“i’m about to graduate…so what’s next?”

Are you confused about what to do not that you are finished with high school? Have your college plans been shattered?  Are you afraid of what is ahead of you in this next phase of your life?  Do you think you have your plans all mapped out and know exactly what direction you are going?  Well, this devotion is for you!

Click here to download this devotion. 

youth devotion – “true love”

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  It a special holiday because it is a day where you are supposed to “initiate actions” to say that you love someone.  When I was young, passing out those “Be Mine”, “You’re Cute” or “You’re So Grooovy” cards with candy was very popular.  And as I got older, giving heart shaped boxes of chocolates was the best way to express to someone that you loved them. 

 Initiating acts of love (which means the love expression starts with something you do) towards others can be very fun and easy to do, especially on Valentine’s Day.  Over time, we begin to associate initiated actions of goodness and kindness with the love we have for others and most times begin to think that initiated actions of love are the only forms of true love.  However, the Bible talks about other forms of love that are just as, if not more, important.  I call them “Responding Acts of Love”.

 What are Responding Acts of Love?

 Responding acts of love are the things you do to express goodness and kindness toward others when they initiate any action (whether good or bad) towards you.  In other words, it is how you react to something that is done to you.  For example, when your classmate gave you the “You’re Groovy” card, you say “Thank You” or give them a card in return.  That’s a responding act of love; someone did something nice for you and you in turn did something nice for them.  That is usually also fun and easy to do. However, the type of responding acts of love I want to discuss today is expressing love towards someone after they have initiated bad actions towards you. To me, this is when true love is expressed in its purest form. 

 As you go through the Bible, it seems like God spends a lot of time instructing us on how to respond when someone does us wrong.  It seems like the appropriate and justified action would be to act mean to them too, but that is so far from what God sees as love.  Let’s look at some instructions from the Bible on how we should respond when we think others have done us wrong.

 Biblical View of Responding Acts of Love

 1.       Being quick to forgive.

Matthew 6:14-15 – “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

 2.       Not taking into account the wrong done to you.

1 Corinthians 13:5 AMP –“…it (love) takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].”

 3.       Not returning an evil for evil.

Matthew 5:38-39 Message – “Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it.”

 4.       Speaking kind words in response to harsh words.

Proverbs 15:1 – “A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.”

 5.       Pray for those who initiate bad actions toward you.

Matthew 5:44-45 Message – I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty.

Doing the above mentioned things is what true love really is. Expressing love to someone that is not expressing love towards you is the love of our God.  Jesus died for us no matter if we choose to serve Him or not.  So, how can you begin to improve your expression of love towards those that are in your life?

it’s always better to give

“…it is more blessed to give than to receive.” – Acts 20:35

It’s that time of year again…Christmas.  All over the world, little kids are preparing their letters to send to Santa, teenagers are showing their parents commercials about the latest gaming system or cell phone and grown-ups are telling each other what they desire as a present.  One of the most famous questions we usually hear doing this time is, “What are you going to get me for Christmas?”

Sadly to say, a lot of people’s attitudes and actions during this time are motivated solely by what they are planning to receive.  For example, people will buy someone a gift because they want to receive a gift in return.  However, what if we shift our focus this season and purposed solely to see what we can give.  We make giving our motivation for our attitudes and actions, not because we want something in return, but because giving is our desire, not receiving.

As we shift our focus this year, let’s make sure our giving says the following:

1. Our giving should be an expression of our love. John 3:16 says that God love the world so much that His love prompted Him to give. When we give this year, we should follow God’s example and do it because we love the people we are giving the gift to.

2. Our giving should represent our best. John 3:16 also says that God gave his best – His only son – to those He loves.  When we give, we should make sure it represent our best, or something that has value to us.

3. Our giving should be done with a cheerful heart. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says that God loves a cheerful giver.  It also says that we should not give grudgingly.  To give grudgingly means to give something to someone, but in our hearts we really did not want to.  To give with a cheerful heart is to give something to someone, and we are happy and excited to do it.

