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  • OUR PRIMARY CALLING INFORMS OUR SPECIFIC CALLING

    OUR PRIMARY CALLING INFORMS OUR SPECIFIC CALLING

    Mike Sharrow, who works with business executives and helps them to achieve excellence in all areas of their lives, was interviewed in a magazine about his personal journey and calling. He told about when he struggled with a sacred-secular divided mindset and with his identity being tied to his vocation.  

    Fortunately, Sharrow explained, he discovered this profound insight: “If where you are, defines who you are, then maybe you don’t really understand who you are.” In other words, our identity, our innate sense of who we are, should not be determined by our location (where we work or live), or even the position we hold (our job title).

    For one thing, where we work, what company, what office, and even in what city, can change. In some cases, many times during a lifetime. So, why should our identity be defined based on where we happen to be at a specific moment? When we base our identity on where we are, when the setting in which we work changes, that can have a dramatic effect on our perception of ourselves.

    This is especially true for those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, seeking to represent Him through our work. The Bible teaches that our true identity is in being a child of God, not in our job title. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

    God has a calling for each one of us vocationally, and as 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us, we are to serve as “ambassadors of Christ” wherever we go to work. However, our true identity and primary calling is that of a child of God. 

    Sports columnist Terry Pluto wrote about visiting an out-of-town church where a young pastor preached about discovering your vocation. What stood out to Pluto during this message was that while this pastor emphasized the callings of professionals in the workplace, he overlooked the so-called blue-collar professions, such as people who work in the construction trades, mechanics, repair people, even maids and custodial staff.  

    People striving and thriving in jobs like these also have a calling from God. They, too, are representatives for Christ wherever they work, serving others with diligence, excellence, and integrity. 

    I think of the plumber who visited our home when we had multiple appliances broken, which was causing considerable frustration for my wife, Kathy. The plumber was kind to say to her, “I know this is stressful. Would you mind if I pray for you?” Can you imagine someone actually doing that? That is something a true follower of Jesus might do. And it impacted my wife deeply. 

    In our world, we tend to elevate certain professions above others, as if they are more significant. In reality, the most important job at any moment is the work that must be done right then. Including doing household repairs. As 1 Corinthians 7:17 exhorts, “Let each one live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him.” Whether you are a businessperson, professional, or blue-collar worker, God has a purpose for you and desires for you to bloom right where He has planted you.

    © 2025, Unconventional Business Network. Adapted with permission from “UBN Integrity Moments”, a commentary on faith at work issues. Visit www.unconventionalbusiness.org UBN is a faith at work ministry serving the international small business community.

    Reflection/Discussion Questions

    • Read the quote again, “If where you are, defines who you are, then maybe you don’t really understand who you are.” What is your initial reaction to that statement?
    • When we meet other people, especially in a marketplace setting, one of the first questions we often ask is, “What do you do?” meaning, “What kind of work do you do – and where?” What are the positives and negatives about asking that?
    • What would you say is the basis of your own sense of identity? How important is the kind of work you do – and where you do it – in understanding who you are?
    • How does someone knowing that he or she is a child of God influence not only their sense of personal identity, but also their perspective on their work?

    NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 18:9, 22:29; 1 Corinthians 7:21-22; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:17, 23-24

    Challenge for This Week

    Take time this week to honestly evaluate your attitude toward your work. Is it where you receive the most fulfillment – your sense of identity? Where does your faith factor in as you perceive your identity?

    It might be helpful to discuss this with a close friend, mentor, trusted advisors, or a small group you are a part of. Where do they get their own sense of identity?

    Matt Trayler

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  • Rooftop Faith: The Kind of Brotherhood That Carries You to Jesus

    Rooftop Faith: The Kind of Brotherhood That Carries You to Jesus

    Every man needs a few 2:00 AM friends, the guys who will pick up the phone when everything is falling apart and show up no matter when you call. Men who won’t just pray about you, but will pray over you. Men who will fight for you, stand with you, drag you when you can’t walk, and tear through a roof if that’s what it takes to get you to Jesus.

    Tear through a roof? Yes. Scripture shows us exactly what men like this look like.

    The Scene in Mark 2

    Mark 2 tells the story of a paralyzed man who had four friends convinced that if they could get him to Jesus, everything could change. Mark begins the account like this:

    “A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.”
     —Mark 2:1–2

    The house was packed with no open doors and no available space; it was standing-room-only. There was no easy path to Jesus, which becomes central to the story:

    “Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”
     —Mark 2:3–5

    “Your sins are forgiven.” An unbelievable moment, for sure, but the story doesn’t end there. Some teachers in the crowd silently accused Jesus of blasphemy, questioning who He thought He was. Jesus responds:

    “‘Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk”? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.”
     —Mark 2:8–12

    With that, the man experiences complete restoration. Jesus forgave and healed, but it was the faith and persistence of four brothers that got him to the One who could do both. They climbed a roof, tore a hole through it, and lowered their friend straight into the presence of Jesus.

