Wisdom and Discernment

                                                             SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
                                                                week of September 25,2011
                                                                      Proverbs 25:1-10
Lesson Focus:
A humble attitude is good in all circumstances


Introduction:

Seek wise counsel,God knows the hidden things in the very depths and hearts of all men.He sees the motives behind all that we say,think and do, you cannot fool God. But man is limited,he does not know all things and definitely cannot see all areas inside a person's heart and mind.It's wise to confer with mature,godly people when situation arises,and pray and help one another.God allows leaders to get rid of wicked people in top positions.Believers need to surround themselves with others who love and respect God.Wicked people standing against God,can cause unrest and persuade others to join in their unbelief.We must be careful not to jump to conclusions about people and situations,there is always more to the story.In every situation you choose to be the one like Christ and bring peace to the matter.

Remove Evil Influences
Proverbs 25:1-5,KJV

  ¹These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
   ²It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
   ³The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
   ⁴Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
   ⁵Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

footnotes:

Here we have the process of purifying silver to that of a King removing evil influences from before him.When refining silver ,the impurities are skimmed off of the top providing the silversmith with a purer metal with which he can make a fine product.In the same way we must remove the wicked and evil things from our lives that may cause us to stumble and be lead astray.We should never seek godly advise from the ungodly, much like you wouldn't seek marriage advice from a single person or ask one with no children how to raise your children.

Be Humble

Proverbs 25:6-7,KJV

  ⁶Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:

   ⁷For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

footnote:

Here we have a setting in the Kings court with the guest arriving and are eager to sit near the King. The problem with this prideful approach is the risk of embarrasment should the King want some one else to sit close to him.No matter what setting you apply this to, the lesson is to avoid the danger of thinking to highly of ourselves,but to remain humble in regards to others.Jesus said "for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,and he who humbles himself will be exalted".In reguards to our salvation,if we think that our own works and righteousness will save us ,we will face humilation of the worst sort imaginable,as he says "depart from me ,I never knew you.But when we humbly come before Him,seeking forgiveness, confessing our sins and unworthiness of His salvation,we will find the open door to eternal life.

Keep the Confidence of Others

Proverbs 25:8-10 KJV

  ⁸Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.

   ⁹Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:
   ¹⁰Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.

footnotes:

Solomon argues againstbeing to hasty in taking a matter against your neighbor to court.The problem with such hasty action is that we might be mistaklen or have misinterpreted what we saw.There may be innocent explanation for what might have looked harmful from a distance.When arguing our case with our neighbor,we must be careful not to betray the confidence of another person.We must not take that which we were told in confidence and use it to make a point about something else. This can ruin  a relationship and even a marriage.Remember our spoken word is like feathers in the wind,once released,they can never be truly taken back.So be mindful of what you say,think and pray before you act.

Good Advice

                                                                   Sunday School lesson
                                                                  Week of September 18th

Lesson Scripture
proverbs 15:21-33


Introduction:
A fool lives without thinking,argues with those who are wise,and is impulsive.The fool enjoys going against what God says and thinks it's a joke to practice wrong behaviors.However ,a person seeking God's answers for life takes the time to ponder thoughts,attitudes,and actions.Prayer and desiring God's insight and wanting to live right before Him are that person's main priorities.The domino effect of this kind of living before God is all good.


Timely words of Advice
Proverbs 15:21-25KJV

²¹Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.
   ²²Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.
   ²³A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
   ²⁴The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
   ²⁵The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.

Footnotes:

There is a saying "If you fail to plan ,you plan to fail" but even careful planning can end in failure if we ignore the opportunity to seek wise advice.Solomon made this observation on a national level in 11:14 and here applies the same principle in a personal setting.Sometimes we need sound words of counsel to breathe life into our plans.At other times, we may need understanding so we can provide sensible guidance to others.Solomon says that our words should be well thought out and suitable for the occasion.He also stresses a timely nature of our words,especially when giving advise or speaking at critical times in the life of another person.

Thoughful Replies

Proverbs 15:26-30KJV

 ²⁶The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.

   ²⁷He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
   ²⁸The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
   ²⁹The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
   ³⁰The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.

Footnotes:

Here verse 26 contrast the "thoughts of the wicked" with literally the "words of the pure".The Lord hates those who harbor thoughts that reveal themselves in hateful and hurtful speach,but those who do not harbor malice toward others as reflected by their pleasant words please Him.The "greedy" person is one who looks to cut a deal somewhere or obtain wealth in a hurry,even if it means using unjust means or accepting a bribe.The righteous provide thoughtful replies to those around them.The phrase "weighs its answer" implies consideration,study,and planning.The hearts of the blameless ponder their responses and filter their answers against God's wisdom.The wicked intend to injure others and hence "evil" flows out of their mouths.The Lord responds by staying away from those who use words to harm others while he responds to the prayers of the pure of heart.

Words of Correction
Proverbs 15:31-33KJV

 ³¹The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.
   ³²He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.
   ³³The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

Footnotes:

While the Lord detests those who angrily use words intended to hurt or even destroy others,there is a place for "speaking the truth in love" in dealings with others, particularly with fellow believers. The viewpoint of the closing verses of Proverbs 15 is that of someone receiving thoughtful words of correction spoken with sincere love.Solomon qualifies the rebuke as "life-giving".The situation here is of receiving a rebuke intended to get us back on th epath of wisdom or on a path leading to a fuller life.Those who respond favorably to timely admonishment show both a healty fear of the Lord and humility.Humbly submitting to the Lord and His word,even in cases where it rebukes our behavior,eventually leads to both wisdom and honor for us.

