Still on the Journey

Good Evening Everyone,

I'm still on the Proverbs journey and I plan on catching up tomorrow. Until then here is a sermon I preached Sunday evening you can view it by clicking on the word sermon above or watch below.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Untitled from Paul Cartwright on Vimeo.

Proverbs 23 and 24

Good Morning Everyone,

Yesterday was a great day in Pearland!!! A very special thanks goes to Debbie Brown for helping organize our first activity for a group at our congregation we are calling the Littles. The Littles are the children of the congregation who are not in school yet but are old enough to begin doing some fun things with their parents. We had four of the coolest young guys I know here in Pearland come to Chuck-E-Cheese yesterday to have a lot of fun playing games and eating pizza.

Because of all of this fun I had yesterday I forgot to blog. Today we are going to look at Proverbs chapters 23 and 24. Our journey is coming to an end but not slowing down one bit.

Proverbs 23

Proverbs 23:4-5

⁴ Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
have the wisdom to show restraint.
⁵ Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout wings
and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

My Dad told me a long time ago that I would never get rich preaching and he was right...well at least mostly right. I certainly don't have great physical wealth but I am rich in experience and friendship. I have watched men strive and strive to gain material wealth only to see it all go away because they never had enough. Let's make sure we are listening to the words of King Solomon and learning what really matters in life.

Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24:17-18

¹⁷ Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
¹⁸ or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him.

We love to see people fail, especially if we deem that they have done something wrong. We read the newspapers looking to see who has been indicted, we laugh out loud when we hear new stories about the CEO who gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar and we have to try to maintain control of the vehicle when the celebrity gossip comes on the radio. The reason I say we is because I must confess I do enjoy seeing people fail from time to time. We are better than this. We serve a God who demands that we live a life above all of this. Please join me in living a better life when it comes to how we deal with failures of others.

Proverbs 24:27

²⁷ Finish your outdoor work
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house.

This verse is special for me today because I am planning on doing some yard work today. For those of you that know me you know that I hate yard work. When we moved here nearly four years ago we began looking at houses. We saw lots of places but the one that April and I loved came with a big yard. I am committed to doing a better job of keeping my yard up this year. They say God works in mysterious ways and today I was able to read this passage from his Word that makes me want to do some yard work.

Keep on enjoying this journey and don't lose your momentum.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Proverbs 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Once again I have gotten behind but I really do have a good reason. The internet at the house isn't currently working and I haven't had the ability to blog lately. We had a really good weekend here in Pearland and lots of good things are happening here. I hope you are all still enjoying the journey we taking through Proverbs.

Proverbs 18

Proverbs 18:5

⁵ It is not good to be partial to the wicked

or to deprive the innocent of justice.

A great deal of the world's problems can be attributed to people showing partiality towards people who are dishonest. Politicians take pay offs, people take bribe money and even in our schools sometimes people are favored because of their last name. As God's people we cannot show partiality to people because that is not the example God set for us. God sent his Son and allowed him to live a life as a human and have his life taken away and by doing so he did not show partiality.

Proverbs 18:10

¹⁰ The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.

From time to time we all need someplace safe to go. When you are a child it is into the arms of your parents, as you get a little older hopefully it is into the arms of your spouse but even with these safety nets there are still times when you need someplace to go. I can think of no safer place to run to than the arms of God when life is confusing or you are in trouble. The best ways I know to run to God are to immerse yourself into his Word and speak with him daily in prayer.

Proverbs 18:13

¹³ He who answers before listening—
that is his folly and his shame.

I like to talk. I think anyone who knows me knows that I have the gift of gab and that I enjoy good stimulating conversation. My Dad always reminded me that God gave me two ears and one mouth so I should listen more and speak less. There is a lot of wisdom in those words and this Proverbs just reaffirms to me that I need to make sure I am listening more and talking less.

Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19:2

² It is not good to have zeal without knowledge,
nor to be hasty and miss the way.

In my youth I was blessed with some talents and I enjoyed using them. I was zealous and sometimes that was a good thing but sometimes it wasn't. I am thankful to all of those people who help me learn the right time to be zealous and when to back off and allow others to serve. These lessons were not easily learned but I am grateful they were learned. I would encourage you to the kind of person to mentor to zealous young men and women and help them learn how to serve the Lord to the best of their ability.

