Welcome to the 9 to 5 Articles Library

Simply follow these links, scroll, or use the search bar at the end of this page to explore the many expressions of faith in the workplace. Also check out the dozens of videos available on our YouTube channel.

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Work for God in All You Do

Do Your Job As Jesus Would Do It, Dallas Willard 

Willard may be to the 21st century what C.S. Lewis was to the 20th. He says more in this brief devotional piece than most writers say in an entire book.

The Connection between Your Faith and Your Work, Tim Keller

Pastor Tim Keller invested a lifetime teaching young professionals how to integrate their faith with their work. In this introductory chapter from his bestseller, Every Good Endeavor, he summarizes those insights for the rest of us. Also, click here for a two minute book introduction from Pastor Keller.

The Sacrament of Living, A.W. Tozer

Which parts of your job please God the most? Which are more sacred and which are more secular? Don’t be surprised if your answers change after you read this masterpiece from Tozer. (And here’s a hint from his classic quote in this chapter: “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it. The motive is everything.”)

Practice the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence

Brother Lawrence (1614-1691) was a monk who is most remembered for his persistent, close walk with God, for the peace that he enjoyed as a result of that walk, and for his teachings that are preserved in The Practice of the Presence of God. This excerpt from that book shares some of that wisdom, especially as it relates to doing our daily work in the presence of God.

Reclaiming Excellence as a Christian Virtue, Michael Zigarelli

From a Christian perspective, excellence is a virtue. We’re to strive for excellence–our very best–in everything because God has given us the privilege, perhaps even the assignment, to do them. Here’s a brief refresher on this theology, along with some obstacles to pursuing it. Also see the video based on this article.

Rediscovering Joy in Your Work, Nancy Pearcey

No Christian, says Nancy Pearcey, can be truly happy at work when torn between a secular and a supernatural perspective on that work. In this excerpt from her intriguing book, Total Truth, Pearcey encourages Christians to discover the joy of finally thinking rightly about their work–of thinking about it from a biblical perspective.

Your Work Matters to God, Doug Sherman and William Hendricks

Does your work matter to God? If so, how? In this now-classic book, the authors explain five ways that our work serves God’s purposes: Through work we serve people, we meet our own needs, we meet our family’s needs, we earn money to give to others, and we show our love for God.

What Matters Most in Your Job? Michael Zigarelli

How can you assess what really matters in your work and in your career? Try this surprisingly powerful exercise: Consider what Jesus would say about you if he were asked to speak at your retirement dinner. (Also see the video version of this article)

A Scholarly Look at the Faith at Work Movement, David Miller

Yale Divinity School professor David Miller offers us a rare, erudite perspective on the broad-based movement to live out the faith in the workplace. If you’re hungry for something deeper than what’s typically offered by workplace Christianity books, this excerpt from Dr. Miller’s widely-read book, God at Work, is just for you.

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Care for Your Coworkers and Customers

Putting People First, John Beckett

According to John Beckett, one of the great ambassadors of the faith in the business world, “It is because of the Father’s great love for each person that every follower of Christ is called to put people first.” Despite the financial trade-offs that may entail in management, “from God’s perspective there is no greater priority on this earth than people.” What does that mean on Monday morning? This excerpt from Beckett’s book, Mastering Monday, explores some of the practical implications.

The Power of Encouragement (video), Michael Zigarelli 

If we can get in the habit of encouraging and affirming others, every relationship we have will improve. Here’s a practical and popular 10 minute chapel message from Michael Zigarelli about how to build people up, rather than tear them down.

Encouraging Words Last a Lifetime, Sister Helen Mrosla

If you’re looking for a way to build chemistry and energize your team (or family, or friend group…), consider this ingenious approach of a third grade teacher that paid dividends for decades.

The Significance Principle, Les Carter and Jim Underwood

Whether in the board room or on the loading dock, people are starving to hear that they are significant, that they matter, that what they are doing is valued and appreciated. In this article, the authors argue that it is our task as followers of Jesus to be encouragers, recognizing the God-given worth of each person.

Overcoming “Compassion Fatigue” Michael Zigarelli

If you don’t care as much about the people around you at work as you used to, you may suffer from “compassion fatigue,” a common stress that is a cousin of burnout. In simplest terms, it means that you’ve grown weary of caring, that you don’t have anything left for anyone else. But it can be overcome. This article explains what scripture says as well as what we’ve learned from research.