The Wise Path

                                                                      Sunday School Lesson
                                                                  Week of September 11, 2011

Proverbs:4:10-15;20-27

Introduction:

Daily wisdom is available in God's word through meditating and memorizing.But most of all,we have to take it seriously,placing it deep inside our hearts and believing this is the only way to conduct our lives.Those who truly study and practice God's word experience contentment and peace.

Solomon was lead astray by keeping close company with those who worshiped idols.It moved his heart away from God,so he advised,keep your distance from those who do cause a whirling around and running away from evil and evil doers not wanting to follow God's agenda.When those around you don't want to follow God's agenda this should make you feel sad,but the love of God and his ways will lead us to goodness and happiness.

Walk on the Path of Wisdom
proverbs 4:10-15KJV

¹⁰Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
   ¹¹I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
   ¹²When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
   ¹³Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
   ¹⁴Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
   ¹⁵Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

footnotes:

In verse 10 Solomon encourages his son to listen to him with the promise that his wisdom would lengthen the son's life.As Implied throughout Proverbs,Solomon was in essence imparting God's truth in the form of wisdom and therefore could claim that obedience to his word would impart life to those obeying them.So that his son might enjoy a longer and fuller life,Solomon promises to guide him along the way of wisdom.As the son follows the steps of Godly wisdom, he will be able to walk and eventually run, as he finds that many of the obstacles impeding the progress of others,have been removed from his path.God wisdom makes a way for all who walk in the path of His wisdom.For God path is a straight path.

Guard Your Hearts
Proverbs 4:20-23KJV

 ²⁰My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
   ²¹Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
   ²²For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
   ²³Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

footnotes:

Staying on the path of God's wisdom and truth requires that we fervently guard our hearts.Such effort begins with paying attention to God's word.Since Proverbs picture Solomon as imparting God's wisdom,conformity to what he says signifies obedience to the word of God.The guarding of our hearts should be a priority.Because all of our life(words,actions,thoughts,emotions)spring out of the heart,we must protect what goes into the heart in terms of what we see, read,concentrate on and listen to from others.If we fill our hearts with God's wisdom,that is what will flow out of us, in our words and behavior.

Stay on the Path of Righteousness
Proverbs 4:24-27KJV

²⁴Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
   ²⁵Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
   ²⁶Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
   ²⁷Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

footnotes:

Here we have Solomon instructing his son as how to stay on the path of righteousness.He commands him to seek purity in his speech rather than the perverseness on the path of wickedness.He must remain focused on God's truth and not become easily distracted by what one sees around him or her.Looking straight ahead means to stay upright and focus on what is pure.It is literally squinting of your eyes to clearly see God's level path as He reveals in His word.There will be many obstacals and temptations trying to distract you from God's truth ,but turn neither to the right ,nor the left,but keep your eyes on Jesus, the revealed word of God.

Wisdom For Living

                                          Sunday School Lesson Week of September 4,2011

Lesson Focus:Trust God and not yourself.

Proverbs 3:1-12

Introduction:Learn God's Truth; God uses the bible to reveal His will for his people.The Bible should be studied and closely followed,not merely carried under one's arm to church.His word is to be deeply written in the hearts,and that is at the center of decision making.As the bible is taken to heart and practiced, it causes a life to overflow with truth,love,and faithfulness.We must learn to lean of God completely,believe his hands are big enough to keep all that we entrust him with,which should be all that we have.


Hold Fast to God's Wisdom
proverbs 3:1-4KJV

¹My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
   ²For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
   ³Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
   ⁴So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man

footnote:

The implication throughout the Book of Proverbs is that the teaching and wisdom of the father,King Solomon,represents God's word and wisdom.The plea of the father is for the son to never let go of God's understanding,love,and faithfulness and to keep them close to his heart so they become a part of his lifestyle.Such a lifestyle results in a long life,prosperity,and a good reputation.Also following God's wisdom will bring a certain graciousness that will endear the son to both God and man.

Trust in the Lord

proverbs 3:5-8KJV

⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

   ⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
   ⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
   ⁸It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones

footnotes:

From the general admonition of keeping his commands,the father now becomes specific with the admonition for the son to "trust in the Lord". Whom we can absolutely depend upon for our well being,help and security.The alternative to trusting in God is trusting ourselves,our own limited ability and understanding.We must obey God's word, even when what we think, seems best for us and our current situation.("for there is a way that seemeth right unto a man ").Along with trust we must acknowledge God in all our ways, pray to him before we do anything, let him lead, guide and direct our actions.

Honor the Lord
Proverbs 3:9-10KJV
⁹Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
   ¹⁰So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

footnote:

Let us honor God with the first of what he blesses us with,be it the first part of a new day,the first of our substance,and all of our increases.Remember God can do more with a dime that we can with 90cents.He said to try Him ,bring your tithes and offerings into his store house and see don't he open a window and pour you out a blessing.While you might think that giving the firstfruits to the Lord would lead to a leaner harvest for yourself,God promises just the opposite is true,and God cannot lie.

Accept God's Discipline
Proverbs 3:11-12KJV
¹¹My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
   ¹²For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth

footnotes:

The last of the instructions,Solomon warns his son not to despise or reject God's discipline.Those whom the Lord loves he chastens.While we might think that his discipline shows his dislike of us it actually shows that he loves us too much to let us go astray.God always has our best interest at heart.The more we know God ,the less scary it becomes to trust Him with our whole life.