David Iskander

Hi, I’m David Iskander. I live in Newport Beach, California. My team and I help small businesses solve digital problems with websites, search engine optimization, and UI/UX. One thing that may surprise you is that my family and I are first generation Americans. We immigrated from Egypt.

My childhood was difficult. My family didn’t have much, and life was hard. I saw a lot of pain, death, and sickness as a young kid. Not only that but I made my own mistakes and chose reckless living. I’m sure I caused a lot of sleepless nights for my parents.

But God used Romans 5:20 to change my paradigm. It says, “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Looking back I can see God’s generosity to me, even in the challenging years. God provided safe passage for my family to America. God supplied our daily needs. Even when my father passed away, God gave us the hope and support to go on. God saved me over and over again. God’s generous love through Jesus invited me into living a completely whole and generous life.

I accepted Jesus into my heart at 21 years old and a year later I was invited on my first international mission trip to care for orphans. The need to raise $3,500 terrified me, but many in my church family donated and within a few short weeks close to $4,000 was given! My first step into discovering the joy of giving came by receiving from others.

During the missions trip, I watched one of the orphanage leaders care for 25 people without having any regular income himself. I admired him. His relationships were deep. His pace was consistent. And his heart was free from the pull of material things. I was reminded of James 2:5, which says, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith ..." This orphanage leader had a level of faith I’ve never experienced and he was joyfully giving his life away to serve others. God used these experiences to mark my life forever.

God used success to teach me a valuable lesson on the limitations of wealth. In the course of one month, I watched my business grow 5x in income. I knew I was seeing God do something incredible, yet my increasing wealth did not fulfill the promises I thought it would fulfill.

I didn’t feel more secure. My relationships didn’t get better. And wealth didn’t make my life more purposeful. Wealth cannot fill in my character flaws, buy true and lasting relationships, or satisfy the place in my heart that is made for God alone. But when wealth is put in the right context it can work wonders. It can be used to build orphanages, dig wells, share the good news of Jesus, feed my family and so much more. 

God used early success to force me to get really clear about my purpose, vision, and calling in life. Was I going to live for my own glory or for God’s glory? Was I going to get caught up in consumerism and the latest technology - and I love technology!

I learned that my calling to generate wealth isn’t a call to consume, but to impact. This helps me stay focused on God, his kingdom, and the world around me. I always want to be wealthier in faith than in my bank account, richer in my intimacy with God than my 401k, and wiser in kingdom knowledge than business acumen.

I wish I had a better understanding of the Gospel Patron concept when I was twenty-five. I felt called to the marketplace, and though I believed it was a valid role in God’s kingdom, I wasn’t aware of God’s consistent pattern of raising up patrons to partner with those on the front lines of ministry. This life-giving message has inspired me and other thoughtful believers who are called into business and other professions to see how God can use their efforts to advance his kingdom work.

My most powerful daily routine is each morning I type out my vision and values. It’s only a few small paragraphs, but this practice aligns me, reminds, me and defines me.

It aligns me with God's purpose for my life. I’m not comparing myself to those on the left or right but focused and secure in the unique task I’ve been given.

It reminds me of the truth and values God has called me to live by.

Finally, it defines me by setting the tone that I am not a product of my past. By God’s grace, I can grow and change to become everything God has called me to be.

One of my mentors told me his family has a giving statement. They prioritize giving to kingdom-focused ministries, which means they support ministries that help people in all kinds of ways, but they always integrate sharing the good news of Jesus with what they do.

I was so inspired by his intentionality that I began to define my own giving statement. Seventy-five percent of my giving goes towards kingdom-focused ministries, especially those that empower unprotected children and fight human trafficking in Jesus’ name. Twenty-five percent of my giving is budgeted towards general philanthropy, like clean water projects and building projects.

God has called me to be involved in the global church, to care for orphans, and to use software to do it. Now more than ever, technology enables us to impact the masses.

My vision is to use digital mediums like videos, articles, newsletters, software, and digital products to impact the business world and the developing world for God’s glory. In my business, our team is small and we're completely remote, yet we have 600 people a day using our tools and resources. What an amazing day to be alive!

For 21 years I ignored God, yet he pursued me again and again. I picture God as a perfect father who deeply wants to connect with his sons and daughters. He never loses hope or gets discouraged, but is persistent and committed. Our God is so generous!

Now that I know God I want to press in to know him better every day. If I could choose three words to sum up my life, they would be “Encounter Him Daily.”