Ways to Give

Giving your time: A good way to give of your time is to volunteer in some capacity.  I am sure that you have probably seen the people in front of the grocery stores ring the bell for the Salvation Army.  They are actually giving of their time to volunteer to raise money for a great organization.  Or it could be as simple as volunteering to help your mom with Christmas preparation instead of going to the mall with friends.  What personal time can you give up and donate to helping someone else this season.

Giving your talent: To give of your talents is to use the things you are a good at doing to help others.  For example, you may be a great actor and your church is putting on a play at a nursing home.  Volunteering to be a part of the play would be you giving of you talents to bless others.  Do you bake?  Are you good at crafts?  Sometimes original and unique gifts from the heart mean more than buying something flashy from a department store.  Does your grandmother enjoy hot drinks?  Maybe putting together a basket of flavored coffee and tea would mean more to her than a new Blue Ray DVD player.

Giving your resources: This is the most common way of giving during the Christmas season, but it doesn’t always have to mean buying a gift.  There are also many different charities and organizations that could use your financial donation.  For example, Angel Tree is an organization which gives gifts to children who have a parent (or parents) that is incarcerated.  Another organization is Compassion International which gives gifts to children in impoverished countries.  There are many ways you can give of your resources that does not necessarily mean spending a whole lot of money shopping.

There are many ways you can give.  We should all take the time to seek God and consider how He would like for us to spend our time, talents, and resources on in order to be a blessing to others.  Whatever you decide to give this year, let’s make sure that the actual “giving” is your focus and that it is heart-felt, full of love and excitement to do it!

a lifestyle of thankfulness

1 Thessalonians 5:18 AMP – Thank God in everything no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks, for this is the will of God for you who are in Christ Jesus…

Every November, we start preparing to celebrate one of our biggest holidays…Thanksgiving. I find it so interesting that we have an entire day set aside for us to reflect and give thanks for the wonderful things we have and enjoy in life.  For most of us, this is one of the happiest days of the year and we can easily see so many things in our lives to be thankful for. But as we head back to the reality of our everyday lives, will our being thankful start and end on that one day?  Selah (which means “stop and think about that!”)

When you are in an environment or celebrating an occasion that makes or forces you to think about the good in your life, it’s very easy to be thankful.  But what about each of the remaining 364 days in which your life could go extremely well, extremely bad or mediocre? Will you be thankful on any of those days and any one of those circumstance?  Selah again!

To make sure that our being thankful starts before and goes past the Thanksgiving holiday, let’s get some basic understanding about thankfulness.

What Does Being Thankful Mean?

Being thankful is simply some sort of expression to God, your parents, your siblings, your friends, or anyone letting them know you appreciation of something they have done for you – specifically some act of kindness or goodness they have shown to you. In other words, an expression of favor and/or kindness shown towards you should demand an expression of appreciation from you.  This can be done by simply saying, “Thank you.”  However, being thankful should also be an expression of appreciation from your heart, and this expression should have value to you and the other person.

Understanding Thankfulness

Now, living as a “thankful” person is more of an attitude in which you make a conscious decision to always acknowledge and recognize someone, specifically God, for showing you favor and kindness in your life – no matter how good or how bad you may feel at the time.  In other words, thankfulness says, “I purpose in my heart and mind to not allow the things that are going extremely well or extremely bad to block my view of God, what He’s doing in my life or circumstances or to hinder me from giving Him thanks for it.”  For example, if you are in a season of life where you have a lot of money, don’t let your abundance in money stop you from recognizing God’s hand on your life and His goodness towards you.  The same goes if you are in a season of “not so much money.”  Not having all the money you desire should still not stop you from giving God thanks for still taking care of you and providing for you.

Thankfulness is an inward decision to express appreciation, and being thankful is the outward expression of this decision.

