PASTOR BERNIE SAMPLES
Topic: The Book of Proverbs
March 1st Proverbs 1 We are going to do something a little different this month. We are going to go through the Book of Proverbs one chapter a day. I am only going to focus on one principle or lesson each day but I highly encourage you to read the entire chapter. For this month I am going to be reading from the New Living Translation of the Bible.
“The Purpose of Proverbs”
Proverbs 1:1 “These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son King of Israel. Verse 2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Verse 3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. Verse 4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Verse 5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser …” Now let’s look at two verses of godly wisdom. Verse 10 “My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!” Verse 17 “If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away.”
Faith Confession: I know that sin is the exact opposite of how God wants me to live. I know that Romans 6:23 says “The wages of sin is death.” If everyone else is doing wrong, it doesn’t mean I have to, I am not going to violate my conscience. I will do what is right because I know that sin is a trap and I will be as smart as a bird and run away from the trap.
March 2nd Proverbs 2
Verse 7 “… He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. Verse 8 He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to Him.” Verse 20 “So follow the steps of the good, and stay on the paths of the righteous. Verse 21 For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.” It pays to stay faithful to Jesus and hang out with godly people and always be a person of integrity. To me this means to keep your word.
Faith Confession: I want to be known as a man (or woman) of integrity. This means if I tell someone I will meet them on such and such a date at 9:00am I will write it down in my calendar. They don’t have to keep reminding me or asking me if I will be there. My word is good because I am a person of integrity.
March 3rd Proverbs 3 Verse 1 “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store My commands in your heart. Verse 2 IF YOU DO THIS, YOU WILL LIVE MANY YEARS, AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE SATISFYING.” Verse 7 “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Verse 8 THEN YOU WILL HAVE HEALING FOR YOUR BODY AND STRENGTH FOR YOUR BONES.” A Bible principle that I see here is to keep God’s Word in your heart, in your thinking, and live them in your everyday life. The benefits are you will be satisfied with a long, healthy, good life.
Faith Confession: I don’t just read the Bible for something to do. I know when I put into practice Bible principles, it will determine how healthy and how long I live and how much I will enjoy my life.
March 4th Proverbs 4 Verse 10 “My child, listen to Me and DO AS I SAY, AND YOU WILL HAVE A LONG GOOD LIFE”. Verse 13 “Take hold of My instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, FOR THEY ARE THE KEY TO LIFE.” Verse 14 “Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evil doers. Verse 15 Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.” For the day we live in with all the anti-Christian and morally corrupt society, including many churches and Christians, we must choose to follow the narrow way to everlasting life that Jesus talked about. We need to be like a salmon. They swim upstream going against the flow of the current to lay their eggs. Some of them die along the way but it is in their DNA to go against the current to keep their species reproducing and survive.
Faith Confession: Like the old song, “I have decided to follow Jesus no turning back, no turning back.” Because I know the Bible way is God’s way of safety and protection, healing and health and a long satisfying life. I will follow Jesus every day.
March 5th Proverbs 5 Verse 21 “For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. Verse 22 AN EVIL MAN IS HELD CAPTIVE BY HIS OWN SINS; they are ropes that catch and hold him. Verse 23 HE WILL DIE FOR LACK OF SELF-
CONTROL; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.” This reminds me of Deuteronomy 30:19 “… I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that both thou and thy seed may live.” The power of choice comes from our soul, our mind, will and emotions. Every day we have choices to use OUR WILL. God doesn’t want robots. He wants His sons and daughters to make godly choices as an act of their will.
Faith Confession: I know that I am a spirit being. I possess a soul and I live in a physical body. With my spirit I always want to do right. My body still wants to go with the world. My soul is where my choice comes from. I will discipline my soul with
God’s Word and I will say “no” to sin and “yes” to righteousness every day of my life.
March 6th Proverbs 6 Verse 6 “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy bones. Learn from their ways and BECOME WISE! Verse 7 Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, Verse 8 THEY LABOR HARD all summer, gathering food for the winter. Verse 9 But you, lazy bones, HOW LONG WILL YOU SLEEP? WHEN WILL YOU WAKE UP? Verse 10 A LITTLE EXTRA SLEEP, A LITTLE MORE SLUMBER, and little folding of the hands to rest – Verse 11 THEN POVERTY WILL POUNCE ON YOU LIKE A BANDIT; SCARCITY WILL ATTACK YOU LIKE AN ARMED ROBBER.” We need to seriously take heed to this wisdom From God. The prevailing wisdom of society is everyone owes you a living. Everything is free and cost you nothing. There is an old saying, “There is no such thing as a free lunch”.
