The Bible not only describes foolish behavior for us, but it also gives clear guidance on how we should respond to foolish people.

Here’s another principle for dealing with foolish people:

Principle #3 – Don’t argue with foolish people.

2 Timothy 2:23-24: Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

You will be tempted to argue with a foolish person. All your emotions will lead you in that direction. They bring out the worst in us, so you need to pray for patience and self-control. If you allow them to drag you into an argument, they have brought you down to their level, and you will never win that argument. You will just end up in great frustration. Someone has said: “Never tell a fool that he is a fool. All you’ll have is an angry fool.” 

Principle #4 – Protect yourself from the resentment and anger caused by foolish people.

Proverbs 27:3 (NLT): A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is heavier than both.

In her book, Foolproofing Your Life, my friend, Jan Silvious gives good advice about setting boundaries for the foolish people in your life. She says to think of living in a castle, with a moat around it and a drawbridge over that moat. When you see that foolish person coming at you, think of pulling up that drawbridge. It may be a mental or emotional drawbridge, or actually putting some space between you and that person, but learn to set those boundaries.[1]

Yes, you have responsibilities toward some foolish people. Yes, you must interact with some foolish people. Yes, you can’t avoid all foolish people. But it is your responsibility to protect yourself from their words, their actions, their accusations, and their behavior. As Jan puts it, if you have to feed them, use a long-handle spoon.

Well, there is a lot we can learn from Scripture on how to deal with foolish people.

[1] Jan Silvious, Foolproofing Your Life: Wisdom for Untangling Your Most Difficult Relationships (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 1998).

It was before Christmas, and I went shopping for toys for my kids. Now you might not think there's anything unusual about that – unless you happen to know that all my kids are grown up now. But that doesn't mean they can't have one little spark of childhood left in them, right? For example, I always buy my daughter a doll for Christmas. And we've got one son who for a long time was a big fan of a certain Sesame Street character, and he had a collection of everything Ernie. Well, there came a time when this Ernie toy was one of the hottest Christmas items on the market. I discovered the toy in September in a store before it became an officially hot item. I could have bought it, but I said, "Naw, Christmas is a long way off. I can always get it later." Wrong! When "later" came, no more Ernies to be found.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When 'Later' Never Comes."

When it's a toy you miss because you waited – no big deal. When it's God you miss, when it's eternity in heaven you miss, that's huge.

Our word for today from the Word of God, 2 Corinthians 6:2. God says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." God says here there is a time of His favor; there is a day of His salvation. And that's when you need to grab Him. Then He clearly spells out the time we need to respond to Him. God's Word says, "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

When God talks about salvation, He's talking about rescuing us from the death sentence that we're all headed for because of our sin, which is basically the self-rule of our own life. A life that was created to be run by our Creator. This "salvation" came at a very high price for God. See, someone had to die as your substitute to pay for your sin in order for you to be rescued.

The only one who was qualified to pay that awful price was God's one and only Son. That is Jesus Christ. So, believe me, it really matters to God what you do with His Son, because of what His Son gave up for you. The only response that can change a person's eternal address from hell to heaven is putting your total trust in Jesus as your only hope of belonging to God and of being with God forever.

But so many of us are like I was the day I held that purchase I wanted in my hand. We decide to put it off – make it ours later. I chose to get it later, and later was too late. It was no longer available to me. That's the awful risk you take when you put off Jesus one more day.

Maybe you've been around the message of Jesus a lot. Maybe most folks think you belong to Him. But deep in your heart, you know there's never been a time when you've really committed yourself to Him. It could be you've said, "I will give myself to Jesus when I'm ready."

You need to hear the words of Jesus recorded in John 6:44. "No one can come to me unless the Father...draws him." You don't come to Jesus when you're ready. You come when God's ready. It's God who makes you ready to trust Jesus. If you feel that tug in your heart right now, this is the only time you can be sure God is readying you to come. There are no guarantees of one more opportunity. That's why the Bible says, "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6). He may not always be findable. He may not ever be this close again.

If you've never had that "Jesus, I'm yours" moment, would you do that now and get this settled? Eternity is nothing to wait on, procrastinate on. This could be your "Jesus day." Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours. What you did on the cross is my only hope of rescue."

Go to our website. There's a pathway there that I've tried to lay out as simply as I could so that you could be sure you belong to Him before you hit the pillow tonight. That website is

America has an opportunity to lead the world in defending the dignity of every human life. 

The United States is once again taking the lead in the Geneva Consensus Declaration, an international coalition promoting a pro-life, pro-family approach to public health. It expressly affirms that “there is no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the part of States to finance or facilitate abortion.” 

That matters because international institutions have increasingly treated abortion as though it were a fundamental human right. America should offer the world a different example: that protecting mothers and their unborn children, strengthening families, and defending human dignity are not obstacles to human flourishing. The United States should lead by example and stand unapologetically for life. 

Read: Matthew 9:10-13

“Singur invited me to his birthday party next Saturday,” Owen told his mom and older sister, Chloe. “He’s an awesome soccer player.” Owen pretended to headbutt a soccer ball into a goal, then raised his arms in victory.

“You could get him a hat with his favorite team’s logo on it,” Mom said.

Owen shook his head. “Singur always wears a turban. It’s part of his religion. He’s a sick.”

“He means Sikh, Mom.” Chloe slipped off the bandana that had been tied in her hair.

“Singur’s mom said I can spend the night after the party,” Owen said.

“What about church on Sunday?” Mom asked.

“I could go with Singur to his gurdwara. It’s like church.”

“A gurdwara is not a church,” Mom said. “Sikhism is a different religion from Christianity.”

“But that doesn’t mean Owen shouldn’t be friends with Singur, does it?” Chloe asked. “Didn’t Jesus make friends with all kinds of people?”

