HeIsGreater

Rooted by Him

Proverbs 12:1-3 There are very few people who like to be on the receiving end of discipline. We like it when others are disciplined, especially if their discipline makes our life easier. We point the finger at others when they are doing wrong, and try to protect ourselves when we are doing wrong. But disciplineContinue reading “Rooted by Him”

Broken System of Justice

Proverbs 11:31 Be careful how you read. What is the first word of our text today? It is the word “if.” This is important because this places a condition on what is said. The content of the statement does not necessarily have to be true. And in this case it is not true. The righteousContinue reading “Broken System of Justice”

I Won!

Proverbs 11:30 Winning souls is not what you think. It is not something that happens on Lottery day, with a soul being the prize. Many sermons have been given over the years that miss the point of this verse. Let’s start with a refresher course in Hebrew poetry and the parallel structure. These two phrasesContinue reading “I Won!”

Bankrupt

Proverbs 11:23-28 The proverbs in today’s passage all deal with different aspects of money. Much of our lives center around getting and spending money. Money is a neutral commodity. It can be either good or evil, depending on our motives and what we do with it. It can do tremendous good, and it can bringContinue reading “Bankrupt”

Sold!

Proverbs 11:22 Pigs are on the list of “don’t eat” foods in the Bible for a reason. They will eat anything, and I mean anything. And in cultures where indoor plumbing did not exist, … well you get the picture. Have you ever watched a pig eating? They use their nose to push through whateverContinue reading “Sold!”

Hand in Hand

Proverbs 11:16-21 Kindness is very underrated in our culture. We want other people to be kind toward us, but we are (or should I say I am) not kind in practice. We want other people to let us cut in front in a line of traffic, but when someone tries to cut in front ofContinue reading “Hand in Hand”

Too Trusting

Proverbs 11:15 Some people are too trusting of others. We hear almost every day of another scam artist ripping off some elderly. Recently people are using Obamacareas the way into people’s private information. The scammer calls on the phone “signing people up” for the benefit. They collect the information and then the money just emptiesContinue reading “Too Trusting”

A Lone Ranger

Proverbs 11:14 Being the leader can be a lonely task, but it shouldn’t be a task done alone. The leader bears the responsibility for the decisions made, but they shouldn’t make the decisions alone. The consequences for not having a group of advisors you trust to tell you the truth even when they disagree withContinue reading “A Lone Ranger”

Property Wars

Proverbs 11:12-13 Real estate can be a tricky investment. All it takes is one really bad neighbor and the value of all the properties in the area can take a dive. If they don’t maintain their house and it is near the beginning of the development, or it sits right next to your property, saysContinue reading “Property Wars”

Loose Lips

Proverbs 11:8-11 During WWII there was a saying “Loose lips sink ships” to describe the need for vigilance around keeping important information out of the hands of the enemy. In the age of Wikileaks the saying might be “unsecured data transfer devices and lax security procedures damage national security,” but that isn’t nearly as catchy.Continue reading “Loose Lips”