Charlie Kirk was 31 when he was shot and killed at a college event. Three days earlier, he said he wasn’t afraid to die for what he believed. Most Christian business owners won’t even risk losing a client.
The Blood We’re Pretending Not to See
August 7, 2025 — Minneapolis. A Catholic school gymnasium, echoing with the sounds of morning chapel. Students aged 8 to 14 were singing worship songs. Parents in the back, some with heads bowed, others recording on their phones to send to their grandparents.
Then gunfire!
The shooter walked through the front entrance at 9:47 AM and opened fire. Teachers threw themselves over students. One died shielding a 10-year-old girl. When police arrived 11 minutes later, they found children hiding in supply closets, some covered in the blood of their friends. Two children were killed. Twenty-one were injured. The smell of gunpowder mixed with the smell of crayons and cafeteria breakfast. This was sacred space. It became a crime scene.
September 10, 2025 — Orem, Utah. Charlie Kirk, 31 years old, stood before a crowd at Utah Valley University for an outdoor event titled “American Comback Tour”. Just shortly after he presented a clear message of the gospel, a single shot rang out. Kirk collapsed instantly – dead. Students and faculty watched in horror, some filming the scene as it unfolded. .
Mainstream media framed it as political violence. But the story behind it was captured in Kirk’s own words. Three days earlier, he had said in an interview: “I’m not afraid to die for what I believe. Jesus already did that for me. If my boldness costs me my life, so be it. At least I’ll die standing.”
That’s not politics. That’s martyrdom.
September 28, 2025 — Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. Saturday evening service at an LDS meetinghouse. Families gather for communion, while the children’s choir rehearses in the basement. At 6:43 PM, a man drove his truck through the front doors at full speed, exited with a rifle, and began firing indiscriminately. Then he poured gasoline on the pews and lit it.
Four dead. Eight injured. Among the dead: a 67-year-old grandmother who had been setting up refreshments, a 14-year-old boy helping with sound equipment, and two men who tried to tackle the shooter before he could reload.
Survivors described the smell: burning hymnals mixed with blood. One woman said, “I thought this was the safest place on earth. I was wrong.”
These are not random. These are not isolated. These are coordinated strikes against visible faith.
And if you think these three attacks are the exception, let me paint a fuller picture for you. In 2024 alone, according to Family Research Council reports, there were 415 documented attacks against Christian churches in the United States. That’s more than one every single day. Arson. Vandalism. Bomb threats. Shootings. Interrupted services where assailants walked in mid-sermon and began destroying property or threatening congregants.
Map it out. California: 87 attacks. New York: 63. Texas: 51. These aren’t accidents. These aren’t random acts of vandalism. These are targeted, faith-motivated acts of violence.
And the response from Christian business owners? Largely silent. We post a sad emoji on social media. We say a quick prayer. Then we go back to optimizing our sales funnels and worrying about Q4 projections.
These headlines demand our attention. They force us to ask not just “What is happening?” but “What is God doing?”
Because here’s what I believe: God is not wringing His hands. He is not surprised. He is not scrambling for a plan. He is moving. And His movement is happening in the marketplace, through warriors who refuse to be silent.
But if you’re still silent, you need to ask yourself why.
Jesus Was Not Soft — And He’d Flip Tables in Your Boardroom Too
The modern American church has a problem: we’ve tried to rebrand Jesus as palatable. Harmless. Gentle to the point of irrelevance. A “safe” figure who never offends, never confronts, never raises His voice. We’ve turned Him into a bearded life coach who just wants everyone to be nice and feel good about themselves.
But the Jesus of Scripture would be unrecognizable to many pulpits today. And if He walked into your boardroom, He might flip some tables there, too.
To the Pharisees, the religious elite of His day, He said:
“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?” (Matthew 23:33, NASB)
Not “friends.” Not “brothers.” Serpents. Vipers. Venomous, deceptive, dangerous. This was not a momentary flash of anger but a sustained denunciation. In Matthew 23, Jesus unleashes a series of “woes” against religious hypocrites that would make any modern congregation squirm:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” (Matthew 23:13)
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15)
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27)
This is not the Jesus of Sunday school coloring books. This is a man on fire with righteous fury against those who would use religion as a costume while poisoning souls.
