The Daily Blade: Episode #233

"When Grace Leads, Work Changes"

Hosts: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson
Date: November 21, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores how Christians can glorify God in their workplace, especially by shifting from a results-only mindset to one where genuine care for people comes first. Pastor Joby Martin draws on Scripture—particularly Jesus' teaching of the Greatest Commandments—to illustrate that grace-driven love and attention to the well-being of others should be at the core of Christian work life. The conversation provides practical guidance for living this out daily, encouraging listeners to be conduits of God’s love on the job.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Caring More About People Than Performance

• [00:20] Joby sets the tone:

  “Be the kind of worker, be the kind of boss, be the kind of employee where you care more about how people are doing than what people are doing.”

• Work shouldn’t just be about the bottom line; relationships and people’s well-being matter more from a Christian perspective.

2. Scriptural Foundation: The Greatest Commandments

• [01:00] Referencing Matthew 22:34-40, Joby recounts Jesus’ answer to which commandment is greatest:

  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all of your mind… And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

• Joby emphasizes that all commands hinge on these two, and truly following them would fulfill all other requirements.

3. The Impossibility Without Grace

• [02:20]
  • Loving God “with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” is impossible on our own.
  • Christ’s sacrifice enables believers to love God, as “Jesus justified us at the cross when we put our faith in him.”

  “First and foremost is to surrender our life to Jesus… what the believer does, who has been fully loved by God, [is to] be a conduit of God's love towards other people and not a cul de sac of that love.” (Joby Martin)

4. Practicing Love at Work: Practical Ways

• [03:20] Joby walks through 1 Corinthians 13 attributes of love, applying each to the workplace:
  • Patience: “Are you patient at work?”
  • Kindness: “When you walk into the room at work, does peace walk in or fear?”
  • Accountability with Respect: “We help hold people accountable… but there is a way that we can be about this that is kind.”
  • Not Envious or Boastful: “Fair is not a biblical value… spend more time praying about those people [who get promoted] instead of being envious.”
  • Forgiveness: “At work, are you keeping a scorecard? Aren't you glad that God does not keep a scorecard on us?”

5. Truth and Accountability Balanced with Compassion

• [04:50]
  • Love does not mean ignoring truth or accountability:

    “To love one another does not mean you hug everybody and you hum lullabies together… You hold people to truth… but you do it in such a way where you care more about how they're doing than what they are doing.”

  • Honesty about personal motives and attitudes at work: “Be honest. Are you loving God and loving your co workers, your neighbors as yourself?”

6. Jesus as Model: Firm and Forgiving

• [05:15]
  • Jesus is “the perfect judge”—firm, but also exceedingly forgiving.
  • Christians are called to the same balance:

    “If we get the how we're doing right, like when we realize that Jesus came on a rescue mission for us, we are to be overwhelmed by his grace… You want to glorify God at work? Care more about how people are doing than what people are doing.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On workplace priorities:

  “Care more about humans than the bottom line.” — Joby Martin [00:31]

• On living out the commandment at work:

  “Be a conduit of God's love towards other people and not a cul de sac of that love.” — Joby Martin [02:43]

• On competition and fairness:

  “Fair is not a biblical value.” — Joby Martin [03:56]

• On forgiveness in business:

  “Aren't you glad that God does not keep a scorecard on us? That when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, then he nails the record of debt to the cross and counts it against us no more.” — Joby Martin [04:08]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:20: Introduction to the concept of glorifying God at work
• 01:00: Scriptural reference—Matthew 22 and the Greatest Commandments
• 02:20: Why loving God is impossible without grace
• 03:20: Practical attributes of love in the workplace (patience, kindness, etc.)
• 04:50: Balancing truth, accountability, and compassion
• 05:15: Jesus as the balanced model; final call to let grace shape workplace culture

Final Thoughts

The episode concludes with Joby reminding listeners that grace should lead workplace relationships and that Christians glorify God by focusing on the well-being of colleagues, not just their output or achievements. Practical love—expressed through patience, kindness, forgiveness, and respect—transforms work into worship, aligning daily routines with the heart of the Gospel.

Amen.