Integrity Moments

In Joshua 7, the Israelites have been warned not to keep any plunder from their battles. However, after the battle of Jericho, Achan coveted and hid some plunder. Achan's individual sin resulted in Israel being defeated in their next battle, costing dozens of lives. God blamed, and allowed, the entire nation of Israel to suffer ... The post Sin in the Camp: Part II appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar asked Daniel to interpret his dream. Daniel begrudgingly warned the king that if he didn't renounce his sins that God would cause him to lose his kingdom and wander the forest for seven years. Though the king was warned, one year later, the king pridefully declared how great he and ... The post Sin in the Camp: Part I appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Given the stress, uncertainty, and discomfort of modern business travel, it's important to recognize how the travel experience can test our faith. A friend recently left a job that had required weekly travel. He loved the airline and hotel loyalty points he accumulated. But once he was no longer on the road every week, ... The post Challenges of Travel: Part II appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Wise business leaders recognize that there is much that is beyond our control at work and in the world. Business travel is a clear example of that. Changes in airline flight schedules, weather delays, staffing shortages, and even road construction mean we often don't arrive where we want when we want. Add in fellow travelers ... The post Challenges of Travel: Part III appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Business travel can hamper our efforts to practice our faith at work. The stress, discomfort, and disruption of routines can focus us exclusively on our immediate situation and away from our faith. I was reminded of that on a recent trip when I saw a man say a particularly ungracious thing to an older ... The post Challenges of Travel: Part I appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

As we celebrate Veterans Day, one value that many Veterans bring to the marketplace, that sometimes is overlooked, is their discipline. The rigorous training many military leaders have received becomes a great asset for the marketplace after they leave the military. Military training leads many to be disciplined and to exhibit self-control. After being in ... The post Veterans For Hire appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Kathy and I were recently blessed to hear Tommy Emmanuel play guitar, with no vocals, at the 100th year celebration of the Grand Ole Opry. An Australian, Tommy was seven years old when he listened to a Grand Ole Opry radio program. That night he heard the renowned Chet Atkins play the guitar. Tommy told ... The post A Blessed Guitarist appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Working for an operating subsidiary of a larger company located in another state, Anne relished the relative autonomy of her role. Whenever she spent time at corporate headquarters, however, she came away discouraged with the politics and petty fights in the larger work group. It always took her a few days to cast off that ... The post Attitude of Encouragement appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

It started innocently enough. Steven emailed me saying that he had been following our ministry and was considering a significant contribution to our work. Since I didn't know him, nor could I find anything online about him beyond his own website, I was skeptical, but hopeful for a good result. I began asking our team ... The post A Carefully Crafted Hoax appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

According to ACLJ, the American Center for Law and Justice, an HR manager with Timken's Missouri manufacturing plant was told to no longer wear a cross necklace or have a Bible on his desk. Because this violates this employee's religious rights, ACLJ sent a demand notice to the company on behalf of this manager. Timken ... The post Faithful Repentance appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Used car dealer, Tricolor, cost multiple large banks hundreds of millions in charged off loans recently, reportedly due to fraud. In theory, banks are required to hold the title of every car they finance. In practice, holding titles becomes inconvenient when the dealership has significant volume. It's not uncommon to see banks choose to trust ... The post Trust But Verify appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Kirk Perry was only 70 days into becoming the interim CEO of Kenvue when he was blindsided by our current administration. According to the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Perry met with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about some studies that linked Kenvue's Tylenol to autism. Perry felt the meetings were moving in the right direction. Then, ... The post Another Tylenol Scare appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

According to The History Channel, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as All Saints Day. This was a time to honor the saints and martyrs of the Church. However, Celtic traditions believed that on October 31st the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. As Rome took over the Celts, ... The post Spiritual Forces appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Professors Denise Daniels and Elaine Ecklund developed a Faith at Work Matrix for the different ways we can live out our vocational calling. The final way, that Denise Daniels believes is sometimes overlooked by the faith at work movement, is serving others beyond work. Our work has an additional benefit from the intrinsic value of ... The post Faith at Work Matrix: Part IV appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Professors Denise Daniels and Elaine Ecklund developed a Faith at Work Matrix for the different ways we can live out our vocational calling. The third way we leverage our work is to realize that work serves the common good. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy visited NASA. When he asked a janitor who was sweeping ... The post Faith at Work Matrix: Part III appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Professors Denise Daniels and Elaine Ecklund developed a Faith at Work Matrix on the different ways we can live out our vocational calling. The second approach is by serving others at work. These researchers discovered that one common way that we can use our work for God's glory is by leveraging our workplace as an ... The post Faith at Work Matrix: Part II appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

A significant research project on faith at work was conducted by Professors Denise Daniels from Wheaton College and Elaine Ecklund from Rice University. From the surveys and interviews conducted, Denise Daniels created a Faith at Work Matrix. In this series, I'll address four methods of work Professor Daniels believes can benefit the Kingdom of God. ... The post Faith at Work Matrix: Part I appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

