1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,259 Speaker: Well, I'm gonna give the spoiler away. 2 00:00:01,259 --> 00:00:04,529 Right off the bat, this sermon is going to be about reading your Bible more. 3 00:00:05,100 --> 00:00:08,280 And so now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the why. 4 00:00:09,420 --> 00:00:12,959 Uh, you've probably heard sermons before, uh, about reading your Bible more, and 5 00:00:12,959 --> 00:00:17,250 maybe you're preparing for that one again and, and to prepare to walk out and, 6 00:00:17,255 --> 00:00:19,259 and feel guilty or feel ashamed or feel. 7 00:00:19,755 --> 00:00:22,784 Well, the pastor just is, is telling me to do this because he just wants me to do 8 00:00:22,784 --> 00:00:25,545 this so that he can say that he's got more people reading the Bible in the church. 9 00:00:26,115 --> 00:00:27,825 That's not the why this morning. 10 00:00:28,724 --> 00:00:33,224 The why I want you to read your Bible more is because if you will commit to 11 00:00:33,224 --> 00:00:37,605 reading your Bible more in 2026, it will be the greatest investment that you make. 12 00:00:37,605 --> 00:00:41,565 You will have no other investment that will yield a greater return than the 13 00:00:41,565 --> 00:00:45,315 investment of you committing to being in God's word every single day in 2026. 14 00:00:45,315 --> 00:00:48,705 And when I say that, that's what I mean every single day in 2026. 15 00:00:50,670 --> 00:00:53,805 The, the, the word of God as, as Jesus himself attested. 16 00:00:53,805 --> 00:00:57,075 And, and he did that by quoting Deuteronomy chapter eight, as Jesus 17 00:00:57,075 --> 00:00:58,725 is in the wilderness being tempted. 18 00:00:59,415 --> 00:01:00,614 What did Jesus respond? 19 00:01:00,614 --> 00:01:03,495 He said, man shall not live by, by bread alone, but what? 20 00:01:03,495 --> 00:01:06,855 But on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 21 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,160 And so what Jesus is doing there and what Moses did back in Deuteronomy 22 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,729 under the inspiration of the Spirit is he's equating our need for spiritual 23 00:01:14,729 --> 00:01:18,270 nourishment with our need for daily nourishment, the, the nourishment 24 00:01:18,270 --> 00:01:19,979 of, of eating the food that we eat. 25 00:01:20,759 --> 00:01:25,770 And so there is no greater investment that you will make in 2026 besides committing 26 00:01:25,770 --> 00:01:29,309 to being in God's word every single day. 27 00:01:30,479 --> 00:01:33,270 Some of the benefits that you'll see in being in God's word every single 28 00:01:33,270 --> 00:01:36,149 day in the next year is gonna be these, you're, you're gonna overcome sin. 29 00:01:36,524 --> 00:01:40,695 That you've been battling for years, you're gonna strengthen 30 00:01:40,695 --> 00:01:43,545 your relationships with other Christians, with other believers. 31 00:01:43,934 --> 00:01:46,154 You'll grow in humility and love for the gospel. 32 00:01:46,515 --> 00:01:50,054 You'll have a, a bolder confidence about your standing with the Lord. 33 00:01:50,054 --> 00:01:53,835 You'll have a bolder witness to the unbelievers in your midst. 34 00:01:53,835 --> 00:01:57,914 You'll have a, a greater wisdom and discernment as you navigate 35 00:01:57,914 --> 00:02:00,645 the trials and the decisions that you have to make in life. 36 00:02:00,825 --> 00:02:04,214 You'll be less anxious about things in life and, and probably 37 00:02:04,214 --> 00:02:05,295 most importantly, in fact. 38 00:02:06,059 --> 00:02:06,599 Absolutely. 39 00:02:06,599 --> 00:02:10,110 Most importantly, you'll have a greater love for Jesus and a closer 40 00:02:10,110 --> 00:02:11,580 relationship with him as well. 41 00:02:13,020 --> 00:02:16,020 Time in God's word is the greatest investment you will make in 2026. 42 00:02:16,110 --> 00:02:20,460 Bar none, nothing else will pay greater dividends than the time that you 43 00:02:20,460 --> 00:02:22,920 put into reading God's word in 2026. 44 00:02:23,579 --> 00:02:25,980 We're gonna be in Proverbs chapter two to find out some more of the 45 00:02:25,980 --> 00:02:27,510 the why behind this together. 46 00:02:28,575 --> 00:02:32,265 Proverbs chapter two is the, the section of Proverbs that is, 47 00:02:32,265 --> 00:02:34,275 is still King Solomon writing. 48 00:02:34,275 --> 00:02:38,445 And, and he's primarily addressing his sons in his wisdom here that he's giving. 49 00:02:39,585 --> 00:02:42,885 But before we get to the payoff of the investment, the first thing 50 00:02:42,885 --> 00:02:45,735 that we have to wrestle with is the effort of the investment itself. 51 00:02:46,215 --> 00:02:50,745 And that's what, so Proverbs, that's what Solomon begins with here in verse one. 52 00:02:50,745 --> 00:02:55,275 He says this, he says, my son, if you receive my words and treasure 53 00:02:55,275 --> 00:02:56,745 up my commandments within you. 54 00:02:57,255 --> 00:03:01,065 Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding. 55 00:03:01,065 --> 00:03:01,305 Yes. 56 00:03:01,305 --> 00:03:04,425 If you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 57 00:03:04,785 --> 00:03:08,895 if you seek it like silver and search for it as hidden treasures, 58 00:03:10,005 --> 00:03:11,805 you're expecting the then, right? 59 00:03:11,805 --> 00:03:12,915 Because we're conditioned that way. 60 00:03:12,915 --> 00:03:14,355 It's a conditional statement. 61 00:03:14,865 --> 00:03:18,315 He says, if and when, whenever we say, if you do these 62 00:03:18,315 --> 00:03:21,465 things, then this will happen. 63 00:03:21,555 --> 00:03:23,415 Well, we're gonna get to the then, but what I want us to 64 00:03:23,415 --> 00:03:25,155 f first focus on is the, if. 65 00:03:25,905 --> 00:03:31,275 That for you to get more out of your walk with Christ this next year, there is an if 66 00:03:31,815 --> 00:03:36,225 that's contained within that, if you want to have a closer relationship with Jesus, 67 00:03:36,225 --> 00:03:40,275 if you want to feel a greater intimacy with him next year, then, then there's 68 00:03:40,275 --> 00:03:46,185 an, if there's an investment, there's an effort that needs to be given on our side. 69 00:03:46,695 --> 00:03:48,075 Look at some of the things that he says here. 70 00:03:48,075 --> 00:03:50,115 Just look at the words, the, the verbs that he uses. 71 00:03:50,115 --> 00:03:51,525 He says, if you receive my words. 72 00:03:52,395 --> 00:03:55,755 In other words, if you come with a humble posture, with a teachable heart to the 73 00:03:55,755 --> 00:03:58,454 word of God, if you will receive them. 74 00:03:58,875 --> 00:04:03,975 Now, Solomon says, my words, he, he talks about his commandments as well, and 75 00:04:03,975 --> 00:04:07,275 for Solomon, he would've primarily been thinking about the Old Testament Torah. 76 00:04:07,275 --> 00:04:09,225 That is the first five books of the Bible, because that's the 77 00:04:09,225 --> 00:04:10,370 only Bible that Solomon had. 78 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,640 And so Solomon, as he's talking about his wisdom and the commandments 79 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,519 and the laws, he's thinking about the Mosaic law, the Torah. 80 00:04:17,849 --> 00:04:20,969 But you and I sitting here today can extrapolate further than that 81 00:04:20,969 --> 00:04:23,370 to assume that he would've been okay with us, assuming that this 82 00:04:23,370 --> 00:04:25,440 applies to all of the word of God. 83 00:04:26,039 --> 00:04:29,099 In fact, in verse six, Solomon is going to say this. 84 00:04:29,099 --> 00:04:32,190 He's gonna say, for the Lord gives wisdom. 85 00:04:32,835 --> 00:04:35,805 And so any place that we find the Lord having given us wisdom, 86 00:04:35,805 --> 00:04:40,005 which would contain all 66 books of the Bible, we should say, okay, 87 00:04:40,005 --> 00:04:42,135 we need to receive those words. 88 00:04:42,375 --> 00:04:45,855 We need to come to the word of God with a humble heart, with a teachable heart, with 89 00:04:45,855 --> 00:04:48,735 a humble posture before the word of God. 90 00:04:50,055 --> 00:04:52,784 But then he goes on and he says this, treasure up my commandments within you. 91 00:04:53,415 --> 00:04:57,945 Not only have you received them, but if you treasure them up within you, this 92 00:04:57,945 --> 00:04:59,655 is the internalization of God's word. 93 00:05:00,179 --> 00:05:03,509 As, as we come to the word of God, as we seek wisdom from God, it's one 94 00:05:03,509 --> 00:05:07,409 thing for us to just let our eyes kind of glaze over the words on the page. 95 00:05:07,890 --> 00:05:12,569 Maybe in school you had an assignment, you have to read this book by this due date. 96 00:05:12,569 --> 00:05:15,539 And so you set your book in front of a fan maybe, and you just let 97 00:05:15,539 --> 00:05:18,419 the fan blow the pages and, and you thought, well, technically my eyes 98 00:05:18,479 --> 00:05:20,129 saw all the words in the books. 99 00:05:20,129 --> 00:05:21,479 And so check the box. 100 00:05:21,479 --> 00:05:23,340 I read the book, I can sign off on that. 101 00:05:24,090 --> 00:05:26,309 That's not the way we should treat God's word. 102 00:05:26,925 --> 00:05:30,315 If your motivation to read God's word is simply to check a box and to 103 00:05:30,315 --> 00:05:32,295 say, well, I did it, I, I I did it. 104 00:05:32,685 --> 00:05:36,525 That that's not a relationship that's legalism and that's 105 00:05:36,525 --> 00:05:37,365 also not gonna benefit. 106 00:05:37,365 --> 00:05:41,325 You we're meant to, and God's designed us to be those that internalized God's 107 00:05:41,325 --> 00:05:45,045 word to treasure his commandments within us, to consider them worth 108 00:05:45,284 --> 00:05:48,315 something that is valuable, that we would say, man, I want as much of 109 00:05:48,315 --> 00:05:53,295 this in me as I can possibly get to desire the word of God to that level. 110 00:05:53,970 --> 00:05:57,960 But then he goes on and he says, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining 111 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:03,870 your heart to understanding the, these are two phrases that imply an intentionality 112 00:06:03,870 --> 00:06:04,890 that's required on our part. 113 00:06:05,370 --> 00:06:08,520 That's we have to approach the word of God with great purpose and great 114 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:13,830 intention behind it, that we're not prone to want the word of God in our flesh. 