Join us for 31, a month-long journey through the wisdom of Proverbs. Each Sunday, explore practical themes like work, parenting, and the power of our words while learning how godly wisdom can shape every area of our lives. With daily readings and Sunday messages, this series invites us to grow in our relationship with God and others by applying His truth in transformative ways.
Takeaway: Our words matter.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
– Proverbs 18:21 (CSB)
– Proverbs 18:21 (CSB)
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid.
– Proverbs 12:1 (CSB)
– Proverbs 12:1 (CSB)
Our words matter.
Read – Proverbs 26:
1 Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor is inappropriate for a fool.
2 Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools.
4 Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness or you’ll be like him yourself.
5 Answer a fool according to his foolishness or he’ll become wise in his own eyes.
6 The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like lame legs that hang limp.
8 Giving honor to a fool is like binding a stone in a sling.
9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a stick with thorns, brandished by the hand of a drunkard.
10 The one who hires a fool or who hires those passing by is like an archer who wounds everyone indiscriminately.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so also a fool repeats his foolishness.
12 Do you see a person who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The slacker says, “There’s a lion in the road—a lion in the public square!”
14 A door turns on its hinges, and a slacker, on his bed.
15 The slacker buries his hand in the bowl; he is too weary to bring it to his mouth!
16 In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven who can answer sensibly.
17 A person who is passing by and meddles in a quarrel that’s not his is like one who grabs a dog by the ears.
18 Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows,
19 so is the person who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
20 Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.
21 As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22 A gossip’s words are like choice food that goes down to one’s innermost being.
23 Smooth lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel.
24 A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within.
25 When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him, for there are seven detestable things in his heart.
26 Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his evil will be revealed in the assembly.
27 The one who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone — it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
1 Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor is inappropriate for a fool.
2 Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools.
4 Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness or you’ll be like him yourself.
5 Answer a fool according to his foolishness or he’ll become wise in his own eyes.
6 The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like lame legs that hang limp.
8 Giving honor to a fool is like binding a stone in a sling.
9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a stick with thorns, brandished by the hand of a drunkard.
10 The one who hires a fool or who hires those passing by is like an archer who wounds everyone indiscriminately.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so also a fool repeats his foolishness.
12 Do you see a person who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The slacker says, “There’s a lion in the road—a lion in the public square!”
14 A door turns on its hinges, and a slacker, on his bed.
15 The slacker buries his hand in the bowl; he is too weary to bring it to his mouth!
16 In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven who can answer sensibly.
17 A person who is passing by and meddles in a quarrel that’s not his is like one who grabs a dog by the ears.
18 Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows,
19 so is the person who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
20 Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.
21 As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22 A gossip’s words are like choice food that goes down to one’s innermost being.
23 Smooth lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel.
24 A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within.
25 When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him, for there are seven detestable things in his heart.
26 Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his evil will be revealed in the assembly.
27 The one who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone — it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
Our words matter
- Read – Proverbs 26
- Reflect – God, Others, Self
1. God wants our speech to bring life
A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a stick with thorns, brandished by the hand of a drunkard.
– Proverbs 26:9 (CSB)
– Proverbs 26:9 (CSB)
A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
– John 10:10 (CSB)
– John 10:10 (CSB)
- God wants our speech to bring life
- God highly values truth
The slacker says, “There’s a lion in the road — a lion in the public square!”
– Proverbs 26:13 (CSB)
– Proverbs 26:13 (CSB)
Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows, so is the person who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
– Proverbs 26:18-19 (CSB)
– Proverbs 26:18-19 (CSB)
Smooth lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel. A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within. When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him, for there are seven detestable things in his heart. Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his evil will be revealed in the assembly. The one who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone — it will come back on him. A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
– Proverbs 26:23-28 (CSB)
– Proverbs 26:23-28 (CSB)
Our words matter
- Read – Proverbs 26
- Reflect – God, Others, Self
The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like lame legs that hang limp. Giving honor to a fool is like binding a stone in a sling. A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a stick with thorns, brandished by the hand of a drunkard.
– Proverbs 26:6-9 (CSB)
– Proverbs 26:6-9 (CSB)
Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down. As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. A gossip’s words are like choice food that goes down to one’s innermost being.
– Proverbs 25:20-22 (CSB)
– Proverbs 25:20-22 (CSB)
Hearing gossip is like eating a delicacy (something not everyone else hears). Therefore, like food being digested, gossiped news is assimilated in one’s inmost parts (i.e., is retained and remembered).
– Dr. Buzzell
– Dr. Buzzell
Idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others
– Dictionary.com
– Dictionary.com
Words at their best
1. Will be honest
1. Will be honest
Righteous lips are a king’s delight, and he loves one who speaks honestly.
– Proverbs 16:13 (CSB)
– Proverbs 16:13 (CSB)
Words at their best
1. Will be honest
2. Will be few
1. Will be honest
2. Will be few
Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent—discerning, when he seals his lips.
– Proverbs 17:28 (CSB)
– Proverbs 17:28 (CSB)
Words at their best
- Will be honest
- Will be few
The one who has knowledge restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a person of understanding.
– Proverbs 17:27 (CSB)
– Proverbs 17:27 (CSB)
“First, it allows time for a fair hearing (18:13; cf. verse 17); second, it allows tempers to cool (15:1: ‘A soft answer …’); and third, its influence is potent: ‘a soft tongue breaketh the bone’ (25:15).”
– Derek Kidner
– Derek Kidner
Words at their best
- Will be honest
- Will be few
- Will be calm
A person takes joy in giving an answer; and a timely word—how good that is!
– Proverbs 15:23 (CSB)
– Proverbs 15:23 (CSB)
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!
– Proverbs 15:23 (ESV)
– Proverbs 15:23 (ESV)
Synonymous Parallelism
“The terms or units of thought in one line are paralleled by similar terms or units of thought in the second line. Sometimes every unit in one line is matched in the next line.”
– Dr. Buzzell
– Dr. Buzzell
Our words matter
- Read – Proverbs 26
- Reflect – God, Others, Self
Our words matter
- Read – Proverbs 26
- Reflect – God, Others, Self
- Respond – Application and Prayer
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’”
– 2 Corinthians 12:9 (CSB)
– 2 Corinthians 12:9 (CSB)
Discussion Questions //
- Share about a time when you used your words in such a way that it negatively affected someone else. How did it make them feel? How did it make you feel when you realized what you had done?
- Reread Proverbs 16:13. What impact does it have to know that God highly values truth?
- How have you witnessed lying and gossip destroy people, relationships, and communities? What can we do to limit this?
- In what ways has God used the Proverbs to grow you so far this month?
- Share with one another the area in which you think you have the most room to grow related to your speech and spend time praying for God to perfect His power in your weakness!
Worship Setlist //
House of the Lord // Crowns Down // Holy Forever // God I Look to You
Catch Up //
You can watch or listen to past messages online!
Give //
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