Kids and a Calling
Kid's and a Calling is a group of young adults who still have child-like faith to share. Each episode, they have real conversations about Scripture and meaningful topics, breaking down what God's Word actually looks like in everyday life.
The group consists of our host, Audrey, co-host, Hudson, along with Lincoln, Andria, and Ramsey. Honest, practical, and easy to follow, they invite you join their journey to grow in God's calling.
Produced by: Jonathan Walton and Brian Blanchard
Kids and a Calling
There are Three Things - No, Four!
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Pressure, setbacks, and conflict can feel like proof something is wrong, but what if they’re actually proof God is building something that will last? In this episode, we wrestle with a hard question: if God loves us, why does He allow conflict?
Then we finish strong in Proverbs 29–31 with practical biblical wisdom on self-control, humility, moderation, and the quiet power of consistency. We also clear up common confusion around Proverbs 31 by treating it as poetry and a picture of godly character, not a perfection checklist. If you care about spiritual growth, youth ministry, Christian living, and building a faith that survives storms, this one is for you.
Subscribe, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review with the verse or takeaway that hit you most.
Welcome And Bucket List Talk
SPEAKER_03What's up everyone? Welcome back to Kids in a Calling Podcast. We're none of us of kids, but we all have a calling. And that's to point people to Jesus. I'm your host, Audrey Ljo. With me is Hudson Walton.
SPEAKER_00Hey guys.
SPEAKER_03Rempty Pavler. Hey, and Lincoln Sotia.
SPEAKER_00Hey guys.
SPEAKER_03Just a heads up. This is gonna be our last podcast of the semester. So make sure that you soak it all in.
SPEAKER_01Real tears coming down my face. Me too, bro.
SPEAKER_03So guys, what is something that is on your bucket list?
SPEAKER_01Skydiving.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, me too. That's no, that's my secret one. That's mine. Secret secret.
SPEAKER_04I think it's everyone's. I know I want to skydive. Not mine. Yeah, because he's afraid of height.
SPEAKER_01Terrified of height. For traveling, I want to see the northern lights. That's for traveling.
SPEAKER_04Yes, that would be cool. Like I swear, everybody who said that we had northern lights here live.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, they're they probably were like 1% of the real ones. They probably weren't that good. Yeah, I want to see real ones. They'd be fine. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I have no idea what mine would be.
SPEAKER_03Mine's probably like, okay, I I was thinking parasailing, but I take that back. Because that's so casual. Like, I want a bungee jump. Bungee jump and skydive. It's like a tie. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04I don't know. Bungee jumping or her really hurts your back.
SPEAKER_01I think I would rather like skydive out of the two. To me. Me too. I mean, I don't understand any of it, but to me, bungee jumping just seems more dangerous. I'm trusting a little cord.
SPEAKER_03I know, instead of like a parachute. Yeah, that's what if the parachute doesn't come out? Emergency parachute.
SPEAKER_00That's why you're going to stay on the ground.
SPEAKER_01With an instructor. And we both have parachutes. Stay on the ground. I'm going to do parasites.
SPEAKER_03But I don't like I wonder how many bungee jump desks there are a year. She's looking it up. Don't look it up, bro. I think moderns are. It's one or fewer per year globally. I'm gonna go bungee jumping. We're good.
SPEAKER_01That's so scary.
SPEAKER_04Y'all.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_04But hear me out. Is it that bad if you die if it's a bucketless item you do before you die and you did it already, so you're good?
SPEAKER_03True. But there's multiple.
SPEAKER_04Okay, yeah, you're right.
SPEAKER_03We look up skydiving. Let's see.
SPEAKER_04No, I don't think we want to know that answer.
SPEAKER_0320 to 30 people die from skydiving in the United States alone.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I'll go bungee jumping with you. Yeah. We're not going skydiving.
SPEAKER_04Oh, or one of those really pretty big zip lines throughout the mountains. Have y'all seen those before? Yes. Or no, the bungee jump and throughout the I know, but like zip lighting through mountains just sounds so much more fun than like getting your back broken by a cord.
SPEAKER_03Dude, it doesn't like okay. My aunt did it and she's good.
SPEAKER_04You're right. We got this. Let's go do it with her again. What's yours, Lincoln?
SPEAKER_00Oh, I said I want to probably want to go see like the pyramids or something.
SPEAKER_04Oh, no, that's a good one. That's actually so valid. I don't know why, like I discounted traveling. Egypt seems awesome. Really?
SPEAKER_01I don't want to go there because I feel like it's very hot.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, but like it can't be hotter in here. I think we have a humid hot here, but like I feel like there's just like a dry hotel, which wouldn't even be that bad.
SPEAKER_00I'd really like to go to Israel, but it's not like it's exactly the safest place right now.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. But that's a good one too. Yeah. Whenever it's safer, that could be on your bucket list. But for now, let's scratch it off. We'll come back to that.
SPEAKER_01We'll uh revisit in five years. See how we feel. You'll
Built To Last Series Kickoff
SPEAKER_01see.
SPEAKER_03So, guys, um yesterday was Sunday, right? Yeah. So yesterday, Pastor Jared he started a new series called Built to Last. And I think was it called the Strengthening of Foundations? Like, was that like the subtitle? It was Built to Last Strengthening Foundations. Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_01He said that was his like topic.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Just wanted to make sure. Um, what'd you guys think of that one? Great.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I thought it was really good. I agree. It was great. Perfect. Next topic for me. It was it was really good. It uh it's honestly it's kind of a bummer that this is our last episode and we're starting like such a good series with it. But um but no, getting right into it. I liked how he uh the verse he used to open it up, James, uh one, two, and three.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01It says, Dear brothers and sisters, when trouble of any kind comes your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. And you hear that, and you're just like, What? How is that great joy? That's a trouble. But then it continues in verse three, for you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. And that kind of sets the tone for the rest of the message and what he was getting at. That um that trials grow you. So yeah, I mean, diving right in. What do y'all think about that?
SPEAKER_03No, I agree. I was like, that was like the perfect verse for like this whole like to sum up this message, you know what I mean? But then he like breaks it down like he went into Ezekiel 33, three through nine, which talks about watchmen and like what they should do.
SPEAKER_01The way he hot hit on it, I like it a lot because his the core reason he hit on the idea of watchmen was to not focus like our pastor is our watchman, he's literally watching over our souls, yeah. And he was warning us that sometimes we can look at other specific churches or other places or just other places where battles are happening, and we can listen to them and what God's giving that battle, what God's giving that church, that watchman. Yeah, and we could tune into that and we can start wasting our time and preparing for a battle that's never even gonna come to us. We can waste our energy. So, yeah, I think that's very good because that's true. Sometimes we can prepare for fights that we're never gonna fight. We're just wasting our time, so right.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I liked how he had he kind of addressed the entire message from like a pastoral point of view. Yeah, it was more for like pastor watching over the church, which I really liked. Um, he made the statement saying what the enemy meant for good, or the enemy what the enemy meant for evil, yeah, God is about to use for your good. And many of us have heard this uh before, but it's always a great reminder to hear that even when your life does feel like it's falling apart or everything's it it nothing could go any worse than it already is. Like those those battles, it's it's all gonna set up for your success in the future as long as you've got God right next to you.
