Dear Church Family, I was in Proverbs chapter eight this morning and reading about the blessings of wisdom. When I came to verse 13, I remembered the phrase “The fear of the Lord” from chapter one. In 1:7 God tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Our starting point in seeking God’s wisdom is rightly fearing Him. Here in chapter eight, though, the phrase has a different ending, one that helps us evaluate how well we’re doing at fearing Him. Proverbs 8:13 (ESV)
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
According to this verse, one way we can test “The fear of the Lord” in our lives is how we view evil. Do we hate it, do we love it, or are we somewhere in between? The answer probably varies in our lives by the specific form evil takes. We all have certain sins that we are more drawn do than others. The question I pondered this morning, though, is why God makes such a strong connection between the two. I think, when we’re truly putting God in His rightful place, viewing Him the way He deserves to be viewed, we will also respect His opinions a lot more. Like a child who has upmost respect for his parents will listen more attentively to their warnings and judgments than one who has very little respect for them. When we continue to respect God’s voice as sovereign in our lives, our views will begin to align with His. We will start thinking more like Him, longing more for the things He says are good, and hating more the things He says are bad for us. This made me think of a saddening article I read this week about an extremely liberal pastor who bragged about getting multiple abortions, claiming she felt no guilt, no shame, no sin in doing so. How could someone have such a low view of sin that she wouldn’t hate it, but instead actually embrace it? It became clear through her repeated statement, “The God I know.” Instead of fearing the God of the Bible, she simply created her own god that agreed with her views. When we fear the Lord, we allow Him to shape our views of right and wrong. When we have no fear of Him, we force our views of right and wrong onto Him. The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. How are you allowing God to shape your view of right and wrong? Is there an evil that you’ve chosen not to view God’s way? Have you ignored His opinion on whether something is right or wrong? Remember Jesus’ words: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments,” (John 14:15 ESV). What’s Happening at Gospel Life:Youth Group: Join us for youth group this Sunday, October 29th from 5-7 pm. We’ll have dinner, games, worship, and continue our Bible study through the Book of Joshua. Church Potluck: Join us after the morning worship service for a potluck meal on Sunday, November 5th. Please bring one of your favorite dishes to share with the group. Prayer Night: Our next prayer night will be November 7th at 7 pm at the Kropfs’ house. We have the privilege of bringing our needs before the Lord and praising Him for Who He is and what he has done for us. Their address is: 6461 E Path Dr. Nampa, ID 83687. Men’s Challenge “Facing the Giant”: Join the guys at Jump Creek 9:30 am – 2:30 pm on Sat., Nov. 11, for a hike, lunch, stories, talk of facing giants, and a further physical challenge. For more details re: what to bring, car pooling, etc. please get in touch with Kevin Edgerton or Michael Gerdes at least by Nov. 8. Elder Training: The next elder training will be Tuesday, November 14th at 7 pm at the Bronleewes’ house. We’ll pick up at 1 Timothy 2:9-15. Life Groups: If you would like to grow in your relationship with the Lord and other believers, please consider joining a Life Group. We have groups for men, women, and youth. You can check them out here:
https://gospellifebiblechurch.churchcenter.com/groups/small-groups?enrollment=open_signup%2Crequest_to_join&filter=enrollment Request Prayer: It’s important for us to be praying for each other as a church! If you ever need prayer, we would love to come alongside you. You can always turn in a prayer request on Sundays using the Connection Card, but you can also submit a prayer request online at any time:
https://gospellifebiblechurch.churchcenter.com/people/forms/368653 This Coming Sunday:
Recognizing God’s Kind Hand – We saw last Sunday how God brought hope to Ruth through Boaz’s acts of kindness, care, and protection. Join us this Sunday as we study Ruth 2:17-23 see how Naomi will react to this news. Watch Previous Worship Services
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW5IMNeRoI99I-QNoGMnuWDy6Y5svTt_c | 