Proverbs 19:23

²³ The fear of the LORD leads to life:
Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

I've seen Sean Hannity in concert three times now and I have enjoyed him every time. One thing Sean Hannity shares with his audiences on his radio show and in his live performances is that you don't have to worry about the speeding ticket if you are not speeding. If we are living lives that are in keeping with God's will then we will be untouched by trouble.

Proverbs 20

Proverbs 20:4

⁴ A sluggard does not plow in season;

so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.

I shared this passage with a group of young men in the youth group the other night. When I was a senior in High School I had a project over the book "The Grapes of Wrath". I had all semester to do it and I put it off until the weekend before it was due. My whole family pitched in and helped with this project and I eventually got it done. I was acting like a sluggard and my whole family had to pay for it. I would encourage all of us to make sure we are being productive and working for everything as if working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).

Proverbs 21

Proverbs 21:9

⁹ Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

This is one of those passages that some ministers would use to make fun of their wives, I'm not one of those kinds of ministers. I am richly and eternally blessed that I live in my home with my wife who supports me and makes sure that I am taken care of in every way. To the men out there that like to poke fun at the expense of their wives I say that you need to take a good hard look at what all they do for you and consider how you talk about them.

Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22:6

⁶ Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Any time I study Proverbs I like to point out that this verse is not a guarantee. There have been many a good Christian man and woman who have taught their children from God's word, lived a good example for their children and prayed over them at night as they slept jut to have those very children live a life in open rebellion to the Lord. What this passage is saying is that by training your child in the ways of The Lord they will at least know what to do and will be able to make that decision when the time comes. The decision of following God or not following God is one that we all have to make for ourselves. In one of God's greatest expressions of love he chose to give us free will in whether or not we choose to love him. Wouldn't you want to do your best to ensure that your children have the best opportunity possible to grow up and serve the Lord?

Proverbs 22:17

¹⁷ Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach

I end with this passage today to remind you of the reason we are on this journey in the first place. If we are not paying attention to the wisdom found in this book then what is the point of studying? There are only nine chapters left I encourage you to remain steadfast on this journey with God and with me.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Proverbs 17

Good Morning Everyone,

Happy St. Patricks day everyone!!! While I don't necessarily understand or celebrate St. Patricks Day I did always enjoy pinching people for not wearing green. I want to say a very special thank you to Chris Peters for giving us a wonderful devotional thought last night he always does a great job of making us think. Let's take a look at Proverbs 17.

Proverbs 17

Proverbs 17:4

⁴ A wicked man listens to evil lips;
a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

It seems that a lot of the time we place a lot of blame on people who are gossipers and who stir up trouble and rightly so. What we don't do a lot of is talk about the listeners. Did you ever stop to think that people wouldn't say things to stir up trouble if people wouldn't listen? Let's try to be people who don't say things to stir up trouble and let's make sure that we aren't listening to people trying to stir up trouble.

Proverbs 17:6

⁶ Children’s children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

My parents have six grandchildren who all happen to be granddaughters. To say that they are proud of these six beautiful little girls would be a huge understatement. Most Wednesdays my Mom comes over and stays with Emma and it is an absolute joy to see her face light up when she sees Emma. I chose to speak about this verse to show you how wise Solomon really was. Even so long ago he knew that grandchildren would bring joy to their grandparents.

Proverbs 17:22

²² A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

I've sat at the bedside of people drawing their last few breaths and left the room feeling uplifted because they had cheerful hearts. I always try to tell people to not allow situations to define them but for them to define the situation. That may sound confusing but here is what it means. In your life you are going to face many challenging situations if you make the decision that you are always going to glorify God and have a cheerful heart then those situations will not define you, rather, you will define the situation by your attitude. Let's choose today to define the situations. Enjoy the journey.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Proverbs 16

Good Morning Everyone,

In my resolve to not fall behind on my Proverbs journey I am bringing you Chapter 16 this morning. I hope you all have a great and blessed Wednesday.

Proverbs 16

Proverbs 16:2

² All a person’s ways seem pure to them,

but motives are weighed by the LORD.