SPEAKER_03Exactly.
SPEAKER_00Which is a really good reminder.
SPEAKER_03I know, and he like connecting to that, he was saying how pressure he said like pressure is a proof that God is building something in your life that will last for generations. Because it kind of like reminds me of umbrellas that we just were, you know, talking about because he was talking about how like the rain that drenches you in one season is also the rain that anoints you to go to your next season.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03So it's like he used that to say that hard times and like rough patches can grow you as a believer and grow you in your faith. Because there will not always be hard times, but there always will be hard times. Yeah, like your life is not gonna be full of like misery, but there will be times when something happens. But that's why it's important that he's talking about building like what's it called? The foundation built to last, yeah. Built to last, yeah. Being built to last.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, like he said, what lasts is not built in the absence of conflict, it's built through seasons, lessons learned in the wilderness. And it's like it it so he goes in to say a story, but I'm like, if there's no conflict, there's like no growth. And if there's no growth, then you stay the same, and if you stay the same, then people move on, and when people move on, you get left behind. So, like, if you're not going through these hills and like these um valleys and you're always on a hill, you're never gonna grow and move on to get to the next hill where everybody else is going, where they have to go through the valley first, but you stayed on the hill because you're like, eh, yeah, no, I'm not gonna go down there, or I'm just gonna ignore that, and you just stay where you are and you never grow, but you get left behind, and everybody else keeps moving on. Yeah, that's a good point.
SPEAKER_01And he said something so powerful um to me, and I'm sure it was to you guys as well, about conflict. He said that he was Pastor Jared himself. He said he was struggling with trying to understand why the church, not just our church specifically, but the church as a whole, why you see churches or the people of God go through so much, why these things come in. Like his his mindset was Am I not doing enough as the pastor to protect the people? Like, why do all these troubles keep coming? And he said eventually God was just like, because I allow them to. Yeah, because conflict is what like what like you were just saying, we don't grow in the absence of conflict, we grow through it. Yeah, and that's very powerful to hear that that God will he loves you so much that he will allow conflict into your life to grow you because he loves your soul and your character more than your comfort. You can stay comfortable on the mountain all you want, but you're never gonna grow. Yeah, and God cares about you growing, he cares about your soul, your character, and that's that's powerful.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, like think about it like like relationships. Like you don't meet your girlfriend, a boyfriend, and you immediately like you're not going to get along 100% because you were two different people. And that's you do have arguments and you do have conflicts, but it's how you get past them that matters and what really builds your relationship and grows you together.
SPEAKER_04Yeah,
Why Conflict Strengthens Your Roots
SPEAKER_04yeah. He brought up that tree story, like where they well, who was it? Those people that put trees in like this controlled environment that had the biosphere, yes, and like nothing happened to the trees, like they made sure that they were like like nothing can get to them and they grew up the perfect environment for uh trees for the growth for anything really, but yeah, trees, and they grew really fast and tall and stuff. But then what happened? Like the wind got let in or something.
SPEAKER_01No, it was um so yeah, they built this perfect environment and they were testing the trees, and like you just said, the trees they grew very fast, like quicker than you would find them growing out in the wild because the conditions were perfect. But the trees they would grow up to a certain point and then they would fall over. Oh and so they didn't know what was happening, that and they kept replanting and they kept seeing that the trees would they'd shoot up super fast, everything was going good, then they'd they'd tilt over and they'd like yeah, that would kill them basically. And they finally figured out that like it was the wind, but what they figured out the problem was was the absence of wind. The trees, while they grew up and shot up, they never faced any resistance, and that resistance was crucial to the trees to grow stronger, yeah, so they could stand.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it made the roots grow um deeper, the the roots grow deeper and stronger, so like they wouldn't fall when just a slight inconvenience came. And he was he tied that to how it's the same for us. If we don't have any struggles and we stayed in the same place of perfection, and it was easy all the time just because like we followed God and he made it easy for us, then we would never strengthen and grow our roots and grow our relationship with the Lord because we would all just be in a place where if anything happened to us, we would fall and we we would not be able to get back up, you know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Because I don't think a tree can and like this is not saying that every bad, terrible, horrible thing that's happening to you is because God's used that to grow you. Like sometimes bad things just happen, yeah. But it's about our mindset going through it that these things happen to all of us and we can grow from this. Yeah, um I he I really like the example that he used in biblically that like look at Abraham. That was God's like God literally said, That's my friend. His best friend. He still went through famine. Um in the garden of Eden itself, a serpent was in the garden. God created that serpent in the garden. There's there's gonna be conflict. Being a follower of God, being a Christian, being in relationship with Christ doesn't mean that you're gonna be free of all conflict. And then um, the one that hit the most to me was Judas. He didn't sneak in. Yeah, he God, Jesus invited him in. He was one of the twelve, he was chosen. And so we're always gonna have conflict. You're never gonna get to a point where things are perfect. That c like that conflict of Judas being that conflict in that way is what propelled Christ to the cross. Yeah, and so when he said that, I was like, and conflict in a way is crucial, just like it was crucial for Jesus, it's crucial for us as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. Yeah, he also um he had said it's like you were saying conflict is crucial. Uh, Pastor Jared made this statement. If you never or if yeah, if you never fight the enemy, you're no good to God. Um and he was talking about like if you're not being attacked by the devil, that means you're not really you're not really doing anything. It's good for us to be attacked. Yeah, that means you're doing something right. Yeah. And so I like this because um I feel like a lot of us, myself included, we can get mad when the devil starts attacking, and I mean, rightfully so. But um, because no one wants bad things to happen to us. But Luke wrote in Acts 5 41, uh, they had been getting, they had been suffering for Christ's sake. And and he said, So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And so rather than pout over, oh man, we're suffering all this thing, they said, God, I'm I'm thankful that you chose me to be to suffer for you. Yeah, I think it's a if we shifted our mindset and said, Oh, because I've gotten closer to God, now the devil sees me as a threat, like that's an honor. Yeah, I'm honored to be the devil's threat because I love God and because God loves me. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I agree, and I've definitely struggled with uh like the mindset in the past of I'm going through these things because I messed up. Yeah, like what did I do? Or God's punishing me for something I did, just along those lines of or maybe like I'm not close enough to God. Yeah, that's why I'm going through those things. And that's kind of what the message is that that it's not that. Um, you can't let the enemy lie to you and say that because you're going through things that God doesn't care about you, or God's punishing you. That's not true at all. And you can see that through his word that God plans all things for good for you. Yeah, and this conflict, God kind of allows it sometimes to grow you so you can get closer to him.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Job is the perfect example of this. And Job in the Bible says he was righteous. Yeah. And uh God, or the devil goes up to heaven, he's talking to God, and God's like, Have you considered Job? And the devil's like, What? Job, I can't touch him. Like, you have protection around him. And so God allowed the devil to take everything besides Job's breath. Like Job lost everything. He lost his wife, he lost his family, his cattle, everything he owned. He didn't lose his breath. And so uh sometimes we're gonna face things, and but God has allowed them to happen because he knows that they're not gonna take us out. Yep.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. He won't do anything.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. Job had it bad. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04But he wouldn't do anything that he thinks that we won't make it out from. Everything is just to build us closer and stronger.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. And I think another important thing is like it's easy to not even just easy to say this, because I mean we've all obviously as a human, you've gone through hard times, you've been through things. But it's like a lot of times in the moment, if not always, in the moment, you don't understand what the purpose is. You're like, this cannot be from God, this cannot be his doing, because like, why does my suffering have to be something that's gonna apparently quote unquote help me later? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I think it's just important to remember that, like, on the other side, like the once you get to the light at the end of the tunnel, you're gonna look back and you're gonna see like where you started and then where you are today, and like how much that has grown you.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, how much those moments needed to happen for you to get to where you are.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
Obedience Builds A Real Foundation
SPEAKER_01I really like the the point he hit on that information doesn't build foundations, that it's obedience. He talked from Matthew, uh, chapter 7, verse 24 to 27. Um, anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and floodwaters rise, and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash. And the difference he was pointing at, it the difference wasn't who heard. Both of the people, the the one that built the house on a solid foundation and the one that built the house on sand. They both heard. They both heard that, they both had that knowledge. Yeah, they can't use that excuse that they didn't hear. They they heard that, but only one person was obedient and acted on it, and his house didn't crash. Um, that applies to all of us. We can know the truth, and we can still just not act on it. And this is where the concept of foundations comes in. Like we were talking about like conflicts, they can help you, they strengthen you, they can help build that foundation. Um, to even go through the conflicts that come up in your life. You have to have this foundation. You have to not just know uh about God, you have to not just know the Bible intellectually, you have to be applying it. That has to be a part of you, that has to be in your heart.
