“Hurt is going to happen.” With those five words, I was reminded once again of why we so separately need Jesus. We’re all going to fail. And sometimes, it’ll be big. And every time it will hurt.

We fret so much about wasting precious time, when the other side of that same coin says: time is always there. Experience cannot be quantified as cleanly as results or outcomes, but that does not eliminate it’s value.

Five years ago, I applied for a new job. I quickly rose to the top of the candidate pool and got that feeling– I’m going to land this job! After multiple interviews, each better than the last, I was told that it was just a matter of final details and one last interview.

The most difficult circumstance of my life thus far — spiritually, emotionally, and in fact financially — has come through the failure of a start-up in which I was an investor.

As someone who enjoys the strategy behind building an organization and its personnel, there seems to be a common denominator in the NFL coaching carousel I have observed that can explain this phenomenon.

Someone asked me once, “Why are you afraid to fail?” I remember wading through a bunch of half sentences until I admitted, “I don’t want to fail because I’m afraid of who that means I am. Basically, my identity is at stake.”

What if God is glorified by taking us to Red Sea Moments on purpose? How do you respond as a leader when you find yourself up against the wall?

Two weeks into COVID-19, when other people were losing jobs and schools were shutting their doors to complete the school year online, God spoke to me about returning to the marketplace.

I never saw it coming. I started my business part-time in January, 2000, and I completed my MBA in September of the same year. I purchased my second new construction home. Things were going well, and I could not have been happier.

None of us, including experienced business people, have led a company in such a time as this. For over 20 years, Charlie Paparelli has been an professional angel investor and entrepreneur, co-founding 12 startups and investing in twenty-three. Read his take on where we go from here…

In the Midwest, Christian entrepreneurs are searching for relief from the corrosive grind of company-building—while some faith leaders preach the gospel of crushing it. There’s a hunger among entrepreneurs to redefine what it means to be successful in tech: the enduring message is that in an industry that seems by nature to demand imbalance in the lives of those who work in it, they hope to find a different way.

“In the early days of the business, we were flying. We were growing, hiring, and making a big splash… It was the Silicon Valley dream and I was one of the few, the proud, the chosen. Pride is a funny and destructive thing. But God in His incredible graciousness dashed me hard against the rocks to break this pride into pieces.”

One of the best definitions of entrepreneurship is that of Harvard Professor Howard Stevenson (1983): “the pursuit of opportunity beyond the tangible resources that you currently control”. This short yet powerful definition has three components, and each is worth deeper consideration, particularly if you are a follower of Christ.

We could go on and on about the great, meaningful work that Pete Ochs has been doing but we rather let you hear it & see it from him yourself. We want to highlight one of our Top 10 Video Stories on him: #8 JAILHOUSE BUSINESS OF GENEROSITY “To inmates, seeing someone who had a genuine desire for them to succeed changed everything.”

The DEALMAKERS Film Series was created to entertain, inspire and connect audiences to look at faith and work differently. Their first episode features this week’s podcast guest Pete Ochs discussing his radical idea of a triple bottom line. Watch here!

The remarkable story of one gutsy contractor’s determination to end poverty in Africa. Grant Smith is not a visionary or an enthusiastic missionary. He’s a problem solver. When confronted with the desperate problems of poverty he witnessed in Africa, he did the only thing he knew how to do–business.

For over 20 years, Charlie Paparelli has been an professional angel investor and entrepreneur, co-founding 12 startups and investing in 23. On a daily basis, he mentors 10 startup founders and advises many more. Read more about his 11 thoughts on how to see failure as an entrepreneur.a

“The liars list” are aspects of businesses (your business) that you’re probably lying to yourself about. My CEO clients weren’t lying to me. But the fact that they lied to themselves was hurting the company. Did I do that when I ran my company?

In this post, Rusty Rueff shares one of his daily devotional blog posts. “It might feel like we are stuck on a treadmill that is speeding up on us and with no way off. Today, let me be encouraging that the work we are given to do on this earthly part of our journey matters.”

An article from Eagle Venture Fund looking at the questions of decision making like “Why is do so many business opportunities fail? There must be some way to predict which opportunities will succeed and which ones will fail, right?”

“Kingdom success along the path of risk and failure.” – For many entrepreneurs, the possibility of startup glory — a huge payout, an early retirement, fame, acclaim, and the chance to transform how societies function — is worth the risk and the toil. And what if those momentous outcomes never come to fruition?

From time to time we leave the world of faith driven content to highlight a piece of wisdom from a secular author that has inordinate wisdom and application for you, the faith driven entrepreneur. Enjoy this great blog post from Marc Andreesen!

Each year, nearly 20 million people lose their jobs. That’s how this article opens, but don’t worry—it gets hopeful from there. Hear Matt Rusten from Made to Flourish explain the role of the church when it comes to unemployment and how community can and should play a role in helping people get back on their feet.

In a suburb north of Denver, Prime Trailer Leasing manages a fleet of gleaming white semi-trailers. Like the Hertz of semi-trucks, Prime owns and rents its trucks to commercial customers of all varieties. Wes Gardner, the founder and owner of Prime, acknowledges that “semi trailers aren’t glamorous,” but the work his company is doing is anything but mundane.

How much can you take? Jon Kontz shares “A sense of calling helps to weather the storms of startup life, but for risk takers like me, it can be hard to tell the difference between calling and another great idea.”

In Part Two with Chip Ingram, CEO of Living on the Edge, we continue the discussion on faith and entrepreneurship from this Pastor to Entrepreneurs. Topics include ways on keeping church relevant to the entrepreneur’s life, to how to handle failures and ways to handle power and influence righteously.

For the Christian, the key to being wildly productive is realizing that you don’t need to be productive.

