Our Mission

To present Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to business and professional men and to develop Christian business and professional men to carry out the Great Commission.

Hear this, you peoples of the earth: ‘Take note! I am about to bring disaster on these people. It will come as punishment for their scheming. For they have paid no attention to what I have said, and they have rejected my law. I take no delight when they offer up to me frankincense that comes from Sheba or sweet-smelling cane imported from a faraway land. I cannot accept the burnt offerings they bring me. I get no pleasure from the sacrifices they offer to me.’” Jeremiah 6:19-20 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/jer.6.19-20.NET

Christianity is far more than going to church. Being a Christian is being a follower of Jesus. A Christian lives as a child of God because God has adopted him through the blood of Jesus. Living as Jesus lived means taking upon ourselves the life of Jesus and the lifestyle of Jesus. Jesus obeyed every command of God so that He could present Himself holy and perfect, a living sacrifice for God for the sins of all humanity.

So too, the child of God who lives like Jesus seeks to obey everything Jesus has commanded. Unequivocal commitment to obedience to God, as recorded in God’s word, is the lifestyle of the disciple and child of God. This is not the current mindset of most of the church who remain disengaged from the word of God so that they are entirely ignorant of the will of God except for what they might hear at church once per week. Likewise, Jesus fully engaged in God’s work, seeking and saving the lost.

The child of God makes the Great Commission their mission, for they, too, are fully committed to making disciples of all people just as Jesus came to seek and save the lost. This work is sorely lacking among nearly all Christians, with few having anyone they can identify as having led to faith or meeting with to disciple in the faith so that they obey everything Jesus commanded. God is not pleased by our church attendance when our lifestyle is disobedience to His will and disengagement from His work.

The sacrifice God requires that pleases Him and to which He will reward is the one who lays down his life to do the will of God while engaging in the work of God, all for the glory of God.

Our Opportunities 

1. Business Owners, don't miss your opportunity to learn more about how CBMC helps you through our Trusted Advisor Forums. These closed, monthly meetings help Christian business leaders craft strategies to handle tough issues with employees, customers, vendors, and competitors that incorporate best-in-business principles integrated with a Christian worldview. An informational meeting will be held on June 28th from 8-9 am at Taste Coffee in Okemos. Email me if you are interested in attending this event. 

1. Join CBMC men for prayer and Bible study every Friday morning 8-9am at Panera Frandor 

1. Opportunities abound within CBMC for meeting with other men. Prayer Groups, CEO groups and young professional groups only need YOU to make them happen and to help you fulfill your ministry in the marketplace. Contact Mike today to join or start a team.

CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996 www.lansing.cbmc.com 

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

June 26, 2023 

The Amazing Power Of Pleasant Words

By Rick Boxx 

My wife, Kathy, makes it a habit to stop people wearing a military or police uniform and thank them for their service. Lately, she has begun doing the same thing with waiters and waitresses. I have noticed many restaurant employees seem to be feeling overwhelmed lately, resulting in more opportunities for Kathy to utilize her gift of encouragement.

After she thanks a server for their service, Kathy usually finds something about them to praise and encourage. By the time we leave, Kathy has a new friend, and her new friend has been encouraged and filled with joy. 

Have you ever done something like that? Or have you been the beneficiary of someone else’s kindness verbalized in a similar way? Can you imagine what could happen if this philosophy of seeking to uplift people verbally were adopted and encouraged by companies and organizations around the globe, that it were to become the rule rather than the exception?

The contemporary marketplace is filled with workplaces that are greatly understaffed; the workers there constantly feel high levels of stress. Discouragement, frustration, anger and anxiety are the most common emotions in many work settings. The prevailing philosophy, sadly, seems to be, “If you can’t say something bad, don’t say anything at all.” 

But this does not have to be the case where we work. Today would be a good day for each of us to take the initiative to pass along some pleasant words and encouragement to others. We might not be able to change the environment of the marketplace in general, but we can make a difference where we work and spend many of our waking hours. Here are some things the Old Testament book of Proverbs says about the amazing power of pleasant words: 

The pain many people are experiencing is not only physical. From the outside, many people seem to be doing well. When asked, “How are you doing?” they may even respond, “I’m fine.” But often, deep inside they are carrying deep pain and nursing considerable emotional hurts. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). 

Kind words can carry almost medicinal value. What we say can sometimes do greater good than we could imagine. “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Proverbs 12:25). “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). 

Food nourishes us physically; encouraging words can nourish emotionally. Perhaps more than ever, people in the workplace are starving for affirmation, encouragement, and genuine understanding.“The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment” (Proverbs 10:20-21). 

Our words can be as valuable as our work. In the workplace we typically are evaluated based on the visible and tangible quality of the work we perform. But the impact of the words we express to one another can be of immeasurable value and importance. “From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things, as surely as the work of his hands rewards him” (Proverbs 12:14). 

Copyright 2023, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from “UBN Integrity Moments”, a commentary on faith at work issues. Visit www.unconventionalbusiness.org UBN is a faith at work ministry serving the international small business community. 

CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996  lansing.cbmc.com

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

June 26, 2023

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. Can you think of a time when someone’s kind words served to lift your spirits when they were at a particularly low point? What was that experience like for you?
2. Have you ever tried to offer words of encouragement to someone else spontaneously? How easy – or difficult – is that for you to do? Why do you think that is?
3. What difference do you think it would make if workplaces strived to provide a more positive environment, including the use of words that are genuinely affirming and encouraging? What about where you work in particular?
4. How could you try to set an example of speaking words that affirm and uplift people, whether at work, in a restaurant, or somewhere else over the course of an ordinary day? Can you think of a specific individual who could benefit from such encouragement? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 10:32, 12:18, 15:1,4, 16:21, 17:27, 18:20, 20:15, 22:11 

CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996  lansing.cbmc.com