115 00:06:13,830 --> 00:06:15,690 We're prone to run from the word of God. 116 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,540 And so he says, making your ear attentive to wisdom. 117 00:06:18,540 --> 00:06:19,890 That's part of the equation. 118 00:06:19,890 --> 00:06:20,670 Think about James. 119 00:06:20,670 --> 00:06:22,680 When James talks about the word of God, he says, let us not only 120 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,610 be hearers of the word, but also what doers of the word of God. 121 00:06:27,270 --> 00:06:30,120 In fact, if you grew up in my house with like my five kids did, 122 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,969 you would know from a very early age that we taught them to listen. 123 00:06:32,969 --> 00:06:34,230 And what do you think the next word is? 124 00:06:34,890 --> 00:06:35,760 Listen and obey. 125 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,360 I was in pre preach and I had two of my kids over there and, and they 126 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,150 were sitting in the classroom and I said, I raised my kids to listen. 127 00:06:42,150 --> 00:06:44,280 And they both filled in the blank, obey. 128 00:06:44,340 --> 00:06:45,390 So mission accomplished. 129 00:06:45,390 --> 00:06:46,440 Like at least they knew it. 130 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,230 We will say that much, right? 131 00:06:49,230 --> 00:06:50,670 But making your IR attentitive to wisdom. 132 00:06:50,670 --> 00:06:52,560 When we come to the word of God, we don't just come to the word of God 133 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:54,240 just to hear it for knowledge's sake. 134 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,840 We don't come to the word of God just to read it and be like, well, I know more. 135 00:06:58,500 --> 00:07:00,840 We come to the word of God to read it and then be transformed by it. 136 00:07:00,930 --> 00:07:03,690 And the way that we're transformed by the word of God is when it works itself 137 00:07:03,690 --> 00:07:05,160 out in the way that we live our lives. 138 00:07:05,565 --> 00:07:08,505 And how we obey it and how we apply it to our lives. 139 00:07:08,505 --> 00:07:09,914 So making your IRR attentitive to wisdom. 140 00:07:09,914 --> 00:07:13,484 And then he says this in inclining your heart to understanding that 141 00:07:13,484 --> 00:07:14,895 word inclining means to bend towards. 142 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,320 We are not naturally inclined towards the word of God, like I said a moment ago. 143 00:07:20,010 --> 00:07:20,400 Because why? 144 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,800 'cause the word of God as the writer of Hebrew says, is 145 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:24,180 that sharp two-edged sword. 146 00:07:24,180 --> 00:07:25,860 It's the surgeon scalpel in our lives. 147 00:07:25,860 --> 00:07:30,900 And so often God, by his spirit, uses the word to open us up and to show us 148 00:07:30,900 --> 00:07:35,610 areas that we need to battle sin and put sin off and be more Christ-like. 149 00:07:35,610 --> 00:07:36,810 And that's such a good thing. 150 00:07:36,810 --> 00:07:39,240 And I hope to show us that in just a moment here, that that's so good 151 00:07:39,570 --> 00:07:42,690 for our relationship and our love for Jesus, but at the same time, 152 00:07:42,690 --> 00:07:44,430 in our flesh does not like that. 153 00:07:45,330 --> 00:07:47,130 And so we need to incline our heart. 154 00:07:47,310 --> 00:07:51,060 We need to intentionally purpose ourselves, to give ourselves over, to 155 00:07:51,060 --> 00:07:55,350 bend our heart towards the godly wisdom that's contained there in his word. 156 00:07:56,490 --> 00:07:58,620 All of this implies effort. 157 00:07:59,670 --> 00:08:02,970 We're talking in this message about fail-proof investing. 158 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,150 Uh, if you're looking for our financial advice, don't come to me. 159 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:08,670 But if you're looking for spiritual advice. 160 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:10,650 I'm, I'm happy to help you on that one. 161 00:08:11,250 --> 00:08:14,460 Failproof investing starts with making the investment right? 162 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,159 If you wanna return on an investment, you're not gonna get 163 00:08:17,159 --> 00:08:20,340 a return if you don't have the investment to put up to begin with. 164 00:08:21,390 --> 00:08:24,240 This morning, the investment that we're talking about is you committing 165 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:27,420 to saying, in 2026, I'm going to be in God's word every single day. 166 00:08:28,364 --> 00:08:31,004 That's gonna inquire or require effort from you. 167 00:08:31,004 --> 00:08:32,804 It's gonna require sacrifice from you. 168 00:08:32,804 --> 00:08:35,475 It's gonna require you inclining your heart towards 169 00:08:35,475 --> 00:08:36,914 it when you don't feel like it. 170 00:08:36,914 --> 00:08:39,885 It's gonna require you getting in God's word on those days 171 00:08:39,885 --> 00:08:41,414 when you'd rather just not. 172 00:08:42,044 --> 00:08:44,355 But you're gonna do it because you know that it's gonna be worth it. 173 00:08:45,135 --> 00:08:48,195 But to get the return on investment, you have to have the investment to begin with. 174 00:08:48,195 --> 00:08:49,935 So our first point this morning is this Convi. 175 00:08:50,115 --> 00:08:53,205 Commit to the investment of daily Bible reading. 176 00:08:53,595 --> 00:08:56,475 Commit to the investment of daily Bible reading. 177 00:09:00,105 --> 00:09:03,045 Back in our passage in Proverbs two, he says this in three through four, he says 178 00:09:03,045 --> 00:09:07,725 he ask if you call out notice again that, that this is our effort, our investment. 179 00:09:07,725 --> 00:09:09,315 We are calling out for insight. 180 00:09:09,315 --> 00:09:11,535 We are raising our voice for understanding. 181 00:09:12,015 --> 00:09:16,155 If you seek it like silver and search for it as hidden treasures. 182 00:09:17,745 --> 00:09:20,745 Uh, my wife and I in, in our family lived in Arizona for a while. 183 00:09:20,745 --> 00:09:23,985 We were in East Mesa, if you're familiar with the area, almost Apache Junction. 184 00:09:23,985 --> 00:09:26,775 So all, all as far out in Mesa as you possibly can get. 185 00:09:27,195 --> 00:09:29,895 But there was a mountain range and it was a beautiful mountain range and we 186 00:09:29,895 --> 00:09:33,135 could see it from our, our yard and it was called the Superstition Mountains. 187 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:38,010 And just a gorgeous range of, of rocky crags and everything else. 188 00:09:38,430 --> 00:09:41,940 And there was a legend that, there was a fortune that was contained there. 189 00:09:41,940 --> 00:09:45,960 There was a lost gold mine that a guy found and he had not yet tapped it out. 190 00:09:46,290 --> 00:09:49,860 And then he died and he left a treasure map to try to find this. 191 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:54,060 And so there was every year people that would put on their backpacks and 192 00:09:54,060 --> 00:09:57,450 go into the Superstition Mountains and they were looking for the lost mind. 193 00:09:57,750 --> 00:10:00,600 In fact, I think it even got a, a TV show at one point in time and there 194 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:02,130 were a few episodes of that as well. 195 00:10:02,735 --> 00:10:06,125 I don't know if there was ever a mine or if it was just a myth, but the people 196 00:10:06,125 --> 00:10:09,605 that went, they put in a lot of effort to get out there, especially during the 197 00:10:09,605 --> 00:10:13,175 Arizona summers when it's 119 degrees and you're putting on a backpack and you're 198 00:10:13,175 --> 00:10:16,505 carrying your water bottles in there and you're bearing up the heat and you're 199 00:10:16,505 --> 00:10:18,365 doing all of that, all for what purpose? 200 00:10:18,365 --> 00:10:22,775 For the hope that maybe you'll stumble upon a fortune. 201 00:10:24,335 --> 00:10:24,485 Yo. 202 00:10:24,485 --> 00:10:27,995 When it comes to God's word, the effort is always worth it because the 203 00:10:27,995 --> 00:10:29,495 fortune is guaranteed to be there. 204 00:10:30,005 --> 00:10:30,995 The treasure's there. 205 00:10:31,470 --> 00:10:32,190 It's God's word. 206 00:10:32,190 --> 00:10:33,990 In fact, it's, it's so much, is it there? 207 00:10:34,170 --> 00:10:38,520 Listen to what Solomon says about the, the word of God, about wisdom, 208 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:42,660 about the, the source here of our pursuit of wisdom and godliness. 209 00:10:42,660 --> 00:10:45,510 Here he says this in Proverbs one, just one chapter earlier from 210 00:10:45,510 --> 00:10:47,220 where we are, verses 20 through 21. 211 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,850 He says, wisdom cries aloud in the street. 212 00:10:51,270 --> 00:10:52,290 In the markets. 213 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,410 She raises her voice at the head of the noisy streets. 214 00:10:55,410 --> 00:10:57,900 She cries out at the entrance of the city gates. 215 00:10:58,170 --> 00:10:59,040 She speaks. 216 00:10:59,190 --> 00:11:01,800 In other words, Solomon is trying to get his children, his sons, 217 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,310 to understand if you want the wisdom of God, it's not hiding. 218 00:11:06,210 --> 00:11:07,050 She's there. 219 00:11:07,560 --> 00:11:09,420 The question is, are you looking? 220 00:11:09,870 --> 00:11:11,010 Are you searching? 221 00:11:11,940 --> 00:11:15,180 And so church, part of our commitment to the investment of being in God's 222 00:11:15,180 --> 00:11:18,750 word every single day in 2026 is, is leading the search party for the riches 223 00:11:18,750 --> 00:11:20,130 of God's word every single morning. 224 00:11:20,850 --> 00:11:24,270 Getting outta bed intent on opening up God's word and saying, I know 225 00:11:24,270 --> 00:11:27,810 there's treasure to be found here because God's word tells me the 226 00:11:27,810 --> 00:11:28,830 treasure is to be found there. 227 00:11:29,970 --> 00:11:33,720 I wonder if somebody were to tell you, Hey, over at the brand new HEB over 228 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,710 here in Prosper, uh, they're doing a, a, a thing this next year for 2026. 