Strategies@Work Podcast

Gleanings - December 2025

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:36:12 -0600

Gleanings - December 2025

Pressing on to the Prize

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 12:56:46 -0600

Wise organizational leaders and managers understand that the objective in life is not power, fame, fortune, or fun, but humble obedience to God. This is true both personally and organizationally. There is no other way to achieve true god-honoring personal and organizational success except through alignment with the will, ways, timing, and glory of God. This is the requisite attitude that must undergird every person and organization seeking true success and the ultimate prize of the high calling in Christ.

Gleanings - November 2025

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 10:02:10 -0500

Gleanings - November 2025

Profound Leadership

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:29:04 -0500

Organizational leaders must recognize the reality of sin in the universe and understand that the best people to build with are those who are seeking to live aligned with God. By partnering with God to realize individual potential, organizations can efficiently deliver an excellent value proposition. It is therefore incumbent on leaders to build with the right people and set a context for the people to be successful. This is profound leadership.

Gleanings - October 2025

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:34:56 -0500

Gleanings - October 2025

Gleanings - September 2025

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 11:19:53 -0500

Gleanings - September 2025

The Populist Paradigm Versus the Truth

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 16:30:54 -0500

Organizational leaders and managers understand the responsibility of every true disciple of Jesus to live the faith not just profess it. They understand that the populist paradigm of Christianity is confused about this truth. These leaders and managers recognize their responsibility to live soundly consistent with profound truth. And they recognize their responsibility to disciple their stakeholders according to this truth. As the stakeholders live the Christian faith well, they will work as Jesus did to produce an excellent value proposition that reflects Christian values and principles with integrity. And the fruit of faithfulness to truth will be a lifestyle of redemption that will be a positive testimony for Jesus and the good news of the kingdom of God.

Gleanings - August 2025

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 15:00:53 -0500

Gleanings - August 2025

What is the Good News?

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:47:29 -0500

Wise organizational leaders and managers must mature as disciples of Jesus who are progressively growing in the capacity to function based on a Christian worldview of the good news of the kingdom of God. They understand their assignment is from the Lord and is to serve his purpose in all the organization’s stakeholders. Accordingly, they must build with people whom they disciple in this worldview and seek to deliver their divinely ordained value proposition with excellence and efficiency for the glory of God.

Gleanings - July 2025

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 14:46:18 -0500

Gleanings - July 2025

Evangelism or Discipleship?

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 05:59:11 -0500

Wise organizational leaders and managers are committed to building organizations aligned with the will, ways, and timing of God, and for the glory of God. They understand that to deliver the value proposition authorized by God requires a culture of discipleship that facilitates maturity in Christlikeness for each worker that will help maximize individual potential and organizational efficiency. Organizations that function accordingly will be the light of Christ to all stakeholders and bear much fruit for the glory of God through the impartation of their value proposition.

Gleanings - June 2025

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 05:57:15 -0500

Gleanings - June 2025

The Two Great Mandates

Thu, 15 May 2025 09:03:37 -0500

Wise organizational leaders and managers understand the importance of building organizations with people who are blessed. Blessed workers will seek to obey the Creation Mandate, that is, use the organization to serve as God’s ruling agents on earth. Leaders and managers must be vigilant about building organizations with workers who are divinely empowered to mature as Jesus’ disciples. Discipleship is the predicate for obedience to the Creation Mandate, which is the predicate for living in God’s blessings. This is the only proper way to build organizations that magnify and glorify God.

Gleanings - May 2025

Thu, 01 May 2025 09:06:04 -0500

Gleanings - May 2025

A Christian View of Volunteerism

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 10:24:20 -0500

Wise organizational leaders and managers recognize their responsibility to build with God. Consequently, they understand they must seek to produce the right value proposition but also must do it by serving the right people through building with the right people—those who manifest the fruit of regeneration and are maturing holistically in Christlikeness and in accordance to their divinely ordained calling—in the right way, in the right places, and at the right time. And all this must be done with the right motive: to glorify God.

Gleanings - April 2025

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 18:28:00 -0500

Gleanings - April 2025

Jesus and the Good News

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 16:09:05 -0500

Wise organizational leaders understand that they are building organizations in the context of what God is doing in his metanarrative. Therefore, organizations must reflect the will and ways of God as well as the purpose of God. To do this well, leaders must discern the right value proposition and find the right people to deliver the value proposition. The idea of right means that which is aligned with the plan and purpose of God, who has a reason for the existence of everything. There is no other licit reason for the existence of organizations except to serve God’s purpose. This requires leadership grounded in a Christian worldview to deliver the value proposition ordained by God.

Gleanings - March 2025

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 17:02:55 -0600

Gleanings - March 2025

The New Covenant

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 12:16:35 -0600

Organizational leaders and managers should build organizations based on the reality of living in the context of the new covenant era. This means that sound, efficient organizations should be built with true disciples (those who manifest the fruit of regeneration) who are humble, submitted, and teachable, and, therefore, seeking to live empowered lives aligned with the will and ways of God. Such people and organizations will build aligned with God and bear the fruit of progressively maturing in Christlikeness. This will enable them to truly bless those they serve as they honor God through excellent work (Colossians 3:17, 23).

Gleanings - February 2025

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:08:54 -0600

Gleanings - February 2025

Understanding the Good News

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 18:56:08 -0600

Wise organizational leaders and managers recognize that the good news of the kingdom of God transforms people’s hearts and is the basis for holistic living. To deliver an efficient value proposition requires workers who are maturing in living a Christian worldview that then informs every thought, choice, and action. Organizations with holistic Christian workers will deliver products and service with excellence and enjoy stellar reputations.

Gleanings - January 2025

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 08:58:12 -0600

Gleanings - January 2025

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 20:07:55 -0600

Wise organizational leaders and managers understand that Jesus is Lord of all, no exceptions. Accordingly, Jesus is Lord of all organizations. Therefore, the proper way to lead and manage an organization is in accordance with Scripture. To function any other way is humanistic, which will ultimately end in failure. The MTD message is incompatible with Christianity as historically understood by orthodox Christians. To build sound, efficient, and effective organizations, one of the key predicates is to build with people committed to orthodox Christianity as evidenced by their lifestyle.

Gleanings - December 2024

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 16:55:41 -0600

Gleanings - December 2024

Good Works and Universalism

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 18:44:24 -0600

Wise organizational leaders and managers will be regulated by a sound Christian worldview based on Scripture. Accordingly, they will understand the fallen condition of mankind and mankind’s impotency to self-save and that God’s plan of salvation is not universally granted to all. Hence, they will recognize the impact of sin on all stakeholders. Building an organizational culture based on Scripture as a necessary predicate for delivering excellent value will be a priority.

Gleanings - November 2024

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 18:16:46 -0500

Gleanings - November 2024

Dualism, the Enemy of Holism

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 18:14:26 -0500

To lead well, organizational leaders and managers must be holistic—they must embrace the lordship of Jesus in all jurisdictions without equivocation. This means that every issue should, as much as possible, align with the will, ways, timing, and glory of God. When works and organizational leaders so live, organizations will be aligned with God’s plan and purpose. This will be manifested by hiring the right workers who will then serve the right people with the right value proposition, using the right means and methods in the right places and at the right times for the glory of God. The fruit of this alignment with God will be success in accordance with God’s plan and purpose.

Gleanings - October 2024

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 18:11:55 -0500

Gleanings - October 2024

History Shapes Life

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 11:39:39 -0500

Wise organizational leaders recognize the importance of workers who labor aligned with the will of God. The workplace is a context for people to fulfill their callings. To do this requires sound Christian leadership in organizations to prepare workers to find and fulfill their callings. To this end, support from local churches can be valued to help people discover God’s call. Local churches that prioritize evangelism over discipleship will be counterproductive. This wrong priority will impair personal effectiveness and efficiency.

Gleanings - September 2024

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 15:24:52 -0500

Gleanings - September 2024

The Big Picture of History

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 14:06:26 -0500

Wise organizational leaders think big; they study Scripture to understand the metanarrative, seeking to discern their assignments in God’s plan. They understand the purpose of humanity is to serve as God’s ruling agents who execute his will according to his ways in his timing and all for his glory. Organizationally, this means that everything should be aligned with God’s purpose as outlined in the original Creation order and contextualized in the metanarrative. This requires both macro and micro discernment and application of a Christian worldview to all aspects of organizational behavior. Leading this way is the only path to success.

Gleanings - August 2024

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 12:15:21 -0500

Gleanings - August 2024

Gleanings - July 2024

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 10:12:02 -0500

Gleanings - July 2024

Gleanings - June 2024

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 14:24:20 -0500

Gleanings - June 2024

Gleanings - May 2024

Wed, 01 May 2024 10:12:34 -0500

Gleanings - May 2024

A Cry for Real Leadership

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 10:24:32 -0500

True leadership is Christian leadership because only Christian leaders are guided by Scripture as illuminated by the Holy Spirit and understood by the historical orthodox Christian church. This is the requisite epistemology that undergirds alignment of thought and actions with God’s will, performed according to God’s ways, in God’s timing, and for God’s glory. No leader will ever be profound without this mindset. And such leaders will be clear that the knowledge and wisdom needed will be found in Scripture and propagated through the real expressions of the local New Testament ekklesia (the church of the living God).

Gleanings - March 2024

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 10:53:24 -0600

Gleanings - March 2024

Introduction to Leadership

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 08:57:35 -0600

In a world without sin, there would be little need for leadership because everyone would always make the right choices. But in a fallen world, leadership is required to respond to the reality of sin—rebellion against God. This means that profound leaders do God’s will, according to God’s ways, in God’s timing, and all for God’s glory. There is no other way to properly lead individuals and organizations. As a definition of success, worldly metrics are deceptive and, at best, are useful tactically, but these metrics can never be profound. Only alignment with God provides a basis for profound leadership that facilitates individual and organizational success in life.

Gleanings - February 2024

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 13:31:22 -0600

Gleanings - February 2024

Recognizing the Genuine

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 23:36:48 -0600

Wise organization leaders recognize Christlike transformation in people as an indication of the Holy Spirit at work. They understand that regeneration is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit—an extension of the grace of God that precedes the expression of faith in a person. Sometimes godly works may precede a profession of faith. When godly leaders see evidence of the Holy Spirit in people (Christlikeness manifested by HST), they will support it by helping people understand and live aligned with truth. This facilitates discipleship. Organizations with a culture of discipleship will produce excellent products and services that will bless their customers and glorify the Lord. This is a way that people and organizations show they love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, and might.

Gleanings - January 2024

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 23:34:25 -0600

Gleanings - January 2024

Gleanings - December 2023

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 10:06:01 -0600

Gleanings - December 2023

The Nature of Management

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:26:36 -0600

Wise organizational leaders recognize the bigger picture of reality and consider their responsibility in the context of the Creation Mandate and the metanarrative. While they understand the function of management to coordinate and supervise people and resources to accomplish tasks on time, on scope, and on budget, they also understand that the bigger responsibility is to serve the purpose of God in and through every stakeholder. This means they recognize their role as shepherds who care for God’s sheep who have been placed under their authority as they serve the people whom their organizations are called to serve with the value propositions they are called to deliver.

Gleanings - November 2023

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 10:33:31 -0500

Gleanings - November 2023

The Purpose of Management

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 10:57:35 -0500

Wise organizational managers understand that reality is created and governed by the sovereign, intentional, strategic Creator as revealed in Scripture. Therefore, to manage well, they embrace a Christian worldview holistically because Jesus is Lord of all—no exceptions. Their focus will be discerning God’s will, doing it according to his ways, in his timing, and for his glory. There is no other legitimate way to function in God’s universe. And only obedience to God will bring enduring success, security, significance, and satisfaction.

Gleanings - October 2023

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 09:43:09 -0500

Gleanings - October 2023

Strategic Success in the Marketplace

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 19:40:25 -0500

Wise organizational leaders will reject the worldly definition of strategic success and embrace the Christian definition. All transactions must be tactically aligned with the will and ways of God not with pragmatic metrics, such as, does it work or will it make money. Everyone in the organization must be trained to think from a Christian worldview and then empowered to tactically act aligned with the strategic plan, which is congruent with the will and ways of God. The organizational culture must support this view of strategic success and the leaders must hold all stakeholders accountable to live accordingly.

Gleanings - September 2023

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 10:47:55 -0500

Gleanings - September 2023

Finding Your Goshen

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:11:12 -0500

Wise organizational leaders recognize that successfully fulfilling their divinely ordained purpose requires an economic context that supports Christian values and principles. Without this context, obedience to God becomes arduous. This may also threaten the existence of the organization. In such case, it may be imperative for the organization to find a Goshen to survive the threat until the organization can safely return to its divinely ordained mission. Organizational leaders would be wise to prepare contingency plans to mitigate such risk.

Gleanings - August 2023

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:22:33 -0500

Gleanings - August 2023

Build Multigenerational Organizations

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 10:59:25 -0500

Building multigenerational organizations is daunting in a fallen world given over to sin. Organizational leaders and managers must vigilantly model and build a culture that seeks to align with God’s will, ways, timing, and glory. There is no other way to build that will enjoy God’s favor and blessing. This makes organizational leadership and management a profoundly spiritual function that can only be executed well multigenerationally based on a Christian worldview.

Gleanings - July 2023

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 09:42:55 -0500

Gleanings - July 2023

Engage in Generational Transfer

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 09:39:01 -0500

Wise organizational leaders and managers understand the primacy of living according to the multigenerational metanarrative aligned with the purpose of God both individually and organizationally. Accordingly, they seek to discern God’s purpose for their organizations and to build with people who seek to serve God’s purpose individually. When divinely ordained individual and organization purposes are aligned, organizations will be effective and efficient. They will have healthy cultures and excellent reputations and will also enjoy financial favor. Consequently, aligning with God’s multigenerational purpose is the only sound way to build people and organizations.

Gleanings - June 2023

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 15:55:00 -0500

Gleanings - June 2023

Lead by Serving

Mon, 15 May 2023 16:03:14 -0500

Wise leaders and managers recognize the profundity of Jesus’ model of servant leadership. He is the gold standard. Though one might find examples of other men who displayed servant leadership, such as Hal Moore, no mere mortal has ever lived (or ever will live) fully congruent with Jesus’ model. Sound organizational leadership is based on humbly and sacrificially serving God’s purpose in others. This applies in all settings—churches, nonprofits, businesses, and families. Servant leadership is the path to success and significance in all activities of life.

Gleanings - May 2023

Mon, 01 May 2023 16:56:07 -0500

Gleanings - May 2023

Building with C4 People

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 13:08:48 -0500

Wise leaders and managers understand that the only correct way to build organizations is God’s way—his will done his way in his timing for his glory. In God’s universe this is the only right way. Accordingly, they will build diligently using biblical principles, such as the C4 Principle, to help identify the right people—those God has sovereignly ordained to be part of an organization. This practice is one of the keys to facilitating individual and organizational excellence and success.

Gleanings - April 2023

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 14:55:44 -0500

Gleanings - April 2023

Enduring Purpose

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 10:27:43 -0500

Wise organizational leaders and managers understand that Jesus is Lord and resist the temptation to presume that anything exists outside of his sovereign control. Accordingly, they understand that every person and organization is accountable to Christ. Organizationally, this means that to the best of their ability every aspect of the organization should be aligned with the will of God. This includes the enduring purpose of the organization.