And it wasn’t just the religious establishment. To Peter, His own disciple and close friend, when Peter resisted the idea of His crucifixion:
“Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” (Matthew 16:23)
Read that again. Jesus called Peter “Satan” to his face. Not because Peter was possessed, but because in that moment, Peter’s thinking aligned with human comfort rather than divine purpose. Peter wanted to spare Jesus suffering, which sounds compassionate until you realize it would have derailed the entire plan of redemption.
Jesus confronted hypocrisy, called out cowardice, demanded repentance, and left no room for lukewarm faith. He turned over tables in the temple (John 2:15), scattering coins and merchants in righteous rage. He silenced leaders with unanswerable truth. He called out sin to its face, whether in religious elites or close disciples.
To those who opposed Him, He was even more direct:
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
This is not polite disagreement. This is war-level clarity. Jesus is saying some people are spiritually aligned with Satan himself, not God, based on their nature and actions.
And then He walked the road of suffering, carrying His own crossbeam, historically estimated between 70 and 150 pounds, after being scourged nearly to death. Roman scourging was designed to be one step short of lethal. The flagrum, a whip embedded with bone and metal, ripped flesh from bone. Victims often died from scourging alone. A crown of thorns was crushed onto His head. Nails driven through His wrists and feet. A spear pierced His side (John 19:34), releasing blood and water, a sign of cardiac rupture.
He carried His cross down the Via Dolorosa, roughly 600 yards to a mile, collapsing under the weight until Simon of Cyrene was compelled to help (Luke 23:26).
This was not a weakness. This was ferocity. This was sovereignty. Jesus declared:
“No one takes My life from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” (John 10:18)
And after His death, He appeared to His disciples and to more than 500 witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6). The resurrection is the most attested event in ancient history. No credible ancient source contradicts these claims. Even hostile Roman and Jewish sources confirm the basic facts: Jesus lived, was crucified, and His followers claimed to have seen Him alive afterward.
This is the Jesus we follow. A man’s man. A warrior. A king. The one who conquered death and demands we follow Him with the same unflinching courage.
What Would Jesus Say to Christian Business Owners Today?
If Jesus walked into our boardrooms today, He wouldn’t come to pat us on the back for hitting our revenue goals. He’d cut straight to the bone. He’d ask one question: “What are you building that will last when the fire comes?” (1 Corinthians 3:13).
And let’s be clear: Jesus wasn’t soft-spoken when truth was on the line. He called out hypocrisy, cowardice, and double-mindedness right to people’s faces. He wasn’t worried about whether it sounded “professional.” He was worried about whether it was true.
So imagine Him looking across your conference table. Here’s what He might say.
On our silence: “You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23) Business owners, every time we bite our tongue to avoid offending a client, we’re doing what Peter did when he tried to keep Jesus from the cross. He called that Satanic thinking. Why? Because it valued comfort over calling.
On our witness: “Whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed.” (Mark 8:38) If we scrub the verse from our email signature, hide the Bible on our desk, or choke back our convictions in meetings, what are we teaching our teams? That Jesus is good enough for Sundays, but not for Mondays.
On our money: “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) When we take the contract that forces compromise, when we bend for the paycheck, when we partner with ungodliness under the cloak of “it’s just business,” we’re not being clever. We’re bowing to Mammon.
On our integrity: “You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye.” (Matthew 7:5) If we preach the kingdom on Sunday but forsake the eternal on Monday, we’re not fooling anybody. The lost world can smell hypocrisy faster than a hound dog on a coon trail.
On our stewardship: “Woe to you… for you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.” (Matthew 23:13) If we won’t disciple our teams because we “don’t want to impose beliefs,” we’re shutting doors instead of opening them. Our people are already being discipled by Netflix, Instagram, and HR policies. If not us, then who?
Friend, Jesus would not walk into your office and say, “Nice job on year-over-year growth.” He would say: “Show Me what you’ve built that will stand the fire.”
And here’s the truth: boldness isn’t radical. Silence is.
Boldness Branded as Radical (But Cowardice Called Wisdom)
It is telling that even Christians called Charlie Kirk a “radical.”
But what made him radical? His doctrine? No. His theology? Standard evangelical Christianity. In nearly every case, critics pointed to nothing more than boldness. A refusal to bow to cultural intimidation. A willingness to say in public what many whisper in private.
Let me be blunt: we’ve reached a point where standing firm on biblical truth is considered extreme, but compromising with the world is considered wise leadership.
This is the state of our faith today: boldness is treated as extremism. Clarity is called divisive. Courage is called radical. Meanwhile, cowardice is rebranded as “prudence,” compromise as “bridge-building,” and silence as “staying in your lane.”
