Adult Bible Study Guide Jan Feb Mar 2015 Adult Bible Study Guide Jan Feb Mar 2015 powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente

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Jacques B. Doukhan, Principal Contributor

Proverbs Our Goal F rom the book of Proverbs we will learn how to be wise, but correctly, in practical ways. Wisdom isn’t necessarily intellectual might. The prerequisite for wisdom is, instead, to be humble, to feel our need and then to seek for wisdom.

Proverbs Contents 1 The Call of Wisdom 2 From Ears to Feet 3 A Matter of Life and Death 4 Divine Wisdom 5 The Blessings of the Righteous 6 What You Get Is Not What You See 7 Dealing With Fights 8 Words of Wisdom 9 Words of Truth 10 Behind the Mask 11 Living by Faith 12 The Humility of the Wise 13 Women and Wine

Proverbs Lesson 11, Marso 14 Proverbs Lesson 11, Marso 14 Living by Faith

Key Text Proverbs 29:25 NKJV “ T he fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”

Living by Faith Initial Words H OW do people know what is right and what is wrong? The answer is found in God and His written revelation. We are to make trusting and following God our first priority; otherwise, we will make something else that priority, which is idolatry. And we can learn to trust God only by living a life of faith.

Living by Faith Quick Look 1. Keeping the Law (Proverbs 28:4-9) 2. Accepting the Stewardship (Proverbs 29:13) 3. Loving the Truth (Proverbs 29:15, 19)

Living by Faith 1. Keeping the Law Proverbs 28:4-9 NKJV “ T hose who forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them. Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand all.... Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son.... One who turns away his ear from learning the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.”

1. Keeping the Law Is Seeking the Lord I t was Israel’s concrete choices in life about, among other things, food, rest, the natural environment, and their relationships with neighbors and family that made them “holy,” or “set apart” from all the other nations. Those choices were to center on the law and the principles found in it.

1. Keeping the Law Is Seeking the Lord Humans cannot be wise by themselves; they can’t always even distinguish between good and evil (1 Kings 3:9). So, the divine law is needed to help acquire discernment. The acquisition of wisdom does not depend on intellectual or spiritual exercises; it is essentially related to obedience to a law that’s outside us.

1. Keeping the Law Is Seeking the Lord What makes the torah effective is that it comes from God. Apart from God, the torah would be a legalistic creed. A life of obedience to the law of God is related to a life with God. Seeking wisdom by obeying the law will draw us nearer to the Lord and to the salvation He freely offers us by faith in Jesus.

Living by Faith 2. Accepting the Stewardship Proverbs 29:13 NKJV “ T he poor man and the oppressor have this in common: the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.”

2. Accepting the Stewardship The Rich Do not get rich at the expense of the poor (28:8). The Bible speaks very strongly against those who exploit the poor for their own gain. Give to the poor (28:27). In contrast to the “greedy” of verse 25, the person who is generous to the poor will be blessed.

2. Accepting the Stewardship The Rich Work hard (28:19). Wealth should not come as the result of stealing or by chance but as a reward for our hard work. What is obtained depends on the quality of our labor. If we are rich, we should deserve it.

2. Accepting the Stewardship The Rich Do not try to get rich fast (28:20, 22). (1) When we close an eye to some dishonest action, we become complicit in that action (vs. 22). (2) When we are so eager to enjoy the wealth of our parents that we rob them of what they need to live now (vs. 24).

2. Accepting the Stewardship The Poor The poor and the rich are equal (29:13). Both have been created by God (22:2). The poor have the same duties as the rich (28:3). Poverty should not be an excuse for iniquity. The righteous poor are better than the wicked rich (28:6). Success is not a foolproof indicator of righteousness.

Living by Faith 3. Loving the Truth Proverbs 29:15, 19 NKJV “ T he rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. A servant will not be corrected by mere words, for although he understands, he will not respond.”

3. Loving the Truth Brings Happiness B ecause Jesus is the Truth, teaching others to love truth is teaching them to love Jesus. “The mind of man is brought into communion with the mind of God, the finite with the Infinite. The effect of such communion on body and mind and soul is beyond estimate.” —Education 14.

3. Loving the Truth Brings Happiness We don’t do our children or ourselves any favors by letting them do whatever they want. Children not only need discipline—they want it. They need to know that boundaries exist and that they need to stay within them. To let them do whatever they want will ultimately bring “shame” to herself and sorrow to the children.

Living by Faith Final Words “ T he laws of God have their foundation in the most immutable rectitude, and are so framed that they will promote the happiness of those who keep them.... Religion brings man into personal relation with God, but not exclusively; for the principles of heaven are to be lived out, that they may help and bless humanity.” (EGW Sons and Daughters of God 267)