    It’s one of my favorite stories in the Bible.

    As a man who has been blessed with brothers like this, here are three things I know…

    Some Days You’re the Man on the Mat

    Some days you can’t walk on your own. Temptation knocks you flat. Anxiety paralyzes you. Sin and shame weigh more than you can carry. God never intended for you to handle those days alone. You were meant to have brothers who will pick you up, put you on the mat, and carry you to Jesus when you don’t have the strength.

    Some Days You’re One of the Four Friends

    There will be seasons when another man needs your strength, your faith, and your courage.

    Galatians 6:2 says it plainly: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The four friends in Mark 2 showed up, climbed, dug, and fought for their brother’s healing and salvation. Jesus honored their faith. Brotherhood isn’t sentimental; it’s sacrificial. It costs energy, time, and emotional bandwidth – and it’s worth every bit of it.

    Some Days You Need to Refuse to Give Up

    The crowd blocking the doorway would have stopped most men. It was too hard, too crowded, and there was too much resistance. We might say, “Maybe another day…” Not these four. The paralysed man’s friends chose persistence, grit, and spiritual stubbornness. Their mindset was simple: as long as Jesus was there, turning back was not an option. We need brothers who help us think like that when our own hope wears thin, the kind that won’t take “no” for an answer.

    Today, Ask Yourself:

    1. Am I willing to be the man on the mat? Am I humble enough to let brothers carry me when I’m hurting?
    2. Am I willing to be one of the four friends? Am I committed enough to carry another man to Jesus, even when it costs me?

    This example of the four friends is what Christian brotherhood looks like. It’s how men grow, how faith deepens, and how healing happens.

    Every man needs a rooftop-tearing brotherhood. Find your four, be someone’s four, and bring each other to Jesus.

    …

    Written by John Gamades, author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men and Conquer: Daily Devotions for the Christian Man

    Matt Trayler

  • High Capacity, Low Surrender?

    High Capacity, Low Surrender?

    The modern marketplace runs on giftedness. Strategic thinkers. Visionary entrepreneurs. High-performing executives. If you can move the needle, you’re given the platform. Your résumé becomes your brand. Your results become your worth.

    I’ve met leaders who can close the deal in the morning, turn a profit by lunch, and still have time to headline a conference before dinner. They are the kind of people others look at and think, That’s the standard. And in purely business terms, it is. But in Kingdom terms? Not necessarily.

    Because Jesus tells us in Matthew 23:19, the gift isn’t what makes something sacred. The altar does.

    He was talking to religious leaders who had it backward. They were obsessed with the gift, how polished it looked, how impressive it sounded, while neglecting the altar. And the altar is where something dies. It’s where ambition is laid down. It’s the place of surrender, where your offering becomes holy precisely because it is laid down.

    That’s not just temple talk from the first century. That’s Monday morning reality in every boardroom, startup pitch, or quarterly review from Quito to Tainan and Miami to Abuja.

    I’ve lived this tension. The skills I honed during my years in the public sector—command presence, decisive leadership, the ability to perform under extreme pressure—were considered workplace gold. Those skills got me noticed. They opened doors. And for a while, I used them exactly the way the world told me to: to climb ladders, to earn approval, to prove I belonged at the table.

    And it worked. On paper, I was winning. But in the quiet moments, I realized those gifts, left to themselves, were empty. They didn’t carry eternal weight.

    Everything changed when I laid them before Christ. When I stopped asking, ‘How can these serve me?‘ and started asking, ‘How can they serve Him?’ That’s when my leadership stopped being transactional and started becoming transformational. The same instincts that once built my career began building people. The same drive that once secured my position began advancing His Kingdom.

    That’s the pivot point: surrender.

    Because here’s the truth, your talent doesn’t become sacred just because it’s successful. A gifted leader can exceed every target and still miss the Kingdom. A visionary entrepreneur can scale their business and never glorify God. Even generosity can become self-serving if it’s about optics, not obedience.

    When you place your work, your strategy, your deal-making, your influence, on the altar of God’s purposes, everything shifts. It stops being about personal gain and starts being about eternal impact. Your leadership becomes worship. And that’s the difference between temporary applause and a lasting legacy.