Gleanings - January 2023

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 13:26:36 -0600

Gleanings - January 2023

Building Generationally: Foundations

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 09:23:55 -0600

Wise organizational leaders and managers seek to connect their thinking and actions to God’s metanarrative, knowing that all will give an account to the Creator for their choices. Therefore, individuals and organizations must seek to serve God’s purpose in the metanarrative with the understanding that the only correct way to live, individually and organizationally, is to seek to obey God’s will according to God’s ways in God’s timing for God’s glory. At the same time, we must always remember that the power to so live comes solely from God. This is foundational Christian thinking.

Gleanings - February 2023

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 16:43:10 -0600

Gleanings - February 2023

Living the C4 Principle

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 18:02:24 -0600

Organizational leaders and managers must be committed and submitted to a Christian worldview as revealed through Scripture. Accordingly, they will value biblical principles such as the C4 Principle as a tool to facilitate alignment with God both individually and organizationally. When used congruently throughout an organization, the C4 Principle will enable the organization to deliver an efficient and excellent value to customers. The byproduct will be a stellar reputation, financial profit, and success.

Gleanings - January 2023

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 17:59:25 -0600

Gleanings - January 2023

The C4 Principle Applied

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 13:00:54 -0600

Wise organizational leaders and managers understand the lordship of Christ and seek always to align with his will. They use the C4 Principle to help discern who is called to be part of their organizations and what role each person is to play. Consequently, the overriding consideration on every personnel decision is, what is the will of God? To presume to utilize any person outside the will of God is abuse to the person and harmful to the organization.

Gleanings - December 2022

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 08:53:58 -0600

Gleanings - December 2022

Concepts to Facilitate Application

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 16:59:35 -0600

Wise organizational leaders and managers understand the sovereign, intentional, and strategic nature of God. And they know that Jesus is Lord and Christ. This means that both organizations and individuals find dignity, value, and purpose in relationship to and alignment with Christ. Consequently, the only true metric of success is alignment with Christ—his will done his ways in his timing for his glory. And the C4 Principle is a tool to help facilitate this alignment.

Gleanings - November 2022

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 16:23:41 -0500

Gleanings - November 2022

The C4 Principle in Scripture

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 17:26:22 -0500

Wise organizational leaders and managers understand God’s sovereign, intentional, and strategic nature. Accordingly, they recognize that the best choice for every position in an organization is always a person who has C4 to perform the work assignment. The C4 principle should guide all hiring, reviewing, promoting, and releasing decisions. Leaders and managers apply this biblical tool to facilitate alignment with God’s will for individuals and organizations. One of the predicates for organizational success is the right people in the right positions. The C4 principle is a tool that enables leaders and managers to achieve success.

Gleanings - October 2022

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 09:10:42 -0500

Gleanings - October 2022

Good Works

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 09:08:11 -0500

Wise organizational leaders understand the divine definition of good works. They seek to discern God's will. They study Scripture to learn God's ways. They prayerfully seek God's timing. And they hold each other accountable to the singular motive of God's glory. These leaders build cultures within organizations that embrace this biblical definition of good works. Consequently, the fruit of organizations committed to God's will, ways, timing, and glory will be good!

Gleanings - September 2022

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 10:55:18 -0500

Gleanings - September 2022

Thinking Christianly

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 15:20:58 -0500

Wise organizational leaders will be regulated by the principles of the Bible. They will build organizations with stakeholders who are also so governed. Seeking to deliver value without a sound foundation in Scripture is folly and will not produce enduring success. True value can only be produced through faithful obedience to the principles that emanate from the Creator. This will produce true value and true success.

Gleanings - August 2022

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 13:16:19 -0500

Gleanings - August 2022

A ChristianMerchant Banking Model

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 11:05:07 -0500

Organizational leaders must be clear about what God is building and seek to build with him. People and organizations are created to fulfill a role in the metanarrative. The challenge is to see our roles and serve the purpose of God by fulfilling our roles according to the will and ways of God. This is the only way to true success in life individually and organizationally. When organizations function this way, they will deliver excellent value and be profitable because they are building with God. Attempting to build any other way will be vanity and failure.

Gleanings - July 2022

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 11:47:23 -0500

Gleanings - July 2022

Christian Ethics

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 19:56:49 -0500

Wise organizational leaders recognize the importance of building organizations with people who are disciples of Jesus. Such people live like Jesus, who modeled a holistic lifestyle regulated by Scripture. On issues to which Scripture speaks unequivocally, disciples obey Scripture. On issues to which Scripture is equivocal (not clear), disciples engage in ethical reflection with the assistance of other godly people, seeking wisdom from Scripture. This is the way of a disciple of Jesus. Organizations whose stakeholders live like Jesus will bear enduring fruit for the glory of God. This is true success.

Gleanings - June 2022

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 12:41:51 -0500

Gleanings - June 2022

Signs of the Times

Sun, 15 May 2022 13:11:23 -0500

Wise organizational leaders and managers must learn how to read the signs of the times so that they will know how to respond to societal trends. The way forward is always alignment with the will and ways of God. This is the only path to divine blessings. Any misalignment with God will lead to judgment. In every way possible, leaders and managers must teach, support, and practice Christian values and principles. Enduring economic blessings are tied to obedience to God. There can be no compromise.

Gleanings - May 2022

Sun, 01 May 2022 16:34:34 -0500

Gleanings - May 2022

Gleanings - April 2022

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 11:09:47 -0500

Gleanings - April 2022

Prosperity of the Wicked

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 10:23:42 -0500

Don’t be fooled by financial prosperity. Financial prosperity gained through a heart of righteousness is a blessing and will be used to honor and glorify God. However, financial gain accumulated through a heart of wickedness is a setup for judgment. Wise leaders and managers understand the ways of God regarding financial wealth and seek to align with the will and ways of God. This means they govern their organizations according to God’s metrics as revealed in Scripture. This is the only way to achieve sound financial blessings and enduring success in God’s universe.

Gleanings - March 2022

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 08:27:14 -0600

Gleanings - March 2022

Wealth More ValuableWealth More Valuable Than Money

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 13:26:40 -0600

Wise management will seek to use money to trade up to transcendent wealth, such as, wisdom, righteousness, and reputation. While profit is a Christian value, it is not the seminal value. Nor is money the metric of success. True success emanates from obedience to the will of God; therefore, temporal wealth is simply a tool that reveals mankind’s heart condition. An organization led by leaders and managers whose hearts are inclined to the Lord will define success as obedience to the will of God and will use money as a tool to trade up to gain transcendent wealth.

Gleanings - February 2022

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 13:29:33 -0600

Gleanings - February 2022

Investing

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 13:24:06 -0600

Regardless of the vehicle of investing (public or private), the purpose of investing is to produce a tangible ROI. The best people to invest-in are those who are humble, submitted, and teachable before God. Such people will seek to align with the will and ways of God in their thinking and actions. These people will enjoy the favor and blessing of God in their work.

Gleanings - January 2022

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 09:42:00 -0600

Gleanings - January 2022

Tithing and Giving

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 09:23:39 -0600

Wise organizational leaders and managers must embrace a high view of all Scripture, including the Old Testament, interpreted based on Jesus as Lord and Christ. Accordingly, they should encourage all stakeholders to honor the Lord as their provider, both individually and organizationally. A way to do this is to practice the tithe principle. Also, giving should be a second way of honoring the Lord. All stakeholders should be sensitive when they see someone lacking resources to align with the will of God. In such situations, the Lord may be directing a stakeholder or stakeholders to help meet those needs. In faithfully practicing the principles of tithing and giving, the stakeholders are gratefully acknowledging God as the source of all blessings, including temporal provision.

Gleanings - December 2021

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 09:00:30 -0600

Gleanings - December 2021

What God Doesn't Bless

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 10:20:02 -0600

Wise organization leaders and managers understand that alignment with the will and ways of God is the predicate for building excellent organizations. To build such organizations requires stakeholders who are individually seeking to obey God though the power of the Holy Spirit. Such people are blessed. Leaders and managers who commit to building organizations with blessed stakeholders will build organizations that are blessed and will then bless those they serve with excellent value propositions. To build with stakeholders who are not seeking alignment with God will not, in the end, be blessed. Enduring blessing is the by-product of obedience to the will and ways of God by every stakeholder. This is a high standard, but it is the correct standard.

Gleanings - November 2021

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 18:23:06 -0500

Gleanings - November 2021

Is Opportunity Divine Permission?

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 18:20:53 -0500

Provision may give the impression of opportunity. But opportunity is not enough to signal divine permission to do something. Organizational leaders and managers must learn to look deeper. When seeking to discern permission regarding any issue, one must consider not only provision for the opportunity but also divine revelation. One must apply relevant scriptural values, principles, and practices to the situation. God works congruent with his nature and calls us to work accordingly. Therefore, it is wisdom to assess opportunities against the norms of Scripture. When opportunity aligns with Scripture, we can be more confident that we are discerning the will of God. This is the proper way to lead and manage organizations.

Gleanings - October 2021

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 18:18:46 -0500

Gleanings - October 2021

What God Blesses

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 18:18:21 -0500

Wise organizational leaders understand that divine blessing is a foundational predicate for delivering excellent value propositions. They also understand that to deliver excellent value requires workers who are regulated by Scripture so that they can discern God’s will and do God’s will according to God’s ways. This is the only way to enjoy divine blessings. Leaders must be vigilant to maintain this high standard of obedience to the will and ways of God and build with workers who are submitted to the authority of Scripture. Any lesser standard will not command divine favor and will impair the organization’s ability to deliver an excellent value proposition.

Gleanings - September 2021

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 17:44:53 -0500

Gleanings - September 2021

Economics, Work, and Money

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 17:37:32 -0500

Organizational leaders must be committed to biblical economics and ethics. This is the proper foundation for building organizations in God’s creation. The motive must be to participate in the ruling of God’s creation in accordance with his will and ways. To do this well requires organizational cultures shaped by biblical norms. When organizations produce ethical products and services in an ethical way, God will be glorified and the organization will be profitable.

Gleanings - August 2021

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 18:13:00 -0500

Gleanings - August 2021

Right Results

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 17:39:34 -0500

The predicate for right results is right thinking that can emanate only from a Christian worldview because right thinking is a by-product of a Christian worldview and is the requisite basis for right actions that will produce right results. Right results are, first and foremost, results aligned with God’s will and ways. When God’s will and ways are different from our desired will and ways, we must learn to be content that true success is obedience to God’s will and ways no matter what our desired results may be. Viewing results with metaphysical awareness is a necessary predicate for one who is seeking to live congruently with God’s will and, therefore, will achieve results aligned with him.

Gleanings - July 2021

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 15:27:33 -0500

Gleanings - July 2021

Should You Hire an Atheist?

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 14:16:15 -0500

Wise organizational leaders recognize that the work product of all workers reflects their worldview. The atheist’s untenable worldview provides no basis for producing consistently high-quality work. When an organizational leader hires an atheist, he or she is hoping that the person is an inconsistent atheist who is operating with an elevated level of common grace. There is no other way for atheists to be productive. Consequently, as a maxim, hiring atheists is risky and should generally be avoided. If there are legal issues surrounding this matter, please seek wise godly legal counsel.

Gleanings - June 2021

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:14:18 -0500

Gleanings - June 2021

Walk by the Spirit at Work

Sat, 15 May 2021 10:53:16 -0500

Spiritual virtues can have tangible expression in people and organizations who seek to walk by the Spirit. Wise organizational leaders will seek to build with people who are growing in their ability to walk by the Spirit. The actions of people who walk by the Spirit will be displayed in practices that are congruent with biblical virtues, such as, the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness (moral goodness), goodness (upright heart), faith, gentleness (meekness), and self-control. Any organizational culture characterized by actions consistent with these traits will deliver excellent value and enjoy an outstanding reputation.

Gleanings - May 2021

Sat, 01 May 2021 10:50:13 -0500

Gleanings - May 2021

The Right Worldview, Part 2

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 10:39:41 -0500

Wise organizational leaders will build “Beyond Babel.” They will be devoted to growing through a transformed mind, seeking to expand their understanding of a Christian worldview. Their motive will be to glorify God by leading and managing based singularly on a Christian worldview. Every stakeholder will be encouraged and challenged to live accordingly. This is the only way to consistently and enduringly deliver an excellent value proposition and build a sound reputation. And this is the only way to truly profit both in this life and the life to come.

Gleanings - April 2021

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 15:21:22 -0500

Gleanings - April 2021

The Right Worldview, Part 1

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 12:31:35 -0500

Organizational leaders must be clear on their predicate, that is, who is charge of the universe—whose will and ways will prevail. The choices are either God’s or man’s. The correct choice is God’s will and God’s ways. Therefore, building an organization on this predicate means that God’s will and ways must be highest priority in every decision. Only then will organizations be able to produce excellent, enduring results because only then will they be aligned with the right view of reality—the right worldview. And only then will they enjoy sustained favor from the Creator.

Gleanings - March 2021

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 11:18:17 -0600

Gleanings - March 2021

Right Customer Service

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 11:17:47 -0600

Wise organization leaders and managers understand that reputation is more important than profit and will, therefore, sacrifice profit to build and maintain a stellar reputation. Organizations earn reputations based on the quality of both the delivery and support of their value propositions. Customer support based on servant leadership—putting customers’ interests ahead of their own—and the Golden Rule is the Right Customer Service that will produce a stellar reputation. The reverse is also true. Failure to deliver the Right Customer Service will produce a tarnished reputation that, in time, will lead to an organization’s demise.

Gleanings - February 2021

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 11:17:00 -0600

Gleanings - February 2021

Right Value Proposition

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 11:16:29 -0600

Wise organizational leaders seek to develop strong learning cultures that enable character development in all stakeholders. Excellent value propositions are defined by godly leaders and delivered by godly workers. When an organization’s stakeholders focus on character development, the organization can be the right people serving the right people by delivering the right products and services in the right way in the right places at the right time for the right reasons. This means that the organization is delivering its value proposition according to the will and ways of God; therefore, it will be doing the right things right.

Gleanings - January 2021

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 11:15:11 -0600

Gleanings - January 2021

Right Culture

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 16:51:10 -0600

Practices congruent with a Christian worldview will contribute to the development of a right culture. One of the priorities of sound leadership and management is to build an organizational culture that reflects sound Christian theology and philosophy. Accordingly, Scripture must be employed to define the core values of the organization. This will provide a basis for sound principles and practices that will produce excellent results. Organizations that commit to being so grounded will have the right culture, that is, a culture congruent with the ways of Christ who is the Creator, sustainer, and purpose for all reality.

Gleanings - December 2020

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 15:59:41 -0600

Gleanings - December 2020

Order Your Ways Before the Lord

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 15:55:17 -0600

A universe created by the God who is revealed in the Bible means that an organizational leader must align the culture of the organization with values, principles, and practices rooted in Scripture. The goal is to bring total alignment of every word and action with God’s will and ways as revealed first and foremost in Scripture. In a fallen world, this is an enormously challenging task, nevertheless, it is the way to build organizations that deliver outstanding value. Any compromise to values, principles, or practices inconsistent with Scripture will destabilize the organization and, in time, lead to failure. Success can only come through faithfully ordering the organization in alignment with the will and ways of God.

Gleanings - November 2020

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 11:30:27 -0600

Gleanings - November 2020

Tips for Strategic Planning

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 11:29:51 -0500

Organizational leaders must be committed to developing and executing a strategic plan. The plan should be reviewed and updated annually, if not more frequently. The leaders should follow the above tips to maximize the opportunity to successfully execute the plan. The leaders must seek to connect every initiative to the plan and hold the organization accountable to the plan. And likewise, the leaders should be willing to submit to external accountability. An organizational culture marked by strategic thinking and execution is an indicator of an organization whose work will reflect the favor God, that is, the work will be established.