But Jesus Himself said:
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
“If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20)
From the beginning, Christianity has grown through suffering, not comfort. The early church was hounded by Rome. Nero lit Christians on fire to illuminate his gardens at night. Believers were thrown to lions in the Colosseum for public entertainment. Polycarp, an 86-year-old bishop, was burned at the stake and, when the flames wouldn’t consume him, stabbed to death. His final words: “I bless You for counting me worthy of this day and hour.”
The faith expanded not by avoiding conflict, but by proclaiming the truth regardless of the cost. Tertullian, a second-century church father, wrote: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
So why are we surprised today when boldness brings backlash? Why do we expect applause from a world that crucified a perfect man?
The truth is, we’ve been lulled into thinking Christianity should be culturally acceptable. That if we’re “nice enough,” if we avoid “controversial topics,” if we smile and nod and keep our convictions private, we’ll be left alone.
But history and Scripture tell a different story. Jesus promised persecution. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified upside down. James was thrown from the temple and stoned. And they counted it all joy (James 1:2).
Today, we call that “radical.” I call it normal Christianity.
So if Jesus was this bold, and we follow Him, why are we so quiet? Why do we act like sheep when we’re called to be shepherds? Why do we cower when our King conquered the grave?
The answer is simple: we love comfort more than we love Christ. We love approval more than we love truth. We love our businesses more than we love the kingdom.
And that needs to end.
God’s Move — Revival in the Marketplace
Billy Graham once said: “I believe one of the next great moves of God is going to come through believers in the workplace.”
This is critical. The pulpit has grown quiet. Pastors are afraid of losing 501(c)(3) status, afraid of offending donors, and afraid of being labeled political. Never mind that the Bible itself is deeply political. Churches are silencing themselves in the name of relevance, trying to be so culturally sensitive that they cease to be prophetically significant.
But God is not wringing His hands. He is moving. And His movement is happening in the marketplace.
For business owners, this means your company is not your idol, not your God, not your little “g.” It is your platform. Your pulpit. Your mission field.
You have more influence in your company than most pastors have in their churches. You set the culture. You hire, fire, promote, and train. You decide what gets rewarded and what gets corrected. You control the environment where your people spend 40, 50, 60 hours a week.
That is not a burden. That is a stewardship. And it is a weapon in the hands of a bold Christian.
But to wield it rightly, you must first be rooted. That means:
Knowing your Scripture. Not just memory verses. Not just feel-good devotionals. Deep, theological grounding. You should be able to articulate what you believe and why. You should be able to defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15), not with aggression, but with clarity and conviction.
Being discipled and discipling others. You cannot give what you do not have. If you are not being sharpened, you will dull. If you are not discipling your team, culture will.
Writing down your principles and beliefs. What you tolerate, you teach. What you reward, you reproduce. If you have not articulated your values, you do not actually have values, you have vibes. And vibes shift with culture.
Testing those beliefs under fire until they stand. I have been doing this myself, debating with AI, letting it poke holes in my arguments, forcing me to articulate why I believe what I believe. Why? Because I don’t want to be a barracks soldier. I want to be special forces in the kingdom, a Green Beret, a Navy SEAL for Christ.
Business owners were designed for this. We take shots, we roll with punches, we lead from the front. We do not have the luxury of theorizing from a distance. We make decisions under pressure, with real stakes, affecting real people.
That is exactly the kind of leader the Church needs right now.
The Historical Witness — They Bled So We Could Stand
This call is not new. Christians have always led from the marketplace. Let me give you some examples that should stir your blood. But I’m not going to give you sanitized Sunday school versions. I’m going to tell you what it actually cost them.
William Wilberforce: Twenty Years of Mockery, Defeat, and Persistence
A British politician, Wilberforce, spent his life fighting the slave trade. He didn’t separate faith from marketplace, he integrated them, using his political and economic platform to honor Christ and set captives free.
But here’s what the history books often skip: it cost him everything.
In 1789, Wilberforce introduced his first bill to abolish the slave trade. It was laughed out of Parliament. Members mocked him openly. One called him a “Methodist fanatic.” Another said he was “ruining the economy over religious sentimentality.”
For 18 years, he reintroduced the bill repeatedly. Each time, it was defeated. Each time, he was ridiculed in the press, threatened by slave traders, and abandoned by political allies who thought he was committing career suicide.