    I’ve seen leaders with extraordinary capacity become a bottleneck to Kingdom work because they refused to surrender what God had given them. High capacity without high surrender is a dangerous combination—it feeds pride, isolates you from accountability, and blinds you to your true mission.

    To receive a gift is grace. To sharpen it is stewardship. But to lay it on the altar? That’s worship. That’s where your leadership becomes sacred ground.

    So here’s my challenge: Take an honest inventory of your gifts, your influence, and your platform. Ask yourself—are these tools in my hand to build my name, or are they on the altar to magnify His?

    Because in the end, only what is placed on the altar will last.

    © 2025. C.C. Simpson is dedicated to fostering a bold and triumphant Christian faith within the global marketplace, driven by a deep conviction in the Gospel’s transformative power. Before becoming President of CBMC International, Chris dedicated 28 years to a distinguished career in the public sector – as a Commanding Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps; and serving in the U. S. Secret Service, responsible for protecting seven American presidents and leading elite teams in complex, high-stakes international missions. With his wife Ana, Chris resides in Boca Raton, Florida.

    Reflection/Discussion Questions

    1. What gifts or abilities has God given you that you are tempted to use for personal recognition and advancement, rather than for Kingdom purposes?
    • What would it look like to lay those gifts on the altar today – fully surrendered for God’s glory, not for yours?
    • Where in your leadership have you focused more on impressing others than serving them in Jesus’ name?
    • In what ways are you using your influence to encourage and strengthen others in their relationship with Jesus Christ – rather than to build your own platform?

    NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about principles it presents, consider the following passages: Matthew 6:33, 16:24-25; Mark 10:45; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

    Challenge for This Week

    So here is the question for today: Are you leveraging your gifts for your name, for your honor and recognition – or for God’s? Are you stewarding your role in the workplace for earthly gain or eternal reward? Because only what is placed on the altar will last.

    What practical step can you take to begin turning your workplace into an altar, not just an office? Think about discussing this with someone this week – a trusted friend or advisor, or perhaps your CBMC group.

    Matt Trayler

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  • Where Are You Going To End Up?

    Where Are You Going To End Up?

    Can you envision preparing to take a business trip but having no idea where you are going – or why you are going there? Sounds ridiculous, right? Because it is. When planning to travel, whether for business or personal reasons, we usually have a destination. Unless we are just responding to an adventurous impulse and decide to go for a drive, we first determine where we are going and for what reason.

    Many people, however, do not conduct their lives in the same way. They embark on their journey through life with little idea of where they are going, how they are going to get there, why they are going, or even how they will know when they have arrived. As I heard someone observe recently, “Everybody ends up somewhere, but few end up somewhere on purpose.”

    Most of us get up each morning and go to work, whether our own business, a large corporation, or small company. But have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I going to work?” One reason, of course, is to earn a living. Monthly payments on a house or an apartment, maybe a car payment, utility bills, groceries, and other essentials all require money. But would it not be more fulfilling to proceed to work knowing you had greater intentions than only to earn a paycheck?

    A verse from the Old Testament book of Proverbs addresses this: “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). There are several applications of this principle, but without vision – a greater sense of purpose behind our vocational pursuits – we can easily become as cynical as the author of Ecclesiastes who said, “‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’ What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3).

    How do we gain vision, a broader sense of why God has placed us where we are, with the gifts and talents we possess? I think it starts with understanding that although He did not have to do so, the Lord has chosen us to be active participants in His work. In 1 Corinthians 3:9, for example, we are told, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

    Think about it – being “fellow workers” with God! Imagine receiving a personal phone call from a famous executive and being asked, “Would you be willing to help me with an important project?” Then, multiply the magnitude of that question a million times, since God wants us to be working with Him.

    Writing and editing have always been my career. I spent the first 10 years as a newspaper editor. But if I had asked myself “why?”, most likely I could not have given a very good answer. Then I read a Bible verse that God seemed to have designed specifically for me. It read, “My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Psalm 45:1). 

    Suddenly I had an answer to my “why?” The Lord had given me unique abilities, passion, gifts, and experience to serve Him as a writer and editor. Monday Manna, this weekly workplace meditation created to help business and professional people discover how to integrate their faith in the marketplace, is just one of the ways I strive to do that.

    What has the Lord uniquely equipped you to do? We know one thing for certain: As followers of Jesus, we are “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). The question we must each answer is, “How can I be that ambassador most effectively and fruitfully where God has placed me?”