SPEAKER_03It has to be noticeable, yeah. You know, like Pastor Jared will tell us how like somebody in the grocery store will be like, Hey, like, are you a Christian? Can you pray for me? And it's like because he lives different, because he acts different, because he doesn't just listen to the word and be like, Oh, good to know. He he he lives by it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, there's no greater example for us than our pastor, but yeah, that that principle, yeah, you have to be living it. And if you're living it correctly and living it with your heart aligned with Jesus, then yeah, people will notice that, and that's just gonna happen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, your foundation matters because it was the same rain, same wind, same water, same storm, different foundation.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they he yeah, and I think he uh he mentioned that yeah, that um those two people went through the same storm. Yeah, but only one of them was actually living it and not just knowing about it because just knowing about it isn't gonna do anything.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. I loved um a point he had touched on that was kind of like I don't know if I took it differently, but it seems like it's kind of like random in the mix, but I liked it.
Social Media And Compromise Warnings
SPEAKER_03So he said, um, the media has redesigned what the Bible calls truth. And I mean, as a teen, I completely agree. Yeah. Because you know, you're on TikTok or you're on Instagram and you're scrolling through your reels, and like anyone who watches these reels can can testify that what we see today in the world is so different from what we know is the truth. And it's like we have to be careful because it these there are people in this world who are corrupt and who want to destroy Christians and want to, you know, spread the lies and not they might not even know the truth. Some of them really just don't know the truth. Yeah, but yeah, that's important why it's that's why it's important to watch out for what you're looking at because it's so easy to like look at a video and I'll just be like, oh, believe the first thing I see. Obviously, not like if I know otherwise, but sometimes you'll see things about situations and you just believe the first thing you see, yeah, but then you get the other side of the story and you're like, oh, like that's not what I thought it was at all. And like if we're not like based in the word all the time, then we're gonna, it's easy to get swayed. Like, what is taking up most of your time? What is your priority? What gets most of your attention? Because honestly, I know a lot of the times for me it it is my phone, it is reels because like that's just what happens. I get caught up in it, and then I'm like, oh, forgot to read my Bible today, I'll do it tomorrow. But I watched two hours of reels in my bed. So it's like just like watching what your priorities are instead of God is important because then you let things get in through cracks that you left open. Like you'll leave things open for the enemy to come in and like sway your mind and like make you believe the wrong things. Yeah, it's good.
SPEAKER_04And I think the other thing about social media though is once those things start getting spread, is like social media hops on it. Like everybody starts following what they see. And so then everybody's saying it, and it may start even making you question things. Yes. If you're seeing it over and over again, and people are like, this is why, this is why. And they have proof and are quote unquote proof, or they like they're like, Well, this is my experience, this is what happened. And you don't try and go and further look into it or read the Bible about it, you will start getting persuaded by all these people who are talking about it, and you may just start believing it un unconsciously, yeah, and it may start being what your mind aligns with. So you have to watch to make sure that you are doing the backstory, looking at the backstory.
SPEAKER_01That's really good because um, one of the biggest things about our culture today is individualism. You make your own truth, you do what's happening, you do what makes you happy, you do what's good for you. And if you're on social media, like Audrey said, like they were just saying, you're you're gonna see that. Like there's no way to not. That idea is everywhere, it's very prominent. And the more you interact with that, um, like Audrey was saying, maybe you this happens to me too, happens to all of us. You spend a bit too much time on Instagram. That becomes a habit. It starts replacing your time with God. Yeah, and now like Audrey was saying, you allow it to start seeping in, and then before you know it, you get to the point where you're questioning the truth of God because you didn't stick true to your firm foundation, you left it. Yeah, yeah. So you have to make sure that you're living this, you have it in your heart.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because like if you're not feeding yourself daily, then you're starving. Like, whether or not you feel it, eventually you're gonna get to a point where you're starved and you're spiritually dead, and you're like, How did I get here? How did I let it get this far? But then you look back and you realize how many hours a day you spent on Instagram instead of how many hours you could have spent in your Bible or praying or learning more.
SPEAKER_01And that is why we spoke on Proverbs to guard your heart. I did say that in Proverbs. Yeah. Very applicable. But um I like the point where he was kind of hitting on that depth is what actually makes you laugh, not the speed that you build your foundation, but the depth of that foundation. Yeah, oh yeah. And he was talking about uh Luke chapter six, verse 48. He used this verse it is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built. And he said this, he said the wise man didn't build it fast, he built it deep. So it's not about just shooting up a foundation. Um say if you're like a new Christian and you're just getting into church, you're this is all new to you. Um it may take time to build that foundation, and that is completely okay. Building the foundation doesn't look flashy, it doesn't look like you shoot you lay it all out instantly, and you're just instantly this incredible follower of Christ with a strong foundation. It takes time. You got to dig that out and let it take root in you. Yeah, and you hit on that directly. That um foundation takes time, it's not flashy. And sometimes you're just in a season where you're just digging. You're just digging that foundation and laying it so you can move on to the next season and not be destroyed by the storms.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because like your character, like spiritually too, is like that's who you are when nobody sees. That's who you that's how you act and what you do behind closed doors, you know? Like who you are on the inside may not look like who you are on the outside, but if who you are on the inside is honoring to God, then it doesn't matter what the outside looks like, if people think one thing or not. You know, and then it goes the other way too. I mean, you could look like you got it all together, yeah. Like you're the most spiritual spiritual person anyone's ever seen, but on the inside, you don't have your priority straight. You're not aligned with the word of God.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And God knows your heart. So don't try to fake it.
