Integrity Moments

According to Harvard Professor, Arthur Brooks, there’s an annual survey that asks men and women if they feel their life is meaningless. Prior to 2008, the percentage of people typically affirming that belief was just 15%.  In 2008, however, the numbers increased significantly each year. For women, a meaningless life response reached 30%, and ...

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According to the Wall Street Journal, Brian McClain, a Kentucky rancher, ran a Ponzi scheme that cost investors and bankers $170 million. The fraud could have been caught many years earlier.  Lending on livestock, done properly, requires periodic livestock inspections. Rabo AgriFinance was McClain’s primary lender, but Rabo loaned McClain millions without any cattle inspections for four years.  In addition, Rabo’s own files noted that McClain was frequently overdrawn ...

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My wife, Kathy, was paired with another woman to lead a vacation bible school. While Kathy loves having fun, it’s often unscripted.  The first time Kathy spoke with her new teammate, Kathy told me, “She is very structured and scripted. We may drive each other crazy.”  Personally, I think God chose the perfect pair. Some children learned from Kathy’s fun, free form style, but other kids needed the scripted structured approach.   1 Corinthians 12:18-19 teaches, “In ...

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Many entrepreneurs focus on one business and struggle to excel, while others, like Elon Musk, can create multiple businesses in vastly different industries. Some business leaders have a higher level of creativity and innovation than most.   But for many of those innovators, they would have trouble admitting that without God they would have nothing.  Colossians 1:16 says, “For in (the Son of God) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ...

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When I owned a fledgling consulting practice, I met with a ministry leader named Ken. To my surprise, Ken changed the conversation by asking me when I was going to hire a salesperson.   When I explained my concerns about affording a new hire, Ken reminded me that being a good steward often requires us to take a step of faith.  After Ken’s prompting, I prayed and courageously ...

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In a Christianpost.com article, Michael A. Youssef, pastor of Church of the Apostles, emphasized that a Lifeway study reveals that 53% of Protestant church goers admit that many who know them do not know that they are Christians. Pastor Youssef highlights that “a silent Christian is not a neutral Christian; a silent Christian is a weakened witness. Because truth that is never spoken will eventually become truth that is never seen.” If ...

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As a banker, I was once asked to make a loan to a businessman who owned nothing except one stock worth $2 million, but he owed $1 million against that stock.  I was surprised by his lack of diversification. I declined his loan request.   Later, that stock plummeted and he was forced to sell with a deep loss.  Jesus began a parable by stating that a master entrusted his wealth ...

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The stories of the Biblical prophet Elisha in the Old Testament book of 2 Kings offer relevant wisdom for our work today.  Seeking a cure for his leprosy, the army commander Naaman offered gold, silver, and clothing to compensate Elisha for healing him. Yet Elisha refuses to accept any payment.   Seeing an opportunity for himself, Elisha’s servant Gehazi follows after Naaman and makes up a story to get some of the wealth for himself. Upon ...

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The book of 2 Kings offers Biblical wisdom for our work today. The king of Syria seeks to capture the prophet Elisha. One morning, Elisha’s servant sees that an army has surrounded the city. The servant fearfully asks Elisha what they are to do.   “‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” (2 Kings 6:16)  Elisha prayed that the servant’s eyes would be ...

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The Old Testament book of 2 Kings tells of the Biblical prophet Elisha, whose leadership lessons have relevant wisdom for today’s workplace.  Suffering from leprosy, the army commander Naaman asks Elisha for healing. Although Naaman is expecting some dramatic invocation of God’s presence, Elisha’s prescription is simpler: Naaman is to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River.   Naaman is incensed with such a simple solution. His servants try to reason with ...

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