It was our privilege to spend this weekend at LifeChurch in Gilbert, Arizona [azlife.church]. Lead Pastor Terry Baughman and his wife Gayla are long-time friends, and we were so happy to see what God is doing there.

This was the fourth Sunday in their completely new church facility, and I was invited to speak during their open house on Saturday evening and for the Pentecost Sunday service. The Holy Spirit fell as on that first Pentecost some 2000 years ago, the waters of baptism were stirred, and the sweet lingering presence of our Lord refreshed our souls.

I encourage you to visit their social media presence at the link above. If you are thinking of building a new church facility from the ground up, you definitely need to check this out first!

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Proverbs 13:25 (NKJV) — 25 The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.

The secret of satisfaction. Satisfaction or dissatisfaction are not matters of quantity, but of righteousness or wickedness. Those who are righteous will be content with what they have. (See Philippians 4:11; I Timothy 6:8.) Wicked persons will never be satisfied. They always crave for more. But God alone can satisfy the inner longings of the soul (Isaiah 55:1-3).

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Proverbs 13:24 (NKJV) — 24 He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

Tough love. Some parents deceive themselves into thinking they love their children too much to discipline them. But the father who refuses to discipline his children actually acts as if he hates them. He shows no concern for the development of their character. (See Proverbs 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15; Hebrews 12:6-11.) Parents who love their children will chasten them early in life. The person who receives no discipline while growing up will have little self-control and will be of shallow character.

Discipline does not mean beating or abuse. We can learn how to discipline our children appropriately by noting the following aspects of God’s chastening of His children. (1) He never leaves a question as to His love for His children. (2) While the discipline may be painful, the pain is never permanent. There is no injury. (3) He does not chasten in an emotional fit of anger, but out of a determination of what is best for the disobedient person. (4) He restores the offender back to fellowship with Him. (5) When the discipline has been rendered and forgiveness sought and granted, He never again brings up the offense. (6) The discipline is designed and intended to produce repentance, not rebellion.

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Proverbs 13:23 (ESV) — 23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.

Industriousness and wastefulness. There is much productivity even in the land of the poor, but injustice often causes it to be destroyed or wasted. Even though some are poor, if they are wise they will not be wasteful. They will use all they have and make it produce the most possible. But one of the signs of a lack of justice is senseless waste.

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Proverbs 13:22 (NKJV) — 22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

The inheritance of a good person and the sinner’s wealth. Good persons carefully conserve, use less than they produce, and spend less than they earn in order to leave an inheritance not only to their children but also to their grandchildren. This verse thus indicates the wisdom of saving and investing. The inheritance it speaks of probably also describes the lasting positive influence godly persons have, not only on their children but also upon their grandchildren. (See Proverbs 17:6.)

Materialism has so affected the thinking of people that a popular view of inheritance is expressed on a bumper sticker: “We’re spending our children’s inheritance.” The idea is to use up everything one has and to leave nothing behind. But righteous persons are concerned about more than just their personal gratification. They are more interested in raising up the foundations of many godly generations. (See Isaiah 58:12.)

On the other hand, when people disregard God and rob Him in order to amass wealth, God has a way of placing that wealth into the hands of those who are just. Only the righteous have an everlasting inheritance.

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