Proverbs 30

"Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection." v5
Father, I need this verse today. As I speak to teenagers this morning, I pray that your word will be spoken in truth and love. Instead of running from you, may we hear your word today and find shelter, protection, and confidence.

Proverbs 29

"Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism
will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery." v1
Criticism is never easy to hear! Especially if it's done in a way that is not constructive. But regardless of how it is done, we should at least look into it and see if there is any truth in the statement. If there is, try to make adjustments, if there isn't, don't dwell on the statement and move on. But be careful, the easy way out would be to ignore or say there is nothing wrong when sometimes there is!

This is what my Life Application Study Bible says,

Warnings rarely come with countdowns. We can't tell when we've had our last chance to change. When we, like the person in this proverb, refuse to consider valid criticism, we leave ourselves open to sudden disaster. The moment we realize that a change is necessary is the best moment to take action. What significant adjustments have been on hold in your life for too long?

New Video from our B2S Retreat

I have added a new video to the Fusion Student Website! Make sure you check it out!

Proverbs 28

"People who conceal their sins will not prosper,
but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy."

This is what my Life Application Study Bible says,

It it human nature to hide our sins or overlook our mistakes. BUT it is hard to learn from a mistake you don't acknowledge making. And what good is a mistake if it doesn't teach you something? To learn from an error you need to admit it, confess it, analyze it, and make adjustments so that it doesn't happen again. Everybody makes mistakes, but only fools repeat them.

Pretty straight forward.

Proverbs 27

As a face is reflected in water,
so the heart reflects the real person.

My mentor use to challenge me with this verse all the time. It reminds me of the movie The Lion King! Simba looks into the water and he believes to see his dad but in reality, he is looking at himself.

We can look good on the outside, but its what is going on on the inside that God is most interested in. The real us tends to be revealed when we are around people that are closest to us and we can be ourselves. But, does that private person, match the person we are in public? The only way this can happen is if we look at our heart and ask ourselves some hard questions, like . . .

Who am I going to live for today?
Do I practice what I believe?
Do I say one thing, but act differently?
Am I allowing God to transform me from the Inside Out?

See You At The Pole

Today teens around the nation gather at flagpoles for SYATP. They are gathering to pray for their school, teachers, peers, leaders nation wide, safety, and that Christ would be made famous by their lifestyle.

Let pray for teenagers today as they take that step of faith and ask God to be with them this school year!

Proverbs 26

As a dog returns to its vomit,
so a fool repeats his foolishness. v11

Fire goes out without wood,
and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. v20

Smooth words may hide a wicked heart,
just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot. v23

As I read this morning these three verses seem to jump out at me. There are times that I am foolish with my words. As a young Christ Follower it was learning how to control the choice of words. Now it is learning how to control the content of my words as it pertains to others. It is easy to be/feel attacked by others. As a pastor, I have learned this the hard way. But the way I process this can be wise or foolish.

I need to have people I can talk about things with, but at the same time, I need to remember that the things I say to them may just keep the hurt, situation, conflict, and even gossip going on longer than it needs too.

My prayer today is that God would remind me of when to share and when to pray about the everyday situations that I may not understand.