Guidance from Overlooked Men and Women of the Bible

Author: Dave Dishman (Page 408 of 475)

Why Another Leadership Book?

As you know, there are lots of books on leadership available. With that in mind, why did I write another one? Here’s one of my reasons, from page 120 of Seers, Sayers, Schemers & Saints:

Today’s era stands as one of the most challenging in which to lead in spiritually. Pressures abound that turn the heads of those trying to walk in a way that emulates Jesus. Social media blesses and curses, while always hovering within arm’s length. Entertainers rise and fall like fireworks, fads swing in and out of our lives. People come and go. We move often and switch jobs regularly. The noise of life barrages us constantly. We hear leaders of various enterprises telling us how to lead, but in a few years those same leaders fade away. What’s solid in today’s world? Where can we sink foundations that hold? Bedrock is the Bible, the ancient text filled with lessons from past lives.

Lots of people tell us how to live life, lots of advice floods our social media feeds daily. Much of it valueless. Shouldn’t we invest our time, energy, thought and emotion into something of great value? Pulling people back to the foundation of faith, the solid rock of scripture, is one of the primary reasons I wrote this book.

You can order the book at the Crustore.org.

Seers, Sayers, Schemers & Saints

I am excited to announce the publication of my new book, Seers, Sayers, Schemers & Saints: Lessons on Leadership from Overlooked Men and Women of the Bible.

I’ve worked on this book for two and a half years, which means I’m also excited to see this project come to fruition! With work and travel and meetings keeping me busy, I find that most of my writing takes place on the periphery of life. But in my case that works. It gives me time to think about the concepts and ideas that I want to communicate and that I feel like the Lord is nudging me to say.

I wrote this book for three reasons. First, I want to encourage all sorts of leaders, young and old, novice or experienced, to step forward and lead. Second, I hope to reintroduce readers, especially younger ones, to a few of the fascinating people we find throughout the Bible. It’s amazing what’s there when we take time to notice. Third, I hope the reading of this book helps you experience God in a fresh and deeper way.

Copies are available at the CruStore.org. If you read the book and like it, and would like multiple copies to use for a small group study or your church or to give away, I can help with a discount on large orders.

One way you can help with the widespread distribution of the book is to read it and then post a review. A review on Amazon (where the Kindle version will soon be available), on Goodreads, and on your social media feed is a great help to an author.

I hope this book blesses you in some small way as much as it has blessed and challenged me in its writing!

The Conversation

The Conversation, Arnold Borisovich Lakhovsky, ca. 1935

For some reason, as I get older, I’m drawn to paintings of old men sitting around talking. Lakhovsky was Ukrainian, so maybe these guys are talking about the wheat harvest? Or the Soviet government? Or the growing Nazi threat? Or their meager diets after Stalin collectivized the farms? Or sports, or their wives?

Regardless, the quiet pleasure that a simple conversation brings should never be overlooked.

The 7 Eunuchs of King Xerxes

The Bible is filled with thousands of names of people. It is really astounding how many different men, women and children are listed in some form or fashion. In Esther 1, King Xerxes sends for his queen, and the 7 eunuchs who served him went to collect her. Their names were: Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Karkas.

Eunuchs were valued for their trustworthiness. Usually captured as boys and castrated, eunuchs often served as messengers, or teachers of children, or guardians of the royal harem. In this case, Xerxes sent several trusted messengers to carry out his orders.

But I’m more interested in the fact that the author of Esther took the time to list their names. These were servants, taking no more role in the story that follows. But the Bible is like that, people are named, listed, remembered. People matter. There are no “little people” in the eyes of God.

So, next time you pick up your Bible, turn to one of the many lists of names you’ll find. Remember that each name was a living person, with hopes and dreams and jobs and families and a future and a past. Just like you. Know that God loved them, just as he loves you. Let these lists of odd-sounding names remind you that the Lord knows you, and loves you, as well.

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