229 00:11:38,220 --> 00:11:42,810 They are giving out a hundred dollars to anyone who shows up at 7:00 AM in the 230 00:11:42,810 --> 00:11:45,330 parking lot at HEB and Prosper for 2026. 231 00:11:45,930 --> 00:11:49,380 My guess is your alarm would be set for earlier than it usually is. 232 00:11:50,085 --> 00:11:51,615 You'd be willing to get up. 233 00:11:51,705 --> 00:11:54,345 You'd be willing to put in the effort to wake up 30 minutes earlier to make 234 00:11:54,345 --> 00:11:56,805 yourself somewhat presentable, to get in the car, to go out in public. 235 00:11:57,045 --> 00:11:59,415 You'd be willing to drive to the HEB and Prosper no matter where 236 00:11:59,415 --> 00:12:02,085 you lived, around the area so that you could get out of your car. 237 00:12:02,085 --> 00:12:05,355 You'd be willing to go wait in the long line with everybody else that heard about 238 00:12:05,355 --> 00:12:08,655 this deal to also what, so you could get a hundred dollars a day for free. 239 00:12:09,105 --> 00:12:09,555 Why? 240 00:12:09,825 --> 00:12:10,815 Why would you do that? 241 00:12:11,655 --> 00:12:14,265 Because it's worth it to you, because there's a payoff. 242 00:12:14,565 --> 00:12:16,665 There's something that you're getting out of it that's worth 243 00:12:16,665 --> 00:12:18,225 the investment, worth the effort. 244 00:12:19,170 --> 00:12:19,410 Y'all. 245 00:12:19,410 --> 00:12:22,470 What we have in God's word is worth more than a hundred dollars a day 246 00:12:22,470 --> 00:12:25,110 from HEB, what you have in God's Word. 247 00:12:25,140 --> 00:12:28,200 If you will spend every day in God's Word in 2026, the payoff will be 248 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,380 greater than what you get from, Hey, here's a hundred dollars a day from 249 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,260 HEB, by the way, that's not happening. 250 00:12:34,260 --> 00:12:38,785 Don't show up at HEB and be like my pastor said, I don't want them coming after me. 251 00:12:39,885 --> 00:12:42,270 But a major part of the equation at this point in time for us to, to 252 00:12:42,270 --> 00:12:43,530 really wrestle with church is this. 253 00:12:43,590 --> 00:12:45,465 Do you consider the investment to be worth it? 254 00:12:47,445 --> 00:12:49,125 That's not something that I can answer for you. 255 00:12:50,205 --> 00:12:52,575 I can exhort you as your pastor and say, Hey, I want you to be in God's 256 00:12:52,575 --> 00:12:54,255 word every single day for 2026. 257 00:12:54,255 --> 00:12:57,075 In fact, we're trying to remove as many roadblocks as possible for you. 258 00:12:57,075 --> 00:13:00,045 We put the DBR cards in your bulletin, so if you picked up a bulletin, 259 00:13:00,315 --> 00:13:03,465 you've already got these bookmarks and they're meant to have you follow 260 00:13:03,465 --> 00:13:04,995 along with us as we go through this. 261 00:13:04,995 --> 00:13:07,635 Pastor Rod and I do a Daily Bible podcast that you heard about earlier 262 00:13:07,905 --> 00:13:09,195 that's gonna go out every single day. 263 00:13:09,195 --> 00:13:12,735 We're trying to make this as accessible and easy for you as we possibly can, and 264 00:13:12,735 --> 00:13:17,025 yet we know that you won't do it if you don't see that it's worth it in the end. 265 00:13:18,345 --> 00:13:21,435 And so the question you have to ask is, is it worth it to get up 30 minutes earlier? 266 00:13:21,435 --> 00:13:26,325 I I, is it worth it to delete the social media apps that steal the time from 267 00:13:26,325 --> 00:13:29,235 you that you say you don't have, when really you do have it, you just waste it? 268 00:13:30,135 --> 00:13:33,405 Is it worth it for you to get an accountability partner, somebody 269 00:13:33,405 --> 00:13:36,015 that's really good at being consistent in the time of the words? 270 00:13:36,015 --> 00:13:38,325 So they're gonna be on you every day going, Hey, how's 271 00:13:38,325 --> 00:13:39,105 your time in the word today? 272 00:13:39,165 --> 00:13:40,875 What'd you learn from the the DBR today? 273 00:13:41,445 --> 00:13:43,495 I, I can't answer those questions for you. 274 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:46,980 You have to decide in your own heart that it is worth it. 275 00:13:46,980 --> 00:13:49,500 Now, let me just point you to scripture for a minute. 276 00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:51,600 If I can't, just to remind you that scripture does 277 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:53,040 tell us that it is worth it. 278 00:13:53,100 --> 00:13:57,570 Scripture testifies to it, to us itself of its own value and worth. 279 00:13:57,900 --> 00:14:02,520 Psalm one 19 verse 72, the law of your mouth is better to me than 280 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:05,460 thousands of gold and silver pieces. 281 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:07,680 Psalm 1 19, 1 27. 282 00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:09,480 Therefore, I love your commandments. 283 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:11,910 Above gold, above fine gold. 284 00:14:12,585 --> 00:14:15,585 Psalm 1910 more to be desired are they than gold? 285 00:14:15,585 --> 00:14:19,335 Even much fine gold, sweeter also than honey, and the drippings of the 286 00:14:19,335 --> 00:14:25,395 honeycomb scripture tells us that the treasures that it contains are worth it. 287 00:14:25,395 --> 00:14:27,915 The wealth of God's word is ready to yield itself to you. 288 00:14:27,915 --> 00:14:28,425 This next year. 289 00:14:28,425 --> 00:14:31,575 The question is, are you ready and willing to make the investment? 290 00:14:33,345 --> 00:14:36,015 Do you believe what scripture says about itself? 291 00:14:36,075 --> 00:14:37,695 Are you ready to receive the words? 292 00:14:38,025 --> 00:14:40,305 Are you ready to treasure up the commandments within you? 293 00:14:40,305 --> 00:14:42,615 Are you making your ear attentive to God's word? 294 00:14:42,615 --> 00:14:45,975 Are you ready to incline your heart with that purposefulness, that 295 00:14:45,975 --> 00:14:49,485 intentionality every morning to pursue understanding of his word? 296 00:14:49,485 --> 00:14:53,565 Are you looking to to call out to the Lord for greater insight and understanding? 297 00:14:53,565 --> 00:14:56,265 Are you going to raise your voice for that understanding? 298 00:14:56,265 --> 00:14:57,975 Are you gonna seek for it like silver? 299 00:14:57,975 --> 00:14:59,235 Are you gonna search for it? 300 00:14:59,655 --> 00:15:04,275 As for Hidden Treasures, our DBR plan starts on Thursday. 301 00:15:04,275 --> 00:15:07,515 You don't have to wait to 2026 to to get into God's word to 302 00:15:07,515 --> 00:15:08,595 start making this investment. 303 00:15:08,655 --> 00:15:13,905 In fact, I would say don't jump in now, wherever that may be for you, but I do 304 00:15:13,905 --> 00:15:15,345 wanna give you some suggestions to help. 305 00:15:15,345 --> 00:15:16,665 'cause I know this can be a barrier. 306 00:15:16,665 --> 00:15:19,245 In fact, if you're trying to go from zero to a hundred on this, you may be 307 00:15:19,245 --> 00:15:23,235 thinking, man, every day, number one, lemme just tell you you can do it. 308 00:15:24,075 --> 00:15:25,665 You can do it, I promise you, you can do it. 309 00:15:25,905 --> 00:15:28,245 This is not outta the reach of any single person in this room. 310 00:15:28,335 --> 00:15:31,695 You can make 2026 in the year that you are in God's word every single day. 311 00:15:33,105 --> 00:15:34,995 Number two, pick a spot in a time. 312 00:15:36,105 --> 00:15:38,715 Spend this time when when things are a little bit slower between 313 00:15:38,715 --> 00:15:39,435 Christmas and New Year's. 314 00:15:39,705 --> 00:15:42,225 Pick a spot in a time that's gonna work for you to be in 315 00:15:42,225 --> 00:15:43,185 God's word every single day. 316 00:15:43,395 --> 00:15:46,005 But here's the thing, don't pick the spot in the time that works 317 00:15:46,005 --> 00:15:47,235 right now when life is slow. 318 00:15:47,955 --> 00:15:50,265 I want you to think about when your life is gonna be busy. 319 00:15:50,445 --> 00:15:53,535 I want you to think about the busiest season that you're gonna have in 2026. 320 00:15:53,535 --> 00:15:56,295 As much as you can anticipate that, and I want you to think about a spot 321 00:15:56,295 --> 00:15:59,595 in a time that will work for that season and make that your spot in time, 322 00:15:59,595 --> 00:16:01,935 because if it works in that season, it's gonna work in the rest of the year. 323 00:16:02,535 --> 00:16:03,765 So pick a spot, pick a time. 324 00:16:05,055 --> 00:16:06,225 Third, pick a Bible. 325 00:16:07,185 --> 00:16:10,545 You might think, well, duh, if I'm going to read the Bible every 326 00:16:10,545 --> 00:16:11,955 day, I need to pick a Bible. 327 00:16:12,285 --> 00:16:13,785 But pick a Bible you're gonna wanna be in. 328 00:16:14,910 --> 00:16:18,780 Pick a Bible that you're gonna say, man, I, I love the, the, the copy that I have. 329 00:16:18,780 --> 00:16:20,130 I love the version that I have. 330 00:16:20,550 --> 00:16:22,320 I want to be in God's word. 331 00:16:23,250 --> 00:16:25,920 I know a lot of people are, are looking at some bibles and going, why would 332 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:27,540 you spend so much money on a Bible? 333 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,980 Um, how much money do we spend on these every year? 334 00:16:33,030 --> 00:16:33,665 Oh, well, that's different. 335 00:16:34,050 --> 00:16:36,630 Consider everything, all the benefits that we have in this phone. 336 00:16:38,310 --> 00:16:38,670 Okay. 337 00:16:39,420 --> 00:16:41,370 How about we consider all the benefits that we have here? 338 00:16:42,420 --> 00:16:44,490 This, you're gonna trade in in a couple years. 339 00:16:45,210 --> 00:16:46,560 This, you get to keep for a lifetime. 340 00:16:47,700 --> 00:16:50,850 In fact, one of the things that's kind of cool, let me just cast this 341 00:16:50,850 --> 00:16:52,020 vision for our dads in the room. 342 00:16:52,650 --> 00:16:54,630 We're, we're big on, on men leading their homes. 343 00:16:54,630 --> 00:16:57,660 Well, in our, our church dads, think about this. 344 00:16:58,530 --> 00:16:59,130 Grandfathers. 