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 5.11,13 laments, we have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand……..Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 

Is this not our current problem in America in a nutshell? The people of God have little interest in the things of God? Why is it so hard, for so many, to spend anytime at all in the scriptures or prayer? So few have a daily habit of reading chapters of the Bible in order to know their God better so they can do His will better. 

And what is the point of reading and studying Scripture? It is to obey it. The work of building God’s kingdom while living as sons and daughters of God in community with one another is sorely lacking by most who simply attend church. God is not measuring attendance but obedience. And what are too many churches teaching? 

They are dispensing milk since the masses have no appetite for solid food. Teaching about righteousness upsets the stomach of the weak who are used to milk that is easy to digest. Righteousness demands we change from self-centered living to God centered obedience. Righteousness is like training to run a marathon, there are many days where we are sore from the workouts and nagging injuries plague us. 

So too the sin that so easily entangles us becomes obvious to us when we begin to humble ourselves before God and seek His Spirit to reveal our weakness in order to make us strong on our journey to conform in likeness to Jesus our Lord and Savior. If the church is to regain its influence in our culture and bear much fruit for the glory of God it must hunger and thirst for righteousness, working out our salvation with fear and trembling before our holy God to Whom we must all give account.

Our Opportunities

1. A mission opportunity is available to you every third Wednesday of the month at the new Rescue Mission Drop-in center. We are looking for one or two men a month to share their story of God’s work in their lives for about 20 minutes from 10-10.20ish. Interested in encouraging the homeless by sharing what God has done in your life? Next opening, November 17th. Email Mike to sign up
2. Hear what God is doing through His church in Lansing November 19th, through the ministry of COGL (Christians of Greater Lansing), and consider supporting that work. Learn more here

1. Business Owners, are you looking for a private group of fellow business owners for encouragement, support, and advice? CBMC offers such a group. CBMC Business Forums connect Christian business leaders by providing a confidential environment of accountability and mutual support where prayer and godly counsel result in business and personal growth. Contact Mike for more information

1. Don’t let the Coronavirus keep you from giving. Help us win and disciple business men through your donations at: https://give.idonate.com/cbmc-inc/lansing

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

November 16, 2020 

Faith Can Form A Safeguard Against Fear

by Rick Boxx 

Some friends of ours were in the midst of a fierce struggle to keep the doors of their business open. Their problems were serious enough that they were considering bankruptcy. After seeking counsel from various sources and weighing their options, they prayerfully chose instead to push forward. 

Just as they were beginning to experience a measure of business success, consequences of the coronavirus pandemic devastated their industry and brought some future opportunities to an abrupt, unexpected end. Fear and panic overwhelmed them. Their training and experience had not prepared them for this new obstacle. 

Maybe you or your organization have confronted similar challenges. For most of us, worldwide shutdowns and restrictions have inflicted hardships unlike we have ever known before. When 2020 began, who could have imagined how the year would unfold? 

Even in normal times, without the impact of an unprecedented global pandemic, many small business owners live on the edge with very little margin. This is especially true for enterprises still in a startup stage. Profits might come in the future, but in the beginning, operations are strictly day-to-day. So when crises surface, it is easy – and not unusual – for leaders to become paralyzed with fear. 

Questions most of us ask at such times include, “What do we do now? Is there anything we can do?” Faced with such gloomy circumstances, it can be very difficult to remain grounded in faith, continuing to trust that despite the adversity, God has a plan. Has He abandoned us? 

It is at times like these that the genuineness of our faith is revealed. And there is no greater source of hope than to turn to the promises in the Scriptures. The apostle Peter was not writing about a pandemic, but offered these assurances to followers of Jesus Christ going through many adversities: “In this you greatly rejoice, though not for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine…” (1 Peter 1:6-7). 

Then he wrote, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12-13). 

The life of faith – including everyday pursuits in the business and professional world – is one of trusting in God, His direction and provision, even when common sense seems to say otherwise. Fear of the future, we are told, should be replaced with a healthy fear – the reverent awe of God, who ordained work and desires for us to serve as His ambassadors in the marketplace. 

As Proverbs 19:23 teaches us, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” When disaster looms, one fear – fear of God – is worth embracing. Many times throughout my career, submitting to God has brought me peace rather than panic. Because we have His assurance, “Call on Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). Finding ourselves at a loss for answers, having to trust in God alone, can be the very best place to be. 

© 2020, Unconventional Business Network Adapted with permission from “Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx,” a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. To learn more, visit www.unconventionalbusiness.org. His latest book, Unconventional Business, provides “Five Keys to Growing a Business God’s Way.” 

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

November 16, 2020 

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. Have you ever reached a point in your career – or in your business – when you felt on the verge of giving up, but through prayer and wise counsel chose to persevere? If so, what was the situation like and what was the outcome? 

1. Perhaps you are facing a circumstance right now, obstacles that seem insurmountable. How are you coping with them? Have you reached a point when God and His guidance are your only option? 

1. How has the pandemic affected you and your work? What role, if any, has faith played in your ability to handle the great challenges of this time? 

1. What do you think of the Bible passages quoted and the promises they give? Do other similar passages come to mind that have been meaningful for you?

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Psalm 37:4-5; Proverbs 3:5-6, 16:3,9; Isaiah 40:31, 41:10; Jeremiah 29:11; Matthew 6:25-34

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