Tag: christian
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A Fool and a Rebuke
10A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.–Proverbs 17 This proverb is almost comical in its absurdity. But it serves to highlight the foolishness of the fool and the sense of the wise. How foolish must that fool be? My goodness! And that’s the point. A rebuke…
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Basic Sovereignty
33The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.–Proverbs 16 They cast a lot, or a type of dice, back in the day to secure answers to questions. I grew up hearing things like, “Heads, we do this. Tails, we do that.” Same principle. But this verse is a…
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Intentional Speech
28The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.–Proverbs 15 I played a season on my college’s improv team. I was encouraged by friends who were current team players to try out, and I had just enough Chris Farley-esque physical comedy skills to make an…
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The Great Balance
29Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.–Proverbs 14 Like many proverbs, here there is one of those playground things I grew up calling a “teeter-totter”. One one side is slowness to anger with his friend understanding. On the other side is a hasty temper and…
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Just Add Salt
6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.–Colossians 4 When Paul wrote this to the Colossians, he had a Torah principle in mind. Let’s recall the command from Leviticus chapter 2. You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall…
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The Greatest Intentionality
9…seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.–Colossians 3 As I journey with people who desire to change, I most always lead them through these verses. I have them ponder their old self, their…
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Substance or Shadow
16Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in…
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Colossians Christology
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For byf him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he…
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What Do You Pursue?
6Leave your simple ways, and live,and walk in the way of insight.”–Proverbs 9 In the book of Proverbs, you are heeding the call of one of two ‘women’–Lady Wisdom or Madam Folly. Those of us who follow Jesus already understand these. But, frankly, every person is a disciple of another. In some way or fashion.…
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How a Cheesecake Taught Me Discipline
5O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.–Proverbs 8 Four categories here. 1. The word simple is othertimes translated naive. 2. Prudence means using the mind to discipline life. 3. The word fool is othertimes translated stupid. 4. Sense is literally the Hebrew ‘understanding of heart.’ So the ones who are living the undisciplined…
Joel M Bradshaw 