presenting. I’m not saying that these are the only options or the best options. Neither are the considerations complete. This isn’t legal advice. It’s a starting point for thought and discussion.

1. Civil Disobedience

The first option is to knowingly disobey such orders. Knowingly abstaining from sinful actions and bravely submitting to the consequences is a powerful witness.

Considerations:

    This is dissimilar from the race-focused civil rights movement of the mid-20th century on one major factor: the momentum of cultural perception. God created all humans in His image so race-based discrimination is an affront to the very character of God. The civil-rights movement of the 1960’s was a movement towards biblical truth.

    However, abortion, gay marriage and similar issues are anti-biblical. Western culture is moving away from, not towards, a biblical truth. Culture will be against us, not for us. We will not be cheered for this, we will be jeered for this. Go down this path with eyes wide open.

2. Political Change

The western societies characterized by policies like this (or on their way to it) are also characterized by some form of citizen government. As such, citizens have the ability to affect change in their government’s policies.

This is exactly what the Alliance Defense Fund is doing in the case of Elane Photography. ADF is going to the courts to defend Elane Photography with the intention of establishing court rulings favorable to conscience-driven business practices.

Other avenues include:

  • Ballot measures to make concience-driven business practices legal
  • Nominating, promoting and voting for politicians friendly to the cause

Considerations:

    Much like civil disobedience, these measures are going against the momentum of the present culture. You might lose business, reduce social standing, receive threats or even be attacked for your stance.

3. Change Your Product

The business of photography is driven by specialization. No one is simply a “professional photographer.” There are:

  • Maternity photographers
  • Advertising photographers
  • Landscape photographers
  • Fashion photographers
  • Photojournalists
  • Infant photographers
  • Architectural photographers
  • Sports photographers
  • Wildlife photographers
  • …and a whole host of other specializations

No one sues a landscape photographer for not shooting their wedding.

Would Elane Photography be in this trouble if the service they provided was specifically “photographic documentation of Christian weddings”? Christian weddings have different customs, symbols and points of emphasis than civil ceremonies, marriages for other religions and other family events and is therefore a legitimate specialization. If that is the specialized service you provide, chances are much lower that you will be sued for not providing services in conflict with your morals.

Considerations:

    1. Offering more specific services will limit your potential pool of clients. This could have obvious impacts on revenue.

    2. The laws of your jurisdiction may not provide legal shelter with a simple rebranding of services. Consult a lawyer before rebranding your services for legal protection.

4. Use The Opportunity For the Gospel

Perhaps Elane Photography could have used this as an opportunity to advance the gospel. If the final photographs delivered included Bible verses that proclaimed the gospel or posed challenges to sinners, might God have been served?

This also gives a Christian to hold a relationship with the non-Christian instead of avoiding them. Not only your product, but your words and actions are a witness to the unbeliever.

Bake the gospel into your product and your dealings with the world.

Considerations:

    1. This method involves actually conducting the practice with which you disagree. It is, without question, a grey area. It risks directly sinning or putting a stamp of approval on the sin.

    2. You must be completely transparent about what service you are going to provide. If the photo book you deliver is going to be saturated with Scripture, this can’t be a surprise when the customer takes delivery. Make sure your contract explains that the photos will be accompanied by relevant Bible verses.

    3. Your work represents Christian business to the world in a special way. Your product must display excellence or it will tarnish the name of Christ with the labels shoddy, lazy, unrefined and substandard.

    Jesus is a treasure. Represent him that way.

What Next?

How would you respond if you were in Elane Photography’s place?

What other considerations are there for the options I listed above?

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Are You Celebrating Freedoms Or Taking Them For Granted?

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I was going to take the day off from posting to celebrate with my family, but I could not resist giving you a couple of thoughts about the freedoms we are celebrating here in the US.

freedom

Thank God For The Sacrifice

First, we need to thank God for the sacrifice of the men and women over the years that have served, fought, and died for our freedoms. We have so many freedoms that we take for granted every day. The majority of the world yearns for the freedoms we have. God has certainly blessed our nation.

Taking Freedoms For Granted?

This leads to my second thought. Assume for a minute that you live where you have none of these freedoms. Assume you have never had these freedoms, but you have been told all about them. You pray and pray for these freedoms, but nothing happens.

Now imagine that one day, you are given the freedoms you sought for so long. You are given the freedom to worship whenever and wherever you want. You are given the freedom to talk about your faith with others…at school, work, the grocery store, etc. You are no longer limited in how you exercise your faith in God. You are free!

What do you think you would do? Would you exercise this new-found freedom or would you remain quiet? Would you begin openly talking about your faith in the workplace or would you continue with sealed lips? Would you publicly acknowledge God and all He has done for you or would you keep all of that to yourself?

