Latest / Called to Build / Kingdom Stewardship For Christian Entrepreneurs
Transcript
- 0:39SPEAKER_00: What if the very areas you've been neglecting are the ones God intended to multiply your impact through?
- 0:45SPEAKER_00: That question hit me like a freight train during my sabbatical.
- 0:49SPEAKER_00: I had built businesses, led churches, raised a family, and taught leadership across continents, but I realized I hadn't always stewarded my life holistically.
- 1:01SPEAKER_00: I had treated time, talents, and health like disconnected parts of a machine, rather than sacred pieces of a divine ecosystem.
- 1:10SPEAKER_00: As Christian entrepreneurs, our stewardship goes far beyond the financial.
- 1:16SPEAKER_00: God has entrusted us with four critical areas: our time, our talents, our temple, our body and mind, and our relationships.
- 1:25SPEAKER_00: How we manage these is a direct reflection of our kingdom citizenship.
- 1:30SPEAKER_00: Let's explore how to steward your entire life for eternal impact.
- 1:34SPEAKER_00: This episode is built around what I call the four T framework of kingdom stewardship.
- 1:40SPEAKER_00: Time.
- 1:41SPEAKER_00: Align your schedule with your calling.
- 1:44SPEAKER_00: Talents, activate and multiply your God-given gifts.
- 1:48SPEAKER_00: Temple, care for your body as your kingdom instrument.
- 1:52SPEAKER_00: Tribe, invest intentionally in your relationships.
- 1:56SPEAKER_00: When all four areas are aligned under Christ's Lordship, your life becomes a vessel of lasting influence and legacy.
- 2:05SPEAKER_00: Biblical Time Management, stewarding God's appointed seasons.
- 2:09SPEAKER_00: For a comprehensive guide on managing time as a Christian entrepreneur, consider reading Time Management Secrets for Christian Entrepreneurs.
- 2:18SPEAKER_00: This article offers practical strategies to align your daily schedule with God's calling, emphasizing intentionality and balance in your professional and personal life.
- 2:29SPEAKER_00: Biblical example Nehemiah stewarded his time and influence with precision.
- 2:35SPEAKER_00: He waited on God's timing, prayed strategically, and when the moment came, acted with bold clarity to rebuild Jerusalem's walls.
- 2:45SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah 2.
- 2:46SPEAKER_00: His story is a model of patient preparation and decisive action.
- 2:52SPEAKER_00: Time is the one resource you can't earn back.
- 2:56SPEAKER_00: Ephesians 5 15-17 exhorts us to make the most of every opportunity.
- 3:02SPEAKER_00: That begins with viewing your calendar as sacred ground.
- 3:07SPEAKER_00: Use time blocks for what matters most.
- 3:10SPEAKER_00: Prayer, strategy, family, and recovery.
- 3:13SPEAKER_00: The Sabbath isn't just a suggestion, it's God's design for rhythm.
- 3:18SPEAKER_00: I learned this deeply after stepping down from Restoration Church.
- 3:22SPEAKER_00: Suddenly I wasn't on anyone's clock but God's, and that forced me to ask what matters most in this season.
- 3:30SPEAKER_00: A few years ago, a mentor introduced me to the concept of time blocking by priority rather than by task.
- 3:38SPEAKER_00: Up until then, I had approached my schedule like most entrepreneurs, checking boxes, responding to urgency, juggling a never-ending to-do list, but when I shifted to structuring my days around my God ordained priorities, everything changed.
- 3:55SPEAKER_00: I stopped being busy and started being fruitful.
- 3:58SPEAKER_00: Productivity increased, but more importantly, so did peace.
- 4:03SPEAKER_00: These days I'm presented with new opportunities on a near-daily basis, speaking engagements, partnerships, business ventures, even ministry offers.
- 4:12SPEAKER_00: Without a clear sense of God's current assignment for me and the mission He's entrusted me to fulfill, I could easily get distracted by what looks good but isn't God.
- 4:24SPEAKER_00: Stewarding time means stewarding assignment.
- 4:27SPEAKER_00: It means learning the power of a holy no.
- 4:31SPEAKER_00: Reflection Questions.
- 4:34SPEAKER_00: What are the top three priorities God is calling you to focus on right now?
- 4:39SPEAKER_00: Where are you spending time that doesn't align with your current assignment?
- 4:43SPEAKER_00: What does honoring Sabbath rest look like for you in this season?
- 4:49SPEAKER_00: two Kingdom Talents Multiplying What God has entrusted to you.
- 4:56SPEAKER_00: To delve deeper into the biblical perspective on stewarding your talents, explore seven lessons.
- 5:03SPEAKER_00: The Parable of the Talents taught me about biblical stewardship.
- 5:07SPEAKER_00: This article unpacks the parable of the talents, highlighting key lessons on responsibility, growth, and faithfulness in using God-given abilities.
- 5:17SPEAKER_00: Biblical example Bezal and Oholiab, Exodus 31, were gifted artisans, filled with the Spirit of God, entrusted with the design of the tabernacle.
