The Bryce Crawford Podcast - Proverbs Series Chapter 15 (EP 115)

Episode Date: July 15, 2025

Proverbs 15

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And we'll see you in Nashville, San Diego, Chicago, and Birmingham. fall. What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Crawford podcast. I'm Bryson. Today, we are on Proverbs 15 out of 31 guys. We're about halfway through the Proverbs book series. If you guys are enjoying it, like, subscribe. We got some awesome podcasts coming up next month. It's going to be awesome. But guys, again, nuggets of wisdom here in Proverbs 15. Let's read it together and follow along. Verse 1. A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Wisdom actually is teaching us in verse 1 here, the value of a soft answer. answer, and it shows that being soft, gentle, and kind in our responses to things, it can actually

steer away wrath from the other direction. Right. So instead of being heated and returning with a wrathful answer and returning with anger, that just builds more anger. But if we return with gentleness and kindness, kindness can kill wrath. First two, the tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. So now verse three tells us that not only wisdom shows us the value of a soft answer, but wisdom actually understands that we are always under God's eyes. Okay? This means we're never hidden. This means we're never forgotten about. But this also means that God takes note of both good and evil. The mistakes you made last night, the sin struggles you have, you can't hide from God,

God sees it all. And you can either humble yourself before your sin or let your sin humble you. if you let your sin humble you, then God will deal accordingly with you the judgment necessary for your sin. But if you humble yourself before God, as a God, give me the strength to overcome this. I need forgiveness. God, would you speak to me? Give me the strength. I repent and turn from that lifestyle. God will forgive you. Verse four, a gentle tongue is a tree of life, but for perverseness in it breaks the spirit. Our words have the power to do more far good than we can often imagine. Our words, have power. Verse 4 says it is a tree of life. Okay, so if someone's tongue is perverse instead of wholesome, their speech will actually break the spirit of other people, okay? But if our tongue has power,

then we can deliver life when we speak to people. A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. In the house of the righteous, there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. Verse 7, the lips of the wise spread knowledge, so the heart so fools. Verse eight, the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. I want to highlight this verse, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable. What is the sacrifice of the wicked that is an abomination to the Lord?

Oh, I don't know. Maybe a religious ritual without godliness. And see, that is the dangers of doing religious rituals. I mean, you look at Cain and Abel. I mean, Kane offers this offering to the Lord that had no sincerity behind it. And so whenever we do religious things for God, without godliness and without sincerity, it's an abomination to him. You know what else this could be?

An abomination to the Lord? Partaking in communion without a pure and clean heart coming to the table just all willy-nilly. I mean, I don't know if you guys know church history, but people died taking communion when they didn't come with a holy reverence and respect and godliness. Guys, we have to understand the weight that doing things for the Lord has. there is a weight, there is a holiness to it. But what does that verse say? But the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.

The godly man delights God, not just with their actions, but with their prayers, with the heart of their prayers. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves him who pursues righteousness. There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way. Whoever hates, reproof, will die. Whenever a man or woman departs from God's path,

sometimes the mercy of God is actually sending godly discipline, harsh discipline towards their way. And this actually gives them a warning signal and an opportunity for them to change their ways. So sometimes, verse 10 says, God uses discipline to turn people back from their lifestyle towards him. Verse 11, Sheal and Abidon lie open before the Lord.

How much more the hearts of children of man? What is Sheeal and Abidon? This means that before the Lord, you know, we picture hell as it's like, we believe hell's real, but it's not like we don't know it's a physical, it's not a physical place to us. right now because we're on the earth realm.

But we think of hell when it says, no, hell is before the Lord's eyes right now. If we could see hell, Proverbs 11 is saying, we would think and act much more differently. But because the weight of heaven and hell is a reality, we have to kind of ask the Lord, hey God, give me this weight of holiness and reverence

and respect for you, like a fear of the Lord for you so that I can turn from my ways and actually live a holy and set apart life for you. Verse 12, A scoffer does not like to be reproved. He will not go. to the wise a glad heart makes a cheerful face but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed verse 14 the heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge but the mouths of fools feed on folly all the

days of the afflicted are evil but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast for 16 better is a little with the better is a little with the fear of the lord than great treasure and trouble with it see verse 16 is important because we live in a materialistic age we think success is defined by the physical acclamation of things. But Proverbs is saying, better is someone who has little but fears the Lord than someone who has much and is distracted by all their materialistic things that they can't fear the Lord because their God is their things and not the Lord. We have to be careful. Verse 17, Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. What is verse echoing? The presence of love makes up for a lot. Sometimes we like to solve issues by buying

