John Crist Missions Parody

This video is reaching "viral" status and points out some valid critiques of mission trips. It is fitting that this video's platform is on social media because part of its critique is the way social media has influenced modern missions. This post will laugh along with him, painfully acknowledging some of his points. It will also, however, answer some of his remarks.

"Awful Neon Colored T-Shirt"

These are usually worn at the airport to keep track of large traveling parties. They are actually handy for customs and transportation. If needed, shirts should primarily identify the group, but not have condescending, derogatory, or self-promoting text or pictures regarding the trip. They seem juvenile, but don't judge until you are the one holding all the notarized release forms.

"Mission Trip Doesn't Start Until We Get There"

Help the lady with her bags, please.

"Passports and Boys and Girls"

You feel my pain.

"No Spanish"

Need interpreters

"Excessive Rest Days, Shopping and Excursions"

Don't be too soft on them, but realize you are broadening the worldview of many students. If you go that far, don't let them only experience a worksite. You also can't stop teens from buying silly stuff.

"Church in a Different Language"

This remark misses the point of a mission trip. This service is usually a high point. Experiencing worship in a different language and context is powerful for students. They see that they are part of a global church and that the Gospel transcends language and culture. It helps get themselves, and their church, out of a spiritual rut. By the way, it can also be a powerful tool to free the KJV only crowd.

"Painting the School"

This is usually the last part of a partnership. The church pays for construction by local workers, providing employment in addition to the facility. Groups pitching in gives the church ownership of the project and it is designed to build relationships between the two communities. The painting is usually more ceremonial, but it allows the two groups to work together rather than keep it a strict financial relationship. If the work is not meaningful, choose another organization.

"Pictures of Children for our Facebook Profiles"

Keep social media to a minimum. Take pictures for keepsakes and to maintain relationships. Share tasteful pictures and refrain from anything that could be considered exploitative or self-promoting.

Social Media

The internet threatens to trivialize missions and compassion ministries. Sadly, worthy causes are marginalized through over-exposure and poor etiquette by participants. Please do not let online cynicism curtail your passion to serve.

The Great Commission says,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We need to serve locally, regionally, domestically, and internationally. Discern the right projects, train your team, and serve humbly. Thanks to John for great insights on things we can improve.

The Heart of an Executive: Lessons on Leadership from the Life of King David

The Heart of an Executive: Lessons on Leadership from the Life of King David, is a beneficial resource for leaders of all capacities and contexts. King David’s life offers a wealth of application that serves leaders in business, government, and the church.

Richard D. Phillips, CEO of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, earned an MBA from the Wharton school of business as well as an MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary. He served in the military before serving in academia at West Point. Phillips draws on his own experience in examining David’s executive leadership. Phillips served in capacities in the military, business, and ministry. These skills give Phillips insight that connects David’s example with 21st-century leadership as Phillips breaks down the style of one of the Bible’s most prominent and influential personalities. Phillips follows David’s rise to power from humble beginnings, defining moments such as defeating Goliath and outmaneuvering Saul, and the leadership challenges that established his legacy. Phillips examines David’s life stages, including preparation, rise, achievement, and passing the torch. Each step provides insight into David’s growth as a leader and an evaluation of his style and decisions.

Philips is careful to balance King David’s successes with his failures. The Bible does not hide the faults of its leaders, providing lessons for future generations. Philips appropriately addresses these issues and leverages them to make his points. His inclusion of David’s sin gives insights into the way personal choices cause professional problems. For example, David’s affair with Bathsheba not only resulted in a murder and the death of his child, but the fallout of that decision also followed David for years. Philips argued that this moral failure played a role in his inability to punish his eldest son for his sexual exploits. This indecision not only humiliated Tamar, but it also set in motion the beginnings of rebellion from his son Absalom. These events not only threatened his position as king, but they even cost him the lives of two more sons. Phillips effectively conveys that no leader is immune from the consequences of his or her decisions. Poor choices made at the height of power can bring down a leader’s reputation, responsibilities, and family.

