Podcasts about wisdom wisdom

Ever had someone's words cut deep? Maybe you overheard a harsh comment about you, or a friend let something slip. It's easy to take it personally—to let it sink in and fester. But today, I've got some wisdom that might just set you free. Welcome to The Daily, where we go through the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day. Today, we're looking at Ecclesiastes 7:19-22: Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. — Ecclesiastes 7:19-22 Truth 1: The Strength of Wisdom "Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city." (Ecclesiastes 7:19) True wisdom isn't just about knowledge—it's about applying truth in a way that strengthens your heart. Wisdom provides more stability than political power, more security than influence. While rulers govern through laws and force, the wise govern their hearts with understanding. Truth 2: The Reality of Imperfection "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." (Ecclesiastes 7:20) That's a humbling truth—no one is perfect. Not the strongest leader, not the most devout believer—not even you or me. If we expect perfection from others, we're setting ourselves up for disappointment. And if we expect it from ourselves, we're walking in self-deception. A wise man understands—everyone wrestles with sin. Truth 3: Let It Go "Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others." (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22) Ever been hurt by someone's careless words? Solomon reminds us that we've been on both sides—we've been wounded, but we've also wounded others. Wisdom teaches us not to take every word to heart because people speak out of their own struggles, frustrations, and weaknesses. Instead of harboring resentment—let it go. The same grace you need is the grace you must extend. So, who do you need to forgive today? How can you practice letting go of hurtful words instead of letting them control your heart? If this encouraged you, share it with someone who needs this reminder today. And as always—live all in for Him who lived all in for you. #Wisdom #Forgiveness #SpiritualStrength ASK THIS: When have you let someone's words affect you too deeply? How can wisdom help you guard your heart against offense? Why is it important to remember that no one is perfect? How can you extend grace to someone who has hurt you? DO THIS: Take a moment today to forgive someone whose words have hurt you, and pray for God's wisdom to let it go. PRAY THIS: Lord, help me to let go of hurtful words and not take them to heart. Give me the wisdom to extend the same grace I need from others. Amen. PLAY THIS: Forgiven.

Brian and Jake talk about wisdom we glean from Matthew 7 on judging. And talk about Cody behind his back. 

Pastor Brian speaks to us on what it takes to know how to evaluate and when to speak.

Walking in Wisdom – Day 2 - Proverbs 2Pastor Jason Van Bemmel, Forest Hill Presbyterian Churchwww.foresthillpca.org• Pursuit of Wisdom: We are called to actively pursue wisdom as we would seek valuable treasures.• The Source of Wisdom: True wisdom comes from the Lord.• The Benefits of Wisdom: Wisdom brings understanding, protection, and guidance.• Two Temptations to Avoid: The deceptive words of wicked men and the allure of the adulterous woman.• Walking in the Way of the Good: Choosing the path of righteousness leads to life

Walking in Wisdom – Day 1 - Proverbs 1Pastor Jason Van Bemmel, Forest Hill Presbyterian Churchwww.foresthillpca.org• The Two Ways: The path of wisdom (fear of the Lord, obedience to God) vs. the path of folly (selfishness, rebellion).• The Importance of Parental Instruction: Children should heed the teachings of their parents, and parents should ensure those teachings align with God's Word.• The Enticement of Sinners: Be wary of those who tempt you away from righteousness.• The Call of Wisdom: Wisdom is personified as a voice crying out for people to turn from folly and embrace knowledge.• The Consequences of Rejecting Wisdom: Those who reject wisdom will face calamity and ultimately be unable to find God when they seek Him.