    © 2025. Robert J. Tamasy has written Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart, coauthored with Ken Johnson; and The Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

    Reflection/Discussion Questions

    1. When you are intending to go somewhere, how detailed is your planning? Do you seek to have a clear understanding of where you are going, how you want to travel, and what you hope to accomplish when you arrive? Explain your answer.
    2. Why do you think many people are not as precise and particular about charting the course their lives will follow? What are some of the problems with simply letting life “happen,” without a vision for where they want to go and what they hope to become?
    3. Have you ever started a workday and thought, like the writer of Ecclesiastes expressed, “Meaningless! Everything is meaningless”? Whether that has been your own feeling, or one being felt by someone you know, how would you go about trying to change that sense of futility?
    4. When you read that “we are God’s fellow workers,” what thoughts go through your mind? Is that a good thing, in your opinion? Why or why not?

    NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: 1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3;17,23-24; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

    Challenge for This Week
    This week, try to set aside some time to consider the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of your work. Do you have a clear vision of where you are going, what you hope to achieve along the way, and how you will know that you are on the right course?

    You might get with some good friends, a mentor, or some trusted advisors to discuss this. What are their perspectives, not only for you but also for themselves? Do you know where you are going to end up – and why?

    Matt Trayler

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  • Being Repurposed, Not Replaced

    Being Repurposed, Not Replaced

    For many of us in the marketplace, our work – what we do – is a large part of our identity. What impact should it have then when striving to incorporate faith into how we carry out our vocational responsibilities? We find the best example in how Jesus Christ addressed this when choosing His closest followers.

    When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, He did not strip them of their identities. “And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men’” (Matthew 4:19). Jesus did not say, “Forget everything you know.” Instead, He spoke into their vocation as fishermen and redefined it: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In essence, He was saying: Everything you’ve been shaped by – your skills, your instincts, your daily grind – I can use that. But now, for something eternal.

    Jesus did not replace their identity; He repurposed it. And this is precisely how He calls us today. We often assume that following Jesus means walking away from the career, the training, the story we have lived up to this point – as if being His disciple requires starting from scratch. But that is not the Gospel. The call of Christ is not to abandon our past, our skills, our experience, but to surrender them. It is not about becoming someone else – it is about letting Him redeem who we already are.

    God has sovereignly authored your experiences, your gifts, your network, your education, and even your struggles. To discard them would not only be wasteful – it would be unfaithful. It would imply that God has not been at work all along preparing you for usefulness in His Kingdom. But He has been at work. Always.

    I witnessed this firsthand during my time with the United States Secret Service. The mission was demanding: to secure environments, protect lives, anticipate threats. I took that mission seriously. But I began to realize that God had not called me out of that mission to serve Him – He had called me to filter it through my faith.

    One day, deep in the Cambodian jungle, we were preparing for a visit by the First Lady, the President’s wife. It was an advance site. But God had other plans. That day became the starting point of forming a Gospel-centered relationship with another agent from New York. That conversation, born out of professional proximity, turned into years of mentoring, prayer, and discipleship – until the Lord ultimately called my friend and fellow agent to his eternal home. The whole thing unfolded not in spite of my profession, but precisely through it.

    This is how Jesus Christ works. He does not waste a moment of your story. The very things you thought were secular, irrelevant, or “just your job,” might in fact be the very instruments through which He calls others to Himself. So don’t think the invitation to follow Jesus means leaving everything familiar behind. It means placing everything you are and everything you have been given into His hands – and trusting Him to repurpose it for His glory.

    You were gifted for a reason. You have been placed where you are on purpose. To separate your calling from your context is to misunderstand both. The call of Christ is not to discard your story; it is to declare a new purpose over it: Same hands. Same instincts. But…New mission. New Master.

    © 2025. C.C. Simpson is dedicated to fostering a bold and triumphant Christian faith within the global marketplace, driven by a deep conviction in the Gospel’s transformative power. Before becoming President of CBMC International, Chris dedicated 28 years to a distinguished career in the public sector – as a Commanding Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps; and serving in the U. S. Secret Service, responsible for protecting seven American presidents and leading elite teams in complex, high-stakes international missions. With his wife Ana, a native of Nicaragua, Chris resides in Boca Raton, Florida. 

    Reflection/Discussion Questions

    1. In what ways has your career prepared you for Kingdom impact—perhaps without you realizing it at the time?

    Follow-up: How might your current skills, relationships, or position be uniquely positioned for Gospel influence right now?

    2. Jesus repurposed the disciples’ vocation rather than replacing it. How might this challenge our assumptions about what it means to “serve God” in the marketplace?

    Follow-up: Have you ever felt pressure to separate your faith from your work? Why do you think that divide exists?

