Generosity can cause harm if not driven by the proper motivation. My friend, Stan, was so convicted by the biblical account of the rich young ruler, who Jesus directed to sell all that he had, that he determined to do likewise. Stan became consumed with giving away all his wealth. Unfortunately, he talked more about “getting to zero” than he ...
At a Christian business conference an entrepreneur asked the panel of leaders, “Isn’t it better for me to forgo tithing right now to grow the business faster? Then I’ll be able to give even more later.” It seemed that this entrepreneur believed he could get a better return on the company’s money than God can. In Malachi 3:10, God said, ...
During a business counseling call, Dennis shared with me that he desired to sell his business to some key employees, and use a significant portion of the proceeds for ministry. When I heard Dennis’ generous heart I urged him not to sign any documents until after he met my friends at the National Christian Foundation. Due to NCF’s charitable tax ...
Brad had hit a “wall” in his business. Frustrated by his lack of progress, he reached out to Matt for some direction. After listening to Brad’s situation, it appeared Brad was doing all the right things, yet he was discouraged. Matt realized that Brad didn’t need a “Friend with Knowledge”, he needed a “Friend with Encouragement.” Matt knew what to ...
Trade magazines, business journals, and video blogs are just a few sources Matt uses to gain knowledge on latest business trends. These resources, however, should never take the place of the personal relationship Matt has with Kirk, his friend of Knowledge. Kirk is an experienced business leader who has built and sold several successful organizations. Matt often meets with Kirk ...
Jim is one of Matt’s best friends. He tells Matt the things he needs to hear, which is often times the things Matt does not want to hear. Jim offers an honest perspective of what Matt needs to change or come to grips with. Often times, Jim’s truthfulness is affirmation to what Matt’s heart is already telling him. Jim is ...
There are three types of friends in Matt’s circle who have helped him grow both spiritually and professionally: a Friend of Truth, a Friend of Knowledge, and a Friend of Encouragement. Each of these individuals has played a specific role, enabling Matt to live out his faith and career to its fullest. The bible reinforces the importance of friends who ...
An entrepreneurial friend asked me, “Should I be giving from my “gross revenue” or my “net profit?” There are many businesses that have high sales volume, but very thin profit margins, sometimes 10% or lower. If these types of businesses tithed off their sales instead of profits they would quickly go bankrupt. God desires us to give from a generous ...
When Chris walked into Matt’s landscaping business looking for work, he didn’t seem to fit Matt’s typical profile. High school dropouts with long hair and tattoos haven’t usually joined Matt’s team. God intervened, turning Matt’s heart towards giving Chris an opportunity. Addiction and poor decisions on Chris’s part made the transition difficult, but Matt was determined to invest in Chris, ...
In 2010, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, made an incredible gift of $100 million to the Newark, New Jersey school system. According to a Wall Street Journal article, five years later there is no significant difference noted in the Newark school system! The article concludes that the money would have been better spent on scholarships than to fund the salaries ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