Take a step back and evaluate what you’re saying “yes” to. We are all part of a body of believers, the body of Christ, so that no one person has to do it all – thank God!

Undoubtedly, times of crisis magnify and reveal strengths and weaknesses, not only within our respective organizations and businesses, but also within each of us as individuals. It may even reveal the areas of our heart that we need the Heavenly Father to tend to. 

One of the major reasons for my affair earlier in our marriage is Holly and I stopped dating each other. We went out together all the time, but it was in groups or double dates. We stopped being intentional with one another. We stopped making time to ask each other questions about ups and downs, hopes and dreams.

A true entrepreneur, once s/he lands on an idea that they believe will make a difference, or solve a real problem, will give everything they have to pursue and realize their dream. In Matt 13:44, the man who discovers the fortune in the field gives up all that he has to buy the field.  What are we willing to give up to receive the treasures of God’s Kingdom?

We all have a lot on our plates, and perhaps you strive to become a world-class time manager. Jeff Holler shows us why superior time management can be all wrong when we are masterfully managing our time around the wrong priorities! Intentional time allocation around our highest and most important lifetime priorities trumps superior time management around our calendar. This article was one of CEF’s 2019 White Papers.

Chris Horst and Claire Stewart share their Christianity Today article “The Christian Roots of the Fair Trade Movement” with us. Beneath the buzzwords around sustainability, transparency, and ethical sourcing we find something far more important than consumerism: Christ-centered love for our neighbors.

Gleaning, the Old Testament practice whereby farmers left an unharvested margin around their fields and the poor came and picked from it, was at the heart of the Book of Ruth. Was gleaning only an ancient agricultural regulation or did it also apply to how he should steward a modern-day tech business?

“What are you doing that will matter in 10,000 years?” It was the kind of question that stops you in your tracks–a truth bomb. And the kind of question rarely asked. Matt McConnell invites us to really think that question through.

Yesterday, our podcast featured Casey Crawford as our guest — an Entrepreneur, Super Bowl winner who leads Movement Mortgage—a Billion dollar business that Inc and several others have recognized. Although they’re known for their business and employee engagement, their community impact is also impressive! Today, we want to highlight some of their resources, specifically their mentoring program.

We’re huge fans of DIFW, Jeff Haanen, and their podcast The Faith & Work Podcast. They recently interviewed New York Times columnist and best-selling author David Brooks about his new book The Second Mountain. We highly recommend you listen in!

An article from Craig Denison at First15 — The format of the presentation is in a “Top 10 List.” Feel free to scroll around and find topics that interest you! Here are his top 10 thoughts around living missionally…

Originally published by WRAL TechWire — Bandwidth , a Triangle-born provider of communications-related services that has grown into a venture with global reach, might be riding high at the moment after recently hitting the $2 billion valuation mark. But as its founder and CEO David Morken can attest, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. He credits one thing for getting him through: his Christian faith.

Practicing the King’s Economy invites us into the biblical story of the “King Jesus Economy.” This book explores six key biblical themes and shares practical insights into ways to you can embody God’s love and provision for the world.

In today’s short video, Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Walmart Stores, Inc., shares his perspective on how to intentionally and deliberately pursue your highest priorities. Are you giving too much time to things that are not top priorities?

Praxis is always looking for models, both in the present and in the Christian tradition, of entrepreneurs who clearly lived out a redemptive story. And for a model of a redemptive entrepreneur from the New Testament itself — maybe the whole Bible — it’s hard to beat the Apostle Paul.

One day, our jobs will end. In that moment, what will people say about you? Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart, addresses the importance of building a lasting legacy through a life of honesty and humility. 

Aaron Klusman’s fast-paced baseball career is a model for Christian entrepreneurs nationwide. While playing baseball at ASU, Klusman tried his hand at business by starting a retail clothing company, which grew to include sales representatives nationwide.

Who wins when I ask for big things? I have thought it was me, of course. Recently, however, I have been seeing a different dynamic at work when looking at three passages that follow each other in the book of John.

At Generous Giving’s annual gathering, John Cortines and Greg Baumer were invited to speak about their book, Through the Needle. The book covers the Harvard MBAs’ struggle to answer – “As young Christians with sky-high earnings potential, what should they plan to do with their money?”

Andy Crouch from Praxis was a guest on this week’s podcast and shared about the powerful book they released called “A Rule of Life.” At FDE, we believe it’s one of those essential pieces of reading for entrepreneurs and others called to leadership.

A White Paper from The Christian Economic Forum —

Matt Lesser shares a personal letter he received from his father to encourage him as an entrepreneur —“We have the opportunity and the responsibility to influence generations for God’s Kingdom through the marketplace. It will take concentration of effort and unified commitment to creating financial, cultural, and Kingdom returns…for such a time as this. As you embark on this journey, keep these principles at the forefront of your thinking: Vision, Impact, People, Balance, and Returns.”

A White Paper from The Christian Economic Forum —

“I am increasingly convinced, however, that we have missed an important foundation of healthy culture and effective leadership. Emotional health is not a popular or familiar topic. These issues cannot be fully resolved by the human resources department of a company. They also cannot be fully addressed through a Corporate Chaplain program. Professional counseling or therapy is needed for individuals to be equipped with the appropriate tools, awareness, and resources.”

This week we get into Part Two of the Lightning Round episode, fielding your questions. Henry, Rusty, and William tackle two really important questions for the faith driven entrepreneur: how we handle our resource of money and time.

Take a listen to this sermon by Toby Kurth at Christ Church San Francisco for a check on your motivations. This message isn’t necessarily about being an entrepreneur, but is very much about being a follower of Christ, and so it has everything to do with being a FAITH DRIVEN entrepreneur.