When I first started reading the Bible, it seemed to me that it was all about the things I had to give up - what I was going to lose. But what I discovered is that actually, actually God wants to bless us. His Wisdom brings blessing to our lives - as counterintuitive as it may seem, when we're sitting there wrapped up in our selfish desires.   The Fruit of Discipline I can honestly say, as I look back on my life, that there is not a single time ... not one, where I have enjoyed being disciplined. I remember as a child – I was a lively sort of a lad as you can probably image. I was into everything and inquisitive and full of beans and since I was old enough to sleep in a bed, rather than a cot, I've been getting up at four or five o'clock in the morning – that's just the way I'm wired. I was never shy or retiring – I was always out there and into everything. So it's not surprising that growing up, I had more than my fair share of discipline – more than the odd belting when I grew up. Not that I am necessarily suggesting that's always the best way of discipling a child. And then as a teenager and a young adult when I was studying at the Royal Military College Duntroon, to become an officer in the Australian Army, that's where you learn what discipline is all about. And then later on in the workplace. I can honestly say there is not a single time that I have enjoyed being disciplined. But looking back on it, without that discipline, I think I would have grown up to be a horrid person, completely unbearable. See, discipline is never fun at the time but it's an important part of our lives. And I think it bears some thinking about so today we are going to spend some time unpacking this whole thing of "discipline". There's not one of us, I suspect, who can't think back to the time when we lived with our parents – those of us fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to grow up with our Mum and our Dad, or at least one of them. As we think back to those times what we remember is being disciplined and some of those memories are frankly, not very happy ones. I can remember how unfair discipline felt at the time – how much I hated being disciplined. Aw, man, why do things have to be like that? Why did God have to invent a world where we would have to learn by being disciplined? Well, today we are continuing on with this series that I have called “Wisdom that Works.” And right in the next passage of the Book of Proverbs, a book of wisdom, written by a wise old King Solomon to his young sons – right in the next bit that we are up to, we get an answer to this question: Why do we need discipline? So let's have a listen – we are looking at Proverbs chapter 6, beginning at verse 20: My child, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, to preserve you from the wife of another, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; for a prostitute's fee is only a loaf of bread, but the wife of another stalks a man's very life. Can fire be carried in the bosom without burning one's clothes? Or can one walk on hot coals without scorching the feet? So is he who sleeps with his neighbor's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. Thieves are not despised who steal only to satisfy their appetite when they are hungry. Yet if they are caught, they will pay sevenfold; they will forfeit all the goods in their house. But he who commits adultery has no sense; he who does it destroys himself. He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. For jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he shows no restraint when he takes revenge. He will accept no compensation, and refuses a bribe no matter how great. Now, the example that Solomon uses here to his sons is that of adultery. He kicks off by talking about the huge investment that he and the mother of these young men have made in them, through their commandments and their teaching and their wisdom and their reproof. And their council is to hang on to that – to bind it round their hearts, to tie it round their neck – why? Because the things that you have learned when you are young through discipline will protect you – they will watch over you, they will council you. When we head off and we want to do something stupid like adultery – but it could be anything – it could be dishonesty or it could be dissension or back biting – it could be anything – when we want to head off in the wrong direction, the wisdom given to us by our parents will be like a lamp and a light and show things for what they are. The wisdom of our parents and, for you and me, the wisdom of God, will protect us. Now wisdom always involves discipline – it always involves us being taught the hard way not to head off in a certain direction because that's where we are going to get hurt. You and I, we naturally shun discipline, but have a listen to what Solomon says to his lads and what God is saying to you and me, here and now: For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, to preserve you from the wife of another, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. Did you pick that up? “… the reproof of discipline is a way of life.” – to preserve us from the consequences of wrong doing. And then, of course, Solomon goes on to lay out the horrible things that happen to a young man who commits adultery, notwithstanding the seductive nature of what's on offer. Discipline is a way of life. Ouch! You see, we have this idea that if we are succeeding, things should always be getting better, things should always be on the up and up and we should be getting more influence and more success and more this and more that. That's the picture we have of life! And then all of a sudden, when things take a turn for the worse, we think to ourselves, "Oh, woe is me! Has God forsaken me? Where's God – what's He doing? Why is this happening to me – ME of all people – me?" Right? That's how we want to carry on. Come with me to the New Testament – a thousand or so years later on, after Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs to the Letter of Hebrews chapter 12. Have a listen to what God has to say about discipline: Hebrews chapter 12, beginning at verse 7: Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later on it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. See, discipline is a way of life, as God's way of helping us to grow. Jesus said, “Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it to make it bear more fruit.” So the next time God is disciplining you – and this is not about punishment and justice – that happened at the cross when Jesus died for us – discipline is about teaching and learning and pruning so that we will be able to bear more fruit. So the next time God is disciplining you and disciplining me, let's remember there's a purpose that goes way beyond our desire for comfort and convenience – that purpose is that God has a plan. And instead of flapping around, wondering what the blazes is going on here, here's God's advice: Discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time. So, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight the paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. In other words, don't fight it! Go with what God is doing – don't get your nose out of joint, instead, be healed. Now that … that's wisdom that works!   Our Heart's Desires To be frank, when I first started reading God's Word in the Bible, my expectations of that stuffy old Book were pretty low. I thought it was pretty much irrelevant – truly! And that, "Well, if I am going to call myself a Christian, well, I suppose I'll have to pray and I'll have to read the Bible, just one of those chores; the price you have to pay to get eternal life!" Seriously, that's what I thought! So the last thing I expected was to discover this vibrant, living thing – God speaking His love and His grace and His wisdom into my life, in a way – get this – in a way that actually works. In a way that radically, makes my life better. And the last thing I expected was a God who wanted to bless me and having taught me His ways, to give me the desires of my heart. But that's exactly what I discovered. Page after page, verse after verse, as I read it and thought about it and how it might work in my life, I met a God; a Jesus, who wants to make my life better by getting rid of the sin out of my life. The stupid things that we all want to do and they end up robbing us of life – the life He always planned for us. And then, by taking our hearts and filling them with His love and humility and showing us the depth of joy that comes from living our lives for Him – living our lives with love for other people. My friend, let me tell you – with all that I am, that was the very last thing I expected to find. See, the funny thing is, the reason I held back my life from God for the first thirty six years of my life was that, I was afraid of what I would have to give up. I have always been pretty clever – I'm fortunate I have a quick, sharp mind, I have always been industrious and resourceful and so what I had done in my life was to take those natural talents (other people have different talents, but these were mine) and to use them for … well, to use them for me, of course. I'd figured out that I could use them to make lots of money. I knew that because I was strong and articulate and driven, I could crash through just about any obstacle that got between me and my objective of getting the sort of career and recognition and wealth that I hungered after. And deep, deep down I knew that if I invited God into my life to be my Lord and my Saviour, I'd have to get off my throne – I'd have to surrender that to Him! I'm not sure if I could have quite put it in those words back then but that was it. It wasn't that I didn't believe in God – I believed pretty much for most of my life, that He was out there somewhere. Yet I had this uneasy dread that one day, the day of reckoning would come. It's just that I duped myself into believing that my brand of evil and frankly – let's call a spade a spade – that's what my selfishness was – that my brand of evil was somehow, okay. It was good that I was driven; it was good that I was getting wealthy and recognised in my field and industry – it was good that I was making it. And that con job, my friend, is a con job that the devil is working out in countless people's lives walking this earth today. ‘It's not evil what you are doing – it's good; it's fine, it's okay; it's good that you are making it – sure, go for it. And if someone gets in your road, just roll over the top of them – squash them like a fly.' I wonder if, perhaps, you don't relate just a little bit to what I'm saying. This is a universal human condition. It's the condition that God calls ‘sin' and the worst thing is … the most dangerous thing is that we end believing that it's okay; that it's good. So have a listen with me now to God's wisdom on the difference between good and evil. It's wisdom that shines light on this oh-so-important subject and it's the sort of light I think, that makes us see evil for what it is. And my prayer is that it makes us desire good over evil. Let's have a listen – Proverbs chapter 10, beginning at verse 22: The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. Doing wrong is like sport to a fool, but wise conduct is a pleasure to a person of understanding. What the wicked dread will come upon them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the tempest passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are established forever. See, God being God, He always starts off by telling us about the blessing He has in store for us. God reveals Himself to us as our Father – Jesus literally called Him “Dad”. Listen to me, every dad wants to bless his children – we do! We love to bless our kids. God's no different. Look at verse 22 again – Proverbs chapter 10: The blessing of the Lord makes rich and he adds no sorrow with it. Friend, God wants to bless us and when He does, He makes us rich. I'm not talking about money – sometimes He blesses us financially – but money isn't what makes us happy. There is something deep inside that makes us happier – a deep abiding joy; the sort I could never find when I was working out my particular brand of evil on this earth - the sort that always eluded me. I thought I'd have to give something up, by giving up my evil ways, and sure, in a sense, I did. But the reality was that the prize was that one thing I'd been looking for all my life. I was living in the first part of this next verse without realising the blessing in the second part. Doing wrong is like sport to a fool but wise conduct is pleasure to a person of understanding. As I said earlier, I always had this deep dread down inside that one day this would all come unstuck – that one day something bad would happen – that one day this whole house of cards would come crashing down and that is exactly what God says is going to happen next verse: What the wicked dread will come upon them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. I proved the first bit of that in my life because that's exactly what happened – it did all come crashing down. But I'm also discovering the profound truth of the second part now that I am living my life for Him, that “...the desire of the righteous will be granted.” God grants the desires of our heart when we are living our lives for Him. Elsewhere: Psalm 37, verse 4, he tells us to: Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. God wants to give us good things, like any father. And now the desires that I have going on in my heart – for the most part – spring out of a delight that I have in God. My point is, we all have things still to deal with – you do, I do – but more and more my desires flow from God's desires. You know what? God is a great Dad; a fantastic Dad! I am discovering that He really does wants to bless me with His joy and His peace and His love, right in the middle of the storms of life; right in the middle of the trials and the challenges. A lot of those haven't gone away, in fact, the more we step out onto the spiritual battlefield, to weigh in with our lives for God on this planet earth, the more things are going to come against us; the more our enemy, the devil, is going to come against us. But in the middle of all that, God wants to bless us. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. That's the point! And how does it all end – this story of life, when we either live out a life of rebellion against God or a life of honouring God – what is the end game? Proverbs chapter 10, verse 25: When the tempest passes, the wicked are no more but the righteous are established forever. Friend, all those years I was conned, I thought to myself, I was going to lose something; I had to give up something to serve God. What a fool I was because what I have discovered is when we do lay our lives down; when we do give everything we are and everything we have to God, WOW! The blessings of the Father, God in heaven, flow in our lives and they make us rich and He adds no sorrow with it. That's who God is! That's the wisdom of God – lay down your life and you will find it. Try and hang on to it and you will lose it.   Back to the Beginning Well, over these last four weeks – isn't it amazing how much wisdom there is in God's Word, as we have stepped through the Book of Proverbs in this series that I've called, “Wisdom that Works”? But we have only stepped through just a few chapters – there is so much more there. And that's the thing – people sometimes ask me – they say, "Berni, you produce hundreds of episodes of your radio programmes every year and you write books and all that stuff, don't you ever run out of ideas; don't you ever run out of fresh content?" And my answer to that is a huge NO! Absolutely not! If I get to do this every day for another hundred years, I'll still only have scratched the surface of God's wisdom. Is that because it's big and complicated, so that you need a PhD in Theology to understand it? No! God's Word is actually simple, practical and straight forward. It's just that, well, I'm such a slow learner – I need to feast on God's Word every day. And little by little He changes me. And you know, the more time I spend in God's Word each day, the less of it I read. Now, that sounds a bit weird, doesn't it? Let me explain. I used to try and plough through several chapters each day as though somehow, it was a race to see who could get to the end first. But then I stumbled on a passage written by Paul the Apostle. He was old and experienced and much wiser for it, writing to his young ministry protégé Timothy. This is what he said. First Timothy chapter 2, verse 7: Think over what I say for the Lord will give you understanding in all things. In other words, stop and think over what is in God's Word. That's when it makes a difference. I had a young listener email me recently and she said, ‘I have a problem – I am trying to read my Bible but by lunch time I can't remember what I read this morning.' So I said to her, ‘I had that problem too so what I started doing was reading less – not less often, but less in volume. And I started thinking and praying about it more. See, that's when it came together for me. God's wisdom is so powerful! But just like good food, we need to chew it over and swallow it for it to do us any good. So I encourage you to do that – to take His wisdom, chew it over, think about it and then, in prayer, swallow it. Let the Spirit of God write it on your heart – that's when it becomes part of us. And over a decade and a half of doing that I can honestly say that God's Word has become part of the fabric; the essence of who I am. That's what transforms us – that's how His wisdom starts working in our lives. We take it in little by little and the old maxim is true, we discover that "we are what we eat". And the place where I think is the best place for us to draw this four week series to a close, is the place where we began four weeks ago. Proverbs chapter 9, verse 10: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. If we read this stuff with a proud heart; if we are full of pride that we know better and we should be able to hang on to our own attitudes and our own sin– my friend, that is so often how we at first come to God's Word. So often! If that's how we approach God's Word it will profit us nothing! The beginning of wisdom; the starting point is the fear of the Lord. The beginning of wisdom isn't a hard, prideful, puffed up, a "full of myself" heart. The beginning of wisdom is a humble heart, a soft heart, a teachable heart, a heart that knows that without God it is poor, wretched, feeble and naked. A heart that seeks first to honour God, that's the place, my friend, where wisdom begins. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” – nothing else! And unless and until we are ready to humble ourselves at God's feet; unless we are ready to say, "Lord, I know I have been trying it on my own; I know I have been doing all this stuff; I know it doesn't work. Lord, I am going to lay my way down. I am going to lay my life down at Your feet. I am going to lay my pride and crucify it and lay it down." Unless we go that way then we are not demonstrating the fear of the Lord. And without the fear of the Lord our heart is hard and the wisdom can't get in. That's sad, because without God's wisdom; without His wisdom – let me tell you because I have been there, without His wisdom, frankly, it's a lousy life. My friend, I am going to bring you back to this verse – Proverbs chapter 9, verse 10 and ask you to consider in your heart where you are at. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. May the Lord soften your heart and open your heart and pour His wisdom and His love and His power and His grace into you.