345 00:16:59,130 --> 00:16:59,910 Think about this. 346 00:17:00,180 --> 00:17:03,930 If you invest in a good Bible with some wide margins, think about the notes that 347 00:17:03,930 --> 00:17:07,348 you could write down in that Bible and then pass that on to your kids or your 348 00:17:07,348 --> 00:17:10,560 grandkids and future generations for them to be able to see the way that the 349 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,829 spirit was working on your life and glean from your wisdom and the experiences that 350 00:17:13,829 --> 00:17:15,540 you've had, what a treasure that would be. 351 00:17:16,740 --> 00:17:20,398 So pick a Bible, all that to say, a Bible that you're gonna want to be in every day 352 00:17:20,398 --> 00:17:24,210 for the next year, third or fourth, pick a friend or two to hold you accountable. 353 00:17:25,844 --> 00:17:28,304 Find somebody that's really good at being in God's word, not somebody that 354 00:17:28,304 --> 00:17:30,764 struggles to be in God's word, because then you'll just have an accountability 355 00:17:30,764 --> 00:17:34,904 commiseration party, and you guys know what those are Like, oh, did 356 00:17:34,904 --> 00:17:36,254 you not read the Bible today either? 357 00:17:36,284 --> 00:17:37,034 Yeah, I didn't either. 358 00:17:37,034 --> 00:17:40,965 Well, I guess next time, which on that note, if you miss a day or two, it's okay. 359 00:17:41,834 --> 00:17:44,414 If you miss two or three, four days, it's okay. 360 00:17:44,445 --> 00:17:45,344 You're not a failure. 361 00:17:45,914 --> 00:17:47,985 The failure is then saying, well, I'm just gonna wait until next 362 00:17:47,985 --> 00:17:49,995 year when it's January 15th. 363 00:17:51,044 --> 00:17:52,064 I'll read the Bible next year. 364 00:17:52,064 --> 00:17:52,935 I missed a couple days. 365 00:17:53,670 --> 00:17:54,030 No, no, no. 366 00:17:54,030 --> 00:17:54,870 Get back into God's word. 367 00:17:54,870 --> 00:17:55,350 Just pick it up. 368 00:17:55,350 --> 00:17:55,889 Get back in. 369 00:17:56,700 --> 00:17:58,409 I saw a meme recently where a guy was like, you know what? 370 00:17:58,409 --> 00:17:59,820 To hold myself accountable to running. 371 00:17:59,970 --> 00:18:03,270 I'm committing to running an extra 20 minutes for every day I don't run. 372 00:18:03,780 --> 00:18:06,330 And he's like, I'm supposed to run for four weeks today. 373 00:18:09,180 --> 00:18:11,100 Sometimes we can feel that way with the Bible, right? 374 00:18:11,159 --> 00:18:14,460 It's like we we're on a Bible plan and if we miss a few days in the plan, 375 00:18:14,460 --> 00:18:17,520 we feel this need to, to go back and make up because we're perfectionists. 376 00:18:17,820 --> 00:18:18,720 Don't be the perfectionist. 377 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:19,170 It's okay. 378 00:18:19,709 --> 00:18:20,790 Jump in where you are. 379 00:18:21,209 --> 00:18:24,389 If you can, if you've got the time to, to make up and go back and read, then great. 380 00:18:24,389 --> 00:18:25,350 And you wanna do that, awesome. 381 00:18:25,350 --> 00:18:25,679 Do that. 382 00:18:25,679 --> 00:18:28,749 But if that's gonna hinder you from, from jumping in and picking back up and, and 383 00:18:28,749 --> 00:18:30,659 staying consistent, don't worry about it. 384 00:18:30,689 --> 00:18:32,100 Jump in where we're at and keep going. 385 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:33,179 Keep reading God's word. 386 00:18:33,179 --> 00:18:34,169 It's gonna pay dividends. 387 00:18:34,919 --> 00:18:39,209 And then finally, and not to make this a shameless plug, but, but we do it for you. 388 00:18:39,209 --> 00:18:40,439 Listen to the DBR podcast with us. 389 00:18:41,610 --> 00:18:44,550 You can find it on Apple, you can find it on Spotify, you can find 390 00:18:44,550 --> 00:18:47,220 it on the, the, the different podcast providers, pastor Rod and I. 391 00:18:47,220 --> 00:18:50,730 They're usually 15 to 20, probably 20 minute episodes, pretty consistently 392 00:18:50,730 --> 00:18:54,450 there, uh, where we walk through the passages that we're reading for that 393 00:18:54,450 --> 00:18:58,110 day and try to pull out a couple of nuggets to help, uh, take some things 394 00:18:58,110 --> 00:18:59,399 away and just apply it to our lives. 395 00:18:59,430 --> 00:19:03,540 So join with us and follow along in, in the podcast with us all this to say y'all 396 00:19:04,050 --> 00:19:06,930 to, to get a return on an investment, you have to make an investment. 397 00:19:07,635 --> 00:19:10,065 And so this investment, like I said at the very beginning, is the most 398 00:19:10,065 --> 00:19:12,915 important investment you'll make in 2026, because the return will be better 399 00:19:12,915 --> 00:19:14,235 than any other return that you'll get. 400 00:19:15,435 --> 00:19:18,525 Making the effort to get in God's word every single day with us. 401 00:19:19,305 --> 00:19:21,885 One of the greatest evidences, or one of the greatest returns that you'll 402 00:19:21,885 --> 00:19:24,915 have in that process is gonna be what it does to your relationship with Jesus. 403 00:19:25,845 --> 00:19:30,495 It's going to produce change in your life that's gonna draw you closer to Jesus. 404 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:32,879 Think about why we do hard things. 405 00:19:32,879 --> 00:19:34,169 We do them for the reward, right? 406 00:19:34,379 --> 00:19:37,800 You exercise for the healthier body, you study for the better grade. 407 00:19:38,340 --> 00:19:42,210 You work long hours to get the paycheck at the end of the pay period. 408 00:19:43,050 --> 00:19:43,950 Well, like those things. 409 00:19:43,950 --> 00:19:46,620 If we will give ourselves to the sometimes difficult pursuit of wisdom, 410 00:19:46,649 --> 00:19:49,649 it will also pay dividends in our lives. 411 00:19:50,475 --> 00:19:53,145 Look at verse five as we go back to our text in proverb chapter two. 412 00:19:53,145 --> 00:19:57,074 Here he says, then, okay, so we have the if, remember the, the contingency. 413 00:19:57,465 --> 00:20:00,824 If you do these things, now we get to the dens, then you will 414 00:20:00,824 --> 00:20:02,624 understand the fear of the Lord. 415 00:20:02,864 --> 00:20:03,645 Look down at verse nine. 416 00:20:03,824 --> 00:20:06,495 Then you will understand righteousness and justice. 417 00:20:06,975 --> 00:20:10,695 Look at verse 16, so you will be delivered from the forbidden woman. 418 00:20:11,489 --> 00:20:12,209 Look at verse 20. 419 00:20:12,209 --> 00:20:14,639 So you will walk in the way of the good. 420 00:20:14,999 --> 00:20:16,499 Now we're beginning to see some of the payoff. 421 00:20:16,499 --> 00:20:19,409 I I, if we will mind the word of God for the riches and 422 00:20:19,409 --> 00:20:20,729 treasures that are in there. 423 00:20:20,879 --> 00:20:23,159 These are the things that it's gonna do for us. 424 00:20:23,759 --> 00:20:25,889 For example, like those first two that I just mentioned, then you 425 00:20:25,889 --> 00:20:29,879 will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 426 00:20:29,879 --> 00:20:32,459 And verse nine kind of helps us understand some of the fear of the Lord there. 427 00:20:32,909 --> 00:20:35,939 That is, that we would understand righteousness and justice 428 00:20:35,939 --> 00:20:37,620 inequity in every good path. 429 00:20:38,804 --> 00:20:41,445 And so one of the byproducts of our time in the Word of God, one of the, the 430 00:20:41,445 --> 00:20:44,894 returns that we get from our investment that is, is that we will have a greater 431 00:20:44,894 --> 00:20:48,404 fear of the Lord or possess a, a greater understanding of the fear of the Lord. 432 00:20:49,094 --> 00:20:51,824 The fear of the Lord is, is one of those subjects that is kind of, 433 00:20:51,824 --> 00:20:53,175 that, that christianese category. 434 00:20:53,175 --> 00:20:56,804 We, we talk about it a lot without really fully being able to define 435 00:20:56,804 --> 00:20:58,754 what does it mean to fear the Lord? 436 00:21:00,254 --> 00:21:03,854 Well, the fear of the Lord can be likened to a, a, a good 437 00:21:03,854 --> 00:21:05,384 loving father with his children. 438 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:11,340 In this sense, my kids as, as I raised them, and I, and I wasn't a perfect 439 00:21:11,340 --> 00:21:14,399 father, I'm, I'm still raising them, so I, I guess I'm still not a perfect father. 440 00:21:14,850 --> 00:21:18,780 Um, but they knew that dad was the disciplinarian. 441 00:21:19,050 --> 00:21:23,129 They understood that when mom said, wait till dad gets home, that 442 00:21:23,189 --> 00:21:25,230 meant behavior change really fast. 443 00:21:26,220 --> 00:21:29,580 They understood that about me, and yet at the same time, even though they 444 00:21:29,580 --> 00:21:33,480 feared my hand of discipline, they didn't fear me when I walked in the 445 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:35,189 door and, and the day had gone well. 446 00:21:36,045 --> 00:21:39,315 They still don't, they'll run up and they'll gimme a hug and they'll come and 447 00:21:39,315 --> 00:21:40,695 greet me in the morning and gimme a hug. 448 00:21:40,695 --> 00:21:43,215 My, my oldest one doesn't anymore 'cause he's too cool for school. 449 00:21:43,215 --> 00:21:45,764 But, um, my younger ones do. 450 00:21:46,335 --> 00:21:51,345 I think my daughter always will, and they, they love me and I love them and so their 451 00:21:51,345 --> 00:21:58,065 fear of discipline, of, of crossing a line or of, of disobeying or of transgressing 452 00:21:58,155 --> 00:22:01,545 in that sense, that doesn't keep them from enjoying the warmth of my love for them. 453 00:22:01,995 --> 00:22:05,145 That doesn't keep them from enjoying my care for them. 454 00:22:06,404 --> 00:22:10,455 In some sense, their fear of discipline, it, it has the opposite 455 00:22:10,455 --> 00:22:11,564 effect of what you might think. 456 00:22:11,685 --> 00:22:15,644 It doesn't drive them away from me, it actually drives them closer to me because 457 00:22:15,644 --> 00:22:20,624 it's, it's their fear of discipline that causes them to conduct themselves in such 458 00:22:20,624 --> 00:22:23,685 a way that's better for my relationship with them and their relationship with me. 459 00:22:24,824 --> 00:22:27,164 And that's what the fear of God does for us church. 