Slide 1

Irrefutable Facts of Life Proverbs 3:13-22 Prov 3:13-22 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. 14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. 19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. 20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. 21 My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck.

Slide 2

About the Text: The proverb writer tells us several things about the one who gains wisdom. He is happy. It is better than silver, gold, and other precious things. With wisdom we can extend the quantity and quality of our lives. With wisdom we can have peace and life. The Lord Himself established the world with wisdom. Having wisdom in our life will bring life and grace. About the lesson. It is good to have wisdom. But wisdom is found in the truths we learn in life. Lets look at a few irrefutable facts of life.

Slide 3

Lifes Not Fair From the day we are born to the day we die, life isnt fair. Some are rich and others poor. Some are intelligent and others are ignorant. Some are fed and some are hungry. Some experience good fortune and some ill. Some are healthy and some are sick.

Slide 4

Lifes Not Fair From the day we are born to the day we die, life isnt fair. God never promised that life would be fair. God promises that if we will seek Him then He will take care of us (Matthew 6:33) God promises that He will be fair in regard to salvation (Acts 10:34-35) God promises that all will be judged (2 Corinthians 5:10) If we dont expect life to be fair, then we will not be as disappointed in life. Matt 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you Acts 10:34-35 Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him 2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Slide 5

You Cant Change History Time marches forward, not backward. There are those who would like to revise history, but that simply means to ignore the parts that they dont like. The truth is that once something is in the past it is fixed forever and doesnt change.

Slide 6

You Cant Change History Time marches forward, not backward. There are two corollaries to this truth. Once our words and deeds are said or done, you cant go back. Consider Psalm 141:3-4 What is in the past is in the past and there is nothing that can be done about it. Consider Philippians 3:13-14 Ps 141:3-4 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds of wickedness With men who do iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies. Phil 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Slide 7

You Cant Change History Time marches forward, not backward. There are two corollaries to this truth. If we think about the fact that we cant change history, that will help us prevent bad decisions. It will also help us to move on to things that we can do something about.

Slide 8

Words Have Meanings Do you remember the old saying, Sticks and stones But the truth of the matter is that words can be very hurtful. Why? Because words have meanings. Notice these passages that talk about our words: In Matthew 12:36-37 Jesus states: Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:6 Paul exhorted Timothy (1 Timothy 6:3-4). Understanding that words have meanings will help us to choose the right words and avoid the wrong ones Matt 12:36-37 But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Eph 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 1 Tim 6:3-4 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions

Slide 9

Choices Have Consequences Newtons third law of motion states: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is true spiritually as well. Galatians 6:7-8 Consider also Matthew 15:19 There is not a choice that we make that doesnt first originate within the heart! Understanding that choices have consequences will help us measure our choices before we make them. Gal 6:7-8 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Matt 15:19-20 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

Slide 10

Someone will oppose you for doing what is right We have a proverb in America today: There is no good deed that goes unpunished. Spiritually, Jesus has told us that we, as Christians, are going to be opposed. Matthew 5:11-12 John 15:19 Understanding that we are going to be opposed for doing what is right will help us prepare to do right regardless. Matt 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. John 15:19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

Slide 11

Learning the Hard Way Hurts! There are two different ways to learn in life. You can learn from someone teaching you. You can learn through experience. More often than not, we choose to learn through experience and many times those experiences are rough. There are principles in scripture that teach us to learn the easy way, not the hard way. Consider Ephesians 6:1 Understanding that learning the hard way often hurts, we will seek to learn from others first! Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Slide 12

Things Change Just when you think you have life figured out, life throws you a curve ball. The fact is that life is unpredictable and things change. We may be expecting our lives to go one way, but they will end up going another. Perhaps this isnt illustrated any better than in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Gods word, however, doesnt change because it is perfectly suited for every situation. Consider Hebrews 13:8 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Understanding that things change will lower our expectations for the unpredictable future and prepare us to deal with things according to Gods word. Eccl 3:1-8 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven 2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. 5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. 6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. 8 A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work

Slide 13

Everyone dies This is perhaps the most unavoidable truth of life. There are some scientists who think they can prolong life indefinitely. However, even they admit that the odds are against us. That even if our bodies were to be able to live indefinitely, one day we would be involved in some accident that would take our life. The Bible teaches that everyone will eventually die. James 4:14 If we understand that everyone dies, then we will seek to prepare ourselves and others for death as well. James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away

Slide 14

Irrefutable Facts of Life Lifes not fair. You cant change history. Words have meanings. Choices have consequences. Someone will oppose you for doing what is right. Learning the hard way hurts. Things change. Everyone dies.

Slide 15

End