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.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?….Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.” 2 Corinthians 13:5, 7-8 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.13.5-8.NIV

Personal assessment is normative. We are assessed at work, in school, and in sports. Assessment tells us where we are and helps us know what to do next to move forward in whatever we are assessing ourselves toward. God is making us in the image of His First Born Son. The goal of our salvation is our conformity to the likeness of Jesus. God our Father is creating a family of children whose character and conduct are similar to His own in all holiness and righteousness.

Paul’s question is, where are we in the continuum toward being just like Jesus? What did Jesus look like? He was perfect and holy in all He did by obeying every word that came from the mouth of God as recorded in the Scripture. His mission was to reconcile the world to Himself by giving His life for the sins of humanity on the cross. We are like Jesus when we obey everything He has commanded us as recorded in the Scripture and are engaged in seeking and saving the lost as faithful fishers of men who have been commanded to go into the world and make disciples.

Are we daily in the Scriptures asking God to lead us in greater obedience to His will? Are we with God’s people weekly, hearing from Him and praising Him even as we build up one another in our most holy faith so that we obey God better the rest of the week? Are we friends of sinners by speaking to them God’s truth in love, continually praying for and sharing God’s love with them through Jesus the Savior so that they, too, might escape the fires of hell and live forever as children of God?

We are growing in our faith, passing the assessments when these things increase in our lives.

Our Opportunities 

1. Sold Out – pray for us!  The first event for 2025 is March 4. Register HERE, then pray for men to bring. Then, take bold action, be courageous, and identify yourself with Jesus by recruiting guests who need to hear why a successful businessman follows Jesus unashamedly. This is your easiest and perhaps best opportunity to identify yourself with Jesus while introducing someone else to Jesus. Almost 50 men have already registered! 

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

March 3, 2025 

Small and Steady Approach Leads to Big Things

By Rick Boxx 

Are you familiar with “The Tortoise and the Hare,” the fable by the ancient Greek storyteller Aesop? It is about a fast-running hare (a relative of the rabbit) that ridicules a slow-moving tortoise. Wearied by the hare’s arrogant behavior, the tortoise decides to challenge it to a race.

The race starts and the hare quickly leaves the tortoise far behind. Confident of victory, the hare decides to take a nap midway through the race. However, when the hare awakens to resume the race, it finds the tortoise – taking slow but steady steps – has arrived at the finish line before him and is declared the winner. The moral of this story is simple: ‘Slow and steady wins the race.’ 

Experience in my own life has taught me how true that statement is. As a young, impatient professional, at times I strived to get rich quickly. Sometimes I took what I regarded as shortcuts to making a lot of money. However, this approach led to foolish decisions that set me back rather than forward. The ‘can’t miss, quick return’ investment strategies I utilized failed miserably.

However, one activity far exceeded my expectations. It started when I was still a youth. A stockbroker persuaded me to invest $25 per month into a mutual fund, a slow-yield investment strategy. This was painful for me at times, especially during college. There were many ways I could have used the $25 I set aside monthly. But I determined to faithfully stay with the plan, saving that small amount each month.  

Years later this small and steady investment approach paid off with a substantial reward. By the time I was ready to buy my first house, I had accumulated thousands of dollars for a down payment. You can imagine how grateful I was for those small, monthly investments I had made over the preceding years.

After I became a follower of Christ and began studying the Bible, I discovered this principle affirmed in the Scriptures. Proverbs 13:11 teaches, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” There is that principle again – small and steady.

Yes, we can find some examples of people who have succeeded in “getting rich quick.” Maybe they have won the lottery, received a huge inheritance from a wealthy relative, or stumbled upon a novel idea for a product that became a huge success. But for every example like that there are literally thousands of people who failed as they tried countless get-rich-quick schemes.

Admittedly, the small and steady approach requires patience – a virtue many of us lack. ‘I want it! And I want it now!’ is a mantra we often hear. You might have said it to yourself. But the book of Proverbs offers other insights that affirm the patient, slow and steady approach to life – and our finances. 

For instance, Proverbs 21:5 tells us, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” In my early years I learned this the hard way. And Proverbs 28:19-20 offer this assurance: “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty. A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.”

If you are considering starting a business someday, you would be wise to avoid chasing get-rich-quick schemes. Instead, prayerfully consider investing monthly. You will find it more fruitful. 

© 2025, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from “UBN Integrity Moments.” Visit www.unconventionalbusiness.org. UBN is a faith at work ministry serving the international small business community. 

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

March 3, 2025

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. Have you ever been approached with a get-rich-quick scheme? If so, how did you respond?
2. Do you think it is inherently wrong to strive to make as much money as possible, as soon as possible? Why or why not?
3. If you are familiar with the tortoise and the hare fable, what are your thoughts about what it teaches? Especially if we apply the story to what we do in the contemporary marketplace?
4. Can you think of a good example of someone who has taken the small and steady approach to finances, or starting and developing a business? How would you describe that person and the results he or she has experienced? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Luke 16:10-12; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 6:9; 1 Timothy 6:9-10; James 1:12 

Challenge for This Week 

Over the coming days evaluate your own approach to life, your business or professional life, and your finances. Have you taken more of a small and steady strategy, or have you been seeking to realize more rapid progress? 

It has been said, “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is…too good to be true.” Meet with someone, or a small group of friends, and pray about how God would want you to respond to seemingly lucrative proposals. Rely on trusted advisors to offer their wisdom and perspectives for your decision-making in such areas. 

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