January 15, 2024

You Need Advice, and Here's Why!

Proverbs 12

Tia Stelzer
Monday's Devo

January 15, 2024

Monday's Devo

January 15, 2024

Monday's Devo

January 15, 2024

Monday's Devo

January 15, 2024

Big Book Idea

Living wisely; God's way.

Key Verse | Proverbs 12:15

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,    
but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 12

1  Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but he who hates reproof is stupid.
2  A good man obtains favor 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, 1 12:13 Or In the transgression of the lips, there is an evil snare
    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 2 12:17 Hebrew breathes out 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 labor.
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 neighbor, 3 12:26 Or The righteous chooses his friends carefully
    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. 4 12:27 Or but diligence is precious wealth
28  In the path of righteousness is life,
    and in its pathway there is no death.

Footnotes

[1] 12:13 Or In the transgression of the lips, there is an evil snare
[2] 12:17 Hebrew breathes out
[3] 12:26 Or The righteous chooses his friends carefully
[4] 12:27 Or but diligence is precious wealth
Table of Contents
Introduction to Proverbs

Introduction to Proverbs

Timeline

Author and Date

Proverbs itself mentions Solomon (reigned c. 971–931 B.C.) as author or collector of its contents (1:1; 10:1), including the proverbs copied by Hezekiah’s men (25:1). There are also two batches of sayings from a group called “the wise” (22:17–24:22; 24:23–34), and “oracles” from Agur (30:1–33) and Lemuel (31:1–9). No author is named for the song in praise of the excellent wife that ends the book (31:10–31). Although Proverbs was begun in the time of Solomon, it probably was not in its present form until the time of Hezekiah (reigned c. 715–686 B.C.).

Theme

The goal of the book is stated right at the beginning (1:1–7): to describe what wisdom is and to help God’s people become wise. Wisdom is founded in the “fear of the Lord,” and it enables believers to express their faith in the practical details of everyday life.

Audience

The book is addressed to a young man. The situations he will face while he is young receive much attention. These situations supply concrete examples from which all readers can apply lessons to their own lives. Anyone who is wise and who pays attention will benefit (1:5) from this instruction.

Reading Proverbs

The reader of Proverbs must seek to understand the various types of people the book describes. The most obvious characters in the book are the wise, the fool, and the simple. Proverbs urges its readers to be wise, which means embracing God’s covenant and living out the covenant in everyday situations (compare 2:2; 10:1). The fool is the person who constantly opposes God’s covenant (1:7b). The simple is the person who is not firmly committed, either to wisdom or to folly; he is easily misled (14:15).

The first nine chapters of Proverbs are “wisdom poems” that urge the reader to pursue wisdom. The main section of Proverbs—the concise, memorable statements of two or three lines—begins in 10:1. Proverbs often seem to be mere observations about life, but their deeper meanings will reveal themselves if the following questions are kept in mind: (1) What virtue does this proverb commend? (2) What vice does it disapprove of? (3) What value does it affirm?

Key Themes

Proverbs offers wisdom on a wide array of topics from daily life: diligence and laziness (6:6–11); friendship (3:27–28; 18:24); speech (10:19–21); marriage (18:22; 19:14); child rearing (22:6); domestic peace (15:17; 17:1); work (11:1); getting along and good manners (23:1–2; 25:16–17; 26:17–19; 27:14); eternity (14:32; 23:17–18); and much more. It shows that “godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:8).

  1. God’s will is intensely practical, applying to every aspect of life. A proper relation to God involves trying hard to understand his truth, and then embracing and obeying that truth.
  2. A life lived by God’s will is a happy life (3:21–26).
  3. A life lived by God’s will is a useful life (3:27–28; 12:18, 25).
  4. A life lived by God’s will does not just happen. One must seek after it (9:1–6).

Outline

  1. Title, Goal, and Motto (1:1–7)
  2. A Father’s Invitation to Wisdom (1:8–9:18)
  3. Proverbs of Solomon (10:1–22:16)
  4. The Thirty Sayings of “the Wise” (22:17–24:22)
  5. Further Sayings of “the Wise” (24:23–34)
  6. Hezekiah’s Collection of Solomonic Proverbs (25:1–29:27)
  7. The Sayings of Agur (30:1–33)
  8. The Sayings of King Lemuel (31:1–9)
  9. An Alphabet of Womanly Excellence (31:10–31)
The Global Message of Proverbs

The Global Message of Proverbs

Proverbs: Wisdom for the World

The book of Proverbs is not simply a collection of “wise sayings” for life. It is heaven-sent help for stumbling sinners all over the world from every walk of life who are willing to listen to something other than their own fallen instincts. The “fool” in Proverbs is not someone who lacks intellectual capacity but one who stubbornly lives out of his own fallen intuitions, resisting instruction and correction. Likewise, the wise person in Proverbs is not someone who is intellectually superior but someone who humbly places himself beneath the authority of God. Such wisdom is for all God’s people everywhere.