SPEAKER_00That's good. Yeah, that's like the Pharisees. I mean, he said he looked at the Pharisees when he was in the temple, woeing everybody, rebuking them. And he's like, You are like a whitewashed tomb. Like you look like you have it all together on the outside. Your outside looks clean. The inside is full of all unrighteousness. He was like, There's nothing good inside of you. And so it's very important that not only does our outside look right, but our our inside needs to look more right than the outside. Yeah, the foundation has to be deep.
SPEAKER_01It has to have taken root in you. It has to be stable.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. And kind of like going back off of the media stuff we were talking about, he was talking about how like division and gossip used to be outside of the church, but now it's in the church that we'll see. And someone had touched a little bit on like stuff creep what did somebody about stuff creeping in the church?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I was talking about how Pastor Jarry was saying that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. But he had said that specifically. And I thought that was like it's a great point because honestly, I feel like we're the generation that it's happening in. So we do see it because like what used to be out in the world is, like you said, making its way in the church. We've started to like compromise, letting gossip happen amongst us in our youth groups and our in our congregation. And like we just let sin slide. But it's important to remember that the devil like creeps in whenever compromise happens. Yeah. Like whenever we let boundaries down is when he's like, it's go time. And like what might seem small at the moment, what might seem like, oh, I'm just like spreading information about this person, but it's really gossip is like that's what gives the enemy a free pass into your life. And you will leave doors open for him to walk in. And then you're gonna be like, Hey, how'd you get here? And and it's like, bro, you let me in. What do you mean?
SPEAKER_00You you you open the door for me. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, he used the example saying uh there's certain sins that the church used to run away from, like in the complete opposite direction. He said, now we just walk by them. And that goes just along with y'all just saying this, those small compromises. Yeah, it's like instead of running away, it we're just gonna leave it right there, but we'll walk very close to the line. No, you you need to set like boundaries now from the things like run away from the thing, don't don't even consider it. Yeah, run. That's good.
Proverbs 29 On Wisdom And Restraint
SPEAKER_03So last week we had finished off on Proverbs 28, I believe.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_03And so um this week we could just finish all throughout Proverbs because we only got three more podcasts. Well, three more and one podcast left.
SPEAKER_01It's been a journey.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So money, y'all can kick us off.
SPEAKER_01Um, the one of the first things that stuck out to me was uh kind of a little bit into Proverbs chapter 29, um, verse 19 words alone will not discipline a servant. The words may be understood, but they are not heeded. I mean, that stuck out to me because it literally ties in directly to what we were just talking about in the message. Yeah words alone are not enough. Um, they may be understood, you may have the knowledge, but for in this in the exact uh example of the servant, the servant understood, but he didn't heed them. Literally talking about the the man that hurt he knew, but he didn't build on the strong foundation. Yeah, so again, I mean, kind of shows that the Bible interlinks, like it talks about it in multiple spots. Yeah, like you can't just be a hearer of the word, you have to do it. Um, understanding something does not mean you will act on it. Knowing about God does not mean you have a relationship with God, that type of thing. That's right. So yeah, you have to be a doer, not just a hearer.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I had really liked um verse 10. It says the bloodthirsty hate blame the bloodthirsty hate blameless people, but the upright seek to help them. So, like we were saying, kind of like how there are people who are corrupt, like there are people out there who want others to fail and they want to see them like get their revenge. But the righteous people are the ones to help them seek. I mean, yeah, to seek to help them. Yeah, yeah. So, like as a Christian, it's obviously our job to help those who can't help themselves. And then, like, think of it from Christ's perspective. Yeah, Christ daily gives us that help. We cannot save ourselves from sin, we cannot redeem ourselves from what we've done, and we cannot like overall forgive ourselves for what we've done. He daily helps us in like that amount of grace that he gives us, if we just gave a like smither of it to like the ones around us, yeah, it would be astronomical. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Kind of tying into that is verse six. It says, Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape shouting for joy. So the people who are out for lack of better words, that are worldly and are surrounded by sin, they find themselves trapped in a continuous cycle of falling and they can't get back up and they fall and they stumble and they keep going and they are trapped by the sin and they cannot get out. But we are so blessed to know God and to know that his mercy and his grace will help us and the righteous escape shouting for joy so that we can leave, literally running and shouting for joy, and like with joy that God has helped us out of this because we couldn't, like Audrey was just saying, we could never do it on our own. Yeah, but God has gave us mercy and grace, and God is on our side, and like we won't be able to lose, and we'll be able to leave leaping with joy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I know that's good because if you like Audrey's saying, and you just said that it's God that does it, and if you follow God, if you listen to his word, if you act on that, and if you accept that, like if you accept what God's trying to do for you, you will be like the righteous and you will you know be able to separate from that sin. But if you're not, if you're not that and you get caught in your sin, I mean we've talked about that so many times now, going through at Proverbs, you just get caught in it, and it gets to the point where you don't even know what's happening. It just keeps repeating because you don't act on it, you don't let God take that from you, you don't follow his word.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and I think another thing to add to that would be it doesn't say that the righteous will not fall. It says the righteous will escape. So, like we'll fall, like Hudson was saying, but it doesn't like it's a confirmation that we will escape. Like it will never get stuck and trapped as much as we may think we are. Yeah, we will always be freed from it. Yeah, yep.
