Amazing Grace has become the mantra for the church, but grace is under attack in a society that has redefined God’s grace to serve fleshly appetites. Extreme liberals have removed the Holy out of Matrimony, as same-sex marriage has become legal in a country that touts “One Nation Under God” on its currency. Planned Parenthood has become a government funded butcher shop that’s selling the body parts of innocent babies like meat on an open market. Both are blatant examples of how our country has turned its back against God. However, before believers hand out one-way tickets to hell, everyone must examine their hearts and how they compromise the purpose of the Christian brand for the sake of fleshly appetites.
Know, Like, and Trust
In case you haven’t realized it, we live in a brand conscience world where people are willing to pay premium prices for brands they know, like, and trust. Over the years, we’ve seen the art of branding emerge from marking cattle, corporate products and services, to personal branding. We live in a time where brand coaches have become a mainstay in helping individuals build brands that people know, like, and trust. From celebrities, high profile athletes, ministry leaders, to everyday people who want to separate what they do from their competition, everyone is getting into the branding game.
The fact remains; the human soul has a sophistication that stirs the hunger for identification. As a result, we have an affinity to our favorite brands, which is why corporate giants are spending billions to make sure their brands stand out in a crowded and noisy marketplace. People want to be able to identify with something that represents their core values, and corporate giants are making a strong showing.
In 2009, Time Magazine voted branding expert ‘Martin Lindstrom’ as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. In his book titled Brand Sense, he reveals the secrets behind the stuff we buy, and how they are driven by what he calls sensory branding. One of his most intriguing statements in his book was,
The most memorable, savored brands of the future will be those that not only anchor themselves in tradition, but also adopt religious characteristics as they simultaneously make full, integrated use of sensory branding – period.
His next statement should send a shock wave into the church world to awake ministry leaders to the reality of the brand the church represent.
He stated,
We live in a landscape where consumers desperately need something to believe in. Ironic though it may sound, as religion struggle to find new constituents, consumers in contrast are desperately seeking something else.
Finishing with grace and purpose
Regardless of all the dysfunctions in our society, consumers are seeking something that’s authentic and real! They want to serve a God that gives them the same sense of identity as their favorite brands. In short, people are fed up with a religion that promises a ticket to heaven, but fail in feeding their appetite for purpose.
In Acts 11:22-23, Barnabas found the secret to building a memorable brand, but over the years, the church lost it, and corporate giants are now running with it.
It declares,
…then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, he witnessed the grace of God, and things are no different in the twenty-first century. Churches are full of believers who celebrate God’s amazing grace on a regular basis. In verse twenty-six, for the first time we see believers being labeled as Christians, which became the brand that identified those who have an affinity with Jesus Christ.
Somehow, Barnabas knew that if the church was going to continue in the momentum of God’s grace, the new converts had to develop a purpose of heart to help them cleave unto the Lord.
In other word’s, grace and purpose was instrumental in the beginning of the early church. The synergy between the two was the key to helping the new converts refrain from compromising the purpose of the gospel. Combined with the power of the Holy Spirit, the early church became the hottest brand on this side of heaven.
Unfortunately, the message of purpose has been dislodged from grace, which is why the Christian brand has lost respect in the world. Many believers are wondering aimless in a field that need purpose-oriented solutions from the gospel. Instead of focusing on the purpose behind the brand, they have gotten lost in pursuing the different denominations that represent the brand.
As a result, we’ve managed to weaken the influence of the brand through division. We must return to the fact that if the church started with grace and purpose, we must discover how to finish with grace and purpose!
The Consumer Christian
Over the last twenty-five years, God has connected me with key players in helping me shape the Purpose Development industry. My most recent connection is Joey Reiman, who is the CEO of the Bright House Consultancy in Atlanta, GA. He is also the author of the book titled The Story of Purpose, and Emory University business professor. For years, Joey has worked with some of the largest names in corporate America in helping them find the ethos or purpose of their brand.
He stated,
My goal is to align companies with higher purpose to become part of a vanguard of visionaries who will transform society through the work of business.
As a result of his purpose work, corporate giants are seeing tremendous bottom-line improvements in their organizations. These companies realize that people are consumers who have an appetite for brands. They are using purpose to help consumers cleave to their brands with a religious-like following.
It appears that corporate leaders are following the example of Barnabas, who instructed the church at Antioch to cleave unto the Lord with a purpose of heart. I’m sure Barnabas probably wasn’t thinking about building a brand, but his strategy is still alive in the twenty-first century, as pioneers like Joey Reiman, empower corporate leaders with a purpose of heart.
The revival of purpose in corporate settings is a clarion call to ministry leaders to return to what catapulted the church in its infancy.
Ministry leaders must realize that the people they lead spend a large percentage of their time as consumers, and they must master skills to help them transform their appetite for brands into a loyalty to represent the purpose of God’s Kingdom.
Grace can no longer be a band aid for sin. Believers must be skilled in creating better dynamics between grace and purpose, so new patterns of purpose can emerge to restore the luster of the Christian brand.
Purpose Development to the rescue
We cannot reverse decisions that are made by the courts, and neither can we undo the wrong that Planned Parenthood has done over the years. Our society is fascinated in deviating from the original intent of the Creator! However, we can reverse this trend by developing leaders who are skilled in providing purpose-oriented solutions for the human race.
We must embrace the fact that many of the ills in our society is the result of a breakdown of purpose within the church. Leaders must be equipped with insight beyond planting seeds of purpose to help individuals chase their dreams. They must emerge as front-runners to help the world embrace a greater purpose. The business of saving souls must also include strategies to help the human soul create new patterns of purpose for representing God’s Kingdom.
Purpose Development is a solution for a brand in desperate need of a fresh wind of purpose. It’s the key to helping individuals cleave to the original intent of the Creator, and rekindling a strong belief in God’s word. Listed below are the four top reasons why ministry leaders need Purpose Development.
Purpose is an activity of the soul, and saving souls without giving individuals a purpose to preserve the brand is a sign of poor leadership.
The world is in desperate need for Consumer Christians who are consumed with pursuing God’s purpose for their life in order to impact the world with the gospel of God’s Kingdom.
We need a new Breed of Believers who understands how to not only repent, but repurpose their life for a higher use.
Believers must be skilled in purpose-oriented solutions to help them bring new life to the Christian brand.
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