Proverbs 6:20-32 NIV
20 My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mothers teaching. 21 Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. 22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. 23 For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life, 24 keeping you from your neighbours wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman. 25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. 26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another mans wife preys on your very life. 27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? 29 So is he who sleeps with another mans wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. 30 People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. 31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. 32 But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.
MAIN IDEA
You value your life when you value your Heavenly Fathers rules.
GOING DEEPER
Questions from this weeks message.
- What insight, principle or observation from this week’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain.
- Think of a regret you have. If you could give a message to your younger self, what might it be? Do you think your younger self would have listened? Why or why not?
- Read Proverbs 6:20-23. Often as young people we struggle to listen to the rules of older wiser people…like parents. Why is that? How does this concept tie into the previous question about hearing a message (rules) from our older self?
- Read Proverbs 6:24-26. According to this passage, what might “listening” to the older and wiser advice of others keep you from? Is this true only of sexual temptation or sin, or other areas as well? Discuss.
- Read Proverbs 6:27-32. According to this passage, why is it important to listen to the wise advice of others? Have you seen this true in your life?
- Many of us have an aversion to rules, why do you think that is? How might rules be a display of love (as you think of the rules your older self would give your younger self).
- Alvin mentioned that… “You value your life when you value your Heavenly Fathers rules.” What do you think about this?
- Read Psalm 119:9-16. Count how many ways David says rules, without saying rules. How might your heavenly Fathers rules keep you from having feet that rush into evil? What keeps you, or makes it difficult for you to trust him and obey his rules?
SUMMARY POINTS
God hates some things, not some ones.
It’s God’s love of the ‘someone’ that drives His hate of some things
Everything God hates is actually driven by His love for us.
Feet that are quick to rush into evil
Proverbs 6:20-32
Verses 20-23 – Here’s what you should do.
Verse 24-26 – Here’s what you should not do.
Verse 27-32 – Here’s why.
Value your life…God does! You are worth more than a loaf of bread.
There are consequences to having feet that rush into evil. Punishment, it will destroy you…
If only the 50 year old version of us could talk to our younger self what would they say…don’t start drinking…smoking…taking prescription pills, don’t look at those photos, or watch that online, you saw, you were curious, just walk away. Don’t take that one night stand, don’t abort the child, don’t leave her, him, don’t treat them like that, don’t….don’t, don’t
If our older selves could talk to our younger self, what would they say… they would say… here are some rules…follow them, these rules will lead to life.
You value your life when you value your Heavenly Fathers rules.
Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, I confess that I have feet that are quick to rush into evil. I have sinned and made a mess of my life by going my own way and giving into temptation. I pray that you would forgive me of my sin and take away my guilt.
Thank you for Jesus who has paid my debt of sin and through who I come to you now. I want to be like David, who loved your law, but I admit that often I don’t trust you enough to take you at your word. Help me trust your more and I commit to following you. Amen.
CALL TO ACTION
Get into God’s word, be a David and love his law, His ways, His decrees. Put it into practice, learn to trust God, above yourself, whenever at a crossroads between you and your path and God’s, even when it doesn’t make sense and even when the road seems much more difficult, choose his way. He loves you, and he hates all that hates you, including feet that are quick to rush into evil.