The events and exploits of King David’s life were well-documented. Generations of leaders gained inspiration from his rise from a lowly shepherd boy, his victory over Goliath, and his role as Israel’s most iconic king. This book’s most exceptional chapter, however, deals with his leadership succession to Solomon. While most pastors and scholars focus on his numerous accomplishments, Phillips points out that, without repentance and humility, David’s life and legacy could have ended broken and heirless. David’s parting words to Solomon in 1 Kings 2:1-4 focus on character issues and commitment to his faith. Phillips points out “Imagine all the advice David might have given: details regarding military tactics, financial secrets, pointers on handling neighboring kings. Instead, he pointed his son in the direction of true strength.” David finished well and bolstered his legacy while focusing his son on the aspects of leadership that matter. Godly character shapes the other areas of leadership and gives purpose to living a life of influence. This exchange with his son gave David peace in his final days. 1 Kings 2:10 says, “Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.” When leaders serve well, God rewards their faithfulness with feelings of peace and a legacy that lives past their reign.

The other strength of this text examines David’s role as an executive. Phillips’ unique perspective looks more at who David led, rather than at the usual accomplishments showcased in sermons and popular literature. Strategically leading and motivating people distinguishes executives from other leadership roles. David managed successfully in a variety of contexts in spite of professional and personal failures. David’s leadership style, coupled with his commitment to following God’s leading, rallied a nation. These circumstances allowed him to preside over one of the most prosperous and successful seasons in Israel’s history. His reign remains historically influential, and his rule still inspires leaders after thousands of years.

I have only a couple of minor critiques of this book. First, the title includes the description, “Lessons on Leadership from the Life of King David,” yet the first one-third of the book provides profiles of Samuel and King Saul. These profiles are good for context, but they delay the primary material and represent the only cumbersome section of an otherwise enjoyable read. Secondly, David’s patriarchal point of view offers limited application for women. While they can contextualize the examples cross-gender, King David remains a “man” after God’s own heart. The chapters that deal with his abuse of power and sexual misconduct may elicit different responses, depending on gender, life-stage, and upbringing. Little can be done to adapt Old Testament male-dominated settings to 21^st century gender-neutral cultures, but it is worth noting that most of the applications for this book come from a masculine context.

This book balances the qualities of a comprehensive study of David’s life with an accessible leadership resource. Phillips’ writing is compelling, bringing the biblical text to life, rather than dryly extracting nuggets of wisdom into his argument. He balances respect for the source material with writing for a broad audience that might not exclusively be Christians. He conveys relevant business points while simultaneously honoring the text. Meanwhile, he limits devotional material that would alienate general business readers. Readers of this book, however, could gain curiosity and interest in reading the Bible. Seminaries and Christian colleges are a natural fit for this book. Furthermore, churches, denominational entities, and Christian organizations would benefit from Phillips’ insights. This work is scholarly and is written well enough for secular entities to include the book on their reading lists or supplemental source section of syllabi. Phillips’ skilled portrayal of David could present him as a historical case study, opening opportunities for the book to escape the Christian publishing niche.

Leaders of all situations and contexts could benefit from examining the life of David, Israel’s great king. Phillips is careful to include insights into the people who made David successful as well as his achievements. For the public, he ably introduces King David to those unfamiliar with the biblical text. He then lays out a case for David’s inclusion in the lexicon of great historical leaders. Phillips’s scholarly profile satisfies students of leadership theory while piquing the interest of those new to the study of the Old Testament. Leaders, however, do not have to come from a Christian context to appreciate and apply insights from this book.

For Christians, Phillips’ masterful rendering of David’s life and leadership concepts procides balance between biblical scholarship and application point for leaders. King David continues to inspire emerging generations to embrace biblical wisdom as they improve in their acumen and influence their communities for Christ. This book should be required reading for those who desire to pastor or to lead faith-based organizations.

Leadership Secrets of David the King

In Leadership Secrets of David the King, Bob Yandian examines the biblical events surrounding Ziba and Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel through the lens of Psalm 131. The psalm’s humility sets the tone for Yandian’s leadership philosophy. This perspective produces four principles exhibited by King David, “freedom from arrogance,“ “delegation,“ conquering the temper,“ and “following those who came before,“ that can also inspire 21^st-century Christian leaders. He suggests to those who follow these guidelines, “In other words, you too can become a king of kings.“ He means this as a leader of leaders, reserving the title of the King of kings“ for Jesus Christ (74-75). This book follows David’s evolution from a servant of Saul to army commander, to pursuer of God, and finally, to king of kings. This book reveals David’s faults, failures, and shortcomings and explains in explicit detail how David humbly learned from these mistakes and became the metric for all the kings of Israel after him.

