Devotion for Saturday, August 27, 2011
Awesome Study in James starts tomorrow!
Make plans to be with us at church tomorrow as we start the book of James in Connectiong Group. God is going to use His Word to GROW us through this book so make plans to be there. Also, you’ll be introduced to your new table leaders and table groups at this time too. If you need a ride, let me know!
Today’s Passage:
1. A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. 2. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Proverbs 15:1-2
Pastor Ben’s Commentary:
Weekends mean extra time at home around family. If your family is like mine, that means that at times there is more opportunity for us to disagree on things. Today, the book of Proverbs is going to give us a pretty cool strategy on what to do when you get into these kind of conversations.
Many of the proverbs in the Bible use contrast. They go like “Wise people do this, but foolish people do this.” It can be really helpful. There are two examples given here in today’s verses. Think through them by answering these questions…
Application Questions:
1. What is a “soft answer”? What does the verse say they do? What does this mean?
2. What are “grevious words”? What does the verse say they do? What does this mean?
3. What kind of speech comes out of “the wise” person?
4. What kind of speech comes from the fool?
5. Do you think that they way we use are words is important? Why or why not?
6. How can this strategy in verse 1 help you? (Be Specific)
Study the Scriptures with Ben Jennings 
1. A soft answer means talking to someone in soft voice wrather then yelling at them. The verse says that they they were talking in soft voices puts anger away but threatining words cause anger.
2. Grievious words mean threatining words.
3. A speech from knowledge.
4. A speech of follisness.
5. Yes because we want people to understand what we say and let the people have the prospective that we have.
6. Well we want to be a nice person and try not to get agrevated at people so we should just talk in a soft voice and get over and just be that kind of person.
1. A soft answer is a way of dealing with things in a more positive way then a harsh answer. For example, say that someone who has hurt you in the past comes up to you and tries talking to you. The best way to handle the situation is to talk to them with a “soft answer” rather then getting mad at them right away and answering with a “harsh answer”. This happened to me today actually and I had the choice of whether or not I was going to respond in a nice way or a mean one. I luckily responded in a nice one even though it was extremely hard to do.. If I would’ve answered with a harsh answer I would’ve created way more drama then there needed to be. I left the situation cival, and hopefully will stay that way.
2. Grevious words are things that we could say that can turn somethine positive negative. Like Pastor Ben said, when we’re home on the weekend we’re with our parents a lot more. If our parents ask us to do something instead of being like “Ugh, fine i’ll do it cause i HAVE to!!!” Do it in a non grevious way and do it because you know your parents can’t do everything and they need help. I know both of my parents are always busy, so I have a lot of responsibility. I know that if I answered like that to my parents all the time, my relationship with them wouldn’t be where it should be and I wouldn’t be respecting them. Just by the way we say something or the way we act determines so much!
3. The bible says that the wise use knowledge rightly. What does this mean? Well to me it means that if we’re wise, we will be making the right decisions such as, using the right words in situations and not harsh ones. I think using our knowledge rightly is so crucial! I know I’ve been in plenty of situatuons where I wasn’t being wise and I didn’t use my knowledge rightly and it ended up making more trouble for me. If we learn to be wise, we can use our knowledge rightly and make the right decisions. The decisions God wants us to make.
4. The bible says that the speech that comes from the fool is, foolishness. Like i mentioned before that when I wasn’t wise in my decisions my knowledge wasn’t used rightly, in other words it was used in foolishness. We need to learn to overcome the things that our instincts tell us to do and do the things that GOD tells us to do. We’ll start to become more wise and using our knowledge rightly and not foolishly like we would be before.
5. I believe that the words we say are extremely important. Words can ruin friendships, relationships, start conflict, etc. We need to be careful what we say. I know sometimes it’s so hard to not want to speak what’s on your mind, but we need to stop and think before we speak. If we do that, we can potentially prevent something bad that would’ve happened.
6. The strategy in verse one can help me when I’m in a situation where I know I need to be careful about what I say. It’s so hard to not let our instincts get the best of us, but this verse is a great reminder of what can happen. If i use a soft answer I can turn away wrath, or anger, but if I use a harsh answer I can create more anger that wasn’t needed. I think this is a great verse that we all need in life! 🙂
1) a soft answer is when you answer something without a conflict arising. What i think of is when a friend asks a rude question, you reply with an answer to where the subject can be dropped and you don’t have to continue on with it. The verse says they turn away wrath (anger). Sometimes its hard, but its the smartest thing to do!
