Month: June 2026

A cloaked figure stands at a signpost pointing to paths labeled Light and Dark Temptation under contrasting skies

Choosing the Right Path

Leave a comment

“So now, sons, listen to me, and don’t turn away from the words from my mouth. Keep your way far from her. Don’t go near the door of her house. Otherwise, you will give up your vitality to others and your years to someone cruel; strangers will drain your resources, and your hard-earned pay will end up in a foreigner’s house. At the end of your life, you will lament when your physical body has been consumed, and you will say, ‘How I hated discipline, and how my heart despised correction. I didn’t obey my teachers or listen closely to my instructors. I am on the verge of complete ruin before the entire community.’” (Proverbs‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

When I was in college I read a book that profoundly shaped my understanding of sin. It’s called The Smell of Sin and the Fresh Air of Grace, by Don Everts. In the book he talked about several of the false ways that sin presents itself in order to capture our attention and devotion. One of those is that sin is enjoyable. Sin is often seductive. It is alluring. It draws us in with promises to satisfy all of our wants and desires. And as much as that is a lie of the highest order, we fall for it over and over and over again. If we buy those lines we will soon discover the trap we have fallen into. Let’s reflect on this with Solomon as he continues his warning against buying into sin’s seductions here.

Read the rest…
Children and adults participating in a Sunday school activity with crafts, books, and a guitar in a bright room

Pick Your Ministries Well

Leave a comment

“Start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Sometimes a thing isn’t obvious even when it feels like it should be. Or maybe I should put that like this: Sometimes a thing that should be obvious is, but we don’t do it anyway. For the last month we have been talking about how to grow a church. Well, that’s not entirely true. We have talking about things that have all contributed in some way to the growth gay my church is currently experiencing. Yes, there are things like preaching that have hopefully played some small role, but the list we have been working through have all played a bigger one. Today, let’s talk about item number four on the list: ministry focus.

Read the rest…
Open Bible with broken chains on wooden table at a rural forked path with sunset

The Fast Road to Nowhere

Leave a comment

“My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen closely to my understanding so that you may maintain discretion and your lips safeguard knowledge. Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her words are smoother than oil, in the end she’s as bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps head straight for Sheol. She doesn’t consider the path of life; she doesn’t know that her ways are unstable.” (Proverbs‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

When Paul was warning the Corinthian church about sexual immorality, one of the things he observed to them was that sexual sins hurt ourselves. Most sin hurts other people when we do it. Sexual sin hurts us. It may hurt others too, but it definitely hurts us. Why would anyone do something they knew to be damaging to their body? It just doesn’t make a lot of sense. But unfortunately, folly in this particular area is frightfully hard to resist. We need the kind of wisdom Solomon calls us to here. Let’s talk about it.

Read the rest…
Woman sitting on couch reading book with laptop, phone, televisions, and magazines around

Guard Your Heart

Leave a comment

“My son, pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings. Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.” (Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭20‬-‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Jesus once got in trouble with the religious authorities of His day because His disciples weren’t washing their hands the right way before eating. That seems like a terribly petty thing to us, but if your relationship with God depended on getting the rules right and there was a rule about washing your hands properly before eating, it would seem like a much bigger deal to you. In response, Jesus told His critics that what goes into the body is not what interrupts our relationship with God, but what comes out of it, and specifically out of our hearts. That means we need to watch what is coming into and out of our heart pretty closely. Solomon agrees. Let’s talk about it.

Read the rest…
Person walking on illuminated paved path through dark forest in evening

The Best Learning Doesn’t Happen in the Lab

Leave a comment

“Listen, my son. Accept my words, and you will live many years. I am teaching you the way of wisdom; I am guiding you on straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction; don’t let go. Guard it, for it is your life. Keep off the path of the wicked; don’t proceed on the way of evil ones. Avoid it; don’t travel on it. Turn away from it, and pass it by. For they can’t sleep unless they have done what is evil; they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday. But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they don’t know what makes them stumble.” (Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬-‭19‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

We like to learn things by experience. This is why, for instance, every chemistry class I took in college had a corresponding lab period. They didn’t just want us to hear about the way various chemicals interacted with each other. They didn’t want us to just hear about what various instruments could do. They wanted us to see and experience it for ourselves. All three of my kids went or are still going to a STEM School. The whole purpose of the curriculum is that they should be doing a whole lot of hands-on learning. This same kind of idea applies to a whole lot of different areas of life. But not all of them. There are some things that are better learned only by report. Let’s talk about one of them today.

Read the rest…