This episode focuses on the vital role of the Holy Spirit in leadership, anchored by the promise found in Acts 1:8. We will examine how the Holy Spirit's power transforms ordinary leadership into a dynamic and divinely guided force.Our springboard for today's discussion is: Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses." This scripture underscores the empowerment that comes from the Holy Spirit, enabling leaders to fulfill their roles with supernatural effectiveness and wisdom.Leadership, when fueled by the Holy Spirit, transcends human capabilities and reflects God's kingdom on earth. Today, we delve into how the Holy Spirit equips leaders with the necessary attributes to lead according to God's purposes.Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit in Leadership:* Divine Empowerment: The Holy Spirit provides strength and courage to face challenges, make tough decisions, and lead with confidence.* Guidance in Decision-Making: Spirit-led leaders can expect to receive clarity and discernment, making decisions that align with God's will.Characteristics of Spirit-Led Leadership:* Compassion: The Holy Spirit cultivates a heart of compassion in leaders, helping them to empathize with those they lead and respond to their needs effectively.* Wisdom: Wisdom from the Spirit goes beyond intellectual understanding, enabling leaders to see situations from a spiritual perspective and act accordingly.* Effective Witnessing: As leaders guided by the Spirit, their lives and leadership styles serve as powerful testimonies of God's grace and power.Inviting the Holy Spirit into Leadership:* Daily Surrender: Begin each day by surrendering your leadership role and decisions to the Holy Spirit, asking Him to lead you in every aspect.* Prayer and Fasting: Regularly set aside time for prayer and fasting to deepen your reliance on the Holy Spirit and clear away distractions.* Continuous Scripture Engagement: Immerse yourself in Scripture. The Holy Spirit often speaks and provides guidance through God's Word.ConclusionEmbracing the Holy Spirit's guidance in leadership transforms it from a mere role to a divine calling. Leaders who are empowered by the Spirit not only achieve goals but also impact lives and advance God's kingdom in profound ways.A Question of the Day: How can you more effectively invite the Holy Spirit into your leadership practices?Growth Challenge: This month, focus on one leadership challenge you're facing. Each day, seek the Holy Spirit's guidance on this issue through prayer and Scripture reflection. Journal any insights or directions you receive and reflect on how they influence your leadership approach.Let's Pray: Lord, we ask for Your Holy Spirit to fill us anew, granting us the power to lead with wisdom, compassion, and courage. May our leadership be a reflection of Your will, guided by Your Spirit every step of the way. Help us to remain sensitive to Your leading, making decisions that glorify You and serve others well. Amen.As we continue to lead, let's strive to be conduits of the Holy Spirit's power, transforming our environments and influencing all those we encounter. Let's lean into this divine partnership and witness the incredible ways God moves through our leadership. Let's get to work.My Reasons To Believe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