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Resolve Conflict Wisely

Time-Honored Advice for Coping with Your Boss, Thomas a Kempis 

“The only reason why criticism cuts you to the heart is that you are still ruled by your old nature and take more notice of men than you should.” In the fifteenth century, theologians didn’t mince words or worry about people’s self-esteem. They just told it like it is.

The Hardest Prayer of All, G.D. Watson 

Is there someone at work who’s driving you crazy? Maybe someone challenging you or even undermining you at every turn? This nineteenth century classic offers some profound insight into a better way to handle it.

Ten Commandments for Difficult Conversations, Michael Zigarelli

There’s a lot of advice out there–some good, some not so good–about how to handle that conversation you’ve been dreading. Here’s a handy checklist from the most reliable Source. Also see the video version of this article.

Taming the Temptation to Retaliate, Michael Zigarelli

At the emotional moment of decision, we have two powerful forces pushing us toward reprisal – our desire to strike back and the abundant opportunity to strike back. Addressing these two forces is the key to responding to conflict faithfully. Also click here for a video version of this article.

Managing a Micromanager, Michael Zigarelli

If the title of this article caught your eye, you’ve probably known a micromanager or two. Maybe you see the profile daily, in all of its domineering, oppressive, control-freakish glory. Most of the standard approaches to persuasion will not get this person to back off. But here’s an idea that just might work.

Gutting Gossip: How to Kill the Poison Grapevine, Michael Zigarelli

Workplace gossip is everywhere. So what’s a Christian to do? This article reminds us what gossip is, why it’s so pervasive, and most importantly, what a person can do to diplomatically extinguish it.

The Fire and the Calf, Phillips Brooks

Is the abdication of responsibility merely a modern phenomenon? How about the tendency to excuse our transgressions because we’re “victims” of society? Not even close. Reverend Phillips Brooks lamented these habits as far back as 1883, and he did it by citing Biblical evidence from three millennia earlier than that. This sermon is a timeless classic about a pervasive deception: The inclination to blame others for what is, in fact, our own willful wrongdoing.

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Share the Story of Jesus

I Was Suspicious of Christians Until I Met Arthur, James O’Donnell 

1984. The hinge of my life. I believed in nothing. I trusted no one. And no one I knew was worth trusting. That is, until I met Arthur.

The Best (and Worst) Practices for Sharing Your Faith, Tim Downs 

With wit and wisdom, this article offers five powerful approaches to becoming more persuasive with non-Christians: Speak the unbeliever’s language, show an understanding of the unbeliever’s world, be intelligent and credible, use tools that raise good questions, and have a reasonable persuasive goal.

Rabbinic Questioning: A Better Way to Evangelize, Randy Newman

There’s a better approach to sharing the gospel than our traditional argumentation — an approach that looks, sounds, and feels more like Jesus the rabbi than Murray the used car salesman. It involves more listening than speaking, more inviting rather than demanding “a decision.” And, perhaps most importantly, it involves answering questions with questions rather than giving answers.

The Unexpected Adventure of Telling People about Jesus, Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg 

Lee Strobel, a former atheist and hard-nosed, hard-living Chicago Tribune reporter, has for decades been putting his communication skills to good use for God as a pastor and writer. And on that journey he’s learned that telling people about Jesus can be an adventure. This is the Introduction and Chapter One from his book, Unexpected Adventure.

Four Ways Christians Should Not Engage the Culture (and two ways that they should), Andy Crouch 

Condemning, critiquing, consuming, copying. Each of these approaches to culture is sometimes the only appropriate response, as award-winning author Andy Crouch shows. But the problem, he says, occurs when any of these responses becomes the only way we know how to respond to culture – when it becomes our unconscious stance toward the world, our default stance, our “posture” toward the world around us.

Influence through Storytelling, Michael Zigarelli 

Jesus used stories all the time, but he used them for far more than inspiration or entertainment. He introduced, through his parables, a new way to understand God and relate to God and to the people around us. In fact, storytelling was arguably Jesus’ primary approach to persuasion. This article explores what makes that approach so powerful and offers several practical tips for improving our own storytelling.

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Avoid Overwork

Practical Advice for Prioritizing Family Time, Pat Gelsinger

You think you’re busy? How busy would you be if you were the Chief Technology Officer at Intel? Here are his secrets to success for putting family before work.

Re-discovering Sabbath, Benny Tabalujan

There’s a reason that God created the Sabbath, but it may not be what you think. Discover, or perhaps re-discover, the meaning of Sabbath, and take inventory of whether some “Sabbath spoilers” are stealing from you God’s awesome gift.