SPEAKER_00I liked uh Proverbs 29:1. It says, Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery. And so I read this through the lens of like a friendship. Um, I like this verse because it points out that criticism is not a bad thing. In fact, it says that whoever doesn't accept it will be destroyed beyond repair. And so we ought to have friends and be that friend that criticizes not out of hate but out of love. Yeah, yeah. Um, we should build each other up through the uh through love, correction of love. And um a true friend will tell you what you need to hear, even if it's not what you want to hear, and we should listen to that. Yeah, there's been many times where my friends have told me stuff and I'm like, really, dude? Like, yeah, but it's what I needed to hear.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, and then even if it's not friends, just criticism from mentors or spiritual leadership. If you're uh like a kid, your parents, your youth pastor, yeah, your pastor himself, like spiritual mentorship. Yeah, if they criticize you, you better be listening, even if it hurts, because that's for your good. Yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I really liked verse 13, and it says the poor and the oppressor have this in common the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both. So I love that because it's like you can be polar opposites of somebody, like completely different, but you will always have like at least one thing in common that we are both God's children. Like he said, the poor man and the rich man have both been given their sight by the Lord. Like, remember that you're not no one is above anyone. In God's eyes, we are all his children and we are all equal. You are not better than your neighbor, and you're better. I mean, your new neighbor is not better than you. Yeah. Like there are no, like, there's no status when it comes to God. You know, God doesn't have you on a pedestal and your neighbor way down in the dumps. Like, it's not like that with God. And if we, if our minds comprehend that, but like we don't in our hearts, then we're gonna go around thinking like that we're higher than everyone, that we're better than everyone. Yeah, and that like, or even that others are more important than us, and then we're gonna like believe negatively about ourselves when really it's not even like we're not competing. Yeah, it's not a competition.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, I really like that one too. Yeah, that's really good. Uh what I what I want when I was reading it, I was thinking like the rich, the poor, the healthy, the sick, the sinner, and the saint. Like we are all made by the same God. It doesn't matter what what position on that range you fall, like you're still God's boy or still God's little girl. Yeah. And uh we should love each other like he's loved us. Absolutely. Like I know there's been times in my life where I was probably hard to love by God, but I'm thankful that he still loved me even whenever I didn't deserve it. And so we ought to love people even when they don't deserve it. They might have hurt us, but we should still say, you know what, you've hurt me, but I'm still gonna love you because I've hurt God and He still loved me.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah. And a lot of times, like people who hurt people, it like hurt people, hurt people is so true.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Because like no one in the world has gone without hurt. Like we've all had something happen. And it's like just remember that you've been at a time in your life when you were hurting. Like that doesn't give you an excuse to treat people bad, obviously. But don't jump the gun and be like, start ridiculing or judging or hating on somebody whenever you don't know the whole story and you don't know what they're going through. Yeah. Give them grace.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's good. I really pick up on the theme of throughout uh chapter 29 as a whole, just the theme of like self-control and lack of restraint. Um looking at a few verses, Proverbs are 29, 11. Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. Verse 20. There is more hope for a fool than for anyone who speaks without thinking. And if you've been following our series on Proverbs, you know you the fools are like they're bad. You don't want to be the fool. So for this to say there is more hope for a fool than someone who speaks without thinking, that's powerful. The writer's trying to get a point across. Yeah. And verse 18 when people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. It's literally self-control, lack of restraint. Verse 20 is literally saying that there's more hope for a fool than someone who lacks self-control. Yeah, that's what that verse is saying. So these verses highlight the importance that you know the wise quietly hold back their anger. That's self-control. Having self-control is linked in this uh chapter through the themes in the verses to wisdom. And so having self-control for us as Christians is very important.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And restraint is part of that. Like it hits directly on fools that their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. That's restraint. Yeah. In your day-to-day life, you'll we've all been through moments like that where we wanted to lash out on someone so bad. Oh, yeah. Maybe we did. I know I have in the past. What the wise person does is hold it back because it's just gonna make it worse. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And like, what would Jesus do? I'm telling you, like, Jesus was like up here, then he had to, oh, he had to deal with all those people, bruh. I don't know how he did it.
SPEAKER_01Imagine. I wish I could be like a fly on the wall just one.
SPEAKER_03Just for like even a second of his life.
SPEAKER_01Like seeing Jesus having to talk to all these Pharisees and stuff, dude.
SPEAKER_03Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_04And then just staying calm the whole time. Like, yeah, that's crazy. But like Hudson was saying how the wise hold back their anger, the wise also can calm anger. So in verse eight, it says mockers can get a whole town agitated, but the wise will calm anger. And isn't it so crazy how just like some anger from somebody can get a whole entire town agitated? Like just that little one, like one person can agitate a whole entire town. But then the wise can come in and just calm it. And so one that shows that going to wise people for advice from if you're in a storm, like imagine your your brain is the town and you're agitated because somebody agitated it. Yeah. But you don't go to somebody else that's going through that same storm because, like, I think what we mentioned in that is like the agitated will agitate the agitated. Yeah. Like iron sharpens iron, but like opposite. Like agitates, agitation. Yeah. You will feed on each other's agitation and anger. And so you go to like a wise person to help calm that agitation, that anger in your heart. And they have the a person at least that has your best interest that knows what they're talking about, someone that you trust. And so that also shows us that we should want to be the wise person that calms the storm. We don't want to be the mockers that are agitating up a whole entire town. We want to be the person that's going in and saying, hey guys, is this like really what we want to be doing with our time right now? Like, is this really what we should be doing right now? We want to we want to be the wise person that calms the agitating town.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And then continuing on the theme of like what we just talked about, like self-control and restraint.
Proverbs 30 On Humility And Moderation
SPEAKER_01Um looking at uh Proverbs 30, 15 to 16, man, I love the way this guy writes. He he has one thing, he sticks with it throughout uh chapter 30. Yeah. But uh 15 and 16, 15 starts with the leech has two suckers that cry out more, more. And he goes, There are three things that are never satisfied. And I imagine he pauses for emphasis. He's like, No, four that never say enough.
SPEAKER_04I know.
SPEAKER_01And he does this throughout the chapter of I think like pretty much every single time he uses examples in the groups. And um, I actually went and like looked it up because I was like, Why does he keep doing this? And it's more like just a writing style that they used back in the day to show emphasis. Yeah, the main thing you should take from it is that this is important. He's bringing emphasis to these examples and grouping them together for that emphasis. And so with 16, he says the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, and the blazing fire. And like the grave, that's never full. Uh dry ground, it it's always gonna need more water. There's never gonna be a point where it has enough, and a fire keeps consuming. Yeah, and then I'll hit on the barren room just because me, uh Audrey and Ramsay were talking about a little bit before the podcast, and they were kind of confused on why the barren room was included. Um back then, culturally for women, it was very important culturally, yeah, for them to have children. Um, it was it was their security, it was their safety, it was their future. Yeah, um, that it was very important for them. So a barren womb was an unquenchable desire. Like it's something you have to have. And the writer uses all of these things are unquenchable desires that if left unchecked, that's the kind of the point that I got from that the writer's hitting at these desires. Um, you know, not exactly the the grave, but any desire that is unquenchable. If you don't have self-control, if you don't have that restraint, these things exist. That's what the writer's showing. These things exist, yeah. These unquenchable desires. And if you don't have that self-control, they're just gonna run rampant. And I mean, previously in Proverbs, uh, we talked about either a couple episodes ago where it's directly says a city without uh a person without self-controls is like a city without walls. Yeah, that's how dangerous it is. They're just gonna control you. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03It's like anything not done in moderation can be dangerous.
SPEAKER_01And then tying directly into the next verse, um, 17 the eye that mocks a father and despises a mother's instruction will be plucked out by ravens on the valley and eaten by vultures. And this directly follows the examples he just gave. And the eye that mocks a father and despises a mother's instructions, that sounds like pride. Yeah, you're mocking your father, you're just they tell you instructions. Um, and we talked about this last chapter. Um, the wise person listens to that instruction. Yeah, if you're prideful, you're not gonna listen to that. So these unquenchable desires, if you don't have self-control and self-restraint, you're just gonna let them keep you're just gonna keep choosing these desires. Yeah, and it gets to a point where you start choosing yourself so much because you don't have self-control, you just choose your flesh over and over and over that it becomes pride. You keep choosing yourself over and over and over and you become prideful. Yeah, yeah. So it's good. The the core theme of that is that self-control is important. Yeah, these things exist, and you have to have self-control as a Christian, or you're just gonna be thrown everywhere.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. In the same vein of like pride and being prideful, verses 11 through 14 says some people curse their father and do not thank their mother. They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed. They look proudly around, casting distasteful glances, and they have teeth like swords and fing swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth, and they they they needy from among humanity. So this I feel like just describes the fools that Proverbs have been talking about this whole book. Like people who are prideful, they don't listen to people, they are judgmental, they in their own eyes do no wrong. And they're the ones that like we need to be careful of to make sure that we don't become and we don't surround ourselves with. Because these people will, you'll start being like, I don't know, it's just so crazy how if you hang around people, you are the people you become. Like it's crazy how you do that. So you have to make sure that you aren't hanging around these people and that you don't become this person. Because once this person doesn't listen and they're so prideful and they're so right in their own ways, and they refuse to listen to anybody else, that's so dangerous.