This episode focuses on the vital role of the Holy Spirit in leadership, anchored by the promise found in Acts 1:8. We will examine how the Holy Spirit's power transforms ordinary leadership into a dynamic and divinely guided force.Our springboard for today's discussion is: Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses." This scripture underscores the empowerment that comes from the Holy Spirit, enabling leaders to fulfill their roles with supernatural effectiveness and wisdom.Leadership, when fueled by the Holy Spirit, transcends human capabilities and reflects God's kingdom on earth. Today, we delve into how the Holy Spirit equips leaders with the necessary attributes to lead according to God's purposes.Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit in Leadership:* Divine Empowerment: The Holy Spirit provides strength and courage to face challenges, make tough decisions, and lead with confidence.* Guidance in Decision-Making: Spirit-led leaders can expect to receive clarity and discernment, making decisions that align with God's will.Characteristics of Spirit-Led Leadership:* Compassion: The Holy Spirit cultivates a heart of compassion in leaders, helping them to empathize with those they lead and respond to their needs effectively.* Wisdom: Wisdom from the Spirit goes beyond intellectual understanding, enabling leaders to see situations from a spiritual perspective and act accordingly.* Effective Witnessing: As leaders guided by the Spirit, their lives and leadership styles serve as powerful testimonies of God's grace and power.Inviting the Holy Spirit into Leadership:* Daily Surrender: Begin each day by surrendering your leadership role and decisions to the Holy Spirit, asking Him to lead you in every aspect.* Prayer and Fasting: Regularly set aside time for prayer and fasting to deepen your reliance on the Holy Spirit and clear away distractions.* Continuous Scripture Engagement: Immerse yourself in Scripture. The Holy Spirit often speaks and provides guidance through God's Word.ConclusionEmbracing the Holy Spirit's guidance in leadership transforms it from a mere role to a divine calling. Leaders who are empowered by the Spirit not only achieve goals but also impact lives and advance God's kingdom in profound ways.A Question of the Day: How can you more effectively invite the Holy Spirit into your leadership practices?Growth Challenge: This month, focus on one leadership challenge you're facing. Each day, seek the Holy Spirit's guidance on this issue through prayer and Scripture reflection. Journal any insights or directions you receive and reflect on how they influence your leadership approach.Let's Pray: Lord, we ask for Your Holy Spirit to fill us anew, granting us the power to lead with wisdom, compassion, and courage. May our leadership be a reflection of Your will, guided by Your Spirit every step of the way. Help us to remain sensitive to Your leading, making decisions that glorify You and serve others well. Amen.As we continue to lead, let's strive to be conduits of the Holy Spirit's power, transforming our environments and influencing all those we encounter. Let's lean into this divine partnership and witness the incredible ways God moves through our leadership. Let's get to work.My Reasons To Believe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

What is wisdom and how do we get it? Walking through Proverbs 1:1-7, we find that wisdom is intellectual, practical, relational, and moral.

