God Wrote Proverbs for You
Youth Meeting – August 31, 2016
Introduction:
- God’s divine library – the Bible – has all kinds of genres or matter – history, law, debate, biographies, poetry, ethics, philosophy, romance, prophecy, polemics, warnings, instructional, apocalyptic, etc.
- General topics include business, food and drink, marriage, money, politics, relationships, sex, speech, success, vices, wisdom, and women here, and then near 300 very specific topical categories here.
- God and Solomon want you to prosper and succeed … so do your parents … and so do I. Be excited!
- You could never afford a top-level advisor or consultant, but you have God and His handpicked king!
- A 10,000-hour rule has been suggested as the time for dedicated practice needed to be an expert.
- Most very successful men take an hour or so every day or week to read or practice their expertise.
- They do it for very earthly, carnal, and temporal goals, learning and studying nonsense in many cases.
- What is the trajectory of your learning curve? And where are you on that learning curve for your age?
- Are you doing the basic exercise of seeking God daily through His word and prayer to be a success?
- You have source material for truth and wisdom that far exceeds anything the best of them ever read.
- Tomorrow is the first day of September … and the rest of your life … you could start in Proverbs 1.
- There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs; many read the chapter matching the day of the month.
- The examples below are only a very small sample of the wisdom contained in the book of Proverbs.
- God’s divine library for you – the Bible – has all kinds of matter, but Proverbs is for personal success.
- General topics include business, food and drink, marriage, money, politics, relationships, sex, speech, success, vices, wisdom, and women here, and then near 300 very specific topical categories here.
- If wisdom is the principal thing, then reading Proverbs for wisdom is a no-brainer for noble youth.
- If Proverbs was written by a rich, wise, and inspired King for youth, then what hinders your interest?
- If Donald Trump wanted to make you successful, would you accept his invitation? What of Solomon?
- Are you reading a chapter of Proverbs every day? It can be easily picked by the day of the month.
- Do you read the daily email and commentary on a verse? There are over 58,000 subscribers right now.
- Are you able to give answers to contemporary issues and give counsel for dilemmas from this book?
- This is one of the easiest and least offensive ways to introduce friends or contacts to God and truth
“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.” Proverbs 1:1-6
“Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding” Proverbs 4:1
“Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth” Proverbs 5:7
“Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth” Proverbs 7:24
“Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways” Proverbs 8:32
- All scripture is given by inspiration of God to provide perfect knowledge for life (II Tim 3:16-17).
- Are you searching the scriptures as you should, in order to learn and be perfect (Pr 2:1-9; 18:1)?
- The book of Proverbs has David and Solomon as your personal, inspired counselors (1:1; 4:3-4)!
- The book of Proverbs is written for young men and women, even children (1:4; 4:1; Eccl 12:9-10).
- Did you read the proverbs and the commentaries for the three days this week (30:1; 30:23; 30:29)?
- If you neglect the daily proverb and commentary, what does Lady Wisdom say to you (1:24-31)?
- What is necessary to have many good friends, who love you (18:24; 17:17; 22:11; 16:13; 27:9)?
- If your friends are foolish, even within our church, what will surely happen to you (13:20; 9:6)?
- What is the best requirement for the perfect wife … and the way to find and marry a prince (31:30)?
- If a guy or a girl likes to spend money for stuff, what will eventually happen to them (21:17,20)?
- If the Bible does not answer your question, what is the next best source of safety (11:14; 24:6)?
- What will happen to you for disrespect to your parents by words or body language (20:20; 30:17)?
- What is the first thing you need to even get started being a wise person (1:7; 9:10)?
- How can you know that you actually and truly fear the Lord, and are not deceiving yourself (8:13)?
- What is the simplest way to build a reputation of wisdom in the eyes of others around you (17:28)?
- If you are doing poor financially, what is the first thing to do with your money (3:9-10; 11:24-25)?
- If your parents are angry at you for something, what is the way to calm them down (15:1; 25:15)?
- Why do some men learn hobbies and stay away from home (12:4; 19:13; 21:9,19; 27:15-16; 25:24)?
- What is the easiest way to have a better life than others at no cost to you (15:16; 16:8; 19:1; 28:6)?
- How much value should you put in a girl’s conduct in public and on dates (30:21-23; 31:30)?
- If a man has a very angry personality, when will he outgrow it and become peaceful (19:19; 29:22)?
- What causes all fights, which makes it easy to avoid them and those causing them (13:10; 21:24)?
- Who is the one person you should tell about a difference you have with someone (25:9-10; 11:13)?
- What is the part of you that you should give the most effort and exercise to keep in shape (4:23)?
- How can you marry a guy that will not care about the fact your body is less than perfect (5:19)?
- Is it possible for God to hate you, and what conduct by you would cause Him to do so (6:16-19)?
- How intelligent and wise are those young men who go to nightclubs (7:7-9)?
- When you meet a fool or a scorner, how long should you talk to him (9:7-8; 23:9; 26:4-5)?
- How important are your feelings and your heart in deciding what to do (12:15; 28:26)?
- What is the simplest way to reduce the sins and offences of your speech (10:19; 17:27)?
- When someone tries to tell you an easy way to get rich, what should you do (14:23; 28:19)?
- What is the surest way to ruin your future and take a fall that will destroy you (16:18; 18:12; 29:23)?
- If you do not take care of your things, then you are related to what kind of a fool (18:9)?
- How can you lend to the Lord, so that He will repay the debt with good interest (19:17; 28:8,27)?
- What sneaks into your heart and mind and will mock you and make you foolishly angry (20:1)?
- Is trying to pay less than something is worth a smart way to get ahead financially (20:14)?
- What is far more important than a great body, a great car, and a great job (22:1)?
- What are the two things that will cause very important people love you (22:11)?
- What causes children to be brats, and what is the best cure for the cause (22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15)?
- What causes a good man to gawk at other women and say foolish things (23:33; 31:4-5)?
- Many college students are political activists, but what special treat does God give them (24:21-22)?
- Instead of talking about yourself and praising yourself, what should you let happen (27:2)?
- What will get you ahead with wise men much faster than flattery (28:23; 27:9; 9:8)?
- How hard is it to be worse than a fool, and what two things can get you there easily (26:12; 29:20)?
- What is the best level of income and assets … the best financial situation to be in (30:8)?
- A shining and smiling face is attractive and pleasant, so what can you do to get one (15:13,15)?
- What is your life goal, and is it wise in light of David and Solomon’s lives (3:13-18; 4:7; 16:16)?
- What makes crackers or a salad for supper better than a prime filet mignon (15:17; 17:1)?
- How should you respond to another person doing something to offend you (19:11; 10:12; 17:9)?