Posts with the category “wisdom-wednesday”

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.1 John 3:18Politicians have probably always been a bit on the nose. But it certainly feels that trust is low at the moment. What is it about them? Part of the problem is that seemingly ‘loving’ words are rarely followed by actions.John’s wise encouragement to his ‘children’ or younger followers of Jesus (John is prob...  Read More

Give careful thought to the paths for your feetand be steadfast in all your ways.Do not turn to the right or the left;keep your foot from evil.Proverbs 4:26-27I remember the first time I skied down a double black run at Perisher. Well, more like tumbled down. It was icy on the slopes and I kept edging as best I could (going across the slope rather than straight down). But eventually, I caught some...  Read More

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.Psalm 119:105-109How did people ever do camping without head-torches? Whether it’s going for a bush-toilet or finding some firewood....  Read More

For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths.Proverbs 5:21Privacy is, according to some modern thinking, the sacred right of all humanity. But of course, technology has become the asteroid of impending doom for our privacy hopes. Netflix knows what you watch. Google knows what you search for. Facebook knows what photos you have clicked on. Your whole life is being sto...  Read More

Let the one who is wise heed these thingsand ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.Psalm 107:43What do you ponder? I’m a natural ponderer. It’s what makes me a bad driver and a particularly bad bike rider. I go into dreamland. What about you? For some of us. The problem is that we never do this. Screens have given us the ability to never think deeply but to remain distracted.But when do you, what do...  Read More

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.Galatians 6:9-10Wisdom is having a long view of things. The passage today reminds me of the workload before Christmas. For many jobs, the lead up to Christmas means extra work to get eve...  Read More

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.Deuteronomy 6:6-7One of the things I love about Village Church is our kids. Oh sure, they are noisy and messy. But they are God’s kids, given to us to raise in the way of the Lord. He has entru...  Read More

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.James 5:7-8If patience was a coin, it would certainly be one of the rarest and most valuable. For those of us eager to invest, James thinks we can l...  Read More

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.1 Corinthians 1:22-24Power is the currency of our world. It’s often called capital or social capital. Power is what impresses people. It’s what people most respond t...  Read More

“Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise person benefit him?Job 22:2One of the great misconceptions about God is that He needs us. Perhaps you have wrestled with this. Maybe you have heard or thought that God created because He was lonely & desired a relationship. Maybe you have thought that God needed you to serve and do His work on earth.The danger of this thinking is that it then leads ...  Read More

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves;...  Read More

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to y...  Read More

“Who is this that obscures my plans    with words without knowledge?Brace yourself like a man;    I will question you,    and you shall answer me.“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?    Tell me, if you understand.Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!    Who stretched a measuring line across it?On what were its footings set,    or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning ...  Read More

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember...  Read More

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.Proverbs 11:2Do you remember arguing with a parent or a teacher about something, only to find out later that you were wrong. It’s not a nice feeling, particularly if others were watching. It’s something I've experienced too many times. But what if the disgrace isn’t the worst part? Maybe it’s that I rejected an opportunity to gr...  Read More

The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.Proverbs 12:26It’s a strange thought. Choosing your friends. But we do don’t we? We have a choice and there aren’t many more important choices than who we surround ourselves with. I wish I had understood this wisdom sooner. For much of my life, I surrounded myself with people who led me astray rather than clo...  Read More

As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.Proverbs 26:11Are you a New Year’s Resolution person? Have you already failed? Hopefully you haven’t! No doubt you made some great commitments. Exercise more, spend more time with people you love, (hopefully) read the Bible/pray more.If you are anything like me, New Years Resolutions often take the form of starting something or doing more ...  Read More

Q. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead?A. There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.Westminster Shorter CatechismWhat do eggs and ice have in common? Both favourites of Youth Leaders to illustrate the Trinity. The truth is that no illustration from our world can truly captur...  Read More

“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:“‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance;we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors...  Read More

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.Matthew 5:27-29Has there ever been a time so diff...  Read More

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,but whoever hates correction is stupid.Proverbs 12:1I wasn’t disciplined much as a kid. It was the 80’s. Which came after the 60’s & 70’s (profound hey). But what that meant was my parents brought a hippy flavour into their parenting. The kid will find his own way. Well, I nearly didn’t.Because I suffered/suffer from a dangerous flaw. I thought I knew it al...  Read More

