Author Archive
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The Bible and Prosperity..
“So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today-to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul- then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil.” — Deuteronomy 11:13-14
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C12 Group: Christian Business Owners and CEO Roundtable
Imagine having (1) a talented and experienced personal advisory board of like-minded Christian business Owners and CEOs, all committed to your personal, business and eternal success, (2) the monthly resources and discipline to focus on the most important (not just urgent) issues in your work and life, and (3) a trustworthy facilitator/coach committed to ensuring that this process takes place informed by contemporary ‘best practices’ filtered through the eternal wisdom of Scripture (i.e., contemporary Christian leadership in business). That is what you get when you’re involved in a local C12 Group. Check them out! A C12 group is a transformational executive round-table group of 10-15 members who examine and discuss MBA level materials from a Biblical perspective, learn from and challenge each other to grow and improve their businesses, and steward the companies God has given them to advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The best way to gain an overview of C12 is via their website. According to some of their members I know, visiting a C12 Group is the “best thing you can do for you and your business.”
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What is the goal of a company? John Mackey’s answer
About a year ago, I listened to John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods describe his view of the goal of a company. Here are my notes from that talk . I’ve often re-read them over the past year and still find his vision exciting and his points very well taken. Let me know if you agree. Corporations have a horrible branding problem. What is the purpose of a business? Ask an entrepreneur! Its NOT maximizing profits… that’s put on only by economists. Who defines this? The purpose of a company evolves over time. With input from shareholders. Plato said that the purpose was “the good, true and the beautiful”… One could bunch companies that represent each of these three criteria – like Whole Foods for “the good,” Apple or Warren Buffet for “the beautiful” John Mackey wants to add “the heroic” to this definition by Plato. Happiness is like profit: Happiness is a by-product of other things, not a goal to be pursued, is not an end in itself. That is a little bit like profits – people who pursue it directly don’t actually reach it! [corresponds to my experience at startups!] War or Darwinian metaphors are not adequate, not… Read more
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The Bible and Prosperity…
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3