    3. Reflecting on your own story, where do you see signs that God has been at work “redeeming, not discarding” your past?

    Follow-up: What part of your professional journey do you now view differently because of your faith?

    4. What would it practically look like to “filter your mission through your faith” in your industry or company?

    NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Genesis 50:20; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 7:17; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:23-24

    Challenge for This Week
    Are there conversations to be had, decisions to be made, or relationships to be established or strengthened this week through which you can intentionally start to live out these truths? That God does not want to replace your identity, or re-place you somewhere else, but to repurpose who you are, what you do, and where you are to be actively engaged in His Kingdom work?

    If you know of someone who seems to have a good understanding of what it means live out his or her faith in the workplace, you might want to set a time to meet and talk about what they have learned.

    Matt Trayler

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  • Looking For Wisdom In All The Wrong Places?

    Looking For Wisdom In All The Wrong Places?

    We are living in a time of virtually unlimited information. We can access it through TV, radio, social media, books, periodicals, and it is literally at our fingertips on the Internet. Because of all this information we can acquire great amounts of knowledge. However, masses of information and knowledge do not always translate into wisdom.

    What is wisdom, anyway? One definition says it is, “the ability to make sound judgments and decisions based on deep understanding of situations and experiences, often involving knowledge, good judgment and the ability to discern what is right or true.” This sounds good, right? But how do we gain this ability?

    A young businessman, aspiring to achieve significant corporate success, approached his mentor – a man he regarded as wise – and asked, “How do you acquire wisdom?” “Through experience,” the wise man replied. “Then how do you gain experience?” “Through making good decisions.” “Well, how do you learn to make good decisions?” The wise man quickly replied, “By making bad decisions.”

    This is funny – and true. But is making mistakes the ideal way for gaining wisdom? One place where we can look for wisdom – which I believe to be the best place – is the Bible. In fact, several Old Testament books are called ‘books of wisdom,’ including Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. The most quoted of all is Proverbs, which makes this declaration about wisdom: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

    Even a casual glance at our world seems to confirm this. Politicians, business leaders, entertainers and other prominent people, operating without a biblical worldview, fit how the Old Testament describes the ancient Israelites: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6 and 21:25). This was not wisdom, it was foolishness. And it remains the same today as well.

    Most of Proverbs is attributed to Israel’s King Solomon, who was termed the wisest man who ever lived. He explained the proverbs were “for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, for doing what is right and just and fair” (Proverbs 1:2-3).

    If this is true, do you think it might be a good idea to read Proverbs and discover what it teaches? Many people have resolved to read one chapter of Proverbs every day. This way, since the book contains 31 chapters, the entirety of Proverbs can be read in a single month; 12 times over the course of a year.

    Proverbs offer wisdom on many topics, such as restraining anger; being an effective leader; accepting correction and discipline; receiving wise counsel and guidance; having discernment and exercising prudence; dealing with envy and jealousy; avoiding sexual temptation; cultivating generosity; working diligently; pitfalls of pride and benefits of humility; striving for integrity and honesty, and many others.

    Ultimately, they all are anchored in “the fear of the Lord.” This does not mean approaching God with dread. It means recognizing His perfection, power, love, and goodness. Proverbs says fearing the Lord is wise, just as fear widely keeps a person from venturing too close to the edge of a high cliff. More than that, the fear of the Lord offers the assurance of experiencing a fulfilling, fruitful life:
    “The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble” (Proverbs 19:23).
    “Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).

    © 2025. Robert J. Tamasy has written Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart, coauthored with Ken Johnson; and The Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

    Reflection/Discussion Questions

    1. How would you differentiate information and knowledge, which we have in great abundance – perhaps more than ever in the history of humankind – with wisdom, which often seems lacking?
    2. Who would you identify as a person who demonstrates great wisdom? Why do you consider that individual to be wise? In what ways have you seen him or her exhibit wisdom in how they work and live?
    3. Early in the first chapter of Proverbs we read the statement, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” What do you think this means? Do you agree with it?
    4. In what ways would you contrast worldly wisdom – which is presented to us every day through various sources – and biblical wisdom?

    NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 2:6, 3;13-15, 10:14-15, 12:8, 14:6,8, 15:7,33, 16:16,21, 17:24, 19:8

    Challenge for This Week
    If you were to decide today, ‘I want to start acquiring wisdom. I want to be wise in how I work and live,’ how would you go about doing that?

    In your life to this point, what are some of the wisest things you have learned? Take time this week and discuss this important topic of wisdom with a close friend, mentor or small group of trusted advisors. What are some ways you need to have and learn how to exercise more wisdom? Who is someone you consider to be wise that might be helpful to you?

