In the fairy tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Ali Baba, a poor woodcutter, is in the forest when he hears a group of robbers approaching on horseback. Afraid, he climbs a tree and hears one of the men say, “open sesame.” A door opens in a rock and the men go in, the door shutting behind them when another says, “close sesame.”

When they leave, Ali Baba climbs down and approaches the rock. He says, “open sesame” and it opens for him. Inside he discovers jewels and gold, which he takes, becoming rich himself.

Leaders come in all shapes, sizes, and personality types. Nothing brings this into sharper focus than reading the Bible.

I’m in a group of men studying 1 Samuel, anticipating the life lessons we’d learn from David. Yet we’ve been struck most vividly by the example set by Jonathan, Saul’s son and heir to the throne.

As the marketplace gives birth to the peer-to-peer, or sharing, economy, app-driven personal taxi services are feeling the labor pains. The ride-sharing service known as Lyft recently added New York City to its list of markets served. But that happened only after Lyft knuckled under to city demands that it use only city-licensed taxi drivers, not just average folks, as it does in other markets.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission, which regulates cabs, said Lyft was breaking the law and jeopardizing public safety.

Rick, a committed Christian and the company’s purchasing manager, was called into Tom’s office for a chat.

“Rick, you do great work in purchasing, and you’re a faithful husband, a conscientious father, and an outspoken Christian in our company,” the company’s CEO told him. “I applaud that. But did you know that your sour disposition, grumpy manner, and quick temper are real turnoffs for those in the company who don’t yet know Christ?”

The government will never provide for you as well as a stable two-parent family will. That’s the summary of the Heritage Foundation’s first annual report on America’s societal and economic trends, released Wednesday. The 2014 Index of Culture and Opportunity states that while abortion and violent crime are on the decline, the marriage rate is also dropping, giving rise to single-parent homes and accompanying economic troubles.

I read a story several years ago about a family who decided to stop buying products made in China for a year. The mother, a journalist, said she’d noticed how China had taken over the manufacturing of consumer goods in the United States. Not only was it difficult to avoid such products, the non-China things the family did buy cost more money.

I know of three Christian businessmen who began their careers using heavy leverage—meaning they borrowed a lot of money. Each learned the biblical warnings and dangers of debt. Each responded. Then their stories diverge.