Used car dealer, Tricolor, cost multiple large banks hundreds of millions in charged off loans recently, reportedly due to fraud. In theory, banks are required to hold the title of every car they finance. In practice, holding titles becomes inconvenient when the dealership has significant volume. It’s not uncommon to see banks choose to trust the dealer by allowing them ...
The advent of cryptocurrency billionaires and successful tech investors can make us feel like everyone else is obtaining untold riches in weeks, if not days. A sense of “FOMO,” or Fear of Missing Out, can make us feel like maybe we’re not working hard enough or not taking the right risks to get ahead. But God’s economy is different. God’s ...
Prior to 1871, America’s retail stores relied on individual price negotiations with each customer. In October of 1871, Philadelphian merchant and Quaker, John Wanamaker, instituted the one price system. Wanamaker started his department store with a desire to build his store on Christian principles. He created many innovative ideas in alignment with his faith that led to him growing the ...
Weekly, my wife, Kathy, calls business leaders to ask how our team can pray for them. A common request has become, “Please pray for my son or daughter. They have severed relationships with us over politics.” A recent survey conducted by The Argument asked if having opposing political views is ever an acceptable reason to cut off contact with a ...
Mark owned a chain of dry-cleaning stores. One day Mark discovered a valued employee had been stealing money from his business. His initial reaction was anger and a desire to fire her. But Mark decided to gain understanding first. Mark learned that this employee’s husband was an abusive drug addict, forcing her to steal money to support his drug habit. ...
In business, many people may betray you, mock you, or cause you pain. This can lead you to consider them as enemies. The world will encourage you to destroy your enemies, but God’s ways are different. The story of Jonah is a great example. Jonah viewed Nineveh as the enemy, and he harbored deep hatred for them. Even after God ...
In his book, Soul Keeping, John Ortberg writes that we are created with souls that crave to be loved, secure, and significant. Given the time and energy we spend at work, it can be easy to turn to our work to meet those needs. But Ortberg writes that only God can satisfy the needs of our soul. “My soul yearns, ...
For many small businesses, cash flow anxiety can cause them to be very reluctant to make financial commitments. At times, they may even be tempted to break their promises. The Apostle Paul was concerned that the Corinthian church was about to break their promise. In 2 Corinthians 8, the Corinthians had made a pledge to help other struggling churches. Due ...
When I was a single young banker, I attended the wedding of a friend. As I struggled to find a seat, the only person I knew was the new President of the bank where I worked at the time. I had been in this President’s office previously and saw him frequently in loan meetings, so I slid in next to ...
With hindsight, I can remember thousands of times when I acted selfishly or without integrity when dealing with coworkers. When I caught myself in those times, it was easy to pull back, feel like a failure, and stop trying. Yet God doesn’t define us by our failures. He is a God of compassion and restoration, as Moses told the Israelites ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
