Integration of Faith and Learning: Character
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Integration of Faith and Learning: Character Assignment
Johnnie Hicks
School of Master of Business Administration, Liberty University
Author Note
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose. Correspondence concerning this article should
be addressed to Johnnie Hicks.
Email: [email protected]
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Every day we see different characters. Those characters could be our family members,
someone we see in our your daily lives, or even through the internet. When we see ourselves in
the mirror, we are looking at a character. What defines a character? In the New International
Version, Jesus spoke about fasting, that we shouldn’t not seek validation from others, but we
should do things in a private manner, which God sees and will reward (Matthew 6). This is a
teaching on building upon ones character. We should not strive to become someone that the
world approves of. Instead, we should build ourselves into the person that the one and only God
loves and knows.
“Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside
and sat down.6Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and
many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them”(Matthew 15 n.d.). Throughout the
New International Version Bible Jesus said he came to earth serve and not to be served. In 2012
Scott Moore and Gus Evans understood his teaching and founded Maple Street Biscuit Company
a southern-style comfort food restaurant whose “primary mission is to help others, serve other,
and be part of the community.” Throughout the company, they applied the core principles to ev-
eryday decisions they have made. For example, Maple Street Biscuit company started A Month
of Good. An annual initiatives that focuses on enriching, and giving back to the community. By
donating a portion of the sales back to local organizations. Furthermore, they even call their
restaurant locations Community Stores and management Community Leaders.
Scott Moore and Gus Evan come from humble beginnings with there friendship starting
from church. They both were laid off from their jobs and were being supported by their wives.
With nothing to lose, they both decided to start a business. Maple Street Biscuit Company saw a
lot of success early. By expanding out of Florida in 2014 and being acquired early in 2019 by
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Cracker Barrel. In a 2017 Article, Gus Evans said best advice he gotten “that we make our plans,
but6God is always going to guide our steps”(Mathis, K.B.).
In January 2026, Maple Street Biscuit Company announced that kids will eat free on Sat-
urday and Sunday. This was only intended to be a limited offer, but immediately after they an-
nounced that they were extending the offer throughout the entire month of January. The objec-
tive of this was to provide more joy to families and fewer dishes. This concept refers to Commu-
nity Led Growth marketing strategy which is “the process of leveraging community to impact
business outcomes, such as increasing customer acquisition, boosting engagement, and improv-
ing retention” (Common Room). This strategy could6potentially6increase customer loyalty to the
brand as well as6increase word-of-mouth.
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References
Matthew 15. (n.d.). YouVersion | The Bible App | Bible.com. Retrieved January 26, 2026, from
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/MAT.15.NIV
The ultimate guide to community-led growth | Common Room. (2024). Com-
mon Room. https://www.commonroom.io/resources/ultimate-guide-
to-community-led-growth/
Mathis, K. B. (2017, May 30).*Their Winning Recipe: Maple Street Biscuit
Co.*Jax Daily Record. https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2017/may/30/
their-winning-recipe-maple-street-biscuit-co/
Matthew 6 | NIV Bible | YouVersion. (n.d.). In6www.bible.com. https://www.bible.com/bible/
111/MAT.6.NIV