What Is Holding You Back?

Think about it. If you live in the US, you HAVE these freedoms right now. God has placed you in a nation that allows you (for now) to worship when and where you please. You can openly share your faith and you do not have to keep quiet about God’s role in your life!

So the question is this…are you exercising these freedoms or are you taking them for granted and virtually ignoring them?

Don’t rush on – stop and think about the answer to that question.

Our Responsibility

My final thought – this blog is currently read in 138 countries worldwide! In fact, one out of every four readers of this blog are from outside of the US. I do not know how many of those readers are limited in their freedoms either by law or by persecution or both. I do know that many of them would love to have the freedoms we take so lightly!

That being the case, I truly believe it is our responsibility to stop being so lazy or scared (or both) and start exercising these freedoms! Step up and take your faith into the workplace. Talk with someone about your faith and what God has done in your life. Move out of your comfort zone and trust God!

You will be glad you did and you will be stronger for it.

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What is Marketplace Ministry?

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marketplace ministry

This post about defining marketplace ministry and why it is critical is part of a series of posts that come from the material I recently used to teach a small group of Christian business owners and leaders in Chandigarh, India.

The focus of this material is also the focus of this blog – God’s call for us to run our businesses as a platform for Christian ministry. Hopefully, after reading this series, you will agree that it is God’s will that we run His businesses as stewards with an eternal perspective. You should also have a better understanding of what this looks like in today’s marketplace.

My Story

As I began teaching the group in India about exactly what marketplace ministry looks like, I thought it would be helpful to start with my own story as an example. Hopefully, through reading about my experience, you will get a better picture of what I mean when I talk about marketplace ministry or Christian business.

As the oldest of three sons, I grew up working in the family’s automobile business. I always expected to eventually take over my father’s business, along with my brothers. About 12 years ago, I was in that very role – running the family business. I was enjoying what I was doing and could easily see it being my lifelong career.

My Awakening

That is precisely when I had a spiritual awakening. Through Bible study and prayer, I began to realize that I was only giving God 1.5 days a week. I was spending the rest of my time thinking about business, profit, and family.

Convicted, I went to my father and explained that I wanted to leave the family business to pursue work that would allow me to give God more of my time in actively living out my faith.

My Desires

I sincerely wanted to bring others to know Jesus, help others in need, teach what I was learning in my Bible studies, and to generally be a great disciple of Jesus. I just felt like I could not accomplish that while giving so much time to the business. So I began praying about how God would establish me in a career that would give me the flexibility to accomplish all He had put in my heart.

His Answer!

The crazy thing? It took nearly two years, but He showed me exactly where I was to accomplish all of this…in the very family business I was trying to give up!

In a brief period of time, God showed me how all of my desires for ministry could be achieved through the business I was already running. I just had to approach this business through His eyes, not the ones I had been using.

My Decision To Stay

I went back to my father and explained my revelation. He fully supported my request to stay in the business and apply this new vision. From that point until now, I have been giving my all to running a Christian business from an eternal perspective. My goal is to accomplish all God laid on my heart, but to do it through our family business.

What IS Marketplace Ministry?

One website defined marketplace ministry as, “The directing of evangelism and other Christian activities toward the secular marketplace.” I think the simplest definition is to be a disciple and witness for Christ in and through your work or business. A similar approach is having the attitude of being a full time minister in the workplace.

In a recent post, one of my readers sent me a comment that said my description of a Christian business sounded just like a description of the daily life of a normal Christian. I told him he was right…taking your faith to work should look exactly like what you do with your faith when you are in church or trying to reach others for Jesus outside of work.

Location is the only difference.

Why Is It Critical?

Folks, there are many reasons why marketplace ministry is critical. First of all, in the secular marketplace, the majority of the people you work with are lost and need Jesus. You will interact with many who will never darken the door of a church. Because they are on their own turf in the marketplace, they are relaxed and not spiritually on guard like they would be if you forced them into a church setting.

Not only are they more comfortable, but due to your relationship with them, you can have more influence on them than your pastor can. They trust you. They feel it is his “job” to push them toward God. With you, it is different in their eyes.

So What?

My prayer is that you recognize where God has placed you in business and what He expects as a result of your efforts there. He is not going to grade you on your business success as the world does. Instead, God is looking for the eternal impact you will have as a Christian business owner or leader.

Commit right now to run your business with an eternal perspective. Commit to making an eternal impact on everyone you meet through your business dealings. Commit that you will no longer attempt to separate your business life from your spiritual life – instead acknowledging they are one and the same!

What is your view of marketplace ministry and Christian business?

Do you see the opportunity for your eternal impact in the marketplace?

Where are you on the path toward marketplace ministry?