- 5:30SPEAKER_00: Their craftsmanship wasn't just technical skill, it was holy stewardship.
- 5:36SPEAKER_00: Their work built a dwelling place for God among his people, reminding us that creative and practical talents matter to the kingdom.
- 5:44SPEAKER_00: Entrepreneurship is one of the greatest multipliers of God-given talents.
- 5:49SPEAKER_00: When I launched Simplicity Marketing LLC in 2011, it wasn't just a business, it was a stewardship assignment.
- 5:58SPEAKER_00: God gave me the ability to communicate, strategize, and teach.
- 6:03SPEAKER_00: Stewardship meant turning those into systems that blessed others.
- 6:07SPEAKER_00: I met Wilfrid at the Total Transformation Summit in Kitale, Kenya.
- 6:11SPEAKER_00: He was entrepreneurial at heart, full of ideas, but hadn't yet stepped into action.
- 6:17SPEAKER_00: During our sessions together, he began to refine an idea that had been quietly sitting in the background of his mind.
- 6:26SPEAKER_00: An environmentally friendly alternative to using firewood for industrial heating.
- 6:33SPEAKER_00: As he gained clarity, he found the confidence to move forward.
- 6:37SPEAKER_00: That idea became a real business, one that not only addressed environmental concerns, but also created jobs in his community.
- 6:47SPEAKER_00: But Wilfred didn't stop there.
- 6:50SPEAKER_00: He leveraged his growing influence to begin mentoring local youth, teaching life skills, and sharing the message of Christ.
- 6:58SPEAKER_00: It's a powerful reminder.
- 7:00SPEAKER_00: When we steward our talents and take faithful steps, God multiplies them in ways we could never orchestrate on our own.
- 7:18SPEAKER_00: But in my missionary travels to East Africa, India, and Pakistan, I found those old instincts resurfacing, situational awareness, verbal de-escalation, body language reading.
- 7:31SPEAKER_00: They proved invaluable in moments where tension ran high.
- 7:35SPEAKER_00: Then in 2019, stepping into the executive pastor role, I saw the need for stronger church security.
- 7:42SPEAKER_00: I leaned into my past and helped develop our safety team and operational procedures.
- 7:48SPEAKER_00: God didn't waste any of it.
- 7:50SPEAKER_00: He simply waited until the timing was right to redeploy it.
- 7:54SPEAKER_00: Reflection.
- 7:55SPEAKER_00: Questions.
- 7:56SPEAKER_00: Which talents in your life have been underutilized or buried?
- 8:00SPEAKER_00: Where has God repurposed an old skill for a new assignment?
- 8:04SPEAKER_00: Who are you mentoring or pouring into as part of your stewardship?
- 8:09SPEAKER_00: 3.
- 8:09SPEAKER_00: Temple Care Honoring Your Body as a Christian Entrepreneur.
- 8:15SPEAKER_00: For insights into honoring God through healthy living, read Ten Principles for Health Honoring God through healthy living.
- 8:24SPEAKER_00: This piece discusses practical ways to view health as a form of worship and stewardship, encouraging intentional choices that reflect our awareness of divine responsibility.
- 8:37SPEAKER_00: Biblical example, Daniel, Daniel 1, honored his body and convictions even when it set him apart in Babylon.
- 8:45SPEAKER_00: His discipline choices around food and self-care became a testimony to God's favor and elevated him in influence.
- 8:54SPEAKER_00: His life proves that honoring your temple can lead to kingdom promotion.
- 8:59SPEAKER_00: In 2023, I hit a wall and didn't see it coming.
- 9:03SPEAKER_00: That year was one of the most demanding I've ever faced.
- 9:07SPEAKER_00: Our company was navigating the complexities of acquiring agent branding and marketing while simultaneously managing the fallout of a major Facebook data breach that directly impacted many of our clients.
- 9:20SPEAKER_00: In ministry, I was serving as the executive pastor during a challenging season for our lead pastor, and much of the weight of leadership fell squarely on my shoulders.
- 9:30SPEAKER_00: Overlay all that with four international ministry trips, a demanding travel schedule for business, nearly 68,000 miles in the air, and it was only a matter of time before something gave.
- 9:45SPEAKER_00: On my last overseas trip, a three-week assignment in Kenya and Pakistan, I contracted a severe respiratory infection.
- 9:55SPEAKER_00: Despite a full course of antibiotics and steroids, I never fully recovered.
- 10:01SPEAKER_00: When I returned to the U.S., I started experiencing chest pains and shortness of breath.
- 10:06SPEAKER_00: A failed stress test led to a heart catheterization.
- 10:10SPEAKER_00: The cardiologist expected to find a blockage.
- 10:14SPEAKER_00: Instead, my arteries were completely clear.
- 10:17SPEAKER_00: That should have been good news, until the blood work came back.
- 10:21SPEAKER_00: I had no cortisol in my body.
- 10:24SPEAKER_00: None.
- 10:25SPEAKER_00: We retested.
- 10:26SPEAKER_00: Still nothing.
- 10:27SPEAKER_00: My stress response system was completely shot.
