Bible Guys Classics: Proverbs 3

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You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a

couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in

practical ways. Hey everybody, it is Friday. If you're listening

day by day and tgif there we go, Thank the Lord.

That's great.

Yes. And as a matter of fact, my wife is

off on Fridays and when I.

Work, she's on the rest week. It's just like Friday's

our a bad.

Day for her, but she doesn't go to work on Fridays.

Oh, I thought you were saying she's a little off

on Friday.

And Friday is my day off, so Friday's a great day.

Oh great, good for you, guys. Yes, this is like

a date day.

Well, I don't know, honey. If you're listening, let's go

on a date.

It's either date day or chores day.

She's right, she's listening in the morning to this because

she listens to the Bible guys, every single morning.

Every single morning, every morning. Okay, well, just in advance,

we're gonna apologize, Liz.

She actually says, she actually says, I don't know what

I would do if you stop the Bible guys, and

she means it.

Wow, it's so nice. It is nice. We have a

lot of listeners that say that that that's how they

start their day, or that it's an everyday thing. I

just had a conversation with a really, really great guy

and he said that he started just a few months

ago and he started off with that whole series we

did on the Gospels. Oh cool, and he's almost all

the way through. He listens to it like a few

a day, and he said, Man, I just feel like

I'm growing on my faith. So it's really amazing to

me that people listen every day. It's humbling. I agree,

it's extraordinary humbling. We have an amazing segment today normally

on Friday. Our favorite segment is what made Chris mad

this week normally normally, but maybe our second most famous,

my most famous, My second most favorite, yes segment is

Who's most Likely? I agree with that this might be

my second most favorite one. Yes, So this is a

Who's most likely segment? And Chris.

The idea is you and I are supposed to instinctively

and quickly just quickly vote, say, quickly vote it is

me or you?

Yes, it's either you or me. It's me or you

or you or me? Okay, ready, Who's most likely to

get kicked out of a public place for laughing too loudly?

That could be both of us?

Yeah, I would say it's probably you.

Yeah, I laughed pretty loud, Like do you ever hear me?

And messages like when I'm when I'm listening to like

a sermon or something, somebody tells a joke and I'm

in the audience.

Yes, I really laughed, like, so I will tell you so,

my my daughter's boy friend had never been to a

Broadway show.

Huh.

So we were driving, I was driving down the road.

It was a Saturday, it was early in the morning,

so I had an early morning Saturday meeting, and then

like the family was just getting out of bed and

I heard on the radio that there was a revival

of the Broadway show Oklahoma, which Oklahoma is that was

a major change in Broadway shows up to that point, right,

and so's it's an incredibly important show. It's not my

favorite Broadway show, but it's an incredibly important show. So

I thought, oh, if that's what's in town today, And

they said there's still tickets available, some of them as

cheap as ten dollars, And I went a ten dollars

thing to a metinee for the thing, and it was

at Fox Theater, which is beautiful downtown Detroit. So I

go online and I bought I can't remember, like six

tickets or something, and I couldn't believe it. I'm going

through one hundred and eighty dollars, one hundred and eighty dollars,

one hundred and eighty dollars, and then I found a

whole row five dollars apiece, so I bought them. It

costs us more to park than it did to go

to the show. What we got there. What I didn't

realize was it was a modern version of Oklahoma that

was absolutely horrific on every level, to the point that

multiple times new scene would change and the set people

would come running out with their staff shirts on and

their headsets on, putting props on stage because they forgot

when the lights went out right, it was horrible, and

then hyper woke, which was that was funny, yea. So

it just kept getting worse and worse and worse. Well,

there's a moment in that show. It's an intermission, and

then you come out of the intermission and the very

next thing, there's like this dream sequence where the heroine

in the story is having a dream about and it's

kind of a waltz dance kind of a thing. Yep,

she's having a dream about the good guy versus the

bad guy. So this woman comes out doing like a

modern dance and next thing, you know, you know how

like not to be too gross, you know how, like

dogs sometimes they'll drop it will drag their re ran

across the carpet. So this is what she's doing. She's

scooting across the floor. And I started laughing so hard,

so I couldn't stop. This whole thing. The whole show's

a train wreck. They never closed the curtains during intermission.

