I have a special challenge for our church family this Summer, and I’d love to have anyone and everyone who would like to participate to join with us as well!
I want to challenge you to GROW IN WISDOM this summer. For many of us, when we think about Summer, we think vacations and Summer break. But this Summer, I want to encourage you to seek WISDOM! And I have an excellent resource to help you do that!
You may already be familiar with the 3 MINUTE MESSAGES we put up twice each week. They are simple and short videos where we share insight into different scriptures as we read through the Bible together as a church. This Summer (starting in June), our 3 minute messages will be covering scriptures from the book of PROVERBS!
I want to challenge you to read a chapter from Proverbs each day during the Summer. This is a great habit to start because this book is full of WISDOM. There are also 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs, so whatever the date is, you simply read the Proverb for that day! If it is the 6th of the month, you read the 6th chapter that day. It also makes it easy to pick back up again if you miss a few days. You just jump back in where you are in the month. If you keep up with this habit, you will begin to become more familiar with the truths and wisdom in this book because you will be revisiting them each month!
Beginning in June, the 3 minute message videos will be focused on practicalwisdom from various verses throughout the book of Proverbs. I am especially excited because there are a variety of people from around the country (and the world!) that helped contribute to the videos for this summer! Some of the videos include people like Jason Sanchez (missionary in Bachiniva, Mexico), Pastor Ben Courson (Applegate, Oregon), Esteban Valenzuela (missionary in Madrid, Spain), Andre and Angie Amirato (community group leaders at Redemption Church), and lots more! I think you will be very blessed and encouraged by the things that Jesus has taught THEM through the Proverbs as you are reading through the book for yourself!
Proverbs 18:9 says: “Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good.”
Charles R. Swindoll said that “Wisdom is looking at life from God's point of view.” and this is exactly what reading from the book of Proverbs allows us to do. We can sit down with the book of Proverbs as an old friend and glean the advice, counsel and wisdom of God. We can hear what He has to say about living this life wisely.
Proverbs 4:7-9 says, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
I also want to challenge you by reminding you what wisdom teaches us…it must be APPLIED. It is not just knowing these cute little statements that helps us, but putting them into practice is where the blessing is. Chuck Smith said about wisdom: “Wisdom is knowing what to do with what you know.” Another commentator of Proverbs said, “Wisdom is concerned with what one understands but also what one does with that understanding. Wisdom is about developing both discernment and character.” So this is why we must ask God for help from His Spirit to apply His Word.
So will you seek God and His wisdom with me this Summer? I am looking forward to Summer for many different reasons, and I am excited for all of the fun things that are coming up, but I am especially excited for all that Jesus wants to teach us as we study this book of WISDOM together! And when we take the time to ask God for wisdom and study His word, we will never be disappointed.
Proverbs 3:15 “She (wisdom) is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.”