In his great mercy God has clearly shown wisdom to the world—both through the instruction of his Word and in the person of his Son. The book of Proverbs summarizes true wisdom as rooted in the “fear of the LORD” (Prov. 1:7). In Jesus such wisdom takes on new clarity and glory as the one who is the “wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24) and who “became to us wisdom from God” (1 Cor. 1:30). God’s global people are to receive such wise instruction, to base their wise living in the fear and worship of God, and to testify to a lost world about God’s saving wisdom.

God’s Wisdom Is Theological and Practical

In one sense wisdom is very much universal. It is difficult to find a culture or tradition without its own legacy of wise sayings. Some of these are culture-specific; others reflect the shared human experience.

Scripture’s admonition and exhortation about wisdom, however, is clear. Our faith is not to rest on man’s wisdom but is to be rooted in God’s power (1 Cor. 2:5). The wisdom of this world is “folly with God” (1 Cor. 3:19). Ultimate wisdom is from God (1 Cor. 1:30) and is revealed by God (1 Cor. 2:7). True wisdom is theological and God-given. Those who lack wisdom are to “ask God” for it (James 1:5). It is the Lord who gives wisdom (Prov. 2:6). In Proverbs 9:10 God’s people are reminded again that, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (compare 1:7). True wisdom is not the handy tips for life that get handed down from generation to generation among those who do not know God. True wisdom is divine. It is rooted in God’s own saving revelation to his people.

God’s wisdom is not only theological; it is also practical. Indeed, wisdom is practical because it is theological. Theology impacts daily life, and this is clearly seen in the instruction of Proverbs. Everyday life issues are addressed, including parental relations (Prov. 10:1; 15:20; 19:26; 23:25), marriage (5:18; 12:4; 18:22; 19:13–14; 31:10), money (3:9; 10:4; 11:1; 15:16; 16:11), and the power and danger of words (4:5; 7:5; 10:19; 16:24; 17:27). These are life issues that affect people of every age and place. Proverbs provides a picture of both the blessed life grounded in the fear of the Lord and the danger-filled and foolish life of those who despise the Lord’s wisdom and instruction (1:7).

God’s Wisdom Is Individual and Global

Individual wisdom. For every person, in every place, in every time, the message of Proverbs rings true: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10). Wisdom from above is not mere advice or pithy sayings. Rather, the worthiest and most blessed advice flows from God, when he has his proper central place in the heart and worship of each individual created by his hand and in his image.

Global wisdom. The message of Proverbs is also global. This is true, first, because only God’s wisdom comprehensively instructs and skillfully dissects with perfect insight the hearts of mankind from every place and for every time. God’s wisdom is global, second, in that God’s global people are called to global engagement and a global mission. The Lord is not a tribal god. The teaching of Proverbs is not tribal lore. God’s wisdom is eternal and global. And God’s people are called to be instruments, through word and deed, of teaching his wisdom to the world. Those who are wise in God represent God to the world. For example, the wise exhibit generosity to the poor and the needy (Prov. 14:21, 31). The wise in God speak enduring and reliable wisdom to a world desperately looking for life-giving counsel. The wise in God feed even their own enemies (25:21).

Taking God’s Saving Wisdom to the World

In the book of Proverbs the Lord has equipped his people to fulfill his global and eternal purposes. God’s purpose is to reveal himself to and then through a people who will bring eternal blessing to the world, and that purpose is still unfolding around the world today (Matt. 28:18–20). In his kindness God has made known both the path of the wicked (Prov. 4:14) and the path of righteousness (12:28). The one leads to destruction and the other to life (11:19).