A Theology of Enough, Greg Pierce

In many workplaces, enough is never enough. But from God’s perspective, saying “enough” is a critically important discipline, both on and off the job.

Profession or Obsession? Bill Hybels

Internationally-acclaimed author Bill Hybels, founder of Willow Creek Community Church, describes the problem of workaholism, its effect on the worker and his family, its root cause, and its cure.

Scheduling for Sanity, Bill Hybels

Hybels builds on his thoughts from “Profession or Obsession” with some candid observations about the consequences of overwork and over-scheduling. He also encourages us to adjust our priorities so that family time is both abundant and non-negotiable.

Too Busy for God? This Minor Prophet Explains the Major Consequences? Michael Zigarelli

I hadn’t given much thought to the consequences of an overloaded lifestyle until something was published with my name and title on it. It was supposed to read: “Michael Zigarelli, Associate Professor of Business.” Instead, there was a typo so that it read: “Associate Professor of Busyness.” I chuckled at the typo … for about ten seconds. Then it hit me: Most weeks, that typo would be more accurate than my business card! But I found some solutions in the 2,500 year old Book of Haggai.

Distracted from God: A Five Year Worldwide Study Michael Zigarelli

Among the primary obstacles to living well is today’s frenetic pace of life. Busyness, hurry, overload, burnout — it’s known by many names — but there are two common outcomes: this lifestyle distracts us from God and undermines the abundant, joyful life God desires for us. That’s not just speculation; it’s the conclusion from this study of 20,000 Christians in 139 countries.

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Lead Faithfully

Learning Leadership through Film Michael Zigarelli

A free, 20-page resource! Replete with online lectures and downloadable discussion questions, Learning Leadership through Film is packaged here as a self-paced study that can help you become a more effective leader. It’s designed to be customizable — do the study on your own, with a friend or with an entire class. And along the way, you choose the films you want to watch.

Originally taught at Messiah University in Pennsylvania, Learning Leadership through Film is built on stories, movies in particular. Through this entertaining approach, we hope you’ll catch an inspiring vision for what it means to be a “faithful leader” at work, at home, and everywhere else.

Three Temptations of a Christian Leader, Henri Nouwen

Henri Nouwen was a Dutch-born Catholic priest whose 40 books have been widely read by Catholics and Protestants alike. In his later years, his ministry shifted from teaching ivy-leaguers at Harvard to pastoring at Daybreak, one of the L’Arche communities for mentally handicapped people. Soon after that transition, Fr. Nouwen was invited to give a series of talks about Christian leadership to a group of clergy, talks that were eventually published under the title In the Name of Jesus. This article shares the essence of Nouwen’s ideas from that book.

Leading from a Christian Worldview, Nancy Pearcey

“The central problem of our age is not liberalism or modernism,” writes Francis Schaeffer, or even hot-button social issues like evolution, abortion, feminism, or gay rights. The primary threat to the church is the “tendency to do the Lord’s work in the power of the flesh rather than the Spirit.” This paradigm-changing excerpt from Pearcey’s book, Total Truth, presents an essential alternative for every ministry leader.

Developing the Humility to Lead: Advice from the Sixth Century, Corne J. Bekker

It might not come as a surprise that Jim Collins was not the first person to describe the power of leadership humility. Fifteen hundred years ago, Benedict of Nursia, a Christian monk, offered time-honored, twelve step process for how every leader (and anyone else) can develop this elusive quality.

Perfecting Your People Skills, Michael Zigarelli

Want to succeed in your career and reflect the love of God at the same time? Your interpersonal skills will make a difference. At work, in the home, at church, around the neighborhood and just about every place else, these skills can enhance your ability to get things done and to model Christ. In this article, the author offers an extensive and practical list of people skills strategies. (Also see the video version of this article)

The Leader is a Reader, J. Oswald Sanders

The leader who intends to grow intellectually and spiritually will make a habit of reading. Just as lawyers must read regularly to keep up on case law and doctors must read to stay current in health care, so it is with any leader who wants to excel. This excerpt from Sanders’s classic, Spiritual Leadership, also includes practical advice for Christian leaders about what to read and how to read it.

Becoming a Person Others Will Follow, Michael Zigarelli

Why should anyone follow you? Why should they make the kind of changes you’re requesting? When it comes to persuading people, it’s not enough to have a good case to make. Those we seek to influence–our kids and spouse, our employees, our boss, our customers, our neighbors–are constantly filtering our words through our behavior. And if our walk doesn’t match our talk, then we shouldn’t expect to make much of a difference in that person’s life. From the LifeWay Bible Study Influencing Like Jesus, here are five ways to become the kind of person others will follow.

