Scripture:

Living Sent Ministries Core Principle (Value) #1:

God gave you your business or job (vocation) to build the Kingdom. In his defense, Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working" (John 5:17).

Imagine the Future:

Imagine dozens and dozens of business and professional leaders doing one more thing this year to build the Kingdom of God in Middle Tennessee and beyond. Imagine city, county, state, and federal elected and public officials doing one more thing to build the Kingdom. Imagine religious leaders, representatives of the media, the arts community, actors, non profit leaders, and educators doing one more thing to build the Kingdom of God this year. When all community sectors are at work building the Kingdom, then a community moves from partial transformation to community wide transformation. That is a big challenge and a big vision.

Seem overwhelming? What one thing can I do? Start with a prayer:

Lord, help me to discover one more thing that I can do this year in my business or job to help build Your Kingdom. Whatever I do, may it be bring glory to Your Name and draw me closer to You. Amen.

10 Ministry Ideas for You to Consider this Year:

From 101 Ministry Options by Buck Jacobs

1. Establish written Biblical principles and values as a priority for your firm.

2. Prepare a company mission statement that identifies your organization as a Christian business.

3. Provide Christian books, DVDs, CDs to your employee team.

4. Send children of employees to Christian camps.

5. Open and close organization meetings in prayer.

6. Send tactful cards at holidays.

7. Give children devotionals and story books to employees’ children.

8. Use company profits to support ministries that help the poor.

9. Have a Christ-centered Christmas party.

10. Hire disadvantaged people, the poor, or ex felons that have taken life courses and are unemployed.

Scripture Reference:

Prayer for the Week:

Lord, may I lead with a true passion at work; a passion that brings emotion, discipline, and urgency to serving those I lead and the work I do. May my passion be that of serving others and not myself. Amen.

Background:

As leaders and aspiring leaders, we are all faced with hostile business conditions at times or just the challenging times of life. And just as we are faced with these challenges, so are the people that work for us and/or with us. Here is the story of Peter and the fear he faced when walking on the water with Jesus before him.

Scripture Reference:

Matthew 14:26-31, New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

And Jesus saves Peter and reassures him:

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

A Prayer for Today:

Lord, when the trouble around me seems like more than I can handle or when my faith falters, help me to see that You can guide me through the storms of life. Just as you saved and reassured Peter, may I also be there to reassure and help those who work for and/or with me each day. Amen.

135-140 people attended this first time event. Kevin Gregory, President of Tenvision Ultrasound, was thanked for his efforts to save unborn children. Jason Cline, Area Director, for the Northern Middle TN FCA, was also thanked for his efforts to help build the Kingdom in 38 schools. To see more about the Banquet, go to the 2012 Banquet Tab on the home page of this web site.

George Barna in Futurecast says the following on pages 66-67:

"This shift in morals has a direct bearing on the economic downturn of recent years. Without moral  standards and restraint, governments, businesses, and individuals push the boundaries to exercise the maximum level of freedom in order to achieve personal gain. But when we practice unrestrained freedom, our greed and selfishness inevitably affect the well-being of the marketplace and individuals. The only solution to the abuses that occur without such restraint is for government regulation to curtail some degree of our freedom, which in turn makes the market less efficient.  If instead, people were to make choices based on a biblical world view, in which truth is founded on God's precepts and principles, fewer external restrictions would be necessary and greater freedom and efficiency would result."    

I believe that the principles and teachings in the Bible are key to restoring our nation's economic greatness. What do you think?

Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." John 5:17 

When Jesus healed a lame man at the Bethesda pool, He did so on the Sabbath. There are two things that jump out at me about this particular miracle. First, it was performed on the Sabbath. Second, take note of where Jesus was located.

Church leaders fussed about Christ doing good works on the Sabbath. However, Jesus let others know that He, and we, are to do good works or act out our faith 24/7. Therefore, we are to be His disciples out in the world and to help build His kingdom with all the resources at our disposal. Christ taught and healed wherever he went.

What do you think about acting act your faith at work (vocationally)? 

 Have you ever seen a business leader take an unfair advantage of a competitor and then comment, “it’s just business.” Have you ever observed an employee being terminated and then wonder whether the employee was treated respectfully and fairly? I am also sure that you can think of times, in your own life, when you wondered about the appropriateness of one of your own decisions at work. I know that I have. The world can be a very tough and unfair place. Sometimes one has to make a key decision and it feels a bit gray. The lines of right and wrong can seem fuzzy. Almost everyone in a policy-setting capacity has been there at one point or another. 

Herein lies a tremendous opportunity to “live sent” in the marketplace. As Darrow Miller says in his new book, LifeWork, “moral and spiritual poverty reign in the Christian West” (pg13). Despite this negative perspective and the uncertainty we sometimes face with our decision-making at work, there is real cause for hope and optimism. That hope and optimism comes from the good news of Jesus Christ. It also stems from the opportunity to develop a “Christian Worldview at Work.” And we can take satisfaction from the fact that many marketplace leaders are already at work developing their Christian Worldviews! 

According to Mr. Miller, there are three basic Worldviews. They are: Animism, Secularism, and Biblical Theism. Animism is often found in developing countries. In these societies, corrupt government officials, mercantilists, and tribal chiefs control the economy. There is no moral challenge. The Animists belief system takes over. It is one in which people are left in the hands of “the fates” or even hostile spirits. God is left out of the picture.  

A second world view, and one that runs rampant in the Christian West, is Secularism. In this view, there is no spiritual reality, only a physical reality. Rather than seeing work as a part of God’s plan, work’s purpose is to allow us to consume. Our value as human beings gets caught up in what we have. This pursuit of gathering up all “the Toys” we can often yields train wrecks in life. This view can equal broken marriages and families, and weak spiritual foundations. To achieve success at work, one does whatever it takes in the marketplace. As a result, God is diminished and people get hurt unnecessarily. Family life is too often marginalized. 

The third Worldview is Biblical Theism. Biblical Theism is defined as the renewing of our minds according to the Kingdom of God. To better understand it, let’s look at Paul’s comments in Romans 12:1-2:

¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. ²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  

Put simply, Biblical Theism (a Christian Worldview) calls for us to repent of our sins and to adopt the mind of Christ and not the culture. We are challenged to see the world as God sees it. We strive to be more Christ-like (see Who We Are Menu Tab-Purpose and Values #4). Our Worldview is guided by God’s plan and not that of our culture or society.

How then do we rise to the challenge of Living Sent at work? How do we rise to that challenge in the community?