When love and grace is observed by the world in the lives of God’s people and supremely in the cross of Christ, it is indeed “folly” to them (1 Cor. 1:18, 21). But “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25). The wise in God share the good news of the wisdom of God in the gospel of Christ with nations both near and far. Such sharing, when it lands on receptive ears, is “like cold water to a thirsty soul” (Prov. 25:25).In grace God is opening blind eyes through the gospel to his glorious wisdom. In grace he has shown us and empowered us toward a life of God-honoring, upright living. In grace he will use us as his global ambassadors till the day we join in the angelic choir proclaiming, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen” (Rev. 7:12).

Job Fact #9: Proverbs in Job

Fact: Proverbs in Job

Proverbs in Job. In 17:5, Job may have been quoting a proverb to warn his friends not to make false accusations against him. Proverbs are an effective and memorable way of stating a truth. The book of Proverbs is a rich resource of such wisdom.

Proverbs Fact #1: Wisdom

Fact: Wisdom

Wisdom is a key term in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. The word can mean “skilled at making sound decisions in life.” Proverbs 9:10 states that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”

Proverbs Fact #4: Garlands

Fact: Garlands

Garlands were wreaths woven from leaves and flowers. They were worn around the head or neck during various celebrations such as weddings. They were also symbols of honor for military success. In Proverbs, they symbolize the honor that comes from following the way of wisdom (4:9).

Proverbs Fact #7: The simple person

Fact: The simple person

The simple person (7:7) is one of the primary character types described in the book of Proverbs. The term describes someone who is immature and easily misled (14:15).

Proverbs Fact #10: A different kind of security

Fact: A different kind of security

A different kind of security. In biblical times, if a person was unable to pay his debt, the consequences could be serious. The whole family could be sold into slavery. If someone put up “security” for another person, he promised to pay that person’s debt if he was unable to do so himself. Proverbs teaches that putting up security for another person is generally unwise, since those who do so risk losing everything if the other person cannot pay his debt (11:15).

Proverbs Fact #27: Gluttony

Fact: Gluttony

Gluttony refers to excessive eating. The Bible condemns gluttony as well as drunkenness. Proverbs teaches that eating and drinking in excess can lead to poverty (23:19–21).

Proverbs Fact #28: Hezekiah’s contribution to Proverbs

Fact: Hezekiah’s contribution to Proverbs

Hezekiah’s contribution to Proverbs. Although most of the Proverbs were collected or written by King Solomon, who reigned from 971–931 B.C., the book of Proverbs did not exist in its present form until the time of King Hezekiah, some 200 years later. Hezekiah and “his men,” probably his scribes, recorded chs. 25–29.

Proverbs Fact #29: Rock badgers

Fact: Rock badgers

Rock badgers are small cliff-dwelling animals closely resembling guinea pigs. They live and forage for food in large groups and are good at hiding. They are best known for posting sentries that alert the group when danger is near. Perhaps it was this mark of wisdom that earned them a mention in Proverbs (30:26).

Proverbs Fact #11: What is an “abomination”?

Fact: What is an “abomination”?

What is an “abomination”? When the Bible refers to something as an “abomination” (12:22), it means that it is repulsive or detestable to the Lord. Things that are an abomination are contrary to the will of God and his commandments.

OT Testimony that All Are under Sin (3:9)

OT Testimony that All Are under Sin (3:9)

Romans 3 OT Reference
Sinful Condition
v. 10, none is righteous Ps. 14:3/53:3; Eccles. 7:20
v. 11a, no one understands Ps. 14:2/53:2
v. 11b, no one seeks for God Ps. 14:2/53:2
v. 12, all have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one Ps. 14:3/53:3
Sinful Speech (note progression from throat to tongue to lips)
v. 13a, b, their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive Ps. 5:10, Septuagint (English, 5:9)
v. 13c, the venom of asps is under their lips Ps. 140:3
v. 14, their mouth is full of curses and bitterness Ps. 10:7
Sinful Action
v. 15, their feet are swift to shed blood Prov. 1:16/Isa. 59:7
v. 16, in their paths are ruin and misery Isa. 59:7
v. 17, and the way of peace they have not known Isa. 59:8
Summary Statement
v. 18, there is no fear of God before their eyes Ps. 36:1
Study Notes

Prov. 12:1–4 These verses begin by encouraging the reader to be one who loves discipline and not one who hates reproof or moral correction. Such an attitude produces a life that will never be moved.

Prov. 12:4 crown. A woman of good character helps her husband live faithfully and brings him visible public honor. excellent wife. See ch. 31.

