Scott LaPierre Ministries Scott LaPierre

What does sin do to us? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies sin. We can see how she acts toward the foolish young man to see what sin does to us.







Table of contents* Sin Lies to Us* Sin Says, “You Won’t Get Caught”* God Won't Be Mocked* When It Looked Like David Wouldn't Get Caught* Sin Makes Us More Like Animals* Sin Produces a Slow, Painful Death* Sin Hunts the Foolish* Sin Is a Baited Hook* The Way Joab Approached Abner and Amasa* Turn to God from Sin









https://youtu.be/-JeVOMo2fhY

What does sin do to us? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies sin. We can see how she acts toward the foolish young man to see what sin does to us.







Radio personality Paul Harvey shared about how Eskimos kill wolves:









First, the Eskimo coats a knife blade with seal blood because seals are easy to trap. He allows the blood to freeze and then adds another layer of blood and another until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up.When a wolf follows its sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, it licks it, tasting the fresh, frozen blood. The wolf licks the blade more vigorously until the keen edge is bare. But the wolf doesn’t notice the razor-sharp sting of the blade because his tongue is numb from the cold, nor does it recognize that its insatiable thirst is being satisfied by its own warm blood. The wolf’s carnivorous appetite just craves moreuntil the dawn finds it dead in the snow.









The account is grisly but illustrates sin's consuming, self-destructive nature. When we see people engaged in habitual sin, we can share this story with them and tell them to stop licking the knife. I looked at over ten websites to determine if Eskimoes do this because I don’t like when pastors use illustrations that aren’t true (something pastors are famous for doing). I found many websites with this story. But they were pastors’ websites or websites for sermon illustrations, so I’m not sure they can be trusted.







I think an even better illustration of sin’s destructiveness is found in Proverbs 7 with the harlot. We can swap the wolf for the foolish young man. Like the wolf, he is killed because of his desires. If you want to see just how much the foolish young man looks like an animal being hunted, notice the theme of verses 22 and 23: "an ox to the slaughter...a stag caught in a trap...a bird stuck in a snare."







Sin Lies to Us







I will pick up at verse 18 with the harlot speaking to the foolish young man:









Proverbs 7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love.









In the same sentence, the harlot twice mentioned the word love. This is a lie: she’s known this young man for about five minu...

Our Christian marital problems are only symptoms. The actual problem is in our relationship with Christ. This is why all the prayers for marital problems should include praying for a stronger relationship with the Lord. Read or listen to this content from Your Marriage God’s Way to find biblical advice for marriage problems.







Table of Contents* Submission to Christ Improves Marriages* Handling Christian Marital Problems* Three Encouragements* Why We Should Embrace Christian Marital Problems* Ask Difficult Questions and Expect Painful Answers* God's Chastening Is Not Punishment, But a Father's Loving Discipline* Learning From Painful Seasons Caused by Christian Marital Problems











Because our relationships with our spouses reflect our relationships with Christ, our marriage “problems” are merely symptoms. The actual problems are in our relationships with Christ. The horizontal relationship with our spouse is suffering because there’s something wrong with the vertical relationship with Christ.







For instance, in my marriage, the problem looked like I did not have enough time for my wife and children. But that was a symptom. The problem was that I would not listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings to meet my family’s needs, and I was not trusting Christ enough. Instead, I let anxiety consume me.







Thus, the first place to address any symptoms that appear to be problems between the husband and wife is to look at each person’s relationship with the Lord. When I counsel couples, and they share a problem they are experiencing, they become confused when I ask, “What does your time in God’s Word look like? How is your prayer life? Tell me about your involvement in the church.”







A wife might say, “I just told you my husband yells at me. Why are you asking about his time in the Word?” Because the hope is that as a husband reads God’s Word he will be convicted of what he is doing wrong, repent, and become a more patient and loving man. I do not have the power to change a husband’s heart, nor does a wife, or there would be no need for counseling. A husband can only become the man he should be by having a good relationship with Christ.







Likewise, a husband might respond, “I just told you about how my wife humiliates me in front of our friends. Why do you ask whether we are part of a small group study?” Because ongoing connections with other believers can provide accountability and require vulnerability and transparency. You can learn from other believers and be challenged by their examples. When you are not actively involved with others in the body of Christ, you will not receive the encouragement and exhortation God wants you to have. You will feel alone, as though you are the only people having these problems. You will not have anyone through whom God can regularly speak to you. We are made to have fellowship with other believers. When that is lacking, it manifests in other areas, including our marriages.