Bible Examples

Now let’s look at a Bible example of these two things.  First, let’s look at being thankful.  Get your Bible and read Luke 17:12-19. This is the account of Jesus healing ten lepers. Notice that they all were healed, but how many of them came back to say thank you to Jesus???  Only one of them expressed appreciation towards Him. In verse 15, he did this by glorifying God with a loud voice, falling down on his face and giving thanks to Him. Jesus took note that this man knew what it meant to be thankful. But observe what the other nine did. They just went on about their day. They allowed the events of an extremely good day to rob God of the appreciation that was due to Him.

Now, let’s look at another example of being thankful, and things were not going too well for these people! Read Acts 16:16-25. This is the account of Paul and Silas being jailed for casting a spirit out of a young girl.  Now think about all that happened to them. They were falsely accused, stripped naked, beat and thrown in prison. From reading these verses and looking at it from an outside perspective, there is no obvious sign God’s goodness or kindness in their lives – they were having a pretty bad day!  Paul and Silas must have had a different perspective. Verse 25 holds an important key to their attitude while experiencing all of this. It says that at the end of their day, they were praying and singing hymns to God. They chose to sing songs of praise and give thanks to God in the midst of an extremely bad day. They did not allow the circumstances to block their view of what God was doing in their lives, or hinder them for giving Him thanks for it. And notice that in the midst of their praise, an angel set them free from jail!

Let’s start today with developing a lifestyle of thankfulness and being thankful.  Let’s not take for granted the things God and others do for us that express their favor and kindness. And no matter how good or bad life may get from this day forward, don’t allow the good things or the bad things to block our view of what God is doing in your life.  And let’s thank God in everything no matter what the circumstances may be…even after Turkey Day has come and gone!

staying plugged-in to God this summer

Summer break is probably one of the best times for a student. There is no school. No teachers. No homework. And plenty of time for God. Just because your school year has ended does not mean the growth you experienced throughout the year in your relationship with God has to end.

To illustrate this point, let’s look at a couple of items you probably own: a cell phone, i-pod, television or desktop computer. What do you and these things have in common? Do you know?

They all have to be plugged in at some point to function or continue functioning. Let’s take a closer at a couple of those items. First, let’s look at your desktop computer. You probably use it for many different things daily. But if the plug is not connected to the socket or power source, the computer is useless, functionless.

Now, let’s look at your cell phone. It does not have to be plugged in all the time for you to use it, but it can only go for so long before you have to plug it in and recharge it. You and your life are the same way. In contrast, you are the computer or cell phone and God is the socket or power source. You have to plug into God to keep you and your life functional.

So, what does it mean to plug into God. Let’s look at our examples again. Each one of the items has a cord and plug, or in other words an object that connects the particular item to the socket or power source through which the power flows to them. In our case, we have things in our lives that connect us to God (who is our power source) and allows His power to flow to us.

There are four things that I consider to be the “cord and plug” in our lives – our ways of connecting to God and His power. They are:

1. The Bible – You connect to God through the Bible by reading and studying it on a regular basis.

2. Prayer – You connect to God by praying or talking to Him on a regular basis.

3. Praise – You connect to God when you praise and thank Him for things He has done for you and your family.

4. The Local Church – You connect to God by attending church regularly, paying attention to what is taught and applying it to your life.

Now that we have identified the “cords and plugs”, lets talk about one more contrast to our original example. Remember your desktop computer. To function properly, it has to be consistently plugged in at all times. But your cell phone could function without being plugged in, but can only go so long before it needs to be plugged in and recharged.

The first three things are like your computer. For your life to function as it is supposed to, you should be reading your bible, praying and praising God consistently, daily. Attending your local church is more like your cell phone, which is where you go to get a recharge.

With all the free time you will have over the summer, I encourage you to intentionally develop a habit to make sure you plug into God daily and you are getting recharged at your local church each time the doors open.

If you got up the next morning to check your Facebook page, but the computer did not come on when you hit the power button, what would be the first thing you would do? Probably check to see if it is plugged in. Now that you have checked your computer, you should also check yourself. So before you start your day, ask yourself, “Am I plugged in?” Or in other words, “Have I connected to God this morning?”

praise – giving God what He wants

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.” – Psalm 150:6

Start today off first by doing a simple task: First, take a deep breath in. Hold it. Then breathe out. Besides exercising your lungs, do you know what you did? You just met the only requirement necessary to give God praise.

