As we conclude our Proverbia sermon series, we look at how the pursuit of wisdom is ongoing, and it is our responsibility to seek it out.
The Walls of Self-Control
February 28, 2016 • Pastor Blair Allen
Everybody is normal until you get to know them; every one of us has problems; every one of us has a battle in our lives between what the Bible says is the "flesh" and the "Spirit." We all have addictions where the impulses of our bodies (our "flesh") seem to take over self-control. Without self-control in our lives, our own passions and desires will enter into our lives and can ravage us.
Proverbs tells us that self-control is like the walls of a city. When you take down the walls of self control, you open yourself up to all kinds of things. One of the things that is opened up in our lives when we lack self-control is that we can become addicted to any number of things. We will be exploring the root of all our addictions – self-control.
The Paradox of Generosity
February 14, 2016 • Pastor Blair Allen
Radical generosity is completely counter-intuitive in our day. Common sense would lead us to believe that holding on to our possessions is a more certain way to wealth. It's a paradox. In the Bible, we're told that the best way to wisely handle our money, and to get even more, is to scatter it. In other words, the best way to handle your money is to be wildly and radically generous with it. Don't save it and accumulate it for your own purposes. Don't waste your life by playing it safe. Use what God has given you and be wildly generous with it.
Bitter Honey and Sweet Water
February 7, 2016 • Pastor Blair Allen
This week, we are diving into Proverbs 5 to look at God's gift of sex. Proverbs 5 unpacks the dangers of sex, but doesn't leave us there. Through this passage, Solomon will help us do two things: First, he will help us not to undervalue sex and treat it as a bad thing. Second, he will help us not to overvalue sex and make it the best thing. As Solomon does this, he will help us understand sex and see the good gift sex is and how we can enjoy it in our marriages and future marriages.
Jesus Walks With Us Through All Seasons of Life
January 31, 2016 • Pastor Murray Lutzer
Whether you are married or single, both are a gift from God. Today’s message looks at what the book of Proverbs has to say about both.
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Proverbs 31
January 24, 2016 • Pastor Blair Allen
Proverbs 31 is perhaps one of the most abused passages in the Bible. It is often seen as a checklist for the type of woman a man ought to marry – not to mention it looks great on a mug or stitched on a Bible cover (this is tongue in cheek). The original audience of Proverbs 31 was a man, not a woman or women in general. We are going to be looking at womanhood and how Proverbs 31 is a celebration of a woman who "fears the Lord."
The Glad Assumption of Sacrificial Responsibility
January 17, 2016 • Pastor Blair Allen
Our cultural climate has many men wondering what it means to be a man. The work of every generation of Christians is to examine significant cultural issues through the lens of the worldview of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our job is to bring the sanity that can only be found in Scripture. The manhood conversation really does need an infusion of biblical wisdom.
Look at the Ants
January 10, 2016 • Pastor Blair Allen
Solomon, the author of Proverbs, speaks to his listeners about the importance of working hard and the consequences of being slothful or lazy in our work. This week, we examine a theology of work shaped throughout the Bible and unpack some characteristics of laziness. The importance of having a Biblical theology of work is critical because every one of us is impacted by work. Work is ordained by God Himself.
Family and Parenting
November 29, 2015 • Pastor Blair Allen
Parenting is hard, and it comes with joys and despairs. Most parents approach parenting with methods on how to parent. However, without a clear understanding of the why, we will never rightly understand the how of parenting.
Planning with a Purpose
November 22, 2015 • Pastor Blair Allen
Careful planning is part of what makes a person wise and productive; not to plan is considered foolish and dangerous. In Proverbs, planning is not only for the select few; planning is important for us all to do and essential in life.
Proverbs is teaching us the value of planning and the value of looking to the future. This is a virtue that Proverbs champions.
The Pitfall of Pride, The Honour of Humility
November 15, 2015 • Pastor Blair Allen
The biblical book of Proverbs has much to say about pride and humility. We look specifically at the area of wise decision-making, and how our pride or our humility impact the choices and decisions we make every day.
The Butcher or the Surgeon
November 8, 2015 • Pastor Murray Lutzer
The tongue can either be like a butcher (cut to harm) or a surgeon (cut to heal). This message gives practical comparisons between the two. We see how we’re naturally bent towards using our tongue as a butcher, but Jesus came as our ultimate Surgeon.
This message on the tongue is part two of two on this important topic in Proverbs. If you haven’t listened to part one, please listen to it before this message.
The Butcher or the Surgeon
November 1, 2015 • Pastor Blair Allen
The tongue can either be like a butcher (cut to harm) or a surgeon (cut to heal). Proverbs has so much wisdom about the tongue, our words and the power of both life and death that our words bring.
Most importantly, we are going to look at what Proverbs teaches us about the source of the words we speak – that our tongues and our hearts are weathered together.
This message on the tongue is part one of two on this important topic in Proverbs.
Tapping into Wisdom
October 18, 2015 • Pastor Blair Allen
We continue to lay a foundation for the very practical wisdom Solomon shares with us through the rest of Proverbs. We will meet Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly, and learn what each offers us on this road called “Life.”
"Proverbia's" First Steps
October 4, 2015 • Pastor Blair Allen
We lay a foundation for our study of Proverbs, and look at the purpose and goals of the book as outlined by King Solomon.
