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Home » Theology » Page 2

Theology

Marketing God

By Dan Balowon August 8, 2024
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Since beginning my career as a marketer, I’ve seen many things come and go, strategies that worked in one situation but not in another, and seemingly great ideas that never worked at all. Marketing is an inexact profession, consisting of trial and error.

Keep track of what you do. Continue those things that work; stop doing things that don’t. Rinse. Repeat.

John Wanamaker, founder of the Wanamaker’s stores, which eventually became part of Macy’s a long time ago, allegedly coined the phrase repeated by just about everyone in marketing: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.”

I recall one conversation 30 years ago when someone commented, “You marketing people just make a big deal out of everything.” After a brief pause to reflect, I responded, “Yes, that’s what we do.”

The one issue that keeps returning, specifically for people in Christian work, is how marketing relates to God and the Bible. On one side are those who see no conflict with their faith, and on the other are those who feel that discussing marketing and God in the same sentence is evil.

For the sake of peace and progress, let’s call it a draw.

Those who think marketing and issues like author platform-development are unsavory pursuits are often trapped in false preconceptions and definitions.

If marketing is about overstatements and misrepresentation, you shouldn’t feel good about it.

But, if you view marketing as informing, educating, and inspiring, then it seems worthwhile. If you have something good to say, you want to get that message out to as many people as possible.

My perspective is informed by an educational experience in a Christian liberal arts college long ago. That type of education was helpful because its approach shows how God made everything, He is in everything, and He uses everything for His glory.

As believers, no part of our lives exists apart from God.

Of course, the holy creator and sustainer God doesn’t need marketing to accomplish His purposes. But does He use it for His purposes? Yes, He uses everything, even the efforts of flawed people.

Marketing books is challenging simply because of the competition. Depending on the week, 15,000 to 20,000 new books are published in the United States alone from traditional and author-publishing efforts.

The Christian book market is smaller, but 1,000 or more Christian books could likely be published by all methods each week. As an aside, in many countries, there are fewer Christian books overall than are published in the U.S. every week.

Standing out from the competition is the most difficult challenge. That’s why so much effort is put into differentiating a message, author platform, and maximizing online visibility.

You know, marketing.

So, God created marketing and uses it for His purposes and glory:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV).

Viewing our work through the lens of God and the Scriptures changes how we see every human activity.

 

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Category: Encouragement, Inspiration, Theology

10 Bible Verses for Writers

By Bob Hostetleron June 13, 2024
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Writers in the service of King Jesus will, of course, often refer to the Bible—in our lives and in our writings. The words God inspired should inspire us, and no less so the words that pertain directly to our calling and task as writers. With that in mind, I’d like to offer ten Bible passages that I hope will be helpful, insightful, and inspiring for Christian writers: Sing to the LORD, all the …

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Category: Inspiration, The Writing Life, Theology

I Was Wrong

By Steve Laubeon April 21, 2024
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“I was wrong.” Three words that are really hard to say…especially in public. In the business community and the marketplace, it takes courage to admit mistakes. A Famous “Oops” One of the most famous business mistakes came when Coca-Cola tried to retire the “old Coke” and release a “new Coke” flavor almost exactly forty years ago in April 1985. They shocked the world with a reinvention of their …

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Category: Career, Communication, TheologyTag: Career, Communication

New Earth Books

By Dan Balowon April 10, 2024
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Several years ago, I engaged in a wide-ranging spiritual discussion in a group when I said in jest, “Once we get to heaven, we won’t need to sing that hymn anymore!” Sometimes, we say things in the moment and then realize they are likely true. (Not always, trust me.) But let’s face it, we won’t be singing the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “God Bless America,” or …

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Category: Inspiration, Theology

A Writer’s Lorica

By Bob Hostetleron March 14, 2024
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Today is St. Patrick’s Day, which tradition marks as the day of his death. Some mark the day with parades, drinking, and other festivities. I think it’s a great day for prayer, especially for writers, since the famous prayer known as “St. Patrick’s Lorica” (or “breastplate”) is attributed to him. I’ve adapted the prayer numerous times (for my children, grandchildren, etc.), so here is “A Writer’s …

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Category: Creativity, The Writing Life, Theology

Presidential Quotes on President’s Day

By Steve Laubeon February 19, 2024
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Today is President’s Day in the U.S. Originally established in 1885 as a recognition of George Washington’s birthday (February 22), it was later expanded to include Abraham Lincoln and all other U.S. presidents. Some of the words of these leaders have stood the test of time. For example, from Abraham Lincoln: “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” “And in …

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Category: Craft, Historical, Inspiration, TheologyTag: Inspiration, Writing Craft

A Writer’s Prayer of Lament

By Bob Hostetleron February 15, 2024
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A few months ago, the leaders of the West Coast Christian Writers Conference had the poor judgment to allow me to teach and meet with conferees. In one of the preconference sessions, I invited attendees to lament the struggles and wounds of the writing-for-publication process, following the form the psalmists often employed. Several were willing to share their efforts and one—Judy Parker—even gave …

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Category: Inspiration, The Writing Life, Theology

Words That Save Christmas

By Dan Balowon December 20, 2023
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I love Christmas and almost everything about it. I can’t wait until November 1 when I can “legally” start listening to the four different Christmas music channels I’ve curated on my Pandora subscription. Long ago I shifted my Christmas music preferences from the “White Christmas” category of seasonal songs to the music celebrating Christ’s birth and never looked back. One Christmas Eve many years …

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Category: Encouragement, Inspiration, Theology

Cultivating Gratitude, Rest, and Contentment in Writing

By Megan Brownon November 21, 2023
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As the year draws to a close and the holiday season approaches, it’s the perfect time for content creators to pause, reflect, and cultivate gratitude. In our fast-paced world, where the demands of content creation often leave us in a constant state of hustle, the joy of gratitude can be easily overlooked. However, taking a moment to be thankful for the connections, opportunities, and …

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Category: Encouragement, Inspiration, Theology

A Writer’s Prayer of Thanks for Bible Versions

By Bob Hostetleron November 16, 2023
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God, thank you for the hundreds of Bible translations that are available to me, and for their forerunners throughout history, who have made your precious Word understandable and accessible, often at great personal cost. Thank you for the 72 Jewish elders recruited by Ptolemy II who translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek. Thank you for William Tyndale, who gave his life to “write …

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Category: Inspiration, Personal, Theology
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