Proverbs: Life-saving mouth guards

From the ESV Study Bible: Prov. 13:1–6 Headed by the call to be a wise son (10:1), these proverbs also utilize a play on words (cf. 10:6–32) relating to both speech (hears/listen, 13:1; mouth, vv. 2–3; lips, v. 3; falsehood,v. 5) and eating/desire (eats, v. 2; desire, v. 2; craves and richly supplied, v. 4) in order to assure those who seek to guard their mouth (v. 3) through righteousness … More Proverbs: Life-saving mouth guards

Change of mind brings about change of will.

Pastor P. G. Matthew, of Grace Valley Community Church, in a sermon “Covenant Renewal”: Nehemiah 10:28 speaks of “the rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants, and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters … More Change of mind brings about change of will.

A Good Word for Eyores

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. Proverbs 12:25 Do you have anxiety in your heart?  Are there others around you that are being weighed down with an anxious heart?  According to the Bible, a good word can change their outlook.  Will you reach out  with a … More A Good Word for Eyores

Struggling skeptic?

John Piper with a warning: Beware of being like the people in 2 Timothy 3:7 who are “always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Delight in solutions; don’t forever resist them as though it is noble to ever be the struggling skeptic.

We all have blind spots

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. Proverbs 12:1 No one really LOVES getting disciplined, at the time, but when we look back, we can see the benefits.  We learn much through the loving correction of others, whether our parents or faithful friends.  Proverbs says we are STUPID if we … More We all have blind spots

Faithful Gospel Preaching

Phillip Graham Ryken writes in Thermelios: Ezra also had a mind for biblical truth. Perhaps the best example comes from Nehemiah 8, where Ezra gathers the Israelites to renew the covenant in Jerusalem. The heart of that renewal was the reading and preaching of God’s Word. Ezra gathered people in the square in front of the … More Faithful Gospel Preaching