Born in Bethlehem, the first announcement of Jesus’ birth was to the shepherds while tending sheep. When the shepherds saw baby Jesus, and what the angels had said proved to be true, they couldn’t keep the news to themselves. The shepherds became ambassadors for baby Jesus. These shepherds had influence in their community and used it to spread the important ...
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 ...
A friend shared with me that under previous administrations his industry was weighed down with lots of rules and regulations. But under President Trump, many regulations were eliminated, leading to robust business growth. He fears the pendulum is likely to swing back again to burdensome regulations. Bear with me. Businesses are often rules-oriented, but, they can be more values-based. Many ...
Fletcher’s friend was not accomplishing the job responsibilities he was hired to complete. Fletcher was considering firing his friend, but they went to the same church, making the situation even more complicated. I asked Fletcher, “If you fired this man today, would he be blindsided?” When Fletcher answered, “Yes,” it became obvious that Fletcher had some more work to do. ...
We had a dinner meeting scheduled in Saint Louis County with some out-of-town guests. My wife, Kathy, called a restaurant to inquire about making a reservation. The young hostess told Kathy that the County had just ordered all restaurants to close dine-in service. But, they had decided to “stick it to the man” and to remain open. I understand fighting ...
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 ...
In this series, we’re discussing the five phases many leaders experience on their journey to becoming generous. The fourth phase is the “Cheerful” giver. Many “Compulsory” givers reach the place of giving 10% of their income and feel they’ve reached their destination. They think they have met their obligation to God and that’s good enough. This unfortunately robs them of ...
In this series, we’re discussing five phases many leaders experience on their journey to becoming generous. The third phase is the “Compulsory” giver. Early on in our spiritual journey, Kathy and I were “transactional” givers. We gave 2-3% of our income to the church based on what we felt we received in entertainment. Then God revealed to me His Old ...
In this series, we’re discussing five phases many business leaders experience on their journey to becoming generous. The second phase is “Transactional Giving.” I’ve reviewed many different studies on giving. The average Christian typically gives about 2.5% of their income to charity. When we buy a service, we typically pay an amount equivalent to the value received. Likewise, many people ...
As a rebellious young adult, I attended Easter service out of respect to my mother. As the offering plate came closer, I realized I didn’t want to appear cheap, so I reached for my wallet. When I realized I only had a $10 bill, I dropped the ten in the plate and palmed a $5 bill in return. I was ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