things and giving things, but if things are done without love, then there's less of a weight to it, but we can never flourish without love. We as human beings desire love. And what is the steadfast love that endures forever? The Lord's love. And when we are loved by the Lord and know that we're loved by the Lord, then that empowers us to love people like the Lord loves us. Verse 18, a hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quits contention. Notice how it says a hot-tempered man stirs up strife. So strife isn't stirred up by accident. Strife is done intentionally by people. Verse 19. The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway. What does this mean? The wise man brings peace and smoothing over in contention.

Verse 20, a wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother. Remember at the very beginning of proverbs, there was this picture of a father and a mother and how this instruction isn't a dictator telling us what to do, but it's a father saying, hey, look, I know what's best for you, my son. Listen to me. Listen to the father. Verse 21. Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense. Whoa, this is crazy. Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. Fools take pleasure in their own foolishness. They only hate folly. Fools only hate stupidity and folly when they reap the bitter consequences of their own folly. But most of the time, fools enjoy their own foolishness unless they reap the harsh benefits of their folly. Isn't it crazy? Fools are just

hypocrites. Don't be a fool. Don't be simple. Don't be the hypocrite. Proverbs is echoing. Verse 22, without counsel, plans fail, but with many advisors, they succeed. Mentors are a great addition to your life. Verse 23 to make an apt answer as a joy to a man and a word in season. How good is it? The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from shield beneath. The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but maintain the widow's boundaries. Why is it that Proverbs here, Solomon is using this idea of a widow as a good thing? What does that mean? Those who choose pride in verse 25, they set themselves against God. Okay. So when Proverbs is using this picture of a widow, it's picturing this kind of humble,

dependent, reliant on God picture. Okay. So in this verse, we are to be like the widow, who is humble and dependent and reliant on God because it represents the opposite. of the proud in this verse. Verse 26, the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but gracious words are pure. Whoever is greedy for unjust gain.

Listen carefully to this verse now. Those that have ambitious goals. Listen carefully. Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live. Many who are greedy for gain justify it by saying,

I'm doing this for my family. A lot of people who are greedy for money say, oh, well, I'm just doing this to help my family out of my kids and my family. But what Proverbs is saying is oftentimes people that are greedy that justify by saying I do it for my family,

they bring trouble to their home. So he's saying the very thing that the greedy justify their actions with brings trouble to. But then he says, God's blessing is for those who, what, walk in integrity and hate bribes? Because greedy people will do anything for a bribe.

They just want more and more and more and they're never satisfied. But those who walk in integrity don't need bribes. They turn it away. Verse 28. the heart of the righteous ponderes how to answer but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things the lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous verse 30 this is a beautiful

verse as well the light of the eyes rejoices the heart the light of the eyes rejoices the heart remember that and good news refreshes the bones the bible tells us that the eyes in our ears are the lamps sorry the eyes are the lamps to our soul okay so what we consume is what we become and when our eyes are full of the light. It brings contentment to our entire being and body. And what does it say in the back half of verse 30? Good news refreshes the bones. Good news cheers the spirit. What's the ultimate good news? The gospel that you and I are broken, but because of Jesus Christ, he was broken so that you and I could be whole and righteous in him. The good news that fuels our body and brings cheer and satisfaction to our soul is the fact that Christ died for our sin, paid the penalty so that you and I could

become the righteousness of God. Verse 31 to close. Verse 31 through 33 to close. The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the law wise. Be humble, what verse 31 is saying. Whoever ignores instruction, despises himself, but he who listens to reproof, gains intelligence. First 33, the fear of the Lord

is instruction in wisdom and humility comes before honor. Again, echoing the entire thesis statement of all of Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is the beginning to wisdom. And what does it say at the end of verse 33, an essential aspect to fearing the Lord? is humility. Guys, I pray that Proverbs 15 was a blessing to you guys. I love you guys and see you guys tomorrow for Proverbs chapter 16.

Guys, thank you so much for watching and listening to this episode. If you guys like it, subscribe to us on YouTube, follow us on Spotify, Instagram, and TikTok. Bless you guys and see you guys next week for the next episode.