Bob Yandian served as pastor of Grace Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended Southwestern College and graduated from Trinity Bible College. He served as both instructor and dean of instructors at Rhema Bible Training Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He was also the host of a weekly teaching radio broadcast called “Precepts” with Bob Yandian.

This book is most persuasive when advocating for character development. The author offers helpful advice to emerging leaders. He warns about ascending into power too rapidly. His observations are valuable and discourage rising candidates from succumbing to their ambition and making critical mistakes that limit their potential. His emphasis on humility inspires potential leaders to pursue servant leadership and focus on character over worldly success.

Yandian encourages the idea that “promotion comes by degrees.” He states, “Psalm 131 begins with this phrase to let us know that any rank in life comes over a period of time. … Slow growth allows us to learn valuable lessons on the way up, so once we reach the top, we can stay there and truly enjoy all the benefits” (225-228). The author’s suggestion that younger workers first need time to mature and hone their skills advocates for leaders who are better prepared and have a higher chance of success. This methodical and patient approach toward assuming leadership positions provides sage advice in an age that champions a fast-track mentality.

The four leadership “secrets,” give sound advice. Leaders who are humble, capable of delegation, slow to anger, and respectful of the organization’s history and legacy stand a better chance of success than their counterparts. These principles are relevant to leaders in most disciplines.

Regarding weaknesses, this short but inconsistent resource feels like three separate books rather than a cohesive leadership lesson. Yandian struggles to connect his leadership principles with the source material. The author also fails to connect the relevance of Psalm 131 and the events found in 2 Samuel chapters nine through nineteen.

First, there is the story of Ziba and Mephibosheth. This account compares the attitudes and actions of two men who end up sharing an inheritance. The latter man reflects better character, but his leadership application is inconclusive.

Secondly, Yandian implies that the events surrounding Ziba and Mephibosheth influenced David and served as the inspiration behind Psalm 131. He states, “God’s plan for leadership and advancement is not with the Zibas of life. It is with the Mephibosheths and Davids. This is the story behind Psalm 131” (200-201). The psalm, a song of ascents, exists to encourage the reader to rest in God’s presence. Though Yandian likens Mephibosheth’s patience to this verse, it was not for the reason of promotion or prosperity. While this psalm is of great comfort for people in Mephibosheth’s circumstances, tying the two biblical passages together may be out of context. This psalm, which focuses on David’s humility and reliance on God, can connect to a gradual ascension into leadership, but there is no evidence that it links to the events in 2 Samuel.

Finally, the leadership principles championed by the author give fleeting comparisons to the source text, but there is no direct application. For example, the story of Ziba and Mephibosheth is more of a property dispute than an illustration of leadership development. If the author’s claim is related to Mephibosheth’s growth as a person, it could be argued that, despite his improvements, he lost half of his net worth to a person of questionable character. If David is the focus of this passage, then his haste in decision-making cost his friend’s descendant dearly.

Yandian’s leadership principles are sound, but his choice of relevant biblical references is puzzling. The text feels like the passages were retrofitted into the leadership principles rather than the tenets originating from textual exegesis. While the author’s desire might have been to avoid re-treading mainstream material, the obscurity and brevity of Psalm 131, coupled with the compatibility issues of the story of Ziba and Mephibosheth, produced an uneven and disjointed work. Psalm 25 and Psalm 37 are stronger examples of leadership sources. King David, through his history, his rule, and his writings, represents a vibrant leadership illustration underserved by this book.

This work’s target audience appears to be congregation members or the lay-institute where he teaches. Yandian’s book is short and conversational in tone. It is not suited for an academic setting. The book is not well written. Mistakes include misspelled names, punctuation errors, and passive voice. He struggles to connect leadership principles to the source material, and Yandian’s exposition of the text better serves devotional application than academic rigor. Students interested in studying a leadership profile of King David should read “The Heart of an Executive: Lessons on Leadership from the Life of King David.” Richard Phillips’ excellent text offers a greater breadth of biblical scholarship coupled with application to the role of an executive. By contrast, Yandian’s text is too narrow and too dependent on obscure sources.

While Yandain’s advocacy of humility, delegation, temperance, and legacy are quality attributes that would benefit leaders, better biblically-based resources exist from which leaders could glean inspiration.

Double Book Review

Today, I post two reviews of books profiling the life and leadership of King David. “The Heart of an Executive: Lessons on Leadership from the Life of King David” by Richard Phillips and Leadership Secrets of David the King, by Bob Yandian give different views of King David. I hope you enjoy the reviews.