Dave Burke

In a lively church it is possible to fool yourself that everything is fine. So it is hard to move our people to a mission mentality; “Why should we”, our people are thinking, “Things are fine in my church”...

What if we were to turn our church inside-out to bring the influence of the word of God to as many people as possible?  Things would look very different...

There are church leaders who hand a veto to the minority by always giving in to them when they should be showing them the door. Paul wrote, “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”. But we cannot be everyone’s friend. If you lead, be it a family or a church, some people are not going to like you.

Get used to it!

Saul wanted to retain control, Jonathan was different, a leader who recognised someone greater and was happy to allow himself to be led. So Jonathan, if you will, is God’s 10th century BC back-of-an-envelope sketch of what a Christian would look like!

How did it come to this? What turned David and Joab, two brilliant and promising freedom fighters, into a couple of grumpy old men who would not listen to anyone – certainly not each other? This is the story of Joab, the leader who wouldn’t be led and of David, the king with a guilty secret.