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.

Luke 16.8-9 observes, here’s a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right —using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.

This passage has made Christians wonder for centuries. God praises a thief, a liar, an embezzler. What?

God has made us in His image. The All-Wise One has created us with incredible intelligence. While we often use our God-given gifts and talents for personal gain God has given them for us to use in the work of building His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

This is not our home. Our eternal home awaits us. Our mission now is to win people to Jesus and help them grow in their faith. Using good works, the obviousness of God’s handiwork in creation, logic, human nature, animal nature and any other means we can think of – we help men understand that God is and that He wants all people everywhere to know Him as Father.

Real life comes in working with people helping them conform into the image of Jesus by living in total obedience to His commands even as we ourselves make such effort. This is hard work for men are predisposed toward ignoring God and rebelling against His ways. People are selfish and are looking only to increase their own power and pleasure.

Against this mindset, Christians are to engage people to turn them from self-centered living to God-centered living even as we live such lives proving its wisdom. The real adventure in life, true meaning and purpose, ultimate significance, comes from God not men and His mission for His people is the Great Commission; the completion of which occurs with His presence, while using all of the intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical capital we have at our disposal.

Let us show ourselves wise in the eyes of God, let us work with all of our ability to see people come to know Jesus and to walk in His ways.

His Opportunities

1. 1.     Your next opportunity for identifying with Jesus in order to share His message with others at a CBMC Luncheon will be October 18. Watch for more details but mark your calendar now and plan to join me at Eagle Eye for lunch with your friends who need to hear more about a personal relationship with God through Jesus the Savior.
2.  Summer giving has been a bit dry. If you could help ‘water’ this ministry this month that would be great.  COMMIT now.

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

August 27, 2018

Unconventional Strategies

by Rick Boxx

In the 1880s, entrepreneur Henry Crowell bought an oat mill to produce feed for horses. Even though Crowell had high expectations when he started, the business was struggling and he resolved to turn to God in prayer, seeking a creative solution for his business woes. He had run out of ideas for expanding his horse feed enterprise.

In answer to his prayers, God led Henry to embark of an concept that few people, if any, had ever imagined. Crowell would change his “market” for oats, beginning to sell his oats to people– as a breakfast cereal. This was an unconventional strategy, because oats were traditionally sold from insect-infested barrels in general stores as horse feed. No reasonable human being would want to buy oats infested with bugs!

Selling oats for human consumption seemed foolish at best, crazy at worst, and Crowell’s critics were having a good laugh at his expense. However, again in response to his prayers, God gave him another idea: He would design a cardboard box that could be filled with rolled oats to place on grocery store shelves. The cardboard boxes would be sealed, impenetrable to the insects that would desire to devour the oats as food.

Today, Crowell’s enterprise has become prominent in the food retailing world and is widely known as Quaker Oats. The company now sells not only oats and oatmeal, but a variety of other cereals and food products. All because he was unable to sell enough oats for horse feed!

Too often, we try to face our business challenges alone, determined to rely on our own innovation and ingenuity. This, the Bible tells us, is true foolishness when we can call on the wisdom and resources of the Creator God. As Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”To state it another way, many times we find ourselves inclined to think, “I know what I need to do. I’ve got this,” while God is waiting for us to ask so He can respond, “I have a much better idea.” Here is some more wisdom from the Scriptures:

Do not insist on figuring everything out. Sometimes in our pride, arrogance or stubbornness, we feel we must understand exactly what we must do and why. God, however, has a different perspective: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight”(Proverbs 3:5-6).

Commit your work to God and trust He will guide you. When tempted to “compartmentalize” our faith, restricting it to spiritual settings like a worship service or private devotional reading, we should remember God wants to be involved in every area of our lives, including the work we do. “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. 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 37:3-6).

Moral of this story: If you need fresh ideas or an unconventional strategy for your workplace, pray, listen, and let God guide your steps.

Copyright 2018, 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 or to sign up for Rick’s Integrity Moments emails, visitwww.unconventionalbusiness.org. His latest book, Unconventional Business,provides “Five Keys to Growing a Business God’s Way.”

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

August 27, 2018

 Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. Had you previously heard about Henry Crowell and his oat manufacturing business? Would you consider the shift in focus – from horses to people – an unconventional strategy? Why or why not?

1. When, if ever, have you seen someone – perhaps even yourself – adopt an unconventional strategy to revive a failing business, or to resolve a major business dilemma? Where do you think the idea for that strategy came from?

1. How would you restate or paraphrase Proverbs 16:9, which says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps”? How can you apply this teaching to your circumstances where you work?

1. Why, in seeking to make a major decision – especially if time seems to be an important factor in the process – does it seem so difficult to “trust in the Lord,” as Proverbs 37 instructs us to do?

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Jeremiah 29:11-13; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:17, 23-24; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

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