December 2012 - August 2013
Proverbs is a one-of-a-kind book, there is no other like it in the Scriptures. There are books in the Old Testament that are of a similar nature, and scholars classify these as “wisdom literature.” There are some wisdom psalms. Proverbs is the ultimate wisdom book. Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon are also classified as wisdom literature.
The concept of wisdom is one that is often misunderstood. Wisdom in our Greco-Roman heritage has a different connotation. It is the idea that comes from the Greek philosophers and it has the idea of intellectual acumen, the ability to utilize logic and rhetoric in an intellectual manner. Whereas the wisdom of the Middle Eastern culture was quite different, the wisdom of the Scripture was quite different; it has to do with the practical values of taking the instruction of God’s Word and applying it in an artful, skillful and beautiful manner to one’s life so that you produce within the scope of your life something that has value. So wisdom in a biblical sense is extremely practical. It is probably the word that most accurately reflects the farthest or most extensive way of applying Scripture. Proverbs is a guide for skillful living.
Video DVDs of these lessons can be ordered here and here.
To view all video Bible studies in the Proverbs series, click here.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
by Robert Dean
Passage: Proverbs 3:13-18
Series: Proverbs (2013)
Duration: 59 mins 41 secs
"Bless you." "Have a blessed day." Are these just airy greetings with little meaning? When we think of blessing and its synonym, happiness, we think of money in the bank, a big salary, vitality, and brilliant relationships. Proverbs tells us that God is offering us wisdom, which is worth more than all of these things and leads to true happiness. Nothing we wish for can hold a candle to wisdom. When we attain wisdom, we are promised enduring joy, long life, and recognition. The book of Proverbs explains the conditions God has attached to gaining His wisdom. Listen to this message to learn nine ways to help develop wisdom in your life and the ability to enjoy the exciting blessings that come with it.
Sunday, April 07, 2013
by Robert Dean
Passage: Proverbs 3:19-35
Series: Proverbs (2013)
Duration: 49 mins 37 secs
Doomsday scenarios can strike terror in hearts in the middle of the night. Stock market crashes. Attacks on our country. Personal problems. Proverbs teaches us that when we focus on the Word of God we can sleep without fear. Just as God used His infinite wisdom to create the world, He offers wisdom to those who make learning and applying His Word a priority. He promises protection and the security that our steps are ordered by Him. Listen to this lesson to learn how creation is the foundation to everything else in the Bible. See how we are to treat those who ask for help with generosity and why we shouldn't envy the wicked when they prosper.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
by Robert Dean
Passage: Proverbs 4:1-9
Series: Proverbs (2013)
Duration: 44 mins 58 secs
Does it take a village to raise a child? This misguided notion insists that training children must be a joint effort of schools, families, and government organizations. Proverbs 4 places the teaching of good judgment and clear thinking solely on the shoulders of parents. Listen to this lesson to learn the role of the father in the generational transfer of wisdom and how fathers should develop a plan to instruct their children from infancy to adulthood. Learn what wrong thinking lies beneath the beliefs of Plato, Rousseau, and others who hold that children belong to the community. See how wisdom is not always a matter of right or wrong and common sense is not so common.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
by Robert Dean
Passage: Proverbs 4:10-19
Series: Proverbs (2013)
Duration: 56 mins 21 secs
Warning! Danger Ahead! Signs like this alert us to looming disasters. Fathers are told in Proverbs to teach children what will keep them out of blind alleys and detours. With the wrong mental attitudes they can be run over by the things that happen but by choosing to follow the wisdom in God's Word they are able to stand up and walk through life's storms with their heads held high. Listen to this lesson to learn the difference between a proverb and a promise. Accept the challenge of not growing weary and giving up but keeping on traveling the path that shines ever brighter to the end.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
by Robert Dean
Passage: Proverbs 4:20-27
Series: Proverbs (2013)
Duration: 52 mins 13 secs
Decisions! Decisions! Decisions! How many decisions do we make in just one day? Added all together these make up the texture of our lives. This lesson in Proverbs tells us that we need to have a focus of listening, studying, learning, and obeying God's Word to shape our decisions. Listen and learn how having the right priorities lends a richness to everything we do that nothing else can. Find out the thirteen actions we can apply that include our tongues and our eyes.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
by Robert Dean
Passage: Proverbs 5:1-23 & Proverbs 6:24-35
Series: Proverbs (2013)
Duration: 48 mins 17 secs
Run! Get away and out of here as fast as you can! This is the advice Proverbs gives when we're tempted to have sex outside of marriage. Listen to this lesson to learn the difference between Joseph's notable showdown with adultery and David's foolish, sinful downfall. Find out three categories of devastating end results to sexual sins and see how God's corrective prescription leads to genuine sexual fulfillment in marriage.
This lesson also includes Proverbs 7:1-27.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
by Robert Dean
Passage: Proverbs 6:1-19
Series: Proverbs (2013)
Duration: 59 mins 49 secs
Are you just snoozing your way through life? Not actually sleeping, but are you clueless about what really matters? Listen to this lesson to learn how to steer clear of three traps you set for yourself that lead to misery. See how watching ants can teach us diligence and find out the caution against taking responsibility for another's debts. Observe the seven characteristics of troublemakers that God hates.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
by Robert Dean
Passage: Proverbs 8:1-11
Series: Proverbs (2013)
Duration: 55 mins 15 secs
Want to save yourself a lot of trouble? Then listen to this lesson in Proverbs to learn how to wise up. You won't find the answer on TV or in college classrooms or from a mystical spiritual guru. Instead discover how studying God's written word, the Bible, shows us the solution to all of life's problems. See how God makes His plan clear so no one has an excuse to say they didn't know what to do. Find out the only two choices available: one leading to happiness and success and the other to foolish and senseless blunders.
Sunday, June 02, 2013
by Robert Dean
Passage: Proverbs 8:12-21
Series: Proverbs (2013)
Duration: 57 mins 28 secs
What do you fear most? Tornadoes? Hurricanes? Losing your job? Cancer? The death of a loved one, or even your own death? Proverbs tells us one thing we should really be fearing. Listen to this lesson to understand the true meaning of the "fear of the Lord" and the many blessings and benefits that follow. Discover how being oriented to the authority of God is the glue that holds everything together. See the importance of governments having leaders who fear the Lord.
Sunday, June 09, 2013
by Robert Dean
Passage: Proverbs 8:22-36
Series: Proverbs (2013)
Duration: 45 mins 29 secs
Does God know more today than He did in the past? Is He learning from what is happening around Him? Listen to this lesson to find out how God's knowledge has no beginning and no end and that when He began His creation, He already knew all that is knowable. See how living by God's truths leads to stability, contentment, and happiness that doesn't depend on what's going on around us. Discover the contrast between the rich full life of those who find wisdom and the death-like existence of those who hate wisdom.