Submission to Christ Improves Marriages







Here are two situations I have witnessed many times.

Do you want to know how to have a lasting Christ-centered marriage? Ephesians 5:18 tells us to "be filled with the Holy Spirit." Read or listen to this material from Your Marriage God’s Way to learn how the Holy Spirit will help you have a lasting Christ-centered marriage.







Table of Contents* Your Marriage Reflects Your Relationship with Christ* Jesus Deserves Your Obedience* Trust the Holy Spirit to Help You Have a Christ-Centered Marriage* A Holy-Spirit Filled Marriage* We Cannot Just Sit Back* What Might It Look Like for the Holy Spirit to Help Us?* The Encouraging Balance When Striving to Have a Lasting Christ-Centered Marriage











A few years ago, Katie and I faced the biggest crisis of our marriage. I started pastoring Woodland Christian Church when it was small, but within three years, the congregation tripled. Before I became a pastor, I was unaware of how much work is involved in shepherding a church of even a few hundred people. I had been an Army officer, a supervisor at a distribution center for a major retail chain, and an elementary school teacher. But none of those occupations approached the amount of mental and emotional energy and sheer hard work pastoring entails!







Almost all my waking hours were spent studying, teaching, counseling, making phone calls, sending emails, attending meetings, addressing administrative responsibilities, and tending to benevolence issues. When I was at home, where I should have been an engaged father and husband, I did not have much left for my family mentally, emotionally, or physically.







Although I was failing as a husband and father, I was able to convince myself I was still pleasing the Lord. I compartmentalized my life by saying, “I am a Christian first. I am a spouse second. I am a parent third. I am an employee fourth.” Instead, I should have said, “I am a Christian spouse. I am a Christian parent. I am a Christian employee.” The danger of seeing ourselves as Christian servants first and spouses second is that we can believe the lie I bought into: “If I can be a good pastor, I can please God even though I am not the best husband.”







The truth is that I was a poor husband, and I should have recognized that meant I was not pleasing the Lord.







Your Marriage Reflects Your Relationship with Christ







The reason we cannot please the Lord while failing as a husband or wife is that our Christianity is directly related to the way we treat our spouses. Our marriages are outpourings of our relationships with Christ:









* In Matthew 7:16, Jesus asked, “Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?”







* In James 3:11-12, the apostle James asked, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?”









The point of these verses is that we reveal our Christianity by the way we live. Jesus clarified: “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). And right living—or right fruit—can only be produced through a strong relationship with Christ.







Because our relationships with our spouses are our most important earthly relationships,

Paul wrote that “Christ died for our sins [and] was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The Old Testament doesn’t just prophesy that Jesus would die and be raised; it also prophesies that he would be raised on the third day. Where is the Old Testament prophecy of Jesus' death and resurrection on the third day? There are four possibilities.







Table of contents* The Gospel's Two Essential Elements* First, Jesus Died for Our Sins* Psalm 22 Prophecies of Jesus' Death* Isaiah 53 Prophecies of Jesus' Death* Second, Jesus Was Raised from the Dead* Where Is the Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third Day?* The Feast of Firstfruits Is an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third Day* Hosea Contains an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third Day* Israel as a Type of Christ* The Veil and Jesus’ Body Torn* Jonah Is an Old Testament Prophecy (or Sign) of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third Day* Jonah's "Death" and Burial* Jonah Was "Raised" on the Third Day* Isaac Is an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third Day* Don't Try not to Believe* Footnotes









https://youtu.be/o0HdYqct2pU

Where is the Old Testament prophecy of Jesus' death and resurrection on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4)? Four possibilities exist.











Growing up we had a handful of movies on VHS tapes. I feel old knowing some of you don’t even know what VHS tapes are. One of the movies we had was Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I don’t know how often I watched this movie, but it was a lot. Let me tell you how it ended.







The dying Khan activated a bomb that would blow up his ship and the nearby Starship Enterprise, finally delivering his revenge against Captain Kirk. The Enterprise’s engine was damaged, so it couldn’t enter warp speed and escape the explosion. With the lives of all the crew in jeopardy, Spock entered the nuclear reactor to restore power to the warp drive so the ship could escape. In the process, he was exposed to a lethal dose of radiation.







When Kirk realized Spock was missing, he ran to the engine room, where he saw his friend within minutes of death. Spock used his last words to ask Kirk if the ship was out of danger. Then he said, “The needs of the many outweigh…” Kirk interrupted to say: “the needs of the few,” showing he learned from his logical friend. And then Spock added, “Or the one. I have been and always shall be your friend.” Spock made the Vulcan salute, which Kirk mirrored, uttered, “Live long and prosper,” and then died. Spock died for his friends,

What is temptation? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies temptation. The harlot pursues the foolish young man like temptation pursues us. The foolish young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. Studying her helps us understand how temptation works and better equips us to resist.