In business, one tough decision I've struggled with is whether to quit doing business with an existing supplier due to price. Sometimes, I've received quality service, but over time, vendors increase prices until they're no longer competitive with other similar vendors. This leaves me with a dilemma. Do I stay with the vendor due to ... The post Relationships vs Stewardship appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

The advent of cryptocurrency billionaires and successful tech investors can make us feel like everyone else is obtaining untold riches in weeks, if not days. A sense of “FOMO,” or Fear of Missing Out, can make us feel like maybe we're not working hard enough or not taking the right risks to get ahead. But ... The post Slow Growth appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

As a manager, Angela advocated that “it's easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission.” Her team loved the mindset of acting first instead of working through a bureaucracy to get approval to move. Effective business leaders find ways to move through or around risks that might stop others. But that penchant to act shouldn't ... The post Seeking Permission appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

In the competitive work world, maybe it's inevitable that workers are always monitoring colleagues to see who is moving up the ladder faster than they are. I can recall many times when I was disappointed to see a colleague advance when I felt my career was stalled. Yet, with hindsight, I saw how I was ... The post Promotion Delay appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

John Wanamaker built a famous department store in the 1870s designed to embrace his Christian values. Although Wanamaker was very focused on his customers, he did not overlook his employees. John Wanamaker & Company offered its employees free medical care, recreational facilities, profit sharing plans, and pensions—long before these types of benefits were considered common. ... The post John Wanamaker's Innovations: Part IV appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

I was struggling with a decision about taking on a new work assignment. The project seemed interesting, but the team seemed to be in disarray, there was no clear executive sponsor, and it was unclear if the company was committed to the project's success. I explained my struggle to a Christian friend, and he said ... The post No Confusion appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

In the 1870s, John Wanamaker built a famous department store designed to embrace his Christian values. Wanamaker constantly innovated new marketing ideas, but one expensive idea was the Wanamaker Organ. Designed for the St Louis World's Fair, Wanamaker installed an organ into his department store. This organ had over 10,000 pipes and cost $105,000, which ... The post John Wanamaker's Innovation: Part III appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Prior to 1871, America's retail stores relied on individual price negotiations with each customer. In October of 1871, Philadelphian merchant and Quaker, John Wanamaker, instituted the one price system. Wanamaker started his department store with a desire to build his store on Christian principles. He created many innovative ideas in alignment with his faith that ... The post John Wanamaker's Innovations: Part I appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Jason tells of a period early in his work life, when he worked in food service. One feature of that experience was that he frequently came home smelling like the food from the restaurant. Later in his career, he committed that when he went to work, his colleagues would “smell Jesus” on him. Acts 4:13 ... The post Smelling of Jesus appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Even if you're not a CEO, at any level you can still have incredible influence on your team. A recent Harvard Business Review article titled, “Every Team Needs a Super-Facilitator,” highlights longtime NBA player, Chris Paul, as a super-facilitator. Four times he's joined a new team and within two years each team experienced their best ... The post The Chris Paul Effect appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

An online scammer used the email address of one of Phil's customers to order $325,000 of computer equipment. Once the computers had been shipped, Phil discovered that the transaction was a scam. Against the advice of others, Phil chose to pay his vendor rather than file bankruptcy. This left his small business with a huge ... The post Extreme Forgiveness appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

When Kathy and I were younger, we participated in a Bible study on marriage. One point made in the study was that women desire to be loved, while men desire respect. Although that may be true, I believe that all people desire respect. A definition of respect is “due regard for the feelings, wishes, ... The post RESPECT appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Weekly, my wife, Kathy, calls business leaders to ask how our team can pray for them. A common request has become, “Please pray for my son or daughter. They have severed relationships with us over politics.” A recent survey conducted by The Argument asked if having opposing political views is ever an acceptable reason to ... The post Severed Relationships appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Mark owned a chain of dry-cleaning stores. One day Mark discovered a valued employee had been stealing money from his business. His initial reaction was anger and a desire to fire her. But Mark decided to gain understanding first. Mark learned that this employee's husband was an abusive drug addict, forcing her to steal money ... The post A Forgiven Employee appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Occasionally I'm asked, “What do you wish you would have known earlier in your career?” Although I rarely reflect on the past, there is one issue I usually bring up - Investing in others. When I'm totally honest with myself, I spent too much of my career focused on me, and very little time investing ... The post Investing in Others appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