460 00:22:28,149 --> 00:22:33,314 It, it causes us to think, man, I don't want to cross a 461 00:22:33,314 --> 00:22:34,904 divine and holy and just God. 462 00:22:35,445 --> 00:22:38,715 I want to live in a devo devoted life to him because I, I love 463 00:22:38,715 --> 00:22:40,605 him and I enjoy closeness to him. 464 00:22:41,145 --> 00:22:43,185 And so because of that, I want to obey him. 465 00:22:43,185 --> 00:22:44,295 I want to pursue him. 466 00:22:44,295 --> 00:22:45,345 I wanna be devoted to him. 467 00:22:45,405 --> 00:22:50,025 And that that fear of the discipline of God, which God does discipline, 468 00:22:50,025 --> 00:22:52,875 those whom he loves, that fear of the discipline of God is not gonna drive 469 00:22:52,875 --> 00:22:55,935 me from him, but it's actually gonna result in drawing me closer to him. 470 00:22:57,165 --> 00:22:58,695 And that's what Solomon is saying. 471 00:22:58,785 --> 00:23:01,870 Our commitment to our investment of, in God's word, does for us as Christians. 472 00:23:02,909 --> 00:23:05,790 It produces more of a fear of God in us, which in turn is 473 00:23:05,790 --> 00:23:07,800 gonna draw us closer to the Lord. 474 00:23:09,330 --> 00:23:11,070 There are benefits that come with the fear of God. 475 00:23:11,070 --> 00:23:14,459 Here's just a handful of them that I found from these Old Testament passages. 476 00:23:15,330 --> 00:23:17,399 The fear of the Lord Job says in Job 28. 477 00:23:17,399 --> 00:23:18,509 28, that's wisdom. 478 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,649 Proverbs 10 27, the fear of the Lord, it prolongs life. 479 00:23:23,459 --> 00:23:25,110 Proverbs, Proverbs 1426. 480 00:23:25,110 --> 00:23:30,384 The fear of the Lord has the result of giving us a strong confidence before him. 481 00:23:31,260 --> 00:23:32,490 Proverbs 1516. 482 00:23:32,490 --> 00:23:34,080 Better is a little bit with the fear of the Lord. 483 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:35,820 The fear of the Lord can lead to contentment. 484 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:42,510 Proverbs 1923, the fear of the Lord leads to life and whoever has it rest, satisfied 485 00:23:42,510 --> 00:23:44,310 Again, that measure of contentment there. 486 00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:48,240 And then Proverbs 22, 4, the reward for humility and the fear of the 487 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:50,730 Lord is riches and honor and life. 488 00:23:52,020 --> 00:23:54,750 Again, look back at verse five, then you'll understand the fear of the 489 00:23:54,750 --> 00:23:57,000 Lord if, if you make the investment. 490 00:23:57,615 --> 00:24:00,764 If you put the effort in one of the returns is you'll understand the 491 00:24:00,764 --> 00:24:03,345 fear of the Lord and understanding more of the fear of the Lord is 492 00:24:03,345 --> 00:24:04,935 gonna draw you closer to the Lord. 493 00:24:04,935 --> 00:24:10,725 It's gonna draw you closer to Christ, make you love Jesus more, and experience more 494 00:24:10,725 --> 00:24:12,465 of the warmth of His presence as well. 495 00:24:14,085 --> 00:24:16,965 God promises some pretty amazing blessings that are gonna accompany 496 00:24:16,965 --> 00:24:18,885 our time in the word if we're willing to make the investment. 497 00:24:18,885 --> 00:24:20,175 That question though comes back to it. 498 00:24:20,175 --> 00:24:21,375 Are we willing to make the investment? 499 00:24:22,905 --> 00:24:26,325 Is the trade off worth it of waking up a little bit earlier? 500 00:24:27,269 --> 00:24:30,299 Of pushing through some of the times where the word is hard to understand 501 00:24:31,559 --> 00:24:35,069 of staying consistent even during the busy times in life, is it worth it? 502 00:24:35,069 --> 00:24:38,879 And I would say, I hope we begin to see that it is because the why 503 00:24:38,879 --> 00:24:40,769 behind our time in God's Word. 504 00:24:41,039 --> 00:24:42,179 Point number two this morning is this. 505 00:24:42,179 --> 00:24:44,489 Remember the why behind your daily Bible reading. 506 00:24:45,239 --> 00:24:46,919 Remember why we're doing this. 507 00:24:47,879 --> 00:24:50,850 The why that I want you to zoom in on at least right now, is the fact that 508 00:24:50,850 --> 00:24:52,980 this draws you closer to the Lord. 509 00:24:52,980 --> 00:24:56,040 This, it stirs your affections for Jesus. 510 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:58,920 It gives you a greater intimacy with Christ because it gives 511 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:00,149 you a greater fear of God. 512 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:04,950 Proverbs two, six through eight in our passage as it continues, it says 513 00:25:04,950 --> 00:25:06,254 this, for the Lord, gives wisdom. 514 00:25:07,470 --> 00:25:09,750 From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. 515 00:25:09,750 --> 00:25:11,700 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright. 516 00:25:11,700 --> 00:25:15,450 He's a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice 517 00:25:15,450 --> 00:25:18,960 and watching over the way of his saints. 518 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:22,530 All of these things that the, the, the, the way that the time and the word 519 00:25:22,530 --> 00:25:27,180 protects us and, and gives us wisdom and knowledge and, and guards our paths. 520 00:25:27,330 --> 00:25:29,130 And yet what I want you to focus on is there. 521 00:25:29,130 --> 00:25:29,730 Verse six. 522 00:25:29,850 --> 00:25:31,920 For the Lord gives wisdom. 523 00:25:33,014 --> 00:25:34,875 Again, the wisdom is, is found in him. 524 00:25:34,875 --> 00:25:39,345 So church, go to the Lord for the that wisdom, cultivate that greater 525 00:25:39,345 --> 00:25:43,995 relationship with him by being in God's word, not just occasionally, but daily. 526 00:25:44,504 --> 00:25:45,074 Get there. 527 00:25:46,155 --> 00:25:51,495 Charles Spurgeon said, visit many good books, but live in the Bible. 528 00:25:52,485 --> 00:25:53,625 Live in the Bible. 529 00:25:54,135 --> 00:25:57,495 You can glean wisdom from devotional books, you can glean knowledge 530 00:25:57,495 --> 00:26:01,695 from commentaries, but the, the source of any of those blessings. 531 00:26:02,894 --> 00:26:04,155 Is gonna be the word of God. 532 00:26:04,995 --> 00:26:06,104 That's the font. 533 00:26:07,004 --> 00:26:07,844 That's the, the, the, 534 00:26:09,909 --> 00:26:12,254 the, the headwaters of the river of God's. 535 00:26:12,254 --> 00:26:14,024 Wisdom is the word of God. 536 00:26:15,374 --> 00:26:16,364 It's like this. 537 00:26:18,284 --> 00:26:20,415 My guess is everybody in the room likes McDonald's. 538 00:26:20,415 --> 00:26:22,844 It's just whether or not you're brave enough to admit it publicly. 539 00:26:24,374 --> 00:26:24,854 I do. 540 00:26:25,574 --> 00:26:26,564 We're going on a road trip. 541 00:26:26,564 --> 00:26:29,235 We're, we'll stop at McDonald's at someplace, I'm sure of it. 542 00:26:30,090 --> 00:26:31,800 You could say, I've got some money. 543 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,590 Somebody gave me some money and and said, why don't you take this and invest it? 544 00:26:34,710 --> 00:26:35,399 So you could say, you know what? 545 00:26:35,399 --> 00:26:36,929 McDonald's is doing pretty well for itself. 546 00:26:37,379 --> 00:26:40,590 They're still serving, you know, billions upon billions of burgers every day. 547 00:26:41,190 --> 00:26:43,470 So I'm gonna invest my money somewhere. 548 00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:47,580 With McDonald's, you could say, you know what, they make hamburgers, so 549 00:26:47,580 --> 00:26:49,050 that means they need hamburger buns. 550 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:52,379 So I'm gonna find out who the BUN provider is for McDonald's. 551 00:26:52,379 --> 00:26:54,870 I'm gonna invest in that company because they're gonna do well, 552 00:26:54,870 --> 00:26:56,100 because McDonald's is doing well. 553 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,520 Or you could say, you know what, I'm gonna invest in the McDonald's 554 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:02,070 pickles because they're doing well. 555 00:27:02,070 --> 00:27:03,060 They put pickles on everything. 556 00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:05,640 I'm gonna invest in the McDonald's pickle maker, so I'm gonna find out 557 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,250 who the pickle maker is, and I'm gonna put my money with the, the pickle 558 00:27:08,250 --> 00:27:11,430 maker because they're doing well, because McDonald's is gonna do well. 559 00:27:12,420 --> 00:27:13,170 Or you could say, you know what? 560 00:27:13,170 --> 00:27:15,750 I'm gonna invest in onions because McDonald's throws onions in. 561 00:27:15,750 --> 00:27:16,740 I'm gonna invest in that person. 562 00:27:17,010 --> 00:27:19,560 See, you can invest in, in them or the, the people that provide 563 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,110 the cups for McDonald's or the naps, napkins for McDonald's. 564 00:27:22,110 --> 00:27:23,550 And you could say they're all gonna do well. 565 00:27:23,550 --> 00:27:23,880 Why? 566 00:27:24,060 --> 00:27:25,320 Because McDonald's is doing well. 567 00:27:25,860 --> 00:27:27,060 Or you could say, you know what? 568 00:27:27,060 --> 00:27:29,580 Why don't I just go to McDonald's and invest in McDonald's? 569 00:27:30,629 --> 00:27:31,679 That's the cash cow. 570 00:27:32,100 --> 00:27:34,679 That's the source of why all these other companies are doing well. 571 00:27:35,249 --> 00:27:37,259 In fact, these other companies might tank. 572 00:27:37,529 --> 00:27:38,669 McDonald's isn't gonna tank. 573 00:27:38,850 --> 00:27:41,729 If the hamburger bun provider goes down, McDonald's is just gonna find another one. 574 00:27:41,729 --> 00:27:43,139 McDonald's is still gonna be okay. 575 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:47,279 So for me, the best bet for my money is gonna be to go to the source. 576 00:27:48,120 --> 00:27:49,860 Then if you've got some leftover, you wanna invest in 577 00:27:49,860 --> 00:27:51,209 pickles, fine invest in pickles. 578 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:53,550 But your best bet is to invest in the source. 579 00:27:55,409 --> 00:27:58,260 When it comes to our time, we do have limited time, and we do need 580 00:27:58,260 --> 00:28:01,379 to understand that as Christians, we've got 24 hours in the day. 581 00:28:01,379 --> 00:28:03,060 You've got a lot of different responsibilities. 