Everyday that you wake up, you meet the above and only requirement to praise God. I know that early in my growth as a Christian, I thought that praising God was something that I only did when I was at church and that I did it only because the person on the stage said to; not because I wanted to. Praise is, however, actually something you can also do at home, school, in the car, walking down the street or laying in the bed.

You may be wondering, ‘How do I praise God when there is no music, praise team, or singers to accompany me”? Actually, it’s really simple. Here are a few ideas that will help:

• Just say “Thank You”. You praise God by simply thanking Him for things He has done for you. As you go throughout your day, say thank you to God for things you know He was responsible for.

Psalm 92:1NKJV – It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.

• Tell God about the things in life and nature that you think are beautiful. Is there a flower you saw that you thought was beautiful? Or a certain animal you saw that just amazed you? What about a beautiful sunset or clouds that look like animals? The next time you see one of these things, let God know how you feel. Just letting God know what you think about the things He has created is considered praise.

Psalm 92:4-5 NKJV – For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. O LORD, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep.

• Sing a song to God. This is probably one of the easiest ways to praise God. The song you choose to sing can be a song you’ve heard or something complete made up by you. As long as the song expresses your love and thankfulness to God, it is consider praise.

Psalm 69:30 NKJV – I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 98:4 NKJV - Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.

• Start your day with this song.

These are just a few ways in which you can give God what He wants. Also, holding your fist in the air and shouting “whoa, whoa” isn’t a bad way to start your day. From this day forward, make it an intentional effort to praise God on a daily basis. By doing so, you’ll be giving Him what He wants.

Daily Living Your Destiny

Jesus was just 33 years old when he died, but He got so much done during His short time on earth. He healed the sick, made the blind see (among other miracles), He traveled, learned, served, ministered, saved the world…. He had a purpose and a plan and executed it precisely. You know, we all can have the same kind of life – one that is filled with extraordinary accomplishments and fulfillment. We just have to get in tuned with the Holy Spirit, figure out what talents and gifts God placed in us, and work to develop them to in order to become what He created us to become.

 

As we walk daily in God’s perfect plan for us, below are some things to keep in mind in order for us to stay on track:

1.)    Thank God that we don’t have to live a life of chance.

The blessings we receive are not mere coincidences.

“’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ says the Lord. “’They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jeremiah 29:11, KJV)

Lean on this scripture whenever you feel like you are losing your way. God already knows how to guide you.  There is an expected destination for you.  If you have seen “Slumdog Millionaire,” you’ll remember that all of Jamal’s life experiences ultimately lead him to his destiny.  I know that this was just a fictitious movie, but God’s will and timing sort of work the same way.  We may not understand the purpose for what we are experiencing “now,” but God sees the beginning and the end of our lives; He knows how all of the pieces fit together in order to get us to His destination.  We just need to trust Him.

2.)    Spend time with the Lord.

Before you start your day, seek the Lord. Pray for His guidance, ask Him to bless your day and continuously guide you into the life He destined you to have. Don’t wait “for” your future to happen. Your destiny is happening TODAY!  Pray for the knowledge to add something to it everyday. Ask the Lord to show you how to get there. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6 KJV) Don’t miss your appointed life because you didn’t take the time to get God’s insight on it each day.

3.)    Expect God to answer your prayers and guide you everyday.

You can’t get what you desire if you don’t believe. Believe that God has the power and wisdom to lead you in and to your destiny; that He loves you enough to see you get to your own promised land…the land where your destiny, happiness, and YOU intersect. “For everyone that asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:8 NIV)

4.)    Start thinking BIG. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart…” (Psalms 37:4 NIV)

Nothing is impossible. Do you dream of owning an airline, creating a new clothing line, becoming an international reporter?  Do you like to perform, sing, dance, or act?  Are you good in photography, graphic or web design?  Would you like to travel or do missions work?  God places dreams and desires inside of us. Many times, the desires we have are ones He Himself has placed in us.  So believe that He wouldn’t just tease us with them.  He wants to lead us step by step in order for them to come to pass.

