October 14, 2024
October 20 Application | Hurling Down the Accuser
How can we overcome the devil? Not by becoming slanderers ourselves, but by relying on, and faithfully testifying about, what Christ has done to redeem us.
Articles for tag: Proverbs 12
September 1, 2022
Your Spouse Is Not the Main Thing
By Rudy Hagood I can hear it like I’m still sitting in her living room. My mother-in-law, Mama D., was saying, “Keep the main thang, the main thang!” Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” (English Standard Version). Well, bless the name of the Lord and let the church say Amen! Yet, a word of caution for both husbands and wives: Your spouse is not the main thang! Yes, we should be “very married.” Yes, the best gift we can give our kids is a great marriage. And yes,
January 1, 2022
A Caseload of One: Keep Seeking to Know Her
When I was being trained as a minister, one of the primary points of emphasis was expositional preaching. I remember the concept “context is king” being drilled into my head like it was yesterday. It went a little like this: “Rudy, we must know what it meant to them to know how it applies to us today. Rudy, what’s the historical distance? Exegete the text, Rudy! Think exegetically, Rudy! Preach expositional sermons, Rudy!” OK, OK, OK, I got it. When it comes to our marriages, however, we are not taught to seek to understand our spouses to the same degree.
May 31, 2021
June 6 | Discovery
Sometimes, like David, we make our plans for how we will serve God, but God’s plans, purposes, and timing may be different. What does this passage teach you about obedience?
April 1, 2021
Pilate’s Guide on How to Miss the Truth
Most of us think we are unbiased in our quest for truth. We like to think of ourselves as impartial evaluators of data who seek to arrive at the best decision. But the truth is, most of the time, we desire a specific conclusion, and we search the data in such a way that helps us end up there. We overlook red flags and yellow lights. We come up with excuses and unreasonable explanations. And we usually don’t even realize we are doing it. We think we are looking for the best answer, when in reality we are looking for
March 22, 2021
Mar 28 | Discovery
How would you use these passages to convince someone to live God’s way rather than living their own way or the world’s way?
March 8, 2021
Mar 14 | Discovery
Look at how the main passage (Proverbs 3:1-12) is arranged. You’ll see six commands or actions followed by corresponding results or rewards. In what ways do you find this format to be beneficial?
March 1, 2021
Mar 7 | Discovery
Let’s dig deeper into these passages: What do Proverbs 1:7 with Proverbs 9:10 reveal to you about wisdom, instruction, knowledge, and understanding?
January 1, 2021
10 Foundation Stones of the Church—No. 9: Giving
It’s clear from reading Acts 2:42-47 that the early church was a generous church—and not simply generous, but contagiously generous. Scripture offers no hint that generosity was considered a burden; rather, it was a privilege. The people responded immediately by selling their houses and not considering material possessions as their own. The people freely gave and shared so that no needy people were among them. Such generosity was not dictated by the government or enforced by law; instead, it was done in response to one another and to God. In contrast, people in churches today can be filled with personal
February 18, 2016
My Theology and My Grandparenting
By Tom Ellsworth I broke a promise. I don”t take that lightly, but thankfully, it was a promise to me alone. Years ago I vowed that when I became a grandfather I would not get all “twitterpated” (defined as infatuated; giddy; in a state of anxious excitement“”as used in the Disney movie Bambi, which I”ve seen again and again as a casualty of being a grandparent). My silly promise melted two seconds after holding my granddaughter for the first time. With the birth of each subsequent grandchild, the memory of such an absurd vow fades farther into my subconscious. And
September 15, 2012
Facilitate so Your Group can Participate
By Michael C. Mack Question: Last year, I struggled to get my group involved in discussion, serving together, or doing much of anything else outside meeting times. As we restart our group this fall, what advice would you give me as a leader to help my group participate more? Answer: Great question! Here are 10 ideas from my experience to help get your group more involved. 1. Plan. Before getting started, decide on some plans and goals for the group for this fall and beyond. People want a purpose for being together, a sense that the group is striving
September 12, 2011
Lesson for Sept. 18, 2011: Teaching Values (Proverbs 10:1″“15:33)
This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for September 18) is written by Bruce Stoker, education minister with Memorial Church of Christ in Livonia, Michigan. ____________ Teaching Values (Proverbs 10:1–15:33) By Bruce Stoker As a Boy Scout, I learned orienteering skills for traveling through the wilderness safely and efficiently using a map and compass. We practiced our skills during many meetings and throughout our hometown, and eventually we decided we could handle a cross-country backpacking trip. So we plotted our destination, grabbed a topographical map and our compasses, and headed out for a weekend of hiking without trails.
August 8, 2011
You Need to Chill
By Brian Jones On August 1, I released my latest book, Hell Is Real (But I Hate to Admit It). I prayed two simple prayers as I was writing it. First, God, help Christians who are not sharing their faith with their non-Christian friends and family to get shaken out of their complacency. Second, Please God, don”t let them become pushy, obnoxious, freaky Christians in the process. Without question, one of the biggest mistakes Christians make when they realize Hell is real is to immediately come on too strong evangelistically. You can understand how it happens. If one day you”re
March 9, 2008
Confidentiality: Always Helpful or Not?
By Tim Woodroof and Leland Vickers You are serving as an elder (or minister, volunteer leader, Bible class teacher, or pastor) for your local congregation and you are approached on Sunday by a longtime member””let”s call her Susan””who says she would like to talk with you about a “personal problem.” You agree to meet her for coffee, but Susan prefaces her discussion with a request, “This must stay only between the two of us. Can we agree that our discussion be completely confidential?” What is your response? The current church culture leads people to assume they have the right to