582 00:28:03,450 --> 00:28:07,620 So when you think of the time that you have to invest in growing in Christ's 583 00:28:07,620 --> 00:28:11,340 likeness, invest in growing, in your knowledge of God, make sure that 584 00:28:11,340 --> 00:28:15,240 you're investing in the source first and foremost, which is God's word. 585 00:28:16,620 --> 00:28:20,280 John Piper's got a lot of great wisdom, but John Piper would stand up here today 586 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,040 and be like, if, if it's between me and the Bible, choose the Bible every time. 587 00:28:23,670 --> 00:28:23,940 Right. 588 00:28:24,510 --> 00:28:26,130 Get to the word, get to the source. 589 00:28:26,130 --> 00:28:28,410 Get to the headwaters of the wisdom of God. 590 00:28:28,740 --> 00:28:30,810 That's where you're gonna get the greatest return on investment. 591 00:28:31,620 --> 00:28:33,780 The Lord gives wisdom. 592 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,620 Take the Bible each and every day this year and get to the Lord. 593 00:28:37,830 --> 00:28:39,150 Go to the Lord in search of the wisdom. 594 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,940 It's gonna produce the fear of God in your life, which you're gonna draw you 595 00:28:41,940 --> 00:28:44,070 closer into that relationship with him. 596 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:48,630 In Ecclesiastes, Solomon says, the words are given by one shepherd. 597 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:51,330 Listen, y'all, there's gonna be times this year though that is 598 00:28:51,330 --> 00:28:52,440 gonna be hard, and I get that. 599 00:28:52,890 --> 00:28:54,450 There's gonna be times you're gonna come to a passage, you're 600 00:28:54,450 --> 00:28:55,650 gonna say, this is confusing. 601 00:28:56,250 --> 00:28:58,050 Or you're gonna come to a passage and you're gonna say, man, 602 00:28:58,050 --> 00:28:59,550 this is just a list of names. 603 00:28:59,850 --> 00:29:00,900 Or You're gonna come to a passage. 604 00:29:00,900 --> 00:29:04,320 And if I can be so sacrilegious to suggest, you might even be bored. 605 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:08,010 And those are the times that it's gonna be hard for you to stay consistent. 606 00:29:08,490 --> 00:29:12,030 And the temptation might be to say, well, you know what, I, I, I'm 607 00:29:12,030 --> 00:29:13,860 just not gonna read this section. 608 00:29:13,890 --> 00:29:15,990 I'm just not gonna go to it today because it's too hard. 609 00:29:15,990 --> 00:29:18,630 It's, I don't understand it, or I, I'm just bored by it. 610 00:29:19,725 --> 00:29:20,595 Let me encourage you. 611 00:29:20,625 --> 00:29:23,294 Those are the times more than any other that you need to remember 612 00:29:23,294 --> 00:29:26,715 the why behind our daily Bible reading and, and the payoff. 613 00:29:27,105 --> 00:29:29,835 And it's like this New Year's right around the corner, you're gonna go to 614 00:29:29,835 --> 00:29:33,225 the gym and, and maybe it's the first time you've been to the gym in a long 615 00:29:33,225 --> 00:29:35,895 time, and you're gonna go in there and you're gonna get your workout in and 616 00:29:35,895 --> 00:29:38,955 you're gonna leave it all on the floor and you're gonna feel like you are sw 617 00:29:39,345 --> 00:29:41,115 as Arnold Schwartzen Schwarzenegger. 618 00:29:41,475 --> 00:29:43,095 If you're a guy, at least maybe not the ladies. 619 00:29:43,995 --> 00:29:46,455 And you're gonna go home and you're gonna be like, I can't wait to 620 00:29:46,455 --> 00:29:47,715 see the differences this has made. 621 00:29:47,715 --> 00:29:48,764 You're gonna go look in the mirror. 622 00:29:49,095 --> 00:29:49,845 You know what you're gonna see? 623 00:29:50,115 --> 00:29:51,795 Same exact person who left for the gym. 624 00:29:51,795 --> 00:29:53,655 Just a little bit more scraggly and all sweaty. 625 00:29:54,825 --> 00:29:56,955 And you're gonna say, wait a minute, wait a minute. 626 00:29:57,075 --> 00:29:58,845 I, I just worked so hard at the gym. 627 00:29:58,845 --> 00:30:00,195 How can there be no difference? 628 00:30:01,004 --> 00:30:01,485 I quit. 629 00:30:01,485 --> 00:30:02,504 I'm not going the gym anymore. 630 00:30:04,425 --> 00:30:07,215 But here's the thing, if you commit to the gym and you say, 631 00:30:07,215 --> 00:30:09,080 I'm going 365, I'm gonna be there. 632 00:30:09,779 --> 00:30:12,810 You were to take a picture of yourself, like all the good influencers do in the 633 00:30:12,810 --> 00:30:13,979 mirror right before they go to the gym. 634 00:30:14,429 --> 00:30:17,759 If you were to take your, a picture of yourself on day one, and then you were 635 00:30:17,759 --> 00:30:22,229 to take a picture of yourself on day 365, that's when you see the gains, isn't it? 636 00:30:23,129 --> 00:30:26,159 That's when all of a sudden you see that all of those days that you didn't 637 00:30:26,159 --> 00:30:27,840 see the, the, the change happening. 638 00:30:27,959 --> 00:30:28,739 There was change happening. 639 00:30:29,580 --> 00:30:31,860 Your body was being transformed spiritually. 640 00:30:31,860 --> 00:30:35,459 Y'all, you need to take a spiritual selfie at the beginning of 2026 and then take 641 00:30:35,459 --> 00:30:37,050 a spiritual selfie at the end of 2026. 642 00:30:37,050 --> 00:30:40,050 And if you commit to being in God's word every single day, even through 643 00:30:40,050 --> 00:30:43,620 the passages that are hard or confusing or boring, you will see the gains 644 00:30:43,620 --> 00:30:47,129 at the end of 2026, and you will see God even in those passages that 645 00:30:47,129 --> 00:30:49,310 I didn't understand your spirit was at work in my life and my heart. 646 00:30:51,149 --> 00:30:53,580 And it's okay to get help in those times in those passages. 647 00:30:53,580 --> 00:30:54,510 Listen to the podcast. 648 00:30:54,510 --> 00:30:55,860 See, seek help from a commentary. 649 00:30:56,129 --> 00:30:59,520 Text us to find out, Hey, pastor pj, pastor Rod, what does this mean? 650 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:03,750 I'm, I'm trying to figure this one out, but, but stay consistent. 651 00:31:04,110 --> 00:31:06,690 Remember the why behind our daily Bible reading. 652 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:07,860 'cause the blessings are there. 653 00:31:07,860 --> 00:31:09,929 He goes on in our passage and describes a lot of 'em. 654 00:31:09,929 --> 00:31:11,760 We don't have time to dive into this too much here, but 655 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:12,990 he, I'll just read it for you. 656 00:31:12,990 --> 00:31:16,440 It says then, 'cause remember, here's the, then if, then. 657 00:31:17,235 --> 00:31:21,765 Then you're gonna understand righteousness and justice and equity in every good path 658 00:31:22,155 --> 00:31:26,235 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 659 00:31:26,235 --> 00:31:27,795 Your affections will be changed. 660 00:31:28,979 --> 00:31:33,090 You'll cultivate a, a taste for, you'll acquire a taste for God's word. 661 00:31:33,090 --> 00:31:35,219 That's gonna make you say, I can't wait to get up in the morning 662 00:31:35,459 --> 00:31:36,569 and get back into God's Word. 663 00:31:36,569 --> 00:31:36,840 Why? 664 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:38,759 Because it will be pleasant to your soul. 665 00:31:39,029 --> 00:31:40,469 Discretion will watch over you. 666 00:31:40,469 --> 00:31:42,899 Understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of 667 00:31:42,899 --> 00:31:46,289 peril, from men of perverted speech, forsake the paths of uprightness 668 00:31:46,289 --> 00:31:48,090 and walk in the ways of darkness. 669 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:51,479 Who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil 670 00:31:51,689 --> 00:31:55,169 men whose paths are crooked and whose are devious in their ways. 671 00:31:55,350 --> 00:31:56,100 So God's word. 672 00:31:56,624 --> 00:31:59,264 It's all of these benefits that are gonna be there for you. 673 00:31:59,475 --> 00:32:00,884 Wisdom's gonna come into your heart. 674 00:32:00,884 --> 00:32:02,445 Knowledge is gonna be pleasant to your soul. 675 00:32:02,624 --> 00:32:04,185 Discretion will watch over you. 676 00:32:04,185 --> 00:32:07,034 It's gonna guard you from all of these other things as well. 677 00:32:07,965 --> 00:32:11,324 There's so much of a a why for us that can sustain us. 678 00:32:11,324 --> 00:32:12,884 It's not reading the Bible every day. 679 00:32:12,884 --> 00:32:14,235 It's not just divine busy work. 680 00:32:15,405 --> 00:32:17,715 There's a payoff that's gonna be a hundred percent worth the investment 681 00:32:18,104 --> 00:32:21,405 and that the biggest part of that payoff, like I said, is that you will 682 00:32:21,405 --> 00:32:25,209 be more intimate and close with the Lord than you ever have been before. 683 00:32:25,934 --> 00:32:28,485 You'll have a better relationship with Jesus than you've ever had before. 684 00:32:30,104 --> 00:32:33,104 But there's one more payoff that I want us to focus in on here in the 685 00:32:33,104 --> 00:32:35,745 end and, and we began to, to allude to it here in the the last section. 686 00:32:36,014 --> 00:32:38,205 And that is the way that your time in the word is gonna protect 687 00:32:38,205 --> 00:32:41,384 you and keep you safe in 2026. 688 00:32:43,184 --> 00:32:44,834 Look down at verse 16. 689 00:32:44,894 --> 00:32:48,074 In our text it says this, so you will be delivered from the forbidden woman from 690 00:32:48,074 --> 00:32:50,444 the adulterous with her smooth words. 691 00:32:50,444 --> 00:32:51,344 And then look at verse 20. 692 00:32:51,554 --> 00:32:53,324 So you will walk in contrast. 693 00:32:53,790 --> 00:32:57,330 In the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. 694 00:32:57,870 --> 00:33:01,770 Solomon in the Book of Proverbs spends a long time talking about the adulterous 695 00:33:01,770 --> 00:33:04,050 and the immoral woman and, and rightly so. 696 00:33:04,620 --> 00:33:07,649 But what I want us to think about here is whatever the sin may be 697 00:33:07,649 --> 00:33:09,449 that is beset you as a Christian. 698 00:33:09,990 --> 00:33:12,600 Whether it's the lust of the eyes, of the lust of the flesh, or the boastful 699 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:17,159 pride of life, like John talks about, whatever category that may be for you, 700 00:33:17,490 --> 00:33:22,439 the word of God is key, essential to your victory over those areas in 2026. 