The West Side church of Christ

“My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood. Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird; But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their [...]

Do you picture Jesus as a beggar? Do you imagine Him in desperate need, pleading for others to help Him? No, Jesus is our Lord, our King, our Creator. He does not need anyone or anything. We are the ones who need Him. Despite this fact, however, many treat Jesus as if He were a [...]

“My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit; We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We [...]

Today’s proverb continues the thought of the previous verse. “Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.” (Proverbs 1:9 NASU). When we listen and obey wise advice we will have beautifully adorned lives.

“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;” (Proverbs 1:8 NASU). Parents (both fathers and mothers) have the responsibility for training their children. The best training and instructions in the world, however, will do no good if we will not listen and obey them. Solomon is encouraging his son and [...]

Movies and TV sometimes explore the concept of the dead talking. What unfinished business did they leave behind? What do they want us to do? It is sometimes interesting to think about, but we know that the dead don’t talk. In Luke 16:19-31, however, Jesus tells of the experiences of a rich man with unfinished [...]

Solomon ends the introduction to the book by laying the foundation all the other proverbs will be based upon: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7 NASU).
The fear of the Lord is the key to attaining knowledge. Contrary to what many say, the word [...]

The sixth goal of the Book of Proverbs: “To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles” (Proverbs 1:6 NASU). Understanding is at the root of this book, the goals began with understanding (Proverbs 1:2) and are ending with understanding. He tells us what we need to understand.
First, [...]

“A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel” (Proverbs 1:5). Just as this book has something for the naïve and the youth (cf. 1:4), it also has something for the wise. Being wise does not mean knowing everything. The wise are reminded of their need [...]

Today’s verse gives us the fourth and fifth goals of the Book of Proverbs: “To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion” (Proverbs 1:4 NASU).
The fourth goal: to give prudence to the naïve. A person who is naïve lacks experience or knowledge, not intelligence. Typically, we learn from our [...]