Most of us intuitively know that wisdom's a good thing. Sometimes we're full of it - wisdom that is … and sometimes, we're full of ourselves and that's when we come unstuck. So - where do we find the sort of wisdom that really makes a difference?   Wisdom Starts Here Hey, it's fantastic to be with you again this week. How quickly the weeks roll on by! And today I am really excited because we are kicking off a brand new series of messages called “Wisdom that Works”. Now, I don't know about you but I have done some pretty silly things in my life. We all make mistakes and the thing is that the mistakes have consequences. Sometimes those consequences are mildly annoying but other times, they are devastating. Sometimes we don't even notice some of the silly things that we're doing – they seem so trivial and yet we do them over and over and over and over and over again and the consequences compound and before we know it, we have a situation on our hands. Wisdom is about avoiding mistakes so that we can avoid the consequences. Wisdom is about taking the goodness and the experiences and the knowledge that others have developed and decide to apply in our lives so that we have a better life. Fewer mistakes, fewer consequences! And it's not just about avoiding mistakes, it's about knowing how to handle difficult situations. It's about knowing how to be proactive in making good things happen, rather than wallowing around in the consequences of repeated stupidities. In fact, there is a lot to be said for wisdom – the sort of wisdom that actually works. Okay, so exactly what is wisdom? I mean, intuitively, we know that wisdom is probably a good thing and most of us wouldn't mind having a bit more of it but have you ever stopped to think exactly what is it? Well, here's a dictionary definition: Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge and good judgement and the soundness of action or decision by applying this experience and knowledge and good judgement. That's not bad! You boil that down and there are two parts to that. Firstly, knowing what to do and then doing it. Knowing what to do and then not doing it is pretty dumb and that's why I for one have done some dumb things in my life. Yes, sure, sometimes I didn't know what the right thing was to do, so I ran into a brick wall and it hurt and I learned that that particular thing doesn't work. Or perhaps, even better, I listened to someone else who had run into that brick wall before me and I learned from their experience. But sometimes, you know, we know the right thing, either because we just know – I mean, I know that it's wrong to rob a bank and I know that if I do, there are going to be some undesirable consequences – or because I have been down that road before or because I have listened to someone who has. So, sometimes we know the right thing to do – we have access to the knowledge but then we turn around and we don't do it. I know that drink driving is dangerous. I know that. Seen the road statistics lately? Seen the random breath testing stations on the road? Yea, so I have the knowledge, but if I get into that car, having had too much to drink and run over a pedestrian – you know, some people do that – then do I have wisdom? No, just the knowledge! For it to be wisdom you have to have the knowledge and then put it into action. Wisdom isn't just having the experience and the knowledge and the good judgement, wisdom is using it; acting on it; doing it; living it. Wisdom is only wisdom when it involves the knowledge and the doing. Does that make sense? Quite a few thousand years ago, King Solomon, King of Israel, David's son, was pretty much recognised as one of the wisest men on the planet. He had a few sons and so he decided to jot down some of that wisdom. We have access to that in the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament and over these coming four weeks we are going to spend some time ransacking this Book for wisdom - getting as much of the proverbial Wisdom of Solomon as we can, so that we can put that to work in our lives. And that's the key: putting it to work. I can help by unlocking the treasure chest of wisdom, I can help even by encouraging you to put it to work but only you can make it happen in your life – only I can make it happen in my life. Remember this series is called “Wisdom that Works.” Okay, where do we find that wisdom? Where do we start? Well, let's start at the beginning of the Book of Proverbs, chapter 1 – the preamble; the introduction; the reason for wisdom. That's what it's all about. Proverbs chapter 1, beginning at verse 1: The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: For learning about wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity; to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young. Let the wise also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire skill, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my child, your father's instruction, and do not reject your mother's teaching; for they are a fair garland for your head, and pendants for your neck. Well, isn't that what we have just been talking about? It's about getting good wisdom into us and for it to have a good outcome. God's wisdom – the sort of wisdom that actually works. There is plenty of wisdom out there that purports to be real but it's fake; it's a ‘me' centred wisdom which will eventually come unstuck. Not a God-centred wisdom at all and that, my friends, is the starting point of wisdom – shifting our thoughts and our hearts away from the seductive slight-of-hand that passes for worldly wisdom and coming back to the source of real wisdom – the sort of wisdom that actually works. Have a listen again to what Solomon writes about where to find wisdom that works – Proverbs chapter 1, verse 7: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. And the meaning of that word ‘fear' in that context isn't just fear of the consequences of God's judgement if we are rebel against Him – and there is that and it will happen – but awe and respect and reverence. When I was a young lad, if I played up, I knew I would get a belting from my Dad – but much better to live in respect of my Dad, knowing of course, that a belting was in the offing if I mucked up – but living instead in a good respect for my father and avoiding the belting all together. See, there are two sides to that "fear" thing and it's when we finally decide to stick our pride in our pockets, to realise that all along, "I've been trying to do it my way and hey, you know what, it isn't working so brilliantly well. It isn't bringing me the joy and contentment and the satisfaction that I've been craving for." Admitting that and saying, "You know something, God? I have been wandering out there, trying to do it my way and it's not working. I can reject and despise Your wisdom and instruction and live with the consequences, God, or I can yield my life to You and do it Your way." And throughout the Book of Proverbs there is a contrast between the wise and the foolish, between good outcomes and bad outcomes. And that's what we are going to be exploring over these coming weeks on the programme. But the starting point is here: Proverbs chapter 1, verse 7: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. And the choice is yours for your life and mine for my life. Question is: which way will we choose?   Good Friends, Bad Friends Do you remember when you were growing up? You know when you were in those teenage years, your parents would tell you this or tell you that and we would just roll our eyes into the back of our heads, wouldn't we? "Don't hang out with the wrong crowd; be careful of the company you keep". "Yeh, yeh, yeh, right, what would they know – the oldies?" But it's really interesting in this Old Testament Book of Proverbs – thirty one chapters, packed, verse after verse with lots of wisdom. One of the very first things that Solomon talks to his sons about, in fact, the very first thing after talking to them about where to find wisdom - which is what we chatted about earlier - the very next thing is the crowd they hang around with. You know, maturity is an interesting thing. As we grow, we grow in our ability to discern what "good advice" is. Sometimes we reject people's advice because it is inappropriate or self-interested but what we are about to hear is some very good advice – some stunning advice, in fact and if we put this into action then it becomes wisdom. Now, any parent knows that if our kids keep bad company that doesn't auger well for their future because that bad company is a bad influence and it can be terribly, terribly destructive on our kids when they are growing up. And this is what Solomon has to say to these young me – his sons – about keeping bad company. Proverbs chapter 1, beginning at verse 10. He said: My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us wantonly ambush the innocent; like Sheol let us swallow them alive and whole, like those who go down to the Pit. We shall find all kinds of costly things; we shall fill our houses with booty. Throw in your lot amongst us; we will all have enough in the one purse”, my child, do not walk in their way, keep your foot from their paths; for their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood. For in vain is the net baited while the bird is looking on; yet they lie in wait—to kill themselves! and set an ambush—for their own lives! Such is the end of all who are greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its possessors. Okay, hopefully most of us aren't murderers – hopefully most of us aren't going to go and lie in wait and mug someone and rob them but we kind of do that sometimes in life, through our behaviour and our attitudes and dishonesty and aggressively looking after our own interests above other peoples' interests. And it turns out that keeping bad company is different from being around bad people. You go to work, you go to church, you are a member