His health collapsed. He suffered from severe intestinal illness, likely ulcerative colitis, made worse by the stress. He became addicted to opium, the only pain reliever available at the time. He was exhausted, broken, and alone.
In 1796, after yet another defeat, he wrote in his journal:
“I am permanently hurt and harassed, and I don’t know how much longer I can continue.”
But he did continue. Because he wasn’t fighting for applause. He wasn’t fighting for political capital. He was fighting because he believed God called him to it, and he would rather die faithful than live comfortably.
In 1807, after 18 years of defeats, the British slave trade was finally abolished. In 1833, just three days before his death, slavery was abolished throughout the entire British Empire.
Wilberforce’s legacy freed millions. But it cost him his health, his reputation, and nearly his sanity.
That’s what faithfulness looks like. Not success. Not comfort. Not applause. Just obedience, even when it breaks you.
R.G. LeTourneau: The Man Who Gave Away Millions and Made More
An industrialist and inventor, LeTourneau revolutionized the earthmoving equipment industry. He held nearly 300 patents. His machines built roads, dams, and airstrips worldwide.
But here’s what made him different: he gave away 90% of his income. Not after retirement. Not after he “made it.” From the moment he committed his business to God, he lived on 10% and used 90% to fund global missions.
Let me be specific about what that cost him.
In the 1940s, LeTourneau had an opportunity to bid on a massive government contract that would have made him one of the wealthiest men in America. The contract required Sunday work. LeTourneau refused. He lost the contract. He lost millions in potential revenue.
His competitors mocked him. His board questioned him. Even some Christians told him he was being foolish, that he could take the money and give even more to missions.
But LeTourneau said: “If I compromise on this, I compromise on everything. My business is not mine. It’s God’s. And God doesn’t need me to sin to fund His work.”
He also turned down lucrative partnerships with companies that produced alcohol and tobacco, even though it cost him market share. He refused to work with clients who required him to hide his faith.
And yet, he died wealthier than most of his competitors. Not because he chased wealth, but because he stewarded it with eternity in mind.
He called himself “God’s businessman” and said: “I shovel out the money, and God shovels it back, but God has a bigger shovel.”
LeTourneau understood that his business was a platform, not a treasure. He stewarded it with eternity in mind. And his impact is still felt today, decades after his death.
That’s the kind of man God raises up in the marketplace. Not the one who plays it safe. The one who risks everything for the kingdom.
The Biblical Witness — Marketplace Warriors Are Not New
And lest you think this marketplace calling is some modern invention, let me show you the biblical precedent.
Joseph was sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into prison. But God raised him up as second-in-command of Egypt, a business administrator who managed the entire economy and saved nations from famine. His platform was economic. His impact was eternal.
Daniel was a government official in pagan Babylon. He served under kings who didn’t know God. But he refused to compromise. When commanded to stop praying, he prayed anyway, even though it cost him a night in the lion’s den. His boldness in the marketplace turned kings toward God.
Lydia was a businesswoman, a dealer in purple cloth (Acts 16:14). She used her wealth to host the early church, fund Paul’s ministry, and advance the gospel. Her business was her platform. Her profits funded the kingdom.
Aquila and Priscilla were tentmakers (Acts 18:3). They worked alongside Paul, using their trade to support his missionary journeys. They weren’t just donors. They were co-laborers, using their marketplace skills to advance the gospel.
God has always used marketplace leaders. This is not a new strategy. This is the biblical pattern.
So when you hesitate to bring your faith into your business, you’re not being humble. You’re being disobedient. When you separate “sacred” and “secular,” you’re not being wise. You’re being unbiblical.
Your business is your pulpit. Use it.
Name the Enemy — They’re Not Hiding Anymore
We’ve danced around it long enough. Let’s stop saying “the culture” as if it’s some vague, intangible entity. Scripture doesn’t mince words; there is an enemy, and he’s not hiding.
Jesus said it plain: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires… When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
That’s not gentle language. That’s war talk.
And that’s the point: what you and I are facing as Christian business owners isn’t some polite disagreement over policy. It’s a spiritual war that has infiltrated our schools, our governments, and yes, our businesses.
The enemy’s strategy hasn’t changed since Eden. He twists words. He confuses identity. He makes what is evil look good and what is holy look hateful. He works through systems, through laws, through cultural pressure, but behind it all is the same serpent hissing the same question: “Did God really say?”
And here’s the hard truth: every time we bow to that whisper, every time we compromise to “keep the peace,” every time we bite our tongue to protect our bottom line, we’re not being neutral. We’re agreeing with it.
