Choices Proverbs 8:1-11 10-24-10

Sermon 10-24-10 – choices - Proverbs 8: 1-11

1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.
6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.


In this scripture wisdom is acquainted with god.
Personified in God It is one of his main attributes –
Sofia goddess of wisdom controversy
James- 1:5 if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God

God knows what to do.

Choosing with the mind, choosing with the soul
We do better when we consider decisions in the light of the soul.

Such Choices are very spiritual

We have some choices to make as a church family

[by the way, do who know what today is? Giving Sunday sermon – annual time when the pastor talks about giving]
2 men marooned on an island
giving first, giving prayerfully

We have some choices to make as a church family

In 1997 I took no position I was still new. I listened and checked the temp of the congregations. One day I took a basketball to church. It was time. I made my speech, told them where I stood and made my statement. I then gave you the ball.

So what are our choices about the proposed building addition
About out future
About how we will be the body of Christ to one another

We have important choices to make regarding this building campaign
[Which is almost over]

Paul Dodds praying in the chapel
If money were not involved, wouldn’t we all be for this
Making more room- yes probably so

So the concept is not divisive, it just asks us to participate
And here we find the pain

Someone has said, I cannot give
That is fine
Do not worry. It is ok
Do I love u less if you cannot give
Are you any less important if you cannot give?
No. each one is loved. Each one is valued.

If you cannot give, just bring your card back next week and say
I will paint. I will plant bushes. I will pray

Everyone is valued and loved regardless of what or how they give.

Choices are important in every aspect of our lives
1. Who we will marry
2. Decisions to get up and go to church on day lights savings time.
3. How we will be voting on Nov 2nd
4. how we treat the server at the restaurant

We can enter heaven without a building.
We can enter heaven without complete truth
We cannot enter heaven without love

choices that we make – are more important now than every

we are living in difficult times

do you need a litany of the issues
Economy, stock market, national debt, foreclosures, jobs
Decline of our nation on the world scene

Some have suggested it is the end of the world
We have mismanaged our country and so it’s the end of the world?
The Chinese and Indian people don’t think so

But we have issues in our nation and that angst spills over into our church

Issues at Church-
• new church start –
• capital campaign –
• other changes

Gosh, change is everywhere
I wish I could tell you that there would be no more changes
I am announcing another one today
Kris Bartman moving to north Carolina

Worry- fear- frustration
What is a Christian to do?
Fear can be a bad thing or a good thing
If you let it in, fear can take over
• You lose the heart of god
• You lose the faith in the future
• You forget about the love of God
• And we start to sink beneath the waves a peter did

Or fear can be a good thing.
• Fear puts us on alert
• It tells us that we have opportunities
• It causes us to check every box and cross every T and dot every i
• Fear causes us to lift up our eyes and look for the God who is deliverance

My wife and I have had some wonderful moments in our life together, but some of the ones that we most cherish are the times of worry and fear. Because in those moments we looked at each other and we took each others hands and we prayed to God and we came out on the other side

Greater things occur in times of struggle, not in times of abundance
I refuse to give my life over to fear

What is the message of Jesus for this moment in us history in our church?
what does the wisdom of god say to us in such times
God puts the ball into our hands, what do we say to others?

Fear not
In the valley of the shadow- we are not alone

At the last supper Jesus said, Jn 14:27
27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

After his crucifixion and death, they are hiding in the upper room
He appears Jn 20:21-22

21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

This is a time for Christians to remind the world of hope.
This is a time for love to shine

Everything is ok. God is with us

This is still my father’s world