When I was in high school it was a popular thing to wear the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelets as a sign of your faith, or at least as a sign you were trying to fit in. I reference this with this passage because it seems to me a lot of people I knew wearing these bracelets wore them to look "pure" to the world. You might think that sounds judgmental but a lot of these people were out on the weekends partying and drinking and the reason I know that is because they were always telling me about these exploits while wearing their WWJD bracelets. We still wear our WWJD bracelets in the forms of fake smiles and handshakes when we see people we have issues with. Let's take off the bracelets and start living like God is judging our motives, because he is.

Proverbs 16:6

⁶ Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided.

I love reading scripture and finding that it echoes another part of the Bible. I think this passage sounds a lot to me like John 3:16

John 3:16

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

God sending his son equals atonement and I , for one, am glad that God saw fit to give us atonement.

Proverbs 16:18

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.

Think about any time in your life when you have failed at something. Maybe it was a class in school, maybe it was a business venture or maybe it was a relationship. Anytime you have failed there was probably some aspect of pride that caused it. Maybe you thought you were too smart to study, or you thought your business savvy was so superior that you didn't need to heed the advice of others and maybe you thought you were such a great person that could carry both sides of the relationship. Whatever the case may be pride generally helps you make the worst out of the best situations.

Proverbs 16:31

³¹ Gray hair is a crown of splendor;
it is attained in the way of righteousness.

This one is just kind of funny and I will tell you why. I was combing my hair the other day and I noticed something...a few gray hairs. I'm 29 years old and I am already finding gray hair. April tells me it makes me look distinguished but I feel like it makes me look old. This passage does make me feel a little better about my gray hairs. Keep on enjoying the journey.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Proverbs 11,12,13,14 and 15

Good Evening Everyone,

Busy, busy, busy that describes my life the past few days. I won't bore you with all of the details but needless to say I haven't been able to blog like I would want to over the past few days. If I can say anything about the past few days I would like to thank the fellow ministers in the area I work with. The men in this area are committed to living out the Godly example presented in Scripture and I am proud to work with them. Well we've got some catch up to do so let's get to work.

Proverbs 11

Proverbs 11:3

³ The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity

Integrity is a commodity in this day and time. Long gone are the days when you could always take someone at their word and a handshake. This is a sad commentary on the world that we live in because it was never intended to be what it has become. I believe as God's people we need to look, act, and talk differently than the people who live in the world around us. This doesn't mean we act superior or better than anyone, rather, it means we live a life that looks like God.

Proverbs 11:5

⁵ The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,
but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

You've seen this play out on the silver screen more times than I can count. The evil protagonist in the movie looks smooth and talks even smoother, there plan works seamlessly and then the hero sweeps in and stops everything dead in its tracks. Hollywood has stolen their best ideas from the Bible and it would seem that Tinsel Town has spent plenty of time in Proverbs. I read this passage and I rejoice because I can see a lot of wickedness in the world. This passage gives me hope that the people who are hurting other people will have their justice someday and that the people who are seeking to be righteous have nothing to fear.

Proverbs 11:9

⁹ With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,

but through knowledge the righteous escape.

We live in a world that contains weapons of mass destruction. With the push of a button nations can fire upon other nations and the world as we know it can be devastated. Every weapon in our arsenal cannot do the damage to a person that sarcastic or callous word can do. The ministers I spoke of early in my post are good friends of mine because they cause me to think critically on a number of subjects. One of the subjects we spend a great time on is why the Church of today is facing the troubles that it is. We always come back to the fact that our troubles would be greatly reduced if people would just love each other like the Bible says to do. If people would stop using their words to tear down and begin using them to build up then we could be unstoppable.

Proverbs 11:16

¹⁶ A kindhearted woman gains honor,
but ruthless men gain only wealth.

The old saying goes "you never see a u-haul behind a hearse". It's something that is said that we kind of chuckle at but when you think about it I think you would agree the statement is pretty true. While we agree that the statement is true we don't always live like it. We go out and buy things we don't need, we have gym memberships that go unused and we try to buy the affection of people by figuring out the things they want and buying them for them. This passage is a reality check for me and I hope that I am gaining honor more than wealth.

Proverbs 12

Proverbs 12:1

¹ Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid.

