Hi, I'm Jim Denison with Denison Forum, and this is the Daily Article for Tuesday, October 9, 2018.

I haven't seen this much cardboard since our family moved to Dallas 20 years ago. Like millions of Americans,

our home is the regular destination of brown boxes adorned with smiling logos. What was once a simple online

bookseller is fast becoming the most ubiquitous company in the world.

CNN business tells the story of Amazon's astounding rise to global dominance. The company seemingly

sells everything a consumer can buy, from electronic readers to home security systems to groceries.

While there are genuine concerns about the demise of traditional retailers,

Amazon's business model is clearly in the ascent. One sentence explains their success.

Jeff Bezos, now the world's richest man, told an economic club of Washington dinner last September,

quote, The number one thing that has made us successful by far is obsessive

compulsive focus on the customer as opposed to obsession over the competitor. This is a fascinating

window into our culture. Why does such a customer-centric business model work so well? Consider

two factors, both of which relate directly to churches today. One, Americans are conditioned to think

like consumers. As Bezos notes, we will always want low prices, fast delivery, and large selection,

and we will reward companies that deliver them to us. Likewise, churches that tell us what we want to

hear will gain a hearing today. I've discovered that it is not so everywhere.

In my frequent travels to Cuba, I've witnessed Christians taking stands for Christ that lead

to economic deprivation and government oppression. I've met Muslims who converted to Christianity

at the risk of their jobs and even their lives. I know of pastors in China who preach the gospel while

facing government censure and worse. Two, our culture is more cocooned than ever. Shopping in a mall is a

communal experience, as is attending a movie and a theater, a concert in a music hall, and a

worship service in a church building. But consumerism seems to be defeating

...