Gleanings - October 2020

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 11:29:21 -0500

Gleanings - October 2020

Five Elements ofStrategic Planning

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 12:28:29 -0500

Organizational leaders who value a Christian worldview will value strategic planning as a tool to enable them to align with the will of God. Such leaders will hold annual planning meetings and periodic (e.g., quarterly) accountability meetings to help them stay on course. The leaders will also engage accountability partners from their oversight board or consultants to hold them accountable to their plan. Organizations with this level of commitment to alignment with God will deliver excellent value to those they are called to serve.

Gleanings - September 2020

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 17:17:09 -0500

Gleanings - September 2020

Blessed by the Metanarrative

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 17:08:51 -0500

Wise organizational leaders understand that God blesses alignment with his will and ways. Therefore, they seek to live aligned with God both individually and organizationally. This means that they will seek to understand their roles in the metanarrative and fulfill those roles aligned with values, principles, and practices that emanate from a Christian worldview. They will, therefore, build organizations with people who are committed to finding and fulfilling God’s purpose in their lives. Such people will enjoy divine favor. And organizations composed of such people and led by leaders who are committed to alignment with the will and ways of God will enjoy divine favor.

Gleanings - August 2020

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 17:03:47 -0500

Gleanings - August 2020

Connecting to the Metanarrative

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 16:55:38 -0500

Organizational leaders must develop metaphysical awareness and seek God’s purpose both individually and organizationally. Organizational success is measured by alignment with the divinely ordained role of the organization in the metanarrative. To build accordingly requires workers who think likewise. Leaders must resist the temptation to define reality functionally, that is, without metaphysical awareness, and be vigilant to seek to discern God’s will for the organization and each stakeholder in the organization. The most profound metric of success, individually and organizationally, can only be measured by the degree of alignment with the will and ways of God in the metanarrative.

Gleanings - July 2020

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 14:57:42 -0500

Gleanings - July 2020

Work in the Cosmic Battle

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 16:48:09 -0500

Management must learn to think big—beyond the superficial pedestrian thinking of delivering goods and services, making a profit, and employing people. Given the metanarrative and a sovereign, intentional, and strategic Creator, organizational leaders must engage the battle between good and evil by guiding their organizations into alignment with the will and ways of God. This is a matter of prayer and spiritual discernment that leads to wise actions. Profound organizational leadership must be committed to Scripture and a godly walk to be able to see beyond tangible reality to the bigger story of history and properly align the organization with God’s purpose in his metanarrative. In this process, organizational leaders must seek to align their organizations with good, as biblically defined. This is their responsibility before God. The ultimate definition of success must be measured by the degree to which the leaders obediently fight evil and deliver good through their organizations.

Gleanings - June 2020

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 17:31:16 -0500

Gleanings - June 2020

Gleanings - May 2020

Fri, 01 May 2020 16:53:29 -0500

Gleanings - May 2020

Equal Yoking Applied

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:27:32 -0500

Don’t think like a naturalist; think biblically with metaphysical awareness. Don’t be unequally yoked! This is a divine imperative. Wise organizational leaders must always seek alignment with God’s will and ways. This is the path to excellence and efficiency. One of the marks of equal yoking is conflict that facilitates improvements. Unequal yoking will produce unhealthy conflict that will manifest in inefficiencies and poor productivity. Equal yoking will empower organizations. Unequal yoking will impair and eventually destroy organizations. Equal yoking is manifested by the right people in the right places doing the right things serving the right people in the right way at the right time for the right reason.

Gleanings - April 2020

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 16:38:22 -0500

Gleanings - April 2020

Knowing the Will of God Isn’t Enough

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 17:04:50 -0500

Knowing God’s will about a matter is necessary but not sufficient. Organizational leadership must learn how to execute God’s will according to God’s ways. Therefore, organizational leaders must be both students and practitioners of divine precepts, and they also must develop spiritual discernment to know how to execute God’s will when explicit biblical guidance is not provided. This requires developed spiritual wisdom and discernment that is a mark of excellent leadership.

Gleanings - March 2020

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 16:27:03 -0600

Gleanings - March 2020

Holy Living in the Workplace

Sat, 15 Feb 2020 16:58:37 -0600

Organizational leaders should seek to build with people who are clearly submitted to the lordship of Christ as demonstrated by their lives. Organizations with a culture of discipleship will properly utilize stakeholders to increasingly produce excellent products and services as their stakeholders grow in maturity in Christ. Their customers or clients will experience outstanding value. Such organizations will deliver excellent value and build stellar reputations. And, in the process, Christ will be glorified.

Gleanings - February 2020

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 16:15:17 -0600

Gleanings - February 2020

Building on Christ

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 15:55:46 -0600

Wise organizational leaders seek to discern both the level of maturity and the call of God on people. Such leaders develop people by facilitating the formation of Christ in them, understanding that maturity in Christ is a key to release calling. Leaders must avoid the temptation to use people for their own agendas, which is abuse. Instead leaders must disciple people into maturity in Christ. This is the predicate to organizational success, that is, the right people serving the right customers or clients by doing the right things the right way in the right place at the right time for the right reason.

Gleanings - January 2020

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 17:47:54 -0600

Gleanings - January 2020

The Principle of Equal Yoking

Sun, 15 Dec 2019 17:42:46 -0600

Wise senior leaders will seek to build organizations using the principles of equal yoking and C4. These principles will enable an organization to build an excellent workforce and organize effective teams that deliver world-class value to its customers and clients. Organizations that function at this level will enjoy internal harmony and an outstanding reputation plus enduring success and profitability.

Gleanings - December 2019

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 17:36:41 -0600

Gleanings - December 2019

The M&M Syndrome

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 17:28:58 -0600

Wise managers understand the M&M syndrome is the default condition of mankind. Even professing Christians can revert to living in this state. Therefore, to detect the M&M syndrome, wise organizational leaders will consider more than just a person’s profession of faith. They will look deeper—they will seek to discern the person’s heart (his or her worldview). To do this, organizational leaders should consider many factors, such as a person’s key relationships (both family and friends), overall deportment, work history, outside activities, and prior work reputation. All of these will reveal truth about a person’s worldview and provide clues as to whether the person has the maturity to live aligned with the will and ways of God. Only those who so live work with excellence to serve the purpose of God in others.

Gleanings - November 2019

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:28:14 -0500

Gleanings - November 2019

Dress Code

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 11:49:18 -0500

While it is commendable to simplify codes of conduct and allow decisions to be made at the lowest possible level, one must not forget the reality of human depravity. Don’t assume that all workers will consistently make wise choices—choices aligned with biblical standards. Only those who are self-governed under God will make wise choices because they are internally motivated to obey God’s standards. However, those who are not self-governed under God will be governed by their depraved nature and will not consistently make wise choices. These people will need detailed codes of conduct and accountability. This will cost time and money, which should remind us that managing sin is always costly.

Gleanings - October 2019

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 15:15:35 -0500

Gleanings - October 2019

Transcendent Values and Principles

Sun, 15 Sep 2019 15:22:31 -0500

For organizational leaders to build excellent organizations requires submission to the transcendent values and principles of the Creator who singularly has the authority to define TUP. This means that organizational leaders need to be students of Scripture seeking to comprehensively understand TUP so that they can discern right and wrong in every area of organizational behavior: leadership, management, ethics, team building, finance, sales, marketing, pricing, service, customer support, personnel policies, and so forth. In every area, organizational leaders must engage in discovering TUP as revealed in Scripture to properly lead organizations and produce the fruit that pleases the Creator.

Gleanings - September 2019

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 15:07:49 -0500

Gleanings - September 2019

City of Man vs. City of God

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:57:14 -0500

Wise organizational leaders and managers understand that organizations exist to serve the will of God. Accordingly, they recognize that all stakeholders, by default, are not inclined to align with God. Therefore, organizational leadership must proactively engage in training all stakeholders to align with the values, principles, and practices that emanate from a Christian worldview. A culture marked by repenting from the default thinking of fallen mankind and embracing biblical thinking is a predicate for building an enduringly successful organization.

Gleanings - August 2019

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 16:45:31 -0500

Gleanings - August 2019

The Curse of Legalism

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 16:39:12 -0500

Management must build organizations with stakeholders who live submitted to the lordship of Jesus and, therefore, are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Attempting to build with legalists is building with people who are under a curse; the end will be judgment as happened at the Tower of Babel.4 A true Christian lives under the lordship of Jesus submitting to his will and ways. Wise management understands that to build a God-honoring organization requires building with humble, submitted, and teachable people. Therefore, management must identify the legalists in the organization and seek to remediate them. If they cannot be remediated, they must be replaced.

Gleanings - July 2019

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 16:36:06 -0500

Gleanings - July 2019

Consequences of Fig Leaves

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 16:36:21 -0500

In a universe created by a spirit being, spiritual reality is primary and physical reality is secondary. To enjoy sustained blessings and favor in the physical universe requires proper understanding of and alignment with the Creator. Management must always recognize the importance of alignment with the will and ways of the Creator. When misalignment occurs, the organization’s ability to function properly will be impaired. Misalignment is sin, and sin has negative consequences. Sin, such as the wrong gospel, will manifest in people’s work product. Wise managers will learn how to discern sin in workers by evaluating their work, knowing that excellent work product is rooted in sound theology.

Gleanings - June 2019

Sat, 01 Jun 2019 14:56:30 -0500

Gleanings - June 2019

Finding Your Goshen

Wed, 15 May 2019 14:55:44 -0500

Kingdom management is bringing order out of chaos, that is, aligning everyone and every initiative in an organization with the will and ways of God. Management must always seek this objective with all stakeholders. One aspect of alignment with God is the prudent use of debt. Management should always be aware of the peril associated with the imprudent use of debt associated with Keynesian economics. Given the record levels of global debt, at all levels, there is looming peril. Wise management will recognize this risk and seek the Lord for wisdom to prepare for a financial reset by finding and/or establishing modern-day Goshens for the people of God.

Gleanings - May 2019

Wed, 01 May 2019 15:35:44 -0500

Gleanings - May 2019

The Gospel and Excellent Work

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:49:52 -0500

Management can observe the gospel of each worker because it is manifested in what and how the worker delivers work-product. When a person is full of shame and performance, is not transparent, or refuses to take responsibility, such a person has embraced the gospel of cooperation and will never be an effective worker. To remedy this situation, the worker needs to embrace the gospel of the grace of Christ—the singular gospel. Wise managers recognize the traits of the gospel of cooperation in workers and will seek wisdom to introduce the true gospel of the grace of Christ to these workers. Those who embrace the true gospel will be empowered to produce excellent work and those who hold to the gospel of cooperation will never consistently produce excellent work.

Gleanings - April 2019

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 14:44:01 -0500

Gleanings - April 2019

Autonomy Is Not a Virtue

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 09:44:33 -0500

Strategic planning is a process of discerning God’s will (James 4:13–17). Managers must be interdependent to be able to discern God’s will. Such managers will progressively display Christlike character and be the clearest strategic thinkers and consequently the best organizational leaders because they can discern and align with God’s will. Workers should follow the lead of those who have authority over them. They must develop their skill and ability under the tutelage of wise, godly leaders and managers. An enemy of this process is autonomy—the presumption of independence and self-commissioning. When a person acts independently, there is no humility, submission, or teachability. Such people will be vulnerable to self-deception and poor workplace performance. Executional excellence is a by-product of godly leadership and godly workers who are humble, submitted, and teachable.

Gleanings - March 2019

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 14:34:12 -0600

Gleanings - March 2019

Leading Called People

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 09:35:24 -0600

Organizations that train people in a Christian work ethic and employ people aligned with their individual callings maximize the opportunity for temporal success. God works with intent and purpose in every area of life—individually and organizationally. Consequently, people are not fungible; they must be employed according to their callings. Failure to do so is abusive. In addition, workers must embrace a sound work ethic including valuing temporal work as part of their individual calling. When organizational leaders build based on biblical principles, excellent products and services will be delivered, all will be blessed, and God will be glorified.

Gleanings - February 2019

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 14:14:04 -0600

Gleanings - February 2019

Living the Gospel at Work

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 14:50:27 -0600

Wise managers build organizations with people who display the fruit of the gospel of the grace of Christ. These people no longer live in the fig-leaf state, seeking to gain God’s acceptance through their own works. Nor do they work for money, power, or fame. They work out of profound gratitude for the gift of eternal life given to them through the gospel of the grace of Christ. They obediently find and fulfill the call of God on their lives, including their workplace assignments. In every aspect of life, they live intentionally, seeking to discern and align with the will of God. Because they believe in God’s sovereign purpose in all of life, they live always as unto the Lord with gratitude because they have been made acceptable to God through the work of Christ. Consequently, their work-product will be excellent because they are divinely empowered and motivated. Such workers excel and, therefore, enable organizations to deliver products and services on time, on scope, and on budget. Organizations that deliver such value will build stellar reputations and be industry leaders.

Gleanings - January 2019

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 17:41:44 -0600

Gleanings - January 2019

Gleanings - December 2018

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 17:29:05 -0600

Gleanings - December 2018

The Singular Gospel and Work

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 16:28:42 -0600

Managers must be clear that spiritual reality drives physical reality. Long-term success is rooted in sound spiritual reality operative in the individual stakeholders of the organization. This is a nonnegotiable truth. One of the primary roles of managers is to walk circumspectly in this truth. They must diligently work with each stakeholder to help them grow and mature in Christ—doing the will of God in the ways of God in the timing of God. They must also help stakeholders find their specific callings, develop their skills to fulfill their callings, and set a context for them to succeed. This is sound management thinking, and action that will produce a consistently excellent, effective, and efficient value proposition for the organization.

Gleanings - November 2018

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 17:12:27 -0500

Gleanings - November 2018

The Singularity of Calling

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 16:27:50 -0500

Wise organizational leaders understand the singularity of personal calling. Accordingly, these leaders will seek to build organizations by utilizing people congruent with their individual vocational callings. This demonstrates faith that God pays for what he orders and holds leaders accountable to properly utilize people. Leaders should understand that, if there is a genuine need for a person in a position, there will be divine provision. When management places a person in a position inconsistent with their calling, this is abuse. Consequently as an act of faith, leaders understand that for every bonafide personnel need, there is a specific divine provision.

Gleanings - October 2018

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 17:08:00 -0500

Gleanings - October 2018

Wealth More Valuable Than Money

Sat, 15 Sep 2018 16:27:06 -0500

The correct measure of organizational success is not temporal wealth but true wealth. Wise managers understand that temporal wealth (money) is a tool—it is an asset to be stewarded for a higher purpose. The higher purpose is alignment with the will and ways of God. Money should be used to acquire true wealth. For example, use money to build a stellar reputation. True wealth is seen in the quality of the stakeholders and the excellence of their value proposition. An excellent value proposition will reflect values that are important to God and bless those the organization is called to serve.

Gleanings - September 2018

Sat, 01 Sep 2018 11:27:26 -0500

Gleanings - September 2018

Gleanings - August 2018

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 10:58:12 -0500

Gleanings - August 2018

Gleanings - July 2018

Sun, 01 Jul 2018 12:46:26 -0500

Gleanings - July 2018

Correction

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 17:38:23 -0500

Wise leaders and managers understand that the standard for best practices is defined by the truth of the Bible. To build excellent organizations requires alignment with the truth. It is therefore imperative that all stakeholders are accountable to deportment defined by the truth. When stakeholders deviate from this standard, correction must be administered. Correction is not easy or pleasant, nor is it necessarily successful every time. But building a culture aligned with the truth is an essential mark of wise leadership and management and is the predicate for building excellent organizations.

