This week as we continue in The Way of Wisdom: A Study of Proverbs, we are going to see what Proverbs says about “Sluggards and Stewards.” 

The “sluggard” is a character that we meet in Proverbs. This is the lazy person, and laziness is a major theme of Proverbs. As you prepare for Sunday, you might want to look up “sluggard” in your Bible concordance. Read over the many verses in Proverbs that talk about this kind of a person. What characteristics do you see there? 

The “steward” is the opposite of the sluggard. The steward is a blessing to others. The steward works hard, has plenty to share with others, and faithfully manages the money and other resources that God generously gives. The steward is a giver, because he or she understands that God is the ultimate Giver. Look up the many references to the godly use of money and wealth in the book of Proverbs. A good study Bible will help here. Do you have a good one? 

If you are in need of a study Bible, I strongly recommend The ESV Study Bible. It would pay infinitely rich spiritual dividends for the rest of your life. It not only has a concordance, but tremendous notes on every passage in the Bible, written by an incredible team of Bible-believing scholars. It has detailed outlines of every book of the Bible, and introductions that help you understand the setting and major themes of each book of the Bible. It also contains color maps, illustrations, and articles about all kinds of biblical and theological subjects. The same can be said of Zondervan NIV Study Bible. If you already have an ESV Study Bible I would encourage you to add that to your library. But if you don’t yet have an ESV Study Bible, get that one first. It would give you a state of the art resource, and the ESV is the translation that I use in the pulpit. 

Here’s a simple recipe for wonderful life-change: Less time watching tv, cruising social media, and pursuing hobbies that won’t make a difference in eternity. More time in God’s Word and prayer, and making disciples by spending time with others to build them up in the Word, even as you are being built up. 

Speaking of prayer, please be in prayer for the Thirst Conference, coming up November 5-8 at FBC. A team of over 20 people from Life Action Ministries will be with us during those special days. Pray for God to “rend the heavens and come down” on us during those days, that we might be more of a blessing to others. We’ve provided a 30 day prayer guide to help you pray and prepare your heart for the conference. If you didn’t pick one up on Sunday, some are still available in the hallway near the sanctuary. 

See you this Sunday. Be in fervent prayer that God would bless us on the Lord’s Day.     

By His Grace, For His Glory, To The Nations, 

Dr. Thurman Hayes, Jr.