Friday, January 11, 2019

Wisdom in Relationships

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Wisdom in Relationships
Image Credit:  Olivia Snow - Public Domain Image via Freely Photos
The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled "Wisdom in Relationships."

Wisdom in Relationships

Wisdom shouts in the street,
She lifts her voice in the square;
At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
“How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded?
And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools hate knowledge?
“Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you. - Proverbs 1:20-23
1.  Wisdom is better.  There is nothing better than wisdom in your life.  Never put money ahead of wisdom.  Money will put food on the table but wisdom brings laughter to it.  
How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast. - Proverbs 3:13-18
Wisdom brings honor and peace.

Wisdom is like a tree of life.

Ask for wisdom now. 
The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
“Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her. - Proverbs 4:7-8
2.  Wisdom is a relationship.

You'll never receive wisdom outside of a relationship with God.  

Everything that happens (present tense) is by the knowledge and wisdom of God.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. - Proverbs 9:10
God is a loving Father, a protecting Father, and a present Father.

3.  Wisdom is about life.

Wisdom is seen in how we treat others.  Do we withhold good from others when it is in our power to do good?  

Have you ever falsely accused someone?  The future of families is at stake.  Investigate before you communicate something about someone else.

 Do we make quick judgements?  Ask yourself . . . what is my reputation in my community?  Will my presence be missed?  Don't choose mistreatment and injustice.
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. - 1 Corinthians 1:30

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Wisdom in Generous Living

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Generous Living
Image Credit:  gorartser - Public Domain Image via Pixabay
The following are my Bible study notes from my pastor's sermon titled "Wisdom in Generous Living."

Wisdom in Generous Living

Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine. - Proverbs 3:9-10
When we honor God, He will bless our lives.

Wisdom keeps us from foolishness.

Wisdom protects us.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5
Our God is a generous God.  He will bless our lives.
But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. - 1 Timothy 6:9
 The rich fall into temptation.  We all fall into temptation.
There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. - Proverbs 11:24
1.  God expects generous giving.

Honor = to give weight to.

Honor = to glorify God.

First Fruits = Tithing
Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. - Leviticus 27:30

You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. - Deuteronomy 14:22
New Testament = Not commanded, but grace giving.


And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. - Genesis 14:20

Before the law, there was tithing.

What is a tithe?  A tithe is 10% of your income off the top.

Who should tithe?  Everyone should tithe.

Ask yourselves this question.  Are you unable to tithe because you are broke or are you broke because you do not tithe?
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. - Malachi 3:10-11
Why should we tithe?  We should tithe because God tells us to tithe in His Word.  We should tithe because tithing shows gratitude.


But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:20-21

2.  God blesses generous living.
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.  - 2 Corinthians 9:7-8
 
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