HAPPY HAPPY TURKEY DAY...Remember Thanksgiving is a lifestyle...

T’was the night of Thanksgiving,But I just couldn’t sleep.I tried counting backwards,I tried counting sheep.The leftovers beckoned,The dark meat and white.But I fought the temptation,With all of my might.Tossing and turning,with anticipation.The thought of a snackbecame infatuation.So I raced to the kitchen,Flung open the door,And gazed at the fridge,Full of goodies galore.I gobbled up turkey,And buttered potatoes,Pickles and carrots,Beans and tomatoes.I felt myself swelling,So plump and so round.‘til all of a sudden,I rose off the ground.I crashed through the ceiling,Floating into the sky,With a mouthful of pudding,And a handful of pie.But I managed to yellAs I soared past the treesHappy eating to all,Pass the cranberries, please!!May your stuffing be tastyMay your turkey be plump.May your potatoes and gravyHave nary a lump.May your yams be delicious,May your pies take the prizeAnd May your Thanksgiving dinnerStay off of your thighs!by Lauren

Our Photo Gallery

Our dear parishioner, Richard Ramsey gave us a free session with his grandaughter...

The pictures are AMAZING!

Check it out: http://www.celebr8lifephotography.com/ click on "Main Site" click on "Your Gallery" enter this case-sensitive passcode: Nathan10/24

Patriotism with AMAZING harmony

Thanks Kat Luker for emailing this to me!

Yesterday's Celebration Service

We started PROJECT FOOD BANK: I LOVE CHRISTMAS DECORATING!

Just take an ornament off the tree and bring a non-perishable item and place it under the tree before Dec. 21st...hoping to fill up the food bank cupboards for the needy...

Here's some notes from yesterday's sermon:
SPIRITUAL VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP…

PROVERBS 13:20…He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm…

Listen to proverbs 13:20 in the good news translation…Keep company with the wise and you will become wise. If you make friends with stupid people, you will be ruined….

The Bible doesn’t mess around…
It tells it to ya straight…
Life is a whole lot less messy when you live the biblical standard!

What did Jesus Do? want to remind you…WWJD works
How did he begin his ministry?
Let’s look at LUKE 6:12-16

We’re gonna get some exercise this morning…
We’re gonna talk about what we need to RUN AWAY FROM…
and what we need to RUN TOWARD...

I have some good news this morning…
It may free somebody from some false guilt…
God doesn’t expect you to be friends with everyone!
In fact, there are some people that we are warned NOT to be too close too!
Why? because thay can have a toxic effect on our own spiritual life…

This doesn’t mean we can ignore or shun people…
We are to love, reach out, help, care for all those whom God places in our path…
It’s all about Loving God and Loving people…
But when it comes to friendship, true companionship, we should be CHOOSY...

Proverbs 22:24,25…Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared…

There it is…
We learn the ways of those we spend time around!
Who do you want to be like?
What character traits do you want to build?
This is another reason I am so BLESSED to have the SHORTS on my staff!
I want to be like LORIN when I grow up…

RUN AWAY FROM…angry people

Psychology Today reads…We are living in the “AGE OF RAGE”…
Last year, 4 million women beaten by husbands…
More than 10 million children abused by angry parents…

HIGH ANGER PEOPLE ARE HIGH CONROL PEOPLE!
LET GOD BE IN CONTROL
Resign as manager of the universe…Let God have that place…

Proverbs 29:22…An angry man stirs up dissension and a hot-tempered one commits many sins…

Proverbs 29:11…A fool give full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control…

turn to Proverbs 6:16-19…
Does that list get your attention!? It should…

RUN AWAY FROM…fools
Psalm 14:1…the fool says in his heart…there is no God…

Let’s talk about some things, people you should RUN TOWARD…

Proverbs 27:17…As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other…

let’s turn that list from Proverbs 6 inside out!

a proud look…humble, teachable servant
a lying tongue…honest, “truth in love”
hands that kill…merciful
a mind that thinks evil plans… a compassionate individual
feet that are quick to evil…someone who believes for the best
a witness who lies…KEEP Confidences…someone who will talk to you about someone else will soon talk to someone else about you…
and someone who starts arguments…peacemaker, forgiver

This Thanksgiving Holiday, find a way to show your thanks to all your friends and family…and if you have wise friends give extra thanks to God for providing such a blessing…

Nathaniel and the Operation Christmas Child boxes

I counted over a hundred boxes!