5.)    Don’t dwell on the mistakes you make.

The devil is always ready to remind you of the times you didn’t do well. That’s why it’s important to read your Bible daily so you can begin to believe and develop the confidence to reject the devil’s cunning ways. God knows what you will do before you even do it. He’s not surprised when you make a mistake, but He knows how to get you back on the right track. You can’t be destroyed by the devil’s tactics if you are filled with knowledge.

6.)    Obtaining your destiny will not be easy.

“… Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. (The Message, I Corinthians 9:24-25)

If everyone had the faith, patience, and endurance to get to their destiny, there would be more happy and successful people in the world. It is so much easier to give up rather than to hope for what you want. The devil wants you to fail, but there is a higher authority (Our God) that will make sure you won’t. You just have to do your part: seek Him, obey, and believe.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition.” (The Message, I Corinthians 9:26)

 

 

 

 

 

happiness is not just for heaven

Choosing not to sin can potentially make you feel isolated from your peers and make you feel like the “right way” sometimes equals the “lonely way.” People point out that you don’t cuss or wonder why you choose not to blame it on the alcohol. But choosing God’s will for your life instead of Jamie Foxx’s or T-Pain’s way, will always, ALWAYS make up for seeming like the oddball. God will never leave you hanging. Obeying His Word is always worth it. You’ll reap what you sow; which means you’ll live a longer and fuller life. What can beat that? NOTHING CAN!

Deuteronomy 30:19

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”

So, when you choose life, NEVER forget that despite your struggle to stay afloat in this world – staying away from the worlds way of doing and being happy – God cares about your happiness. Yes, staying righteous can be difficult, especially for young adults these days — that’s why so many people go astray. However, God wants those who follow Him to enjoy life too and have many blessings right here on earth…you don’t have to wait until heaven to see God’s promises.

Genesis 18:14

God told Sarah she would have a child at 90 years old. And she laughed! But He responded, “Is there anything too hard or too wonderful for the Lord?”

And at her appointed season, God gave barren and old Sarah her precious Isaac – the child she longed for all of her life. So go on and ask Him to bless your studying to pass that math test. Or heal your sick family member. Or don’t even be afraid to ask God to help you fund a trip to the movies with your friends.

Because there is clearly NOTHING your Heavenly Father won’t give you if it lines up with His Word and will for you (timing is always key!). He created ALL things so nothing is too impossible or too small for Him to accomplish in YOUR life.

Psalm 34:10

The young lions lack and suffer hunger ; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

And don’t be afraid to just ask the Lord to bless you and your future. Creative Recreation and Stilettos weren’t always here with the creation of the earth. Someone had to have a vision and believe that the shoes would sell and become big name companies. So don’t be afraid to ask Him for big requests. What vision does God have for your life? Ask Him so you can receive it. Believing in yourself is one thing, but having God in alignment with your dreams will lead to an amazing life above your imagination.

Look what happened to Jabez when he prayed for big things in 1 Chronicles 4-9:

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

NOTE: Be careful not to treat God like a genie who grants “wishes.” He needs for you to do your part too. If you ask Him for money to go out, show Him how appreciative you are obeying what His Word says regarding your money: tithing, giving offerings and alms, and saving the little money you do have. And when you ask Him to bless you in anything, sincerely believe in your heart that He will answer your prayer.

Psalm 37:4 (Amplified Bible)

Delight yourself (be flexible and moldable for God) also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.

seeking God

“…He [God] rewards those who sincerely seek Him”. – Hebrews 11:6 New Living Translation

Take a moment to think about the things you have done to get or seek the attention of someone you really liked. You probably went out of your way to talk to them, be around them or wore an outfit you thought they might like. You also may have showed up at places you thought they would be or even hung around people who knew them. And you probably did things you thought would please them or make them like you more. Whatever you did, your actions were focused on letting them know you knew they existed and that you were interested in getting to know them. The reward you received from your actions was the birth of a new relationship or friendship.

