A person’s character is measured less by wisdom or even religious commitments than by readiness to help the poor and the needy. It is not what you have that measures your character. Who you are to your neighbor is the measure of character. The Samaritan who saves his neighbor is closer to the kingdom of … Continue reading –>
Read Proverbs 20:17, 21:5. What practical lesson can we find in these texts? The thief who steals bread gets it faster than the one who has to work for it. Salespeople who lie to sell their bad merchandise may become rich faster than the honest merchant (compare Proverbs 21:5 to Proverbs 21:6). Yet, says the … Continue reading –>
Their works follow them, says Revelation 14:13 (NKJV) about the reward of the righteous. Only the future will testify to the real value of the individual. People may boast now of their wealth, their knowledge, their physical prowess, and maybe that is all true. But what does it mean in the sight of God? So … Continue reading –>
Read Proverbs 20:12. What does this teach us about the value of all humans? Unlike the theory of evolution, which considers us all to be nothing but chance products of a mindless cosmos, the Bible teaches that all humans were created by God (see also Acts 17:26). It is no accident, either, that Thomas Jefferson … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Proverbs 20:1-30; Cor. 12:14–26; Jer. 9:23-24; Proverbs 21:1-31; Matt. 25:35–40; Proverbs 22:1-29. Memory Text: Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man? (Proverbs 20:6, NKJV). To some degree (a great degree, actually), we are all products of our environment. Though heredity plays a big … Continue reading –>
My dog’s been shot! Brayden* blurted out in tears to his friend Payton. Would you speak at his funeral? Twelve-year-old Payton had never conducted a funeral, but wanting to help his friend, he agreed to do what he could. I planned the whole thing out, he said. The dog is buried in my yard–Brayden and … Continue reading –>
Further Study: The spirit of gossip and talebearing is one of Satan’s special agencies to sow discord and strife, to separate friends, and to undermine the faith of many in the truthfulness of our positions. Brethren and sisters are too ready to talk of the faults and errors that they think exist in others, and … Continue reading –>
A king needed to appoint a new minister for the highest office of his kingdom. For this purpose, he organized a special contest on lying: who could utter the biggest lie. All his ministers applied, and each one came and spoke their biggest lie. But the king was not satisfied; their lies seemed lame. The … Continue reading –>
Read Proverbs 18:2. Why don’t fools need time to form their opinions? Fools are so sure of themselves and so eager to express their own opinions that they are not interested in learning from others. Their closed minds go along with their open mouths. This is a deadly combination. How careful we need to be … Continue reading –>
Read Proverbs 18:1-24. Though different themes are presented here, focus on what it has to say about our words. What important concepts are presented here regarding what we do or do not say? We are again confronted with the reality and power of words; in this case we see how fools use their mouths to … Continue reading –>
