In February 2009, Dr. Henry Blackaby (www.blackaby.org) spoke at a Lifeworks (www.lifeworkscharleston.org) breakfast in Charleson, SC. The gist of his talk was the role of Christian business people in current times.
In a subsequent breakfast, I won a copy of the DVD from Dr. Blackaby's talk. I felt led to call a group of business people (five consultants/engineers) together to watch the video a second time. Like any great movie, I picked up on points the second time that I failed to notice in February.
Here is my summary of the key points made by God through Dr. Blackaby:
1. For my group-We are Christian businessmen, consultants, and engineers
2. We solve problems and improve things
3. God’s strategy for changing the world is through businessmen
4. God took 3.5 years to shape the 12 businessmen (disciples) that worked with Jesus
5. Scripture says we must be global
6. Charleston needs to be a world mission strategy center
7. Seek God and the kingdom of heaven in your business
8. Many men realize there is more to business but they don’t know what to do (ref CEOs)-They must be coached
9. Your business must honor God
10. We currently have an opportunity to change the culture of America
11. Jesus was a role model for the disciples
12. When business drops, how do you handle it? People watch you.
13. God wants to receive honor through our lives
14. The secular world is trying to keep faith out of public life
15. The problem is not with the darkness but with the light
16. Darkness desperately needs the light
17. We must become light
18. The rod represented Moses’ business world
19. The major move of God right now is in the marketplace
20. Are the scriptures guiding you/us?
If you would like to know more about Lifeworks or Dr. Blackaby, please email or call me.
Showing posts with label christian businessmen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christian businessmen. Show all posts
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009
A Hezekiah Moment
Hezekiah was twenty five years old when he became king of Judah. He inherited a country in disarray and a society devoid of ethics and morals. God's standards for living were not being followed and the place of God, the Temple, was in near ruins. There was no respect for the sanctity of the holy place and this mirrored society as a whole.
From 2 Chronicles 29: 3-9
"In the very first month of the first year of his reign, he reopened the doors of the Temple and repaired them. He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the open space east of the Temple, and addressed them thus.
In short, he saw many wrongs and exercised leadership to right the wrongs. Immediate actions were taken for low hanging and rotten fruit.
Here was his message to the "managers and supervisors" in verses 5-11:
"Listen to me, you Levites. Sanctify yourselves and sanctify the Temple of the Lord God of your ancestors-clean all the debris from the holy place. For our fathers have committed a deep sin before the Lord our God; they abandoned the Lord and his Temple and turned their backs on it. The doors have been shut tight, the perpetual flame has been put out, and the incense and burnt offerings have not been offered. Therefore the wrath of the Lord has been upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has caused us to be objects of horror, amazement, and contempt, as you see us today. Our fathers have been killed in war, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity because of this. But now, I want to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. My children, don't neglect your duties any longer, for the Lord has chosen you to minister to him and to burn incense."
Well, how can we apply this wonderful story to our working world? When I read this, I think of 5s. Don't accept the filth of a workplace, the unsafe work conditions that surround you, or any disorganized work areas. As a leader, take the bold and decisive steps to sort out the clutter and waste from your organization. You stare at it everyday. It is literally a part of the work scenery. But someone must see it as the waste it is. And that someone must initiate the action to eliminate the waste.
In fact, I see this passage as a script for any leader to use. Try this-
When he became manager of the department, he immediately addressed things obviously broken. He then pulled the supervisors together and addressed them thus. "Listen to me. We have strayed from continuous improvement and have accepted chronic issues that greet us at work everyday. I want you to go back to your work area and create a new standard for work. First, clean up! Get rid of the dirt and debris that are not needed. Don't tell me we've always done it this way and don't need to change. We do. The evidence abounds. We have angry customers. Our employee morale is low. But no more. I say to you that we are making a new commitment to our customers and employees. We must lead our people. Don't forget this is your priority. To coach and lead your people, who in turn, will take care of our customers."
For our lives, I ask what is the clutter that pollutes your life? Be honest. What are the obvious things you must eliminate to improve as a person? You will never improve as a spouse, parent, or professional if you don't adjust your life to a better standard for living.
From 2 Chronicles 29: 3-9
"In the very first month of the first year of his reign, he reopened the doors of the Temple and repaired them. He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the open space east of the Temple, and addressed them thus.
