Blog Archives

Pride (Proverbs 11:2, 12; 13:10; 15:25, 33; 16:18-19; 21:4; 28:26)

2/26/2017

Big Idea
- Pride hides behind a mask of self-glorification, but humility allows us to be ourselves in Christ.
A Thin Disguise
- Pride requires comparisons. Proverbs 11:12; 13:10
- Pride makes us think we’re supreme. Proverbs 15:25: 16:19; 21:4
Disgrace
- Pride makes us self-focused. Proverbs 11:2
- Pride cuts us off from our need for wisdom. Proverbs 13:10; Luke 7:36-50
Only the Lowly
- God is always close to the broken, or those who finish last. Proverbs 15:25; 28:26; Isaiah 66:2
- Jesus lost the pride trial, on purpose. John 17:24; Philippians 2:1-11
Gaining Glory
- It takes humility to gain glory. Proverbs 15:33; 1 Corinthians 4:3-4
- Humility teaches us to be gracious people. Proverbs 16:19

2/23/2017

Big Idea
- We can disentangle ourselves from envy by saturating our lives with the grace of Christ.
The Disease of Envy
- Envy is a scary emotion because it distorts things, and deceives us.
- Envy causes us to undervalue what we have.
A Culture of Comparisons
- We live in a world that encourages us to compare.
- Envy makes it hard to just enjoy the moment.
The Discipline of Zeal
- If there's an upside to envy, it's that it can cause us to get in touch with what's really driving our lives.
- A believer is someone who's entered in a redemptive reverential relationship with God.
The Awakening
- We find peace when we're aware that everything we have (or don't have) is a gift.
- We can overcome envy by experiencing God in His sanctuary. Psalm 63:1-5

2/12/2017

Big Idea
- From everyone who has been given much, much will be required. 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 12:48
The Power of Wealth
- Gaining wealth is something to be valued. Proverbs 10:15-16; Ecclesiastes 10:19; 1 Corinthians 10:30
- Sometimes we undervalue wealth, but other times we overvalue it. Ecclesiastes 7:12
The Problem with Wealth
- Wealth can make us blind to ourselves. Proverbs 11:1; 1 Timothy 6:6
- Wealth can also make us blind to others. Proverbs 11:24
- Wealth can make us blind to our need for God. Proverbs 30:8b; Matthew 6:24
Taking Stock
- Trusting God when it comes to our wealth makes us more secure. Psalm 112
- Giving thanks breaks the bondage of materialism. Proverbs 30:8b-9
Investing
- Recognize that Christ was scattered. Matthew 6:3; Psalm 34:20; John 1:14
- Practice grace in giving. 2 Corinthians 8:1-9; Proverbs 11:26

2/5/2017

Big Idea: What we value as beautiful transforms the beauty we experience.
What the Bible Calls Beautiful
- The human body is a beautiful thing that God blesses.
- The Bible says we should feel drunk with love for our mate.
- In Proverbs there’s a call to intimacy, that springs from fidelity, that brings about the highest romantic joy. Proverbs 2:17; Ephesians 5:21-33
What We Settle For
- We often settle for much less than the beauty found in commitment. Matthew 15:19
- Without realizing it, we can see each other as products, not people.
- We call the wrong things beautiful. Philippians 4:12
What We Find in Christ
- Jesus came, not to be beautiful, but to make us beautiful. Genesis 29-31; Isaiah 53:2-3; Philippians 2:5-8; Ephesians 5:1-2; Hebrew 12:2
- God can make us into a community of people who value the right things, the beauty in each other's hearts.