The Good Life

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// INTRO

New Series | Bite Size: a book study on Proverbs
Key Verse |
Proverbs 1:7 ESV
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Define WISDOM | knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action
knowledge is power is not true
APPLIED knowledge (wisdom) is power
Tonight’s Message | The Good Life
I believe that the book of Proverbs is full of incredible wisdom and knowledge that will help anyone live…The Good Life
Proverbs Facts
3 Authors, Solomon (Chapters 1-29), Agur (Chapter 30), Lemuel (Chapter 31)
Focuses of Proverbs
How to relate to God
How to relate to God. • How to relate to parents. • How to relate to children.
How to relate to parents
How to relate to children
How to relate to neighbors
• How to relate to neighbors. • How to relate to government.
How to relate to government
Proverbs has the ability to guide your life to full-godliness
Solomon Facts
Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs
1 Kings 4:32 ESV
32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.
Only 800 of his proverbs are included in the book of Proverbs
Only 800 of his proverbs are included in the Book of Proverbs
In Solomon’s day, his wisdom was sought by everyone in the world
1 Kings 10:24 ESV
24 And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.
Solomon’s wisdom came from God directly

1. THE SOURCE OF LIFE

Proverbs 4:23 CSB
23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.

Takeaways

Guard - the only reason to guard something is because it has value!
Source of Life - the source is what matters the most.
Contaminated Water Source: during a flood, many times a “boil alert” will be issued if you are planning to drink tap water. This is because the water source has been contaminated.
If someone’s individual house is contaminated, there wouldn’t be a “boil alert” because it’s not going to affect the rest of the people receiving the water.
Solomon is trying to make a point here that even your mind is not as important as what you have stored in your heart.

Solomon’s Intent

Solomon is fully intending the reader of this wisdom to understand that the fruit of your life is directly related to what is in your heart!

2. ALL YOUR HEART

Proverbs 3:1–2 ESV
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, 2 for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
Keep these commandments in your heart and your life will be long and peaceful.
Long life is only a positive if it’s going to be peaceful. You wouldn’t want a long life if it’s going to be tense and stressful.
Long & Peaceful = The Good Life
Proverbs 3:3-
Proverbs 3:3–4 ESV
3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
Steadfast Love = Loyalty
Loyalty is being steady - as in, life’s circumstances aren’t going to sway you one way or another
Faithfulness — again, being steady and reliable, able to trust in
Writing Loyalty and Faithfulness on your heart, so that it flows throughout you, THEN you will find favor and success with man and God.
Favor & Success with Man & God = The Good Life
Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust = to put confidence in
we are to “put full confidence in God” not putting any confidence in ourselves — the result is that our paths will be made straight.
Straight = prosperous, right, pleasant
Trusting completely in God, not ourselves, will lead to a pleasant life.
Pleasant Life = The Good Life
Proverbs 3:7–8 ESV
7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
It is reinforced here to not trust in ourselves.
The reader might ask, why did he say the same thing in a different way?
Because it’s important!
“…it will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”
Anxiety & Fear
Anxiety stems from our need to try and do it all ourselves. When we no longer try and do things ourselves and trust God’s process then we will have healing in our thoughts and refreshment to our bodies.
Healing to our thoughts & Refreshment to our bodies = The Good Life
Proverbs 3:9–10 ESV
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Honor = to value or place weight on
Wealth = the abundant possession of various forms of property
Value God with your abundance and first gains and you will be blessed with plenty and bursting!
Blessed & Bursting = The Good Life
Proverbs 3:11–12 ESV
11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, 12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
Despise = reject
Weary = upset
We should not reject or be upset when we are corrected — that correction exists because God loves us enough to not let us destroy our lives with bad choices.
God’s Correction Saves Us = The Good Life

// CONCLUSION

Knowing all this, we should be very careful about what we allow to enter into our hearts!
How things enter our heart:
Eyes
Ears

How to: The Good Life

Long & Peaceful Life
Keep God’s Commandments
Favor & Success
Be loyal, be faithful in your relationships
Pleasant Life
Put full confidence in God alone
Healing in Our Thoughts & Refreshment to Our Bodies
Again, put full confidence in God and trust His process
Blessed & Bursting
Honor God with your abundance and first gains
Live an Abundant Life
Accept and welcome God’s correction in your life
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