2) Grevious words are hurtful words. They are mean, and unkind. Definitley words you don’t want to hear or say! The verse says they stirup anger. Like if you dont watch what you say when your in a fighr, it can quickly make someone angry and bad things can occur because of it!!
3) the speech that comes out of a wise person is like what the 1st verse says, a soft answer. Wise people think before they say. I dont always do that.. & then afterwards i feel dumb!!! I’ve become so aware of everything i say because one word can totally ruin a conversation, and how people view you. I want God to be proud of me!
4) Speech that comes from the fool is grevious words. Fools dont think before they speak, which can lead to conflicts!!!
5) i think it is very important how we use our words because words can leave an impact. If we are foolish, it can leave a baaaad impact. But if we are wise, we can leave a good impact 🙂
6) The strategy in v.1 can help me because i know i have to think before i act, or speak. By replying in soft answers, i can prevent so many conflicts and arguments! I have a lot on my mind all the time and sometimes i just blurt it out. But by having this verse in my head, i can remember what God wants me to do, and not what i want to do!
1. A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. 2. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
First up thanks to you guys (Andrew, Mel and Linds,) for being so faithful to this process. You each did a good job with these verses. The verses are pretty self-explanatory, and really give some good advice. Words “softly” answered do turn away wrath, because as we may have all noticed, it takes two to fight. As much as its tempting to keep fighting, set someone straight, get something off your chest…whatever…all those emotional reactions are about keeping yourself “#1” in spite of what the scripture tells us to do, which is to “prefer one another”. Grievous refers to “heaviness” or “tough to bear”, and is it any wonder that such word choice would stir up anger. Notice that the tongue of the wise “uses” knowledge aright, (correctly), and the mouth of fools “pours out” (overflows) foolishness. Words are tools in the mouths of wise, and weapons in the mouths of fools. As Pastor Bales has said “words matter, and they can hurt”. Also once said, words can’t be taken back!
1. “A soft answer turneth away wrath” A soft answer is probably the opposite of what I do most of the time! It means to be gentle and kind, and that will turn away wrath (or anger). When someone hurts you, it’s so easy to get really mad and yell at them or “stir up anger”. But a soft answer will (Believe it or not) prevent a lot more hurt!
2. “Grievous words stir up anger” I think a good example of this is when you get in an argument with someone, grievous words not only hurt the other person, it just makes things worse!!
3. I think a wise person obviously would be smart enough to choose words carefully, so probably nice and kinds words 🙂
4. The kind of speech that comes from the fool would probably be angry and hurtful words, which is, well foolish!
5. I think the way we use words is very important! Because like Melanie & Lindsey said: words can ruin friendships and sometimes leave a bad impact! But if we choose our wisely, hopefully that won’t happen!! 🙂
6. Verse 1 can help me a lot!!! Cause honestly, I “stir up anger” very often! (Actually, I just stirred up a lot of anger at dinner.) And that’s reallllly bad!! I’m going to try and memorize this verse so hopefully I’ll learn how to turn away wrath and use a soft answer!! 🙂
Alexis, memorizing scripture can really help in any situation, and this one especially so! (In the psalms it says “thy word have I hid in my heart (“memorized”) that I might not sin against thee”.) I need to commit verse one to memory myself–it (unfortunately) so goes against my sarcastic nature! 😦
Good point!! That always helps! & I have a sarcastic nature too John! 😉
Sarcasm can be really fun, but also really damaging. I’m that way too….
Maybe we all need to go forward on Sunday. 🙂
Yeah, I agree 😉
Alexis- you were really honest and open today in your comments. I think that is really cool. Your willingness to share was an encouragement to me.
1. I think it’s and answer thats not meant to be offensive.
2. It’s kind of the opposoite, it’s an answer that’s offensive and that tries to cause trouble.
3. An answer that is knowledgeable and that is kind.
4. A response that is just foolish and nit a lot of thought was put into it and thats offensive.
5. Yes because we can either please God with how we speak and deal with people, and it can help our testimony.
6. I can either speak and bring glory to God air I can speak and hurt people, and create problems.
Hey Ryan- I saw you and your dad working hard out on the playground today. Thanks for the hard work you are putting in to that. I was on my way to an appointment, and on the phone so I couldn’t stop. How does it look?