Mother playing peekaboo with smiling toddler in a playroom

Marching Confidently in the Wrong Direction

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“The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. Even in laughter a heart may be sad, and joy may end in grief. The disloyal one will get what his conduct deserves, and a good one, what his deeds deserve. The inexperienced one believes anything, but the sensible one watches his steps.” (Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Kids are easy to fool. They’ll believe just about anything. You can tell them something utterly silly, and they will take you entirely seriously. On the one hand, this can be fun if you are playing a harmless joke on them. On the other hand, you have to be very careful with it because you don’t want to accidentally damage their trust or push them toward cynicism. The better option if you are going to have some fun with it is to let them in on the joke quickly and use the playful moment to teach them a serious lesson. It’s unwise to rush into things. It’s always better to evaluate carefully and move forward with discernment. This is something Solomon points us to at the end of this next set of proverbs. Let’s take a look.

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Person reviewing paperwork at a coffee table as another approaches from the kitchen

Looking Without Looking

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“A mocker seeks wisdom and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to the perceptive. Stay away from a foolish person; you will gain no knowledge from his speech. The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them. Fools mock at making reparation, but there is goodwill among the upright. The heart knows its own bitterness, and no outsider shares in its joy.” (Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬-‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Have you ever been around someone who loved to ask questions, but didn’t really want the answers. The questions they asked weren’t a means of gaining knowledge or understanding or wisdom, they were a tool for tearing down the beliefs of others. Such a person isn’t going to be able to find wisdom even if they are genuinely seeking it. Mocking can become such a habit like this that you start to miss even obvious chances to grow. This is the kind of person Solomon is talking about at the beginning of this next group of proverbs. Let’s join him as he goes.

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Investor reviewing sustainability charts and financial news at a desk

Building Wisely

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“Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. Whoever lives with integrity fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises him. The proud speech of a fool brings a rod of discipline, but the lips of the wise protect them. Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is empty, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of an ox. An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness utters lies.” (Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Christians are known for all kinds of things. Some of them are pretty good things. Others…not so much. In fact, culturally speaking, thanks to our own foolish efforts combined with the work of an enemy who works overtime to discredit us, we’re probably known more for the not so good things than the good ones. This is not what Jesus envisioned for His followers. He gave us one thing and one thing only that should be our primary identifier: love. This was a revolutionary idea, but it wasn’t necessarily a new one in terms of the reputation God intended for His people to have. Let’s talk about that and some other ideas as we get into the first set of proverbs in chapter 14 today.

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The Reason for Forgiveness

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We know that forgiveness is fundamental to God’s character. But why does He forgive us? What is it that possesses Him to do such a thing? As we continue our series, The Beauty of Forgiveness, this is the next thing we are going to explore together. It is a wonder that God is willing to forgive us in spite of the extent and nature of our rebellion. Yet He does it anyway. Through the lens of something Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 43, let’s take a look at why.

The Reason for Forgiveness

In the world of politics, when someone gives you a lot of money, it’s almost always because they expect something from you. It is a long established tradition that megadoners to the winning presidential candidate get nominated to be the ambassador to some island nation where they’ll get to enjoy island life for four years, living in a luxurious place, and attending fun events mostly on the taxpayer’s dime. In the world of business, if someone gives you a lot of money, it’s typically because they want something from you. They want you to support this or that venture. They are looking for regulatory help. They are looking for an ally in some coming fight. Something. Big and extravagant gifts rarely come without any strings attached.

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Mother and daughter reading The Great Adventure Book with illustrated scenes above

The Big Picture of the Bible

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I’m hopefully planning to write a review of the latest Marvel series, Visionquest, next week. This week has been all over the place for me. So, I’m going to share another blast from the past today. This is the first of a four-part series I preached several years ago looking at the story of the Scriptures from 30,000 feet. We often dive deeply into the nitty-gritty details of the Scriptures in sermon and Bible studies, but in doing that, we sometimes forget that the Scriptures really are all one cohesive story that points to Jesus. This series was all about making sure we have that in mind whenever we go to them to receive what God’s Spirit has to share. Enjoy!

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