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.

Romans 1:5, 10, 16 NIV “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.1.5-16.NIV

The Great Commission is the mission of every Christian. Purpose, meaning, significance and eternal reward come from obedience to the will of God, which is the engagement of the work of God, the Great Commission. I love the ministry of CBMC because it makes our obedience to the Great Commission so simple. CBMC provides a systematic and strategic approach that is simply applied, resulting in great success among those men who engage.

Paul states that all the Gentiles, that is, everyone not Jewish, which is most of the world, are to be called to the obedience that comes from faith in Jesus. Certainly, God wants the Jews saved, too, but for us Gentiles, we know clearly the mission is toward everyone in our lives. Prayer is the foundation of our ministry. Praying for specific people by name, individually when we meet with God daily, and then corporately when we meet weekly with men in CBMC, we pray for individuals to come to faith.

This is part of the CBMC strategic process for obeying the Great Commission. Simple, easy, effective, yet largely ignored by far too many Christians. Regularly, usually quarterly, CBMC hosts an outreach luncheon. These events are where Christian businessmen identify themselves as disciples of Jesus by sharing with the audience how they came to personal faith in Jesus the Savior. Those who speak and those who invite the men they are praying for to hear are those who are unashamed of the gospel, understanding that faith comes by hearing and hearing the gospel unleashes the power of God for salvation, winning all the Gentiles to faith.

Pray, invite, watch, and receive God’s reward as He works through our efforts to accomplish His purpose of every man coming to faith in Jesus. This is obedience to the Great Commission in faithfulness to our mission. This is what all of us should be doing, and CBMC makes it possible and practical for the Christian businessman.

Our Opportunities 

1. The next special luncheon for sharing the gospel with your friends is now scheduled for June 5th. Our speaker will be Mr. David Tebben, owner of K&H Concrete Cutting. We will be meeting at One North Kitchen&Bar 1310 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823. Register HERE 

1. Join CBMC men for prayer and Bible study every Friday from 8-9 am 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

June 2, 2025

Negotiating Agreements God’s Way

By Rick Boxx 

Business negotiations are fraught with opportunities to turn into stressful experiences. To help in reducing this tension, I have learned five guiding principles on how best to negotiate agreements. The first principle is: Clearly define your desired outcome from the transaction. Recently, Rod needed to hire a new videographer. He examined his budget and considered the maximum value he could afford to pay. Even though his preferred new vendor quoted a higher price, because of Rod’s research, he was able to counter the price and strike a mutually beneficial deal.   

One day religious leaders asked Jesus about the greatest commandments. Jesus responded, “The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Researching and knowing a fair outcome for yourself is a way of loving yourself, so that you can also love others well. 

The second principle is: Avoid negotiating with those you cannot trust. A previous bank customer of mine was represented by a chief financial officer who was very manipulative. This CFO would use his other bank relationships to pressure us to give him a better deal. We agreed to better pricing until I learned that the CFO had been lying to me. When I realized I could not trust him, I refused to negotiate our terms any longer. If it had been up to me, I would have terminated the relationship. Proverbs 12:22 teaches, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” If you cannot trust someone, any agreement will likely become meaningless later. 

The third principle is: Understand the other parties’ needs and concerns. In the Bible’s Old Testament, the story of Boaz’s pursuit to marry Naomi’s daughter-in-law, Ruth, is an example of shrewd negotiating. Because of Jewish law, one person had first rights to redeem Naomi’s land and marry Ruth. Boaz considered the situation and the impact on the other potential redeemer. He introduced the subject by highlighting that negative impact. The potential redeemer declined, enabling Boaz to marry Ruth.  

Proverbs 3:13 teaches, “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.” By gaining understanding and knowledge of the other party’s needs, you likely will have a favorable outcome. 

The fourth principle is: Always work toward a mutually beneficial, “win/win” agreement. Stan was a bank customer who believed he always needed to win all points of every negotiation, making the bank the loser and his business the winner.  Stan won occasional battles, but that did not bode well for a fruitful long-term relationship. I began dreading negotiations with Stan; out of frustration, I was not as generous as I could have been. In Philippians 2:3, the apostle Paul wrote, “In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” God prefers that we focus on win/win solutions rather than ignoring the needs of the other party. 

The final principle is: Lean toward being generous. In the biblical story of Joseph, Egypt had seven years of famine. To afford to buy food, all Egyptians sold their land to Pharoah. The Egyptian king, however, needed them to farm the land, so Joseph worked out a win/win sharecropping arrangement.   

We see in Genesis 47:24 that Joseph told the Egyptians, “But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.” By only requiring 20 percent for Pharoah, Joseph received favor from the Egyptians and provided them the opportunity to create wealth both for themselves and for Pharoah. 

© 2025, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from “UBN Integrity Moments”, a commentary on faith at work issues. 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

June 2, 2025

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. How do you typically feel when you are about to engage in negotiations, whether with a client, your supervisor, or an employee? Do you find it stressful? Why or why not?
2. When you are negotiating, do you usually know your desired outcome – or do you just go into it hoping for some kind of acceptable resolution? Explain your answer.
3. What are your thoughts about striving to arrive at a “win/win,” mutually beneficial agreement when engaging in negotiations?
4. The final recommended principle for negotiating agreements is to lean toward being generous. As you understand it, what does that mean? What are some potential problems or challenges in trying to do this? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 12:19, 16:11; Romans 12:10; Galatians 5:26; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5 

Challenge for This Week 

During the coming week, try to think back on times when you have engaged in negotiations. How well did you align with the five negotiating principles presented in this week’s Monday Manna? Did you strive for a mutually beneficial, win/win outcome – or was your goal only to maximize your own interests. 

If negotiating effectively seems to be a challenge for you, it might help to seek feedback from a friend, mentor, or small group in which you can discuss your thoughts and concerns candidly. 

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