of a club, you interact with people and some of them are great and some of them are fantastic – they're wonderful to be with – and some of them are downright awful. That's life! When we deal with people sometimes, we have to deal with those people and everything in between. But it's not whether we are around them or not, so much, it's a question of influence. Let's go back to what Solomon said – Proverbs chapter 1, verse 10: My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent … My child, do not walk in their way; keep you foot from their paths; for their feet run to evil and they hurry to shed blood. Look what Solomon says – he says, "Look don't be tempted by bad company or listen to them when they say, ‘Come on, let's gang up on someone and kill them, just for the fun of it." It's a question of whether we take their advice and go with them; whether we keep their company; whether we let them influence what we think, what we feel and ultimately, what we do. Here's the chain of events: they speak, we hear. Now, when we hear, we have a decision to make – we either accept or reject. And if we accept, it changes our behaviour and if it changes our behaviour, that has consequences – that's the important bit. When we hear, do we accept or reject? Do we rely on them or not? Do we trust them or don't we? Do we put our faith in them, to the extent that we let them change what we do? It's not that we are around bad people; it's not even that we hear them speak – that's not the problem. It's when we are tempted by them and when we allow them to change what we do. It's a question of influence. Bad company can discourage us; it can lead us to complaining; it can be disruptive; it can make us suspicious; it can make us envious; it can make us dishonest; it can make us violent. Bad company is an entry point of bad influence from other people and I have enough issues in my life to deal with without taking on bad stuff from other people. Now, at the end of the day, all of us want to live a good life. Sure, we want to be comfortable, we want to be happy but part of that is knowing that we are living a good life - that there's a goodness that we are reaping the fruit from and God comes to us here – this is stuff from Solomon, it's from the Bible. And we might go, ‘Aw, come on, it's three thousand years ago. Aw, it's from the Bible – it's not for me.' Come on, this is good advice! God is giving us Fatherly advice, born out of His love because whilst bad company may entice us into action that appears to give us a quick win, ultimately that bad influence ... ultimately that bad influence leads us to destruction. Listen again to the consequences – Proverbs chapter 1, verse 17: For in vain is the net baited while the bird is looking on; yet they lie in wait, ultimately to kill themselves – they set an ambush ultimately, for their own lives. Such is the end of all those who are greedy for gain – it takes away the life that it possesses. See, they think they are ambushing the other guy through their bad deeds but in fact, they are ambushing themselves. They want to kill the other guy but their evil desires are going to destroy them. Come on, who do you hang around with? Who are the people whom you allow to influence you and are any of those ruining your life with a bad influence? Because if they are, it's like drinking in poison from them – it's time to do something about it. Bad company drags us down – bad company has consequences and we are going to sit here and go, "Well, that's a nice story from Solomon, Berni," and we can ignore it but there will be consequences. Or we can take it on board; we can say, "You know what, this advice from God through the Book of Proverbs; from Solomon – this is great advice!" I never really thought of it that way. Do you know something: there are some changes I need to make about the people I hang around with?   The Value of Wisdom Now, the very next thing that Solomon talks about in the Book of Proverbs, after the beginning of wisdom and the impact of bad company, is the value of wisdom. Now, why do people make investments? Why do they take their hard earned money and buy shares in a company? Well, it's not for the fun of it so much – people make investments in order to reap a return. On the stock market, the price of a particular share goes up and it goes down, according to the market's perception of the return that they can make on their investment in that particular company. If the company has good prospects, the value goes up – if there are some bad returns, the value falls down. It's the way of the world! But it's not God's way – God has an investment that we can make in the good times that actually pays dividends in the tough times. In fact, that's the whole point of this particular investment. Intuitively we all know that wisdom is a good thing – we would all like so more of it and so you have to ask yourself, why is it that we are not all as wise as we can be? Why is it that we are not full to overflowing with the Wisdom of Solomon? Well, the answer is simple – because like any investment, wisdom requires a sacrifice up front. If I invest some of my hard earned cash in this company or that company on the stock market then the point is I have to use the money that I would have spent otherwise, for that investment. I have to make a sacrifice up front. It's locked away – the money – and hopefully it's locked away because it will earn me a good return. That's the concept of investing – sacrificing now so that we can benefit later on. It's the same with wisdom but the mistake that we can often make with wisdom is that we imagine that it's just about having the knowledge and the experience and the principles. I mean, all those are necessary but they don't become wisdom until we put them into action – until we live them out. That's when we demonstrate that we have wisdom – by living it. So, back to this question: why is it that we are not all living virtuous lives, reaping the harvest of our wisdom? Because we haven't bought into it! And when do we buy into a company? We do it when we think there is going to be a good return. The problem for most people is that they don't perceive a return on investment – the upfront sacrifice – when it comes to this precious commodity that they call "wisdom". So right now we are going to look at what accountants and economists call "ROI's" – return on investment. So let's dive into the Book of Proverbs; Solomon's advice to his young sons and let's see what it say about the ROI on our investment in wisdom. Proverbs chapter 1, beginning at verse 20: Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice. At the busiest corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?  Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused, have stretched out my hand and no one heeded, and because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at you in your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you, when panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and be sated with their own devices. For waywardness kills the simple, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but those who listen to me, (says wisdom,) will be secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster. I love the old Hebrew writings and the way they use picture language. And here we have this picture of wisdom as a person, calling out to us from the street corner in the middle of life, stretching out her hand – but everyone walks by and ignores her – they are too busy with life. Doesn't this just hit the nail right on the head? Earlier we looked at Solomon's advice to his sons about the company they keep – keep bad company and they will lead you astray and it will cost you a lot of pain. That's it in a nutshell! So times were good – his sons had a choice: listen to Dad; take his advice; turn away from the bad company or continue to hunt with that pack. Wisdom is something that so often comes to us when the times are good. When the economy is buoyant and returns are strong – she cries out to us; she stretches out her hand – invest in me! So we have a choice – we either go and invest; we act on the advice of God's wisdom; we live out that wisdom in the good times when it appears that we don't actually need the wisdom; when it appears that we don't need to make a sacrifice - we either do it then or we don't. And the whole point of wisdom is that we need to act on it in the good times in order to reap the reward in the bad times. Let me say that again: wisdom is the one investment we can make that delivers a dividend in the tough times. All the other investments come crashing down in the tough times but it's the dividend of wisdom that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Listen to what Solomon said again – Proverbs chapter 1, verse 32: For waywardness kills the simple and the complacency of fools destroys them but those who listen to me will be secure and will live at ease without dread of disaster. So wisdom either helps us to avoid the bad times - as in the case of the advice about keeping bad company - or when the bad times hit, which of course, they inevitably do in life. We don't want bad times to hit but they always do. Eventually the cycle turns and the bad times hit. And see, wisdom helps us in the bad times. It's like putting away some savings today so that we have some spare cash on a rainy day – bad choices in the good times inevitably lead to bad outcomes and bad consequences. Wise choices however, the sacrifices that we make in living out God's wisdom, pays dividends. It may not lead to perfect outcomes that we always planned but wisdom pays dividends. In fact, it pays huge dividends in tough times. This is wisdom that works! Wisdom cries out to us – God cries out to us, "Listen to Me – sacrifice the things I ask you to sacrifice and I will be with you there in the tough times; in the bad times because God's wisdom is wisdom that works."

