Deeply Rooted (When I Read Your Word)

R EAD THIS:  Proverbs 22:24-25, Wise Saying #3 24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, 25 or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared. WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Who is the person in your life that can get you the angriest quickest? Come on... we all know at least one person who can! It probably didn't take you very long to think of that sibling, that friend, that parent, that coworker, or that teacher. Simply put, there are people in our lives who are expertly good at annoying us and leaving us angry, and most of them don't even realize they are doing it. The more important question is how do we respond to them? It's very easy to look at this verse and be like "hmm, I definitely shouldn't be friends with Blah Blah, cuz they are always so easily angered." But let's take a second to look at ourselves! What kind of friend are we? If we are easily angered by others, it will trap us (that's wh...

R EAD THIS:  Proverbs 22:22-23, Wise Saying #2 22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, 23 for the Lord will take up their case and will exact life for life. WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Sometimes it's kind of tempting to do something just because we can. When we know there won't be consequences, we are way more likely to do something that we normally wouldn't.  Think about a little kid and the absolute buffest, scariest man in the world. Say both of them are eating a plate of candy and they both stand up to go do something really quick. I would totally be tempted to go over to the little kid's plate and take a piece of candy. But, I wouldn't DREAM of taking the candy off the big, scary dude's plate. The difference is that if the little kid finds out, there's not much that the kid can do to hurt me.  These verses are kind of telling us that that little kid is actually the son of the big scary dude. And the dude car...

R EAD THIS:  Proverbs 22:17-21, Wise Saying #1 17 Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, 18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. 19 So that your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you. 20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge, 21 teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth, so that you bring back truthful reports to those you serve? WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? For the next 30 days, we will be covering 30 "wise sayings" found in Proverbs 22-24... get excited! (If you crack open a hard-copy Bible, you'll see that these sections are genuinely numbered off as Wise Saying Number One, etc) This first wise saying gives an important (but also somewhat funny) message: "Listen to these 30 sayings!" It is kind of like when a teacher says, "You're gonna want to take notes on this part... it's...

REMINDER: THIS IS THE LAST DAY YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN! You've done it. You have traversed through 9 chapters of Proverbs all on your lonesome. And you did great! Today, you are reading the first 16 verses of Proverbs 22. After verse 16, Proverbs begins a new little section called "the thirty sayings of the wise." Basically, we are about to go through thirty sayings that people collected into the Bible. We will go back to our typical format but it will be broken up into thirty sayings, so buckle in! The title of each day will tell you how many sayings in you are! For today, though,  we want YOU to write us any questions   you have  regarding what you read. Just submit your questions/thoughts in the comments below, and we will spend time each day responding!  Enjoy the reading! If you’re struggling, it always helps to pray before for help! R EAD THIS:  Proverbs 22:1-16 1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. 2...

REMINDER: For the next few days, we are going to be reading entire chapters of Proverbs! We won’t have any devotionals with them… instead,  we want YOU to write us any questions   you have  regarding what you read. Just submit your questions/thoughts in the comments below, and we will spend time each day responding!  Enjoy the reading! If you’re struggling, it always helps to pray before for help! R EAD THIS:  Proverbs 21 1 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. 2 A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. 3 To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. 4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart— the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin. 5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. 6 A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.  7 The violence of the wicked will drag them...

REMINDER: For the next few days, we are going to be reading entire chapters of Proverbs! We won’t have any devotionals with them… instead,  we want YOU to write us any questions   you have  regarding what you read. Just submit your questions/thoughts in the comments below, and we will spend time each day responding!  Enjoy the reading! If you’re struggling, it always helps to pray before for help! R EAD THIS:  Proverbs 20 1 Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. 2 A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion; those who anger him forfeit their lives. 3 It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. 4 Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing. 5 The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. 6 Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find? 7 The righteous lead blameless lives; bl...

REMINDER: For the next few days, we are going to be reading entire chapters of Proverbs! We won’t have any devotionals with them… instead,  we want YOU to write us any questions   you have  regarding what you read. Just submit your questions/thoughts in the comments below, and we will spend time each day responding!  Enjoy the reading! If you’re struggling, it always helps to pray before for help! R EAD THIS:  Proverbs 19 1  Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. 2 Desire without knowledge is not good— how much more will hasty feet miss the way! 3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord. 4 Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them. 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free. 6 Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts. 7 The poor are shunned by al...