Neutrality is not an option. Silence is agreement.
So the question is this: when the enemy shows up at your doorstep, whether it appears as a lawsuit, a policy, a client demand, or a cultural script, will you bow, or will you stand?
Because make no mistake, friend: he’s not slowing down. And if you think you can just keep your head down and “run your business” while the fire rages, you’re fooling yourself.
The enemy is coming for your platform. The only question is whether you’ll be ready when he does.
The Cost of Silence — Your Talent Is Being Buried
Jesus told the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. A master entrusts his servants with resources and goes on a journey. When he returns, he demands an accounting.
Two servants invested boldly and doubled their initial investment. The master commends them:
“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21)
But one servant buried his talent in the ground, too afraid to risk it. The master’s response is chilling:
“You wicked and lazy servant… You ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents… And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:26-30)
Read that again. The servant who played it safe, who avoided risk, who buried what was entrusted to him, was called wicked and cast out.
If we fail to use our businesses as platforms for truth, we risk the same rebuke.
Silence is not neutral. Silence is betrayal.
If you do not disciple your employees, culture will. If you will not proclaim truth in your company, lies will fill the void.
Your people are being discipled right now. The question is: by whom?
Hollywood is discipling them. Social media is discipling them. Major news publications are discipling them. The corporate sensitivity workshop is discipling them.
If you are silent, you are not neutral. You are complicit. You are handing your team over to the enemy and calling it “respecting boundaries.”
Let me ask you directly: how many of your employees know you’re a Christian? How many know what you actually believe? How many have ever heard you speak truth, not just nice platitudes, but real, biblical truth?
If the answer is “none” or “I’m not sure,” then you’re burying your talent. And Jesus has a word for that: wicked.
Monday Morning Faithfulness — What It Looks Like in Real Life
Let’s make this plain. For a Christian small business owner, living out bold faith does not usually happen in front of TV cameras. It happens in quiet, ordinary decisions that stack up over time and reveal what you truly believe.
Scenario 1: A Marketing Suggestion
Your marketing rep says, “We should add an inclusivity symbol to the storefront to show we’re aligned with community values.”
The easy thing to do: Nod, go along, and say, “It’s not worth losing business.”
A better way: “I appreciate your creativity, but our message is going to stay consistent with who we are. We’ll keep serving everyone with dignity, but I won’t promote something that conflicts with our convictions.”
Scenario 2: A Hiring Conversation
An applicant says, “I want to make sure your policies support my personal identity, including the way people speak to me.”
The easy thing to do: Adjust your rules to avoid offense.
A better way: “We treat every person here with respect because we believe every person is made in the image of God. But I cannot require the team to speak or act in a way that goes against what we believe is true. If that is not the right fit, I understand.”
Scenario 3: A Community Invitation
Your local association invites you to sponsor an event that celebrates values you know you cannot affirm biblically.
The easy thing to do: Say yes, smile, and hope nobody notices.
A better way: “Thank you for asking. We love supporting this community, but we will not be able to participate in this one. We will continue to invest in our neighbors in ways that align with our values.”
Scenario 4: An Employee Concern
An employee says, “I am uncomfortable with how openly faith is expressed here.”
The easy thing to do: Shut it down, remove prayer, keep quiet.
A better way: “I hear you, and I respect your position. But this company is led by Christian convictions, and that will not change. You do not have to join in, but we will not hide our faith.”
Scenario 5: A Client Ultimatum
A major client says, “We would like to keep working together, but please tone down the faith language on your website.”
The easy thing to do: Delete it and justify it as “keeping business separate from faith.”
A better way: “We have enjoyed this partnership, but that is not something we can compromise. Our faith is who we are. If that means losing this account, we will trust God to provide another.”
These are not hypothetical. These are real scenarios Christian business owners face right now. And in every case, the decision is the same:
Will you bow, or will you stand?
Will you compromise, or will you fight?
Will you protect your business, or will you protect your soul?
Because you can’t do both.
My Story — When I Had to Choose
Let me tell you about a moment when I had to make this choice myself.
I was building a company with seven-figure revenue and growing rapidly. We had just landed a new, very large client. It was the kind of client that could anchor our growth for years to come.
Then came the demand.
They did not want us to send Christmas cards that celebrated the birth of Jesus. They did not want Bible verses in our greeting. They wanted “Happy Holidays” instead. They said if we did not agree, they would leave.
