Well, last week we wrapped up our series talking about the unlikely heroes in the book of Judges, so normally I would start a new series today. However, we’re just about into the summer months and most of us, including myself, will likely miss several Sundays as we take vacations, spend time at Bible camp, or whatever else we find ourselves doing this summer. So I didn’t really want to kick off a whole new series at this point.
But it is Father’s Day – and so I thought it might be good to do a message that was really geared for the men. Now that’s not to say that it won’t apply to you ladies – I think there’s lessons here for all of us today – but I really want to try to connect with the guys this morning. And so to that end, today’s message will be shorter than usual, it will include power tools, and it will end with food.
I think most guys would be agreeable to all that – so we here we go! Let’s jump right into it.
The main verse that I want to focus on today is Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17
Now of course, when I was a kid, I memorized this verse in the 1984 edition of the NIV – and back then, the translators weren’t so concerned about being gender neutral – and so that edition put it like this…
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV 1984 Edition)
So while, obviously this verse can apply to anyone – both men and women, today I want to focus on applying this verse to us men. Because I think this is really a missing ingredient in our Canadian culture today. We really don’t have that element of men sharpening men.
But I guess, before we get too far along, I should probably define this whole concept of sharpening one another and why its so important.
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