As Hurricane Helene passed through Sarasota, Kathy and I were watching the 70 mph winds and rain pound outside our hotel. Amid this vast storm, truck after truck started rolling into the parking lot. Before long we watched dozens of linemen enter the lobby in their muddy clothes. Some were from Tennessee, others said Georgia. Neighboring states sent help to ...
In business, I’ve discovered that there are takers and there are givers. Those people who claim victimhood will often have their hands out looking for help, taking whatever they can from others. These people often borrow as much money as possible with little care about how they are going to repay the debt. On the other extreme are those who ...
Bob had faithfully tithed from his paycheck for many years but had never considered what God might want from his business. After attending a Business by the Book seminar, Bob was reminded that God owned Bob’s business as well as his paycheck. Bob had never considered that God may desire a tithe from his business profits. Bob loved God and ...
My friend, Jim, recently shared with me a new idea they have implemented in his company to encourage generosity. Jim uses a new app called Grateful for Giving. Jim’s company purchases gift cards to give to his employees or customers that entitle them to give to any charity of their choice. These cards direct the recipient to the app to ...
In Matthew 20, Jesus shares a story of an employer who went to the marketplace and hired laborers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the ones who worked a full day a denarius, which was equal to a day’s wage. At five in the afternoon, he hired additional laborers who had been unsuccessful in finding work. Out of generosity, ...
Grocery chain, Schnuck’s, observed the restaurants in their communities struggling for survival. As the holidays approached, Schnuck’s also wanted to do something nice for their employees. Schnuck’s creatively purchased $200,000 worth of gift cards from local restaurants and then gave the gift cards to their employees. Their creative and compassionate response resulted in a win/win solution. In Mark 8, Jesus ...
2020 has been a strange and challenging year! Now, it is finally winding down. Today is a great day to pause and reflect on all that God has brought us through. We’ve experienced a pandemic, economic shutdowns, racial tensions, and a contentious election. Yet, we have survived. New Year’s Eve is a great time to not only celebrate the close ...
Christmas Eve is a day when the spirit of generosity pervades many organizations, leading bosses to give gifts, food and/or bonuses to their staff. Everyone loves to receive gifts and be on the receiving end of generosity, but sometimes it leaves confusion and unrealistic expectations in its wake. Christmas is so close to year end that sometimes employees view any ...
Along with the Covid pandemic and the many other challenges we have endured in 2020, we also were given some opportunities. One of those opportunities for generous people came in the form of the CARES Act. To help nonprofits, Congress chose to provide some one-time tax benefits for those who choose to be generous in 2020. For instance, in 2020 ...
In this series, we’re discussing the five phases of becoming generous. The final phase is the “Generous” giver. Stanley Tam, author of “God Owns My Business,” was a struggling business owner during the Great Depression. During one crisis, Stanley asked God to be his business partner. Stanley gave 51% of his business to God! Later, God asked him for the ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