- 10:31SPEAKER_00: My body had been waving red flags, and I'd been ignoring every one of them.
- 10:36SPEAKER_00: Today the scar on my right wrist, where the catheter was inserted, is more than a medical mark.
- 10:44SPEAKER_00: It's my personal check engine light, a daily reminder that my limits are real, and stewardship includes honoring those limits.
- 10:53SPEAKER_00: That wake up call prompted a complete recalibration in 2024.
- 10:58SPEAKER_00: I cut back my travel schedule.
- 11:00SPEAKER_00: I enrolled in a medically supervised weight loss program.
- 11:04SPEAKER_00: I began walking 1.5 miles every day.
- 11:08SPEAKER_00: I hired a coach, I took a sabbatical, I returned to journaling and carved out moments of intentional silence beyond prayer and study, just to be still, and slowly clarity and energy returned.
- 11:23SPEAKER_00: Reflection questions What physical or emotional warning signs have you been ignoring?
- 11:30SPEAKER_00: How are you building intentional margin into your life?
- 11:34SPEAKER_00: What one health habit could you begin or restore this week to steward your temple?
- 11:40SPEAKER_00: Four.
- 11:40SPEAKER_00: Tribe Stewardship Building Relationships that reflect God's heart.
- 11:47SPEAKER_00: To understand the importance of stewarding relationships, consider entrusted stewarding relationships well.
- 11:54SPEAKER_00: This article emphasizes the role of relationships in our spiritual journey and offers guidance on nurturing connections that reflect God's love and purpose.
- 12:04SPEAKER_00: Biblical example Paul and Timothy, Philippians two, nineteen to twenty two show the power of spiritual fathering and relational investment.
- 12:15SPEAKER_00: Paul didn't just train Timothy in doctrine.
- 12:18SPEAKER_00: He walked closely with him, affirmed his calling, and passed the baton.
- 12:22SPEAKER_00: Our influence often flows through the lives we choose to invest in deeply.
- 12:28SPEAKER_00: One of the most personal acts of stewardship I've ever walked through involved my mother.
- 12:33SPEAKER_00: She has battled mental health issues for most of her life, which created emotional distance between us through the years.
- 12:41SPEAKER_00: As a son, it was hard.
- 12:42SPEAKER_00: As a leader, it was complicated, and for her it came with a deep burden of shame that she carried for decades.
- 12:50SPEAKER_00: During my sabbatical in 2024, the Lord impressed on me to write her a letter, not to confront the past, but to release her from it.
- 12:59SPEAKER_00: I told her that she is loved, that she has nothing to be ashamed of, that she did her best, and that God had been faithful through it all.
- 13:08SPEAKER_00: That simple letter opened the door to healing.
- 13:12SPEAKER_00: We now attend church together and have lunch weekly.
- 13:16SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the deepest breakthroughs don't come through power, they come through grace.
- 13:22SPEAKER_00: Relationship stewardship is deeply intentional.
- 13:26SPEAKER_00: For me, it begins in prayer.
- 13:28SPEAKER_00: I keep a prayer board in my office, not just for intercession, but to stay attuned to the real needs in the lives of those around me.
- 13:37SPEAKER_00: I write handwritten letters to my children at key moments in their lives, something I plan to continue with my grandchildren.
- 13:45SPEAKER_00: And each month I take time to connect one-on-one with my employees just to hear their heart.
- 13:52SPEAKER_00: Sometimes what they need most isn't strategy, it's to be seen.
- 13:58SPEAKER_00: Reflection?
- 13:59SPEAKER_00: Questions Who in your life needs a word of grace or encouragement?
- 14:03SPEAKER_00: Are your key relationships thriving, strained, or neglected?
- 14:08SPEAKER_00: What intentional practices could help you invest more deeply in the people God has entrusted to you?
- 14:16SPEAKER_00: Five.
- 14:17SPEAKER_00: Holistic stewardship for Christian business leaders.
- 14:21SPEAKER_00: There's no divide between spiritual and strategic.
- 14:25SPEAKER_00: Every part of your life belongs to God.
- 14:28SPEAKER_00: Holistic stewardship means living an integrated life where each T of the four T framework, time, talents, temple, and tribe is in alignment with God's will.
- 14:38SPEAKER_00: Ask yourself, how am I spending my time?
- 14:42SPEAKER_00: Where are my talents lying dormant?
- 14:44SPEAKER_00: What is my body telling me?
- 14:46SPEAKER_00: Which relationships need more care?
- 14:49SPEAKER_00: When you bring every area under the Lordship of Christ, you don't just operate more efficiently, you live more purposefully.
- 14:58SPEAKER_00: Conclusion.
- 14:59SPEAKER_00: Christian entrepreneurship that reflects the kingdom.
- 15:04SPEAKER_00: God never asked you to compartmentalize your calling.
- 15:08SPEAKER_00: He asked you to steward your life.
- 15:10SPEAKER_00: When you manage time, talents, health, and relationships with intention, you become a living demonstration of the gospel, not just in word, but in witness.