Proverbs 25 – Flippant

Just a quick thought for today from chapter 25. It’s interesting how some things we calculate and measure our response to, and others we don’t. The more common a relationship becomes, the more loosely we tend to be with our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Outside of our own families and friends… I would [...]

Proverbs 23 – Gluttony & Church Planting

Monday I had the opportunity to share parts of the vision of Austin New Church with some church planters, potential planters, and resident planters at Hill Country Bible Church. It was humbling to share with them knowing that I’m just over a year and a half into the journey and the fact that I was [...]

Proverbs 21 – Marching Orders

“All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.”- Proverbs 21:2 In simple terms, this is saying that each path we take, to us, seems right. They seem straight. That’s our nature and our bent. That’s why we defend our way, our motives, and our actions before we evaluate them. [...]

Proverbs 20 – Legacy

There are days that verses like these encourage me, other days they challenge me, and others they confront me. Today, it is a combination of all three: The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.” – Proverbs 20:7 Yesterday I led the memorial service of a former neighbor and friend, [...]

Proverbs 19 – Wanting it

I had a recent conversation with a friend who has decided to no longer believe in God. It’s a strange scenario really, and I find it hard to believe that he really believes that. It’s difficult for anyone who believes deeply to comprehend how someone can just choose to no longer have faith. But let’s [...]

Proverbs 17 – Contempt

He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker - Proverbs 17:5 Have you ever heard the saying….”God doesn’t make junk”. I just thought about this morning the poor….and when we mock the poor (and I would argue this could include neglecting), we are telling God, that this part of his creation…..not so good. Do [...]

Proverbs 15 – Value in Learning

The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor” – Proverbs 15:33 The author of Proverbs spends much time helping us see the value of wisdom and her attributes. Because of this pattern, at first glance I assumed that “humility comes before honor” meant that we should value humility above [...]

Proverbs 13 – Advisors III

Guest Post: Alex Shootman Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” – Proverbs 13:10 Continuing on the theme of advisors, why does pride breed quarrels?  Have you ever had a friend or a loved one continue down a path of destruction?  Have you ever watched them do something you [...]

Proverbs 11 – Known

I guess I’ll start my writing for today’s thoughts on Proverbs 11 by sharing a verse from Proverbs 20: Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.” – Proberbs 20:11 The question comes to mind, what actions are we known by? Three different groups of people are [...]

Proverbs 10 – Confidence

Confidence is generally described as “a state of being certain either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective”. Self-confidence is “having confidence in oneself”. Arrogance or hubris, in this comparison, is “having unmerited confidence–believing something or someone is capable or correct when [...]