Gleanings - June 2018

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 10:03:02 -0500

Gleanings - June 2018

Culture of Prayer

Tue, 15 May 2018 11:23:34 -0500

The purpose of organizations is to produce excellent work product. To do this requires sound spiritual reality in the hearts of all stakeholders. A culture of transparency and prayer is therefore essential. The only prayers that will be heard and answered by God are prayers aligned with his will and ways. And the only people who can offer prayers of alignment are righteous people—people growing and maturing in Christ. These people are not perfect but over a prolonged period time display evidence of consistent growth and maturity in Christ. This should be the standard by which all stakeholders are measured because maturing in Christ is the predicate for individual and organizational excellence.

Gleanings - May 2018

Tue, 01 May 2018 11:21:48 -0500

Gleanings - May 2018

Culture of Contentment

Sun, 15 Apr 2018 12:25:21 -0500

Leaders and managers should model for all organizational stakeholders a life of meekness expressed by the proper use of the tongue. Organizational cultures populated with people prone to grumble against one another will be toxic. But organizational cultures built with people who are meek will be healthy. The difference is that grumbling against one another reflects discontentment with and lack of gratitude toward God, but meekness reflects contentment with and gratitude toward God. One of the marks of excellent, enduring, and productive organizations will be a culture of meekness that will facilitate the delivery of world-class value.

Gleanings - April 2018

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 15:58:16 -0500

Gleanings - April 2018

Wealth Without Wisdom

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 15:40:23 -0500

Organizational leaders must recognize that one of the key tools—a means—for strategically aligning with the will of God is temporal wealth. God provides these resources to enable organizations to fulfill their mission in the divinely ordained metanarrative. Wise leaders recognize the purpose of temporal provision is to support God’s will for the organization and all stakeholders. This means, among other things, that management will use temporal resources to fulfill obligations on time, on scope, and on budget. This includes timely payment of workers, vendors, and subcontractors. Management will also guard against worker abuse and all forms of greed, particularly conspicuous consumption and excessive management compensation. Godly management will use temporal wealth as a means to support the will of God and, therefore, will gain transcendent wealth as well.

Gleanings - March 2018

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 16:37:22 -0600

Gleanings - March 2018

Management as a Pastoral Function, Part II

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 16:22:03 -0600

God is sovereignly in control of his universe and therefore ordains the existence of every person and organization. Leaders and managers are, therefore, sovereignly placed in positions of authority. Like shepherds or pastors, leaders and managers would be wise to learn from the failures of the shepherds of Israel. Every leader and manager is sovereignly given authority to represent God and therefore must seek to fulfill the purpose of God both individually and organizationally. Pastoring organizations well leads to blessings. Failure to pastor well leads to divinely determined consequences that will negatively impact the leaders and managers and, very likely, all stakeholders.

Gleanings - February 2018

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 11:16:50 -0600

Gleanings - February 2018

Management as a Pastoral Function, Part I

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 11:16:00 -0600

Management must guard against using workers for their own personal agendas, such as, using workers as pawns to make money. This is abuse. One of the key roles of management is to utilize workers according to their divine design and shepherd them into alignment with the will and ways of God. Shepherding workers correctly will produce healthy workers and healthy organizations. Healthy organizations will produce good results and will serve customers with excellence. In all this, God will be glorified.

Gleanings - January 2018

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 10:58:25 -0600

Gleanings - January 2018

A Predicate for Success

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:16:33 -0600

Management must develop strategic plans aligned with the will and ways of God. Care must be taken to humbly develop plans by seeking divine wisdom and guidance. Strategic planning is therefore a spiritual activity that requires prayer, obedience to scriptural principles, and spiritual discernment. The motive must always be pure—to seek alignment with the will and ways of God. When management functions accordingly, an efficacious predicate for success will be established.

Gleanings - December 2017

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 15:39:00 -0600

Gleanings - December 2017

Going Low Raises the Bar

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 15:38:28 -0600

Management must humble themselves (go low) before God to raise the bar of excellence. Accordingly, management must recognize that God is engaged in his creation and grants favor when individuals and organizations work in alignment with his will and ways. Therefore, humble management will seek humble workers. Such workers will enjoy the favor of God in their work and display traits such as submission to authority and teachability. An organization built on humility as a seminal virtue will enjoy God’s favor, which will be manifested by healthy, efficient, and productive individuals and organizations. Going low will raise the bar of excellence and produce a profit, as well.

Gleanings - November 2017

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 10:45:54 -0500

Gleanings - November 2017

Competition

Sun, 15 Oct 2017 11:19:47 -0500

Guard your heart from the sin of mammon worship. Disdaining competition is an indicator of mammon worship. The opposite of mammon worship is the worship of God expressed in the principle of stewardship. Management must model and teach stewardship to all stakeholders. When this view takes hold in the organization, competition is valued because it challenges the organization to be more effective, efficient, and creative. Competition makes organizations better and serves the interests of the customers and clients. Also, competition facilitates mutual learning. Therefore, put aside mammon worship with its narcissistic hedonistic greed. Seek to serve God’s purpose through your organization by competing well.

Gleanings - October 2017

Sun, 01 Oct 2017 15:08:57 -0500

Gleanings - October 2017

God and Money

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 19:29:04 -0500

Organizational leaders must guard against the temptation to seek to worship God and money, which is impossible. The primary goal of organizations should not be financial profit but alignment with the will and ways of God. Profit is a by-product of alignment with God. And given the intentional strategic nature of God, the profit that God grants an organization is what is needed for the organization to fulfill God’s purpose. Organizational success is therefore measured by the degree of obedience to the will and ways of God. Financial considerations are secondary to the primary objective of alignment with God. This makes organizational leadership and financial stewardship spiritual activities.

Gleanings - September 2017

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:04:48 -0500

Gleanings - September 2017

Gleanings - August 2017

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 19:54:09 -0500

Gleanings - August 2017

Meekness of Wisdom

Sat, 15 Jul 2017 11:15:53 -0500

Wise people are recognized by the excellence of their attitudes and actions. They are divinely blessed people who build their lives based on a sound knowledge of God and, therefore, enjoy the favor of God in every area of life, including their work. Such people are the only ones who consistently enjoy divine favor and therefore consistently deliver excellent value. Consequently, organizational leaders should seek to build their organizations with wise people—people whose conduct displays the internal virtue of meekness of wisdom. Organizations built on this standard will deliver excellent value that will bless all stakeholders. And excellent value is a key predicate to enduring success.

Gleanings - July 2017

Sat, 01 Jul 2017 11:05:14 -0500

Gleanings - July 2017

Sin in Stakeholders

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 11:13:35 -0500

Management must recognize the bias to sin—the inclination to think and act contrary to God’s standards—in all people and, therefore, in all stakeholders: owners, managers, workers, associates, suppliers, subcontractors, customers, and regulators. One way to detect the level of sin in anyone is to listen to what he or she says. Wise managers are good listeners and understand that to deliver excellent value requires stakeholders who are internally motivated to obey God’s standards, that is, people who are self-governing under God. The best way to build people who are self-governing under God is to build a culture of discipleship that empowers stakeholders to mature spiritually. For those stakeholders who refuse to be discipled, the only options are sin management or termination. Given that sin management never works well, termination is generally the best choice.

Gleanings - June 2017

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 10:29:30 -0500

Gleanings - June 2017

Gambling on Hypocrisy

Mon, 15 May 2017 14:03:14 -0500

Management must understand that people cannot compartmentalize their private lives from their work lives. The core values of workers will be manifested in every area of their lives. To deliver excellent value, organizational leaders must embrace biblical core values, such as sacrificial faithfulness. Correspondingly, organizations must have workers whose core values are defined by Scripture. This means that an organization must build with workers whose personal core values are truly congruent with the organization’s core values. Failure to do this means that the organizational leaders are gambling on worker hypocrisy. This is a bad bet.

Gleanings - May 2017

Mon, 01 May 2017 15:47:33 -0500

Gleanings - May 2017

Making Right Decisions

Sat, 15 Apr 2017 19:12:52 -0500

Organizational leaders who are committed to a Christian worldview must develop a well-defined scripturally based code of conduct and/or statement of core values to guide the expected deportment of stakeholders and provide the primary metric for all organizational decisions. Pragmatism should never be the primary metric, but it can be a secondary metric. The primary metric must always be alignment with virtues that emanate from a Christian worldview. To deliver excellent products and services, organizational leaders must model and require a high level of compliance to the code of conduct or statement of core values by all stakeholders.

Gleanings - April 2017

Sat, 01 Apr 2017 12:53:03 -0500

Gleanings - April 2017

Corollaries of Economic Axioms

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 09:58:31 -0500

For fallen mankind, the default thinking about wealth is unbiblical. By nature, we value tangible (temporal) wealth over intangible (eternal, true) wealth. Learning to think biblically about wealth requires training. Organizational leaders must make sound biblical training about both tangible and intangible wealth a high priority. In addition to training, the actions and practices of organizations must reflect the truth that accumulating intangible (eternal, true) wealth is the true definition of success, significance, and security. Tangible temporal wealth must be properly stewarded by seeking to use it to serve the purposes of God. The fruit of sound stewardship of tangible wealth will be the accumulation of intangible (eternal, true) wealth—wealth that God values.

Gleanings - March 2017

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:10:41 -0600

Gleanings - March 2017

Self-Deception Impairs Business

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 10:45:03 -0600

For the workplace to function well, management must promote equitable dealings. All stakeholders must subscribe and be committed to this standard. Anyone associated with an organization and who is self-deceived will be unable to profoundly live up to this metric. When management discovers self-deceived stakeholders, prompt remediation must be offered. And if remediation fails, then timely replacement must be executed. Cultures that tolerate self-deceived stakeholders will be toxic and impaired in their ability to conduct business equitably.

Gleanings - February 2017

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 15:21:27 -0600

Gleanings - February 2017

Principles of Economics

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 10:08:19 -0600

Leaders must recognize that they are stewards and that organizations exist to serve the will and ways of the Creator. Economics should therefore be rooted in biblical truth about the will and ways of the Creator. The best sources of revelation about the will and ways of the Creator are Scripture (special revelation) and creation (general revelation). Since God funds his will, long-term success requires alignment with God’s economic principles, which are best revealed in Scripture. Furthermore, any principles gleaned from general revelation must be congruent with Scripture.

Gleanings - January 2017

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 15:47:01 -0600

Gleanings - January 2017

Hiring the Right People

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 14:35:01 -0600

Organizational leaders and managers must hire the right people (those in the process of transformation) and build cultures that support Christ-centered transformation. People limited to common grace have limited ability to reach their potential. Workers, however, who are being transformed by Christ are empowered to fulfill their potential. And in the process of fulfilling their potential, these people will facilitate organizational excellence by delivering world-class value to those the organization serves.

Gleanings - December 2016

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 10:52:18 -0600

Gleanings - December 2016

The Context for Economics

Tue, 15 Nov 2016 15:22:46 -0600

From a Christian worldview, the starting point (arche') for economics must be sound biblical thinking about God and his purpose for mankind in history. All economic activity must support God’s purpose by enabling mankind to fulfill the Creation Mandate in the context of the metanarrative. This is the correct context to support economic activity. Economic activity executed based on common grace can only be marginally effective. Economic activity executed by true disciples of Jesus who are doing the will and ways of God will be efficacious in glorifying God and producing excellent value for those served. Wise management understands this reality and builds organizations based on discipleship.

Gleanings - November 2016

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 21:06:24 -0500

Gleanings - November 2016

The Importance of Sound Thinking

Sat, 15 Oct 2016 20:42:55 -0500

Organizational leaders must work to teach and train all stakeholders to think correctly about God, that is, to embrace sound (biblical) theology. Innate in all humans is the propensity to blame God for difficult situations and circumstances. Blame is bad theology and will lead to bad results. Sound theology is to take responsibility for our sin and its implications and to think correctly about God. Sound theology is the only antidote for the error chain of sin. And only sound theological thinking will lead to good results. Wise organizational leaders understand this truth and will build cultures designed to promote sound theology in the minds of all stakeholders.

Gleanings - October 2016

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 20:16:05 -0500

Gleanings - October 2016

Aligning with God in Business

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 20:34:01 -0500

No organization can be all things to all people. Management must recognize the divinely appointed boundaries of an organization and function within those boundaries. There are divinely ordained principles that must be mastered to do this well. First, management must understand the nature of seasons and how to prioritize activities according to the seasons. Second, management must function in alignment with God’s limits such as identifying the right customers, the right scope of services, the assigned geography, and the correct timing. Third, management must adroitly steward time, talent, and treasure to accomplish the work assigned to an organization. And fourth, management must learn how to discern the requisite wisdom for leading and managing an organization based on knowledge gleaned first from Scripture and second from creation.

Gleanings - September 2016

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 23:01:33 -0500

Gleanings - September 2016

Trading Up

Mon, 15 Aug 2016 22:51:05 -0500

Management must recognize that the primary objective of business is not to produce temporal wealth. Business exists first and foremost as a vehicle to produce true wealth. Temporal wealth, such as money, is simply a tool that management should use to trade up to acquire true wealth. True wealth is manifested in workers' lives in traits such as wisdom, righteous living, excellent reputation, respect, and godliness with contentment. To build an organization focused on acquiring true wealth requires management who is willing to invest temporal wealth in training to develop true wealth in stakeholders who will then produce excellent value for those the organization serves.

Gleanings - August 2016

Mon, 01 Aug 2016 22:45:07 -0500

Gleanings - August 2016

Technology and the Kingdom of God

Fri, 15 Jul 2016 22:27:12 -0500

Management must recognize that Scripture dictates technological advancement as part of obedience to the Creation Mandate. Therefore, organizations should develop a culture that encourages the development and application of technology as a tool to facilitate obedience to God. This means that technology should be used to increase efficiency, maintain high standards of excellence, and facilitate the development of new products and services. Technological advancement should not be viewed as the goal but should be used as a tool to facilitate God’s purpose in and through all stakeholders of the organization.

Gleanings - July 2016

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 11:38:49 -0500

Gleanings - July 2016

The Wisdom Imperative

Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:26:03 -0500

Wisdom from God is required to properly understand and respond to the consequences of sin that impair mankind’s ability to obey God's calling both individually and organizationally. Therefore, for both individuals and organizations to deliver products and services with excellence, divine wisdom is an imperative. Consequently, it is essential that every worker in the organization be humble before God and seek, with unwavering faith, divine wisdom to solve problems that impede the organization’s efforts to deliver excellent value. One role of management is to model this faith through humble submission to the divine imperative by seeking God’s wisdom to properly address problems. Management should then train every stakeholder in the organization in how to develop a steadfast, humble, submitted, teachable, and prayerful spirit of faith before God that will facilitate the requisite wisdom to deliver excellent value to those the organization serves.

Gleanings - June 2016

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 09:26:08 -0500

Gleanings - June 2016

Money and the Kingdom of God

Sun, 15 May 2016 16:44:54 -0500

Management must be aware of the assumptions that underlie the world’s monetary systems and recognize the risk associated with nonbiblical monetary policies. The degree to which these policies are inconsistent with a Christian worldview is accordingly a measure of the risk. In the end, nonbiblical systems will prove to be flawed and will produce chaos, making orderly business difficult. Therefore, organizational management, in whatever way possible, must encourage public policy aligned with Scripture and be monetarily wise about debt, investments, and reserves for difficult times. Debt should be used with prudence. Investments should reflect the wisdom of diversification not faddishness. Reserves should be segregated from working capital and used only in the event of true emergencies.

Gleanings - May 2016

Sun, 01 May 2016 16:27:07 -0500

Gleanings - May 2016

Testing

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 16:26:16 -0500

Management must be prepared to properly view and respond to individual and organizational testing as tools of development and maturity. When a test arises, management should respond by encouraging metaphysical awareness. This means seeking God’s perspective and purpose for the test. It is critical, both individually and organizationally, to gain God’s perspective so the test can be properly understood and the lessons properly learned. A wise response to the test will facilitate individual and organizational development that will contribute to outstanding performance and service to all stakeholders.