Like a big night crawler on a hook looks like free supper to a cat fish, it is only bait to give the fisherman his supper.
Faith Confession: 2 Thessalonians 3:10 NLT “… those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” No matter what the prevailing worldly wisdom is, I have taken a lesson from God and the ant. I will not live off somebody else’s labor. I will get up every day and either go to work, or go looking for work. If I need temporary assistance I will not feel guilty, but it will not become my life style. I will not be a lazy bones but I will be like the ant. I will plan ahead and provide for my family.
March 7th Proverbs 7 Verse 2 “Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.” Verse 5 “Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman …” Verse 7 “I saw some naïve young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense. Verse 8 He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house.” This reminds me of men strolling through the internet to look at pornography. Verse 21 “So she seduced him … and enticed him … “Verse 22 “He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce his heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life.” Verse 24 “So listen to me, my sons … Verse 25 Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path.” What I see in these verses is a good Christian man wouldn’t seek physical sex or commit adultery, but he might play around with pornography. Verse 26 “For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. Verse 27 Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death!”
Faith Confession: I know that many influential people say that pornography is good and harmless, but God says it is a snare and has many victims and can cost you your life. Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 NLT “Anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” So I make the quality decision today to repent forever looking at pornography and I submit to God, resist the devil and he flees from me.
March 8th Proverbs 8 Verse 1 “Listen as Wisdom calls out.” Verse 29 “When He set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries and when He marked off the earth’s foundations, verse 30 I was the architect at His side. I was His constant delight, rejoicing always in His presence.” The “Wisdom” God is talking about here is Jesus. I’ll show you why I say that. John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM; AND WITHOUT HIM THERE IS NOT ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE.” Verse 14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us …” Notice that Wisdom (Jesus, the Word) was there rejoicing and was the architect rejoicing always at God’s presence as He created the earth. 1 Corinthians 1:30 “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit GOD MADE HIM TO BE WISDOM ITSELF …” Rivers and creeks have always flooded beyond their boundaries, but the oceans never have because Jesus, the Wisdom of God, told them they could never flood (Proverbs 8:29).
Faith Confession: Jesus is the Wisdom of God in me. The Wisdom of God is so powerful that for all of these 1000’s of years the oceans have never flooded the earth! Since the Wisdom of God (Jesus) is the architect that designed everything that we see in God’s creation, I can trust Him to be the architect of my life. By following His Word, I am walking in His Wisdom and my life will stay within the boundaries He has designed for me.
March 9 Proverbs 9 Verse 7 “Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked, will get hurt. Verse 8 So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Verse 9 Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.” Matthew 7:6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls then turn and attack you.” There is an old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” It is not our job to be the policemen of the world. We are called to pray and demonstrate the love of Jesus to the world. Mockers and God haters are already under conviction. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job. For fellow Christians we can offer instruction by speaking the truth in love, if we know they are open to it.
Faith Confession: I am a Born Again Christian. I am not the Holy Spirit. I will be sensitive to Him and know what and how much constructive criticism I can give and who to give it to. I leave the rest to the Holy Spirit.
March 10thProverbs 10 Verse 8 “The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. Verse 11 “The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain …” Verse 17 “People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.” Verse 19 “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” Verse 21 “The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.” I learned as a baby Christian the value of having a tender heart and teachable spirit. My own observation is that people who talk the most generally know the least and are very insecure.
Faith Confession: I purpose to not be full of pride and think I know it all. There is something I always need to learn from others and I’ll trust the Lord to show me what to receive and what to reject with His grace and love.
March 11thProverbs 11 Verse 4 “Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death”. Verse 5 “The godly are directed by honesty …” Verse 6 “The godliness of good people rescues them …” Verse 8 “The godly are rescued from trouble …” Verse 13 “A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.” I have learned it is best to always be truthful with everybody and honest with all of my business dealings. A godly person is one who talks and lives like God would. We know what God would do by studying the life of Jesus in the Gospels. There was an old book written years ago which was made into a movie. The title was “What Would Jesus Do”. One of the main characters made a challenge to the community to for a certain period of time ask themselves every day in every situation, “What Would Jesus Do?” Several years ago it became a national thing in Christian circles to wear a bracelet that said “WWJD”.
