The Defining Habits of a Christ-centered Company

Welcome to The Christian Entrepreneurs Podcast with Annemarie Cross! In this episode, The Defining Habits of a Christ-Centered Company, Annemarie chats with Darren Shearer, founder of the Theology of Business Institute and High Bridge Books and Media, as he shares how he grew his business from small proofreading gigs to a multi-six-figure publishing company.

Darren reveals how his company’s success aligns with Stephen Covey's principle: “Peace is when your schedule aligns with your values.” He shares key biblical habits that put Jesus at the center of every business decision, highlighting how spiritual gifts play a vital role in everyday operations, not just Sundays.

This episode goes beyond business growth—it’s about embracing your anointing as a Christian entrepreneur and impacting others through your work. From integrating faith into business to facing legal challenges on religious expression, Annemarie and Darren provide practical insights and guidance.

Tune in to explore habits that can transform your business into a Christ-centered enterprise and further God’s kingdom. Stay until the end for Annemarie’s closing prayer to bless your journey!

Here are 3 Key Takeaways from this episode:

Create a Christ-Centered Workplace: Foster an environment where Christian values shape the culture, helping people grow and feel supported in their faith during their daily work hours.
Align Values with Actions: Success comes when your schedule reflects your values. Bringing Christian principles into everyday business creates a sense of peace and fulfillment.
Use Spiritual Gifts in Business: Spiritual gifts aren’t limited to Sundays; they belong in the workplace too. Integrating these gifts can transform business operations and drive both personal and professional growth.

LISTEN NOW:

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RESOURCES:

Jump straight to these golden nuggets:

05:47 Pastors realizing businesspeople's role in ministry.

07:08 Faith-aligned leadership: money as a positive force.

12:51 Success means preserving and sharing meaningful legacies.

15:03 Work for the Lord; unseen impacts matter.

19:59 Spiritual gifts assessed for church volunteering roles.

23:55 Discussing spiritual gifts' supernatural element in leadership.

25:10 Spiritual gifts questioned; God’s changeless-ness emphasized.

29:30 Operate with spiritual gifts, not selfish ambition.

31:33 Impact of spiritual gifts in business settings?

37:12 Seek the Lord's guidance; pursue spiritual gifts.

38:27 Align schedule with values; work-life balance achieved.

43:12 Honesty in actions reflects serving Jesus.

45:53 Christian business owners empowered for impactful influence.

49:12 Access free visibility and lead generation resources.

KEY TOPICS:

Topic: Faith and Business

Emphasize the importance of seeking guidance from God through prayer and biblical prophecy, referencing 1 Corinthians 14:1.
Encourage using spiritual gifts in business to infuse divine influence and purpose.

Topic: Darren Shearer's Business Journey

Learn how Darren Shearer transitioned from proofreading gigs to building a multi-six-figure publishing company.
Adopt Stephen Covey's definition of success: aligning your schedule with your values brings peace.

Topic: Vision and Values

Understand the significance of aligning business operations with personal and spiritual values.
Embrace the vision of a company acting as an aqueduct, distributing life-giving stories while implementing biblical habits.

Topic: Defining Habits of a Christ-centered Company

Implement Darren’s foundational business habits based on biblical principles, starting with honesty and respect.
Create a Christ-centered workplace culture to positively impact employees and the broader marketplace.
Recognize the unique value Christian business owners bring in advancing God's kingdom through their influence.

Topic: Spiritual Gifts in Business

Differentiate between spiritual gifts and natural talents, and recognize their roles in business.
Embrace the continuous relevance of spiritual gifts in modern business practices.
Follow counterintuitive, faith-driven actions inspired by spiritual guidance to achieve transformative outcomes.

Topic: Broader Impact of Christian Principles

Influence various industries with principles reflecting God's ways, even without explicitly quoting scripture.
Witness tangible differences in everyday business operations when applying Christian principles.

Topic: Role and Importance of Christian Business Owners

Acknowledge the marketplace as a dominant sphere of influence, using prosperity to further God's kingdom.
View workplace ministry as crucial for fulfilling the Great Commission.

HIGHLIGHTED QUOTES:

“I think pastors are waking up to the idea that God's people are really needing to be mobilized for ministry and disciple making in the workplace.” — Darren Shearer [00:06:32 → 00:06:44]

“Our primary mission as Christians is to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. And so, it's not just that business is a place where it can happen, it is the place where it has to happen, because that's where virtually everyone spends most of their waking hours.” — Darren Shearer [00:08:44 → 00:08:56]

“And the more you spend time in that culture, the more that culture is going to start to sort of rub off on you. And, and it's going to, dare I say, disciple you.” — Darren Shearer [00:10:08 → 00:10:19]

“One of the greatest heresies in the church today is that the only way to use spiritual gifts is in a congregational setting, maybe on a Sunday morning.” — Darren Shearer [00:21:43 → 00:21:54]

“And I think that's one of the things that causes Christians to have this mindset that the only way to really serve God is to go work in a church.” — Darren Shearer [00:22:47 → 00:23:54]

“God is wanting our abilities to be surrendered to him. You know, sort of like when Moses threw his staff on the ground, and it represented kind of who he was and his identity as a shepherd.” — Darren Shearer [00:30:26 → 00:30:38]

“Peace is when your schedule aligns with your values.” — Darren Shearer [00:38:40 → 00:38:46]

“So now we have, I believe 208 books under, under contract now. And that's what we've been doing over the last 10 years is helping a partner with authors to bring life giving stories and messages to people.” — Darren Shearer [00:40:59 → 00:41:14]

“But when you know Jesus is on the receiving end, you know he's got the information. And so, by trying to cheat somebody, you're actually cheating Jesus…”— Darren Shearer [00:43:25 → 00:43:36]

About Darren:

Darren is the founder and director of the Theology of Business Institute, which helps marketplace Christians explore and apply God’s will for business. He has authored three books for marketplace Christians.

Darren is also the founder and CEO of High Bridge Books & Media, which helps Christ-centered authors and organizations craft, publish, and market messages and stories that glorify God in all spheres of culture. A former Captain in the United States Air Force, Darren earned the United States Air Force Commendation Medal for his meritorious service in Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Contact Darren:

Website: www.TheologyofBusiness.com | www.HighBridgeBooks.com
Linked In: in/darren-shearer
Email: Darren@HighBridgeBooks.com
Twitter: @DarrenShearer
Facebook: FB/BusinessTheology

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