I ran the numbers. I knew what losing them would mean. This was not theoretical. This was payroll, families, and future plans.
I sat in my truck in the parking lot that night. I didn’t start the engine for ten minutes. I just sat there thinking about the families depending on me, the payroll I’d have to meet, the growth we’d worked so hard for. And for a moment, just a moment, I wondered if I was being a fool.
But I kept coming back to one verse:
“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36)
I gathered my leadership team and told them, “This is what’s on the table. This is what they’re asking. And I cannot do it. We will keep Christ in Christmas, even if it costs us this client.”
Some agreed. Some thought I was being extreme. One even said, “You’re throwing away the biggest opportunity we’ve ever had over a few words on a card.”
But I said no.
The client walked. The revenue went with them. That quarter was painful. I had to explain to my team why we were tightening our budgets instead of expanding them. I had to explain to my family why we were making sacrifices.
We had to cancel the Christmas bonuses that year. I had to look my assistant in the eye and tell her that there would be no bonus. She’d been counting on it for her daughter’s braces. That conversation still sits heavily with me.
But here’s what happened next:
The following year, our revenue doubled. Without compromise. Without hiding our faith. God opened doors I never could have orchestrated. Clients came looking for us specifically because of our values.
I am not telling you this to brag. I am telling you because I know the cost. I know what it feels like to choose faithfulness when it looks like you’re choosing failure. I know what it’s like to stand when everyone tells you to bow.
And I am telling you: it is worth it.
- Because I would rather be faithful and lose business than compromise and keep it.
- Because I would rather live with integrity than hide my witness.
- Because I would rather stand with Christ than sit with comfort.
Eternal Metrics — True ROI
Business owners love dashboards. KPIs. KRAs. Success indicators. We measure revenue, profit margins, customer acquisition costs, and client lifetime value.
But let’s be brutally clear: all earthly metrics will vanish.
Bank accounts will be emptied. Land will change hands. Businesses will be sold, broken down, and forgotten. Your revenue reports will be meaningless. Your market share will be irrelevant.
Only eternal treasure will remain.
Jesus commanded:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
The true ROI is eternal:
- Souls reached. How many people encountered Christ through your business? How many employees, customers, and vendors heard the gospel because of your platform?
- Truth proclaimed. Did you stand for biblical principles when it cost you? Did you refuse to bow to cultural pressure? Did you speak truth even when it hurt your bottom line?
- Generations discipled. Are your children walking with Christ? Are your employees growing spiritually? Are you raising up the next generation of kingdom warriors?
- Treasure stored in heaven. Jesus promises that every act of obedience, every sacrifice for His name, every dollar given in faith is recorded in heaven. That is your true net worth.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15:
“Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
Your business is being built with something. Gold, silver, precious stones, and materials that endure the fire of God’s judgment. Or wood, hay, straw, materials that will burn up and leave you with nothing.
The question is not, “Did I succeed?” The question is, “What did I build with?”
What good is it if your children inherit money but not faith? What good is it if they gain the world but lose their souls? (Mark 8:36)
What good is it if you build a $10 million company but raise children who despise the name of Christ? What good is it if you retire comfortably but stand before God empty-handed?
The Future We’re Handing Our Children If We Don’t Fight
Let me paint you a picture of what America looks like in 10 years if Christian business owners stay silent.
Your son is in college. He mentions in class that he believes marriage is between a man and a woman. Not aggressively. Not hatefully. Just as an answer to a discussion question. He’s reported to the dean for hate speech. He’s required to attend mandatory re-education, I mean “sensitivity training.” If he refuses, he’s expelled. No degree. No future. And you, his father, stayed silent in your business because you didn’t want to lose clients.
Your daughter gets her first job. She’s required to attend a celebration at work that contradicts her Biblical view. She’s required to complete training that teaches her Christianity is a system of oppression. She pushes back, gently. She’s fired. And you, her mother, never taught her how to stand because you never stood yourself.
Your grandchildren grow up in a nation where it’s illegal to say that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Where churches lose their tax-exempt status for preaching biblical sexuality. Where Christian schools are shut down for “discrimination.” Where owning a Bible is legal, but teaching it to your children is considered abuse.
Sound extreme? It’s already happening in Canada. It’s already happening in parts of Europe. It’s already starting here.
Or let me make it more personal.