Sermon by Dr. Robert Lewis 8/26/2001 Two Important Things You Need to Know about Wisdom: Wisdom richly rewards Wisdom is available to everyone How to be Wise: Fear the Lord Apply God's Word Hang out with wise people Strategy #1 for Assuring the Blessing of God: Acquire Wisdom. Selected

If you could have anything you wanted in this life, what would be on your list? This week Pastor Korey finishes out the series on wisdom.

Wisdom. There's real wisdom, godly wisdom. And then there's the false wisdom that many in this world hold out to be true wisdom. God yearns for you to be filled with real wisdom. Wisdom from above.   A Different Kind of Wisdom Let's be honest. Sometimes we do the dumbest things. We don't mean to, we just do. And there comes a point where you think to yourself: “Why am I making this same mistake over and over again?” I'm guessing you've been there. For some people, it's constant worry. Sure you've heard the bit where Jesus says “Who, by worrying, can add a single hour to their lives?” (Matt 6:27). Maybe you've heard it a hundred times before, but you still can't stop worrying. Perhaps you're someone who carries anger and bitterness around in your heart. Sure, you know that the Bible says - “don't let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph 4:26) … but that anger keeps bubbling away. Or maybe your someone who is constantly trying to impress other people. You know it's a pride thing. You know that pride comes before the fall (Prov 16:18) but, well, you know … There are so many things that hold us back in this life. There are so many things that we hang on to for dear life, that are in fact ruining our lives. We all have our Achilles heel. We all have blind spots. We all have circumstances in our lives where “doing it my way” – as much as that may be the way we've always done it – just doesn't work. If I asked you, in those circumstances, “Do you want to be wise?” I'm sure your answer would be, “Absolutely!”. But then, if I asked you, “So, are you prepared to make the changes you need to make to get that wisdom; to live out that wisdom?” Well, most of us, at that point, would hesitate; equivocate. “Change? Really? Change? Well, I'm not so sure about that.” If we're going to talk about wisdom then, we have to start at the beginning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) Now maybe that's a verse that you've heard many times before. But let's just get a grip on it for a minute. The fear of the Lord means an awe, a respect; a realisation of the terrible outcomes of the judgements of God. My father loved be and I loved him. But let me tell you, when I was a lad, I knew that if I did something wrong, there was going to be a reckoning with my dad. And if it was bad enough, I knew that it would involve punishment. We just toddle along through life as though anything goes. If it feels good do it. I wonder though, if we thought a bit more about the terrible judgement of God, if we questioned our thoughts, our motives, our actions, if we asked ourselves “What would God think about this, really?” … I wonder if that wouldn't open our hearts to God's wisdom. A few years ago, I recorded a radio program about the fear of God. Now, I remember thinking to myself “No one wants to hear about the fear of God these days.” But I just felt God nudging me towards that message. So, I did it. I wrote it, I recorded it. And a few months later, I received an email from a man in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is what he wrote: I was at a peace conference in Goma and in my hotel room I turned on the radio. I heard a program about the fear of God. And I realised that with no fear of God in the hearts of people there will be no peace! No peace at all! I don't know if this was a revelation from God … but my heart was beating, coming far away, God was speaking to me. I have been on the battle field for 13 years now and I don't know how many people have died because of my gun, but what I know is that I decided to lay down my arms in that hotel room. I've never forgotten that email. He gave his life to Christ and ended up fleeing to another country in fear of his life. The bit of his email that keeps ringing out for me is where he says, “without the fear of God there can be no peace, no peace at all!” You know what, he's absolutely right. When we just carry on as if anything goes, when we live our lives for ourselves without any respect, without any awe, without a right sense of the fear of God in our hearts, we are going to make a hash of it. A complete mess of our lives and a complete mess of the lives of the people around us. The people we hurt through what we say and do. Through the expression of anger and disapproval on our face. Through our failure to love them, the way they need to be loved. And the crazy thing about this 'fear of God' thing, is that once we yield our lives to God, once we say “Lord I'm sick of making mistakes. My way doesn't work. I want your way. I want your wisdom. I want your help. Once we do that, all the fear in fact goes away. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. (1 John 4:18) Yes there is a terrible judgement that awaits those who rebel against God. A terrible But when we come to a turning point, as Safari Murinzi came to a turning point in that hotel room, the fear goes away. When we choose to live in God's love, that perfect love casts out all fear. God wants to impart to you, His wisdom. The wisdom of the ages. My dad had a lot of wisdom. He wasn't perfect of course, but he took the time and made the effort to impart much of that wisdom into my life. And to a great extent that wisdom has made me the man I am today. Imagine though, God who is perfect, God who knows all things for all time, God who loves you beyond measure, wanting to impart His wisdom into your life. Surely, we have to stand back from that, you and I, and think to ourselves, “WOW! That's amazing!!” And it is. Totally amazing. Just think for a moment of the things that you have going on in your life right at this moment that are causing you grief. The things that are complicated, that you just can't sort out and fix. Imagine now, that God is prepared to speak His word of wisdom into that one situation that's driving you to despair. Would you want to hear that wisdom? Would you want to receive that wisdom? Probably out of frustration, out of a desire just to get that thing sorted, the answer is a big, fat “Yes!” But then let's say you open your Bible and you read this verse: The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. (Proverbs 8:13) And you realise that actually it's your pride and your arrogance, the way you've been talking to other people, that's the biggest factor in this dilemma in which you find yourself. Now let me ask you again. Do you want to receive that wisdom? It's not easy is it. There's this thing inside each one of us that wants to blame everyone and everything else for our problems, except our selves. And yet so often, the getting of wisdom involves owning up. It involves being honest with ourselves. It involves making the changes that we need to make in order to bring peace. And that's where the fear of the Lord comes in. It's this heart attitude that says, “You know God is right. The alternative here is continuing in this mess. The alternative here is facing God's judgement for this one day.” Receiving the wisdom of God into our lives isn't always easy. In fact a lot of the time, it's incredibly tough. It's something that we don't want to do, because we want to wallow in our immaturity, in our pride, in our … let me call it for what it is … sin. But your Father in Heaven has, sitting ready and waiting for you, the wisdom of the ages. A wisdom that will utterly transform your life. A wisdom that, day by day, will set you free to be all He made you to be.   Yearning for Wisdom Wisdom is something that I think, we all desire. I mean, I don't know anyone on this planet, who, if asked, wouldn't want to be wise. But I wonder just how high it is up our priority list of wants and desires. We long after different things in our lives. Sometimes we yearn for love, acceptance and companionship. Other times it might by something more basic – like enough food to eat. There are plenty of people on this earth who simply don't have the basics – food, clean water, shelter. But in affluent places, we yearn, frankly, for silly things. A new pet dog – nice, but not essential. The latest hair style, the latest fashion accessory, a new dress in this season's colours, a new car – shiny and bright, just like the one on the TV add. Right now, given what's going on in your life, what do you yearn for? What's the object of longing that's dominating your heart and mind right at this moment. Does godly wisdom even feature in, say, your top three desires? If you're like most people, the answer is: probably not. When Solomon, the son of King David, was still a young man, he became the king of Israel. What a huge responsibility. Ruling a country, that young, that immature, with so little experience. He knew it was way beyond him, just like many of the things that you and I confront in life are beyond us. One night he had a dream. And in that dream, God said to him: Ask what I should give you. (1 Kings 3:5) I wonder … I wonder if God appeared to you and me in a dream one night and said that to us, what we would ask for. Well, here's what Solomon asked for: Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people? (1 Kings 3:9) And then, we're told in the very next verse that: It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honour all your life; no other king shall compare with you. (1 Kings 3:10-13) So asking for wisdom, it seems, asking unselfishly for the right thing, is an act that pleases God and releases great blessing into our lives. Just imagine what your life would look like if you yearned for the wisdom of God. Imagine what your life would look like if, like King Solomon, you petitioned God for the wisdom to do the things that He has set before you, the things that in your heart of hearts, you know are way before you. It would please the Lord no end. It would bring you rewards that go way beyond anything you could ever have imagined. When we ask God for wisdom, we're asking Him for something that's not so much about us, as it is about serving Him and other people. Think about the things that you need wisdom for in your life right at the moment. What are the things that are going on in your relationships that are beyond you? What decisions do you need to make that are going to have an impact on your life and perhaps the lives of others, that you're just not sure about? The young and inexperienced King Solomon wanted wisdom to govern God's people. So when he asked God for an understanding and discerning mind, instead of wealth and honour as king, the longing in his heart was for his people, not for himself. He could have asked for great riches and honour, but instead He asked for wisdom. You know what I think. I think that all too often we ask God for things that are about us. Our needs, our Now, just as Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” there's nothing wrong with asking God to meet our needs. But if that's all we ask of Him, then it's a pretty selfish little prayer life that we're having isn't it? It's a pretty narrow life that we end up leading. Imagine if you could see your problems through God's eyes. Imagine if you could see your circumstances, the decisions that you need to make, through God's eyes. Imagine if you could stand on heaven's balcony and see the view from there. I think that's what wisdom is. God's wisdom gives us a completely different perspective. God's wisdom helps us see the bigger picture, rather than our own little narrow circumstances. A thousand or so years after Solomon, the Apostle Paul found himself in a Roman dungeon, chained to a guard, on death row. Imagine how easy it would have been for him to have a narrow view of his circumstances. But instead, he was able to write: I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) There's a man filled with the wisdom of God. There's a man who can see his dire circumstances from the vantage point of heaven's balcony. Back to you. Back to your life. Your dilemmas. Your decisions. The things that are before you that you know are way beyond you. The struggles, the hurts, the situation that's confusing you and confounding you at the moment. Your God wants to show you the big picture. Your God wants to put His arm around you and show you the view from heaven's balcony. Now sure, He may not show you the whole picture, but if you'll just ask Him for His wisdom, it will please His Father's heart and He will show you just enough to get you through.   The Getting of Wisdom It's a humbling thing to come to the realisation that you don't have the wisdom, the where-with-all, the IQ, the emotional intelligence – call it whatever you want – to deal with a problem. Pride keeps a lot of people from asking for help. Pride whispers to us “If you ask for help, you'll be showing other people how dumb you are.” And so, many people make bad decisions because they don't seek help from others, when they need it. Without counsel, plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverbs 15:13) The truth is that none of us has all the answers. When I was a young man, working as a pretty high priced IT consultant, I used to think that I had to show my clients that I had all the answers for everything. That there were no limits to my expertise. After all, look at what I was charging them. How stupid I must have looked, and, let me tell you, that attitude caused me a lot of grief in the end. No, we will need help. We all need the different perspectives that others can bring. We all need counsel from good advisers. And THE best adviser of all, without any shadow of a doubt, is God Himself. Especially, let me say, when we're in the middle of a crisis. Crises happen, often, without warning. They're like earthquakes. People are going about their ordinary, day to day business. Or perhaps they're asleep in bed and without any warning, the earthquake hits, shacking the very foundations of their lives. Reeking devastation. Throwing people into fear and panic. We tend not to make very good decisions under those circumstances. Suffering has a way of completely distorting our perspective. My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom … (James 1:2-5) Now I want to stop it just there, because that last bit is the bit I want to focus on. If any of you is lacking in wisdom … how easy is it to pretend you have all the answers? How easy is it to go on and make decisions when you're facing trials, when your faith is being tested, when things are hurting – as though you know it all? With all that you have going on in your life at the moment, is there a place where you haven't admitted to yourself, that you don't have all the answers? Because, listen to me here, admitting to yourself that you actually need help, is the essential first step, into God's wisdom. And once we come to that point, once we admit that to ourselves, well the flood gates open. God steps in, in power. In a way that we could scarcely have imagined. I wonder whether, when you go through difficult trials, through times of testing, whether you've ever felt as though God has deserted you. You pray and you pray and you pray, but it feels as though your prayers are just bouncing off the ceiling. You ask God for guidance, for wisdom, for advice – but it seems as though He's left you hear, alone in the wilderness, to your own devices. You realise that you don't have the power or the wisdom to deal with whatever it is, but God is silent, mute it seems … and so know despondency sets in. Ever been there? Sure you have. Perhaps you're even there now. There's some huge problem in your life and you know you need help, but there doesn't appear to be any help on the horizon. Would you like to know what's going on? Here it is. God has taken a step back to test your faith. My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4) He does that, because your faith is precious. God knows that by testing your faith, He will grow it stronger. Is it fun, no. But perhaps He's brought us together today, just to remind you of what's going on here in your suffering, in your time of testing. And now … now I want to share a powerful promise with you into the middle of that despondency. Are you ready?! If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; , for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:5-8) WOW! So you've come to the conclusion that you need help. You've realised that you don't have the wisdom that you need. That's a good thing. That's what He wants, the realisation that: “I am lacking in wisdom.” A great step of humility. A step that God will honour. And look again at his Word, His promise is that He will give you His wisdom – generously and ungrudgingly. So stop doubting, stop being tossed to and fro, ditch the doubt, the double-mindedness, and just believe in what God says. If you need His help, if you need His wisdom in the middle of your suffering and the testing of your faith, ask, believe and His wisdom WILL be given to you – generously, and ungrudgingly. Hallelujah!