They were out with vacuums, vacuuming the thing, right, it

was the whole thing. It was so funny, and Fox

Theater was packed and I start laughing, and now I

can't stop laughing. Then my daughter's boyfriend starts laughing everybody

and the people all around to start getting madder and

more and more angry. I nearly got kicked out of

Fox Theater that day, so legit for me. But that's

the only time I think I've ever gotten almost kicked out.

It was a train wreck of a show.

Wow. Yeah, that was a heck of a tangent.

So it's a good one. Who's most likely to spend

all their money on useless gadget they saw on an infomercial?

You me by far? Yes, I'm a gadget guy.

Yeah. I would definitely say you.

Who's most likely to end up on a reality TV show? You?

Yes?

And which one? Would it be?

Reality?

Not Survivor?

No, not survivor, I'm not the outdoors. Oh gosh, I

don't know either. I don't really know, you know, what

it would be. I think it would be something like

some sort of like a life game show contest, like

what's the race around the world.

What is that amazing race?

Amazing race?

And you and I should do amazing race. That'd be fun.

I think it'd be fun.

Yeah, fifty three year old guys blow out your knee

on for a show, right, Okay? Who's most likely get

stuck in a revolving door for way longer than it's

socially acceptable?

That's rough. I don't think that's any of us, to

be honest.

I'm always very conscientious of that because I usually stick

my foot in the thing and stop the person in

front of me. Oh really, Oh yeah, I do it

to my daughter all the time.

Well, I'll tell you what. I am famous for slipping

in with somebody at the last second, and then and

then and then just making them uncomfortable. So I do

that all the time. So I would definitely sit me.

Okay, who's most likely to make a dramatic exit from

an event only to return ten minutes later because they

forgot their phone?

Oh? No, yeah, she is. If we have to pick one, Uh.

Well, I think you're more dramatic than me, do you

think or do you think it's me? I'm gonna go

with me.

I'm gonna go with me too, with me? Too. Yep. Yeah,

Because here's the thing I would if I did forget

my phone, I would have no problem with going back

in there and getting my phone.

Right right, I would leave it. I'd be like, well,

I lost that phone, right, there's a honey, I gotta

spend a thousand dollars to get a new phone. Like,

because I left dramatically, I can't go back in Hey.

There is a movie scene where I'm not promoting this

movie because because actually it ends with like this kid

flipping his family of the bird. Like it's not a

very great scene, right, but let me just go ahead

and tell you this real quick. He's on the plane

and he's ready to get off the plane because he's

made this life decision that he just doesn't like his family,

and so he turns right around. He goes, you know, Dad,

here's what I think of you. And he's like, here's

what I think of you, and you and you. He's

going down the line and he's like, I'm getting off

this plane. He goes, and you guys can go on

vacation without me. And then he you know, then he

does this thing. You know, he's really rude. And then

and he's he starts backing up, and then the flight

attendant goes, sir, we've just closed the outer doors. You're

gonna have to take your seat because they're going to London.

And then he has to walk back. And by the way,

he does this pubacle in front of the entire plane,

so he has to walk back and sit with his

family after he makes this big grand speech. And then

and then he had his nickname name Pirate, and and

and his buddy leans over and goes, it's going to

be a long flight, Pirate, isn't it.

Yep?

Yep.

So yeah, I've had some of those where maybe in

my younger days, where I said way too much and

then couldn't get out of the space, right. Yeah.

Yeah, that's like you're waiting for a dramatic walk off. Yeah,

it's funny.

Well, speaking of dramatic walkoffs, we're gonna walk out of

that segment and into this next one.

Okay. What I was gonna say is, speaking of dramatic walkoffs,

this is the most famous proverb that talks about which

path to take.

Ooh wow, a good one.

Yeah.

Yeah, this is maybe one of my favorite. You know,

I've spent a lot of time in the Book of proverbs.

I love proverbs, but Proverbs three maybe one of my favorite. Yeah,

so he says, my child, never forget the things I've

taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you

do this, you'll live many years, and your life will

be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you. Tie

them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep

within your heart. Then you'll find favor with God and people,

and you'll earn a good reputation. I love that. Trust

in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend

on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take. Maybe

my favorite two verses in the whole Bible.