PRAISE THE LORD!

This is such a great tradition for RRAG & CLS!

for more info visit: http://www.operationchristmaschild.org/

Marriage is a Good Thing...Celebration Service 11/16/08

We had a GREAT service this morning...

The Harvest Team shared some of their projects...

We prayed over the Operation Christmas Child boxes...

(you still have a chance to get a box done...CLS chapel box dedication Teusday)

Here's some notes from my well received sermon this morning...

Holiday Trip thru PROVERBS...

Don't check out on me this morning if you're single...

We all need to uphold the biblical standards of marriage!

This stuff is transferrable to other relationships...

There's a reason the church is called the bride of Christ...

We have seen a tremendous attack upon the family in the last generation. There has been a

re-definition of the family by our culture...
What used to be good is now bad
What used to be normal is now unusual
What used to be sinful is now normal
What used to be unheard of is now talked about!
In fact, our culture is so full of lies and myths about marriage...

Myth #1: Marriage is Bad!

Don’t you hear that in our society? “Ball and chain; all the single people are having all the fun, while the married people’s lives are over. Pages of jokes, etc.
Why not just live together? “It is just a piece of paper!”

“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” PROVERBS 18:22

This old fellow had a bad car accident, and he woke up in the hospital, and his wife Ethel, with just a few scratches, was sitting by his side.
He got his bearings and then said, "Ethel, do you remember when I broke my leg when we were hiking? You were right there with me. You are committed to me!
Do you remember when I got fired from my job, and you were right there with me? You are committed to me!
Do you remember that time that tree fell and knocked me down, and you were right there with me?
And now we had this car wreck and you were right there with me. Ethel," he said, "I think You're bad luck!"

Pastor Brent Sorlien introduced me to this great book...
The Case for Marriage (not a Christian book, but social science).
• Unmarried people are far more likely to die young—especially men. Statistically, divorce is as dangerous to a man's health as starting to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day. Married people live longer (or it just seems that way!)
• Married people have more money, and their money goes further. So why not just live together? Living together doesn't offer nearly as many financial benefits as marriage, because married couples make long-term plans and decisions. The secret is an added ingredient: commitment.
• Married people not only have far more sex than singles, but they enjoy it more, both physically and emotionally. Not the image Hollywood portrays. And, the long-term emotional commitment of marriage brings more sexual satisfaction than found with couples that just live together.
• Even in bad, "high-conflict" marriages (excluding when there's abuse), divorce generally creates more problems than it solves. That's especially true when children are involved, since they on average become worse off educationally, financially, and psychologically, from the time their parents get divorced all the way into adulthood. This concept's difficult to accept, and seems illogical to someone "stuck" in a bad marriage. Yet it's borne out. One of the book's keystone pieces of research shows that high-conflict marriages—where partners fight a lot—usually turn good if the couples don't give up. In fact, 86% of unhappily married people who stuck it out for five years reported that their marriages became much happier.
What's more, the worst marriages showed the best turnarounds: 77 percent of people who rated their marriages "very unhappy" reported a change to "very happy" or "quite happy" five years later. Waite sees more than just statistics to prove this. "People will come up to me and say, 'My husband and I were really unhappy ten or fifteen years ago, and we thought a lot about getting divorced. I decided I was not going to kick him out, that we were going to stick with it. Now our kids are grown and we're really happy and I'm so glad we stayed together.' That is really news that ought to get out to married couples," she adds. "Just because you're not getting along now doesn't mean that if you get divorced things will get better. And, it doesn't mean if you stay together things will stay this bad. The chances that they'll get worse are low, and the chances that they'll get better are almost overwhelming."

Myth #2: Good marriages just “happen”.

“And they lived happily ever after.” Not real life.
A healthy, strong marriage takes hard work, commitment, and a sense of humor...
Guard your marriage!

The Lord may even use you to guard your friend's or family's marriages...

“Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a wise wife is a gift from the Lord.” Pr. 19:14 NCV

How can you be mad at a dead plant if you didn’t take care of it?

Rabbit Trail...Joe (Ethel's son) gave a good mini-sermon at the funeral yesterday...He said, his parents taught him to never DATE the church but to be COMMITTED...

What are you doing to grow and care for your church? Are you committed?

How can we grow in HOSPITALITY...helping our guests stick...

Myth #3: Sexual sin is no big deal.

Turn on the TV...our society thinks SIN is no big deal...
Proverbs 5-7 are almost entirely warning of the trap of adultery. The setting is a wise man warning his sons of the dangers of sexual sin.

“My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen carefully to my wise counsel.
2 Then you will show discernment,
and your lips will express what you’ve learned.
3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
and her mouth is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 For she cares nothing about the path to life.
She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.
7 So now, my sons, listen to me.
Never stray from what I am about to say:
8 Stay away from her!
Don’t go near the door of her house!
9 If you do, you will lose your honor
and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
10 Strangers will consume your wealth,
and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
11 In the end you will groan in anguish
when disease consumes your body.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
13 Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?
Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
and now I must face public disgrace.” 5:1-14 NLT

Our culture has done away with standards against adultery and sexual sin; anything goes. But the Bible stands strong against it.

Positive contrast:
“Drink water from your own well—
share your love only with your wife.
16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
having sex with just anyone? 
17 You should reserve it for yourselves.Never share it with strangers.
18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.
20 Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?” 5:15-20 NLT

God is not “anti-sex” it is his creation; he just has guidelines for our enjoyment and our best in mind.

Myth #4: I’d be happier with someone else.

the church hopper, the person always moving...You go with You...YOU are the common denominator in every poor relationship!
Instead of changing spouses, why not change expectations? No perfect spouse; not responsible to make you happy; to meet all your needs – only God can do that!

Myth #5: I’m stuck!

It's all about ATTITUDE!

Solomon might have been having a bad day when he wrote this...
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. 
Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.” 21:9; 19
“A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.” 27:15-16

That word “quarrelsome” can mean “nagging, discord, strife”.

I know a lot of nagging husbands...POOR HOLLY has had to listen to my constant dripping...

Only YOU can control your attitude! While you can’t change your spouse, you can take charge of your attitude toward your spouse, your marriage, and life in general.
Want to improve your marriage? Ask yourself, “What would make me a better spouse?” Then do something with that answer! (friend, co-worker, brother, daughter...)

“If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Mt. 5:41

Puzzling verse – what does it mean? Roman Empire could force a boy to carry his pack for a mile. It was so common, that boys would find exactly where a mile was in both directions, and drive a stake in the ground. When they reached the stake, they would drop the pack – they had done their duty, and they would do no more. In marriage, in relationships, we know we need to go the first mile. But how often do we say, “I’ve done my mile, and I am done!” Jesus said, go two miles! Go further, do more, give a little bit more than the minimum and see what happens! Quit keeping score! Quit giving 50% -- quit dropping the pack at exactly one mile – and see what happens in your marriage!

Relationship wisdom from Jesus: learn to be a second mile person.

Volleyball...every other Saturday

Cindy Dara had a great idea! She's getting us young adults together to play volleyball in the church gym, every other Saturday, 6pm...We're having lots of fun...Last night was the second time we've done it and it's already growing...Who knows, mabye the Lord will use it to grow the church...there's already several individuals coming that haven't been to a church service yet...We need to get together for fun sometimes, without an agenda...Oh and the brownies and chips and dip were a good idea too! THANKS CINDY

Homebuilders: The Foundation of Every Great Conversation

What do you do on Wednesday evenings? Please don't tell me you sit at home and watch TV...when you could be attending Family Night at RRAG: Homebuilders with Pastor Paul and Holly, Bible Study with Pastor Lorin and Jan, Youth Group with Misma and crew, Kids Club with Mrs. Shelli...7pm

Last night...the Quinones Family brought us pumpkin, cream cheese cake...I made some STRONG coffee...and the conversation was enlightening...

Remember the acronymn T.A.L.Q.

We all have unconscience "safety needs" that can become a stumbling block to our communication...

These Fear Factors include:

Time (please don't waste it)

Approval (please like me)

Loyalty (please be devoted)

Quality (please practice integrity)

Celebrating Ethel

It was exactly 4 years ago (almost to the day) that I had the privilege of performing John Brenhaug's funeral service.

This Saturday I have the amazing privilege of leading the celebration of his beautiful wife, Ethel.

Ethel entered eternity last Monday...it was a very peaceful, even worshipful passing...her last words were: HOLY HOLY HOLY! (I just got the Holy Ghost goosebumps)

The family wishes the service to be small, short, simple...yet positive and upbeat...it was Ethel's wishes for it to not be a large crowd, but the family will not turn away those wishing to pay their respects...

This couple was an amazing blessing to our church...they are missed greatly!

I remember when I was just a kid in Christian Life School...John and Ethel came to chapel and John shared his testimony...He would say: "I know what's real, my Jesus is real (then take off his arm, a prosthetic because of his military service)...this arm is fake, but my Jesus is real..." That gets a kid's attention and sticks with em'...

Post Election Video

Thank You Pastor Wood!
(Assembly of God General Superintendent)

Celebration Service 11/9/08

Opening Church Service today I felt like that preacher (me) just wouldn't shut up...
Lots of Announcements:
LAST WEEK TO PREPARE YOUR OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD BOXES...
Christian Life School invites you to LADIES NIGHT OUT this Thursday eve...
Young At Heart Thanksgiving Potluck this Saturday afternoon...
Grab a Missions Newsletter and reply to it from Holly's bulletin board...
Homebuilders had a great re-start, need volunteers for the babies in the nursery Wed. eve...
SO EXCITED ABOUT WHAT GOD IS DOING: some churches and businesses of our little town are coming together, we've formed a Youth Council, we're creating a Youth Center, pray...
PLEASE PRAY:
Mesmans in a bad car accident...
Brenhaugs need comfort as Grandma enters eternity...
Brooks traveling to family emergency...
remember to pray for your church family...many needs...many praises too!
I was proud of our worship team today...I think we are truly improving...
Some notes from today's sermon:

A Holiday Road Trip: Searching for Wisdom
Livin the Lazy Life

Don't forget the challenge this Holiday Season...a chapter a day from Proverbs (31 chaps)...
A Proverb is a short, memorable statement that describes how life usually works.

“Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Proverbs 10:4

My pastor, Brent Sorlien, always encouraged me to find BALANCE...It is disobedient to God to not rest (workaholism)...and it is disobedient to be lazy...

“The devil never takes a vacation, so why should we?” Since when is the devil our role model?

We all have an area of laziness in our life that needs to be addressed...Listen to the Holy Spirit...

The #1 Problem of Living the Lazy Life: Procrastination.

Procrastination is avoiding people, situations and decisions that need to be dealt with! Most things do not get better on their own! Problems don’t just “go away”...I hate it when I preach at myself...

“I went past the field of the sluggard,
past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
31 thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.” Proverbs 24:30-34

A very shy man fell in love with a young woman, but he was too shy to let her know! So he came up with a plan. He would write he a love letter every day – send it to her by mail – and after a year, he would ask her for a date. He faithfully followed his plan, and at the end of the year, he had the courage to ask her out – only to discover that she had married the mail man!

“A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.” Proverbs 20:4

One day in July, a farmer sat in front of his shack, smoking his corncob pipe. Along came a stranger who asked, "How's your cotton coming?"
"Ain't got none," was the answer. "Didn't plant none. 'Fraid of the boll weevil."
"Well, how's your corn?" "Didn't plant none. 'Fraid o' drouth."
"How about your potatoes?" "Ain't got none. Scairt o' tater bugs."
The stranger finally asked, "Well, what did you plant?"
"Nothin'," answered the farmer. "I just played it safe.

What is it in our lives that we are “playing it safe” with? What are we putting off?

ASK: What am I putting off – that I just need to do?

The #2 Problem of Living the Lazy Life: Making excuses.

“The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,
but the path of the upright is a highway.” 15:19

The problem with excuses, though, is that they’re like armpits. Everyone’s got a couple and they usually stink.

“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” George Washington Carver

A class of high school sophomores had been assigned a term paper. Now the day of reckoning had come, the papers were due to be handed in. The teacher knew that a particular student, named Gene, had not been working steadily on his paper as others had in the class. He was prepared for some sort of excuse. When the teacher went to collect the papers Gene said, "My dog ate it." The teacher, who had heard them all, gave Gene a hard stare of unbelief. But Gene insisted and persisted, "It's true. I had to force him, but he finally ate it!

Try these on for size: “I would do that if; It’s not my fault; Everyone else is doing it; I just want what is coming to me; If only you knew my background / my family / my physical problems.” We’ve got to ask ourselves: “Am I making an excuse just to protect my own laziness?”

Drs. Minirth & Meyer have written a book about overcoming depression entitled "Happiness Is a Choice." They wrote, "As psychiatrists, we cringe whenever Christian patients use the words, `I can’t’ & `I’ve tried.’ Any good psychiatrist knows that `I can’t’ & `I’ve tried’ are merely lame excuses. We insist that our patients stop saying `can’t’ & say `won’t’ instead." "They need to see what they are really doing, so we make them face up to it by saying, `I just won’t get along with my wife.’ `My husband & I won’t communicate.’ `I won’t discipline my kids the way I should.’ `I won’t find time to pray.’ `I won’t stop gossiping.’ When they change their "can’ts" to "won’ts" they stop avoiding the truth & start facing reality."

ASK: What excuse am I using?

The #3 Problem of Living the Lazy Life: Giving up

“How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?” 6:9

“As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.” 26:14-15

(turn to 6:6-11)
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.” 6:6-11

ASK: What area of life have I “given up” on?

Homebuilders: Communication 101

We had 7 families represented in the library last night for the re-start of HOMEBUILDERS...I believe miracles have already begun in these homes and many more families to come! I believe in this ministry!

Don't Forget! Every Wednesday, 7pm

Here's a little bit of gold that was enthusiastically discussed in our meeting last night...

THE FIRST DUTY OF LOVE IS TO LISTEN!

5 important ingredients for a great conversation:

~Carve out Time to talk

~Attend to Your Partner (body language)

~Listen to, for feelings

~Clarify Content (don't jump to conclusions)

~Avoid giving unwanted advice

Check Out: www.realrelationships.com (Love Talk Indicator)

Pray for our President...

We need to celebrate yesterday's defeat of racism!

Our country has come a long way...it is a wonderful miracle that America will have a black president!

Yes, it is a very scary time for the unborn...all the headway that has been made in restricting abortion is in serious danger!

(breaks my heart!)

"There is no constitutional right to slay a healthy, nearly-born baby by stabbing it in the back of the head and vacuuming out its brains, all without even anesthetizing the child." http://www.citizenlink.org/focusaction/fofafeatures/A000006802.cfm

Yes, I am personally nervous about a liberal agenda restricting religious liberty disguised as hate-crimes legislature, etc...

But scripture is clear...

1 Timothy 2:1-2...I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness...

Please join the presidential prayer team...

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ppt_homepage

CLS Chapel

Ephesians 5:19-20...Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the LORD, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...

I asked Principal Mary what our students needed to hear and she said...RESPONSIBILITY...

Today we're going to learn that we are responsible to God and one another...

One of the greatest composers who ever lived, Johann Sebastian Bach, always wrote the letters S.D.G. at the bottom of his music. Soli Deo Gloria..."To God alone be the glory." Bach realized that his music was a gift from God and that he had a responsiblity to use his gift to the glory of God...

What is your gift? Learning, School is a gift...Mabye you should start writing S.D.G. at the bottom of your school work...

Romans...12:6-8...We have a different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully...

Have you ever had someone call you a "silly goose!" Geese are not silly! Recent scientific studies have given us the answer to why they fly in a "V" formation. It has been learned that as each goose flaps its wings, it gives a lift to the one immediately following. It has beeen determined that flying this way gives the geese about 70% more flying range. Of course, that means that the lead goose is working harder. When the lead goose gets tired, he falls back into the formation and another take his place. Now, that's SMART! And the honking? That's to ENCOURAGE one another...

So remember Bach and S.D.G. and remember the goose and HONK...for we are RESPONSIBLE to God and one another!

Life For Dummies

Sermon Notes from Celebration Service: Sunday, November 2

Once upon a time, a perfect man and a perfect woman met. After a perfect courtship, they had a perfect wedding. Their life was, of course "perfect." One snowy, stormy Christmas Eve, this perfect couple was driving their perfect car (an SUV) along a winding road, when they noticed someone at the side of the road in distress. Being the perfect couple they stopped to help. There stood Santa Claus with a huge bundle of toys. Not wanting to disappoint any children on the eve of Christmas, the perfect couple loaded Santa and his toys into their vehicle. Soon they were driving along delivering the toys. Unfortunately, the driving conditions deteriorated and the perfect couple and Santa Claus had an accident. Only one of them survived the accident. Who was the survivor? The perfect woman survived. She's the only one who really existed in the first place. Everyone knows there is no Santa Claus and there is no such thing as a perfect man. So, if there is no perfect man and no Santa Claus, the perfect woman must have been driving. This explains why there was an accident.

Today we begin a new sermon series entitled: A Holiday Road Trip…Searching for Wisdom

Let’s join the wise men searching for the messiah
Let’s take a road trip this holiday season
Instead of engaging in all the unwise behaviors of the season…like maxing your credit card
Let’s search for wisdom

There’s no better place on earth to find wisdom than the book of Proverbs
Did you know that Proverbs has 31 chapters
One for each day of the month
I want to challenge you this holiday season
Read a chapter a day of Proverbs
I promise you’ll get addicted and keep reading long after the challenge is up
Who will take this challenge this holiday season???

I’m sure you’ve heard of the dummy books…
Over 125 millions copies sold in over 39 languages…
It has a long way to go to catch up with the bible…
But, this proves that people have a need to understand difficult subjects in simple words…
There’s even a dummies.com!
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there’s a dummies book for everything…
laptops for dummies, gluten-free cooking for dummies, paint kits for dummies, plumbing for dummies, and the list never ends…

We all need a Life for Dummies book to cover all the questions of life…help for the tough spots…
Guess what, we already have it…It’s found in the Old Testament, the book of Proverbs…
An important part of the Holy Spirit inspired 66 books of the Bible…

What is this book all about?
I’m glad you asked…

Proverbs is different from other books of the Bible…

Let’s turn in our Bibles to 1 Kings, chapter 4, verses 29 to 34

These words of scripture motivate me to read King Solomon’s proverbs…
But not just read, memorize
read them slowly
chew on them
repeat

What is a proverb?
I’m glad you asked…

A Proverb is a short, memorable statement that describes how life usually works.

We have all kinds of proverbs in our society…
Finish these statements for me…
A penny saved is a…penny earned
Look before you…leap
An apple a day keeps the…doctor away

A Proverb is meant to be short, sweet – memorable and easy to apply to your life.

My pastor, Brent Sorlien said… The book of Proverbs could be called “Life for Dummies” because it tells us how to get wisdom!

What is wisdom?
I’m glad you asked…

First let’s talk about what wisdom is not!
When you hear the word you might disqualify yourself…
Wisdom is not about IQ, education, reading books or having a long, grey beard…or maybe you think of yoda…

A minister, a Boy Scout, and a computer expert were the only passengers on a small plane. The pilot came back to the cabin and said that the plane was going down but there were only three parachutes and four people. The pilot added, “I should have one of the parachutes because I have a wife and three small children.” So he took one and jumped.The computer whiz said, “I should have one of the parachutes because I am the smartest man in the world and everyone needs me.” So he took one and jumped.The minister turned to the Boy Scout and with a sad smile said, “You are young and I have lived a rich life, so you take the remaining parachute, and I’ll go down with the plane.”The boy Scout said, “Relax, Reverend, the smartest man in the world just picked up my knapsack and jumped out!

Smart but not wise!

I have good news for you!
· Wisdom is for everyone!
We all have an equal opportunity to gain wisdom! Each person in this room! You can enjoy as much wisdom as anyone here – if you want it!
· Wisdom is seeing life from God’s viewpoint!
We cannot see past the end of our noses; God knows everything! Who knows what tomorrow holds? Next week, next year? Who knows all things! God does!

· Wisdom is about making right choices in life!

Knowledge: The stove is hot
Wisdom: I am not going to touch the stove!

Knowledge: I want to have a great marriage!
Wisdom: I will make the choices that lead to a great marriage!

Knowledge: I want a good relationship with God!
Wisdom: I will put the effort I need into making a good relationship with God!

· Wisdom is practical!
It is not about asking dumb, theoretical questions – “Can God make a rock so big that he cannot lift it?” Or, “Did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons?” No, wisdom is all about living right, living well, making life work.

“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.
Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others.” James 3:13-17 The Message

“A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” 15:1 NLT

Is that practical or what? Would living by that proverb make your life better with your friends, roommates, spouse and coworkers?

How do we get wisdom?
Man, you guys are asking good questions today…

1. Wisdom has a starting point.

Get this verse, most important one in the book; sets the stage for everything else:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7
let’s memorize it
I want to challenge you to memorize all the main scriptures of this series…

“The fear of the Lord” does not mean to be afraid of God, as you would be afraid of an unpredictable alcoholic father – or someone that you can’t trust.
To “fear God” is to honor him, respect him, stand in awe of him – give him the worship that he alone deserves!

Fearing God puts him in the right place. If we don’t do that, we put ourselves in the place that only God should occupy.

You cannot have true wisdom if you put yourself in the middle of the universe; if you do not acknowledge God as the Creator of this world and Jesus as his Son, the Savior of the world!
You can be smart, but you won’t be wise. In fact, some of the “smartest” people are very unwise; they trust in their own brain power rather than the revealed wisdom of God!

2. Wisdom has a cost!

You’ve got to place a value on wisdom.
and when you do, once that price is payed
maybe it’s self-discipline or running from sin or character building
this is what scripture promises

13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.” 3:13-17

3. Wisdom has a condition – you must ask for it!

In Proverbs 8 & 9 wisdom is portrayed as a person – as a woman! (and all the ladies say)
And she stands on the street corners, calling out, crying out to those who pass by, inviting them to listen to her. But, we all have a choice.

9:13 – Folly is also a woman, who cries out. Who will we listen to?

Desire wisdom, seek it, listen to it – she cries out, she is not hidden, but we must be receptive to it!

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

And, God has made that “asking” to be easy. We don’t need to go to the church building, talk to a priest – we don’t need to say “Please, please, please!” and beg God.

We can just ask the Holy Spirit – who is with us and lives inside of us as God’s children – for wisdom. Right now!

I invite you to try that this week. Let’s do it right now!

· Where do you need God’s wisdom?
Are you showing God the respect, honor, awe that he deserves?