In Deuteronomy 6, Moses gives Israel the word of God, and then he tells them what to do with it. Keep these words on your heart. Teach them diligently to your children. Talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise. The word is given to us in gathered worship, but we are meant to take it with us and to continue to be formed by it. Meditation here isn't study, and it isn't learning something new- it's turning over what we already know until it shapes our convictions and stirs up our hearts. The Puritans called the speaking side of this conference. Malachi gives us a beautiful picture of this: those who feared the Lord spoke with one another, and the Lord paid attention and heard them. That's what we're doing right now. And Moses tells us why it matters. A people can receive every good thing from God's hand- cities they didn't build, houses they didn't fill, vineyards they didn't plant- and then forget who gave it. The remembering we need is not the kind that passes a test. It's the kind that shapes our whole lives as the people of God.

What does it mean to build a household? Proverbs presents marriage, parenting, work, and family life as parts of something larger: a household being built according to wisdom. But sin tears households down, and suffering can leave us with circumstances we never would have chosen. Ultimately, our hope is not in the strength of our earthly households, but in Christ, who is building a household for God. In this sermon, we consider what it means to faithfully build the households God has entrusted to us while finding our deepest identity and fruitfulness in the household of God.

We naturally gravitate toward relationships marked by mutuality—people we love, enjoy, and benefit from. But Proverbs calls us to something deeper: loving our neighbors who cannot or will not give us anything in return. The poor, the vulnerable, the oppressed, and even our enemies are not outside the scope of Christian love. Why? Because God has loved us in precisely this way. We were weak, helpless, needy, and enemies of God, yet Christ came to us in mercy. Having received such love, we are called to see, know, and wisely do good to the neighbors God has placed in our lives.

Conflict is inevitable because we live as sinners among sinners. But how should Christians respond when we are hurt, offended, or wronged? Proverbs gives us much practical wisdom and direction. Yet knowing what to do is easier than doing it. In the end, we need Christ—not merely as our example, but as the One whose righteousness, forgiveness, and finished work free us from the need to protect and vindicate ourselves. In Christ, we can die to ourselves for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor.

Our words have the power to build up or tear down, to give life or deal death. In this sermon from Proverbs, we explore the dark side of that power: harsh words, foolish words, gossip, slander, lies, and flattery. Why do we use our words to wound and manipulate others? And what does the gospel have to say to us both as sinners guilty of these words and as sufferers wounded by them? Christ meets us in both places, forgiving our sinful speech, healing our wounds, and giving us what we so often try to take from others. Ultimately, we don't need to use people to get what we already have in Christ.

A sermon from Proverbs 10:11, 20–21, 31–32

Friendship isn’t optional- it’s how God forms and protects us. But even good friends fail. Jesus is the friend who never does. A message from Proverbs on friendship, failure, and the true friend we all need.

Your life is shaped by what you love. But we often love the wrong things or love the wrong way due to our sin. Proverbs helps us understand the danger of disordered desires while pointing us to the one thing that puts them in their place and leads to life. What is shaping your love?

We all experience fear, anxiety, grief, joy, hope, and sorrow—but what are we supposed to do with them? Should we suppress our emotions, or should we follow our hearts? In this sermon from Proverbs, we explore what Scripture teaches about the passions: why God created us as emotional creatures, how sin has disordered our emotional lives, how Christ entered into our humanity to redeem it, and how wisdom teaches us to navigate our emotions faithfully.

Sinful anger is appealing because it feels powerful and in control. But Proverbs shows us that true power belongs to the one who masters himself. Jesus embodied this perfectly, and it is ultimately his rule and reign over our hearts that displaces the anger that too often reigns there.