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. 

And he will go as forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”” Luke 1:17 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/luk.1.17.NET 

What does it mean to be ready for the Lord to appear? When Jesus warns us to be prepared for His reappearing, He expects us to be watching for Him and busy doing for Him the work He assigned us. So many today are not ready for the Lord to return. Too many young people don’t know the Lord. This was a primary reason why John was sent, to encourage fathers to turn to their children and train them in the way they are to go so they will greet Him with love, joy, and honor when the Lord appears. This is the need of the hour today. Fathers re-engaged in the ministry of home discipleship. 

The Church needs fathers embracing their role as spiritual leaders of their homes to ensure the discipleship of their children. Fathers must engage the Lord and teach their children to do the same. In an airplane, the oxygen mask is first placed on the parent and then the child, so the father begins training his children by leading by example. Being an example is not enough. Turning toward our children means intentionally teaching our children in the ways of God. This includes instruction in the word of God and then practice in obeying that word through serving God. Hearing and doing are required by God to please Him and prepare us for His appearance. 

If we do these things, we will be found by Him, ready to meet Him when Jesus returns, the day and hour we know not. 

My book MAN Up! Helps a man understand biblical manhood and gives him a target for aiming sons and a scale for his daughters to weigh future husbands. 

Our Opportunities 

1. Final Special Luncheon is scheduled for October 3. This is your easiest opportunity to share the gospel with men in your sphere of influence. Commit to attending by purchasing your tickets today, then pray for men and invite them to attend with you to discover why a successful businessman believes in and follows Jesus. Go here for more information and to register.
   
   
2. Business Owners, don't miss your opportunity to learn more about how CBMC helps you through our Trusted Advisor Forums. These closed, monthly meetings help Christian business leaders craft strategies to handle tough issues with employees, customers, vendors, and competitors that incorporate best-in-business principles integrated with a Christian worldview. An informational meeting will be held on August 23rd from 8-9 am at Taste Coffee in Okemos. Email me if you are interested in attending this event. 

1. Join CBMC men for prayer and Bible study every Friday morning 8-9am at Panera Frandor

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

August 21, 2023 

Serving Others – And Being Treated Like A Servant

By Robert J. Tamasy 

In the marketplace, we hear terms such as “business leaders,” “corporate executives” and entrepreneurs in referring to people holding positions of influence and authority. But how often do we hear people describe themselves as “servants” – unless they are complaining? 

The term servant can be regarded as demeaning, a term for someone of little value. Some might even view it at the same level as a slave. But in a real sense, “servant leadership” is not only a legitimate term but also an empowering approach that can maximize productivity individually and organizationally. 

We can find numerous examples of top executives who have embraced servant leadership in utilizing the gifts and talents of employees and team members, empowering them to put those to the best possible use. But it requires is a willingness to prioritize the needs and interests of others first and give them a stake in matters of importance to them. 

The Bible speaks to this in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” It is normal for people in authority to expect special privileges and deference because of their positions, but as the passage states, it requires humility to put the interests of others ahead of one’s own. 

Servant leadership is not limited only to top executives and people in supervisory roles. An employee can lead by serving others regardless of their status in the organization. As Ephesians 6:5-8 instructs, “Slaves [employees], obey your earthly masters [employers] with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, no men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” 

In reality, servant leadership rarely comes easy for any of us. As Monday Manna contributor Ken Korkow has observed, determining to serve others in the business world is not without its downside:

“You will know you are a servant when you are treated like one. I want people to view me as a good servant of God. I want them to be impressed with my self-sacrificing commitment to the Lord and to others. But that’s not the mark of a real servant!” 

“A true servant is one who works in the shadows, even invisible, never drawing attention to himself or herself – simply knowing, anticipating, and meeting the desire of the master. For believers in Jesus Christ, this means serving Him and people He sends our way.” 

In our desire to become servants of Jesus Christ in the marketplace, we should look to Him as the foremost example. He said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). When we consider that for Jesus, giving His life meant dying on a crude wooden cross to atone for the sins of mankind, we understand what being a servant truly means. Even if it involves what we often describe as making “the ultimate sacrifice.” 

© 2023. 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; Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart, coauthored with Ken Johnson; 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

August 21, 2023

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. When you first hear the term “servant,” what comes to mind? 

1. Does the term “servant leadership” sound to you like an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms? Why or why not? 

1. What could be some of the benefits of striving to become a servant leader, regardless of one’s role and responsibilities in a company or organization? 

1. How do you think being a follower of Jesus Christ should affect one’s determination to become a servant – even a servant leader – in the marketplace? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Philippians 1:1; Colossians 3:17,23-24; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; James 1:1-4; 1 Peter 2:18-21 

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