The local economy doesn’t change a person’s spiritual condition, so despite many months of low economic opportunity in Lansing, Michigan, spiritual opportunities still abound.  “I see opportunity all the time,” business owner Scott Merritt says. “There are lost guys out there whether the economy’s good or bad.”

Finding those lost businessmen is one of the main reasons we have CBMC.  Our evangelistic focus can help many businessmen see those opportunities for what they are and avoid focusing too heavily on cashflow or other financial issues.   Scott points to Lansing Metro Director Mike Winter as someone who helped him understand this fact.

“Mike’s a prayer warrior and a very wise man.  I know God will provide for me, and I’ve seen that in Mike and how faithful he has been.  Mike says, ‘God will provide. We shouldn’t be so uptight about it.’”

Of course, God’s promise to provide doesn’t mean everything we touch will turn to gold.  Scott recalls a time when he was looking for business growth opportunities and was within hours of signing a contract for a new branch of work when a man presented him several concrete examples for rejecting the offer.  Scott believes that was God’s direction, and he credits his CBMC colleagues for walking with him after the Good Shepherd.

Scott prayed to accept Christ in March 1998 at a Zig Ziglar conference in Dallas, Texas.  After returning to Lansing, he got a routine business call from Phil Lee, a former Marine from Dewitt, Michigan, and a CBMC member since 1975.  Scott said something about his new life to Phil, which prompted Phil to make an appointment with him to talk about it.  That lead to studying Operation Timothy and involvement in CBMC.  “It was an important part for grounding me in my faith.”

Now, Scott leads the Friday morning team in Lansing, participates in CBMC Forums, and invites others to start Operation Timothy.  A few years ago while walking through Scott’s facility, a customer said, “You’ve got a great business here.  It’s going gang-busters.” 

Scott replied, “No, I don’t own it.  I just manage it for God.”  That small remark opened the door for taking the man through Operation Timothy.

Today, Scott feels “an urgency” to reach the lost around him.  “I’ve been more motivated lately to share the Good News with people.”  And he’s using his business as a platform to do it.