701 00:33:23,715 --> 00:33:26,324 And so if you will, give yourself over, if you will commit to, if you 702 00:33:26,324 --> 00:33:30,645 will invest in God's word in 2026, you are gonna see victories in areas 703 00:33:30,645 --> 00:33:34,185 that maybe you haven't seen victories for in, for, in, in, in years. 704 00:33:35,834 --> 00:33:37,514 Because as we're gonna find out, you're gonna be fighting 705 00:33:37,695 --> 00:33:39,375 armed rather than fighting. 706 00:33:39,375 --> 00:33:39,885 Disarmed. 707 00:33:40,395 --> 00:33:43,635 Third and final point this morning is this experience victories because 708 00:33:43,665 --> 00:33:47,324 of daily Bible reading, experience victories because of daily Bible reading. 709 00:33:47,324 --> 00:33:48,705 This is another part of the return on investments. 710 00:33:49,514 --> 00:33:51,975 That makes your investment in God's word a better investment than 711 00:33:51,975 --> 00:33:54,014 your investment in anything else. 712 00:33:54,375 --> 00:33:58,485 In 2026, it's not only gonna improve your relationship with Jesus, but by extension 713 00:33:58,485 --> 00:34:00,915 it's going to make you more like Jesus. 714 00:34:00,915 --> 00:34:02,625 It's gonna make you look more like Jesus. 715 00:34:03,014 --> 00:34:05,264 This is that process of sanctification. 716 00:34:05,565 --> 00:34:09,764 Again, whatever that sin is that may have beset you, whether it's anger or lust, 717 00:34:09,764 --> 00:34:15,134 or greed or laziness or bitterness or unforgiveness or fear of man, if you want 718 00:34:15,134 --> 00:34:18,944 victory in those areas this next year, the the, the daily Bible reading is a 719 00:34:18,944 --> 00:34:24,435 huge step in realizing the freedom that you desire, in fact, a necessary step in 720 00:34:24,435 --> 00:34:25,690 realizing the victory that you desire. 721 00:34:26,310 --> 00:34:30,029 Peter says this, he says, uh, be sober minded and be watchful. 722 00:34:30,179 --> 00:34:33,690 Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion 723 00:34:33,690 --> 00:34:37,170 seeking someone to devour Satan. 724 00:34:37,170 --> 00:34:39,300 I don't know what your, your conception of Satan and his demons 725 00:34:39,300 --> 00:34:40,920 are, but it's not the cartoon version. 726 00:34:41,759 --> 00:34:45,585 He's not in hell right now with his pitchfork and his pointy red horns 727 00:34:45,585 --> 00:34:46,585 waiting for people to get there. 728 00:34:47,670 --> 00:34:51,870 Him and his demons are active on this earth and in this world, and the Bible 729 00:34:51,870 --> 00:34:54,929 says that they're not so ostentatious as for you to be able to look at them and 730 00:34:54,929 --> 00:34:58,380 say, that's clearly evil and demonic, and I, I want nothing to do with it. 731 00:34:59,070 --> 00:35:02,100 Rather, what the Bible tells us is that Satan and his demons disguise 732 00:35:02,100 --> 00:35:03,510 themselves as angels of light. 733 00:35:04,650 --> 00:35:09,510 And so Christian understand that you are walking through a minefield and 734 00:35:09,510 --> 00:35:13,500 the minds have been placed by the the enemy who knows your weaknesses. 735 00:35:14,430 --> 00:35:16,470 My suggestion is not that when you sin, you can say, 736 00:35:16,470 --> 00:35:17,790 well, the devil made me do it. 737 00:35:18,660 --> 00:35:21,960 But you should be aware that you have an enemy that knows your weaknesses and will 738 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:25,259 do everything possible in this world to make it as easy as possible for you to 739 00:35:25,259 --> 00:35:29,970 give into your flesh, which is all the more reason why we have to be in God's 740 00:35:29,970 --> 00:35:35,549 word every single day in the The Armor of God passage of Ephesians chapter six. 741 00:35:36,315 --> 00:35:40,305 Paul says that we are to take up the the full armor of God every single day. 742 00:35:40,455 --> 00:35:43,035 And there's only one offensive weapon in the armor of God. 743 00:35:43,035 --> 00:35:43,875 And you know what it is? 744 00:35:44,625 --> 00:35:45,225 It's God's word. 745 00:35:45,765 --> 00:35:48,105 Take up the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. 746 00:35:49,185 --> 00:35:51,765 And some of you in this room may have been fighting your battles 747 00:35:51,765 --> 00:35:53,325 unarmed for the last year. 748 00:35:54,435 --> 00:35:57,735 And yeah, you've been praying and you've been seeking accountability, 749 00:35:57,735 --> 00:36:00,525 and you've been going to the Lord, asking for him to remove the desire. 750 00:36:01,260 --> 00:36:04,920 You've been trying to stop the, the drinking or stop the swearing or stop the 751 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:08,790 lust or whatever it may be, and yet the whole time you've been fighting without 752 00:36:08,790 --> 00:36:13,560 a weapon in your hand, make 20, 26 of the year that you pick up your sword. 753 00:36:14,700 --> 00:36:17,460 Maybe that hilt has been rusted shut and you gotta open that up again. 754 00:36:18,390 --> 00:36:20,910 Maybe the blade has gone dull because you haven't used it, and 755 00:36:20,910 --> 00:36:23,700 you need to, to, to sharpen it and pull it out and start honing it by 756 00:36:23,700 --> 00:36:25,410 getting back into the word of God. 757 00:36:25,650 --> 00:36:28,530 Church, I want you to see that your spiritual vitality depends 758 00:36:28,530 --> 00:36:29,530 upon your time in the word of God. 759 00:36:31,470 --> 00:36:33,419 Who you want to be at the end of 26. 760 00:36:33,419 --> 00:36:36,899 If that person is more like Jesus, you won't be more like Jesus 761 00:36:36,899 --> 00:36:38,249 if you're not in God's word. 762 00:36:38,459 --> 00:36:38,879 This year. 763 00:36:40,109 --> 00:36:43,259 God's word is the medium the Spirit uses to conform us more and 764 00:36:43,259 --> 00:36:46,830 more to the image of Jesus again. 765 00:36:46,830 --> 00:36:48,270 Yeah, in our text, we need to deal with it. 766 00:36:48,270 --> 00:36:51,240 Solomon specifically deals with sexual immorality, and I think he 767 00:36:51,240 --> 00:36:54,749 does that because that is a sin that has beset the people of God. 768 00:36:54,899 --> 00:36:56,040 Almost from the very beginning. 769 00:36:57,990 --> 00:36:59,640 David was ensnared by sexual sin. 770 00:37:00,180 --> 00:37:02,670 Solomon was distracted by his many wives. 771 00:37:03,420 --> 00:37:06,990 It was sexual immorality that led the Israelites to leave off their faithfulness 772 00:37:06,990 --> 00:37:11,010 to God and go after the gods of these other nations in the land of Canaan. 773 00:37:12,075 --> 00:37:14,444 In the New Testament, sexual immorality is listed time and 774 00:37:14,444 --> 00:37:16,424 time again as a vice specifically. 775 00:37:16,665 --> 00:37:20,625 That is one that Christians need to be putting off and having nothing to do with. 776 00:37:21,345 --> 00:37:25,544 And then in the end, even as currently in this, uh, dispensation of our daily Bible 777 00:37:25,544 --> 00:37:28,274 reading, as we're finishing up in the book of Revelation, we're reading about how 778 00:37:28,274 --> 00:37:33,040 sexual immorality is a key component of the kingdom of the Antichrist in the end. 779 00:37:35,774 --> 00:37:40,035 I hate how overly sexualized our culture is and how easy it is to 780 00:37:40,035 --> 00:37:41,355 find the path of the adulterers. 781 00:37:41,355 --> 00:37:46,095 Today, Solomon talks about her path leading to death. 782 00:37:47,265 --> 00:37:51,254 It used to be that that path required a lot of work, but now that path is not in 783 00:37:51,254 --> 00:37:53,084 the back alleys or the bad parts of town. 784 00:37:53,084 --> 00:37:56,564 That path is sitting on our phones and our laptops and our 785 00:37:56,564 --> 00:37:58,274 tablets and our TV screens. 786 00:38:00,569 --> 00:38:03,390 I hate that my kids have to grow up in such an atmosphere as this. 787 00:38:05,669 --> 00:38:07,589 Again, her description, she has smooth words. 788 00:38:07,620 --> 00:38:10,229 She forsakes her, the companion of her youth, meaning she has no 789 00:38:10,229 --> 00:38:11,789 respect or reverence for marriage. 790 00:38:12,479 --> 00:38:13,799 Her house sinks down to death. 791 00:38:13,799 --> 00:38:17,279 None who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. 792 00:38:17,789 --> 00:38:21,600 Sexual sin when it grips a person has grave consequences. 793 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:26,759 So much so even that Paul says in one Corinthians six, nine, or do you not know? 794 00:38:27,419 --> 00:38:30,539 That the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, do not 795 00:38:30,539 --> 00:38:34,109 be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, 796 00:38:34,109 --> 00:38:36,089 nor men who practice homosexuality. 797 00:38:38,249 --> 00:38:42,720 This is a sin church that we need to understand is a, a, a vice that is 798 00:38:43,049 --> 00:38:44,850 prevalent in our culture and society. 799 00:38:45,870 --> 00:38:49,289 And what makes it so insidious is it's a, a vice that can grip someone 800 00:38:49,289 --> 00:38:52,379 and, and they can pursue it without thinking that it's hurting anybody else 801 00:38:52,529 --> 00:38:54,059 or that anybody else needs to know. 802 00:38:54,149 --> 00:38:55,979 And yet it is rotting your soul. 803 00:38:58,485 --> 00:38:59,235 What's the hope? 804 00:39:00,825 --> 00:39:02,415 The hope is God's word. 805 00:39:04,305 --> 00:39:07,005 And so I zero in on that because that is the, the sin that that 806 00:39:07,005 --> 00:39:09,795 Solomon zeroes in on here in our passage, and it is God's word. 807 00:39:09,795 --> 00:39:12,405 If, if you are ensnared in that, you need to fight with the, the 808 00:39:12,405 --> 00:39:14,310 weapon that God has given you to fight, which is the word of God. 809 00:39:15,930 --> 00:39:20,430 And yes, accountability and yes, these other things as well, but we can't leave 810 00:39:20,430 --> 00:39:22,529 the word of God on our, on, on the shelf. 811 00:39:22,529 --> 00:39:25,799 We can't leave the weapon on the, the mantle and walk out into the 812 00:39:25,799 --> 00:39:27,060 battlefield every single day. 813 00:39:28,529 --> 00:39:29,520 We've gotta arm up. 814 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:31,229 We've gotta fight armed as Christians. 815 00:39:32,234 --> 00:39:35,595 So whether that is lust in sexual sin or whether that is pride or whether 816 00:39:35,595 --> 00:39:40,004 that is, is anger and bitterness and wrath and malice, listen, whatever 817 00:39:40,004 --> 00:39:44,955 it may be, your hope in experiencing victory in 2026 is, is not in just 818 00:39:44,955 --> 00:39:46,515 pulling yourself up by the bootstraps. 