So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Mt. 7:12). I have never met Jonathan Montañez, senior guard on the basketball team of Franklin High School in El Paso, TX.  That said, watching just one moment of his life, a single play involving […]
A Danger with Openness
I was struck by the following quote from Elizabeth Elliott while reading a blog post by Michael Kruger entitled, Is Anyone More Holy Than Anyone Else? The Missing Category of the ‘Righteous Man’: “The ‘openness’ that is often praised among Christians as a sign of true humility may sometimes be an oblique effort to prove that […]
Character Profiles: The Scoffer & The Wicked (Proverbs)
This is the second of four studies aimed at profiling five different people mentioned in the book of Proverbs. For more on the reasons for this study, see the first study in this series. If you will, stick with me until the end of this study. I think both the profiles and the “So What?” […]
Character Profile: The Fool (Proverbs)
“What is foolishness?” “How do I recognize fools?” The answers to these questions are important for a few reasons. 1) Obedience. Jesus issued the command, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Mt. 7:6). The clear implication […]
It Is They That Bear Witness About Me (Finding Jesus In Proverbs)
I’ve been preaching Proverbs to the 6th-12th grade students at Sylvania Church, and have come across a sweet passage that validates Jesus’ claim that the Scriptures bear witness about Him (Jn. 5:39). Â Be encouraged that Jesus is exactly who He says He is, be stunned at the fullness of who He is, be humbled by […]
A Lens Through Which to Read the Beautiful And Deeply Beneficial, Yet Difficult Book of Proverbs
Proverbs is, for me, undoubtedly one of the most difficult books in the entire Bible. Â And this is the case for several reasons. Â First, there are difficult exegetical issues, particularly regarding Woman Wisdom and Lady Folly. Â In addition, there are some difficult cultural barriers to climb in order to properly interpret some of the wisdom […]