Study Notes

Prov. 12:5–7 These three proverbs are united by the word pairs righteous/wicked, wicked/upright, and wicked/righteous. The proverbs progress from righteous counsel vs. wicked counsel (v. 5), to treachery vs. deliverance (v. 6), and finally to the destruction of the wicked vs. the stability of the righteous (v. 7).

Study Notes

Prov. 12:9–11 These sayings about ordinary workers illustrate either the “good sense” or the “twisted mind” of v. 8. Lack bread is paralleled by lacks sense. The righteous person cares even for his animals (v. 10a) and provides for his household by a sensible perspective on life (v. 9a) and sensible labors (v. 11a). By contrast, he who follows worthless pursuits (such as get-rich-quick schemes or gambling) lacks sense and will probably end up in poverty (compare 28:19).

Study Notes

Prov. 12:12–14 One who covets illegitimate spoil will be trapped by his own transgression. In contrast, the labor of the righteous takes root, bears fruit, and leads in a path that ultimately escapes from trouble.

Study Notes

Prov. 12:15 The person who is right (or wise) in his own eyes sees no need to seek instruction or counsel from others. He is unwilling to listen to correction.

Study Notes

Prov. 12:18 The normal speech pattern of some people is constantly to accuse, belittle, manipulate, mock, insult, or condemn. Their rash words hurt other people and feel like sword thrusts. This is the opposite of the way of wisdom taught in Proverbs, for the tongue of the wise brings healing (compare Eph. 4:29).

Study Notes
Proverbs Fact #11: What is an “abomination”?

Fact: What is an “abomination”?

What is an “abomination”? When the Bible refers to something as an “abomination” (12:22), it means that it is repulsive or detestable to the Lord. Things that are an abomination are contrary to the will of God and his commandments.

Study Notes

Prov. 12:16–23 The fool’s perspective of being “right in his own eyes” (v. 15) is illustrated in his speech, which is contrasted with that of the wise.

S3:011 Proverbs 12

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Proverbs 12

James 1:5 tells us: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." But how exactly does the Lord give us that wisdom? He does so through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17), His Spirit (John 14:26), and His people (Colossians 1:28). And if you're anything like me, hearing wisdom, especially in the form of admonishment, is hardest when it's from His people. 

If you're in a community group or other small group, there's a good chance you've heard some of these Scriptures before, such as:

  • The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
    but a wise man listens to advice. (Proverbs 12:15) or
  • Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but he who hates reproof is stupid. (Proverbs 12:1‬).

Living in authentic, transparent community with fellow believers can be really challenging, but it is such a gift from the Lord. 

Many of my unbelieving friends, and even some believing friends who aren't in a community group, are surprised when they learn that our community group knows about our finances (how much money we make, what we spend money on, how much money we give each month, etc.) and the details of conflict that Joshua and I walk through in our marriage. They're surprised that couples within our community group process big decisions together, like whether to have more children, buy a house, or go through foster training to become foster parents. This seems very countercultural, because it is. We live in a culture of autonomy and independence, a culture of "the only opinion that matters is your own."

But God does not call us to live like this. He calls us to live in radical community with one another (Hebrews 10:24-25), admonishing, encouraging, and guiding one another through His Spirit and His Word (Colossians 3:16). And what a blessing that is!

This month's memory verse

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

– Ephesians 4:2

Discussion Questions

1. Are you currently in a community group or a small group with other believers or have other believing friends that you can consult and seek counsel from? If so, do you process life decisions together? Do you seek their counsel and advice on a regular basis? If not, what's holding you back from having relationships like this?

2. What are life decisions that your group or your friends regularly process together (dating, big financial purchases, job changes, children's education, etc.)? Do you feel like there are any "off limits" topics? If so, why do you think that is, and do you think that's healthy?

3. When you're the one giving counsel to a fellow believer, are you tempted to just give your personal opinion, or do you inform and educate them on what the Lord has to say about the matter? ("I think . . ." vs. "Let's see what we can find about this in Scripture.") Is using Scripture to back up your counsel a regular habit of yours?