SPEAKER_03It's a hard habit to make it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and nobody and it's so hard because if people try to help you and you don't want to listen, the more they help you, the more you don't listen, the digger you go, the the deeper, the deeper you dig your whole.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because if you're prideful, you know better in your own mind. So that's very dangerous. Um, but yeah, that's good.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I'd really liked um verse eight, chapter 30, verse 8 says, first, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches. Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. This was like kind of eye-opening for me, like kind of like a reality check. I mean, obviously, I'm not like this person who's like, I'm gonna be rich, I'm gonna be a millionaire, because like I'm I just want to be a stay-at-home mom at the end of the day, bro. But like a lot of times, like we'll pray for God to give us, you know, wealth and make us rich and successful, which success is okay to have, obviously. But like what we need isn't wealth and riches, it's what satisfies our needs. Like, all we need from God is what will satisfy us, and we shouldn't overindulge in anything. It's like what you were talking about. Like, without using moderation for anything, it's it can be dangerous no matter what it is. And like just like having too much, I mean, too little money is bad, like having too much can be too. Because like when you become dependent and like really determined to get as much money as you can, be as successful as you can, and you're striving to be like this really rich person, like you can lose your priorities a little bit, and like you can start either working too much and skipping church on Sundays, or you could get too occupied with trying to overwork yourself to get all this money that like you let things slip that you're like, it's okay, I'll go next Sunday. But it's like then you compromise things, and it's it's easy to become like hyper focused on those goals that we set for ourselves and like become rich and successful without thinking about the consequences of it. But like asking God to just provide you with enough to satisfy your needs, like he will do that and more. Like he will not leave you stranded. And it's he's not gonna be like, No, you're gonna be like by satisfy your needs, you're gonna be like barely getting by. Like, God is not like that. Yeah, he loves to see a humble heart. When you come to live humbly and you say, God, satisfy my needs, that's all I need, and like you will provide for the rest, you will be the rest for me, you will satisfy my needs. Then he sees that and he blesses it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I really love that because it's hitting like you just hit on uh balance about balance, and it's also it's coming from the perspective of the opposite of what Ramsey was talking about, pride earlier. The writer, when he says that stuff in that verse, is coming from a place of humility. Yeah, he he doesn't want to be too rich that he places himself above God, he places his accomplishments above God. That's coming from a place of humility, and I really like how he opened up the chapter itself with like, I mean, you can't get more humble than this. Yeah, it made me laugh when I was reading it earlier. Really?
SPEAKER_03Ramsey was like, it makes you want to cry. It's so sweet.
SPEAKER_01In verse two, okay, that this isn't sweet to me. I don't know if we're talking about the same verse, but he said in verse two, I am too stupid to be human.
SPEAKER_04No, but it starts off, I am weary, oh God. I am weary and worn out, oh God. Like he's crying, he's like, I'm tired. And then he's he's saying, I am too stupid to be human and I lack common sense. Not in the sense of like, I'm stupid. Funny. He's saying, like, I don't deserve to even like be here. I I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the holy one.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, that's tying into humility. Yeah, that's what I'm getting at that. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Sorry, I kind of no, no, you're good because that that's exactly what I was gonna say next. That um that ties into humility. He's he opens up this chapter with humility. Yeah, like I lack common sense. I have not mastered wisdom, nor do I know the holy one. He's recognizing that he's just a dude. Like at the end of the day, he's just a dude. He doesn't know all these things, he doesn't know what God knows. And that's really powerful a way to open it.
SPEAKER_02I really like that. And I feel like, oh, go ahead.
SPEAKER_00I really liked the first verse. The I am weary, oh God, I'm weary and worn out, oh God. And um, he's like y'all said, he started with being humble, but he was also being very honest. Yeah, yeah. He's saying, I'm tired. I'm I I can't keep doing this. I'm tired. And I know that in my life, I'm sure this is the case for pretty much everybody, but there's been a moment where you've prayed and is like, God, I I feel like I'm I keep losing, like I I can't keep doing this. I need your help. I need you. Yeah, and um I want to give you some encouragement. Like 2 Corinthians uh 12 9, it says, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness. And so it doesn't matter how weak or how vulnerable you might be, um, how bad life is going, there's always light at the end of the tunnel, and God's per God's strength is made perfect in ever in your weakness.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So use that as encouragement to keep going.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and like God loves to be needed. Like, yeah, let God know that you need him because you do. Like it's not like he he was not respects, like honors, honors, yeah. Like he honors that you let him. No, I can't do this alone. I need you. I need you to help me. That's a humble heart.
SPEAKER_01Because yeah, that comes from humility and like I said, honesty. And God loves that stuff. And we've seen that all throughout Proverbs. That that's what wisdom is. It's being able to see that Yeah, not being arrogant. Yeah, not being arrogant. That I don't really know anything. Like, yeah, I know stuff. I've learned. I read the Bible, but I don't know anything in comparison to God. So God, please help me.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And um continue on from humility. Um, I'm looking at the next like bracket of this writer's bangers, his groups of four, uh, where he says, Um, there are three in verse 18, um, there are three things that amaze me. No, four things. I love when he does that. I can't. I know it's so fire every time. But verse 19 continues how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, and how a man loves a woman. He he has a way with words.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. But um it's almost a point. This is a poetry that's a good thing. It's so cute.
SPEAKER_01Oh, a man loves a few. All four of these things. Um, they're things that, especially back then, um, they don't have like all the science and stuff we have. Yeah. So, I mean, we could probably see like more about how an eel flies, how a ship, but back then that's stuff that they you don't understand. Um, even like the way a man loves a woman, a relationship, that's not just something that's not black and white. That's something complex. Yeah, all this stuff is not something that can be understood. And so it's kind of from that angle, like again, reinforcing humility that there are things out there that you just won't be able to understand. Yeah, and yeah, you have to be humble enough to accept that and be like, God, I trust you. I don't understand this. These things exist, I won't understand them probably ever, but God's got me.
SPEAKER_04And yeah, you don't, he doesn't call you to know everything. He's not like, I need you to understand this for me to love you. He's saying, he's literally saying, I didn't ask you to understand anything, but I am asking you to just respond to me and love me and try and have a relationship. We get to know me. That's literally all he asked.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that made it so cute. Just get to know me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because you don't you don't have to know it all. You always gotta be humble enough to know that you don't have to know it all.
SPEAKER_03Because he does know it all, so it's like, yeah, he knows everything. Truth.
SPEAKER_00Amen. Hallelujah.
SPEAKER_02You got any more of those four? What was it? There's another one.
SPEAKER_00There's a there's two more, I think. Um three things, no four things.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he he he hits it again, another banger right after that. And uh in verse 21, he starts off there are three things that make the earth tremble. No, four they cannot endure. Um, a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, a bitter woman who finally gets a husband. That one made me laugh for a second.
SPEAKER_02I know, right?