    Matt Trayler

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  • A Wake-Up Call for Christians Everywhere

    A Wake-Up Call for Christians Everywhere

    We cannot be passive or outsource discipleship. The mission of God remains, and each of us is called to love, to act, and to go.

    The news of Charlie Kirk’s passing hit me surprisingly hard. I didn’t know him personally, but like many of you, I felt the ripple of his life’s work. Beneath the headlines and debates about his politics was a man, a husband, a father, a brother in Christ, whose absence leaves a gaping hole. My first reaction wasn’t about movements or media coverage; it was sadness for his family and for the countless young people who looked to him for courage, conviction, and clarity.

    Charlie Kirk wasn’t perfect, none of us are. But there was something undeniable about his life: he was willing to do something. He wasn’t content to sit on the sidelines while culture shifted. He didn’t retreat into comfort or convenience. Instead, he leaned in with faith, passion, and courage. That alone is worth honoring, no matter where you stand politically.

    What struck me most about Charlie was that he put his faith first. He never hid his love for Jesus, even when it cost him something. He believed in the hope of the gospel and was unashamed to share it with a broken, searching world. Say what you will about his style or strategy, but he was clear about the most important thing: our only true hope is found in Jesus Christ.

    Charlie was also willing to engage; some might even call him combative. He sat across from people who disagreed with him, sometimes fiercely, and he stayed at the table. He didn’t always persuade, and he wasn’t always persuaded himself, but he never ran away from hard conversations. The Bible is full of courageous people attempting to speak truth – Esther, Nathan, John the Baptist and most importantly Jesus himself. Yet in an age where we so easily silo ourselves with people who think, talk, and believe just like us, that willingness to lean in rather than pull back is something I deeply admire.

    And then there’s the next generation. Charlie had a burning passion for young people. He refused to shrug his shoulders and say, “Kids these days…” Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and built something to reach them. He saw that tomorrow’s leaders were being formed today, and he poured his life into awakening them. That’s a vision CBMC shares, and it should stir us to action.

    His passing leaves me with a haunting question, one I want to pose to you as well: What am I willing to do to live out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission? You would think as the leader of a men’s workplace ministry that I would be “all in.” But if I am honest, there are days when just surviving feels like success. Jesus told us to love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39). He also told us to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19–20). Those aren’t suggestions for the spiritual elite. They are marching orders for every Christ follower.

    So, let me ask you: Are you content watching from the stands? Or are you willing to get in the game? Are you satisfied with applauding the courage of others? Or will you let God use you, even in your weakness, to bring hope to those who are desperate for it?

    The truth is, every one of us is leaving a legacy. Charlie Kirk’s will outlast his years, not because he was perfect, but because he lived with urgency and conviction. The real question is not if we’ll leave a legacy, but what kind.

    For Christians, this is a wake-up call. We cannot be passive. We cannot outsource the gospel or the work of discipleship. We cannot hope the next generation will be reached by “someone.” That someone is you. That someone is me.

    Charlie Kirk is gone, but the mission of God remains. His death is a sobering reminder that life is short, and eternity is long. What will you do with the time God has given you?

    CBMC’s vision is to see men’s lives, families, and workplaces transformed by God through a growing evangelism and disciple-making movement in every community across our nation. Are you ready to get off the sidelines and step into your purpose?

    David Meyers – President, CBMC

    Matt Trayler

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  • God Provides For Needs “In Its Season”

    God Provides For Needs “In Its Season”

    In the Scriptures, we read that God promised His people that if they walked in His ways, He would give them “rain in its season” – and with it, the fruitfulness of the land (Leviticus 26:3-4). Not instant reward. Not on-demand outcomes. But blessing, in its appointed time, according to what was fitting, according to His divine wisdom. This truth still governs the marketplace today.

    God does not operate according to our calendars or expectations. His actions are never delayed, never rushed, never misaligned. He moves in absolute harmony with His will, according to what is fitting in the scope of eternity. And that is deeply uncomfortable for us. We are trained to measure value by deadlines and deliverables. We prize speed. We reward early achievement. But God is not bound by our urgency. His promises are not transactions; they are covenantal promises. His timing is not mechanical; it is precise. And His movements are not arbitrary; they are appropriate.

    This is the test of faith for every leader: Are we willing to yield not only our ambitions but also our expectations? Much of our frustration in leadership and life does not stem from failure; it stems from mistimed desire. We demand results on our schedule and call it “vision.” But what if the waiting is not punishment? What if it is preparation?

