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.          

Hosea 10.1-2, 12 describes, Israel was a spreading vine; he brought forth fruit for himself. As his fruit increased, he built more altars; as his land prospered, he adorned his sacred stones. Their heart is deceitful, and now they must bear their guilt. The Lord will demolish their altars and destroy their sacred stones......Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.

America has been blessed. The combination of vast resources and hard work in an atmosphere of democracy and capitalism has resulted in the United States becoming the wealthiest nation in the world. God warned us however that we cannot serve Him and money. We tend to choose one over the other to receive the bulk of our time, effort, and concern as our greatest desire. Regrettably, money has been the winner for our hearts too often with the result that God’s ways have been ignored at best and resisted at worst.

When we have lost focus on God the solution is to return to the Word of God. In addition, we must repent from our selfish pursuit of pleasure and ease and instead become increasingly more diligent at the work of God, the building of His kingdom upon earth as it is in heaven. If we set our face like a flint toward the work of God by the will of God for the glory of God we will find His presence near, His blessing upon us and His reward awaiting us when we see Him on that day when He judges and rewards each man for the way they lived on this earth.

This work is hard, it may even be harder today than it has ever been, but it is the will of God for His people, the Great Commission, is the mission of every Christian. We must no longer ignore our God or His work for us, instead we must saturate ourselves in His word and we must be diligent in His work if we are to know His blessing, the blessing of His righteousness that causes the world to say, blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

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, 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 

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

November 9, 2020 

Graduating From The School Of Failure

by Robert J. Tamasy 

Often we see a prominent corporate leader, business executive or entrepreneur described as “the great success story.” We are regaled by accounts of how they achieved success, as examples of how we too can experience high levels of achievement if we emulate them. But have you ever heard of anyone described as “the great failure story”? 

In reality, success can come in many ways, some even not of our own making. Hard work, dedication and determination can bring success – but not for everyone. Sometimes success is a product of sheer luck of good fortune (if you believe in those). Or being at the right place at the right time. Timing, as they say, is everything. Some people find success once, and spend the rest of their lives trying in vain to find it again. 

However, for whatever reason, when we fail it is much easier to identify the reason. We can point to bad decisions; unwillingness to put in the necessary energy and effort; lack of proper planning; failing to persevere long enough to attain our goals; ignorance, or even foolishness. 

Because the factors of failure are much easier to recognize, failure can prove to be a pathway to success if only we are willing to learn from it. It was British statesman Winston Churchill who observed, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” Pro basketball superstar Michael Jordan said, “I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” 

Denis Waitley, a motivational speaker, consultant and author, offered this perspective: “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” 

One of the refreshing distinctives of the Bible is its candid, unvarnished presentation of the memorable failures of key individuals, starting with Adam and Eve, but continuing with people like Noah; Jacob, the father of the nation of Israel; Samson; King David and his son, Solomon; and many of Jesus’ disciples. The apostle Peter, one of Christ’s closest followers, is perhaps the foremost example of someone finding success despite repeated failures. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me,” to which headstrong Peter replied, “”Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (Matthew 26:31-35). 

Despite his bold, impetuous oath, we read that Peter indeed denied Christ, not once but three times, as the Lord had predicted. After the third denial, we are told, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter…. And he went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:54-62). 

Happily, the story does not end there. In John 21:1-19, we see an account of Christ restoring Peter, forgiving his betrayal. Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” After each time the disciple responds in the affirmative, He told him, “Feed my lambs…. Feed my sheep.” What an incredible account of failure – and forgiveness. From there we know Peter went on to be one of the leaders of the early Church, and two of his letters appear in the New Testament. 

Are you struggling, or recovering from failure? Vocationally – or spiritually? Remember, failure is not fatal. It can prove to be a wonderful teacher, merely a detour on the path to success. 

© 2020. Robert J. Tamasy has written Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; and The Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. 

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 9, 2020 

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

  1. Which would you rather hear, a great success story or a great failure story? Why? 
  1. Do you agree that we often learn more through the experience of success than through the process of achieving success? If so, why do you think that is? 
  1. What lessons – if any – have you learned from failure in the workplace? If you could travel back in time, what would you want to tell your younger self about how to deal with failure? 
  1. How do you think Peter must have felt after his failures? How about the forgiveness Jesus offered him, restoring him to continued service? What can you imagine enabled Peter to persevere, to not lose heart and quit? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 12:11, 13:4, 15:19, 24:30-34; John 4:4-21; Acts 15:36-41 – 2 Timothy 4:11

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

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