Gleanings - April 2016

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 10:15:44 -0500

Gleanings - April 2016

The Practics of Work Starts with Being

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 10:15:08 -0500

Given that internal being drives external actions, the predicate to performing excellent work is a sound understanding of a person’s being in Christ. Clearly, only those in Christ can have this understanding. Therefore, to build an efficient productive organization, management must seek to develop the metaphysical awareness of each worker and help each worker grow in an understanding of their being in Christ. Workers who refuse to be trained in a biblical understanding of being probably do not know Christ and will therefore not be long-term effective, productive workers. These workers will be, at best, effective only for a short time. But workers whose hearts are progressively transformed into alignment with the will and ways of God will produce excellent work and will be pillars of stability and long-term growth for the organization.

Gleanings - March 2016

Tue, 01 Mar 2016 09:22:08 -0600

Gleanings - March 2016

Business and the Kingdom of God

Mon, 15 Feb 2016 09:21:28 -0600

Wise management recognizes that excellent organizational performance is rooted in sound spiritual reality operative in both the culture of the organization and in the heart of each stakeholder. Sound theology is required to overcome the impact of sin, organizationally and individually, and to facilitate alignment with the goodness of God. Failure to walk in this truth will lead to individual and organizational dysfunction and inefficiency. Therefore, management must hire the right people—those who will proactively embrace sound theology and therefore will display traits of humility, submission, and teachability. Management must also provide a learning culture that facilitates sound spiritual reality in the heart of each stakeholder as a predicate for overcoming sin and enabling the delivery of excellent products and services.

Gleanings - February 2016

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 16:04:05 -0600

Gleanings - February 2016

Tower of Babel Thinking

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 16:03:25 -0600

To build multigenerational successful organizations, management must build a culture of Beyond Babel thinking. Such thinking is rooted in the desire to glorify God, that is, to do his will according to his ways. When an organization’s culture allows or promotes Tower of Babel thinking, at some point the organization will fail. Some warning signs of Tower of Babel thinking are lack of humility, inability to effectively communicate, resisting correction, and not being submitted to authority. The antidote to Tower of Babel thinking is repentance that leads to Beyond Babel thinking. Failure to address Tower of Babel thinking will be toxic to an organization. The only way to enjoy enduring success in God’s universe is to obey his laws. Tower of Babel thinking is about self-glorification, which is opposed to the Creator and will lead to judgment. Only Beyond Babel thinking can facilitate enduring organizational excellence.

Gleanings - January 2016

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 14:47:09 -0600

Gleanings - January 2016

The 100/25 Rule

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 17:10:23 -0600

Management must recognize the context for work. Work is performed in a fallen world that will disrupt the organization’s ability to efficiently deliver its value proposition. As a maxim, the minority of the people will produce the majority of the work. Therefore to overcome this maxim, it is essential for management to find the right workers, that is, people who possess a biblical view of work as demonstrated by their actions. Such people will progressively grow and mature in their ability to overcome sin both in themselves and in the physical world. Furthermore, these people will seek to find and fulfill the call of God on their lives in the workplace. In other words, these people will seek to find work that they have C4 to do (note 8). As a maxim, C4 people will produce the results that enable organizations to deliver world-class value to those served.

Gleanings - December 2015

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 17:07:22 -0600

Gleanings - December 2015

Preparation for Success: Walking in Financial Freedom

Sun, 15 Nov 2015 17:06:17 -0600

Leading an organization is first and foremost an exercise in stewardship. The real owner of the organization (and all assets of the organization) is the Master; human stakeholders are simply stewards. Stewards are required to faithfully steward the organization according to the will and ways of the Master. “It’s not personal, it’s just business” or “What’s in it for me?” are inappropriate attitudes for stewards to embrace. The only valid question for stewards in any situation is “What’s in it for the Master?” This perspective provides freedom from mammon worship and facilitates stewardship aligned with the will and ways of the Master.

Gleanings - November 2015

Sun, 01 Nov 2015 10:15:32 -0600

Gleanings - November 2015

Preparation for Success: Submission to Authority

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 07:51:38 -0500

Management must learn to function as healthy authority figures for organizations seeking to release the God-ordained potential of each worker. There must be a culture of submission to authority throughout the organization. Workers should be screened to see if they understand the importance of submission and are willing to truly submit to authority. Proper submission to parents is an indicator that a worker understands submission to authority and should be one of the key hiring qualifications of every organization. Avoid hiring workers who do not have a history of submission to authority both in their family of origin and in the workplace.

Gleanings - October 2015

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 07:50:03 -0500

Gleanings - October 2015

Apologetics in the Workplace

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 07:30:44 -0500

Part of the responsibility of organizational management is to find leverage points to present Christ in a positive light to all stakeholders (workers, customers, suppliers, contractors, and regulators). Since Christianity is a rational worldview in the sense that reason can be employed to present and defend it, management should seek to rationally present the truth about Christ using common ground with the stakeholders as launching points. Wise apologists will find points of commonality with stakeholders using wisdom gleaned from pundits to illustrate biblical truth, which will then be used to present a clear, compelling, and cogent case for Christ.

Gleanings - September 2015

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:34:21 -0500

Gleanings - September 2015

The Bias Against Christ

Sat, 15 Aug 2015 11:30:28 -0500

Given the Christian view that all humans are born morally evil and have only limited ability for moral goodness based on common grace, management must seek to develop workers who have been and are being redeemed from their moral depravity by Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. These workers are difficult to find. Therefore it is incumbent upon management to develop an organizational culture that helps workers come to a saving knowledge of Christ and mature in this knowledge. Such workers will be empowered—beyond common grace—by the Holy Spirit to increasingly overcome evil as evidenced by progressively improving alignment with the will and ways of Christ. Organizations with such workers function selflessly to serve customers and clients.

Gleanings - August 2015

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 10:09:13 -0500

Gleanings - August 2015

Workplace Ministry

Wed, 15 Jul 2015 11:39:42 -0500

Management must recognize the Scriptural validity of individual workplace callings as ministry. Furthermore, workplace callings are not humanly defined; they are defined by God. Therefore, building organizations aligned with God requires management to find the right people—people God has called and assigned to the organization. One of the keys to finding the right people is finding those who have discerned their workplace callings and view their work as ministry—a way to execute the commands of Christ. Work produced by people so aligned with God will be performed with passion and excellence since they know their work reflects their relationship with the Lord. Organizations built with such people will enjoy a worldclass reputation and deliver outstanding value to those they serve.

Gleanings - July 2015

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 16:49:07 -0500

Gleanings - July 2015

Keys to a Successful Career

Mon, 15 Jun 2015 16:46:03 -0500

To build enduringly excellent organizations, management must build with people who are called of God to be part of the organizations. Wise management will search for people who are both called and commissioned by authority figures to the work of their organizations. Workers seeking to find and fulfill their life purpose will, among other things, display the traits of preparation, humility, and submission to authority. These traits will facilitate the release of the purpose of God in the lives of workers, enable the workers to enjoy career success, and facilitate the delivery of excellent value to those the organization serves. Wise management will patiently search for such people and build their organizations as God provides the right people.

Gleanings - June 2015

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 11:17:47 -0500

Gleanings - June 2015

Management Prayer

Fri, 15 May 2015 11:17:16 -0500

To build excellent organizations requires obedience to the best practices of economics and business established by the Creator. It isn’t enough to build an organization with workers limited to the empowerment afforded by common grace. Management must seek to find and build with workers who are empowered by God to obey divinely defined best practices, that is, workers who are working congruent with their callings and in accordance with a Christian worldview. One of the key practices of wise management is to fervently pray for their workers to be firmly established in the calling of God on their lives and to fulfill that calling using the divinely ordained best practices.

Gleanings - May 2015

Fri, 01 May 2015 10:55:19 -0500

Gleanings - May 2015

Coworkers and the Kingdom

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 13:17:23 -0500

Work takes place in one of two kingdoms: the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of light. Management must be clear that excellent value propositions and enduring success can only occur in the context of the kingdom of light. To be excellent, management must focus on aligning everything in the organization with the kingdom of light. The questions that management must faithfully ask about every aspect of an organization are: “Is what we are thinking and doing congruent with Christ and his kingdom?” and “Is each individual in the community working synergistically in alignment with the will and ways of God?” The only right answer to these questions is yes. Working as a community in alignment with the kingdom of God is the only way to enduring success for every organization.

Gleanings - April 2015

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 15:34:30 -0500

Gleanings - April 2015

Insight Into Working in Community

Sun, 15 Mar 2015 22:38:00 -0500

To build organizations that deliver excellent value to their customers, management must build with trustworthy workers who are bound together in a spiritually familial relationship (brothers and sisters in Christ). Each worker must be committed to sacrificially serving—helping—one another and to executing his or her work based on obedience to the will and ways of Christ. Workers must have a profound sense that ultimate accountability is to Christ who is the master of all workers, including managers. Such workers will labor as a mutually edifying community that empowers organizations to deliver excellent value propositions to those the organization is called to serve.

Gleanings - March 2015

Sun, 01 Mar 2015 15:46:58 -0600

Gleanings - March 2015

Prayer as a Business Discipline

Sun, 15 Feb 2015 14:53:38 -0600

The workplace is the purview of God and is therefore rooted in spiritual reality. God has a will for every person and organization. And God has ways that He wants His will executed in the workplace. Therefore management and workers must seek the will and ways of God through the discipline of meaningful prayer. For an organization to find and fulfill its purpose and deliver an excellent value proposition, the organization must be devoted to the discipline of prayer as an integral part of the lives of management and each worker.

Gleanings - February 2015

Sun, 01 Feb 2015 11:15:09 -0600

Gleanings - February 2015

Work in the Fear of the Lord

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 10:34:04 -0600

To build an excellent organization requires sound spiritual reality in the hearts of management and workers. Excellent work can only be performed by people who view work as being rooted in spiritual reality and therefore perform their work assignments with wisdom and knowledge from the Lord and in the fear of the Lord. Management must seek to promote a strong spiritual culture in organizations that builds and supports spiritually sound workers. This is the only way to truly develop and deliver an enduringly excellent organizational value proposition.

Gleanings - January 2015

Thu, 01 Jan 2015 11:31:59 -0600

Gleanings - January 2015

Preparation for Success: Being Sent

Mon, 15 Dec 2014 10:38:40 -0600

A key to preparation for individual success is the conviction of being sent. To build excellent organizations, management must build with people who have a profound sense of the call of God on their lives and are called to be part of the organization. Such people will have C4 to work in their respective roles. They will work with a pure motive of obedience to God and will therefore display a sense of mission and passion in delivering world-class value to those the organization serves. A culture built with people who understand they are sent will bring life and prosperity to all and glory to God. This is true success both individually and organizationally.

Gleanings - December 2014

Mon, 01 Dec 2014 10:37:48 -0600

Gleanings - December 2014

Preparation for Success: Mastery of Scripture

Sat, 15 Nov 2014 15:57:57 -0600

To build anything that is enduringly excellent and successful, one must build according to the will and ways of God. One of the keys to accomplish this is to be trained in Scripture, which is the most clear and complete revelation about the will and ways of God. Therefore wise management will seek to develop a learning organization that will ground every stakeholder in Scripture. Regardless of the work assignment, each person in the organization needs a biblical worldview to guide and direct his or her thoughts and actions, which enables the workers and the organization to deliver great value. Therefore one of the keys to preparing for success, individually and organizationally, is mastery of Scripture after the pattern provided by Jesus.

Gleanings - November 2014

Sat, 01 Nov 2014 06:20:42 -0500

Gleanings - November 2014

Preparation for Success

Wed, 15 Oct 2014 06:09:20 -0500

Organizational success must be defined as obedience to the will and ways of God. Furthermore, organizational success is the by-product of the individual successes of the stakeholders of the organization. Preparation for individual success is based on being grounded in Scripture so that a person can find and fulfill the purpose of God for his or her life. Management must develop an organizational culture that facilitates growth in sound theology as a predicate for releasing individual potential thus enabling the organization to produce an outstanding value proposition.

Gleanings - October 2014

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:01:58 -0500

Gleanings - October 2014

Work Is a Divine Assignment

Mon, 15 Sep 2014 10:13:25 -0500

Work is a Divine Assignment

Gleanings - September 2014

Mon, 01 Sep 2014 10:06:43 -0500

Gleanings - September 2014

Keys to Building Excellent Organizations

Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:18:06 -0500

To build an excellent organization, management teams must discern the will of God for the organization in the context of the meta-narrative and be committed to strategically aligning everything in the organization to fulfill the will of God according to the ways of God. Management must build relationally with C4 workers and service providers who are organized into effective teams who can then efficaciously deliver the organization’s value proposition. And management must be devoted to providing a learning environment in which workers can grow and develop their respective expertise based on the wisdom of Christ.

Gleanings - August 2014

Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:49:47 -0500

Gleanings - August 2014

Three Levels of Workers

Tue, 15 Jul 2014 10:55:41 -0500

To build excellent organizations, management must build with level three workers—those committed to working according to the will and ways of God. Level one workers are not trustworthy and therefore take considerable supervision to enable them to produce acceptable work. Level two workers are better than level one workers, but they lack clarity of the Holy Spirit’s calling. Only level three workers are driven by the call of God on their lives and therefore work as unto the Lord. This empowers them to produce outstanding work, which enables organizations to deliver world class product and services. Wise management teams will build a culture seeking to train every employee to become a level three worker.

Gleanings - July 2014

Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:39:33 -0500

Gleanings - July 2014

Kingdom Management

Sun, 15 Jun 2014 10:57:09 -0500

To build an excellent world-class organization, management must learn and practice a biblical worldview—the only true worldview. The senior leaders must be equally yoked in their understanding of how to practice a biblical worldview organizationally. Furthermore, the senior leaders must learn to develop strategic plans in alignment with the will and ways of God. Then the strategic plan must be executed with excellence—congruent with a biblical worldview. Finally, the customers or clients served by the organization will help validate how well the organization is aligned with the will and ways of God.

Gleanings - June 2014

Sun, 01 Jun 2014 10:48:16 -0500

Gleanings - June 2014

Building Organizations Practically

Thu, 15 May 2014 14:29:44 -0500

No organization will enjoy lasting success unless it is built according to the will and ways of God. One of the key ways to align with the will and ways of God is to understand delegated authority. To build an organization, for profit or not-for-profit, requires sound thinking about authority. All licit authority comes from God and must be subject to his will and ways. To achieve enduring success, employers and managers must always function knowing they will ultimately give an account to God for their actions. Obedience to the will and ways of God in the context of delegated authority is the only way to true success. And the only way to live obediently is to be empowered by Christ. Therefore to build enduring excellent organizations requires submission to divinely ordained authority throughout the organization and empowerment by Christ to live accordingly.

Gleanings - May 2014

Thu, 01 May 2014 14:29:22 -0500

Gleanings - May 2014

Asking Powerful Questions

Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:15:53 -0500

Many organizational leaders want to direct and dictate; they expect workers to understand and comply without question. But human beings don’t always understand and frequently fail to comply. Therefore wise leaders must learn how to communicate truth in a way that encourages comprehension and compliance. Furthermore, leaders must be able to communicate to all people in the organization regardless of their maturity, personality, or intellect. Asking powerful questions is one of the best ways to help all types of people wrestle with truth and give them an opportunity to better understand truth. Excellent organizational leaders must learn to communicate clearly, compellingly, and cogently. Powerful questions can be one of the best ways to facilitate effective communication and therefore release individual and organizational potential.