    That is why patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It is not a passive disposition. It is Holy Spirit-empowered endurance. God gives patience because He knows what we cannot see – how formation must precede fruit. How roots must deepen before harvest arrives. Waiting is not weakness. It is the strength to trust when everything in you wants to act. As Isaiah 40:31 promises: “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

    Daniel Tan, a Christian agricultural engineer in Malaysia, spent years developing a low-cost irrigation tool to serve rural farmers. He believed it was from the Lord, an innovation to restore dignity and open doors for Gospel witness. But for five years, there was nothing. Government delays. Lost funding. Silence in response to his prayers. Then, in year six, a non-government organization discovered Daniel’s prototype. Within months, the tool was in use across Southeast Asia, paired with biblical training on stewardship and the concept of hope. He later realized: The delay was not rejection, it was formation. God was not just preparing the product. He was preparing the man.

    This is how God works. Always with precision. Always with purpose. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son (Galatians 4:4). Jesus did not appear early or late. He came at the exact moment when roads, language, and hearts were ready for redemption through the life-transforming message. Not a second too soon. Not a second too late. God moves when it is fitting. His timing is flawless.

    So here’s the question every marketplace disciple must confront: Can your faith trust God’s timing? Can your prayers shift from “Lord, bless me now,” to “Lord, shape my life, my work, and my family until the blessing You’ve prepared actually fits who You’re making me to be”?

    Are you willing to surrender not just your outcomes—but your calendar? The rain will fall. The ground will yield. But only in its season (Gal. 6:9).

    The sooner we embrace this truth, the sooner our walk with God matures—from anxious hope to confident trust (Ps. 27:14; Eccl. 3:11).

    © 2025. C. C. Simpson is dedicated to fostering a bold and triumphant Christian faith within the global marketplace, driven by a deep conviction in the Gospel’s transformative power. Before becoming President of CBMC International, Chris dedicated 28 years to a distinguished career in the public sector – as a Commanding Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps; and serving in the U. S. Secret Service, responsible for protecting seven American presidents and leading elite teams in complex, high-stakes international missions. With his wife Ana, a native of Nicaragua, Chris resides in Boca Raton, Florida. 

    Reflection/Discussion Questions

    1. Can you think of a time in your life or leadership when a delay turned out to be exactly what was needed – and even more fruitful than what you had originally hoped for?
    2. Galatians 5:22 lists patience as a fruit of the Spirit. Why do you think patience is essential for spiritual maturity – especially in the marketplace?
    3. Daniel Tan’s story serves to remind us of how God sometimes forms the person before releasing the mission. In what ways might God be shaping you right now for something He has not yet revealed?
    4. Isaiah 40:31 says, “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.” What would it look like for you to surrender not just your outcomes, but your calendar?

    NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Leviticus 26:3-4; Psalm 27:14; Ecclesiastes 3:1; Isaiah 40:31; Galatians 4:4, 5:22

    Challenge for This Week
    This week might be a good time for you to consider how you are in terms of patience, especially when it comes to being willing and able to wait upon God’s timing. Are you currently waiting to have a specific prayer – or prayers – answered? How do you think He might be using this time to prepare you and shape you into the person He wants you to be? 

    Share your need with a good friend, mentor, small group or some trusted advisors, asking for their wisdom and counsel – and for their prayers that you can remain faithful as you wait for God to answer your prayers “in its season.”

    Matt Trayler

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  • Biblical Leadership: Called To Build

    Biblical Leadership: Called To Build

    When we talk about Biblical leadership, lots of names come to mind. David, Moses, Joshua, Nehemiah, Paul… the Bible is filled with examples of Godly leaders.

    A name that needs to be included in this list? Noah. His story in Genesis is a masterclass in what it means to lead with faith, grit, and perseverance.

    Let’s take a step back in time. One man is called upon to build an ark in the middle of dry land. He receives a God-sized vision for a task that will take him decades, a project that will draw ridicule from his neighbors. From Genesis 6:

    So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.

    I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

    Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

    Read that last sentence again. Noah did everything God commanded him, even though the project took years and made no sense to anyone around him. His example shows us that leadership isn’t about titles or applause. It’s about courage to act, obedience when it feels crazy, and faith that outlasts the storm.

    Here are five lessons from Noah’s story we can carry into our own leadership today:

    Lead with Obedience, Not Popularity

    When God said, “Build an ark,” Noah did it. No questions or polls to gauge what others thought. Instead, Noah simply obeyed and got to work. Great leaders understand that obedience to what’s right will always outweigh the approval of the crowd.

