More practical advice on everyday living from the Proverbs, including what is good verses what is evil, what is wise as opposed to foolish and what is just as opposed to unjust. Take a look.
Proverbs 12:
1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
2 A good man obtains favour from the LORD, but a man of evil devices he condemns.
3 No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved.
4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.
8 A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of twisted mind is despised.
9 Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread.
10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
12 Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit.
13 An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble.
14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
16 The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.
17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.
18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.
21 No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
23 A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.
24 The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labour.
25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.
26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbour, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.
28 In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.
Proverbs 13:
1 A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.
3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
5 The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace.
6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked.
7 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
8 The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat.
9 The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
10 By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.
11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
13 Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.
14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
15 Good sense wins favour, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.
16 In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.
17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing.
18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honoured.
19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
21 Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.
23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.
24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want.
Things to think about…
1. Consider the character distinctives between the wise and those who are considered fools in Proverbs 12. The wise love truth, but the fool lives with lies, vs 1. The wise work hard, but fools are lazy, vss 10, 11. The wise hold their tongue and show self-control, but fools sprout off and freely vent, vss 18, 23. The wise work hard, the fool wastes, vss 11, 27. We see both sorts of people in the church and in society, both non-Christian and Christian alike. Christians however should be known for their wisdom and the practical outworking of wisdom in their lives because they claim to follow the God of wisdom. How do we get Christians to look at themselves at a heart level and to honestly ask – ‘Am I wise’? I think being intentional about having godly accountability with someone who loves you enough to tell you the truth is a good place to start. Who is this person for you? If you are married, someone in addition to your spouse is also helpful.
2. A shout out to Prov 12:4 “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones”. I have had the blessing of an excellent wife for almost 30 years, but tragically have also witnessed the heartbreak of men who have not had such fortune. Men, love your wives with truth and Christ centred grace. Your life will be spared, along with your wife and children.
3. Have a look at Prov 13:4. Be honest; is your soul satisfied? Are you content at a heart level? I am totally satisfied with what the Lord has done for me with respect to my salvation, but I still want more. I am a bit greedy for the Lord to work in more souls, I confess. But Jesus did say ‘blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness’. So, there is a craving that still honours Him. I believe there is such a thing as a holy dissatisfaction and is what our Lord is referring to in Matt 5:6.
4. Never be afraid of counsel or correction. Have a look at Prov 13:10. The ‘insolent’ cannot handle the truth – especially truth about themselves. This is because of pride. We actually think we are better than we are! Most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, must acknowledge that we don’t like being told the truth about ourselves. In yesterday’s ‘Things to think about’, I challenged you to ask someone who knows you well, define you to by your words. I hope that whatever the feedback you receive that you are growing in grace and that the Holy Spirit is conforming you more to Christ.
5. What do you think about Prov 13:24. This goes against a lot of modern-day counsel. What should this “rod” look like? When is it child abuse? When is it not? If you don’t use the rod on your child, the proverb says you hate your child. As such sparing the rod could also be described as a form of child abuse. At the end of the day we are called to love our children. Part of this involves godly discipline. The writer to the Hebrews has a good commentary on this in Heb 12:6-11. Discipline is never meant to be enjoyable. It is meant to be effective in drawing us closer to Christ. If we do not discipline our children with the directives He gives, then we are teaching our children that sin doesn’t matter. It certainly does and we literally have hell to pay if God’s judgment, mercy and grace are not all well understood.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Title was “The only desire to have” – Reading Proverbs 12:18-29
1. Discuss your understanding of the current news cycle and how we get information. Is it effective in promoting context and truth on any given topic? Discuss.
2. What is the difference between intelligence and wisdom? Reading the bible is surely a good thing, but does the practise always bring wisdom? Discuss.
3. The Apostle Paul mentions wisdom in a different way to Solomon. Read 1Cor 1:19-27. Spurgeon said “Discernment is not knowing the difference between ‘right and wrong’, it is knowing the difference between ‘right’ and ‘almost right’”. Discuss.
4. Jay asked that you do a self-assessment on the amount of time you read, study the scriptures or put on praise music, podcasts etc that are good for your soul as opposed to watching Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn etc. Discuss.
Prayer Points
1. Sally Gauntlett and dear Richard.
2. Peace to rest over Ukraine.
3. Folk sick with Flu A and Covid – relief and healing.
4. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
5. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. More new folk came to CBC on Sunday.
2. Worship on Sunday – thankyou and technical team.
3. All those who faithfully serve in ministries, Worship, Sound/Technical/Kids Church/ Cell Groups/Admin - Bulletins/Finances/Property/Welcoming/Spiritual Leadership/Cafe
4. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Remember to check your duty rosters.
2. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
3. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism question for June...
Q. 5. Will the bodies of the dead be raised to life again? A. Yes; "There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust.