Gleanings - April 2014

Tue, 01 Apr 2014 11:48:29 -0500

Gleanings - April 2014

The Tithe Principle

Sat, 15 Mar 2014 10:31:38 -0500

Individuals, as well as organizations, should practice the principle of the tithe not as a ritual but out of a genuine relationship of gratitude to and dependence on Christ. We should be joyfully thankful to God and become dependent on him when we recognize God as the source of success in the workplace. One way to express grateful hearts is to practice the tithe principle both individually and organizationally. Management should seek to build organizations with individuals who practice the tithe principle from their hearts. And management should practice the tithe principle organizationally, as well.

Gleanings - March 2014

Sat, 01 Mar 2014 10:24:31 -0600

Gleanings - March 2014

The Process of Finding Your Life Purpose

Sat, 15 Feb 2014 13:45:54 -0600

Individually, each worker must seek to develop and maintain an intimate relationship with Christ, which provides the basis for the process of finding and fulfilling his or her life purpose in accordance with the C4 principle. Management must function as under-shepherds to Christ by providing a context and culture that encourages the process of finding and fulfilling God’s purpose for each worker. This means that management must provide training in both the C4 principle and in how to live intimately with Christ. A worker who is unwilling to engage in the process of finding his or her life purpose should be encouraged to engage. Those who continue to refuse will be an impediment to the health of the organization. Such people must eventually be released. Organizations that build a culture of effectively shepherding workers will produce excellent value for those they serve and will be profitable as well.

Gleanings - February 2014

Sat, 01 Feb 2014 15:30:31 -0600

Gleanings - February 2014

Leadership That Transforms

Wed, 15 Jan 2014 10:31:58 -0600

Leadership that transforms is not defined in terms of tangible metrics based on man's will and ways. This type of leadership will, at best, have only temporal success. Real leadership is about eternal success. It is about modeling and guiding others into living to do the will of God according to the ways of God in every area of life. The only true metric of success is obedience to and alignment with God. Any human-centered definition of success will, in the end, fail. Genuine leaders produce transformation in people and organizations because they facilitate alignment with the will and ways of God, which produces God-centered success both now and into eternity.

Gleanings - January 2014

Wed, 01 Jan 2014 15:35:47 -0600

Gleanings - January 2014

Attitudes That Transform the Workplace

Sun, 15 Dec 2013 22:16:06 -0600

It should be the aim of every organization to deliver quality products or services at a low cost. This requires efficiency at every level in the organization. Efficiency is a by-product of people living based on a biblically sound worldview. Therefore management must work diligently to train workers in a biblical worldview. Workers must be willing to learn how to think and live biblically. Workers who are unwilling to be biblically trained will be impediments to the organization's efforts to efficiently produce quality goods and services. Management must encourage workers to grow in a biblical worldview and cannot long tolerate resistance to this growth.

Gleanings - December 2013

Sun, 01 Dec 2013 20:29:28 -0600

Gleanings - December 2013

Partnering with God

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 14:57:45 -0600

Organizational leaders must be clear that God is the senior partner and they are junior partners. The only agenda of junior partners is to discern and obey the will and ways of the senior partner. Organizations committed to this truth will train workers accordingly. Success will be denominated in terms of obedience to and alignment with the will and ways of God. Any other agenda by junior partners will be an act of rebellion against the senior partner. And rebellion will not be blessed. Therefore everything in business is about the discernment of and alignment with the will and ways of God. This means that business is a holy activity.

Gleanings - November 2013

Fri, 01 Nov 2013 17:53:50 -0500

Gleanings - November 2013

Making a Name for Yourself

Tue, 15 Oct 2013 17:53:12 -0500

To build a world-class organization that will endure, one must build what God has authorized to be built. Building an organization for any other reason does not bring glory to God because it is not aligned with his will. Leaders and managers must ask themselves hard questions. Has God given them a directive to build their organization? If not, they should repent and seek the Lord regarding what they are to do. If they have a directive from God, they need to carefully evaluate the ways they are building to ensure they are building according to God's ways. God has both a will for what he wants done and ways he wants his will executed. To glorify him, management and leaders must build according to his will and ways. Any other method of building organizations is based on wrong motives, which will lead to judgment. Wisdom to win at work begins with the right motive—glorifying G od by aligning with the will and ways of God.

Gleanings - October 2013

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 17:52:30 -0500

Gleanings - October 2013

Discovering Your Child’s Destiny

Sun, 15 Sep 2013 08:51:10 -0500

Wise management will build organizations with people who are seeking clarity on and alignment with their life purposes. To do this, management will consider the background of each worker, recognizing that early childhood years are very important in shaping a worker’s ability to find and fulfill his or her life purpose. As a maxim, healthy workers come from healthy home environments. A healthy worker can easily be guided in the process of discovering his or her life purpose. For those workers whose home environments were unhealthy, however, management should look for those who are humble, submitted, and teachable. These are marks of a person who can overcome poor childhood training and be discipled into his or her life purpose. Those who cannot be discipled will need to be released; otherwise, they will become impediments to the success of the organization.

Gleanings - September 2013

Sun, 01 Sep 2013 08:40:59 -0500

Gleanings - September 2013

True Riches

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 13:31:09 -0500

Tangible assets are not true wealth. True wealth or riches are defined by Scripture in terms of alignment with the will and ways of God. We should therefore use money and other tangible assets as tools to align with God, in other words, as tools of obedience to God. As such, tangible wealth should be used to trade-up to gain true wealth. This should be the philosophy of stewardship for individuals and for organizations. Living according to this philosophy enables individuals and organizations to accumulate wealth that has eternal significance.
Organizational leaders should invest in helping people find God’s purpose for their lives and then seek to utilize people congruent with God’s purpose. Helping people align with the will of God for their lives is one of the best uses of tangible physical assets. Furthermore, tangible physical assets should be used by management to invest in the growth and maturity of everyone in the organization. As individuals align with the ways of God (true wealth), the organization will deliver increasingly outstanding products and services.

Gleanings - August 2013

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 13:28:42 -0500

Gleanings - August 2013

The C4 Principle

Mon, 15 Jul 2013 14:29:49 -0500

To develop world-class value, organizations must hire the right people. The seminal biblical principle for hiring is C4. By faithfully following this principle, management teams can properly build their organizations in alignment with the will and ways of God. This will serve as a safe harbor and lay the foundation for divine favor and blessings.

Gleanings - July 2013

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 11:33:53 -0500

Gleanings - July 2013

Four Basic Business Skills

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 16:40:56 -0500

The four basic business skills are recognizing and embracing the metanarrative, using C4 to find each individual’s role, strategically aligning the organization to fulfill its role in the metanarrative, and tactically aligning each individual to fulfill his or her role in the organization. Practicing these basic skills will help bring organizations and individuals into alignment with the will and ways of God. The fruit of this alignment will be provision (profit) because God always funds his will done his ways.

Gleanings - June 2013

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:29:06 -0500

Gleanings - June 2013

Work: Obedience, Growth, and Prosperity

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:29:12 -0500

To operate a profitable organization, the organization must first be based on biblical principles. The organization’s management team and its workers must be wise, faithful, diligent students of Scripture. They must receive teaching by godly people in order to mature and grow in their understanding of Scripture. This will enable the organization to align with the will and ways of God and therefore prosper. The tangible evidence of true prosperity is an organization that grows at a healthy pace, enjoys favor in the delivery of its value proposition, develops a stable life-giving culture, builds an outstanding reputation, and reaps financial profit.

Gleanings - May 2013

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:49:57 -0500

Gleanings - May 2013

Work and the Revealing of Our Destiny

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:49:17 -0500

Work is a primary venue for people to fulfill their purpose in life consistent with the meta-narrative. Organizations are vehicles that provide workers a context in which to perform their work. Both people and organizations find their purposes and destinies by fulfilling their roles in the meta-narrative. Secondarily, work provides opportunities to bless others with employment, provision, and wealth accumulation. In addition, work is a venue for serving others and challenges us to think about the greater good of society.

Gleanings - April 2013

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:05:59 -0500

Gleanings - April 2013

Rational Empirical Pragmatism

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:38:52 -0500

Common business knowledge is generally based on what is known as best practices. Best practices are normally gleaned by analyzing case studies using rational empirical pragmatism. This is a naturalistic approach, which excludes God in the development of business knowledge. Don’t be deceived into thinking that business knowledge exists independent of God. To develop a sound understanding of business knowledge, one must begin with Christ. Rational empirical pragmatism can be a helpful tool only if it is subordinated to Christ as the repository of all wisdom and knowledge. The true best practices in business are those aligned with the will and ways of God. These practices are found in Scripture and in Creation as illuminated by the Holy Spirit.

Gleanings - March 2013

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:11:18 -0600

Gleanings - March 2013

Money: How to Use It

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:49:55 -0600

Money is a tool to do God's will according to God's ways. This means that money should be used to acquire true riches—eternal wealth. Therefore, organizations must seek clarity from the Lord on how to properly steward their resources in alignment with the will and ways of God. Likewise managers should seek to help workers learn to live accordingly. If individual workers are not properly stewarding their own financial resources, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the workers to steward organizational resources according to the will and ways of God. Astute organizational stewardship begins with adroit individual stewardship.

Gleanings - February 2013

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:06:33 -0600

Gleanings - February 2013

Money: What Is It?

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:05:52 -0600

Money is not the definition of success, significance, and security. Money is simply a tool to do the will of God according to the ways of God. This means that money should be used to gain true wealth, which is characterized by obedience, righteousness, and wisdom. Always sacrifice money for true wealth, which is tantamount to alignment with the will and ways of God. Inculcate this philosophy into your organization. Demonstrate through words and actions that the true bottom line is not material wealth (money) but true wealth (alignment with the will and ways of God). As an organization, make wise choices based on gaining true wealth. Help each worker learn to use money as a tool to do the will of God according to the ways of God.

Gleanings - January 2013

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 13:37:07 -0600

Gleanings - January 2013

The Role of Fathers

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 13:19:53 -0600

Gleanings - December 2012

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 22:52:56 -0600

Gleanings - December 2012

Working in the Name of Christ

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 22:18:44 -0600

Develop a culture in your organization focused on learning and practicing a biblical worldview of work. This is the only correct worldview and the only worldview that is consistent with Christ. Everyone in the organization needs to be challenged to learn and grow in a biblical worldview of work. Anyone who does not engage in the organization’s culture must be released. Remember, the mandate of business is first and foremost to reflect Christ and secondarily to make money.

Gleanings - November 2012

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:04:30 -0500

Gleanings - November 2012

Practices of Kingdom Business

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:54:43 -0500

Don’t start an organization for the purpose of seeking glory, fortune, influence, or independence. Motive is very important to God. The only right motive is to build according to the will and ways of God. Before starting any organization, humbly seek the Lord to discern his will. Make it your agenda to always seek to discern the will and ways of God and then align yourself accordingly. His will and his ways are discerned best by following the teaching of Scripture. There is no other foundation on which to build successful organizations.

Gleanings - October 2012

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:51:12 -0500

Gleanings - October 2012

The Limit of Common Grace

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:36:20 -0500

It is unclear how effectively a person can build an organization with people living in rebellion against God and functioning on common grace. But we know there is a limit. A wiser way to build organizations is to build with people who are living under the grace of Christ. These people are empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey God’s will and ways and therefore will enjoy the blessings that flow from obedience. Wise managers recognize their responsibility to build multi-generationally and will not seek to build with people living under the limitations of common grace. Rather they will seek to build with people living according to the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gleanings - September 2012

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 17:00:40 -0500

Gleanings - September 2012

The Greatest Trait of Great Workers

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:56:56 -0500

As owners or managers, you are functioning based on God-delegated authority. Build your organization with great workers, that is, submitted trustworthy workers. Train your workers in the virtues of submission to authority. Teach a biblical view of submission, including the three traits that demonstrate submission: showing up, being in fellowship with God, and subordinating personal interests to the organization’s interests. When you build with submissive workers, you build with trustworthy workers who will deliver great value propositions to your customers and, in the process, bear a positive testimony to Christ. Submission is the greatest trait of great workers.

Gleanings - August 2012

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:22:12 -0500

Gleanings - August 2012

Parable of the Minas

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 10:02:59 -0500

Don’t succumb to the Peter Principle—promotion based on perceived potential for success without regard to divine design. Promote based on humble, faithful service to the will and ways of the Master (i.e., God). Use C4 as a foundational principle to help discern who was created for each position in the organization. Build your organization patiently by testing people to see what they have C4 to do. Note particularly their character development and seek those who serve humbly and faithfully. Promote based on humble, faithful obedience to the will of God, that is, the divine design of each person.

Gleanings - July 2012

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 14:54:54 -0500

Gleanings - July 2012

How Jesus Made a Meaningful Difference

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:29:51 -0500

Both individuals and organizations should seek to make a meaningful difference. The only way to do this is to live as Jesus did with the singular focus of doing the will of God according to the ways of God. For organizations to make a meaningful difference requires leadership dedicated to leading and managing according to the will and ways of God. To do this well, leaders and managers must hire people who wish to live as Jesus did. For both individuals and organizations, some of the key ingredients to living meaningful lives are submission to authority, viewing the sovereignty of God in all circumstances, recognizing that work is ministry, using money as a tool to obey the will and ways of God, and making the will and ways of God the priority in all situations.

Gleanings - June 2012

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:46:19 -0500

Gleanings - June 2012

The Purpose of Business

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:08:21 -0500

The purpose of business is to provide a venue for man to obey the Creation Mandate and therefore administer God’s rule in the universe. Each business should find and play its role in the meta-narrative. Decisions made based primarily on money or social good will prove to be unwise. The only wise way to conduct business is to align with the will and ways of God. Business leaders must function with this awareness. Projecting the rule and reign of God is the number one objective of business. Consequently, other objectives, such as, money and the social good must be viewed as secondary purposes.

Gleanings - May 2012

Tue, 01 May 2012 08:21:57 -0500

Gleanings - May 2012

Anatomy of a Startup

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:14:39 -0500

Starting a business or organization is daunting and, in the natural, the odds of success are low. But if God has called you to start a business or organization, there will be a way because God funds his will. There are two keys to success. First, you must seek the will of the Lord and then align with his will. And second, you must learn and practice God’s ways of economics and business. You can try to learn to discern his will and ways on your own, which you should. But if you don't seek godly help, you will make many mistakes. The most effective means to learn how to live according to the will and ways of God is to submit to discipleship by someone who knows how to live accordingly.

Gleanings - April 2012

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:06:51 -0500

Gleanings - April 2012

Build According to the Pattern

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:57:51 -0500

Focus on developing your business practices based on biblical principles. Don’t embrace practices gleaned by rational empirical pragmatism disconnected from God. Always vet best practices by Scripture. Only adopt those practices that are profoundly consistent with God’s ways as revealed in Scripture. You will then be building according to God’s pattern and will find success.

Gleanings - March 2012

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:11:33 -0600

Gleanings - March 2012

Invest in What Will Be Blessed

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:43:12 -0600

The process of building an organization is an investment process. To deliver an excellent value proposition, management must seek to align the organization with the will and ways of God. Management must find the right people (C4 people) and then train the people in the will and ways of God. Each person in the organization must be truly committed to the Lord and doing what God created him or her to do. Both organizational and individual success must be defined as obedience to God—alignment with his will and ways. Because God blesses that which is aligned with him, organizations that make alignment with the will and ways of God a priority will deliver excellent value propositions.

