A New York Prayer Breakfast (NYPB) is a sign of things to come

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a prayer breakfast in Rochester, NY hosted by Rick Chavoustie and Charlie Craddock. The breakfast is held every month and lasts for about 60-90 minutes and has been going on now for about 6 years. It is a quaint and informal Christ-centered event. Each month they invite a guest to talk and give testimony and this month I was that guest.

The breakfast consisted of about 30 people, primarily automotive professionals being that Rick and Charlie both are in the automotive industry. Also in attendance were a vocalist and a few pastors from the area, one which had an extraordinary testimony to share that I might seek to publish sometime.

The topic of my testimony was faith in the workplace and I shared how God has become the decision-maker not just in my personal life but also in my career. I brought up things like Os Hillman whose TGIF devotionals I use daily and The C12 Group which has opened up to me the idea of a Biblically-minded career. I also shared the two blogs I write on – RelevantMessage.org and then this one for workplace content; plus I introduced them to the HomeNet Ministry blog (my now former employer).

I think the message was well-received. The important part for me while there was to be a messenger of Light and to be an expression of humility and trust in the Lord.

While there it became apparent to me that the much anticipated career changes I have been experiencing were coming to a head. I was there in place of my own boss who was originally scheduled to be the guest speaker but then chose to attend a higher-profile industry event instead. It took tremendous love and selflessness (which is hard for me) to be a genuine steward of the situation. But I guess that is what this is all about – working for Christ and not your self, that is.

Rick and his family welcomed me into their home the night before which made for a hearty and blessed stay. All-in-all it was a great trip and a refreshing experience. Thank you to Charlie and Rick for having me and to those that took the time to share with me their own stories. I hope that this visit is not only the first of many more in Rochester, but also that it may lead to additional fruitful benefits for us all in the times to come.

God Bless!

The Holy Trinity identified in 1 John

The other day in the same Bible study class as was mentioned in my previous entry, we discussed how in 1 John 4:7-12, John effectively ties in the Holy Trinity by stating:

"…God is love" (Father)
"…God…sent his son as an atoning sacrifice" (Son)
"…God abides in us…" (Holy Spirit)

Within these six verses John writes "love one another" three times and identifies how we can know God simply through His love. In the next few verses, John describes how that with the confession that Jesus is the Son of God, the cause of loving your brother results in God abiding in you. By this you can "see" God through his love. Finally, in the latter verses John explains that because of the Holy Trinity and your confession of Christ’s sacrifice, we must love one another in all situations.

I posted this on RelevantMessage.org as well which is a Christian life blog on which I write, but I wanted to share this on here too for whatever reason.

Loving Your Brothers in the Workplace

Last night in my Bible study group we discussed 1 John 4: 7-21. The central theme was about loving one another and it brought to mind a couple situations I have been facing recently in the workplace.

One situation has to do with an employee feeling powerless about his interaction with and relationship with his manager while his manager feels that his team member is not living up to his full potential and is responding in counter-constructive ways. Both of these men are fellow brothers in Christ but are struggling with acceptance of each others’ situation and behavior. The other situation has to do with me and my own boss, where his actions and his thinking are destructive to his own best interests because he is unwilling to accept his responsibility of certain situations. I can not control his actions or his thinking and so I am faced with the choice of acceptance and love versus rejection and hate.

In both scenarios, the vital message at hand is the wisdom to accept these situations as things under God’s control and to love one another so that God ultimately may be glorified. Without the desire to do so, situations like are not likely to result in progress, or more accurately, the deepening of one’s faith and relationship with the Father. For my self, this love for my brother (boss), which comes from God, is giving me the ability to accept the scenarios presenting themselves and in a loving and constructive manner.

1 John 4: 20-21 reads:

If someone says, "I love God,: and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can[b] he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.