The Christian CEO: Faith-Based Business Principles | Ep 003

Gary Smith Show Podcast Transcript

Welcome to the Gary Smith Show. It's great to be with you today. Please feel free to email me at questions@optechs.com, and I will get back to you personally this coming week.

As we begin our show today, the past couple of weeks that we have been together, we have been pretty much focused on the whole concept of personal development. So we laid the foundation in our first week together about personal development, how it fits with evangelical Christianity, why there is a need for it, and what God expects us to do with the talents and skills that He has given us.

Then the next week, we went through and spent quite a bit of time focusing on the whole goal development and achievement process. We talked about setting goals. We talked about a mission statement and core values, time management, organization, execution, celebration—those sorts of things.

Today's show is going to be a little bit different. Today, and probably next week, we are going to shift our focus a little bit, and we're going to be talking about the world of business. Specifically, I'm going to be talking about building a godly business. That should be the focus of everyone who wants to be in business—building a godly business.

I first have to thank my dear friend, Drew Crandall, because he provided a great deal of the material that I'm going to be using the next couple of weeks. Drew is a Christian business owner here in Connecticut. He is a wonderful Christian man. Drew and I have been friends now for probably close to 20 years. We've had the opportunity to work together on a number of occasions. He is a man who truly is after God's own heart, and his desire is to be a real witness for Christ in the marketplace.

So I thank Drew for his work in putting some of this material together and for his willingness to allow me to use it and to share it with you today.

Building a Godly Business
As we start talking about building a godly business, I want you to envision your business as a building. Whether you own a business of your own right now, or whether you're just contemplating starting a business, I want you to envision a business as being a building—a physical building, if you will.

That building has a foundation, and it has walls. In this particular case, our building has a foundation and eight walls. Over the next couple of weeks, we're going to lay that foundation, and we're going to build the walls that will give you the structure needed to create a successful, God-honoring enterprise.

The Story of Nehemiah
I'd like to start by telling the story of Nehemiah. Many of you know of Nehemiah from the Old Testament. He was the cupbearer for King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah had learned about some problems that were going on with Jerusalem because the Israelites were still in exile at that time. He heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down and that the gates had been burned.

Nehemiah had a real burden on his heart to find a way to go back and restore the walls of Jerusalem so that it would be a city again. So Nehemiah began to pray, and he asked God to help him. When the opportunity presented itself, he asked the king for permission to return to Jerusalem and not only got the king's blessing to return to Jerusalem, but also got the king to underwrite many of the resources he would need: safe passage, security, and the materials to complete the work.

I want you to think about your business in terms of you being the Nehemiah of your business because it's up to you to cast that vision, drive that business forward, and catch God's vision for what He wants you to be doing.

The Foundation of a Godly Business
The two things that impressed me about Nehemiah are, first, that he relied upon God. God was the foundation of his life, and he didn't think about doing anything—approaching the king or going to Jerusalem to do the work—until he had first spent an enormous amount of time in communication with God, asking for His help and support.

When we start talking about the foundation of our business, there are three critical questions we need to ask:

Are you a Christian?
To build a godly business, you need to be a Christian. Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Building a godly business starts with having an intimate, daily, personal relationship with the Creator of the universe through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Are you called to be a Christian leader?
You may know the Lord, but has He called you to be a Christian entrepreneur, a business owner, or a CEO? This requires asking God for guidance, seeking wise counsel, and examining your strengths, passions, and where you bear fruit.

Are you ready and willing to abide in that call?
Knowing the Lord and your calling is not enough—you must also be willing to live out that calling daily. This involves creating a mission statement and core values to guide your actions.

Planning and Execution
Once you have laid the foundation, the next step is planning. Planning is deliberate, methodical, and intentional. Proverbs 29:18 tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Just like Noah's Ark and the temple in 1 Chronicles 28 were built with specific plans from God, your business requires a clear plan.

However, planning must strike a balance—it should be thorough but not so detailed that it stifles creativity.

Research and Development
The research and development phase involves deciding what products or services to offer, how to produce them, and how to price and deliver them. Your offerings should be:

Constructive and value-adding.
Relevant and meeting a real market need.
Differentiated from what customers can do themselves or from competitors.
Your products and services should also align with your passions and giftedness, ensuring inherent quality and creativity.

Sales and Marketing
Marketing is the process of filling your business pipeline with prequalified clients—those who have already demonstrated a need or desire for your product or service. This involves clear communication of who you are, what you do, how you differentiate yourself, and the benefits of working with you.

Conclusion
As we wrap up today’s episode, remember: success in building a godly business starts with a solid foundation in Jesus Christ. Plan intentionally, research and develop your offerings, and market effectively. Next week, we will continue to explore the walls of a godly business.

Please send your questions or comments to questions@optechs.com. God bless you richly, and go live your life with passion.