Wisdom for Getting Wisdom | Wisdom for Life | Ethan Magness by First Christian Church

What are you building your life on: your own understanding, your mom's advice, something a podcaster said? Do you try to do life on your own and in your own way? This week Pastor Kevin uses the fifth chapter in James to teach us that wisdom is from God, and the Lord requires us to apply His wisdom and live it out. 

In our latest podcast of DenTAL Care, Dr. Harish Tenneti tackles common questions about wisdom teeth. From understanding their purpose to managing potential issues, get concise insights and essential tips for optimal dental health. Don't miss this informative podcast hosted by Jayasree only on TALRadio! Host : Jayasree Expert : Dr.Harish Tenneti Dr. Harish Contact Details: Mobile number : 9182674723 Website :https://www.violetera.in/ #DentalCare #WisdomTeeth #DentalHealth #OralHealth #TALPodcast #Dentistry #DentalTips #OralCare #HealthTips #TALRadioEnglish #DentistAdvice #DentalExpert

James 3:13-18 - Michael Abrams, Campus Pastor

Wellness + Wisdom | Episode 632 What can biohacking reveal about your life and why is it a more masculine approach to holistic health? Jerry Kuykendall, Founder of Biohacking Truth, joins Josh Trent on the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast, episode 632, to share why he approaches biohacking as a holistic health tool, how you can use attunement to heal, and why self-love is the key ingredient that will end your suffering. "Why are you called to biohacking? Why are you compelled to immerse yourself in your optimization at this point in your life? If that's what you truly authentically want to do, then decipher the symbol that the biohacking world is pulling out of you. Because this particular venture is a representation of everything else that's going on in your life." - Jerry Kuykendall ❄️ Biohack Your Mind & Body with Plunge Ice Baths! Save $150 on your PLUNGE order with code "WELLNESSFORCE" As seen on Shark Tank, Plunge's revolutionary Cold Plunge uses powerful cooling, filtration, and sanitation to give you cold, clean water whenever you want it, making it far superior to an ice bath or chest freezer. ☀️ Live Life Well from Sunrise to Sunset Save 20% with code "WELLNESSFORCE" on everyone's favorite Superfoods brand, ORGANIFI, including their Sunrise to Sunset Bundle and their Women's Power Stack that includes HARMONY + GLOW for true hormonal balance and great health radiating through your beautiful skin. Click HERE to order your Organifi today.

Message from Dr. Wade Stevens on November 19, 2023

Proverbs 1:20-2:22

Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player.  Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Breathe… And tap into your inner wisdom. PAUSE… A deep breath in and then exhale slowly on the out… PAUSE… Take a moment to tune into And find your Center. LONG PAUSE… Listen into to your breath, Into your body, Your mind, Your gut. LONG PAUSE… You already have a knowing, A knowing of where you want to go, Where you've been, What is coming next. LONG PAUSE… Just feel into this knowing, This inner wisdom. PAUSE… Believe in you, Believe in this internal understanding. LONG PAUSE… You are an infinite abundance of wisdom, With a knowledge of insight and perception. Always believe and tap into this, And you'll always know your way. Namaste, Beautiful    

Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player.  Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step' - Lao Tzu PAUSE… To get started,  you need to decide, To take one step. PAUSE… This morning, set your feet firmly on the ground, Breath in fully, expanding your belly, filling up your chest. Tilt your head to the sky, close your eyes. PAUSE… Feel where your compass is directing you to today…  PAUSE… Sit with this thought of just taking one step, To move forward in your day, in life. LONG PAUSE… Nothing more, nothing less… Just one step to propel you forwards. LONG PAUSE… Don't worry too much on how you'll get there, Forget about thinking it won't happen, Let go of any doubt, worry or fears. PAUSE… Just take one step,  One breath, To get yourself started towards The destination you seek. PAUSE… Listen to the wisdom of your breath, Breath into it. PAUSE… ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step' - Lao Tzu Namaste, Beautiful