Hill Thread

Luke 15:11-21
11Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13″Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17″When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21″The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son’”.

Related Text:
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
Proverbs 17:6
Proverbs 21
Hosea 6:1-3
Acts 3:19-20

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In Other Words

So the son goes out on his own, blows everything that he was given by his father, and then returns to his father’s home hoping that his dad will have enough pity on him to give him a job as a hired hand so he can at least have money to eat on. But the story throws an amazing curve. His father accepts him back – not at an employee, but as a beloved son!

This parable is an incredible image of God love for us. God will be waiting to welcome you back if you’ve been gone far away from Him out on your own. When you return to God, He won’t treat you as you might think you deserve. He won’t treat you as an unwanted traitor. He won’t treat you as an unforgiveable sinner. He will forgive you and bring you back as His son or daughter. Now that’s an awesome God!

Write down a verse from the Bible, any verse, that will help you remember how much God loves us.

Luke 8:5-18
5″A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
9His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10He said, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom-you know how it works. There are others who need stories. But even with stories some of them aren’t going to get it:
Their eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Their ears are open but don’t hear a thing.
11″This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
A Lamp on a Stand
16″No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”

Related Text:
Proverbs 11:30
Matthew 13:18-23
Mark 4:13-25
John 15:1-17
Galatians 6:7-10

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Good News

In relation to God and Bible, the term “Good News” refers to the information found in the New Testament, and more specifically, in the Gospels. The news that Jesus was God’s son who came to live on earth so that He could die as an atoning sacrifice for our sins, so that we may have salvation and live eternally with God in Heaven. The writers of the New Testament referred to God’s Word as “Scriptures” or as “Good News”.

The Bible is one of God’s ways to communicate with us. It is His love letter written to us with us in mind. Now, these Bible studies aren’t the complete Bible. They are pieces of God’s Word which we study over, but they are not the entire Bible (obvious, we all know a Bible study isn’t the entire Bible, but just hang with me here). So here’s my question, where is your Bible? Do you have one? Do you use it?

I ask because we need to make sure that nothing replaces our personal time with just us and God, reading His word. We sometimes have a tendency to rely on other people or programs to present us with God’s word. And if we’re not careful, we might forget about our personal time with our maker. The Bible is one way God speaks to us. We need to open our Bibles, read them, and apply God’s wisdom and teaching to our lives. Don’t let it be stolen away, choked out, or wither and die.

Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Rockumentary Episode #2 – “You Can Bet Your Life On It!”
David Crowder*Band’s latest album “Church Music” will show up September 9. However, if you can’t wait that long and you’re starting to panic, you can get a small taste by downloading the already released single “How He Loves” from itunes.  I don’t know what it is, I can’t put my finger on it, but I just have this feeling that this new album is going to be excellent.  You can bet your life on it!

Proverbs 16:1-9
1 We can make our own plans,
but the Lord gives the right answer.
2 People may be pure in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines their motives.
3 Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.
4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
5 The Lord detests the proud;
they will surely be punished.
6 Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.
By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.
7 When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them.
8 Better to have little, with godliness,
than to be rich and dishonest.
9 We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps.

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Do you believe God will determine your steps? Do you believe that God gives us answers to our plans? Do you truly believe that if you seek God, He will give you the direction you need? This passage brings me right back to what we read a couple of days ago in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 1:1-7
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young-
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Luke 11:29-31
29As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.

Related Text:
2 Chronicles 9:1-12
Proverbs 10:1
Proverbs 25:1
Jonah 3
1 Corinthians 12:1-11

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Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba; yes, that David and that Bathsheba. He followed his family line, and became king of Israel following his father. He had great wisdom, wealth, and respect. But he also had his share of problems and mess ups, as so many people in the Bible have had. Although he appeared to “have it all”, he made some bad decisions by marrying ungodly women and allowing them to weaken his commitment to God.

Everyone lacks wisdom at some point. As you read through the proverbs, you will probably come up on some scripture that will make you think, “man, if Solomon could have followed his own wisdom and advice, he could have avoided some of his mistakes.”

