We want to be clear that when we come to the book of Proverbs, we are not opening up a box of promises or predictions about how our lives will go. Now are they to be treated as prescriptive commands to be followed in a ritualistic or legalistic manner. So, we sometimes talk about the… Continue reading Proverbs – prescriptions, promises or principles?
Tag: wisdom
Lashing out and sounding off
This group of proverbs warn about the danger of making quick, surface responses. There are those who are quick to sound off, to give their opinion, to let others know what they think and feel, everything is brimming up close to the surface. Examples of this type of person include those who are unloving and… Continue reading Lashing out and sounding off
What do you value?
Proverbs 17 begins with a reversal of expectations and value. We place value on the outward show of opulence and Solomon was able to speak about wealth and feasting from experience. However, he says that he would rather settle for a bit of dry bread if it meant peace at home than enjoy rich feasting… Continue reading What do you value?
Reading Proverbs
It’s quite rare to see a church preaching/teaching series on Proverbs. So I’m pretty excited that our church are going to have a mini series on the book and looking forward to hearing Chris and Rich introduce us to a fantastic and crucial Old Testament book. We did work through much of Proverbs at my… Continue reading Reading Proverbs
Between Legalism and Licence: Wisdom and the Billy Graham Rule
Yesterday I wrote about why speculation is not necessary and not helpful in response to the speculation following Matt Chandler’s announcement. Some people have asked then whether we can or should say anything at all. I think we can respond to things that are in the public domain. The story is unavoidably there, not just… Continue reading Between Legalism and Licence: Wisdom and the Billy Graham Rule
Don’t hide the Psalms in the summer holidays
We’re about to hit the English summer school holidays and up and down the country, churches will be rediscovering the Psalms – or at least the people who are around and in church will be. There’s a tendency to expect attendance to drop as people head off on holiday, ministers themselves take a break and… Continue reading Don’t hide the Psalms in the summer holidays
Building myths
This article is a guest article from Bob Sharples. Following on from my article recently about the myths around assuming that getting a building is a solution to your long term problems, Bob highlights to further myths that churches can believe about owning their buildings. This is not a case for or against owning your… Continue reading Building myths
Leaving faithfully
So, what happens when it is necessary to leave your current church? This may be because: You are having to move due to work or family reasons There’s a specific opportunity to serve God in a new context You disagree with the church over a significant issue in terms of doctrine, direction of travel etc.[1]… Continue reading Leaving faithfully
Be careful with your offence
When Steve Chalke infamously used his punchline comparing Penal Substitution to “cosmic child abuse” a lot of people picked up on how offensive this was towards God. I think Chalke’s defence would be that it could not be offensive to God because the God he believed in had not punished his son on our behalf… Continue reading Be careful with your offence
Teaching Proverbs
It’s probably a book of the Bible rarely preached on as a sequential expository series. People tend to focus on individual proverbs in isolation. However, when I spent time with a local church working through Proverbs as a teaching series, we found it deeply helpful and encouraging. So, if you are looking for a future… Continue reading Teaching Proverbs
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