Faith Confession: I purpose to live my life under the guidelines of WWJD.
March 12thProverbs 12 Verse 3 “Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.” Verse 7 “The wicked die and disappear, but the family of the godly stands firm.” Verse 15 “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. Verse 16 A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted”. Verse 19 “Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.” I have learned that I don’t need to defend myself to those who slander me because they won’t believe me anyway. Nor do I need to defend myself to my friends because they know my godly character.
Faith Confession: As long as I always speak the truth, I never have to try to remember what I said the last time!
March 13thProverbs 13 Verse 4 “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” Verse 11 “Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. Verse 12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” Verse 22 “Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.” If something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t. In my lifetime I have seen lots of pyramid schemes, lotteries, and other things that were just the opposite of God’s way as seen in these verses. Ephesians 4:28 “If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.”
Faith Confession: I choose to handle my finances God’s way. I will work hard. I will pay my tithe faithfully. I will give to be a blessing to others. And God said, I will be able to leave an inheritance to my children and my grandchildren. In Jesus Name I will never fall for the con of get-rich-quick schemes.
March 14thProverbs 14 Verse 2 “Those who follow the right path fear the Lord; those who take the wrong path, despise Him.” Verse 7 “Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.” Verse 9 “Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.” Verse 15 “Only simpletons believe everything they are told! The prudent carefully consider their steps.” Psalm 1:1 “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.” We are called to witness to the unsaved and most of us spend our entire work day with them. We need to choose wisely who we hang out with in our free time. You need to check yourself if you like to hang around with non-Christians more than Christians. An exception is if the Lord has you on special assignment as an undercover agent for a season, but always stay connected closely with your brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Faith Confession: I associate with the lost to win the lost, not to join in with their sin. My primary fellowship is with Holy Ghost filled believers who love to fellowship around the Word of God and talk about Jesus.
I WANT TO REMIND YOU, I AM ONLY PICKING A FEW VERSES OUT OF EACH CHAPTER, BUT PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE CHAPTER BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL LOADED WITH GODLY WISDOM
March 15thProverbs 15 Verse 1 “A gentle answers deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” Verse 4 “Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Verse 18 “A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them.” Verse 23 “Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!” Picture this in your imagination. You have come upon a fire and you have a bucket in each hand. One has water and the other has gasoline. Which one would you want to pour on the fire? James 3:6 “And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. … It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by
Hell itself.”
Faith Confession: When strife and anger try to enter in among my relationships with others I will train myself that I don’t have to have the upper hand or the last word. Because I have the fruit of the Spirit I choose to pour water on the fire by speaking words of love or staying silent.
March 16thProverbs 16 Verse 1 “We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.” Verse 3 “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Verse 7 “When people’s lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them.” Verse 9 “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Verse 17 “The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.” Romans 8:14 KJV “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” I have learned to pray this way, instead of saying “Lord, here is my plan, please bless it.” I pray, “Lord, what IS the plan because I know Your plan is blessed!”
Faith Confession: I am not going to live my life like the old song “I Did it My Way”. I am going to live my life like the Christian song, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”. I purpose not to get ahead of God, but to walk everyday hand in hand, listening to Jesus and follow what He puts in my heart.
March 17thProverbs 17 Verse 18 “It is poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for a friend.” Proverbs 22:26-27 “Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for someone else. Verse 27 If you can’t pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you.” Don’t learn this lesson the hard way like I did. Many years ago I put my nearly paid off house up as collateral for a building loan for our church. Sad to say, the church wasn’t able to make the payments, so the bank got my house. The way I personally do things now if someone asks me to borrow money, I say to them, “I won’t loan you, but I will give you money to help you.” This way I am able to help someone without getting hurt myself and still maintain a good relationship with them. We have given many thousands of dollars over the years to people in need and like many scriptures say, God has blessed us and we have increased financially.
Faith Confession: I have been blessed to be a blessing. It is wisdom to not co-sign for someone else’s loan, but it is Bible to always be willing to give to help those in need when I can.
March 18thProverbs 18 Verse 13 “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.” Verse 17 “The first to speak in court sounds right – until the cross-examination begins.” This reminds me of James 1:19 “… let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” A great lesson in life to learn is to be slow to judge a situation when you have only heard one side. When someone asks you to join in a conflict, be cautious what you say. I have learned that in every situation there is his side, her side, and somewhere in the middle is the truth.