    Play the Long Game

    The ark didn’t appear overnight. Year after year, Noah hammered boards and tightened joints with no flood in sight, only the vision God had given him. Leadership is the same. It’s long hours, unseen effort, and the grit to keep showing up.

    Live with Integrity in a Corrupt World

    The Bible says Noah was “blameless among the people of his time.” That wasn’t because the world was good. It was because Noah chose to be different. Leadership starts with how you show up when no one’s watching.

    Be Willing to Stand Alone

    It’s hard to picture how much mockery Noah must have faced, but he stood tall anyway and kept hammering. That’s leadership. It’s staying true to God’s vision when others can’t, or won’t, see it. It’s being willing to stand alone when no one else will stand beside you.

    Lead to Protect and Provide for Others

    Noah didn’t just save himself. His obedience gave his family safety and gave humanity a future. Real leaders carry responsibility beyond themselves, and they build things that bless others. We often talk about servant leadership. Noah is an example of that.

    A Call for Leaders Today…

    You might not be called to build a massive boat, but you are called to lead… your family, your business, your team, your community. Leadership today still demands obedience, perseverance, integrity, courage, and responsibility. Like Noah, you might find yourself swinging a hammer while the world laughs. Keep building anyway, because one day, the work you’ve done in faith will be the very thing that carries you through.

    Lead like Noah.

    …

    Written by John Gamades, author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men and Conquer: Daily Devotions for the Christian Man

    Matt Trayler

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  • Do You Trust Me?

    Do You Trust Me?

    I remember doing a teambuilding activity as a kid in Scouts, one of those dreaded trust falls. Standing on the edge of a picnic table, arms crossed over my chest, I closed my eyes and fell backward. Behind me stood five other 13-year-old boys with their arms outstretched, ready to catch me.

    That fall only lasted a second, but in that moment, it felt like ten. Ten seconds of wondering:
     Can they catch me? Will they?

    That question, Will they?, is the reason most people now roll their eyes at trust falls. They’ve become the punchline of teambuilding jokes. But why?

    Because deep down, we struggle with trust. We fear what might happen if we truly let go. And that’s not just true on the edge of a picnic table.

    “Do you trust Me?”

    That’s the question God whispered to me this morning during my quiet time, literally 20 minutes ago.

    And life is happening right now. I’m about to leave for a funeral. It’s the middle of a packed work week, loaded with projects and deadlines. At the end of the week, I’m driving one of my kids to Arizona for his sophomore year of college… 1,600 miles away, 25 hours by car. Two weeks later, we drop off his sister at her school. Then, just like that, the house will be empty again for the next nine months. In the middle of all this, God leans in and asks…

    “Do you trust Me?”

    With my kids?
     With my marriage?
     With my finances?
     With my to-do list?
     With my aging mom?

    If I’m being honest, I have a habit of trusting myself more than anyone else, including God. I believe He can do all things. I’ve got full faith in His power. But will He?

    That’s where I get stuck.

    My default has been to take over. To carry the load myself. It’s a pattern that’s been with me for decades and God is calling it out.

    “Do you trust Me?”

    When I opened my Bible this morning, like I often do, to a “random” page, I landed in Psalm 146. I’ve learned these moments are never random, and today, the words leapt off the page:

    Praise the Lord.

    Praise the Lord, my soul.

    I will praise the Lord all my life;

    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

    Do not put your trust in princes,

    in human beings, who cannot save.

    When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;

    on that very day their plans come to nothing.

    Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

    He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful forever.
    He upholds the cause of the oppressed
    and gives food to the hungry.
    The Lord sets prisoners free,
    the Lord gives sight to the blind,
    the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
    the Lord loves the righteous.
    The Lord watches over the foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

    The Lord reigns forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.

    Praise the Lord.

    It describes the character of the God we’re called to trust:

    • He upholds the oppressed
    • He feeds the hungry
    • He sets prisoners free
    • He gives sight to the blind
    • He lifts up the broken
    • He watches over the outsider, the fatherless, and the widow
    • He reigns forever

    This is who God is. And He’s asking me to trust Him.

    So, here’s the prayer I wrote this morning, and maybe it’s a prayer for you too:

    God, today, help me to trust You. Help me release this fake trust I’ve placed in myself and turn my heart fully toward You. I trust You with my kids, my marriage, my finances, my business, my mom, and my health. In every area, shift my gaze toward You and away from the idol I’ve created in myself. I want to fall into Your arms with confidence, because I know You will catch me.

    …

    Written by John Gamades, author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men and Conquer: Daily Devotions for the Christian Man

    Matt Trayler

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