SPEAKER_01Um, a servant girl who supplants her mistress. And if you don't know what that word means, I didn't either. Yeah, me didn't either basically just replacing her. Like back then the mistress would have been the head of like the female servants. Yeah. And so the servant girl supplanting is taking a position that isn't hers. Um but yeah, all these things are highlighting instances where stability would be our order would be disrupted, and uh that would cause instability. Um situations that would be out of place for the person, like the slave becoming a king, an overbearing fool who prospers. Um, we've talked about again and again in Proverbs, and even the message itself that our foundation has to be strong and we have God has to grow us before we can get to the next level.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, highlighting that it's dangerous, like it literally says make the earth tremble for you to get to a position that you haven't earned for God to just throw that on you and without you getting grown to that, that'd be bad for you. Yeah, that'd be bad for everyone. Um, if I right now, as I am, became the pastor of Point Church, like, dude, we'd probably like the building would burn down like two weeks later. Like, I'm not ready for that.
SPEAKER_02I don't even know how that would happen.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. That's just an example. I mean, the arsonist isn't coming back.
SPEAKER_03Why are you bringing up?
SPEAKER_01But no, like I wouldn't be ready for that.
SPEAKER_03And so that's kind of the um Yeah, it would throw off the balance of like first of all, everyone's routine, second of all, the actual building, but it wouldn't be good.
SPEAKER_01So God's not gonna put you in a situation where you're not ready for it. Um positioning without character, that'll lead to problems every time, and that's kind of the the prop the the idea that he's getting at with that banger that um God's not just gonna throw you at that stuff, it's about character. You have to grow into that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's his new favorite word is banger.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, dude, and not get that same word uh reading his bangers. No, they're good.
SPEAKER_04I think it's so funny though, because the next one he decided to make up his mind. There are four things on earth. Like he's he's like, you know what, he keeps switching up on me.
SPEAKER_00And and then he goes again.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and then the next one is there's four. But I think the one where he says verse 24 is actually so crazy. If if none of y'all are about to hit on that, I'm about to.
SPEAKER_01You know I have it, sister. Do you want to go? Oh, you could say what you were gonna say.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I wasn't gonna say much. I was just gonna read it. There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise. Andrew would love this guy's ants. They aren't strong, but they store up food all summer. High Hyraxes, is that how you say it? Yeah, they aren't powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks. Locustes. They have no king, but they have they march in formation and lizards. They are easy to this one's so real. They're easy to catch, but they are found even in king's palaces. Like the small things, the small things. It's not, it doesn't have to be big. It doesn't have to be crazy, it doesn't have to be like anything that is we have to plan forever. It's just like the small things are usually wise.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, I know that's that's good, and that's kind of that's why I'm short. Short kings and queens here. We are the wisest. What is that voice? I don't know. That's my podcast.
SPEAKER_03They're gonna be like the new the new podcaster joint.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's just Joe.
SPEAKER_03Oh, hey Joe, welcome.
SPEAKER_01Nice. Okay, keep going. But no, Ramsay, that's good. Um thank you. I won't read the verse again because you just read it. But when I was reading it, like I also noticed that uh, yeah, he made up his mind. Like y'all said, he didn't do the there are three, no, four. But one thing that I noticed that you didn't hit on that was interesting, another thing interesting about the layout is that in all the previous examples that he used in these groups of four, there would be two or maybe three examples in one verse. For this one specifically, throughout the entire chapter, each example gets its own verse.
SPEAKER_05You're right.
SPEAKER_01And so I started looking into why. Like that's like that stuff that doesn't just happen just because that's intentional. And when you look at it, it's because the others before this were just showing like examples, like warnings, kind of if you want to look at it like that. Like we talked about the warning of these unquenchable desires that can come unchecked if you don't have self-control. This one is more teaching you, each one has its own verse because those are different ways that wisdom can show up in your life. Ants, they aren't strong, but they store up all summer. That's preparation, they are preparing in the waiting. The hyraxes, they it literally they are building their homes among the rocks, they're building on strong foundation. Locusts, they have no king, but they march in formation, they have order within themselves without being needed to told it. It's internal to them.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, like us, we get that from God.
SPEAKER_01We learn that.
SPEAKER_04I'm thinking we wouldn't be so screwed if Hudson became pastor. It's not just screwed.
SPEAKER_00The church might not burn down.
SPEAKER_01But then the list is small and insignificant, significant, yes, but he finds himself in the presence of the king, showing you that again. Wisdom is about your character, like it doesn't matter how small or how short you are, like we just said, you can you we see it in our relationship with God. We are insignificant at the end of the day, but we find ourselves in the presence of the king continually. Yeah, and so it's just different ways that wisdom shows up in your life. I would have never thought to research this. It's not about the size, it's about your character, it's about wisdom.
SPEAKER_03That's so good, Hudson. Like you really like broke down all these things, and I thought they were just like, Oh, yeah, like an ant, they're doing good, like they're storing up their food.
SPEAKER_04It's like I noticed they all had their own descriptors, but I didn't notice they had their own verse. Like, I didn't know anything to relate it to myself.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that was I guess I guess the whole Bible is really that that's the point. Yeah, so I don't know.
SPEAKER_01And it's uh highlighting like all those things are small. Um, a single ant isn't big. Locust, uh hyraxes. I actually don't know what animal that is, but we look so cute.
SPEAKER_03They look like little like beavers, they're small, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So none of those things are big. So it's not a wisdom is not about strength, it's about just how you live, and that's the core idea it's getting at.
SPEAKER_04I love that.
SPEAKER_00Good job, Hudson. That was good.
Proverbs 31 Beyond The Checklist
SPEAKER_00Thank you.
SPEAKER_04Joe's back. So 31 is kind of a pretty what's the word? Like known Proverbs. It's like the whole like Proverbs 31. Yeah, yeah. And so yeah. This is gonna be abducted.
SPEAKER_01She's gonna go ham on this one. This is her court.
SPEAKER_04Just to start off, if you like, I think I mentioned it. I think I mentioned it earlier, but Proverbs is a poetry book. So I think it's crazy how literal we like to take this chapter when we don't take anything else in this chapter, or well, obviously some things, but like there's a lot of analogies that are used in this book that we're not obviously there's what were the we've mentioned a few earlier, but like there's a few things that are just like they're just analogies, they're not meant to be taken literally.
SPEAKER_01The one verse we talked about, I think last episode where it's like stab your neck, yes, that's the table. Like, like don't literally do that, yeah.
SPEAKER_04But use the concept of it, and so I think a lot of people go looking into which there is an initial first part of this. It's the sayings of King, I don't know his name. Yes, that, and that's good, and I'll let y'all jump into that. But I was gonna jump straight into the the the wife of noble character part, okay, just because I feel like a lot of women like at least that I see on Instagram, a lot of people put so much pressure on themselves over this, and like I used to not just like not even like that much, but I was like, dude, I'm so scared to have to wake up at 5 a.m. every morning and have this whole routine down, and I'm like, bro, this is not this is not what Proverbs 31 is telling us to do. Well, I was like, I was like, God, dude, what do you have to wake up at five? When I when I heard about that whole Proverbs 31 woman thing, I was like, We really doing this, y'all. We really gonna okay.