Your son is 19. He attends a Christian college, one of the few remaining. A gunman walks onto campus. Your son is in the library. He hears shots. He hides under a desk. The gunman finds him. He asks, “Are you a Christian?” Your son hesitates. Because he’s watched you hesitate his whole life. He’s seen you stay silent when it mattered. He’s watched you compromise when you should have stood.
And in that moment, he doesn’t know how to answer.
Or worse: your son is 35. He’s successful. He’s wealthy. He has a beautiful family. And he has no faith. Because he watched you build a business empire but never saw you fight for the kingdom. He inherited your money. He didn’t inherit your conviction. Because you didn’t have any to give.
That’s the cost of silence. Not just for you. For them.
Now flip it.
Your son is in college. Someone attacks his faith. And he stands. Calmly. Boldly. Unapologetically. Because he watched you do it his whole life. He saw you lose clients for standing firm. He saw you get mocked on social media. He saw you refuse to compromise. And he learned that some things are worth dying for.
Your daughter is at work. She’s pressured to celebrate what God calls sin. And she refuses. Graciously. Firmly. Clearly. She loses her job. But she doesn’t lose her soul. Because you taught her that approval from man is worthless, but approval from God is everything.
Your grandchildren grow up in a nation that’s still free because your generation fought. They grow up in churches that still preach truth because you refused to let them be silenced. They grow up strong because you were strong.
That’s the legacy you can leave. But only if you stand.
Because your children are watching. And they will become what you are, not what you say.
The Legacy Charge — What Are You Building?
Here is the charge I am laying before every Christian business owner reading this:
Your business is not yours. It is God’s. You are a steward, not an owner. And stewardship demands faithfulness, not just profitability. Every decision you make is either building the kingdom or betraying it. There is no neutral ground.
Your platform is your pulpit. You have more influence in your company than most pastors have in their churches. Use it. Disciple your team. Proclaim truth. Build kingdom culture. Stop treating your business like a secular entity with a Christian owner. Make it a Christian entity that happens to operate in the marketplace.
Your children are watching. They will inherit not just your wealth but your values. If you compromise now, they will compromise more. If you are silent now, they will be silent louder. They are learning right now what matters to you. Is it revenue? Is it reputation? Is it comfort? Or is it Christ?
Your eternity is being written now. Every decision, every dollar, every conversation is building your eternal resume. What will you have to show when you stand before Christ? A big bank account? A comfortable retirement? Or treasure in heaven that will never fade?
This is not a call to be obnoxious. This is not a call to be self-righteous or unnecessarily divisive. This is a call to be bold. Bold enough to pray openly in your company. Bold enough to refuse to celebrate what God calls sin. Bold enough to hire, fire, and promote based on biblical values, not cultural metrics. Bold enough to lose a client, lose a contract, lose revenue if it means keeping your integrity.
Paul writes in Galatians 1:10:
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
You cannot serve two masters. You cannot build a kingdom business while bowing to cultural idols. You must choose.
So let me ask you directly:
What have you compromised in the last 90 days? What have you stayed silent about? What have you tolerated that you knew was wrong? What have you celebrated that God calls sin?
What will you do differently starting today? Will you pray before your next team meeting? Will you refuse the next compromise? Will you have the hard conversation you’ve been avoiding?
What legacy are you leaving? If you died tomorrow, what would your employees say about your faith? What would your children say? What would God say?
Because here’s the truth: you’re not promised tomorrow. Charlie Kirk wasn’t. Those four people in Michigan weren’t. The teachers in Minneapolis weren’t.
They died. You’re alive. What will you do with the time you have left?
Rise Up, Warrior Business Owners
So here is the charge:
Don your armor daily. Ephesians 6:10-18 is not metaphor. It is battle gear. Every morning, before you check email, before you look at your phone, put on the full armor of God:
- The belt of truth: Know what you believe and why
- The breastplate of righteousness: Live with integrity, even when it costs
- The shoes of the gospel: Be ready to share truth at any moment
- The shield of faith: Trust God’s promises over cultural pressure
- The helmet of salvation: Remember your identity is in Christ, not your business
- The sword of the Spirit: Know Scripture well enough to wield it in battle
Pray without ceasing.
Study truth. Do not outsource your faith. Do not rely on podcasts and Sunday sermons alone. Read the Word yourself. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Know what you believe and why. Be able to articulate it clearly. Be able to defend it boldly. Paul told Timothy to “study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). If you can’t defend your faith, you don’t really have one.