There.

Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the

Lord and turn away from evil, and then you'll have

healing for your body and strength for your bones. Honor

the Lord with your wealth and what the best part

of everything you produce, and then he will fill your

barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

My child, don't reject the Lord's discipline, and don't be

upset when he corrects you, For the Lord corrects those

he loves just as a father corrects a child in

whom he delights. Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,

the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable

than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom

is more precious than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare

with her. She offers you long life in her right hand,

and riches and honor in her left. And she will

guide you down delightful paths. All her ways are satisfying.

Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her.

Happy are those who hold her tightly by wisdom. The

Lord founded the earth by understanding. He created the heavens

by his knowledge. The deep fountains of the earth burst

forth in the settles beneath the night sky. My child,

don't lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on

to them, for they will refresh your soul. They're like

jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way,

and your feet will not stumble. Will you can go

to bed without fear. You will lie down and sleep soundly.

You need to be. You need not be afraid of

sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked

for the Lord is your security. He will keep your

foot from being caught in a trap. Do not withhold

good from those who deserve it when it is in

your power to help them. That's really important. I love

that one too. If you can help your neighbor now,

don't say come back tomorrow and then I'll help you.

Don't plot harm against your neighbor for those who live

nearby trust you. Don't pick a fight without reason when

no one has done you harm. Don't envy violent people

or copy their ways. Such wicked people are detestable to

the Lord, but he offers his friendship to the godly.

The Lord curses the house of the wicked, but he

blesses the home of the upright. The Lord mocks the mockers,

but as gracious to the humble. The wise inherent honor.

But fools are put to shame, every one of those.

It's just a little phrase, little phrase, little phrase, little phrase,

and everyone we go, oh, let's talk about that one. Oh,

let's talk about that one.

Yeah. It's it's an amazing thing how Proverbs is filled

with little, tiny sentences, and each sentence seems like it's

an entire life lesson. Yeah, it seems like somebody has

lived a life of regret and they've learned this entire

principle and then they just pieced it together. And sometimes

Proverbs has so many in just one chapter. Oh yeah,

it's just amazing. So yeah, so let's let's talk about

your favorite verses.

Well, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do

not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will and

all you do, and he will show you which path

to take.

Yeah.

Right, I think I talked about that just a little

bit yesterday that people ask opinions and I'll say, well,

the Bible says this, Jesus says this, right, Solomon said this,

And I think that that's because this versus these verses

so important to me.

Yeah, right, yeah, And the part that stands out to

me on that phrase is do not depend on your

own understanding. So it's a it's a it's a thing

that sometimes you know, for instance, by the time this

podcast will air, we will have already experienced this upcoming

Sunday at our church. But we're talking about, you know,

this whole series that we're in. Last week we talked

about worry this is why we worry, and then this

this week we're talking about. This is why we don't

feel content. So really the series is about worry and contentment.

But it's amazing how in the Bible, how oftentimes, very

clearly Jesus taught clearly about worry right after he talked

about money, right, and he actually said like he's like, hey,

you can't serve two masters, you know, And he talked

about it, and then he says therefore, and they talked

the whole thing about worry, and it was all connected.

To the money. You're afraid of your money. You think

money can provide for you, right, and so when you

it can't be right here?

Well, okay, so then here's my point. My point is is,

so then contentments, Paul talks about it, and and he

talks about, you know, I've learned the secret of being content.

And then what does he do. He talks about plenty

and want and having the power and everything else and uh,

and so it's interesting how contentment. Uh, Well, what what

we're going to teach this Sunday is that contentment flows

from gratitude and then it basically produces generosity because once

we're content, we have gratitude and contentment, then we're able

to give of ourselves and then it flows into the

kind of being the kind of worshippers that God wants

us to be. And that's that's sort of the formula. Okay,

here's here's my point. My point is, do not depend

on your own understanding. Sometimes it doesn't make any sense

when you stand up and say, you're supposed to give

your stuff away. And I'm not just talking about tithing

to the church. I'm talking about giving of your time

and your resources and giving of your assistance to others.

We are mind to be a blessing to others. We

are designed to give ourselves away, and so we spend

our whole life, you know, living for ourselves. It's a

wasted life. But when we spend our lives giving our

lives away, then then the Bible says we find life.