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Honor God through Your Business

Honoring God at ServiceMaster, William Pollard

At the time that Pollard wrote this book, the ServiceMaster Company was a global corporation, operating in more than 40 countries and generating annual revenues of several billion dollars. But it was also a company whose first objective was “To honor God in all we do.” In this excerpt, its former Chairman explains the company’s connection between honoring God and generating profits.

How Business Glorifies God, Wayne Grudem

In this article, a world-renown theologian turns his attention to business, identifying several business activities that glorify God. In particular, he makes the case that God-honoring business activities include producing goods, employing people, buying and selling, earning a profit, and borrowing and lending.

Business for the Common Good, Kenman Wong and Scott Rae 

What should a business be, from a Christian perspective? What does that actually look like in today’s competitive, global economy? Professors Kenman Wong of Seattle Pacific and Scott Rae of Biola offer a valuable overview of the emerging trends in faith-based business practice, among them social entrepreneurship, comprehensive corporate social responsibility, business as mission, micro-finance and bottom-of-the-pyramid business. Throughout, they powerfully advance the premise that business should not be exclusively an engine to generate private wealth, but also an active partner in solving social problems like poverty, hunger and disease. Their abundant examples point to a better way to think about business, entities participating in a new kind of capitalism that pursue multiple bottom lines. This is the culminating chapter of their path-breaking book, Business for the Common Good.

What Makes a Business “Christian”? R. Paul Stevens

A professor of theology, widely recognized for his practical application of the faith to everyday life, turns his attention to business. Here, Paul Stevens answers the pervasive question of what makes a business “Christian” by offering ten distinctives.

The Purpose of a Business: A Catholic Perspective, Jean-Yves Calvez and Michael Naughton

For more than a century, the Vatican has spoken to social and economic issues, from poverty to world peace to the morality of capitalism. Collectively called “Catholic Social Teaching,” these pronouncements also include significant guidance about a proper conceptualization of business management. In this article, the authors distill for us the essence of Catholic Social Teaching regarding the nature and purpose of the business enterprise.

Building a Great Commission Company, Steve Rundle and Tom Steffen

You too can launch a “Great Commission Company” — a successful business that also introduces people to God. Based on a five year study of such companies, here’s a step-by-step guide to get started.

Dishonesty and Deception in Business, Alec Hill

In this article, the author, a former dean of a Christian business school, presents a careful exposition of the nature and consequences of dishonesty and deception in business, offering useful examples and case scenarios. He also addresses the tough question of whether deception is ever justified.

A Puritan Perspective on Money, Leland Ryken

Jesus talked about money and wealth quite a bit. The Apostle Paul did too, as well as the writers and prophets from the Old Testament. So what should our perspective about these issues be? And what about the related issues of profit and success? This time-honored wisdom from the Puritans may help.

A Christian Approach to Firing People, Michael Zigarelli

The prospect of terminating an employee can turn even the most seasoned business professional into a nail-biting novice. And when that professional is also a Christian, there’s the added difficulty of reconciling the firing with God’s call to servanthood, forgiveness, and love. Here’s a Biblical approach that comports with both God’s law and U.S. law.

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Becoming More Like Jesus Christ

Why You Are Not Making Spiritual Progress, William Law

It really comes down to one thing, claimed William Law in the 18th century: “If you look into your own heart in utter honesty, you must admit that there is one and only one reason why you are not even now a (fully devoted follower of Christ): You do not wholly want to be.”

A Pattern for Spiritual Change, Dallas Willard

Like all of Dallas Willard’s work, this is an article to be studied, not just read. Willard explains the general pattern for how we can change and applies it to spiritual transformation, giving us a much-needed road map for how to become more like Jesus.

Pride: The Great Sin, C.S. Lewis

A “spiritual cancer,” “the complete anti-God state of mind,” and “the chief cause of misery in every nation and in every family since the world began.” These are just of few of the descriptors that C.S. Lewis uses to describe our pride. Here is an excerpt from his penetrating chapter “The Great Sin” in Mere Christianity.

The Red Lizard of Lust, C.S. Lewis 

C.S. Lewis wrote The Great Divorce to demonstrate the differences between Hell and Heaven. This excerpt metaphorically and poignantly shows how challenging it can be for some people to let go of lust, but it then shows how we are strengthened and advanced once we muster the courage to finally do so.