SPEAKER_01I gotta come make an emergency meeting with the woman. Like, it's just really our life. I'm dead.
unknownI'm dead.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. So keep going, Ramsay. Thank you. So I think it's just like important to point out that this this whole thing isn't meant to be taken word for word as a checklist for each woman in that wants to be a woman of God or be a good wife to follow. I think it's a guide to help us be um, like it says in verse 10, who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She's more precious than Ruby's. This is just a guide for us to be that that desirable wife that a husband would want in that that grows their husband, that works with their family, you know? So that that I think is just my little ring of it.
SPEAKER_01I mean, and it's just kind of like it's kind of taking a whole pass of like, yeah, definitely what you're saying. This is not saying you have to go, what is the word, like spin flax or whatever it is. Like, yes, you don't have to do that to be a virtuous woman of God, but it takes all these verses, like the entire like second portion of this chapter, to highlight how virtuous a woman that lives with wisdom and a virtuous woman is, and that's really cool. It gives Ramsay and Audrey, it gives you guys like basically an entire verse, like talking about how good that is, how virtuous that woman is that has wisdom, that follows the teachings of God, that yes, um is a good wife. Like, I mean, men should want to be good husbands, why women should want to be good wives, yeah. But it's it really highlights how important that all is. Yeah, like you guys rock.
SPEAKER_04That's what this verse is saying. But yeah. Um and I think it it points out a lot in this that a a woman of God is someone that not only just takes care of herself, but tries to do her best to take care of her family, and still, while doing that, having a relationship with the Lord. So in verse 11, it says her husband can trust her and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm all the days of her life. She the point of being a godly wife, which is kind of what this whole second part of this chapter talks about, is to just be like not take, yeah, be like not take away from the family, be additive towards it. Like, don't just be there, but help your husband when he's weary, help you, yeah, grow the relationship, grow the family, and not just be like, I'm gonna be here doing the dishes. You're gonna you're gonna help your husband grow when he's down. You help him up, you know, that type of thing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, because you see that. Sorry, but you see that she's intentional about it about working towards the family and also intentional on working towards the things of God. And that's another. It's not she's not just a you know, a good wife, she's not just a hard worker. You can literally see that the things we've learned throughout the book of Proverbs, she's applying it. Um, verse 25 through 27. She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future. She's not afraid, bro. Like she knows that God has got her, and she is secure in that, she's not worried about the future. That's not the first time you'll hear that in the Bible. Yeah, that you're not gonna be afraid because God's got you. Yeah. 26. When she speaks, her words are wise. Yeah. If this is the first time you're hearing the word wise in Proverbs, you need to read it again. We're at the end. But um, she gives instructions with kindness. We've heard that throughout Proverbs about holding your tongue, about you know, highlight that correction from the point of love. Um 27, she carefully watches everything in her household, you know, guarding your heart, being aware of the things that are going on around you, watching your household, uh, just keeping an eye out, you know. You can't just be a Christian that sits in the corner and is not aware of the things going on, it's a battle. And then uh 27 ends with and suffers nothing from laziness, and that's another thing spoken in Proverbs that we're not supposed to be lazy. So you can see that this virtuous woman, yes, she is very intentional about her family. That's good, should all strive for that man and woman, but she is intentional, you can see, about the the instructions of God.
SPEAKER_04Dude, you just made me realize that like this whole entire book was just leading up to how and then like to talking about all this stuff of what we should do, guard our hearts, blah blah blah. Well, not blah blah blah. But like, you know, go on. But the last chapter literally is an example of this woman who is literally living out proverbs, living out all the things, living out all the revelation, all the things that the whole book has been kind of telling, like hinting at us to do. That's it's like the she's the example from all the things.
SPEAKER_03Not only is it guiding women, it's it's giving all people an example of someone who is listening and who is doing it. Wow, RMJ right there with you.
SPEAKER_01And then that reinforces it at the end of the chapter at chapter 30. Charm is deceptive and beauty does not last. But a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly played, praised, and it ties it all together that it's a woman who fears the Lord. Yeah, it's not about anything else. That's the key part. She fears the Lord. That's why you can see through the verses, she's applying the teachings we just learned about all chapter or book.
SPEAKER_00And then 31 says, Reward her for all she's done, let her deeds publicly declare her praise. Yeah, this means like if she if she's living up to this men, you better be talking about it because this is uh this is something a lot of people pray for. Yeah, this woman is perfect according to biblically, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Then a whole nother angle of that that same verse, let her deeds publicly declare her praise. You can see again, she's not going out there declaring her praise. She's not doing these things to get that praise. Yeah, she's just doing this, she's just living this, and her deeds alone, through her living this out, is what is bringing her praise. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03And also, verse 27, when y'all were reading it earlier, I think kind of like side note about it, but it says she carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. I think that is a very big one that needs to be like thought about and considered today because with like social media and like just the amount of the resources kids have today and phones and websites and this and that, like watching what your kids listen to and watch and hear, it that plays a big role in a kid's life, like in anyone's life, but especially like multiple minds, like that is so important to make sure that you're constantly checking, you know? Yeah, yeah, no, that's good.
Final Takeaways And Season Goodbye
SPEAKER_01All right, guys. We talked about a lot, and man, it's been a uh it's been a great season. Yeah, we've uh we've really enjoyed it. We've learned a lot on our own. But um looking at the message, just to just to summarize it, core theme. Um these trials that we go through, they strengthen you. You're you're never gonna be in a spot where you're not gonna go through trials. So check your mindset in a way, because I've had to do it in the past, in the past. Yeah, um, these trials at the end, where you're gonna look back with hindsight 2020, you're gonna see they were for your good. Um, so keep going. Don't get into the mindset of these trials are because I'm doing stuff wrong. No, approach it like it says in the verse he used. It's for your good. Um, you should be happy through these trials. And I know that can be hard. You may not actually be happy, but you can know at the end of the day that they're gonna strengthen you, you're gonna be stronger on other on the other end, and then also focus on building that strong foundation, whatever that looks like for you. Um, just what we've talked about in the past praying, reading, really taking that into your heart. That has to be implanted. You can't just be a knower, you have to be a doer, and we all strive to be doers, and yeah, so yeah, that you you gotta build that foundation. And then with Proverbs, I mean, we're at the end, so I can't tell you to read along with us anymore, but really just analyze yourself, try to apply everything that we've been through on Proverbs to your heart, and yeah, read through it if you haven't, because you'll get something that we haven't talked about. Yeah, apply its wisdom, strive to be wise, strive to do the things that that it talked about in Proverbs, and you'll probably be wise. Just saying, just my humble opinion, you'll probably be alright if you follow the word of God. Yeah, yeah, just the baby, just like a thought, just a little add-in there.
SPEAKER_03Um, I know I personally have like really enjoyed doing this all with you guys, and oh yeah, just want to say thank you for all of you and producer Brian and Pastor Jonathan for putting in all the work to make this happen. And thank you guys for a great season. And thank you, listeners, for listening.
SPEAKER_00And thank you guys.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, can't wait to talk to you next semester. Yeah, see y'all day. Bye y'all. Bye y'all guys. Bye.