819 00:39:46,665 --> 00:39:49,125 Your hope is not in reading a different Christian book on 820 00:39:49,125 --> 00:39:50,355 how to overcome that thing. 821 00:39:50,565 --> 00:39:52,964 Your hope is not in finding another accountability partner. 822 00:39:53,115 --> 00:39:55,875 Your hope is not in a software that you're gonna install on your program. 823 00:39:56,024 --> 00:39:58,575 Your hope is in picking up the word of God, the sword of the spirit, 824 00:39:58,694 --> 00:40:00,105 and going after the enemy with it. 825 00:40:02,610 --> 00:40:09,660 And so church, your investment in God's word will pay dividends because 826 00:40:09,690 --> 00:40:12,330 therein you will find victory like you've never experienced before. 827 00:40:12,330 --> 00:40:13,110 Look at verse 20. 828 00:40:13,950 --> 00:40:18,390 So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. 829 00:40:20,355 --> 00:40:22,950 When you fly, they give the speech. 830 00:40:22,950 --> 00:40:25,950 At the very beginning of the flight, they tell you all about 831 00:40:25,950 --> 00:40:26,850 how to buckle your seatbelt. 832 00:40:28,799 --> 00:40:30,899 Still, they tell us how to do this. 833 00:40:32,250 --> 00:40:35,669 Um, one of the things they talk about though is those lights on the path, you 834 00:40:35,669 --> 00:40:39,899 know, which, which ones I'm talking about, that, that line, the aisle, I don't often 835 00:40:39,899 --> 00:40:42,720 think about those lights, but one of the things they say is an inventive emergency. 836 00:40:42,720 --> 00:40:44,370 The lights will illuminate the path to the exit. 837 00:40:45,930 --> 00:40:48,029 And so, Lord willing, none of us in this room will ever be 838 00:40:48,029 --> 00:40:49,200 involved in a, a plane crash. 839 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:51,509 But I, I want you to imagine being involved in a plane crash where 840 00:40:51,509 --> 00:40:52,980 you survive and it's pitch black. 841 00:40:54,495 --> 00:40:57,555 In the only light that you can see as you unbuckle yourself because 842 00:40:57,555 --> 00:41:00,464 you, you listened, you buckled your seatbelt as you unbuckle yourself, 843 00:41:00,464 --> 00:41:04,185 the only light you can see is the lights on that aisle leading forward. 844 00:41:05,355 --> 00:41:08,714 And you remember, if I follow those lights, there's safety 845 00:41:08,714 --> 00:41:10,575 there, it'll keep me on the path. 846 00:41:13,455 --> 00:41:15,765 Solomon is telling us that those lights are the words of wisdom 847 00:41:15,765 --> 00:41:16,694 contained in the word of God. 848 00:41:17,865 --> 00:41:21,105 If we will give ourselves over commit to being in the word daily. 849 00:41:22,395 --> 00:41:25,395 We will find that we will be more often than not on the path 850 00:41:25,455 --> 00:41:27,495 that is good and righteous. 851 00:41:29,445 --> 00:41:32,625 And so we want to invest in God's word because our, our spiritual vitality, 852 00:41:32,625 --> 00:41:34,065 our sanctification depends upon it. 853 00:41:35,595 --> 00:41:38,085 There's a recommended reading resource that you have on the back of your, your 854 00:41:38,085 --> 00:41:39,945 worksheet by a guy named Nate Picowitz. 855 00:41:39,975 --> 00:41:43,245 It's my favorite theologian to say Nate Picowitz. 856 00:41:43,904 --> 00:41:45,360 He wrote a book called How to Eat Your Bible. 857 00:41:46,410 --> 00:41:48,270 Hopefully the title is enough to get you to buy it. 858 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:49,560 Just intrigued. 859 00:41:50,250 --> 00:41:53,459 But he said, here's three things that time and God's word will do for us. 860 00:41:53,970 --> 00:41:55,109 It's gonna change your mind. 861 00:41:55,770 --> 00:41:58,529 It's gonna change your emotions, and it's gonna change your will. 862 00:41:59,939 --> 00:42:02,700 It's gonna change your mind what you think about the knowledge that you have. 863 00:42:02,700 --> 00:42:05,790 It's gonna change your emotions, what you're affectionate for, what you desire, 864 00:42:06,089 --> 00:42:09,569 and it's also gonna change your will, the decisions you make, your volition, 865 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:10,830 the things that you choose to do. 866 00:42:12,660 --> 00:42:15,419 That's what time and God's word will do for us, and that's one of the ways that it 867 00:42:15,419 --> 00:42:18,540 can pay off in pursuing Christ-likeness. 868 00:42:21,089 --> 00:42:25,919 God's given us his words that, that we will walk in the ways of the good and 869 00:42:25,919 --> 00:42:27,569 keep to the paths of the righteous. 870 00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:32,040 In other words, if you're gonna stay on the narrow path, you need the word of God. 871 00:42:32,700 --> 00:42:33,509 I need the Word of God. 872 00:42:33,540 --> 00:42:37,950 We need the Word of God, not just occasionally, but every single day. 873 00:42:39,465 --> 00:42:42,705 Church isn't the weekly booster shot that you get of God's word to be 874 00:42:42,705 --> 00:42:45,194 able to make it through the rest of the week, you need more than what 875 00:42:45,194 --> 00:42:46,365 I can give you on a Sunday morning. 876 00:42:47,384 --> 00:42:48,435 You need it every single day. 877 00:42:49,455 --> 00:42:52,154 Again, men shall not live by bread alone, but on every word 878 00:42:52,154 --> 00:42:53,444 that comes from the mouth of God. 879 00:42:54,884 --> 00:42:58,455 And so I pray, I Hope Church, that you'll see that in 2026, your investment in 880 00:42:58,455 --> 00:42:59,775 the daily Bible reading is worth it. 881 00:43:01,245 --> 00:43:04,545 You may say, well, I, I have another plan, or I wanna do great. 882 00:43:05,745 --> 00:43:07,725 I'm not saying you can't do more than this. 883 00:43:08,879 --> 00:43:13,049 But I'm asking if, if this is your church home, if I'm your pastor and this is where 884 00:43:13,049 --> 00:43:16,529 you are, I'm, I'm, I'm gonna say, Hey, will, will you do this with us in 2026? 885 00:43:17,939 --> 00:43:21,600 Um, there's a lot of benefit that can come from this if you're involved in a 886 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:23,189 community group, and I, I, I hope you are. 887 00:43:23,220 --> 00:43:26,220 That's, that's such a key component of the vitality of our body life here. 888 00:43:26,999 --> 00:43:30,149 Think about having all of your community group on the same reading plan together. 889 00:43:30,975 --> 00:43:34,125 How that's gonna help when you're discussing the application questions in 890 00:43:34,125 --> 00:43:36,345 the sermon to say, well, that reminds me of what we read in the dbr R. 891 00:43:36,345 --> 00:43:38,265 And all of y'all read the same thing in the dbr. 892 00:43:39,015 --> 00:43:41,805 Or think about the the way that's gonna help you counsel one another 893 00:43:42,345 --> 00:43:45,075 just to say, Hey, remember what we just read together in the dbr. 894 00:43:45,405 --> 00:43:48,225 Having all of us on the same planet is gonna be so good and so helpful. 895 00:43:48,225 --> 00:43:49,995 Pastor Rod and I are doing the Daily Bible Podcast. 896 00:43:49,995 --> 00:43:52,935 We're committed to doing that every day unless Jesus comes back. 897 00:43:52,935 --> 00:43:55,275 And then hopefully we won't be here to do the Daily Bible 898 00:43:55,275 --> 00:43:56,445 Podcast with you guys anymore. 899 00:43:57,195 --> 00:43:58,755 You can go back and if you're not here. 900 00:43:59,430 --> 00:44:02,190 If you're not here, we'll talk after service about that one. 901 00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:08,430 But you need God's word, all that to say. 902 00:44:08,610 --> 00:44:12,270 And so we're asking you to jump on the dbr r with us and, and follow along 903 00:44:12,270 --> 00:44:14,100 with us in that plan, in that program. 904 00:44:14,910 --> 00:44:18,690 But like I started with it, it requires effort. 905 00:44:19,620 --> 00:44:23,820 It requires the investment, it requires a commitment, and there's 906 00:44:23,820 --> 00:44:26,820 gonna be times it's not easy, and yet it's gonna be worth it. 907 00:44:27,870 --> 00:44:30,330 It's gonna be the single greatest investment you make in 2026. 908 00:44:30,750 --> 00:44:31,140 Let's pray. 909 00:44:32,490 --> 00:44:34,259 God, we thank you so much that we have your word. 910 00:44:34,259 --> 00:44:35,430 What an amazing reality. 911 00:44:35,430 --> 00:44:38,670 It is that you are the God of creation, the Lord of the universe, and yet 912 00:44:38,670 --> 00:44:42,690 you condescended to make yourself known in a language that we can read 913 00:44:43,320 --> 00:44:46,230 and understand, at least in part. 914 00:44:47,070 --> 00:44:50,460 We don't pretend to know everything there is to know about you or 915 00:44:50,460 --> 00:44:53,400 everything there is to know about your word, but what an amazing reality 916 00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:54,900 and what a glorious truth it is. 917 00:44:54,900 --> 00:44:58,950 That year, after year after year, we can come back to the Bible and read it 918 00:44:58,950 --> 00:45:00,715 again and learn more about who you are. 919 00:45:02,700 --> 00:45:06,510 Lord, we confess that we have not fully treasured the word the way that 920 00:45:06,510 --> 00:45:10,440 we should or thought of it as, as valuable as perhaps that we should. 921 00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:13,920 But God, I, I pray that in 2026 you would give us a, a greater 922 00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:16,500 love for it, a greater desire for it, a greater hunger for it. 923 00:45:16,500 --> 00:45:19,830 That would not be satiated by anything other than spending time 924 00:45:19,860 --> 00:45:22,350 every single day in your scriptures. 925 00:45:22,500 --> 00:45:24,990 And Lord, I do pray that we would be able to see the gains 926 00:45:25,500 --> 00:45:26,850 to look at who we were day one. 927 00:45:27,570 --> 00:45:31,260 And then to look at what 365 days in the gym of your word and letting your 928 00:45:31,260 --> 00:45:33,150 spirit go to work in our hearts has done. 929 00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:37,410 As we look back on that, as Lord willing, we get to 2027 and think about 930 00:45:37,410 --> 00:45:38,610 what the next year will look like. 931 00:45:39,240 --> 00:45:43,110 What may this be the year that all of us dive into your word like never before. 932 00:45:43,380 --> 00:45:47,345 And may you do great things through We pray in Jesus' name, amen.