Table of contents* Foolish People Are Outmatched Against Temptation* The Harlot in Proverbs 7 Personifies Temptation* Temptation Is Aggressive* Temptation Makes Itself Sound Good* Justifying Giving In* Temptation Appeals to Our Pride* Balak Appealed to Balam's Pride* Why Would Temptation Want to Appeal to Our Pride?* Temptation Appeals to Our Senses* Temptation Appeals Most Often to Our Sight* Look to the Great High Priest









https://youtu.be/p8pRdQz8afA

What is temptation? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies temptation. The harlot pursues the foolish young man like temptation pursues us. The foolish young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. Studying her helps us understand how temptation works and better equips us to resist.







We like showdowns. When I say the word, our minds probably go to Westerns with two cowboys staring each other down while they stand on a dirt road in the middle of a small town with a saloon on one side, a bank on the other, and a few other buildings scattered about. A tumbleweed rolls by, and we hear the familiar whistling sound while we wait to see who draws first.







There are many famous showdowns in fiction outside of Westerns. For example, Achilles and Hector’s fight in the Illiad. My favorite showdown is Gandalf’s fight with the Balrog in the Lord of the Rings.







There are also famous showdowns in Scripture. The first few chapters of 2 Samuel record the conflict between the House of Saul and the House of David. Saul’s forces, led by Abner, ran into David’s forces, led by Joab:









2 Samuel 2:12 Abner and the servants of Saul and Joab and the servants of David met by the pool of Gibeon…one on one side…and the other on the other side. Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 Then they arose…16 And each caught HIS OPPONENT BY THE HEAD AND THRUST HIS SWORD IN HIS OPPONENT'S SIDE, SO THEY FELL DOWN TOGETHER…17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.









Some other showdowns in Scripture are David and Goliath, Elijah and the prophets of Baal, and Jesus in the wilderness with the devil. I could go one step further and say Jesus’ earthly ministry was a showdown between the kingdom of God that Jesus rules over and the kingdom of darkness that Satan rules over.







Foolish People Are Outmatched Against Temptation

In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus taught the Parable of the Rich Fool. Ironically, the rich fool looked smart, accumulating wealth and succeeding as a farmer and businessman. Learn why God said he was a fool when his life ended.







Table of Contents* Everything Comes from God* We Can Be Wise in the World's Eyes But Fools to God* The Rich Man Was a Fool Because He Didn’t Give* The Rich Man Was a Fool Because He Didn’t Plan for Eternity* The Rich Man Was a Fool Because He Didn’t Know to Whom His Soul Belonged* The Rich Man Was a Fool Because He Wasn’t Rich Toward God* Understand What Money Can't Do* Understand What the Gospel Can Do









https://youtu.be/XlQwaVEw090

Jesus taught the Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12:16-21. Learn why God called him a fool despite looking smart and successful.











Malcolm Forbes was an American entrepreneur who is most well-known as the publisher of Forbes magazine. He’s also remembered for several sayings, and one that he repeated is, “He who has the most toys wins.” As you would expect from someone who said this, he lived an extravagant, flamboyant lifestyle. He spent millions (or perhaps billions) on parties, traveling, and his collection of yachts, aircraft, art, motorcycles, castles, hot-air balloons, and Fabergé eggs, some of which cost over one million dollars each.







Growing up, there was a popular line of clothing called No Fear. They had one shirt that corrected Malcom’s quote: “He who dies with the most toys still dies.” The people working for the secular clothing company were considerably more biblical than Mr. Forbes. They recognized that regardless of how much a man has, he can’t “add a single hour to his span of life,” as Jesus said (Matthew 6:27). The No Fear clothing company also recognized we can’t take any of our toys or possessions with us because if we could, then the one who died with the most toys would be the winner.







The man in the parable of the rich fool seems like the Malcolm Forbes of the Bible. He lived only for this life:









The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, “What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?” And he said, “I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21).









The rich fool’s harvest was so great he ran out of room to store it. As a farmer, because his crops are basically money, it’s like he has more money than he knows what to do with. How would you like to have this problem? Believe it or not, it was a big problem for him! He didn’t understand the concept of stewardship and that anything he had ultimately belonged to God and was meant to be used for His glory.







Everything Comes from God