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: Slothful Sluggard (Proverbs 23:19-21)
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: Sanctified Survey and Lawful Landmarks (Proverbs 22:28; 23:10-11)
Have you ever changed the rules to a game in order to win? Many of us alter previously understood parameters in our relationships to gain something. As a child, down a couple runs in our kickball game, we change the pre-agreed-upon number of innings, in order to have another shot at scoring. As a teen, […]
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: 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: Sanctified Survey and Lawful Landmarks (Proverbs 22:28; 23:10-11)
Have you ever changed the rules to a game in order to win? Many of us alter previously understood parameters in our relationships to gain something. As a child, down a couple runs in our kickball game, we change the pre-agreed-upon number of innings, in order to have another shot at scoring. As a teen, […]
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 […]