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.

Hebrews 1.8-9 describes, God the Father saying to the Son, You’re God, and on the throne for good; Your rule makes everything right. You love it when things are right; You hate it when things are wrong. That is why God, Your God, poured fragrant oil on Your head, marking You out as king, far above Your dear companions.

This country was founded by people who were seeking a place to worship God as they believed best, free from government rules and regulations, in order to live lives pleasing to Him. So many came and so many worshiped Him in so many different ways. The one common denominator among them was their focus upon Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords.

It is Jesus, Who is God, come to earth to redeem us from the penalty of our sins by taking the punishment for our disobedience upon Himself when He was crucified by God and men. His hanging upon a tree became both the curse of God and the salvation of our God Whose requirement for human justice was met in the perfect life of Jesus.

His perfection has been appropriated for all time to all those who call upon the Name of Jesus for mercy, grace and forgiveness. Now, resurrected from the dead, the Savior God, Jesus, resumes His rule from heaven upon His throne pardoning men but commanding all men everywhere to obey all His commands.

The Church has struggled to always obey and to always communicate obedience which reflects our own need for God as well as God’s patience with humanity. America has been the most Christian of any nation at any time in history. While not perfect it has done much good in the world. While it could do better it depends upon its freedom to do good as we believe God commands.

Our vote should be one that will allow us to continue to enjoy our freedom in order to choose for ourselves bondage to God in Jesus and obedience to His commands.

His Opportunities

1. November 17th  RESCHEDULED CBMC Central Michigan will be hosting Mark Whitacre for an evening of celebration and invitation for participation in the continuation of the ministry of CBMC in Lansing. Join us from 7-9pm for testimony and dessert. Sign up HERE
   
2. It’s back – Monday Manna Live – weekdays, Monday mornings, 9.55am HERE

CBMC Central Michigan 6011 W. St. Joseph Ste. 401 Lansing 48917  / 517 481 5996 www.lansing.cbmc.com 

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

November 12, 2018 

Being A Person Of Positive Influence

by Jim Langley

Several years ago I attended a CBMC conference where the keynote speaker was Dr. Tim Elmore, a best-selling author, international speaker, and president and founder of Growing Leaders, a non-profit that helps emerging leaders, with the belief that each person is born with leadership qualities. Elmore offered nine principles he considers critical in the mentoring process, concepts we should all consider as we disciple younger men and women in the faith. He started with an acronym to explain this process: I-N-F-L-U-E-N-C-E. I would like to briefly review each step in his list as he explained it: 

First, we must make an Intentional investment in the lives of those God places under our tutelage. We need to continually make deposits into their lives, just as the apostle Paul did with his protégé Timothy. CBMC has developed “Operation Timothy” as an excellent tool for fostering spiritual growth in others. In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul wrote, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” 

Next, we must be Natural and authentic in our approach as we meet with those God places in our path. We do not need to impress them with our biblical knowledge and worldly accomplishments. They do need to sense our willingness to help them as they advance in their life journey. 

Our Faith needs to be evident and real. We must not only demonstrate our faith in Christ, but also show faith in those we are mentoring. We should “expect the best” from each person and trust God will surely bring out the best as we invest in those who are truly serious about growing in Christ. 

We must develop our Listening skills to earn the right to speak to them. In a sense, younger men and women are “students” God has placed in our lives to assist in a journey filled with “many dangers, toils and snares,” as the hymn, “Amazing Grace,” expresses it. 

Each person we mentor is unique and we must seek to Understand them and where their journey has taken them. Since God has made us all distinctly different with very different experiences, a “cookie cutter” approach cannot work effectively with every person. 

They will need much Encouragement to overcome many obstacles that can prevent them from realizing their full potential as followers of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…let us encourage one another.” 

We must also Navigate them through the twists and turns of their journey, sometimes even serving as their compass to guide them on the right path and keep them from becoming sidetracked by ungodly influences. 

It is critical to demonstrate a consistent Concern for their well-being. They must see and experience our constant care for their growth in Christ, being available as they will struggle with many issues, especially early in their journey. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, the apostle Paul writes of being “gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” 

They need to see our Enthusiasm in all we say and do. If we cannot be excited about our relationship with Christ, then we probably are not properly prepared for mentoring of a new disciple who truly wants to know Christ intimately. The discipling process needs to be taken both seriously and enthusiastically. 

© 2018, all rights reserved. Jim Langley has been writing for more than 30 years while working as a life and health insurance agent. His passion is to write about his personal relationship with God. His goal is to encourage others to draw near to Him. A long-time member of CBMC, he started writing “Fourth Quarter Strategies” in 2014.

CBMC Central Michigan 6011 W. St. Joseph Ste. 401 Lansing 48917  / 517 481 5996  lansing.cbmc.com

 MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

November 12, 2018 

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. Who has been the person (or persons) to have influenced you most to this point in life, both professionally and spiritually? How have they exerted that influence? 

1. Which of the nine points cited to describe how we can influence others seems most important to you? Explain your answer. 

1. Why do you think Listening is mentioned as an important aspect of effectively influencing others? 

1. Care and concern are listed as critical elements of the process of influencing people in mentoring or discipling relationships? Why, in your view, are these important – aren’t possessing knowledge and expertise enough? 

NOTE: If you would like to consider other things the Bible says about this topic, read and reflect on the following passages: Matthew 28:18-19; Ephesians 4:14-16; Colossians 1:9-12; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4;

2 Peter 3:17-18

CBMC Central Michigan 6011 W. St. Joseph Ste. 401 Lansing 48917  / 517 481 5996  lansing.cbmc.com