About a year ago April and I went over to our friend Kevin and Laura Odom's home for a meal. I was having a conversation with Kevin where I referred to something as stupid. Immediately all three of the Odom girls reminded me that stupid was a bad word. Stupid is not a nice word but in this passage I believe it is appropriately used. I have never felt more stupid than the times I have rejected someone trying to do something for my own good. I look back on those times and I feel guilty and ashamed but I also feel uplifted because I know I have a God who loves me and forgives me.

Proverbs 12:7

⁷ The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous stands firm.

Every Sunday morning at Pearland I have the privilege of singing a song with the children of our congregation. One of my favorite ones to sing with them is "The Wise Man Built His House On The Rock" because I believe it communicates such a good message. Let's all strive to be righteous and stand firm.

Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:4

⁴ A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

When I was a kid we always looked forward to going to the ranch and helping Pap-paw work the cows every year. One of the greatest parts about this annual event was the big lunch we got to eat afterwards. The ladies would spend all day in the kitchen cooking meals that would make Paula Dean jealous. The food tasted so goo because it was prepared with love but more than that it tasted so good because we had all worked so hard. I appreciate hard work and diligence and I believe whenever possible we need to practice these qualities and help instill them in others.

Proverbs 13:10

¹⁰ Where there is strife, there is pride,
but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

I like advice, I really do, but I don't always listen to the advice that is shared with me. Sometimes I just have to do things my way and most of the time I would have been better off taking the advice.

Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:23

²³ All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.

"All we ever do is talk". If you've ever been in a leadership position either in the private sector or in the Church at some point you have the feeling that all that ever happens is talk. Sometimes this is true but a lot of the time people use this an excuse for being upset about not getting their way. When it comes to seeking the lost in the World I definitely believe that actions speak louder than words. Let's quit talking and work hard.

Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15:1

¹ A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Have you ever seen the movie "You've Got Mail"? There is a scene in this movie where Meg Ryan laments the fact that she always thinks of the perfect thing to say after the person has left and at one point in the movie she actually does say the perfect zinger to someone and she feels bad afterwards. I feel like most of the time when we think we are being cute or funny that we probably end up just feeling bad because we have upset someone else. It is my prayer that our words will bring people up and never stir up anger.

Thanks for sticking with me on this journey and I'm sorry we had to cover so many miles in one day. I hope you are all blessed by Proverbs.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Proverbs 10

Good Morning Everyone,

What a blessing it is to have men in the brotherhood who have studied and learned about Christian evidences and apologetics. The reason I bring this up is that we are watching a series from Focus Press called "Convicted" by Brad Harrub. If you have the ability to check it out you really should. Today we are in Proverbs 10. This is where I really begin to enjoy Proverbs because the wisdom is given to us in a rapid fire method.

Proverbs 10

Proverbs 10:1

¹ The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

Working with teenagers means that this passage is near and dear to my heart. The damage that can be done by a child who defies their parents is almost too difficult to quantify. In my short time here on Earth I have seen more damage and hurt brought upon families because children chose to defy their parents. I encourage you to heed this passage even if you are grown.

Proverbs 10:4

⁴ Lazy hands make for poverty,
but diligent hands bring wealth.

If you look at any of the great success stories in America what you will see are diligent hands. You will never be successful if you don't make the effort to do something with your life. Too many times people with great potential never meet that potential because they simply do not put forth the effort to be diligent. If you are feeling like you are not contributing anything consider what you can be diligent at.

Proverbs 10:10

¹⁰ Whoever winks maliciously causes grief,

and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

This one pretty much speaks for itself but let me tell you why I always smile when I read this passage. There is a game that is played at youth retreats and gatherings called wink 'em. The game is played by dividing up the group by boys and girls. The girls sit in a circle of chairs and the boys stand behind them with one chair left empty. The boys wink at girls across the circle trying to get them to come to the empty chair.

If you are quick enough to see what is happening you can tap the girl on the head so she has to stay. When I was in high school a small group of us went to a retreat that Ralph Bryant was doing and we played this game. Ralph played with us and to say that he was competitive would be an understatement. It was great fun and the reason that I smile anytime I read this passage.

Proverbs 10:16

¹⁶ The wages of the righteous is life,
but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.

This passage echos the passage in Romans 6:23 that says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.". Too often we become comfortable in sin, we decide that we know what is better for ourselves than God does. Solomon is widely considered one of the wisest men to ever walk the Earth I believe we should listen to what he has to say and apply it every day.