“He did,” Mom said, “and He shared God’s love with them. But He never participated in things they did that went against who He was. Sikhs don’t worship Jesus, so a gurdwara is not a place of worship for Christians. We need to be careful that the things we do with our friends are in step with our faith in Jesus. He saved us and made us His people, and we need to follow Him.”

“Give me your leg, Owen,” Chloe said. “I want to show you something.” She put her own leg next to Owen’s and tied their ankles together with her bandana. “You go left. I’ll go right.” When Owen tried to walk away from his sister, he fell. “You’re tied to Jesus, and you need to go in the same direction as Him,” Chloe said. “Otherwise you won’t go anywhere.”

Owen got to his feet. “Mom, I think I should go to Singur’s party and spend the night, but I’ll tell him I can’t go to his gurdwara because I have my own church to be part of.”

“Good thinking,” Mom said. “You might even get a chance to tell him about Jesus and what He’s done for you.”

Owen nodded. “And for his gift, I think I’ll get him a bandana with his favorite soccer team. It’ll work great for winning a three-legged race!”

–Holland Webb

How about you? Do you have friends who don’t know Jesus? How can you be a friend to them without going against who you are as a Christian? Jesus was friends with all kinds of people, but that doesn’t mean He went along with everything they did. Trust Him to give you wisdom in knowing how to be a good friend to others while remaining true to Him.

Today’s key verse: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Be a friend like Jesus

The gaslighting must stop. 

__________

For more resources visit breakpoint.org. 

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The word “but” can crush a plan in seconds. David is living the dream: peace in the land, a secure throne, a cedar palace, and a holy desire to honor God by building a temple. He asks the prophet Nathan, gets an enthusiastic yes, and you can almost hear the blueprints unrolling. Then God speaks, and everything shifts.

We walk through 2 Samuel 7 and the moment God closes a door on something that looks good, noble, and spiritually motivated. That’s what makes it so personal. Most of us don’t struggle with God saying no to obvious bad choices, we struggle when the no lands on something we truly wanted to do for the right reasons. Along the way we connect the dots to how our childhood dreams change, how God redirects our steps, and why trusting the Lord means more than trying harder to force a locked door open.

The surprise is that God’s no is paired with a massive yes. Instead of accepting David’s offer to build God a “house,” God promises to build David a “house” through the Davidic covenant: a lasting line, a kingdom, and a throne that points forward to the Messiah. We also slow down on David’s response, because it’s the model we need when plans unravel: humility instead of self-defense, gratitude instead of fixation, and surrender that rests in whose we are.

If you’re dealing with closed doors, delayed dreams, or a painful redirect, press play and sit with this story. Subscribe for more, share this with someone who needs steadiness today, and leave a review if it helped. Where are you tempted to push harder when God might be guiding you elsewhere?

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Fear sells, fear spreads, and fear can quietly steer your life even when the threats are imaginary. We open by naming how much of today’s anxiety is aimed at things we can’t control and may never face, then we ground ourselves in a stabilizing biblical promise: God’s world keeps its rhythms and seasons under his care. That sets up the real question: if most fear is wasted, what fears are actually wise? 

We walk through Luke 12 as Jesus calls out “justifiable fears” that can save your soul and strengthen your character. First, we wrestle with the fear of living a lie. Hypocrisy isn’t just a flaw, it’s yeast, spreading pride and distortion until private life and public faith no longer match, and Jesus is clear that what’s hidden won’t stay hidden. Next, we talk about the fear of forgetting the future: don’t fear people who can only harm the body, fear God who holds eternity, judgment, and mercy. 

Then the tone shifts to encouragement that hits anxious hearts right where they live. God doesn’t forget sparrows, and you matter more than many sparrows. He knows the number of hairs on your head, which means you won’t get lost in the crowd and you won’t walk into hard moments alone. We also tackle cultural pressure to redefine Jesus, why confessing Christ matters, and why a troubled conscience can be a sign of the Holy Spirit calling you to yield and believe. 

If you want practical Christian teaching on fear, hypocrisy, courage, confession, and the Holy Spirit’s help when you’re put on the spot, this conversation will meet you there. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s wrestling with fear, and leave a review telling us what truth you needed most today.

Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25

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The CEO was hurting employees with his sharp tongue. No one dared confront him. Everyone was afraid of him, including Gene. But one day the CEO berated a new employee, reducing her to tears. When Gene saw how everyone in the room stayed silent, he spoke up.

“I told him the way he was treating people was wrong,” Gene recalls. “He was astonished; it was the first time someone stood up to him. He didn’t change, but I’m glad I spoke up.”

Scripture tells us of another man who stood up to a challenge many were afraid of. Shammah, a military warrior of David, came from difficult circumstances (see 1 Samuel 22:1-2), but God used him to defeat the Philistines, a formidable enemy of the Israelites. “When the Philistines banded together at . . . a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them” (2 Samuel 23:11). Only Shammah had the courage to defend Israel’s food supply. Being the lone man against the Philistine army meant death, but Shammah “took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it” (v. 12). 

God helped Shammah defeat the Philistines (v. 12). He may have been the only Israelite in the field, but he wasn’t alone－God was with him, giving him great victory that day. There may be times when we’re called to stand up to a challenge that everyone else is avoiding. Like Shammah, let’s take our stand, relying on God’s presence and help.

For a woman facing an unexpected pregnancy, an ultrasound can turn fear and uncertainty into a moment of clarity, compassion, and hope. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West and Dan Steiner share how PreBorn!’s national network of partner clinics reaches women at critical moments. Discover how you can come alongside this life-saving work. Then, it’s on to calls. That’s Faith & Finance Live, biblical wisdom for your financial journey. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

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