Preaching Proverbs

Alyce McKenzie offers preachers an effective way to reclaim proverbs in preaching. She corrects popular misconceptions about the nature of proverbs, highlights their usefulness in contemporary situations, and demonstrates their ability to confirm (or subvert) the status quo. Six sermons are provided to illustrate proverbs at work in dealing with contemporary concerns.

How exactly does one become wise? Pastor and teacher Ray Ortlund points out that the wisdom of God does not stand aloof, as if it were unattainable. Instead, he shows that wisdom graciously moves toward us, into our real world where we live and struggle day by day. Wisdom offers us her very best, if only we will listen. After all, "Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice," and, if wisdom troubles herself to yell, there must be a reason to listen and a means to hear. Ortlund unpacks the book of Proverbs in twenty-one straightforward sermons, providing a biblical worldview that opens up the higher meaning of money, sex, and power, as well as that of the daily routines of an average life. Drawing relevant parallels from ancient culture to present day, he helps the reader understand how the book of Proverbs is practical help for normal people going through everyday life. Most importantly, Ortlund shows how the Proverbs point to Jesus and his counsel for the perplexed, his strength for the defeated, his warning to the proud, his mercy for the broken. With careful treatment of the Scriptures and uncomplicated language, Proverbs: Wisdom that Works fills the vacuum between the layman's experience and the exegetical depth of many commentaries. Part of the Preaching the Word series.

Verse-by-Verse Commentary on the Book of Proverbs

The author of "Families in Ancient Israel" explores Proverbs as part of the Wisdom tradition and shows how the book offers guidance on how to live in harmony with God, with one's community, and with creation.

Break the cycle of doubting yourself, take God at His word, and talk back with truth - a new message of freedom from bestselling coauthor of Wild and Free Hayley Morgan. We know Christ came to speak life, but then how come our inner critic keeps showing up and stealing the mic? If we’re honest, she’s a harsh one, saying things we’d never dream of saying to others: You’ll never measure up, you’ll fail again tomorrow, you just can’t get it right. It has been said that the eighteen inches from head to heart is the soul’s longest journey. Our head knows the good news is true, but our heart struggles to believe it, and it is in this gap that we battle to believe the promises of God. Hayley Morgan, coauthor of bestselling book Wild and Free, has wrestled with this tension her whole life. In Preach to Yourself, she tackles it head-on to discover how we can renew our minds to renew our lives. For every woman who struggles with repetitive, negative self-talk, this book will show you how to identify the toxic loops where you get stuck and replace them with the truth of God we can believe with our whole selves. This is not a “try harder” reprimand, it’s a “believe better” invitation: to take God at His word when He tells you who you are. Come along and learn a simple practice to break free from the lies holding you back, and step forward into the fullness of life God has planned.

An abridged and revised version of Bruce Waltke’s magisterial two-volume NICOT commentary on the book of Proverbs Since 2004, Bruce Waltke’s magisterial two-volume NICOT commentary on the book of Proverbs has been recognized as a definitive exegesis of the Hebrew text, groundbreaking in its illuminating analysis that the authors and redactors of Proverbs had organized their material into discernible clusters and groupings. Waltke and Ivan De Silva here offer an abridged and revised version of the preeminent commentary, which is more accessible to students, pastors, and Bible readers in general. In place of a technical analysis of the Hebrew text, Waltke and De Silva interpret the translated text, while also including their own theological reflections and personal anecdotes where appropriate. A topical index is added to help expositors with a book that is difficult to preach or teach verse by verse. At its heart, this shorter commentary on Proverbs preserves the exegetical depth, erudition, and poetic insight of Waltke’s original and maintains the core conviction that the ancient wisdom of Proverbs holds profound, ongoing relevance for Christian faith and life today.