In short, he saw many wrongs and exercised leadership to right the wrongs. Immediate actions were taken for low hanging and rotten fruit.
Here was his message to the "managers and supervisors" in verses 5-11:
"Listen to me, you Levites. Sanctify yourselves and sanctify the Temple of the Lord God of your ancestors-clean all the debris from the holy place. For our fathers have committed a deep sin before the Lord our God; they abandoned the Lord and his Temple and turned their backs on it. The doors have been shut tight, the perpetual flame has been put out, and the incense and burnt offerings have not been offered. Therefore the wrath of the Lord has been upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has caused us to be objects of horror, amazement, and contempt, as you see us today. Our fathers have been killed in war, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity because of this. But now, I want to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. My children, don't neglect your duties any longer, for the Lord has chosen you to minister to him and to burn incense."
Well, how can we apply this wonderful story to our working world? When I read this, I think of 5s. Don't accept the filth of a workplace, the unsafe work conditions that surround you, or any disorganized work areas. As a leader, take the bold and decisive steps to sort out the clutter and waste from your organization. You stare at it everyday. It is literally a part of the work scenery. But someone must see it as the waste it is. And that someone must initiate the action to eliminate the waste.
In fact, I see this passage as a script for any leader to use. Try this-
When he became manager of the department, he immediately addressed things obviously broken. He then pulled the supervisors together and addressed them thus. "Listen to me. We have strayed from continuous improvement and have accepted chronic issues that greet us at work everyday. I want you to go back to your work area and create a new standard for work. First, clean up! Get rid of the dirt and debris that are not needed. Don't tell me we've always done it this way and don't need to change. We do. The evidence abounds. We have angry customers. Our employee morale is low. But no more. I say to you that we are making a new commitment to our customers and employees. We must lead our people. Don't forget this is your priority. To coach and lead your people, who in turn, will take care of our customers."
For our lives, I ask what is the clutter that pollutes your life? Be honest. What are the obvious things you must eliminate to improve as a person? You will never improve as a spouse, parent, or professional if you don't adjust your life to a better standard for living.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Life Works: Change the Culture of America
My wife and I attended a wonderful event this week. The LifeWorks event was a breakfast followed by a keynote address from Dr. Henry Blackaby (www.blackaby.org).
I looked at my notes from the event and decided to summarize them as a blog post. I hope you find these tasty food for thought:
The mission of Lifeworks: LifeWorks will be a conduit for Christian professionals seeking to successfully apply their faith in the marketplace, providing education an encouragement through a commitment to biblical teaching and quality programming.
Additional comments on Lifeworks: In being a conduit, not just a stand alone quarterly event, LifeWorks wishes to serve those seeking to connect and grow in their walk with Christ. With this in mind, we will point out various opportunities from time to time. These will be other local groups/organizations, events, books, and websites centered around the LifeWorks theme which seeks to explore our roles and responsibilities as Christian leaders in the marketplace. (www.LifeWorksCharleston.org)
Notes from the keynote address:
Dr. Blackaby talked at length on the role of Christian businessmen in today's culture. I thought of the 85/15 rule for management responsibility. In most working environments, management is responsible for approximately 85% of organizational problems. There are several explanations for the statistic but in short, management's control of resources is arguably the number one reason. Almost any problem can be solved if the right people are correctly focused and dedicated to the problem's solution. He told the story of a television show that was creating an uproar with its inappropriate nature. The ratings were good and the advertising dollars were flowing in so there was no impetus for corrective or punitive action. When a CEO (a Christian businessmen) learned that his company advertised during this show, he immediately ordered a halt to the advertising. With a hit to the cash flow, the show was soon cancelled. A great example of leaders controlling resources to enact real change. Dr. Blackaby presented this in the context of what faces the country. The real solutions to our problems must come from the hearts and souls of men and women who desire a better America. The voices of Christian businessmen must be heard in the midst of daily clamoring about what must and must not be done for America.
He floored me with the following summary. I've talked before about the plan/do/check/act cycle of continuous improvement. It is a very simple tool used to improve a business process. I have often thought that God used the cycle to create us. He planned the world, created it (it took him seven days), and checked its status multiple times. His actions were often severe as he did not like the results of his check: flooded the earth, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and exiled his people from the promised land. Dr. Blackaby made the point that within the last decade, there have been three significant checks/acts by God: 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the current economic fallout. My take away from what he said:
1. We have gone through three cycles in less than ten years
2. Have we learned the right lessons?
He suggested that each day, we have unhurried time with God. Whether it is early in the morning or at night, we need to spend good time talking and meditating on God's will for our lives. As you feel pulled in a direction or led to take a certain action, write down your thoughts. He called it a daily record of your encounter with God. Over time, you can go back to your writings to see if you responded to God.