Faith Confession: I am swift to hear and slow to speak. I always listen to both sides before I interject my opinion into a situation.
March 19thProverbs 19:2 “Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.” Luke 14:28-29 Verse 28 “… for who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is not enough money to finish it? Verse 29 “Otherwise you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you.” As a young Christian one of the hardest lessons I learned was getting ahead of God. I have known many Christians over the years who got excited all the time and started many projects or ministries yet very seldom finished anything. The result was that other believers wrote them off as spiritual flakes and never trusted them with any responsibility.
Faith Confession: When I get excited about doing something for the Lord, or a project in life, I won’t just jump and run with it. I’ll take time to seek the Lord, get godly counsel and count the cost to make sure I can finish what I start.
March 20thProverbs 20:19 “A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers.” Proverbs 17:27 “A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Verse 28 “Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.” As a young Christian the Lord taught me to keep my mouth shut if I couldn’t speak in line with His Word. As I matured I learned to be careful what I said to people who talked a lot, especially about other people’s business. That is called gossip! I would rather learn the language of silence then have to eat humble pie later.
Faith Confession: Because I choose my words wisely and don’t have to hear myself talk all the time, those around me consider me to be a wise man or woman of God.
March 21stProverbs 21:13 “Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.” Proverbs 19:17 “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and He will replay you.” Although there are a lot of cons and many voices crying out for your money, there are also people who are truly poor. We must always keep a tender heart and listen to our conscious about helping people who are having a hard time in life. I love lending to the Lord. How about you?
Faith Confession: I will always keep a tender heart and walk in the love of God and the wisdom of God about who and when to help with the blessing that I have been bless with.
March 22ndProverbs 22 Verse 10 “Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too. Quarrels and insults will disappear.” Verse 24 “Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, Verse 25 or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.” These verses remind me of something Paul said in the New Testament 1 Corinthians 15:33 “… bad company corrupts good character.” I’ve noticed in my own life over the years that whoever I worked with when I was a truck driver, or at other times, I would begin to pick up their attitudes and critical words. So I made sure when I was off the clock I walked the other way. This same thing works on the good side. Hang around with solid Christians and you will begin to pick up their speech and godly habits.
Faith Confession: I know that I can’t always choose who works beside me on my job. So I choose that no matter who I work with, I will keep a good attitude and not pick up a critical spirit. Instead I will always guard what comes out of my mouth. I live by the rule “If I can’t say something good about a person, I won’t say anything at all.”
March 23rdProverbs 23 Verse 4 “Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. Verse 5 In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.” Matthew 6:33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”
I have seen so many once on fire for Jesus Christians who began to love earning money and buying more and more things rather than loving Jesus and putting His priorities first. They nearly always said the same thing; they wanted to provide better for their families. Because of walking away from having their families in church, and losing their anointing they ended up in divorce, their children running to the world and sometimes they even literally worked themselves to death prematurely.
Faith Confession: I realize that just as the love of money is the root of all evil, the love of God is the root of all good. I will not fall for the trap of chasing after money and things but I will work at the job the Lord has for me and know that he will supply abundantly everything that I need.
March 24thProverbs 24 Verses 3, 4 Living Bible “Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.” This has always been my outline for ministry projects as well as family plans. Three things to notice here: Number one before jumping out into anything, ask the Lord for His wisdom which we call “His plan”. Number two use common sense as you begin the things you need to do to accomplish the plan. Number three “Keep abreast of the facts”. This means keep records of time, labor, and money being spent. This way if you need to adjust or change anything that you are doing, you will know to do it instead of having a crash landing.
Faith Confession: I never need to fail at anything I do because I can always ask the Lord for His plan. I will use common sense as I put action to the plan. I will never be presumptuous about the future, but I will track time, labor, and money every step of the way.
March 25thProverbs 25 Verse 14 “A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.” Psalm 15:1 KJV “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in Thy Holy hill?” Verse 4 “… He that sweareth to His own hurt, and changes not.” There is a lesson here that all Christians should learn. I learned by being on both sides of the coin. As a young Christian, when I saw people in need, because of emotionalism, I would say ‘I’m going to give you such and such”, then when the time came, because of unexpected expenses or other things, I had a choice. I could either go back on my word, or give them what I said and suffer loss myself. I always choose to follow through and keep my word. Other times, when I and my family had needs, well intentioned Christians would tell us what they were going to do to help us, and so we really counted on it. Sometimes, they would not follow through and never even apologized. Because of experiencing both sides of this equation, I very seldom tell somebody what I am going to do. I just do it. This way if something comes up and I don’t have money then I didn’t hurt them because they never knew my intentions.
