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.

Colossians 3:5, 8-10, 12-14 NIV “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry….But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator…Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” https://bible.com/bible/111/col.3.5-14.NIV

This is practical Christianity, as defined by loving our neighbor as ourselves. Loving God is integrally connected to loving our neighbor. It is how we practically love God that we show our love for Him by how we treat others. To properly love God and others, we have to first stop loving ourselves first and most. Our biggest enemy toward God and men is us, our own selfish, demanding, self-oriented will and ways.

The sinful nature we receive at birth, with all the other parts of our DNA, stays with us until we receive our new bodies from God for loving Him first and most in these bodies. This sinful nature must be rebuked, controlled, put to death in its volition, not allowed to act out its will but instead made a slave to the will of God in Christ Jesus. We are given the Holy Spirit to empower us to do God’s will. We are given God’s word so that we know God’s will and can align ourselves with it.

We are given God’s people, His church, for encouraging one another in this battle and for obeying God’s commands so that the world might see we are His disciples by our love for one another. A Christian is not a person who believes in God through Jesus the Savior, but remains the same person they were before believing. A Christian is a person who believes in Jesus as Savior and then bows their knees before Him in repentant submission, seeking to be born again by Him so that they can begin living like Him forever.

A Christian is ever increasing in their likeness to Jesus in character and conduct. Any other definition of Christianity is to deceive ourselves that we are pleasing to God while walking the wide road leading to destruction.

Our Opportunities 

1. Join CBMC men for prayer and Bible study every Friday from 8-9 am at Panera Frandor.
2. Do you enjoy these weekly devotionals? You can listen to them daily on your favorite podcast player. The know God coach huddle is a 2-3 minute review of God’s word for application in your life. Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts. 

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

July 14, 2025 

Five Steps To Fruitful Networking

By Rick Boxx 

Recently, a young banker told me that he had been hired to get involved in the community by networking – making connections with prospective customers. But he was not sure how to do this. So, I thought it might be helpful to consider successful strategies for networking, along with relevant biblical principles.   

The first step to remember in networking is Being Targeted. Many networking groups and opportunities can be a waste of time because they are not focused properly. I found my best customers in banking were chief financial officers and controllers. As a former certified public accountant, joining an association for accounting professionals helped me target the best prospects and resulted in many new accounts.  

Proverbs 12:26 teaches, “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” To be fruitful with your networking time, choose your groups and friends wisely.  

When it comes to networking, there are many groups we could join, but the best results typically come from the second step to fruitful networking: Getting Involved. Networking groups, service clubs, and other community-minded groups need leadership. People willing to become actively involved typically get noticed. When you become involved, the attention you receive can lead to new business opportunities. By serving in a leadership role, you will become better known, and if you serve well, better trusted.  

In 1 Timothy 3:13 we are told, “Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.” To maximize time spent networking, take a leadership role.  

The third step to fruitful networking is Being Relational. If you have engaged in many networking opportunities, you have likely met people who are more transactional in nature. They are always giving business cards to anyone who will take one and seeking ways to promote their services. However, you will not typically see them talking with someone in depth to build a genuine relationship.  

We all typically prefer doing business with people we know and trust. The best way to build that trust is by building personal relationships. Proverbs 22:11 says, “One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.” 

The fourth step is Being Curious. My very sociable wife, Kathy, has helped me in this area. She is naturally curious about people, always asking questions to learn more about them. Kathy has taught me to find out about other people’s families, hobbies and work, but not to stop there. She also taught me to be curious about what motivates them, seeking to discover their passions. Hebrews 13:2 teaches, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” 

The final step for successful networking is Meeting the Needs of Others. Everyone has needs but identifying those requires seeking to understand people and listening carefully for their biggest concerns. Ephesians 4:29 teaches, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” After listening and learning about the needs of others, then do what you can to serve their needs. 

© 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

July 14, 2025

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. How important is networking for the work you do? Is it something you enjoy – or is it something you would rather avoid? Explain your answer.
2. When you are trying to make connections with people for business or career purposes, how effective are you in targeting the types of people you want to meet?
3. How easy is it for you to get involved with groups or organizations, ones in which you have particular interest? What are some obstacles that keep you from becoming more involved as an active participant?
4. Two of the networking steps cited are being curious and meeting the needs of others. How might these two be tied together in fruitful, rewarding ways?

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages:  Proverbs 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Matthew 22:37-40; John 13:34-35; Philippians 2:3-4 

Challenge for This Week 

Networking – actively seeking to build productive relationships with others – can prove to be beneficial in many ways. Even if you are not as sociable as some other people, we all have been designed by God for relationships. 

This week try to think of ways you can expand your sphere of influence and expand the network of people with whom you interact regularly. If you know of someone who is better at this than you are, ask that person for some helpful advice and suggestions. 

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