But, the most important relationship in your life is your relationship with God. All the energy you put into seeking the attention of other people should not compare to the amount of energy you put into seeking God.

Simple ways you can seek God and let Him know you know He exists:

1. Read your bible daily – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
2. Pray/Talk to Him on a regular basis – Philippians 4:6-7
3. Hang around people who know Him – Proverbs 27:17
4. Attend church on a regular basis – Hebrews 10:25

By doing these things over time, you will develop a relationship and friendship with God that will far surpass any other. And the rewards for doing will be so much greater too. So, make a quality decision to do these things on a consistent basis and reap the rewards of your actions.

are you a fool?

The Bible has a lot to say about what a fool is. The word “fool” appears 73 times in the King James
Version. When I read over the scriptures, it amazes me how many areas we are foolish in without
even knowing it! According to God’s Word, foolish decisions and foolish behavior only leads us to
bad results in our life. We all benefit from making wise decisions and listening and obeying wise
instructions. The only way we will know what is wise is by finding out what the Bible says is wise (or
what is not!).

The below lesson will help you identify some foolish actions you (or maybe someone you know…)
may be operating in. Hopefully, God’s Word will shine light on any foolish areas in your life so that
you can begin making changes to be smarter in your behaviors and decisions.

(Lesson taken from “Creative Discussions for Junior High Youth Groups,” by Rich Bundschuh & Tom Finley)

Teen Devotions

1. Rank the following actions from the most foolish (1) to the least foolish (15).

_____ Cussing out a classmate

_____ Spending too much money
_____ Going too far sexually

_____ Talking about a friend behind their back
_____ Skipping team practice

_____ Forgetting your lunch money
_____ Ignoring your parents’ rules

_____ Getting involved in a fight with a gang member
_____ Cutting class

_____ Lying to your teacher
_____ Smoking joints

_____ Cheating on a test
_____ Hitting a sibling

_____ Not obeying God
_____ Trying to be something you’re not

2. Check out Psalm 14:1 – 3

1 THE [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable
deeds; there is none that does good or right.
2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt
wisely, and sought after God, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity].
3 They are all gone aside, they have all together become filthy; there is none that does good or right, no, not one.

What does verse 1 say is inside a fool’s heart (who they really are)?

What does verse 2 say about the contents of a fool’s head (do they understand God)?

What does verse 3 say about the direction fools point their feet (in which direction are they going)?

IMPORTANT NOTE: In verse 3, God knew that the only way man could get it right down here on
earth was if we had a Savior. This is why God sent Jesus. None of us can get our lives right without
Him. Now that Jesus has died for our sins and we can now stand before God righteous; we don’t
have to be a fool like the people He describes in this scripture. We can do right and be pleasing to
God.

3. Read what the foolish man did in Matthew 7:26 – 27. Would that be the same as ignoring
Jesus’ words? Why or why not?

4. Take a look at the following Bible verses to see some of the things a fool does. Draw a line
from each passage on the left to the matching characteristics on the right.

Proverbs 10:8	Fools show everyone how stupid they are.
Proverbs 10:18	Fool talk too much and come to ruin.
Proverbs 10:23	Fools are reckless.
Proverbs 12:15	Fools enjoy evil conduct.
Proverbs 12:16	Fools waste money
Proverbs 14:1	Fools never admit they are wrong.
Proverbs 14:9	Fools live self-destructive lives.
Proverbs 14:16	Fools are hot-tempered.
Proverbs 15:5	Fools spread slander (untrue gossip).
Proverbs 17:16	Fool ignore parental discipline.
Proverbs 18:2	Fools don’t take care of their own lives.
Proverbs 21:20	Fools don’t save or plan for the future.
Ecclesiastes 4:5	Fools like to blab their uninformed opinions.
Ecclesiastes 10:3	Fool won’t listen to advice.

Do you know of some areas in your life where you are being foolish? What are they?

What have been some of the results from making these foolish decisions?

Now that you have identified these areas, what can you do to start making wise decisions?

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