Today: Proverbs 20  If you are a follower of Christ, war is not an option. You have a real enemy. You have a battle to fight. If you are not fighting now, it’s either because: (a) the enemy does not see you as a threat to him, (b) the battle is waging, but you are either unaware of it (most …

Today: Proverbs 19    “Get ‘er done!” – Larry the Cable Guy “Just do it.” – Nike advertising slogan “I did it my way.” – Frank Sinatra “Have it your way.” – Burger King    These are the ways our culture teaches us to live. They say …      You da man!      You are the master of your own …

Today: Proverbs 17 If you can’t stand the heat, get out of God’s kitchen! He’s cooking up something good, but it’s going to get really hot! Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart (Proverbs 17:3, New Living Translation). What about you and me will be consumed by the refining fire and burned away? …

Today: Proverbs 16 Right now, many small groups are making plans for the fall season. So are families as their kids are going back to school. One of the vital signs of a healthy small group is that it proactively sets goals and makes plans. But is it right to make your own plans and set your own goals?  There …

Today: Proverbs 15 Summer break is over for my three younger kids. This year, our youngest, Anna, starts high school. She is excited and anxious (worried she’ll get lost in the hallways). Sarah is a junior this year, and Dru is a senior. Both are focused on “what’s next” after they graduate: colleges and careers. I woke up early and before …

Today: Proverbs 14 As a “small groups guy,” people often try to suck me into a debate about doctrinal impurity that may come about in a small group discussion. In a recent discussion on a Facebook forum, one leader said, “Without the right leadership you end up with far too much ‘I think’ or ‘what this means to me’ and …

Today: Proverbs 13 I sometimes act like a whiny adolescent when I ask my Father for something. This is what I want, and I want it now! I may not pray those words, but God knows all about my attitude. Why aren’;t you answering my prayer, Lord?  I ask.  I mean, I know this is inside your will. I know …

Today: Proverbs 11  Without wise leadership, a nation falls; with many counselors, there is safety (Proverbs 11:14, NLT).  As we head toward Election Day in the United States, this proverb has never been more vital! Both sides would argue that they are wise leaders and their opponent is not. Their policies are wise and the other candidate’s are unwise. This …

Today: Proverbs 10 A man was released from jail at 12:01 a.m. At 12:09 a.m. he was spotted climbing over a chain link fence back onto the jail grounds, and attempting to pass a cigarette to an inmate through a steel grate covering a window. At 12:10 a.m. the man was back in custody, charged with illegal entry into a …

Today: Proverbs 9  Wise people love being rebuked. In fact, Proverbs 9 tells us, a wise person will love you all the more because you have helped him see something in himself that perhaps he did not see, and he can change it. I want people to give me feedback, criticism, and rebuke because it makes me wiser. Mockers and …