Faith Confession: I know that I reap what I sow. I always want to be a blessing and want to be blessed. I will never make a promise out of emotions, but I train myself to keep my mouth shut and give gifts when I have finances or things in hand to give. Because of this I know that the Luke 6:38 principle is working in my life.
March 26thProverbs 26 Verse 17 “Interfering in someone else’s argument is a foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.” 1 Peter 4:15 KJV “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, OR AS A BUSY BODY IN OTHER MEN’S MATTERS.”
Christians need to learn not to interfere in husband and wife quarrels (of course this doesn’t include physical or mental abuse). I have learned as a believer that 99% of the time they work it out. On more than one occasion I got involved and gave my advice and one of them ended up getting offended at me. The best advice is, even when asked, be very cautious what you say because you could damage your future relationship with them. The best thing you can do is mind your own business and pray.
Faith Confession: I would rather yank a dog’s ears, than become involved in a domestic dispute. I will do what James 1:19 says, “I will be swift to hear and slow to speak,” but always praying.
March 27thProverbs 27 Verse 17 “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Hebrews 3:13 “You must warn each other every day, while it is still today, so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” It is so good and necessary to have good fellowship with Christian friends. It is always good to share testimonies and Bible verses. Many times we are convicted of things in our own lives and want to come up higher in our walk with Jesus because of things that friends share with us.
Faith Confession: I love men’s meetings, women’s meetings, Church gatherings and hanging out with fellow church members and other Christians. I always have a testimony to share and I listen to what others say because I know I am going to receive something to encourage my faith.
March 28thProverbs 28:13 “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” 1 John 1:7-9 “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the
Blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. Verse 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. Verse 9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Jesus knows that none of us are perfect. We all miss the mark and fail Him sometimes. That is why these verses are here. Because He was perfect and took the punishment and judgment for our sins we can come clean with Him when we do wrong. He said He will cleanse us and give us a fresh start as long as we are honest and not try to con Him.
Faith Confession: Father, I am so grateful that you know me and everything about me. Thank You for showing me the right way to live and because of my weaknesses and imperfections, making provision through the Blood of Jesus to cleanse my sins when I confess them and giving me a clean slate to keep walking with You in faith and victory.
March 29thProverbs 29 Verse 15 “To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.” Verse 17 “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and they will make your heart glad.” Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.” Hopefully some of you have Christian parents that raised you in Christian ways and taught you how to honor the Lord, the elders around you, and authority. Too many parents either out of ignorance or lack of discipline themselves fail to discipline and train their children. Children need to be taught how to be honorable and respectful to those around them. Keeping in mind one of the best ways to train your children is to be a role model that they can copy. A good place to start is to teach them The Golden Rule. If you need to, buy some good Christian books on parenting.
Faith Confession: As a Born Again Christian, I realize that my number one ministry is my family. My mate first and then my children. I purpose to make time on a regular basis to be together with no agenda other than to listen, enjoy life, and teach them the difference between right and wrong; what is good and acceptable in the eyes of God. I realize that the choices I make in discipling my children will determine whether I will be embarrassed or admired when out in public.
March 30thProverbs 30 Verses 32-33 “If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame. Verse33 As the beating of cream yields butter, and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger cause quarrels.” The unsaved world lives by an old saying, “I don’t get mad, I get even”. As believers we are called to live by a higher law – the Law of Love. We forgive, we pray, we love, we help, we reach out to those who have wronged us. James 3:16 “Where there is envy and strife there is confusion and every evil work.”
Faith Confession: I am a believer. I love Jesus. I love people. I am not a hater. At the first sign of strife or discord, I am quick to yield to the love nature of God within me. I speak words of love. I refuse to enter in to a battle of hateful words. I am a peace maker and I love people like my loving Father loves me.
March 31stProverbs 31 Most of you probably are familiar with the phrase, “A Proverbs 31 Woman”. Verse 10-31 is a Bible description of a godly wife and mother. It would benefit all women to study this many times and begin to role model your life after what you read. It would benefit husbands to study this as well and pray it and speak it over your wife. Some of my favorite verses are Verso 10 “… she is more precious than rubies. Verse 11 her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. Verse 12 She brings him good, not harm all the days of her life.” Verse 28 “Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her.”