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. 

“Come to your senses and stop sinning; for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame….. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:34, 58 CSB https://bible.com/bible/1713/1co.15.34-58.CSB 

Does everyone we know believe in God? Most of us would quickly answer yes. We answer yes, probably because we don’t want to press into the idea that people we know may not know God. But can’t God be known through observation, the complexity of the universe crying out that God is and that He has made us all? Doesn’t our conscience declare that there must be a God for right and wrong to exist and that Someone must execute justice? 

Indeed, these things reveal God, but they don’t reveal Jesus, God manifest as one of us so that we can be reconciled to God and know Him personally even as we are personally known. This is the work of the Christian. The mission of every Christian is the Great Commission. We are to excel at the Lord’s work, always laboring to see others know Jesus and obey His commands even as we are doing. We must not assume our family and friends know about God. We must specifically inquire about their relationship with Jesus, for there is no other name under heaven by which people can be saved and live forever with God. 

The ministry of reconciliation has been given to us as Christians. The world reflects the fruitfulness of our work, and that fruitfulness reflects our faithfulness in doing that work. Does everyone we know understand Who Jesus is and what He has done for humanity?

Our Opportunities 

1. CBMC National Men's Conference October 3-5 in St. Louis, MO. Plan to join and meet new brothers who love the Lord and serve Him in the marketplace across America. Mark your calendar busy for those dates, and then register here. Also, plan to join the bus from Michigan to attend this event. For an additional $200, we will ride in comfort with the men from Michigan to St. Louis. A great adventure awaits. I hope you will join us.
2. 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 InternationalJune 24, 2024

A Much-Needed Fresh Leadership Perspective

By Philip Struble 

Entrepreneurs and small business owners – even leaders at midsize and large companies – tend to suffer from the same problem: They want to control all the decisions at their company. Bosses are often under the impression they have achieved their standing today due to their excellent decision-making skills.  

While this may be true to a certain extent, if we only ever consider your own perspective, we will miss out on some excellent ideas and solutions. Fresh perspectives almost always come from listening to others. Actively seeking support from people who think differently brings fresh energy to our issues. This applies to product design, company operations, and just about everything else that involves decision-making. 

Here are several advantages to listening to others: 

1. Becoming more objective – It is easy to create an echo chamber if we only listen to our partners and keep making decisions as always (status quo).
2. Reassessing our points of view – There may be things we take for granted – when they are actually just our opinions. Someone challenging those beliefs can reveal new possibilities.
3. Breaking old habits – Inviting fresh perspectives into our decision-making can mix things up and push us to take risks that will benefit our business in the long run.
4. Benefiting from experience – ideas from outside our areas of expertise can bring some of the most creative solutions.
5. Developing flexibility – Forcing ourselves to try something new pushes us out of our comfort zones and requires us to become flexible.
6. Creating leaders – Actively asking employees for their opinions lets them know we want to hear from them.
7. Focusing on what matters – Taking a step back and asking others their thoughts will allow us to see everything in a new light. 

In the Bible it says, “The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:8). Perspective is like looking through a lens through which we see. We are familiar with being on a hilltop, surveying the surrounding landscape, and getting a better perspective of how different landmarks relate to each other. Similarly, we each have a position – a perspective – from which we view life.  

That perspective may be defined as our understanding of the relative importance of things. Our perspective will affect how we perceive and respond to the world around us; it influences our attitudes toward relationships, work, money, and life itself. Others can sharpen our perspectives. 

Jesus referred to the importance of having a healthy perspective. In His famous Sermon on the Mount, He challenged His listeners’ understanding, giving them a new way of looking at many aspects of life. He stated, “The eye is the light of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness” (Matthew 6:22-23). The way we see things is not just important – it is critical.  

But how will we know if our perspective is healthy, as Jesus said? If individual circumstances can influence our perspective, we can benefit from others who see things differently. Beyond that, we have God’s Word as a guide. King David of Israel wrote about God’s Word as giving direction and clarity of vision in our lives: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). 

Philip W. Struble is President of Landplan Engineering. He is passionate about helping business leaders steward their companies in a way that honors God. The author of Zebedee and Sons Fishing Co: Business Advice from the Bible, he hosts a weekly blog at www.zebedeeandsonsfishingco.com. Philip and his wife, Stephanie, have four adult children and currently reside in Douglas County, Kansas, USA.

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

June 24, 2024

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. If you are in a position of leadership, how do you make decisions? Do you typically rely on your own judgment, or do you actively seek out the ideas and input from others? Explain your answer.
2. Have you ever worked for – or with – someone who insisted on making their own decisions without consulting you or others to check the validity of their conclusions? If so, how did that make you feel? Did it affect your feelings about how that individual valued you, your ideas and insight?
3. To gain the perspectives of others, it is essential to actively listen to what they think and have to say. Which of the advantages of listening to others cited by Mr. Struble seem most significant?
4. He also writes about the Bible being a helpful guide in gaining and maintaining a proper perspective on many areas of life, including our workplace decisions. Do you agree, and if so, in what ways?  

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 11:14, 12:15, 15:22, 18:13, 19:20,27, 20;18, 24:5-6, 25:11, 27:17 

Challenge for This Week 

It is helpful to periodically seek the perspectives of others, including whether they think our perspectives are accurate and properly balanced. Sometime this week, meet with a trusted friend or accountability group and invite their feedback on whether they see you as an active, sincere listener who is open to other points of view. Depending on how they respond, decide whether your perspectives might benefit from some adjustments. 

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