And that may not make sense to people, and they

may say, well, what do you what do you mean

like I'm supposed to I'm supposed to, you know, give

to God. I'm supposed to give to others. And then

you're saying by giving, I'll get well. Welcome to the

paradox of the scriptures. Welcome to the paradox of don't

lean on your own understanding. But Jesus says, make yourself last,

and then you'll be first. Right, If you exalt yourself,

you're going to be humbled. Right. In order to have

you have to give. And it's just interesting how sometimes

it doesn't seem like our own understanding leans toward toward

God's principles, you know, don't lean on your understanding, do

things God's way, and when you do, you're gonna you're

gonna understand like you're gonna go down to the right path,

the path of righteousness, the path of fulfillment, the path

of or.

Verse seventeen says wisdom will guide you down the delightful paths.

All her ways are satisfying. Yes, yeah, that's great. Yeah,

it's fantastic. I love this that idea. Don't depend on

your own understanding. If I'm not supposed to trust my understanding, right,

then why do I spend so much time trusting other

people's understanding? Because God told them not to trust their

own understanding either.

Yeah.

Right, So it's amazing how many people, how many young

moms just get all their wisdom from all the other

young moms, right, And God said told all those other

young moms don't trust your own wisdom, right right, So

there is the Bible says there's safety in a multitude

of counselors. Having otherwise people around you is important. But

ultimately the matrix I use to filter that is I

take in it's like eating catfish. You eat the meat,

spit out the bones. If you have good of it,

I think you're a wise person. If you had some

good advice about you know, making connections with people, I

would consider what you have to say and consider is

that consistent with what I know? Scripture says, right and

and so it's don't lean only on your own understanding.

Is he's not. He's telling you get wisdom and get understanding,

Just don't lean on it exclusively, right right. Seek God's

will in all you do, and he'll show you which

path to take. So what you're looking for is God's wisdom.

Most importantly, the otherwise people in your life. You have

to filter what they say through what God's wisdom says,

right right?

Yeah, I was, I was. I was going to throw

in a caveat, but you said so long ago.

Now, but you so long ago? Yeah, you said it

the very easily a minute ago.

Probably like to uh, you said, you said at the

beginning of that thought that you said, so many young

moms that they'll get wisdom from other young moms. But

yet God says not even to trust your own wisdom.

I was going to throw in the caveat what you

were meaning to say was godly wisdom, right, You're meaning

worldly wisdom. Don't trust worldly wisdom?

Yeah? Yeah, And oftentimes people don't filter out is this

worldly wisdom or godly.

Wisdom because a young mom could have wisdom she could

trust if it's godly wisdom. Yeah, that's what.

But what I would say is you always pour somebody

else's good idea through God's wisdom, and what comes out

on the other side is really what you're looking for.

Right.

And so I don't automatically trust what I get from

other smart people. I filter what I get from other

smart people through what I do trust. And that's God's words, right,

That's that's the only path to wisdom, because if he

tells me not to trust my understanding, he's also telling

me not to trust the understanding of somebody else who

God also told don't trust their understanding.

Right. It's like a visual aid of a pouring water

through a filter.

That's exactly right, right, So the filter is God's wisdom

and the good stuff hopefully that comes out on the

other side. Okay, that's worth using. But if it doesn't

match God's wisdom, then I reject the wisdom of the

world and I choose to try to go God's way instead,

which means I'm gonna raise my kids different, I'm going

to have a different priorities in my life, how I

manage my money, how I'm going to manage my relationships,

all those things. Typically, the world's wisdom doesn't match God's wisdom.

I think I think I'm getting I think I'm getting

an idea for a sermon illustration. So do you have

one of those straws that you can you can drink

out of any river?

Yeah?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So they sell these straws for people

who may find themselves in life.

I use it. I use it all the time. So

I don't use the straw. What I have is I

have a bottle that filters and it's it's made by Grail,

and I can. I've drank water out of the Nile River.

What it Yeah, just scoop up the thing, filter it

and drink it.

So the water that you baptize and eat the opia.

You can drink that, yeah, and it'll pour out crystal clear. Yeah.