4. Are there any potential "blind spots" in your life where you may not see a problem, but which others have brought to your attention?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

MS

Michael Scaman

Wisdom as keynote speaker Invest 2024 and beyond - Proverbs 12 as if by Lady Wisdom improving upon Warren Buffet In the world of investments, discipline stands as the cornerstone—cherish it, embrace knowledge. Rejecting correction paves the way for unwise decisions, but in the market, wisdom consistently triumphs. A good wife is open open trade secret in business while a bad one can be a debit even to your health. At its core, investing in wicked devices is a losing proposition. Integrity, on the other hand, earns favor not just in financial realms but echoes divine approval. Associate with ethical businesses. More than the market will cast judgment on those with malevolent intentions. Wickedness may falter in establishing its roots, yet the foundation of the righteous investor stands unshaken. Construct a portfolio fortified with enduring strength, rooted in unwavering fundamental principles. Become the epitome of an outstanding investor, the crown adorning your financial kingdom. Shun investments that cast shadows of shame and opt for those fostering long-term growth. Business is done in writing but words matter and use yours wisely. Tend to your investments like a diligent farmer tends to his land. Choosing the path of financial righteousness leads to a harvest of life and abundance, while chasing after futile endeavors lacks the focus and sense needed for financial success. There is a moral realm to investing, the cardinal rule is not to lose integrity—where moral principles reign supreme. Remember, in the pursuit of righteous choices, one not only avoids losses in ethics but also pleases the divine, echoing with improvement on Lady Wisdom's timeless mantra: "Rule number one: Never lose sight of a moral Godward life. Rule number two: Never forget rule number one."
HS

Hugh Stephenson

I count nine instances of the word “righteous” in this chapter. Here’s what Got Qs has to say about it https://www.gotquestions.org/righteousness.html More from Crosswalk - https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/what-does-it-mean-to-be-righteous.html More links to various forms of righteousness in the Bible https://www.gotquestions.org/search.php?zoom_sort=0&zoom_query=righteousness+ Here are the antonyms of righteousness in this chapter stated in one form or another- Wicked, stupid, evil, rottenness, deceit, twisted mind, worthless, fool, false witness, rash words, lying tongue, trouble, abomination, slothful, lying, death. What continues to stand out to me is the dichotomies presented by these two states: righteousness and wickedness (plus the antonyms). Why would anyone in their right mind choose the latter? Or maybe that’s just the point?
HS

Hugh Stephenson

One way or another I had to come to grips with the claim of truthfulness of Scripture. If I accept this claim then every moment of my life should be oriented to Scripture as the Word of the Creator of the universe. All that said, shouldn’t I make every move towards that Creator? And isn’t righteousness the key? So why would I ever CHOOSE to be wicked, foolish, unteachable etc? The dichotomy presented over and over in these couplets is incredibly compelling! For me the major point is that actions have consequences. I note these verses regarding the fruit of the mouth and the work of the hand:
 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. 24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
 while the slothful will be put to forced labor. Those two verses have “on the ground” practicality. This last verse from the chapter gives the blessing from following the wisdom of God: 28 In the path of righteousness is life,
 and in its pathway there is no death. Which leads me to my two go-to verses on consequences. Both use the agricultural metaphor of sowing and reaping. Hosea 8:7 For they sow the wind,
 and they shall reap the whirlwind.
 The standing grain has no heads;
 it shall yield no flour; 
if it were to yield,
 strangers would devour it. Galatians 6:7 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
GJ

