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Entertainment is something that most entrepreneurs will be a part of, whether that is recruiting team members, hosting corporate events, trying to raise money or creating unique opportunities for your team to bond.

In this episode, we talk about how we think about entertaining while maintaining a sincere heart towards holiness.

Show Notes for Episode 7

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by William Norvell

This week’s episode

Entertainment is something that most entrepreneurs will be a part of, whether that is recruiting team members, hosting corporate events, trying to raise money or creating unique opportunities for your team to bond.

In this episode, we talk about how we think about entertaining while maintaining a sincere heart towards holiness.  While there are some black and white rules from scripture that we need to follow,

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit”
– Ephesians 5:18

we are more likely to encounter gray areas where we need wisdom from others.  Paul lays out such an example in I Corinthians 8:1-13.  In this passage he mentions that while food sacrificed to idols is of no significance to God, it can be a stumbling block for others, so you should avoid in certain situations.

“But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” – 1 Corinthians 8:9

This can be a slippery slope that is best worked out in close community.

Rusty will share some stories that are sure to make most people jealous, including stories about hanging out with Ed Sheeran and Lecrae.

Side note: both of these artists have had a huge influence on my life.  I have actually contemplated writing a musical with my life story set to Ed Sheehan songs (yes, this is a real thing I have written out that I hope no one ever sees).  Lecrae’s autobiography is fantastic and his song ‘Go Hard’ is one I have listened to for about 10 years and still impacts my walk with Christ today:

If the cross don’t move me then I don’t wanna breath no mo
If I ain’t seeing christ then I don’t wanna see no mo

by Henry Kaestner

I have listened to Tim Keller thousands of times.  Literally. Tim started accompanying me on runs 20 years ago.  He always kept up, and never seemed to break a sweat. I’m not sure Tim made me a faster runner (in fact, I’m sure the opposite….he can’t hold a candle to a good house music track IMO for running negative splits), but I’m sure he has made me a better follower of Christ and since my competitive running days are long gone, I’ll take that trade every day.

This isn’t my favorite sermon of his, (that’s “A Search for Happiness” that I’ll undoubtedly blog about later this year) but it’s in my top 5 and it’s the one that has most shaped the way that I think about my work.  I think it’ll help shape yours.

There is just so much here.  As with any Tim Keller sermon….maybe any sermon, the best is at the end…sometimes I think that the last 10 minutes of sermons are the equivalent to “muffin tops” – the ingenous bakery product that allows you to eat the best of the muffin.  But I strongly encourage you to listen to all of it.

The passage from Scripture is from Isaiah 60, not a place that I’d typically go to to think about work.  I’d expect that Tim’s best sermon on work would come from an unpacking of the Parable of the Talents, or Paul’s repeated admonition that we should work, the mention that God’s work continues to this day (John 5:17), or something standard fare.  But his pick from Isaiah is brilliant. It shows us that we will be working in Heaven and what that will be like.

Some highlights for me include his take on the unique aspects of the Judeo-Christian view on work and how it’s different from other religions.  But his take on the Tower of Babel and why that work was destined to fail because of wrong motives is where he starts to pick up steam.  Never the one to leave out some great cultural references (from Bono to CS Lewis), his go-to in this sermon is John Coltrane, and it’s a great one. See if that moves you the way it moved me.  

Who am I working for today? Me, or God?  Am I really?

Favorite quote: “We believe that the work of our hands will save us.  And we believe it, and we repeat that daily catechism and we sing in that choir until we are exhausted.”

Editor’s note:  Got a favorite sermon that’s informed your entrepreneurial journey? Comment below and let us know!

by Henry Kaestner

I love this guy.  I love the father-son dynamic.  I love how multiple generations get together and pray to seek out God’s wisdom.  I don’t think that this business model (having all profits) go to support ministry is the answer for everybody for a myriad of reasons, but I just really like Simon and think you will too.  

This is the first of several videos we will highlight from the C12 ministry over the next several months.  Are you in a group with other faith driven entrepreneurs?  You might want to check out whether there is a C12 group near you.  Other great ministries (FCCI, Convene, Truth at Work and more) are listed on our Resource Page.  If you’re in Houston, maybe you’ll join Simon’s group.  I wish I could.

by Henry Kaestner

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Entrepreneurs are frenetic sources of energy and action.  We’re always very, very busy.  We’re usually behind on our email, and we bemoan that there are only 24 hours in a day.  I’ve talked about Sabbath before, and I’ll talk about it again I’m sure, but this post is about something related and yet different.

It takes about 6 minutes to read this article on taking time to think strategically, and it’s worth every second.  Want to go a little deeper in to the neurology, the strategy and the studies that have been done on “Deep Work” by taking non-distracted time to focus on key issues? I recommend the book by the same name.  I read/listened to it over a series of runs this past Fall, and it changed the way I think and work.  I wish it had been written 20 years ago.

As Faith Driven Entrepreneurs, it’s not much of a stretch to think about how we might bring our faith to bear in this new discipline of deep work.  Intentional and non-distracted prayer, should accompany any period of meditation and reflection on the key issues in front of us, as well as some time spent thinking about what issues aren’t in front us now, but should be.  Any number of Scriptural references point us in the same direction, of course.  The aforementioned verse from Romans is a great one.  Another one I like is in the first part of Proverbs 15:28 which tells us that “The heart of the righteous ponders….”  I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I ponder enough.

I’m going to be more intentional about scheduling non-distracted time over the coming weeks to renew my mind.  I’ll think, meditate, pray and ponder on where God is leading me, and how I, in turn, need to lead.  Maybe you’ll do the same?

Quick postscript:  

I found the referenced article from Max Anderson.  Max is a friend who serves as a Venture Partner at Praxis Labs, founder of a super interesting new fund/studio model called Saturn V and the author of my favorite bit of weekly reading, “The Weekend Reader.”  I’ll likely reference articles and thoughts that he surfaces from time to time and I recommend you check his newsletter out as well.

Photo by Kornél Máhl on Unsplash