To understand the role of business in advancing the kingdom, we need to think about the biblical definition and purpose of work. Some may see work in only negative terms—as part of the curse, with no redeeming value. This is completely unbiblical. Many Christians, however, view work as only an instrumental good. Practically, this means that work—while not necessarily being bad—is seen as serving as an instrument or means to other goods, such as providing for your family, contributing to missions and the church, or charities, and so on. As an instrumental good, the work itself is viewed as merely a means to an end and not an end in and of itself. However, the Bible teaches that work is a fundamental good—a part of our fundamental purpose on earth.

When the church, according to Jesus, is living in visible relationship with each other, it is then that the world will know that God the Father has sent the Son. Is this not the desire of every faithful, gospel-centered Christian? This why I recommend an important new book, Your Church is Too Small by Dr. John H. Armstrong. In doing so, I join with Dr. Packer in saying, “I hope this book will not be ignored but will have the influence it deserves. Aspects of North America’s future—aspects, indeed, of the honor and glory of Christ in this century—may well depend on whether or not it does.�

My family and I recently saw The Blind Side, the surprise blockbuster movie that tells the remarkable story of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher. Michael’s story is a true-life tale of nearly hopeless beginnings, the generous love of neighbor, and redemption; it is a powerful representation of the gospel of the kingdom.

Mark Penn, author of Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes (Hachette Book, 2007), is widely regarded as one of the most perceptive pollsters in American politics. It was Penn who identified “soccer moms” as a crucial constituency in President Clinton’s 1996 reelection campaign. The unique feature of Penn’s approach is that he looks for and has been able to identify, with some success, small patterns of behavior that wield great influence in our culture. According to Penn, “Microtrends is based on the idea that the most powerful forces in our society are the emerging, counterintuitive trends that are shaping tomorrow right before us … In fact, the whole idea that there are a few huge trends that determine how America and the world work is breaking down.” The power of individual choice is increasingly influencing politics, religion, entertainment, and even war.” In summary, Penn writes, “In today’s mass societies, it only takes one percent of the people making a dedicated choice—contrary to the mainstream’s choice—to create a movement that can change the world.”

Today, being a Christian businessman is almost always reduced to nothing more than personal piety and evangelism in the workplace: “Be good and try to convert your coworkers.” Others may feel that giving a portion of their profits to missions fulfills their business’s missional purpose. While these activities are indeed good, this worldview of business remains inadequate in advancing the all-encompassing redemptive mission of Christ, that is, the kingdom.

After more than eight years of writing, teaching, and speaking on the subject of Christian worldview from an academic level, I now feel it is time to roll up my sleeves and personally begin to help others apply these principles so they can both experience personal transformation and become transforming agents themselves. Thus I am launching a new initiative called KINGDOM PROJECT™, a discipleship/training program to help Christian business/institutional leaders discover how their vocational gifts and their enterprises can tangibly advance the kingdom of God.

A poll by the Pew Research Center reveals that “eighty-one percent of 18- to 25-year-olds…said getting rich is their generation’s most important life goal.” The second most important, according to the survey: being famous.” Described as the “millennial” generation, 51 percent listed being famous as the second most important life goal! A Gallup Panel survey of 18- to 29-year-olds found that 55 percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “You dream about getting rich.” Anecdotally, one only has to watch the latest season of the hit series American Idol, which began last week, to realize that many in this generation are obsessed with fame and fortune to the point of radical self-delusion. I’m not criticizing the show; I actually like it. I delight in seeing those who actually do have talent realize their dreams. However...