Use your platform. Your company is your pulpit. Don’t waste it. Disciple your team. Proclaim truth. Build a culture that honors Christ. Stop treating your employees like assets and start treating them like souls. Their eternal destiny matters more than their productivity. If you’re not investing in their spiritual growth, you’re failing as a leader.
Accept suffering. Christianity is forged in fire. Don’t expect ease. Jesus promised tribulation (John 16:33). Paul said “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Count it all joy (James 1:2). Suffering refines faith like fire refines gold (1 Peter 1:6-7). If you’re not facing opposition, you’re probably not standing for anything.
Build eternal treasure. Earthly wealth fades. Eternal treasure endures. Give generously. Invest in souls. Store up treasure in heaven. LeTourneau gave 90%. What are you giving? Not because you have to, but because you want to. Because you understand that everything you have is on loan from God, and you’re just a steward.
Fight for legacy. Don’t hand your children a weakened world. Fight now, so they inherit a stronger one. Don’t retreat into comfort while the culture collapses. Stand. Fight. Lead. Be the father, the mother, the leader they need. Not perfect, but faithful. Not flawless, but bold.
A Vision of What’s Coming — When Warriors Rise
Let me paint you a different picture. Not the dystopia we’re heading toward, but the future we can build if we fight.
Ten years from now, there will be businesses across America that operate openly on biblical principles. They pray before meetings. They close on Sundays. They refuse to compromise, and they’re thriving. Not in spite of their faith, but because of it. Customers seek them out. Employees are loyal. Communities are transformed.
Christian business owners are funding the next generation of missionaries, church plants, Christian schools, and kingdom initiatives. They’re using their wealth not to build bigger houses but to build the kingdom. They’re R.G. LeTourneaus, giving extravagantly and trusting God to provide.
Children are growing up watching their parents stand firm. They’re learning that some things are worth dying for. They’re inheriting not just money but conviction. Not just businesses but boldness. They’re the next generation of warriors, and they’re stronger than we are because we refused to compromise.
Churches are full of marketplace leaders who see their businesses as ministry. Pastors are being equipped by business owners who understand strategy, leadership, and kingdom economics. The line between “sacred” and “secular” has dissolved because everything is sacred when it’s done for the glory of God.
America is experiencing revival, not because politicians changed laws, but because believers in the marketplace changed culture. One business at a time. One decision at a time. One act of boldness at a time.
How does this happen? One conversation at a time. One client at a time. One employee who sees you stand and decides to stand with you. Revival doesn’t drop from the sky. It builds from the ground up, through faithful business owners who refuse to bow.
That’s the vision. That’s what we’re fighting for. That’s what’s possible if we rise.
But it starts with you. Today. Right now.
What is one thing you will do this week that scares you for the kingdom? What is one compromise you will stop making? What is one conversation you will have that you’ve been avoiding?
Because warriors don’t wait for permission. They don’t wait for the perfect moment. They see the battle, and they charge.
Warriors, Rise
This is my controversial post for October. Fire your darts if you must. I will not shrink back.
The Church is under attack. Christians are being killed. Children are being indoctrinated. And too many Christian business owners are staying silent, hoping the storm will pass.
It won’t. It’s going to get worse. The question is: will you be ready?
God is not done with America. He is not done with His church. And He is raising up warriors in the marketplace who refuse to bow. We are those warriors. We’ve been getting punched in the face by the marketplace for years. We know how to take a hit. We know how to stand back up. We know how to lead when everything’s on the line.
Billy Graham was right. The next great move of God is coming through believers in the workplace. Not because the Church has failed, but because God is raising up leaders who refuse to separate faith from business, who see their companies as platforms, who build with eternity in mind.
You were made for this. You were made to lead from the front. You were made to be bold when the world demands you be silent.
So rise up. The time is now.
The world will not applaud, but Christ will. Your employees might not understand, but your children will. Culture might reject you, but heaven will receive you.
Because He is risen. Because death has no power. Because the gates of hell will not prevail against His church.
And because your children are watching, and they need to see what faithfulness looks like.
The Church may be silent. The marketplace will speak.
When your grandchildren ask what you did when the storm came, will you tell them you hid? Or will you tell them you stood?
Go with God. Fight well. Stand firm. Be bold.
And when you stand before Christ and He asks, “What did you do with the platform I gave you?” may you be able to say:
“I used it for Your glory. I refused to compromise. I discipled my team. I fought for my children. I stood when others bowed. I was faithful.”
And may you hear Him say:
“Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.”