Simplify Your Prayer Life, Donald Whitney

From his refreshingly practical book, Simplify Your Spiritual Life, Professor Whitney counsels us how to strengthen our prayer life through simplifying it.

A Better Way to Think About Prayer, David Steindl-Rast

For some of us, praying wholeheartedly may be the crowning achievement after we have learned to make every other activity prayer. If your prayer life is not what it should be, maybe it’s time to try something else.

Soul Keeping, John Ortberg

“The most important thing in your life is not what you do; it’s who you become…You should write that down. You should repeat it regularly. You think you have to be someplace else or accomplish something else to find peace. But it’s right here.” That counsel from Dallas Willard to John Ortberg is just a sampling of the wisdom available in Ortberg’s latest work. Here are the first two chapters of Soul Keeping.

Must I Listen?, Oswald Chambers

A pithy, tell-it-like-it-is excerpt from My Utmost for His Highest: “We do not consciously disobey God, we simply do not heed Him. God has given us His commands; there they are, but we do not pay any attention to them, not because of willful disobedience but because we do not love and respect Him.”

The Science of the Crucifixion, Cathleen Shrier and Tally Flint 

Reflecting on the physiology of Christ’s crucifixion is a powerful reminder of the magnificent demonstration of God’s love for humanity, expressed that day on Calvary.

Uncommon Character, Tony Dungy

Tony Dungy is best known as the coach who led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl victory. But that’s almost trivial compared to his ministry to lead people, especially young people, to a life of significance and success. Here is the Introduction and Chapter One of his second remarkable book, Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance.

Contentment: Wise Advice from the 17th Century, Richard Steele (contemporary English translation by Randall Caldwell)

You probably haven’t heard of 17th century author Richard Steele, but one of his books, a classic in its day, has been given new life by editor Randall Caldwell. Steele’s teaching on the elusive virtue of “contentment” still rings true today and it may bless you with some timely perspective on a timeless problem.

The Pied Piper of Peoria: How American Culture Can Lure You from God and Weaken Your Faith, Michael Zigarelli 

Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly being sold a set of ideas by our secular culture about how to live — about what it means to have “the good life,” about God, relationships, parenting, work, money, success, sexuality, what clothes to wear, and about everything else. It’s an indoctrination taking place without your knowledge or consent. (Also see the video version of this article)

Gratitude: Pathway to Permanent Change, Michael Zigarelli

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, it is also the parent of all the others.” So said the ancient philosopher Cicero. Two millennia later, our study of thousands of Christians confirms that gratitude indeed spawns myriad elusive virtues, like joy, inner peace, patience, forgiveness, and self-control.

The Blessing of Personal Inadequacy, Jim Petersen and Mike Shamy 

It is possible to discredit the gospel by our inadequacies. But often the gospel is advanced because of our inadequacy.

The Power of Perspective: The Pathway to Joy, Larry Julian

That seven-minute shoeshine was transformational. For the first time in my life, I had understood what it meant to “be joyful always” and to “give thanks in all circumstances.”

Understanding the Root of Your Anger, Bill Perkins

When it comes to the powerful emotion of anger, Bill Perkins suggests that the root issue is not so much our circumstances or our upbringing, but our relationship with God. Once we understand this, we may finally be in a better position to do something about how we release our anger. This article is Chapter One from his book, When Good Men Get Angry.

Defeating Our Disbelief, James Denison 

“Billions of people say they believe in Jesus. How many have an intimate, transforming, obedient relationship with him? My guess is the same number as those who are sure he is who he says he is.” So says Dr. James Denison. Disbelief may be an epidemic problem, even among those of us who claim we believe. In this excerpt from his book Wrestling with God, Denison discusses some of his own skepticism and offers us a refresher on the foundational question: “Why should we believe a 2,000-year-old book?”

Coming Home: A Roadmap from a Christian CEO, John Beckett 

John Beckett, author of Loving Monday and Mastering Monday, has become a role model for his faithful implementation of Christian values in business. But here he offers more than wisdom for God-honoring business practice; he offers wisdom for living a God-honoring life.

Slaying Your Golden Calf, Michael Zigarelli 

Money. Power. Respect. Reputation. Security. Control. If any of these motivates your work more than “pleasing God” motivates your work, it may be time to slay your golden calf once and for all. This is Chapter One form the Moody Press book, Faith at Work.