It's really a phenomenal mede by Grail. It's expensive. It's

like one hundred and fifty bucks. That's not for this,

for this water bottle, not for life, Yeah exactly. But

I'm in places all the time where I can't use

the water. They can't used the water. Brush your teeth

a lot of time. So I'll just take the water

out of the sink, filtered through the bottle, and then

I can drink it, brush my teeth whatever.

Yeah, Well that means you're trusting in that technology a lot.

It's pretty good. I haven't got sick yet.

Wow, that's amazing. And then there's me. All I all

I do is I take a shower and it just

leaks inside my.

Mouth and I die.

I get sick all the time. I get sick all

the time in other countries.

Can I hide A couple of other things? He reminds us,

never let loyalty and kindness leave you, right, that's a you.

And I've had conversations about loyalty before. Sometimes I get

hung up on that a little bit more than I

need to, but tie them around your neck as a

reminder and write them deep within your heart, and then

you'll find favor with both God and people, and you'll

earn a good reputation. So loyalty and kindness are incredibly important.

And then the other one is I think it's a

parallel verse, which is amazing how Solomon often has the

beginning of a proverb and the ending of a often

have parallel statements, right, and then the middle kind of

is usually about wisdom. So towards the end of the proverb,

he says, don't withhold good from those who deserve it

when it's in your power to help them. Right, if

you can help your neighbor, now, don't say come back

tomorrow and I'll help you. And you know some stories

where we've had opportunities. We found out about a problem

somebody was having. There was really no advantage to us.

But I've used that verse multiple times to go to

my board and say, I think we should give resources

to this person. Right, it's a godly person, somebody who's

trying to navigate through a difficult situation. We have it

in our power. And the question always is from the

fiscally responsible people they go, well, if we use it,

then what are we going to have? And I'm like,

I think God's gonna bless us. He says, don't when

it's in your power, don't hold back, don't tell them

come back tomorrow and then I'll help you. And instead

it's that loyalty and kindness thing combined with if it's

within you your power, go ahead and don't withhold it,

take care of them. But then you go back to

the beginning and God says, then you will find favor

with both God and people. Right. So God gives you

favor when you choose to do what you can do,

when you can do it right, right for the people

that you love and that are are that you're loyal to.

So yeah, that's great. You know when I mentioned already

a long time ago here now about the but the giving,

you know, the financial giving, it says, honored over with

your wealth and uh and with the best part of

everything you produce, and then He'll fill your barns with grain.

The part that stood out to me with that was

the best part of everything you produce. So you know,

it's it's the first fruits, right, which is why we

say it comes out of the top. It's the very

first thing you should do. So do you get an

automatic withdrawal when you give? Or do you do you

actually physically do it?

Now we just automatically.

Automatically withdraw Yeah.

Because we're not wrestling with it anymore. Anybody who's still

struggling with tithing, you should consciously make a choice to

tithe every day, I mean every week or whenever you

get paid. But if you've already settled that, it's not

a battle anymore than what I don't want to do

is forget, because it's not a struggle. But there's been

times where I've gotten a couple months behind, and God's

blessed my wife and I pretty significantly. And if I

get a couple months behind him, I tithe. I got

to write a big check, right, So I don't want

to get behind. It's something I've already settled. God, it's yours,

you get the first. But for that, for me, for

the first fruits my wife and I made based on

this verse. Specifically, we tithe on our gross and not

our net. So we tithe before Uncle Sam gets his right.

So Uncle Sam gets it before I ever get it.

But I tithe on what the whole amount before Uncle

Sam takes any money out because I want God. I

want God to say God, I'm giving you the very

best of what I have. And that's a big thing.

That's a personal opinion, but that's we made that a

decision on time go based on this verse.

Yeah, that's great.

Yeah, so people always ask me that are gross.

Right, meadow gross? It's it's it's the it's a It's

among the great debates, isn't that.

Yeah.

So hey, there's so much more in here that I

don't think we really have time to get into.

But all that to say, well, this is the Book

of Proverbs. It is this is this is a great

passage to read to understand how proverbs are. Do we

can talk about this one all day long? This is

one chapter. We talk about it for a.

Week, right, Yeah, I agree? All right, Well, hey, that

is our time though, so hopefully we will see you

next time and join us on the Bible.

Guys. H