The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Slippery Schemer (Proverbs 24:8-9)

Satan is a schemer. Consequently, when we contrive a deceitful plan, we are sinning against God and the victims of our conspiracy. Whether in dating, an affair, marriage, family, politics, business, sports, nonprofit work, or even ministry, Solomon warned: “Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer. The schemes of folly are sin, and […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Rebel Rascals (Proverbs 24:7)

Have you ever found yourself working in an organization with a stubborn leader at the helm? They believe their position on any topic is always right, they resist sound advice, and they oftentimes lack wisdom. Solomon warned against the rebellious who attempt to captain the ship: “Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: The House of Leadership (Proverbs 24:3-4)

Do you have a blueprint for success? Within your team, business, family, or non-profit institution, do you have building plans to positively influence your target audience? Tucked away in the Bible’s Thirty Sayings of the Wise is God’s secret blueprint for any organization or movement to successfully lead its culture. It is Solomon’s fourth and […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Drunken Deception (Proverbs 23:29-35)

The abuse of alcohol is one of the greatest risks among young people today, oftentimes leading to a pattern that lingers for decades. However, this is nothing new. Three thousand years ago, Solomon included insights about the dangers of drunkenness in his Thirty Sayings of the Wise: “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Secret Agents (Proverbs 23:22-25)

Do you value your mother and father as priceless sources of wisdom? As adults, we have a tendency to become independent from our parents to a fault, often forgetting they have already endured the season of life that lies ahead of us. In his third pillar of a God-honoring and loving family, Solomon commanded: “Listen […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Slothful Sluggard (Proverbs 23:19-21)

Do you struggle with drinking in excess? Most of us would answer, no, but have you ever thought about what God would say regarding your alcohol consumption? Peer pressure to drink in excess or even eat beyond a healthy lifestyle leads to an emptiness that seems to beg for more and more to feel a […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Envy Evil Error (Proverbs 23:17-18)

Each of us wants hope, a confident assurance regarding our future. In his Thirty Sayings of the Wise, Solomon offers insights for us to experience God’s hope on this side of Heaven. That hope is the person of Jesus Christ (see 1 Timothy 1:1). Solomon’s Thirty Sayings of the Wise offers insights for us to experience […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Common Sense Counts (Proverbs 23:15-16)

The mouth and the heart are inextricably linked. Jesus taught: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Swearing, […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Disciple Discipline (Proverbs 23:13-14)

Do you struggle with establishing consistent discipline among your children? Perhaps, you attempt to correct them merely through an angry tone of voice. Proverbs reveals that discipline is much broader than we think. In his second pillar for a God-honoring, loving family, Solomon called young leaders to prioritize making disciples of their children: “Do not […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Receive Reproof (Proverbs 15:32; 23:12)

Family is the ultimate picture of God’s love. In The Thirty Sayings of the Wise, Solomon offered four pillars to construct a firm foundation for a God-honoring, loving home. The first is learning. Israel’s wise king commanded young leaders: “Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge” (Proverbs 23:12). Learning was […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Wisdom Wasted (Proverbs 23:9)

Have you ever attempted to argue with a fool? Voices raise, tones become harsh, tempers flare, words demean, and no one seems to benefit. In his Thirty Sayings of the Wise, Solomon cautioned against wisdom wasted: “Do not speak to fools for they will scorn your prudent words” (Proverbs 23:9). The fool Solomon describes in […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise | Chameleon Complex (Proverbs 23:6-8)

Failure might not be final, but ignored, it can be fatal. In his Thirty Sayings of the Wise, Solomon described a pitfall that can kill: lies. A person who mishandles truth perpetuates a ripple effect of devastating consequences that crush relationships. The king warned: “Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, do not […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Bribe Tribe (Proverbs 23:1-3)

When making decisions that dramatically affect our future, we often become susceptible to hearing what we want, something that might greatly benefit us and satisfy our selfish desires. If a business owner, a coach, a CEO or a salesman recruits us, we risk falling prey to their invitation without first filtering it through our faith’s […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Hard Work Helps (Proverbs 22:29)

Wisdom applies faith to our circumstances, literally sticking God’s character to our challenges, like a post-it-note adhered to our calendars. Solomon taught how to combine God’s heart with street smarts in our work ethic, as our Heavenly Father connects our vertical commitment to Him with our horizontal encounters. Solomon observed: “Do you see someone skilled […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Borrow Barrier (Proverbs 22:26-27)

Debt takes us farther than we wanted to go, keeps us longer than we wanted to stay, and costs us more than we wanted to pay. Yet, like a junkie longing for their next fix, we often add more and more leverage to our already overextended lives. Solomon addressed the risk of borrowing money in […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Anger Danger (Proverbs 22:24-25)

It has been said that the most influential people in our lives are our friends. Perhaps that’s why Solomon’s Thirty Sayings of the Wise includes a description of four friends we should avoid making: the hot-tempered, slothful, troublemaker, and rebellious. The second of the thirty sayings can be remembered as Anger Danger: “Do not make […]


The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Poverty Police (Proverbs 22:22-23)

Money provides one of the most difficult challenges to manage on this side of Heaven. The ticks in the equity markets, the weight of risk to return, mortgage payments, car loans, bank accounts, debit cards, credit cards, healthcare, insurance, and the like seem to dominate our thoughts and concerns. We are called by God to […]


Navigating Life’s Waves of Conflict: The Thirty Sayings of the Wise (Proverbs 22:17-21)

Are you struggling with life’s conflict? When two objects attempt to occupy the same space at the same time, do you feel like a boat being tossed around at sea by an unforeseen storm? Nestled in the middle of the Bible is a treasure map to navigate life’s challenges, guiding you through the storms of […]


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