The tail is wagging the dog. Proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor does not require a 501(C)(3) corporation. The kingdom of God is not infrastructure dependent. At $347,000 per baptism, maybe it’s time to rethink Church.

Rather than dragging it out into six years’ worth of leadership-advice-blogging, which would inevitably get picked up by Random House, who would publish a best-selling book series, which would lead to 225 days a year on the motivational speaker circuit and then spin-off to a consulting empire where he would teach thousands of people the secrets of How to Not Suck as a Leader, Bradley J. Moore sums up very succinctly the secrets of leadership in six bullet points.

Lots of transitions going on these days... How you join a new team? Do you project yourself as already having all the answers? Or do you let your new team know that your experience, to be successful, has to combine with their valuable knowledge in a cooperative way? And how do you communicate your perspective on this?

Jim Hancock writes: "They're onto us. In 2009 we have to show up and deliver the goods. No longer can we chuckle knowingly at that bumper sticker that read, He who dies with the most toys wins. We used to (and by used to, I mean, what, 2007?) but not anymore. We have found a flaw in the fabric of our economy. And what a flaw...the veil in the temple of greed is torn from top to bottom."

Dr. Stephen G. Payne — a leadership strategist and executive coach — drills down to the real meaning of success at work, which turns out to have less to do with shallow satisfaction than deep and enduring contribution.

Howard Morrison confronts the uncomfortable proposition that God may not merely allow but may actually lead us into hardship. Uh..."Check please!"

In these difficult-for-most-of-us days, Howard Morrison recalls the peculiar and wonderful fact that it is God who sustains his people. Words to live by...

Howard Morrison confides: "I don’t want my life to be marked merely with hard work, extra effort, pushing through the hard stuff, working toward victories, building, laboring, amassing resources…only to find that they have all been done or accomplished in vain."

There is a great deal of (understandable) handwringing about the still emerging financial crisis — much of it from people of faith, some of whom sound ready to hunker down and protect their assets by any means necessary, while others speak as if we are facing the end of days.

And what if, in the middle of all this hard work, your ship comes in? What then? Howard Morrison reflects on the temptations of wealth.

Black Swan moments happen to each of us at various points throughout our lives and careers. There will be few, but very significant opportunities when you least expect it and suddenly all of your future seems to hang in the balance. How will you respond? What will you do?

OK Christians in business, or Christian businesspeople, or whatever it is you call yourself: Jim Hancock wants to know if a difference that makes no difference is really a difference....

Bradley J. Moore writes: "The news has gotten so bad lately that I can barely stand to hear it any more. Yet I am strangely compelled to keep listening, sometimes even against my will, just to stay attuned to what is (supposedly) going on in the world. I must keep up with the things I am supposed to know."

In the middle of crossing things off his “to do” list, wanting his team to win, needing mechanical things to work right and wishing people would just stop asking him to do things all the time, Howard Morrison can't get no satisfaction. Or can he?

A few weeks back, InsideWork's Al Lunsford received an article on the economy that was making the rounds via email. Instead of just passing it along, Al asked several friends for a quick reaction. The article turned out to be inconsequential but some of the responses Al got were not. Here's the part two of one of those responses.

ChangeThis asked three questions about the economy: “In one word, sum up how you feel right now;” “How is this affecting you?” and; “What are you choosing to do about it?” The 1400 replies they received are further proof, beyond the intuitive, that work is life and that the personal is the professional. Given the chance, what questions would you ask the respondents to the ChangeThis Economy Survey?

Each of us faces significant moments that, depending how we react, determine our lives and careers for many years to come. These are the defining moments of our lives. Everything that is going on during the in-between times—however difficult, boring or tedious—could actually be very important in the long run. So...how do you prepare?

Dr. Stephen G. Payne wants to talk about trust, beginning with who's trustworthy: "I believe that every moment of your workday is an opportunity to draw closer to God, and one of the ways God helps us is through the words of those we trust."

Kinda reminds me of the time I met with an executive and, upon realizing a mistake she’d made, she smacked herself on the head and said, “Duh! Should’ve had a V8.”  I think you and I could use a little forehead smacking right about now.

Everyone claims to believe in customer service. But little hints are everywhere that there is a big disconnect between what businesses say and what they really believe and do.

It's OK to have questions. Both Mary and Joseph asked the angel of the Lord “How can this be?” That’s different from interrogating the Almighty, which calls into question God's character and motive. "I don't understand" is not the same as "I won't believe." Howard Morrison on Psalm 145.

According to recent surveys, businesses in the rapidly expanding Brazilian economy forgot one key component for growth—the need to develop top-level leadership. Commentary from Glen McMahan.

Sometimes words and messages can converge at just the right moment, burrow right down into your gut, and you just know that God is trying to tell you something... Recently, Bradley J. Moore had just such an experience.

Jesus came to know from experience "the problems of making a living, the haunting insecurity of the life of the working man, the ill-natured customer, the man who would not pay his debts...." William Barclay on why the Jesus of the biblical narratives is so compelling.

Bradley J. Moore is wrestling with what may be the best path to bringing faith and spirituality into the workplace in a positive and productive manner.

Bradley J. Moore took a few minutes between Christmas and New Year's Day to review his goals from the past 12 months...just to see how he did.

This is the tenth entry in Solomon West's exploration of encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of Luke

Frances M. Leap considers the impact of Toyota's unraveling consumer trust as an indicator of much more than a business dilemma.