I’ve met a lot of Christian business owners who genuinely love God, work hard, and still feel like something is missing.
Not a tactic. Not another productivity hack. Not a better morning routine.
Something deeper.
On a recent episode of 2000 Cubit Rule, I sat down with Gary Martel, and he named the “missing ingredient” in a way that stopped me in my tracks:
Business was never meant to be faith-adjacent. It was meant to be a Kingdom assignment.
Gary’s story is not polished. It’s not the “everything worked out perfectly” version. It’s the kind of story that forces you to ask, “What if God can redeem the worst chapters and turn them into the clearest calling?”
Gary is the founder and facilitator of the PriscillAquila Enterprise, a ministry focused on what he calls the “underserved missionary field” of business.
The difference that changes everything
Gary shared a line that clarified a distinction many of us feel but rarely articulate:
“I was an entrepreneur that happened to be a Christian, and not necessarily a Christian entrepreneur.”
That sentence carries weight because it’s not theoretical. It’s lived.
For years, Gary built a financial services business. When things “went awry,” he made decisions that moved from unethical to illegal, and that season ended with six years as a “white-collar” prisoner. But what stood out most was how he described that time.
Not as wasted years.
As 2,282 days of God revealing what was happening inside him, and what had been missing the entire time.
That’s when he began a deep study of Scripture, the marketplace, and the life of first-century business leaders like Priscilla and Aquila, tentmakers who treated business as mission.
If God called you to it, He owns it
One of the most practical parts of our conversation was Gary’s pushback against common Christian business phrases that sound right, but can still leave you in control.
“Jesus is my co-pilot” is a classic example. If Jesus is the co-pilot, who is the pilot?
Gary’s framing was simple and sobering:
- If God called you to the business, then God owns the business.
- If God owns it, then your job is not just to grow revenue.
- Your job is to operate as a steward on assignment, listening, obeying, and participating with what He’s doing through your work.
This is where many Christian entrepreneurs get stuck, not because they don’t love God, but because they’re afraid of one question:
“Lord, did You actually call me to this?”
Gary said most people don’t ask because they fear the answer will require change. But he also made the case that clarity here is the beginning of real peace, and real traction.
The missing ingredient: “Salvation as a Service”
Gary calls the heart of his message “Salvation as a Service.” It’s a phrase that gets your attention, and he’s aware it can feel provocative. But his point is not that we “sell salvation.” His point is that the workplace is overflowing with divine appointments.
Business owners and sales professionals often interact with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people over the course of a career. That means business is one of the largest relationship networks most believers will ever touch.
So what if the missing ingredient isn’t effort, but engagement?
Gary described it like this:
- Many believers bring the attributes of Christ into business (kindness, integrity, service).
- But they leave Christ Himself out of the conversation.
- And when you remove Jesus from the conversation entirely, you may be “nice,” but you’re not fully present to the assignment.
That’s where his practical approach comes in.
A simple question that changes the whole conversation
Gary shared a repeatable pattern he’s tested again and again. It’s not manipulative. It’s not a sales trick. It’s a relational doorway.
He’ll ask:
“Are you a Christian brother?” (or sister)
If the person says yes, he’ll often follow with something like:
“Is there anything going on in your life I can pray for today?”
Here’s what’s fascinating. He said that even with prospects who do not buy, this moment creates a connection that changes everything. It reframes the relationship from transaction to care.
Then, when he follows up weeks later, he doesn’t start with, “Just checking in.”
He starts with, “How’s your son doing?” or “How’s your mom?” or “I’ve been praying about that situation.”
That isn’t a script. That’s discipleship showing up inside ordinary business rhythms.
Gary also shared how he tested these ideas in everyday environments, including working at Hobby Lobby and Cracker Barrel, simply to prove that faith-engagement can be normal, practical, and fruitful.
Why we lost the “first-century” way of doing business
Gary made a point that stuck with me: we didn’t reject these principles, we buried them under layers.
He compared it to an archeological “tell,” where one city is built on top of another until the original disappears. Over time, business became “neutral,” then “secular,” then “private,” even for believers.
He referenced older marketplace teachings like The Religious Tradesman (1684), which described business as something sovereign under God. Whether you agree with every historical point or not, the takeaway was clear:
This isn’t new. It’s recovered.
Even inside Christian companies, the original “why” can fade. Gary shared a story about the legacy and early purpose of Hobby Lobby leadership, including books written by David Green, and how quickly a mission can become “just operations” if it’s not continually discipled.
That’s the warning and the invitation.
You can have a Christian brand, Christian values, and Christian customers, and still miss the assignment if Jesus never shows up in the actual conversations.
The 2,000 cubit space in your business
At SheepFeast, we talk about “making room for God to move.” That’s what the 2,000 cubit idea points to, intentional space, intentional distance, intentional awareness.
Gary’s message fits that perfectly because it forces a practical question:
Where have I been “checking the Holy Spirit at the door” in order to compete?
And if you’re willing, the next question is even more practical:
What would it look like to bring Jesus into one conversation today?
Not a sermon. Not pressure. Not weirdness.
Just obedience, in small moments, where God is already working.
A next step you can take this week
If you want a simple, non-cringey starting point, try this:
- Pray before your next business conversation.
Ask, “Holy Spirit, lead this.” - Look for a moment of genuine care.
Not a pivot. Not a tactic. A real moment. - Ask one honest question.
“Would it be okay if I prayed for you about that?” - Follow up like a disciple, not a salesperson.
“I’ve been praying for that situation. Any update?”
This is not about adding religious weight to your day. It’s about uncovering what should have been there all along.