From ROI to EROI: How One Entrepreneur Is Helping Eradicate Bible Poverty by 2033

What happens when a retail entrepreneur has a Holy Spirit moment at a Bible dedication ceremony in Guatemala — and never looks at business the same way again? In this episode, host Justin Forman sits down with Mart Green, co-founder of Mardel Christian bookstores and a driving force behind Illuminations, a collective impact initiative uniting Bible translation organizations around the world with one audacious goal: eradicate Bible poverty by 2033.

Mart shares the origin story of Illuminations — from a small table of five CEOs and five resource partners meeting monthly in a Dallas airport admirals club — to a movement now involving 300+ people from dozens of organizations who've helped accelerate Bible translation from a projected finish date of 2150 down to 2041, with faith believing for 2033. He also opens up about his family's mission statement, his daily rhythm in God's Word, and what stewardship really looks like when you stop being an owner and start being a steward.

Key Topics:

The Guatemala moment that shifted Mart's lens from ROI to EROI (Eternal Return on Investment)
How Illuminations was built brick by brick — starting with three organizations and growing to a 300-person annual gathering
The Stanford Collective Impact framework — and the sixth element Stanford missed (communal prayer)
How AI and technology are accelerating Bible translation, cutting projected timelines by decades
Why generosity, humility, and integrity are the only character traits Mart looks for in a partner
The Green family mission statement: "Love God intimately. Live extravagant generosity."
Mart's daily scripture rhythm and the O-I-O-I framework (Open, Insight, Obey, Intimacy)

Notable Quotes:

"In that moment, I kind of went from ROI to EROI. What's the eternal return on investment?" — Mart Green

"Satan always attacks at the point of unity. I guess it's because it's powerful." — Mart Green

"There's only two things that last forever — God's Word and the souls of men and women. So if I can get those two combined, it's less of a responsibility." — Mart Green

About the Guest: Mart Green is a second-generation entrepreneur and son of Hobby Lobby founder David Green. He co-founded Mardel Christian bookstores at age 19 and has since become a major force in faith-based philanthropy. He is a key resource partner in Illuminations, the world's largest Bible translation collective impact initiative, which is working to ensure that every people group has access to God's Word in their heart language by 2033. Mart and his family of 50 — all living in Oklahoma City — operate from a shared mission: to love God intimately and live extravagant generosity.

Episode 371 - 1 Billion People Still Don’t Have the Bible: Here’s the Plan | Mart Green

Faith Driven Entrepreneur

Episode 371 - 1 Billion People Still Don’t Have the Bible: Here’s the Plan | Mart Green