Proverbs 10:23

²³ A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,
but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

How many books could we fill full of stories of congregations of the Lord's church that have been torn apart because fools find pleasure in wicked schemes? I had seen three congregation splits before I was 12 years old, at a very young age I learned what wicked schemes could do to the Lord's church and that is a sad thing to learn at such a young age. I still hurt and grieve over those splits but as I have grown older I also have learned to appreciate the people who were shining examples of Christianity who showed their true colors in the midst of such confusion and chaos. My prayer today is that God will give us wisdom and that the people who read this blog will be the agents of change that will help splits in the Lord's church become a thing of the past.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Proverbs 9

Good Morning Everyone,

Yesterday was a sad day around the Cartwright household. Emma got her 6 month shots at her check up. Four needles pierced the skin of our pride and joy, but on the upside we now know exactly how loud she can scream. I would ask that you keep Emma and us in your prayers. We have a consultation with an intervention specialist on March 25th regarding her heart condition. I hope you are keeping up in your Proverbs reading today we are in Chapter 9.

Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9:1-6

¹ Wisdom has built her house;
she has set up its seven pillars.
² She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
³ She has sent out her servants, and she calls
from the highest point of the city,
⁴ “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense she says,
⁵ “Come, eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.
⁶ Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of insight.”

Hospitality is a dying art. When I first came to Pearland very quickly we began having lunch together with a group of families. We look forward to this lunch every Sunday but up until recently it was missing something. Recently we decided to begin rotating houses every week and cooking a meal instead of going out every Sunday. Whoever hosts is responsible for the main dish and the people coming all bring some kind of side. The joy of being together has always been there but now we don't have to wait to be seated or deal with incorrect orders and we can really focus on each other. I know this passage is discussing wisdom and using the house as a metaphor but there is a practical lesson here.

Hospitality is a trait that is looked favorably upon in scripture and if we are to be God's people here on Earth then we need to adopt a spirit of hospitality. Don't be afraid to open your home because you think it isn't nice enough, don't be afraid to cook a meal for someone because you didn't go to culinary school and don't be afraid to love people because you are afraid they won't love you back.

Proverbs 9:8-9

⁸ Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.
⁹ Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.

From time to time we all need to be corrected and reminded that we do not have everything figured out. The difference between people who care about what God thinks and people who do not is that the people who care about God will accept being rebuked and learn from it. Being rebuked is not fun, it was not intended to be, but it is necessary. I implore you to remember that as you are being rebuked that there are lessons to be learned. Enjoy the journey and don't be afraid to make comments and ask questions.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Proverbs 8

Good Morning Everyone,

I had the best day yesterday! I got to eat lunch with out seniors group the Golden Agers. I fixed my special Dr. Pepper baked beans which were a huge hit. The day was capped off with a visit from my parents where they got to see Emma eat some yummy squash and pears with her cereal.

Recently at a leadership retreat for the area teens we had a panel discussion where the teens were encouraged to ask questions about leadership. One of the young men there ,whom I have known since he was a little boy, was trying to understand how deal with the loss of his Grandfather who was a great leader. His exact question was "How do you replace my grandpa who was a great leader?", my heart broke at that moment because I remember the young man's grandfather and the great leader he was. I did my best to answer his question because I wanted to bring him comfort. I conveyed to the young man that you can never replace a person because each person is unique and made up of their own life experiences. I shared with the young man that the best thing he could do was to honor the memory of his Grandfather by learning the lessons from his life and to spend a life loving God because that is the way his Grandfather lived his life.

Hindsight being 20/20 I wish I had shared this passage from Proverbs with him. Today we find ourselves in Proverbs Chapter 8.

Proverbs 8

Proverbs 8:32-36

³² “Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
³³ Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
³⁴ Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
³⁵ For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the LORD.
³⁶ But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”

The Grandfather this young man seeks to honor understood and lived this passage out in his life. I have a special place in my heart for young men who love their Grandfathers because I loved both of mine very much. I know that in your life there has been that one special person whom you respected as a leader and friend that is gone now. I also know that in your life you have wondered how you can honor that person. I suggest you read this passage from Proverbs and apply it in your life. I hope you are all enjoying the journey.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul