Christ and Common Sense

Thoughts from a Central Valley Pastor

Month: May 2023

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The Power of Proverbs

May 26, 2023 /

I have been amazed at how helpful the book of Proverbs has been in raising our four children. No other book in the Bible has brought as many fruitful discussions to our family devotions. We keep coming back to its thought-provoking chapters and profound moral puzzles because they help our sons and daughters learn how to navigate the difficulties of life. Some of the wise sayings are straight-forward and simple to understand, but many of them make you stop and think through the implications of their ancient wisdom.

I have lost count of the times I have told my family, “A Proverb a day keeps temptation away.” Studying the book of Proverbs does not guarantee an end to temptation, but it does provide a Biblically approved path that avoids the minefield of sin and dangers that lie on either side of the road of righteousness. Proverbs 10:9-10 puts it like this, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (English Standard Version) The book of Proverbs also makes it clear that it would be foolish to try to learn from its pages without first submitting yourself to God. Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” There is a right way to read the book of Proverbs. It is to come with the attitude of a submissive learner, ready to learn from its ancient deposit of truth.

After studying the Bible for more than two decades, I have come to the conclusion that the book of Proverbs is an indispensable manual for gaining the practical wisdom needed to live the way God intended. It is an ancient book that was compiled by wise men during the reign of the Jewish king Hezekiah (circa 715-686 BC). The book of Proverbs is made up of 915 verses, which were written by at least four authors, of whom King Solomon is by far the most well-known. The fame of his wisdom is not surprising if one realizes that the Bible claims he was the wisest man to ever live (1 Kings 3:12, 28). During his lifetime, men and women of renown traveled great distances to listen to his teaching on a wide range of subjects, including biology, philosophy, and theology. 1 Kings 4:34 gives the following historical account, “And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.”

I am often convicted by how easy it is to take God’s word. Imagine what people who lived during king Solomon’s time would have thought if they could own a personal copy of a book that had almost a thousand of the wisest sayings in the world? They would have considered it one of their most valuable possessions. One way to not take Proverbs for granted has been by reading a chapter or a portion of a chapter every day. This is easy to do because the book of Proverbs is divided into thirty-one chapters, one for every day of the month. Whenever I meet someone who wants to read the Bible consistently, I encourage them to read a Proverb a day. This makes it easy to keep track of the reading assignment and it keeps the topic interesting because the topics often change from verse to verse.

Some people find it difficult to read through Proverbs because the topics change so often. That is one reason why I recommend Dr. Richard Mayhue’s book Practicing Proverbs: Wise Living for Foolish Times. It is an excellent guide that takes a thematic approach to the book. This helps the reader dive into different themes such as Family, the Marketplace, Personal, and Spiritual wisdom. Dr. Mayhue encourages people to take an entire year to read through the Proverbs, reading through the chapters repeatedly in order to soak up the wisdom of each passage.

Personally, I have found it is helpful to ask the following questions with each Proverb: 1) How is this principle shown to be true in the rest of Scripture? 2) How is the truth of this proverb illustrated in modern life? These two questions have helped our family delve into hundreds of proverbs. This approach is helpful because the discussion can be adapted to the age of the children, whether they are young or teenagers.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of reading the Proverbs with our family has come from seeing our children grow in wisdom and in stature with God and man. I am not saying that they have arrived at wisdom, I am saying that I have been able to see how God has used His word to convict them of sin and bring them to repentance. He has helped them to see their own tendency to be immature and that has helped give them a desire to grow in spiritual maturity. He has used the book of Proverbs to give them priceless warnings about the dangers of life, so they will be prepared when the difficulties of life and the temptations of the world try to disrupt their path. My prayer is that they would develop a habit of reading the Proverbs that will serve them the rest of their lives.

Proverbs 8:35-36 provides a classic summary for why we should all pursue wisdom, “For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Iron Sharpens Iron Conference

May 19, 2023 /

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” This famous verse, found in Proverbs 27:17 (ESV), captures the heart of the Iron Sharpens Iron (ISI) conference, which takes place every year at Hickman Community Church in Hickman, CA. 

I have been hearing about the ISI Conference for several years, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to make the two hour trip up Highway 99 to this special conference. The first reason it is unique is because of where it is held. As of 2020, the city of Hickman had an official population of 751 souls. Hickman Community Church has a good size facility so I wouldn’t be surprised if the city size grows by several hundred every Sunday morning! The church campus has plenty of space to make room for all the people who come, whether it is on a Sunday morning for a worship service or for a men’s conference like ISI. 

The second thing that impressed me about the conference was how many of the speakers are serving here in the Central Valley. All eight of the speakers came from Northern California. We had Tulare, Merced, Stanislaus, Sacramento, and even Nevada county represented at the conference. This may not be significant to many, but the fact that so many well-trained, godly speakers were available to speak was a great encouragement to me. My prayer is that this trend would continue as the conference prepares for the future. 

The ISI conference is built around four main sessions and three break-out sessions. These are spaced out evenly between three meals, dinner on Friday night, and breakfast and lunch on Saturday. The theme of this year’s conference was on leaving a legacy for the next generation. Dr. Rick Gregory, from Grace Bible Church in Fair Oaks, did an excellent job keeping the men in attendance engaged and challenged from God’s word. The first session laid a foundation for leaving a legacy by emphasizing the importance of having integrity. A man’s impact on future generations will not have lasting power if he does not have integrity. The next session was focused on investing wisely in the next generation. The Bible has both positive and negative examples of how to pour into the lives of younger men (Positive 1 Thess. 5:11, Heb. 10:24-25, Negative 1 Ki. 1:6). 

Pastor Rick’s third session was on learning how to use Godly influence in each man’s legacy. He gave very practical guidance on how a father’s role in a child’s life needs to change as the child grows. The role changes from that of a lot of control, when the child is an infant and toddler, to that of a coach as the child grows older. Later, when the child reaches adulthood the role needs to change to counseling and once the child is married and has children, the father’s role should develop into that of a consultant, giving guidance as needed. I found this to be a helpful session because I have seen my children show a need for my role in their lives to change in a similar way to what Dr. Rick mentioned. The fourth and last session, was actually a Q&A with all the available speakers. This was helpful and I especially appreciated the restorative answer to the question of whether someone can leave a legacy if they have made major mistakes in life. The pastors expressed a need for men to acknowledge their mistakes, to repent of them, and then to sincerely seek to live the remainder of their life for the glory of God. Overall, the main sessions combined to make a forceful argument for men to carefully consider how they are investing in the next generation. 

I traveled up to ISI with two men from Grace Bible Hanford and one from Grace Church of the Valley in Kingsburg. Our brother from Hanford speaks fluent Spanish, so he was able to attend two break-out sessions in Spanish, the first was on Adoring God and the second was on Evangelism. The rest of us were able to hear two great sessions on sharing our faith and on family worship. The latter included a helpful description of Deuteronomy 6:4-8, which highlights God’s commands for parents to teach Scripture “diligently to your children” all the time. The session on sharing your faith was powerful to hear because it was given by a pastor who had seen God turn his life around, giving him the ultimate reason to share the good news of Jesus Christ. 

As always, one of the highlights of a men’s conference is hearing so many faithful men belting out powerful worship songs to God. We had several opportunities to be led in singing by the worship band and each of them were powerful times to sing of who God is and what he has done. 

The conference ended around 4:30 pm on Saturday. We thanked the hosts and got into our car for the drive home. We were able to talk about what we had heard and learned during the sessions. We set goals for how we would be able to implement the encouragement we had been given. I am happy to report that some of us have already had good conversations about the conference, which means we are already well on our way of pursuing the ISI goal to sharpen one another for the glory of God. Hopefully, we will be able to make a return trip next year. 

The Godly Woman of Proverbs Thirty-One

May 12, 2023 /

The Bible gives a refreshingly clear description of an ideal woman in Proverbs 31:10-31. It is refreshing because it is not focused on the outward appearance of a woman. The twenty-two verses in this passage are overflowing with colorful imagery and practical illustrations of the kind of woman who “is to be praised.” It is important to note that the Bible does not require women to be married to faithfully serve God (1 Corinthians 7:7-8). Those who are married have a specific role to play in God’s glorious plan, but the principles listed in Proverbs 31 provides guidance regardless of whether someone is single or married. 

Many Christians are aware of the importance of the passage, but what is not as well known is that every stanza begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, starting with Aleph and ending with Tau. One reason the original author created this abecedarian, was to paint a complete picture of a Godly woman. This helped the readers of Proverbs to grasp the attitude and actions that God wants woman to have. 

This ancient wisdom has been helpful for women of every generation that have had access to it. As a husband of one such woman, I can personally attest to the joy and peace that is brought into the world by women who seek to follow after these principles. My prayer is that this article will bring a renewed interest in this profound teaching about God’s view of a wise woman. 

One of the unique aspects of this chapter is that the author goes out of his way to highlight the unique value that a woman of God brings to her husband. The modern reader might be surprised that husbands are mentioned in a chapter about women, but this is no surprise to the informed reader of Scripture. Genesis 2:15-18 

specifies that God’s intention in creating Eve was to be a “suitable helper” for her husband. Ephesians 5:22-27 gives even more detail regarding God’s beautiful design for marriage. The author, the apostle Paul, commands each husband to love his wife in a sacrificial way, modeled after the incomparable servanthood of Jesus Christ. In verse 22, the apostle Paul specifies that each wife is to submit to her husband’s leadership of the family. Far from encouraging wives to subjugate themselves to the sinful domination of a worldly husband, this is a profound encouragement for wives to follow the loving leadership of a husband who is being held accountable by the perfect guidance of a good and gracious God. 

This picture of a Godly wife supporting her loving husband is masterfully displayed in Proverbs 31:10-31. The passage includes three references to the husband and each of them show the special value that a woman of God can bring to her husband. Verses 10-12 state that a Godly wife “is more precious than jewels.” She has earned the trust of her husband and he is convinced that his relationship with her will bring him success, and not harm, all her life. 

Verse 23 is the next place that mentions the connection between a husband and an ideal woman of God. It says, “ Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.” The verses above and below imply that his wife’s excellent work and remarkable industry are one of the reasons her husband has such a good reputation in the city. 

Verses 28-31 bring a nice bookend to the passage because they reveal that a Godly woman will be praised by her children and her husband, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many jwomen have done kexcellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.” The last sentence implies that her husband is the one recognizing his wife’s remarkable service to him, his family, and the community. 

The majority of the chapter is filled with detailed descriptions of the activity and attitude of an ideal woman of God. She is actively involved in the oversight of the business of the home. She is sacrificial in her concern for her children and for the responsibilities she has been given. She does not praise herself or demand recognition. Her praise comes from the lips of others. Proverbs 27:2 reinforces the idea of measuring the value of a woman of God from the words of others, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” Ultimately, the value of each woman is only decided by the God who made her. Scripture is also clear that a woman does not have to be married in order to be faithful to God. In fact, the apostle Paul wrote that there was much value for both men and women to remain single (1 Corinthians 7:7-8). Regardless of someone’s marital status, each person can benefit by studying the example given in Proverbs 31 and each person can prayerfully ask God to help them live in a way that is pleasing to Him. 

Exemplary Husband, Excellent Wife

May 2, 2023 /

My conviction about the importance of marriage and family grows every year. When Lydia and I were first married in 2007 we were both in love with each other and with the idea of being married (I’m glad to report that both are still true!) We were committed to God’s design for a man and a woman to make a covenant to live together and to serve the Lord together. As each year has passed, our appreciation for God’s institution of marriage has deepened. Now that we are enjoying our sixteenth year of marriage, I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude to God for bringing my wife and me together and for using our marriage to help each of us grow more committed to God and to each other.

One reason I have been thinking about marriage recently is because my wife and I have been reading through two of the best books on the subject. The Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott and The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace were written to help Christian couples grow and mature in their service to the Lord. As you can tell from their titles, these books have set the bar incredibly high for husbands and wives. Lydia and I have been challenged and convicted by what we have read. I thought it would be helpful to share a few of the points from The Exemplary Husband that God has used most powerfully in my life.

Before I go any further, I need to clarify that I am not claiming to be the exemplary husband. I certainly have many areas to grow in. I’m also not saying that we have a perfect marriage. I am saying that my wife and I are amazed at God’s design for marriage and we want to pursue the Bible’s high calling for as many years as he gives us together on this earth.

Stuart Scott’s book is built around four sections: A Husband’s Recognitions, Responsibilities, Resolves, and Regrets. The first section lays a strong foundation to help each husband understand their standing before God. He is the one who created marriage and he knows how it is supposed to function. Scott does a great job laying out the most important passages of Scripture for understanding God, man, sin, the purpose of relationships and marriage, and most importantly for this book, man’s role in marriage.

The second section is worth the price of the book because it is so rare in our society to find a clarion voice regarding roles in marriage. The Bible makes clear statements about the differences between men and women and about the specific role that husbands are to play in marriage. It was refreshing to see how Scott put a husband’s role in the context of worshipping God. Marriage is not about meeting the husband’s needs. It is about serving God and others. The chapters on love and leadership were convicting because it is so easy to want to cater to my own preferences instead of being sacrificial and self-less. The Exemplary Husband helps the reader think about marriage the way God does. This helps give each husband the justification and the motivation needed to think and act as a servant in marriage.

The section on a Husband’s Resolves relates to his commitment to tackle some of the difficult parts of marriage. It was convicting to be reminded of my pride and my hesitancy to be humble and serve my wife. The Biblical encouragement for husbands to “live with your wives in an understanding way” is one of the most important passages for husbands to understand (1 Peter 3:7) The chapter on “Helping Your Wife Deal With Her Sin” gets at the heart of why God design marriage. It is supposed to be used by God to mold both the husband and wife into the image of Jesus Christ. This is such a beautiful purpose for marriage and any Christian who has been married will attest to how effective the relationship is for showing us our sin and our need to be humbled and sanctified by God.

The last section is titled “A Husband’s Regrets.” It makes sure that the exemplary husband is aware of his own weaknesses and it gives a very effective warning on sins that can cut directly against the goal of pursuing God in marriage. This section, in particular, proves that the author does not shy away from addressing the dangers of weak husband. I found it encouraging and convicting to read Scott’s warnings against anger, anxiety and fear, and lust.

God has given humanity a wonderful gift in marriage. Some may be tempted to think of it as a utilitarian aspect of society, but we must never forget that it was instituted by God when he introduced the idea to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (Genesis 1-2). Christians must take marriage seriously. They must recognize that the centerpiece of God’s design for humanity is marriage, the sacred union of a husband and wife. My prayer is that those reading would be motivated to study God’s word on marriage. I would highly recommend The Exemplary Husband and The Excellent Wife in pursuing that goal. I know my wife and I have been convicted and encouraged by what we have read.

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