There are a number of verses in scripture which are easy to skim over quickly, and nod your head thoughtlessly in agreement — but if you stop and think about what they really mean, they may give you pause. Proverbs 16:19 is one of them: “It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud?” Do you really believe that?
Stop and think about what this verse is teaching. Continue reading
(Preached at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, 4-12-15)
Are you a disciple? When we think of the word “disciple”, a lot of us probably think of 12 guys in robes who followed Jesus around, usually saying or doing the wrong then, and then getting taught about Jesus about what they should have done. (In fact, other than the robes, that’s probably not too far off of the definition of what we are as His disciples!) We have seen that in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave His Great Commission to go and “make disciples.” We’ve seen that the most important business of the church is to make disciples. But what does it mean to be a disciple? The Greek Bible word “mathetes” means to be learner, or a follower. It means more than just being a “convert” or “making a decision.” It involved much more than just raising your hand, or going forward and filling out a card,being baptized, or being a member of a church. It is a commitment of your life to Jesus to be His follower. Thankfully we don’t have to invent our own definition of what a disciple is; Jesus spelled out the kind of commitment He requires of His followers in Luke 9:23:
“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'” Continue reading
Often it is easy to criticize others for a particular drawback, when the truth is we are not any better than they are. In Psalm 28, David asks God to judge the wicked, and in :5 he gives the reason: “Because they do not regard the works of YHWH, nor the deeds of His hands …”. A closer look at the verse might keep us from too quickly judging others, and should cause us to examine our own faith as well: Continue reading
Don’t be surprised if things don’t turn out the way you plan. Indeed, often it seems like they rarely do! But Proverbs 16:9 explains why that is often the case: “The mind of man plans his way, but YHWH directs his steps.”
We can (and should!) plan. It is a good and godly thing to do, as some other Continue reading
A church member was once overheard saying: “He’s a good minister, he’s just got a little pride problem.” But pride is not a “little” problem — for a minister or anyone else, as Proverbs 16:5 makes clear: “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to YHWH; assuredly he will not go unpunished.” Notice how powerfully this verse condemns what many consider a secondary sin: Continue reading
Proverbs 16:3 is a good word for any of us who make plans, whether personal, business, or in ministry: “Commit your works to YHWH and your plans will established.” The Hebrew here is literally “ROLL” your works to YHWH” — entrust them Continue reading
When Jesus cast demons out of people in Mark 1, :34 says: “He did not allow them to speak, because they knew Him.” There are a couple of important lessons in this verse:
One is that the demons have a better understanding of spiritual things than most people do: Continue reading
Psalm 27:10 is a comforting verse regarding God’s commitment to his children: “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me up.” David had just prayed in the previous verse, “Do not abandon nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.” He uses the same Hebrew word for “forsaken” here in :10. He knows that God will NOT do that, but will “take him up” — a word that means “gather”, and implies protection (BDB). One of the most significant things about this verse, however, is how PERSONAL it is: Continue reading
Proverbs 14:23 admonishes us: “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” This is a good reminder to us that just talking about something rarely accomplishes anything. It must be backed up by actions. Continue reading
After Jesus and His disciples had concluded an exciting episode in the synagogue with the demon-afflicted man, Mark 1 tells us that they went to Simon’s house. Then :30 says: “But the mother-in-law of Simon was lying sick with a fever, and immediately they spoke to Him about her.”
Simon’s mother-in-law was sick — there was no indication that it was a “tragic” sickness; just that she had a fever and was in bed. But significantly it says, “they spoke to (Jesus) about her.” Continue reading
I'm a retired Southern Baptist pastor of almost 40 years. My wife Cheryl & I moved to Norman, OK in March of 2025. I share a weekly overview for Sunday School teachers of the weekly Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, as well as texts of my sermons and other articles.
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