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.Proverbs 12:18I just finished reading a long article about ‘cancel culture’. Did the proverbs writer foresee twitter, facebook or reddit when he prophetically spoke these words? No. But, he didn’t need to. Sin has always found words a particularly effective way of causing pain. Social media has just exponential...  Read More

Trust in the Lord with all your heartand lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him,and he will make your paths straight.Proverbs 3:5-6One of the greatest lies that our culture ever told was that a godly existence = condemned to a boring vanilla life. To think that you might only ever have sex with one person or no person. Or that you wouldn’t enjoy the pleasures of drug exp...  Read More

Is not wisdom found among the aged?Does not long life bring understanding?Job 12:12One of the great signs that a civilisation has lost the plot - is when it starts to ignore older people’s wisdom. Have you noticed this? There’s been a shift in where wisdom can be found. It’s not in old people but in the young. Think of Greta Thunberg.Or maybe it’s not about old/young. It’s about profile. Isn’t it ...  Read More

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.Colossians 4:2-5I was around 23 when a new guy visited the church I was att...  Read More

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20We had a family friend growing up. He was a successful businessman. He had just built a really big house in Austinmer. He had a bun...  Read More

God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. 2 Chronicles 1:11-12The pursuit of wisdom is one that God is pleased to rewa...  Read More

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.1 Peter 2:11It’s another night at home and an opportunity to relax. We switch on the TV and watch the latest series. And so begins another episode of the war in my heart. A war on several fronts.The first is my desire for escapism. How nice is it to just switch off? To just be enter...  Read More

Better the little that the righteous have    than the wealth of many wicked;for the power of the wicked will be broken,    but the Lord upholds the righteous.Psalm 37:16-17I want you to read the passage above again. Go on.Do you believe it? In this, I think many of us struggle.I know because when I watch shows like Grand Designs or The Block, I love the process but I also want the house. Can you r...  Read More

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”James 4:13-15It really is remarkable to th...  Read More

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5How do you get wisdom? I reckon most people think wisdom comes from a broad range of experiences. For instance, these days, travelling the world is one of the keys to wisdom. But you know what, I’m not convinced. I’ve met plenty of people who are really well trav...  Read More

My son, if sinful men entice you,do not give in to them.Proverbs 1:10I was invited to a wine tasting night at a friend's house. 20 unbelieving blokes, expensive bottles of wine, not much food and one lone Christian. For me, a recipe for sin. It’s not aggressive - they never chanted ‘drink’ or forced wine down my throat. But I wanted to do what they were doing. Have you experienced something like t...  Read More

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7I reckon one thing that most people want is to be wise (or maybe at least to be seen as wise). How do you become wise? Well, what does our world say? A few things maybe:i) Wisdom comes from experiences - the wisest people are those who have travelled the most, engaged with the most cultures an...  Read More

Then he (Jesus) said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”Luke 12:15Isn’t greed ugly? We don’t like it when we see it. Whether it’s the bonus the CEO gets paid, or the profit a company makes, or just that person at the party who takes more food than they should. Greed is ugly.But so rarely are we brave enough to loo...  Read More

Start children off on the way they should go,and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6Every Wednesday, we turn our ear to wisdom. As a parent, I'm constantly feeling out of my depth. Raising kids and particularly raising kids to trust in Jesus feels overwhelming in this culture. But the consequences if we don’t are far more overwhelming.The wise writer reminds us. Childr...  Read More

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.Galatians 6:9-10I was having a conversation with a mate about family. He was surprised to hear me say that I don’t think we need to be friends with our family. Like ...  Read More

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.Ephesians 4:31-32Friendships can be one of the most enriching experiences in life and one of the most heartbreaking. Conflict is a normal part of any relationship and friendships usually have their ...  Read More

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 1 Corinthians 9:19Why do people make friends? It’s not a question we think about much. It just happens right? First, through family friends, then through school or sports, and so on.I think it’s fair to say that most people make friends because it’s natural (God created us to be relational) a...  Read More

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.1 Thessalonians 5:11Last Wednesday we began a discussion about friendship. In this digital, global, high-paced and stressful age, true friendship has never felt harder to find or maintain. But what does the Bible say about friendship? And specifically for today, what does it say about who we should be friends wi...  Read More

  Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,          and the pleasantness of a friend          springs from their heartfelt advice. Proverbs 27:9Making and maintaining friendships must be one of the most important and yet hardest parts of life. Particularly as you get older and as responsibilities pile up. And our cultural situation hasn’t helped. As many have noted - we have lots of connections...  Read More