David: Failing Forward
Issue #146, January 7, 2015 After Adam and Eve’s first sin, David’s affair with Bathsheba is perhaps the most widely known failure of all time. It is ironic that after all the great lessons we have learned from David’s life, we read in 2 Samuel 11-12 the sad story of lust, adultery, and murder. Yet […]
David: Leading with an Act of Kindness
Issue #144, December 10, 2014 Kings are usually known for their acts of bravery and courage, the pomp and splendor of their wealth, and their use or abuse of their absolute authority. But the story of David’s relationship with Mephibosheth paints an amazing story of a king leading with kindness. The account in 2 Samuel […]
David: Building a Team of Giant Killers
Issue #143, November 26, 2014 When Goliath challenged Saul’s army there were no soldiers in the kingdom able to kill a giant until David led the way to victory. Later, as king, he developed a whole team of giant killers! 2 Samuel 8:15-18 lists some of David’s key team leaders. Later, over 30 of David’s […]
David: Leading with Prayer
Issue #142, November 12, 2014 After his early mistake David was finally able to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem with joy and celebration. He clearly desired to have God at the center of his leadership journey. As he settled into his new role as king he again expressed his heart for God by […]
David: From Mistakes to Success
Issue #141, October 29, 2014 At last David is King and is ready to lead for the glory of God! One of his first acts as king was to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem, symbolizing his desire to have God’s presence at the center of his leadership. But as they danced and celebrated […]
David: Leading from Position
Issue #140, October 15, 2014 All that we have already observed about David’s leadership happened before he had any position! His early life illustrates that leadership is not defined by position. But now, at 30 years of age, David begins to rule as king, first over a portion of the nation and finally over a […]
David: Leading in Crisis
Issue #139, October 1, 2014 David spends considerable time running from King Saul and his leadership seems reduced to surviving while he waits for God’s plan for his life to unfold. But before he became the king God allowed David to learn how to lead in a crisis. At a pivotal point in David’s leadership, […]
David: Learning Submission
Issue #138, September 17, 2014 David continued to carry out his duties under Saul as well as he could. But Saul’s jealously and determination to kill David finally forced David to flee for his life to the desert. Saul’s insecurity was extreme. Not only did he want to kill David and attempted to do so […]
David: Following an Insecure Leader
Issue #137, September 3, 2014 David seemed ready to lead! He had a shepherd’s heart, a sense of identity, a clear life purpose, the anointing of God, and a true friend. But God had at least two more difficult leadership lessons that he needed to learn before he was ready for the throne. First, he […]
David: Choosing Friends
Issue #136, August 20, 2014 We have already recognized David’s skill as a shepherd, his heart as a faithful worshipper and his clarity of purpose in life. Yet, as an emerging leader David was alone. His family didn’t believe in him and only Samuel seemed to have a sense of what God was preparing to […]