He told the story of meeting President Clinton. He prayed long and hard to say the right things to the Commander and Chief. His meeting was during the height of Clinton's questionable behavior. He told the President that he had the potential to be a strong spiritual role model for the world but that he had surrounded himself with non-spiritual people who provided non-spiritual counsel to him. The moral-surround yourself with spiritual counselors.
Finally, he advised to never hesitate to share what God says to you. It may cost you. It certainly cost Jesus and Paul. Just know that God's spirit will tell you what to say.
Please visit my websites:
The Center for Process Improvement offering online education for personal and professional development: www.cpionlinecourses.com
Quality Minds, Inc offering world class six sigma consulting and training in quality and process improvement: www.qualitymindsinc.com
Stephen Deas
I looked at my notes from the event and decided to summarize them as a blog post. I hope you find these tasty food for thought:
The mission of Lifeworks: LifeWorks will be a conduit for Christian professionals seeking to successfully apply their faith in the marketplace, providing education an encouragement through a commitment to biblical teaching and quality programming.
Additional comments on Lifeworks: In being a conduit, not just a stand alone quarterly event, LifeWorks wishes to serve those seeking to connect and grow in their walk with Christ. With this in mind, we will point out various opportunities from time to time. These will be other local groups/organizations, events, books, and websites centered around the LifeWorks theme which seeks to explore our roles and responsibilities as Christian leaders in the marketplace. (www.LifeWorksCharleston.org)
Notes from the keynote address:
Dr. Blackaby talked at length on the role of Christian businessmen in today's culture. I thought of the 85/15 rule for management responsibility. In most working environments, management is responsible for approximately 85% of organizational problems. There are several explanations for the statistic but in short, management's control of resources is arguably the number one reason. Almost any problem can be solved if the right people are correctly focused and dedicated to the problem's solution. He told the story of a television show that was creating an uproar with its inappropriate nature. The ratings were good and the advertising dollars were flowing in so there was no impetus for corrective or punitive action. When a CEO (a Christian businessmen) learned that his company advertised during this show, he immediately ordered a halt to the advertising. With a hit to the cash flow, the show was soon cancelled. A great example of leaders controlling resources to enact real change. Dr. Blackaby presented this in the context of what faces the country. The real solutions to our problems must come from the hearts and souls of men and women who desire a better America. The voices of Christian businessmen must be heard in the midst of daily clamoring about what must and must not be done for America.
He floored me with the following summary. I've talked before about the plan/do/check/act cycle of continuous improvement. It is a very simple tool used to improve a business process. I have often thought that God used the cycle to create us. He planned the world, created it (it took him seven days), and checked its status multiple times. His actions were often severe as he did not like the results of his check: flooded the earth, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and exiled his people from the promised land. Dr. Blackaby made the point that within the last decade, there have been three significant checks/acts by God: 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the current economic fallout. My take away from what he said:
1. We have gone through three cycles in less than ten years
2. Have we learned the right lessons?
He suggested that each day, we have unhurried time with God. Whether it is early in the morning or at night, we need to spend good time talking and meditating on God's will for our lives. As you feel pulled in a direction or led to take a certain action, write down your thoughts. He called it a daily record of your encounter with God. Over time, you can go back to your writings to see if you responded to God.
He told the story of meeting President Clinton. He prayed long and hard to say the right things to the Commander and Chief. His meeting was during the height of Clinton's questionable behavior. He told the President that he had the potential to be a strong spiritual role model for the world but that he had surrounded himself with non-spiritual people who provided non-spiritual counsel to him. The moral-surround yourself with spiritual counselors.
Finally, he advised to never hesitate to share what God says to you. It may cost you. It certainly cost Jesus and Paul. Just know that God's spirit will tell you what to say.
Please visit my websites:
The Center for Process Improvement offering online education for personal and professional development: www.cpionlinecourses.com
Quality Minds, Inc offering world class six sigma consulting and training in quality and process improvement: www.qualitymindsinc.com
Stephen Deas
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