So here’s what God has hit me over the head with this morning, and it’s going to be hard to admit to. What good does reading my Bible, asking for wisdom, learning about God’s commands and seeking His desire for my life; what good does all of that do if I never apply any of it to my life? What benefit is there if we read about loving the unlovable, but never actually love anyone who is hard to love? What difference do we make if we read about going everywhere and telling everyone about Jesus, but we never go anywhere or tell anyone about Jesus? What’s the point of spending time studying about serving others in Christ, if we use our freedom in Christ to do anything but serve others?

James 1:22-25 confronts us about this exact problem. “22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.”

As followers of Jesus, we must make His teachings real in our own lives. We must apply what we read in scripture, we need to live according to God’s perfect Word. Don’t hesitate any longer. Take your Bible study, take your personal time with God, take your corporate worship at church, take all of this to heart and live it out without pause or hesitation.

Rockumentary Episode #1 – “Shred On, Buddy.”
These “rockumentaries” from the David Crowder*Band are greatness. Spend some time and get to know the members of the band just a little bit better. One lesson we can take from “Shred On, Buddy” is that we don’t always have to rock a solo in every song. This little tidbit of info could help keep millions of bands together each year.

1 Kings 4:20-34
20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. 21 And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.
22 Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl. 24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree.
26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.
27 The district officers, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite-wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

Related Text:
1 Kings 10:1-13
Psalm 72
Proverbs 13:10
Proverbs 16:16
Proverbs 23:23
Matthew 12:28-42

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Crazy to Think About

Did you know that Solomon was a big-time multimillionaire, probably a billionaire? In 1 Kings 10:14, the Bible tells us that Solomon received the equivalent to $250,000,000.00 (that’s $250 million) worth of gold each year from the kings of Arabia. He also sold horses, exotic goods, and copper and bronze from his mines. He would be considered one of the richest men in today’s global economy, so there’s no question he was one of the richest men alive during his time.

He he never sought riches or personal glory and prestige. He began by simply seeking God’s wisdom and a desire to be obedient to his Lord. The wealth was just a bonus, a blessing God gave to Solomon. Solomon knew that no amount of money, fame, or honor could buy what God was offering. Here’s how it went down in 1 Kings 3.

Solomon had been king for a while, and when he was on a trip to Gibeon to sacrifice at the alter of the Lord, God spoke to Solomon in a dream. God told Solomon to “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5) In verse 9, Solomon says, “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Just sit and think for a bit. Here was a king of a nation who had a chance to ask for anything, and God would deliver. He didn’t ask for wealth, he didn’t ask to be the greatest king, he didn’t ask for military victory or to conquer all the lands, he wanted to be a good leader and to have a discerning heart so that he could follow God’s will for His nation.

So here’s God’s answer, “”Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for-both riches and honor-so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” (1 Kings 3:11-14)

Now, this isn’t a study about how you can ask God for wisdom and He will fill up your bank account. God’s blessings aren’t always financial blessings. Try to live today more focused on God than your finances, more concerned about God’s plans for your life than the stuff you own or want to own. When you spend some time in prayer today, think about asking God for some intangible stuff, some things that money can’t buy. Ask Him to make you a better leader at work or in the home, ask Him to renew your joy or to use you in someone’s life. Be kingdom minded today.

Proverbs 3:1-10
1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.

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God gives us some of His wisdom, using Solomon and his proverbs. In the New Testament, James tells us that if we ask God for wisdom, and believe that He will give it to us, then He will. If we ask half-expecting for wisdom to show up, or if we ask without expecting anything to change, then it won’t.

As you read Proverbs 3:1-10 today, spend some of your time thinking about your relationship with God. When you pray, are you just throwing up wishes that you think would be really great if they came through? Or are you genuinely talking with God, pouring your heart out with all of your worries and praises, ready to follow His plan and accept His answers, even if it isn’t exactly what you had in mind?

1 Kings 2:1-4
1 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.
2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, 4 and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

1 Chronicles 29:23-25
23 So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officers and mighty men, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their submission to King Solomon.
25 The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Israel ever had before.

Proverbs 3:6
“In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.”

Related Text:
2 Samuel 7
1 Kings 1
1 Chronicles 17:23-27
Matthew 1:1-6
Luke 12:22-31

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David bestows some wisdom to his son Solomon as Solomon is about to take over as king of Israel. That same message that David gave to his son is also true for us. “So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go . . .”

From this offering of wisdom from father to son, we are given some mighty encouragement from the son who is now the king. Proverbs 3:6 – “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Words to live by.