Gleanings - February 2012

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:24:31 -0600

Gleanings - February 2012

Jesus, Jobs and Money

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:22:05 -0600

Find your mission in life, that is, the work that God created you to do. If you are an organizational leader, seek to discover the divinely ordained mission of your organization. Then build your organization with people who view their lives as divinely ordained missions. For such people, jobs and money are tools to facilitate the will and ways of God. True wealth is righteousness, and true success is obediently completing your mission in life both personally and organizationally. A key to building great organizations that deliver great value propositions is building with people who work out of a sense of mission.

Gleanings - January 2012

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:06:46 -0600

Gleanings - January 2012

Capitalism for the Long Term

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:25:51 -0600

Capitalism as an economic and business philosophy is not doomed to fail. When capitalism fails, it is due to the way people practice it. The best way to remedy the current flawed practice of capitalism will not be found in naturalistic thinking but in biblical thinking. The only sound way to build an organization is based on a biblical worldview. To develop a biblically sound paradigm of capitalism requires godly people—workers and management—who are committed to living according to God’s will and God’s ways. Capitalism, when so practiced, will be an efficacious economic and business philosophy.

Gleanings - December 2011

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:06:30 -0600

Gleanings - December 2011

Best Practices

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:13:31 -0600

If you desire true wisdom to run your organization, you need counsel and advice not based on traditional best practices but based on best practices gleaned from a biblical worldview. Hire consultants whose wisdom is expressed through best practices based on a biblical worldview. These consultants will be humble, committed to Christ, recognize the Bible as the handbook for business, and define success in terms of obedience to the will and ways of God. Build an equally yoked management team that embraces the aforementioned traits. Develop workers who are devoted to understanding and conducting business from a biblical worldview. This is how you will build an excellent organization delivering world-class value propositions to your customers and clients.

Gleanings - November 2011

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:26:42 -0500

Gleanings - November 2011

A Biblical Worldview of Work

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:04:24 -0500

Be diligent to learn and live a biblical worldview of work. Provide training for everyone in your organization based on a biblical worldview. Hire and retain people who either already practice biblical principles of work or can be trained to practice these principles. Through faithful diligent biblical training of workers, you will build an excellent organization—one that glorifies God by delivering an excellent value proposition. Excellent value propositions are delivered by workers who practice a biblical worldview of work.

Gleanings - October 2011

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 13:14:20 -0500

Gleanings - October 2011

Ministry or Business?

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:31:55 -0500

To build an excellent organization, you must build with those who are called to be part of your organization. People who are called to the workplace and are mature in Christ will find their assigned work and view their work as a way to serve and worship God. They recognize that they are ministers assigned by God to the workplace. Such people will deliver excellent value propositions and serve customers exceedingly well. As a result, they will glorify God in all they do because they understand that their work is a primary part of their ministry.

Gleanings - September 2011

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:37:59 -0500

Gleanings - September 2011

Living in Reality

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:06:28 -0500

Reject both deism and humanism. Seek to work with those who embrace a biblical worldview and realize that, in and of themselves, they cannot live in reality. Hard work, overcoming obstacles, and conquering diversity, while admirable and necessary, are not sufficient to truly succeed in life. Wise people realize that to live in reality requires divine intervention, divine empowerment, and divine direction in every area of life. Only people who are doing God’s will according to God’s ways can build enduringly successful organizations. Such people enjoy the freedom of the healed beggar; that is, they live in reality

Gleanings - August 2011

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:54:20 -0500

Gleanings - August 2011

Healthy Families: Critical to Success in the Workplace

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 22:00:25 -0500

Create an organizational culture that faithfully supports and invests in the families of workers and associates. Be diligent to hire workers with biblically healthy families or those whom you can train to practice a biblical view of family. Recognize that any worker who does not personally practice biblical values and principles in his or her family life will be unable to work at full potential and therefore, in some way, will be a detriment to the organization. Some examples of common practices today that are not aligned with a biblical worldview of family are adultery, abortion, homosexuality, and cohabitation. Also, be very careful with divorced people. As a maxim, divorce is inconsistent with a biblical worldview except for specific situations outlined in Scripture.

Gleanings - July 2011

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:10:48 -0500

Gleanings - July 2011

How Christianity Changed the World

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:26:01 -0500

The key to human advancement is alignment with the will and ways of God. Therefore to build healthy growing organizations, management must build with workers who are each doing what he or she is called to do in accordance with a biblical worldview. And management must set a supportive context that enables the workers to reach their potential, which then facilitates human advancement. To do this, management must make the Bible the handbook of their organizational philosophy, values, principles, and practices. Everything in the organization must be grounded in and aligned with the Bible.

Gleanings - June 2011

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:44:44 -0500

Gleanings - June 2011

Modernism and Postmodernism in the Workplace

Sun, 15 May 2011 16:38:54 -0500

If you want your organization to enjoy divine blessings, you must learn and practice God’s timeless universal principles for organizational behavior. Furthermore, the people you hire must also learn and practice these principles. If your organization is committed to delivering an outstanding value proposition, then everyone in the organization must find “great delight” in God’s timeless universal principles. To facilitate this reality in your organization, management must be committed to training and discipleship as tools to facilitate learning and practicing these principles.

Gleanings - May 2011

Sun, 01 May 2011 14:36:34 -0500

Gleanings - May 2011

Christian Hedonism

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:30:23 -0500

“Christian hedonism”—sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? A Christian is someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ, that is, a disciple of Christ. To be a disciple of Christ, one must put aside personal agendas to embrace and support Christ’s agenda.

Gleanings - April 2011

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:30:35 -0500

Gleanings - April 2011

All People and Organizations Begin with Faith

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:30:44 -0500

All people and organizations are faith-based. Faith in Christ is the hallmark of anyone who truly wants to live well and enjoy lasting success in God’s universe. Faith in human reasoning should be submitted to genuine faith in Christ. Since God makes the rules for His universe, organizations that achieve enduring success will be built by people of the Christian faith – people who demonstrate Christianity by their actions. Enduring organizational success is proportional to the degree that the organization’s members grow and mature in their faith in Christ. Therefore, management should make it a priority to lead workers by example to maturity in Christ.

Gleanings - March 2011

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:34:48 -0600

Gleanings - March 2011

Disabilities and Handicaps

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:14:39 -0600

Everyone is created by God with a purpose. Organizations fulfill their purpose by finding the right workers and enabling these workers to fulfill their purpose. When the people in an organization fulfill their individual purposes, the organization will fulfill its purpose. This is the principle of congruence. This reality is true of people with handicaps and/or disabilities. If an organization is called to hire someone with such a condition, then God has a purpose. The role of management is to trust the providence of God and seek to help all people in the organization, including the handicapped and disabled, to find and fulfill their purpose. Handicaps and disabilities are not impediments to the purpose of God; rather, these seeming impairments will be used by God to accomplish His will—many times by unexpected means. The key to unlocking this reality is to trust in the providence and intentionality of God.

Gleanings - February 2011

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:06:31 -0600

Gleanings - February 2011

Get Results: Celebrate the Right Things

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 10:22:29 -0600

The focus of every organization is results. Without results, an organization will not produce a profit. And without a profit, an organization will eventually die.

Gleanings - January 2011

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 10:55:03 -0600

Gleanings - January 2011

Career Development: Not a Matter of Luck

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:13:45 -0600

To be successful, organizations must recognize that there is no randomness in God’s universe. Everything happens for a reason. Always seek to understand what the Lord is doing and align with Him. Ultimately all organizational challenges are tangible evidence of God’s work. Our role is to discover what He is communicating through circumstances and respond appropriately. Regarding career development, help workers to find and fulfill the purpose of God in their lives. Again recognize that God is the author of all circumstances—there is no random chance. God has a purpose for the workplace because He made people specifically to work in His physical universe. Be diligent to help people find and fulfill their divinely ordained purpose in the workplace. This is the best career development strategy of all and it has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with the sovereign purpose of God. To employ a worker outside his or her divinely ordained purpose is rebellion against God and abuse to the worker.

Gleanings - December 2010

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:57:50 -0600

Gleanings - December 2010

Facing Economic Disaster

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:48:06 -0600

When facing economic calamity, humble yourself and submit to godly parents—natural and/or spiritual—who can guide you to alignment with biblical principles. In building organizations, look for people who are submitted to godly parents, both natural and spiritual. People who are truly submitted to parental authority will submit to workplace authority. They will be humble and teachable. One of their characteristics will be compliance to directions and receptivity to counsel from authority whether or not they agree and/or understand. Such people will make wise decisions that will lead to prosperity.

Gleanings - November 2010

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:25:36 -0500

Gleanings - November 2010

Casual Christianity

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:45:55 -0500

Most professing Christians view Christianity as important to their eternal state, however, relative to this life, they view it as not that important. In other words, they view Christianity as a lifestyle option. You could call this “casual Christianity.”

Gleanings - October 2010

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:18:05 -0500

Gleanings - October 2010

Key to Success

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:48:33 -0500

All organizations—for profit and not for profit—desire to achieve success. The former generally define success in terms of financial profit and the latter define success in terms of social profit.

Gleanings - September 2010

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:37:25 -0500

Gleanings - September 2010

Spiritual Food

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 10:27:40 -0500

Live like Jesus, who always sought to do the will of God according to the ways of God. He discerned both the will of God and the ways of God through prayer and study of the Bible. Hence, make prayer and Bible study a habit in your organization. When your organization is committed to discerning and doing the will of God according to the ways of God, then you may find that some of your physical needs will be met in ways that cannot be explained by physical cause and effect.

Gleanings - August 2010

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:35:44 -0500

Gleanings - August 2010

Financial Management in Turbulent Times

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:59:01 -0500

It is self-evident that building a house, or any structure, on sand will not work, for when the inevitable storm comes, the foundation will fail. We all know this reality in the world of construction, but what about in building organizations? Here is your business tip. Make it a priority in your organization to teach and train everyone in a biblical worldview of life and work. This should be considered basic training for your organization. Any workers who refuse to submit to this training should be released or they will become cancer in your organization. There are enough challenges from the financial storms of life; don’t allow cancer from within your organization to exacerbate the turbulence from financial storms. Finally, faithfully apply the seven keys noted in the audio teaching. These keys will enable you and your organization to be more adroitly aligned with a biblical worldview, which will protect you during turbulent times and will facilitate enduring success.

The Key to World-Class Value Propositions

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:47:54 -0500

In the postmodern world of today there is much conversation about individual rights and entitlements. A common mantra is "What's in it for me?" This narcissistic attitude seems to be ubiquitous. No matter where I travel or whom I talk with, there is the common worldview of self-centered entitlement. Living by faith in the workplace is about discerning and doing the will of God both individually and organizationally. The best workers and organizations are those who are focused not on their rights, but on their responsibilities to serve their Creator. Relative to our Creator, we have no rights. Workers and managers must be diligent to increase their faith by increasingly taking on the role of unworthy servants who are humble before the Master, submitted to the Master, and dutifully do the will of the Master. Only when workers and organizations function as unworthy servants will they deliver world-class value propositions.

Gleanings - June 2010

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:28:46 -0500

Gleanings - June 2010

Greed and Secular Worldview

Sat, 15 May 2010 15:00:08 -0500

To enjoy favor and blessings in your organization, you must build a culture based on a biblical worldview, which, by definition, is rooted in the singular worship of God alone. One of the corollaries is that you must aggressively search out, expose, and eliminate any greedy practices.

Gleanings - May 2010

Sat, 01 May 2010 15:15:43 -0500

Gleanings - May 2010

Secrets to Getting the Ear of God

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:28:05 -0500

There was a pastor who wanted to build a new church building. Fund-raising efforts proved inadequate. So one Sunday, the pastor announced that he was going to pull out what he called "the big guns," which meant that he was going to pray.

Gleanings - April 2010

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:44:15 -0500

Gleanings - April 2010

Fathers Release Potential

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:21:42 -0500

Today’s culture is marked by broken homes, generally the result of a man and woman who are unhappy with their relationship and one or both feel entitled to personal happiness. In my experience, most couples assume there will be little impact on their children. This presupposition is clearly self-serving and, from what I have read and experienced, it is incorrect.

Gleanings - March 2010

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:59:28 -0600

Gleanings - March 2010

Be an Effective Problem-Solver

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:49:07 -0600

Life is rife with problems both for individuals and organizations. Problems are situations and circumstances that impair our ability to achieve objectives as individuals and as organizations. Successful people and organizations are great problem-solvers. A sound understanding of reality is the starting point. It is foundational. Problems are rooted in reality and if reality is not well understood, then any problem associated with that reality will be misunderstood. Misunderstanding the root issue of a problem will result in poor problem solving.

Gleanings - February 2010

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:22:04 -0600

Gleanings - February 2010

Doing Business in the Spirit

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:21:44 -0600

As a hiring criterion, few would include the quality of being filled with the Spirit of God. Such an attribute almost seems out of place because we don't connect God and the workplace.

Gleanings - January 2010

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:20:43 -0600

Gleanings - January 2010

Build Learning Organizations

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:23:03 -0600

Most people attend college to gain the knowledge required to earn the money that will enable them to live the lifestyle that they want. Hence after college, learning is not a high priority for most. Is this wise? Should we stop learning?

Gleanings - December 2009

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:41:51 -0600

Gleanings - December 2009

The Workplace and the Will of God

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:00:13 -0600

What does God think of the workplace? A businessman asked his pastor this question. The reply was two words—not much. This perspective is all too common. Many believe that work is little more than a necessary evil—something that we have to do to make money. To these people the workplace is, at best, a place to evangelize and, of course, to practice ethics. But what does Scripture say? Does God care about the workplace? If so, what is His will for the workplace?

Gleanings - October 2009

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:45:02 -0500

Gleanings - October 2009

Gleanings - September 2009

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:02:59 -0500

Gleanings - September 2009

Becoming Rich

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:08:47 -0500

Don’t succumb to the world’s definition of success. Be vigilant about attacking greed in your own life and in the lives of your associates. Model for others the reality that true lasting success is based on obedience to God.

Gleanings - August 2009

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:01:13 -0500

Gleanings - August 2009

The Work of the Lord

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:54 -0500

Everyone is blessed when they obey God. The best workers in any organization will be people who obey God by embracing Christ deeply enough to transform their lives and, as a result, seek to discover and fulfill their divinely-ordained life purpose. Employers should seek to call each worker into his or her individual, divinely-ordained work so that each worker can do the work of the Lord that has been assigned to them. Concurrently, as the workers are doing the work the Lord, they are enabling their organizations to obey God by fulfilling each organization's purpose. Hence, those organizations are then better aligned with God. Therefore, both workers and employers are blessed when workers find and fulfill their individual life purposes. This is the work of the Lord.

Gleanings - July 2009

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:28:02 -0500

Gleanings - July 2009

How to Help Others

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:55:31 -0500

Don’t support personal agendas that are not built on Christ. Love people enough to make it a priority to help them find Christ and then help them develop a life plan based on Christ. (The best way to do this is by personally modeling the reality of living a Christ-centered life.) After they have developed a Christ-centered life plan, invest encouragement, counsel, and financial resources to help them fulfill their Christ-centered plan. In this way you really help people and consequently glorify God. Furthermore, when an organization is committed to helping its workers find Christ and to discover their Christ-centered life plans, that organization will prosper and fulfill its purpose.

Gleanings - June 2009

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:01:57 -0500

As unemployed workers find new work opportunities in the near future, it would be wise to consider the lessons to be learned from this recession. Indeed there are lessons for all of us, so consider the following thoughts on how to become a more valuable worker.

Can a Pastor Help You Succeed at Work?