greg jones

Good morning Tia. As someone who has experienced a few different groups over many years I hear you describing one that is matching a level of care that you desire. I can also understand why that level of care could sound suffocating for anyone who has experienced only a negative legalistic approach to small group care. 1a Are you currently in a community group or a small group with other believers or have other believing friends that you can consult and seek counsel from? Yes. 1b If so, do you process life decisions together? Yes, in that they inform and influence decisions I make in life. 1c Do you seek their counsel and advice on a regular basis? My wife and I have maintained a relationship with one small primary group for over thirty years. We’ve also been associated with other groups at the same time over those years so there is some distinction between certain groups and levels of council and advice. With the primary group, after over 30 years of friendship seeking their counsel and advice on a regular basis doesn’t feel as forced as the way the question is stated can make it seem. 1d If not, what's holding you back from having relationships like this? If, reasonable differences of opinion could not be held within a primary or secondary group I wouldn’t maintain a relationship with the group. A reason similar to that could hold me back. 2a What are life decisions that your group or your friends regularly process together (dating, big financial purchases, job changes, children's education, etc.)? What is retirement going to/looking like? 2b Do you feel like there are any "off limits" topics? If someone states a boundary anything beyond that boundary is off limits. 2c If so, why do you think that is, and do you think that's healthy? Boundaries are safeguards to a person’s well being in a relationship. Healthy relationships may not agree with where the boundary lies but they respect where the boundary lies. Over time healthy boundaries shift in healthy relationships. That natural progression is what makes the best of relationships so rich…yes, in context it is healthy. 3a When you're the one giving counsel to a fellow believer, are you tempted to just give your personal opinion, or do you inform and educate them on what the Lord has to say about the matter? In a Watermark community group setting (not unlike other group settings in similar churches) or on this JTJ forum I know the expectation is to qualify answers with scripture. I try to meet that expectation. 3b ("I think . . ." vs. "Let's see what we can find about this in Scripture.") Is using Scripture to back up your counsel a regular habit of yours? When discussing scriptural issues absolutely. Example: Dietary law was a huge issue in the New Testament era. Jesus declares all food clean, Mark 7:14-23 emphasis on verse 19. Mark was not an original follower of Jesus but tradition says he wrote down first hand reports as told by Peter. Acts 10:9-16 describes the vision that convinced Peter that all foods had been declared clean. Matthew 5:17-20 calls into question the opinion stated in Mark 7:19. 1 Corinthians 8 Paul spends a chapter declaring food offered to idols as clean, for some, sometimes. If you hold to a literal reading of Revelation Jesus is recorded as saying But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. Revelation 2:14 Did Jesus declare all foods clean? My opinion based on New Testament scripture is that I believe the author of Mark believed that he had when he wrote his gospel. I believe the author of Matthew disputed that view of Jesus teaching when he wrote his gospel. I believe Peter came to the believe of all foods to be clean after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus by means of something other than a direct teaching from the lips of Jesus. I believe the author of Revelation, or Jesus depending on your theology concerning Revelation, never believed/taught all foods to be clean while citing the narrative of Balaam and Balak Numbers 22-24 as reason. Interestingly, Paul who is usually quick to cite scripture when giving counsel, cites none in 1 Corinthians 8 despite the weight of the subject in the day. Outside of scriptural issues it’s not really a personal habit. 4 Are there any potential "blind spots" in your life where you may not see a problem, but which others have brought to your attention? Yes.
LD

Lindsey Driscoll

Tia, thank you for reminding us the value of “walking with the wise to become wise” as we will read tomorrow in Proverbs 13:20. Q2 - what do we as a group discuss regularly - it has been a great blessing to process finances together as a community group. When you actually have to stop and think about why you are spending Gods money, or what you are spending it on; the accountability is extremely helpful. Q4- blind sports - one of my community group members recently asked me if I could budget time like I do Gods money. I’ll easily share how much I spent $ on something, but I defiantly would not want to share my phone screen time report in detail every week. Proverbs 12:1. Phone time is a great example of where I do not love discipline, and if I share I would be open to correction. It’s good to ask myself what am I sowing and reaping in this area? Proverbs 12:14, 24-25.
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Amy Lowther

1. Yes, because it helps me think a little more about how God is in my life and how I am using His ways in daily activities. Communities give me suggestions for major decisions in my life and help me to find words when typically I wouldn’t think of them. I support consistent meetings of community so we may discuss relevant ideas. It’s a matter of doing a little bit at a time, putting opinions aside, and staying focused on God. 2. Regular discussions occur in areas of attending church (and scheduling that goes with it), applying God’s Word in daily life, and serving for the church. It is encouraged to justify ideas with the Bible and to leave opinionated conversations elsewhere. These things are true because God can help each of us be objective in positive productive ways. 3. I respect the person and show respect for what they tell me. I also give them suggestions of ways the Lord can help them. I use scripture as appropriate. Scripture helps sometimes and doesn’t help other times. 4. Yes, unselfish heart filled people doing their jobs personally and professionally are very helpful. Tia - Thank you for sharing your ideas. You make a good point in presenting from James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him”. It is always helpful to remember who we are personally and where we began.
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Sue Bohlin

Thanks so much, Tia. Good good stuff. I just love verse 1. A lot of folks can't believe the Bible has something as cool to say as, "whoever hates correction is stupid." "Stupid" is a no-no word in a lot of families, which makes it all the funnier to me that we find so many Bible translations using that very word. But I decided to make it a foundational truth for my life. I titled one of my favorite blog posts "Why I Love to Learn I'm Wrong": https://probe.org/why-i-love-to-learn-im-wrong/