"On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners'" (Matt 9:12-13).

Linda Rios Brook is a businesswoman who desires to impact the culture with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Linda lives on the front lines of the fast-paced world of business. A former President and General Manager of a network television affiliate in Minneapolis, Linda resigned her position after making comments about her faith in her local newspaper; which subsequently resulted in a company policy which precluded officers and managers from publicly identifying with a specific faith.

Linda was approached by a Christian foundation with the opportunity to purchase a television station in her local market. The idea of managing a "religious" television station did not appeal to her in the least because she knew that such a format would not sustain a for profit business model.

After losing hundreds of thousands of dollars every month in attempting to attract a "Christian audience" she realized that the station could not survive without a more mainstream programming lineup. An opportunity arose to get the Rush Limbaugh program from a competitor, but only if she also took "The Jerry Springer Show." Linda struggled with what to do with this program, knowing the religious community would criticize this decision. Then, the Lord gave her an idea.

She decided to place a rolling statement across the bottom of the page that said, "Need a friend? Call 555-5555." She decided to use the Jerry Springer Show as bait for ministering to those who might be watching the program, who she concluded represented a ripe field for the gospel. Her insight proved true. The phones began to ring off the hook and many came to Christ as a result.

Sometimes we need to get out of our religious boxes and see how we can impact the culture using even the most negative influences in our culture to do it.

By Os Hillman