Fri, 15 May 2009 16:05:12 -0500

Submit to godly pastors and teachers who are committed to holistic Christianity. Furthermore, seek to help everyone in your sphere of influence to develop healthy relationships with wise, godly men and/or women who can provide spiritual oversight and accountability based on a holistic paradigm of Christianity.

Gleanings - May 2009

Fri, 01 May 2009 10:35:59 -0500

Gleanings - May 2009

Techniques for Survival in Today’s Uncertain World

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:29:30 -0500

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is the greatest survival technique and is also the greatest way to prosper. True disciples of Christ obey God on two levels. First, they learn and practice a biblical worldview. And second, they search out and fulfill God’s specific purpose for their lives. In this way they build their lives on the rock—Christ—and can withstand the inevitable storms of life and will enjoy the economic favor of God. Become a disciple of Christ and seek to help others become disciples of Christ. And if you want your work activity to be as profitable as possible, work with others who are also disciples of Christ.

Gleanings - April 2009

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:32:08 -0500

Gleanings - April 2009

The Source of Business Wisdom

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:36:34 -0500

Adopt the Bible as your handbook for organizational truth and wisdom. The Bible, as your “instruction manual,” will enable you to fulfill the mission of your organization with excellence. If your local church does not offer teaching and training in God’s principles of business and organizational behavior, humbly challenge your leaders to provide this training.

Gleanings - March 2009

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:23:10 -0600

Gleanings - March 2009

How to Prosper in a Depression

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:58:35 -0600

You prosper in a depression by recognizing that it is an opportunity to increase your true wealth. God is in charge of His universe. He is not surprised by calamity, rather He ordains calamity as a vehicle to prosper us by enabling us to grow in true riches. Therefore don’t be distracted by economic calamity. Don’t buy into the fear, gloom, and doom that are so prevalent. Face reality knowing that this is an opportunity to prosper by seeking the Lord for wisdom to navigate these challenging financial times. You will emerge on the other side more prosperous than ever because you will gain more wisdom—true riches—as to how to live well in God’s universe.

Gleanings - February 2009

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:40:58 -0600

Gleanings - February 2009

How to Become Rich

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:07:42 -0600

Invest money to discover and fulfill the will of God for your life and your organization. Encourage everyone in your sphere of influence to obey the Lord and therefore grow in wisdom. Invest in people who are seeking to obey the Lord, as they are the ones who will gain wisdom. Never let money stand in the way of your obedience to God’s will and your faithfulness to His values and principles. Be willing to sacrifice money to what is right. Always denominate success in terms of obedience to God. This will lead to wisdom — true riches and lasting success.

Gleanings - January 2009

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:09:34 -0600

Gleanings - January 2009

Gleanings - December 2008

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:08:43 -0600

Gleanings - December 2008

Succession Planning: Generational Transfer

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:26:43 -0600

There are only two ways to build an organization—either you build monuments to yourself or you build sons. You glorify God by building sons who will continue the legacy of the organization after you are gone. Therefore succession planning is a vital strategy for the long-term success of your organization.

Gleanings - November 2008

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:04:31 -0500

Gleanings - November 2008

Integrating Faith and Work?

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:12:34 -0500

In recent years, many Christians have stated that the workplace will be the venue for the next move of God. A by-product of this focus is a concept known as “integrating faith and work,” which implies that work can exist independent of faith. The concept of integrating faith and work is not explicitly found in the Bible; hence, we don’t have a clear biblical definition. Furthermore, as far as I know, no prominent theologian has offered even a biblically inferred definition. So the question is, what does the phrase mean?

Gleanings - October 2008

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:50:14 -0500

Gleanings - October 2008

How to Build an Organization

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:04:45 -0500

Obedience is about discerning and doing the will of God. This should be the focus of every organization (James 4:13—17). And every organization should build disciples who are personally discerning and doing the will of God in their individual lives. These disciples will then enable the organization to fulfill its mission. This is how great organizations are built and God is glorified.

Gleanings - September 2008

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:51:59 -0500

Gleanings - September 2008

Hiring Christians

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:46:54 -0500

If Jesus is the model for excellent workers, employers should look for people who work like Jesus. Finding someone who works as Jesus did is very difficult. If you can’t hire people who work from a biblical worldview, you must train them.

Gleanings - August 2008

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:22:26 -0500

Gleanings - August 2008

Building a Successful Career

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:20:37 -0500

Developing a successful career is challenging. Whether you are a business owner or an employee, there are obstacles at every turn. Hence, everyone needs wisdom to discern the intricacies of career management. This month I am pleased to offer a special presentation of the C4 principle by my friend Stu Schlackman. This message was given at the baccalaureate service for Dallas Christian College in May 2008. Enjoy!

Gleanings - July 2008

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:02:21 -0500

Gleanings - July 2008

The Standard of Excellence

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:57:11 -0500

In Colossians 3:17, the apostle Paul gave us a mandate for business standards. Paul was saying that whatever you say or do in life, including work, should reflect the values that Christ embraced. In other words, we should be incarnating Christ’s values.

Gleanings - June 2008

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:38:56 -0500

Gleanings - June 2008

Keys to Prosperity

Thu, 15 May 2008 09:53:41 -0500

Everyone wants to enjoy success and prosperity in life. The question is how. What is the secret? Is it hard work or networking or a great idea or a rich relative or so called ‘luck’ or all of these or a combination of these —or something else?

Gleanings - May 2008

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:44:55 -0500

Gleanings - May 2008

So I'm a Christian, Now What?

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:03:16 -0500

For most people the purpose of Christianity is to insure that they will not go to hell. Apart from this, many do not see much purpose. Certainly, it is difficult to see much connection between Christianity on Sunday and work during the rest of the week. At best, Christians believe that they should be ethical in the workplace and, when possible, share their faith. Is this the only connection between faith and work?

Gleanings - April 2008

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:40:38 -0500

Gleanings - April 2008

The Biblical Worldview of Business

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:07:40 -0500

Enjoy this month’s teaching, which illustrates that separation of church and state and its corollary, separation of church and business, are wrong assumptions about reality because God makes all the rules for the universe that He created.

Gleanings - March 2008

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:23:04 -0600

Gleanings - March 2008

Spiritual Reality Drives the Economy

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:01:24 -0600

If we want to prosper in God's creation, we need to learn His rules. Hence, just like Elisha's servant, we need to learn to see the spiritual reality that is at work behind every physical manifestation that we see.

Gleanings - February

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:40:19 -0600

Gleanings - February 2008

January 2008 - Interview with Dr. Chester

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:35:14 -0600

Interview with Dr. Chester

Gleanings - January

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:38:16 -0600

Gleanings - January 2008

December 2007 - Finding Your Dream Job

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:47:52 -0600

A dream job is one that causes your heart to sing. The passion within is so great that you will go to extreme measures to perform the work. And you would gladly do it for free.

Gleanings - December

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:46:29 -0600

Gleanings - December 2007

November 2007 - The Biblical Worldview of Business

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:25:37 -0600

What is the nature of reality? It is easy for most of us to acknowledge that there is a spiritual dimension to life, particular in regard to personal, family, and church life. But what about business?

Gleanings - November

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:45:11 -0500

Gleanings - November 2007

October 2007 - The Key to Prosperity

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:59:09 -0500

The story of a man named Pepper is a great illustration of this truth. Pepper was a Christian who owned a fledgling company. Living hand-to-mouth, he struggled just to make a living until he had a near-death experience that led to revelation from God about the truth of Joshua 1:8. He then committed to operating his company based on biblical principles and built one of the great companies of the twentieth century.

Gleanings - October

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 11:04:29 -0500

Gleanings - October 2007

September 2007 - How to Fix a Broken Company

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:10:26 -0500

One of the most common reasons for a broken company is poor company morale. Many times poor company morale is rooted in unequal yoking. Unequal yoking happens when people seek to work together but do not share a common vision and values, which means there is a lack of relational harmony.

Gleanings - September

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 10:57:44 -0500

Gleanings - September 2007

August 2007 - Keys to Starting a Successful Business

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:31:45 -0500

How do you proceed to start and build a business or organization in accordance with God’s will? Listen to this month's teaching to learn how to use the Beyond Babel Model to build an organization aligned with the will of God.

Gleanings - August

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:49:23 -0500

Gleanings - August 2007

July 2007 - Created for Good Works

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 16:13:04 -0500

Ephesians 2:10 teaches that people are purposefully created by God to do specific "good works". The common view is that "good works" refers to spiritual activities such as evangelism, teaching, and pastoring. However, the word translated works is ergon which refers to all types of work including business and artistic activities. And the adjective good refers to one of the attributes of God (See Matthew 19:16-17). Paul presented a view that people are purposefully created to do all types of work and that the work a person is assigned by God should reflect the nature and purpose of God.

Gleanings - July

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 13:25:24 -0500

Gleanings - July 2007

June 2007 - Rationalized Disobedience

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:40:03 -0500

We all know truth that we don't obey. Many times we rationalize our disobedience. Even worse, we rarely believe that our disobedience will have tangible consequences. Listen to this story of a business owner who rationalized disobedience to the principle of honoring the Lord with the firstfruits of his labors. The consequence of his disobedience was severe - his very profitable company nearly went bankrupt. Learn the vital importance of being obedient to the truth that you know.

Gleanings - June

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:22:23 -0500

Gleanings - June 2007

May 2007 - What is Success?

Tue, 15 May 2007 15:17:51 -0500

Whether we want to or not, everyone must answer the question, what is success? In fact, you have already staked your life on the definition of success that you have chosen. For many Christians it is fame or fortune or maybe influence, which are largely the definitions of success held by most non-Christians. But what does the Bible say? Listen to this audio and learn a biblical definition of success in life and, in particular, success in the workplace.

Gleanings - May

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:27:00 -0500

Gleanings - May 2007

April 2007 - Strategic Thinking: Key To Success

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:18:27 -0500

No one will ever be world-class without thinking strategically. In this presentation, strategic thinking is defined and discussed. Blocks to strategic thinking are identified, such as the worship of money. Case studies are used to contrast non-strategic and strategic thinking. The highest level of strategic thinking is alignment with the plans and purposes of God.

Gleanings - April

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 13:51:48 -0500

Gleanings - April 2007

March 2007 - Tribute to a Commissioning Agent

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:47:43 -0500

What facilitates the development of world-class organizations? Listen to the inspiring and surprising story behind on the the great companies in America today. You know the founders of this company, but you probably don't know the man who voluntarily took on the role of being their commissioning agent. Without him, the company would probably have never existed.

Gleanings - March

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:53:18 -0600

Gleanings - March 2007

February 2007 - Vision Born Out of a Disaster

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:31:31 -0600

A tornado devastated a town in the upper mIdwest in 1883. A 55 year old school teachers, nearing the end of her life, volunteered to be a part of the medical relief effort. The experience gave her a vision about how a hospital could bless the community. Against all odds, she turned the vision into reality and helped to build one of the greatest health care facilities that exists today. Her moving story to the power of personal calling and the capacity of a biblical worldview to achieve greatness.

Gleanings - February

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:03:08 -0600

Gleanings - February 2007

January 2007 - Biblical Worldview of Work

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:27:04 -0600

Today’s episode is entitled, Biblical Worldview of Work. This is the 11th part of a 12 part worldview study titled: Developing a Worldview That Works. The full study is available online at Strategieswork.com In this episode, Dr. Chester discusses the question, Does God care about our work or is it just a tool for making money? You will look at a biblical perspective on what you spend most of your life doing, work.

Gleanings - January

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 17:11:55 -0600

Gleanings - January 2007

December 2006 - Bearing Crops for the King

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 17:31:10 -0600

For many, control of the workplace has been conceded to people driven by greed for money and power. Listen to a moving story of how one man faced a very difficult and unfair work situation by looking to God and walking in faith.

Gleanings - December

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 13:55:23 -0600

Gleanings - December 2006

November 2006 - Tony Givens Interview (part 2)

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 11:50:52 -0600

Dr. Chester talks with Tony Givens, a client, about how Biblical principles have helped his business. Part 2

Gleanings - November

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 13:47:40 -0600

Gleanings - November 2006

October 2006 - Tony Givens Interview (part 1)

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 13:07:51 -0500

Dr. Chester talks with Tony Givens, a client, about how Biblical principles have helped his business. (part 1)

Gleanings - October

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 21:06:45 -0500

Gleanings - October 2006

September 2006 - Interview with Dr. Chester (part 2)

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Part two of an interview with Dr. Gerald Chester about his book, Beyond Babel.

Gleanings - September

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Gleanings - September 2006

August 2006 - Interview with Dr. Chester

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Part one of an interview with Dr. Gerald Chester about his book, Beyond Babel.

Gleanings - August

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Gleanings - August 2006

July 2006 - The Greatest American Christian

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Listen to the story of arguably the greatest Christian in American history. He turned down the job of his dreams because of principle, knowing that it cost him his job, virtually all of his worldly possessions, and his citizenship.

Gleanings - July

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Gleanings - July 2006

June 2006 - God and Business

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0500

God created the universe, including the physical universe, and commissioned man to rule the physical universe. Enjoy this presentation on God's perspective and the true meaning of both the great commission and the mandate for man to rule the Earth.

Gleanings - June

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Gleanings is the monthly newsletter from Strategies@Work. June 2006.

May 2006 - Overcoming Life's Tragedies

Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 -0500

All of us experience tragedy in life. These are events designed by God to train and position us to do what God called us to do. Only by overcoming tragedy, can we move forward to fulfill our life purpose. Listen to the story of how one very ordinary man encountered God and overcame depression, hopelessness, despair, and self-pity to become one of the great business leaders in the 20th Century.

Gleanings - May

Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Gleanings is the monthly newsletter from Strategies@Work. May 2006.

April 2006 - Servant Leadership

Sat, 15 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0500

A CEO was running a public company using what he termed "MBA standards" of greed and oppression. Though the company appeared to be successful, morale was low. The CEO knew that the company's performance was not sustainable. In the midst of his struggle to find a solution, he experienced a divine encounter. From this experience, he adopted a new standard of leadership - servant leadership. Listen to how he faced the daunting challenge of transforming his company.

Gleanings - April

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Gleanings is the monthly newsletter from Strategies@Work. April 2006.

March 2006 - What is the Purpose of Wealth?

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 18:46:05 -0600

What is the purpose of wealth? Is it primarily for our personal enjoyment or is there a higher purpose? Enjoy the dramatic and moving story of how one man blessed many with his selfless but prudent money management practices. His life seamlessly integrated both stewardship and human compassion. Because of his financial management, the world is a better place for us all.

Gleanings - March

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Gleanings Newsletter - March 2006

February 2006 - Does God Care About Work?

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 17:38:50 -0600

A common perception today is that work in the physical realm has little if any eternal significance. This means that work in the marketplace is not held in high esteem. Such a view implies that the calling those who labor in the workplace is inferior to those who labor in "spiritual vocations" such as pastors, missionaries, and evangelists. Is this true? Listen to one man's journey to find the answer to this question and how the answer changed him and the world that we live in today.

Gleanings - February

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 14:03:57 -0600

A young entrepreneur is faced with an unexpected catastrophe that threatens to shut down his nascent business. The situation looks hopeless. Listen to God’s response to prayer by a family desperate for a miraculous touch.

January 2006 - Kingdom Management

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 13:10:09 -0600

For most, management theory is the product of researchers who pragmatically study organizational practices to extract principles that are deemed efficacious. Though these principles are valuable, one should ask, "is there more?" If God created the universe, what does it look like to manage an organization the way that God intended for it to be done? This podcast offers some key management principles not found in current management theory that will facilitate excellence and success from God's perspective. Using actual case studies integrated with biblical principles, this presentation offers a glimpse of management God's way or, as some refer to it, Kingdom Management.