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.

1 Corinthians 14.20 describes, brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.

A friend once taught me, our beliefs determine our values which determine our behavior. The Lord places great emphasis upon our having the mind of Christ, of knowing Him and His ways. This is necessary for obedience.

Our behavior is a reflection of our beliefs and values. While we can change our behavior to fit our environment, act like we believe something else when in fact we do not, long-term, our lifestyle will reflect our true beliefs.

This is why it is imperative for God’s people to be diligent in studying the Scripture, workmen who are not ashamed of their knowledge and application of Gods truths. The deeper we know God and believe in Him the less evil we will allow into our lives and through our lives, becoming, as the Scripture commands, infants in evil but mature in knowledge.

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 20. Email Mike to sign up.

  2. Our final outreach luncheon for the year is Thursday, October 17th at the View from 11.45 -1pm. If you have not shared your relationship with Jesus with anyone this year, or even if you have, this is your best opportunity to change the eternal destiny of your unchurched friends through the testimony of a man whose destiny has been changed by Jesus Christ. Mark your calendars, start praying for men and register here.

  3. We need rain to overcome our summer drought, support CBMC today. 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

September 16, 2019 

Trusting in God’s Direction, No Matter What

by Rick Boxx 

When Larry was CEO of an information systems company, someone filed an unwarranted lawsuit against the company. Along the way, even though Larry’s company was innocent of any wrongdoing, many people urged him to settle the lawsuit. The cost of mounting a defense, even if unjustified, as well as the time defending the case would require, made an out of court settlement the most reasonable course of action, they contended. 

Rather than conceding to those recommendations, Larry prayed for wisdom and direction. As he did that, God impressed upon Larry that rather than settling, he should defend the company because it was innocent. The prolonged legal process did cost millions of dollars in legal fees, but the company was ultimately vindicated and cleared of the wrongful claims.

In the meantime, God blessed and prospered the business so much that the legal fees became insignificant in size. Reflecting back on that troublesome and stressful time, Larry concluded that the fact his company had thrived in the midst of great adversity was a reflection of God’s favor for obedience. 

Repeatedly in the Scriptures we read that we should seek God-inspired counsel when confronted with difficult decisions. For instance, Proverbs 15:22 states, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” However, that does not guarantee that all the advice we receive is necessarily correct. We need to consult the Lord directly, and when He leads us in ways contrary to the counsel we have received, we still must do as He instructs. 

Close, trusted friends are an asset, without question. But they can never replace and should not supplant the counsel of the One we should trust the most. Jesus spoke to His followers and admonished them about the importance of remaining close to Him: If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” John 15:7). The Bible often underscores the importance of having complete trust in God: 

Trust even when we don’t understand. Sometimes God calls us to act in counterintuitive ways, as Larry did in rejecting the recommendation to settle the unwarranted suit. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight”(Proverbs 3:5-6). 

Trust even when we fear disaster. Emotions may cause us to seek the fastest, seemingly easiest solutions to pressing problems. However, belief that God has our best interests at heart should encourage us to look to Him, rather than at our circumstances. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). 

Trust even when God’s way doesn’t seem practical. If God is leading you to take a stand, trust in Him, even when others disagree. “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun” (Psalm 37:4-5). 

© 2019, Unconventional Business 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, visitwww.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

September 16, 2019 

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

  1. Do you understand why people urged Larry to seek an out of court settlement, even though he knew his company had done no wrong? Why do you think they recommended he take that course of action?
     
  2. How easy – or difficult – do you think it is to make decisions the run counter to the seemingly well-intended counsel you are receiving from people around you? Explain your answer. 
     
  3. In the case described, Larry prayed about what he should do and then felt impressed to act contrary to the advice he had received. Have you ever done something like this? How would you go about seeking God’s wisdom and will regarding a difficult challenge you were facing?
     
  4. What does it feel like to “not lean on your own understanding,” as Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs? Can you think of a time when you had to do this, even if with reluctance? Describe the situation and what its outcome. What did you learn from it?  

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Psalm 37:1-7,34; Proverbs 11:14, 12:5, 12:26, 18:24, 19:20, 24:5-6 

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