In business, many people may betray you, mock you, or cause you pain. This can lead you to consider them as enemies. The world will encourage you to destroy your enemies, but God's ways are different. The story of Jonah is a great example. Jonah viewed Nineveh as the enemy, and he harbored deep hatred ... The post Jonah's Enemy appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Valuable information tends to level the playing field when you are in negotiations.  Recently, I was negotiating a contract. There was one significant item in the proposed contract that didn't seem reasonable to me. This item was going to add significantly to my costs.   So, I typed out my scenario in Perplexity AI and moments ... The post Using AI For Negotiations appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Recently, I was invited to a networking event primarily for CEOs. When I introduced myself to someone the inevitable question would surface, “What is it that you do?”   When I shared that I ran a nonprofit focused on equipping business leaders to integrate their faith into their work, I would get one of two responses.  ... The post Is Anyone Listening? appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

During most of my career, I held a basic belief in God and his power. But it was only when I was faced with the loss of my job and the frightening prospects of what would come next that my faith truly developed.   Scripture calls us to continually examine the depth of our faith. It ... The post True Belief appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

In his book, Soul Keeping, John Ortberg writes that we are created with souls that crave to be loved, secure, and significant. Given the time and energy we spend at work, it can be easy to turn to our work to meet those needs. But Ortberg writes that only God can satisfy the needs of ... The post Soul Filling appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

If you've hired a plumber recently you've probably discovered that service calls are sometimes three times more expensive than before Covid. Currently, there is more work than workers.   With a decreased immigration population this won't likely get better. This makes for a significant opportunity for young people to consider the trades as their career choice.   ... The post Called To the Trades appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

I was angry when a vendor's invoice was nearly twice what I was expecting. The vendor documented the higher costs, but I objected so strenuously that the group vice president had to intercede. After hearing both sides, she decided we should pay the invoice. Now I was angry with her!   My response was not only ... The post Respecting Authority appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

No one was surprised when Darrell was promoted to lead the team. He had been a subject matter expert and go-to guy for years. But he quickly discovered that his technical skills weren't as helpful when it came to leading people.   Darrell realized he needed to find ways to engage, motivate, and encourage the team ... The post Empathy Over Solutions appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

As I reflect on my career, I realize that early on I made some poor decisions out of my lack of maturity. One time, after working a grueling 70-hour week, I was reprimanded by a supervisor I didn't respect, and one of our partners, for something I felt was unwarranted.   Later that day, that supervisor ... The post Lack of Maturity appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

When I was a young professional, I was blessed to work for companies that valued training. Whether I worked for a CPA firm or a large bank, I was allowed to enroll for all sorts of training in business practices, and even graduate school of banking.  The learning was valuable, but it also included, at ... The post Professional Training appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

According to Pew Research, the percentage of female managers in the workplace has increased from 29% in 1980 to 46% in 2023. In part, this happened due to a significant increase in the numbers of women who have completed college, and due to relational skills becoming more important to the workplace.   During Jesus' time on ... The post Woman Are Moving Up appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

In this series we're addressing root problems of struggling businesses and how to respond. The final reason your business may be struggling may be due to a spiritual attack.  Although I try not to give the enemy too much credit, there are times when God will allow the devil to sift us. Job is the ... The post Why Is My Business Struggling: Part V appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

In this series we're addressing root problems of struggling businesses and how to respond. The next reason your business may be struggling might be that God is testing, training, or refining you.  Early in the ministry there were times when God tested and refined my faith. When payroll was nearing and there was no money ... The post Why Is My Business Struggling: Part IV appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

In this series we're addressing some root problems of struggling businesses and how to respond. The next possible reason for your struggles is because God is disciplining you or your company for sin.  Years ago, I served on an advisory board for a ministry leader who was struggling to produce any tangible fruit. Something didn't ... The post Why Is My Business Struggling: Part III appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

In this series we're addressing some root problems of struggling businesses and how to respond. The second common problem is when the economy, or your industry, is in decline.  When you're experiencing an economic downturn, you can assume that your only response is to persevere. But a proactive response is critical.   Managing expenses is important, ... The post Why is My Business Struggling: Part II appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Business struggles can become overwhelming at times. There are many possible reasons for troubles in business, so discerning the root problem can be difficult, but necessary.   In this series, we'll address some of the root problems of a struggling business and how to respond. The first is, asking, “Am I being a poor steward?”  It's ... The post Why Is My Business Struggling: Part I appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Prior to the Jewish people entering a period of about 400 years with no new written words from God, Daniel was given a vision of what evil was to come. But the Jews had to know God to have the wisdom to resist the evil that was coming, not just know of God.   In Daniel ... The post Knowing God appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

When I was young, I remember shopping for school clothes. With five kids needing clothes, my mother often used a “layaway” program.   We selected the clothes we liked, then she paid a deposit to hold them. From each paycheck, she made payments until we could take our clothes home.   This was a debt-free way to ... The post The Layaway Plan appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

The United States Office of Personnel Management recently issued a memo to all federal department and agency heads about religious freedom.   According to the memo titled "Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace," federal employees are allowed to display religious items at work and engage in prayer during non-duty hours. They also can discuss their religious ... The post Religious Freedom for Government Workers appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.