Jerry Edmonds

In Christ because of Christ
Bible teacher at Bay Cities Fellowship

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 16 Sovereignty
Man's autonomy is limited, though we act as though it isn't. God's sovereignty is limitless, though we act as though it isn't. Were it not for God's sovereignty, we would all degrade into our basest natural selves, destroying ourselves.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

@Pastor_Gabe Yeah, some sermons flow like a stream, some flow like a leaky faucet.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

@fivesolatyler Typical. My sermons to one former member went from "Good biblically-based truth" to "This is heresy" in one minute. So I asked the church, "What is Calvinism?" and got three very wrong answers. Ignorance abounds regarding Calvinism among anti-Calvinists, especially SBC ones.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 15 Says
What one says is evidence of the level of foolishness or wisdom they possess. One's speech perhaps more than anything says a lot about the character of the speaker, whether they offer good and right words or evil and destructive ones.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 14 Character
Seeing human character by way of interaction reveals man's intent. However much one wants to avoid being seen for who they really are, their character always exposes them. Seek character and not reputation, because character is who you are.

[Joshua Waulk @WaulkThisWay]

Ruminations on Biblical Counseling . . .

“The activity of the soul attains its highest level as the intellectual or rational soul. In this way the soul far surpasses plants and animals. The soul performs this higher activity chiefly with the brain in one’s head. As such, the soul has two faculties: understanding and will.” Herman Bavinck, Foundations of Psychology

Question: What happens when that “brain,” due to the effects of the fall (Gen. 3), fails to work as it was originally designed?

Bavinck observes, “The body is not the soul’s prison but its natural organ. Life varies, depending on the organs of the body, in which the soul is active.”

Bavinck, writing on psychology in the early days of its modern development, rejected a tripartite (body/soul/spirit) view of man, preferring a dichotomous view (body/soul). I think Bavinck was right on this issue (as was Berkhof and others).

Further, and important to biblical counseling conversations of our day, he advocated for a holistic anthropology that accounted for the intersection and interdependence of man’s constituent parts.

Trouble in the body may cause trouble for the soul; disruptions in the soul may lead to dysfunction in the body.

Interestingly, while the secular theories of psychology fail to account for the human soul (a fatal flaw), some in the current biblical counseling movement make the opposing error of failing to properly account for the body.

As Christians, and following in the thought began/modeled for us by Bavinck, we are the inheritors of truth. We have access to the very best framework to understand man and what ails him (and our understanding continues to grow/be refined—this is exciting!).

To be human is to possess both a body and a soul. If you do not possess one of these, you are something other than human.

Thus, to be a biblical counselor is to care for both body and soul, both in principle and according to one’s competency (e.g. unless you’re a medical doctor you don’t practice medicine).

Why would we aspire to anything less?

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 13 Guide
Wisdom is a guide to those who recognize and accept it. Putting wisdom into your life will guide you safely through the traps and pitfalls that life in a sin-filled creation brings to you. Allow the wisdom of God to guide you; read it daily for all its benefits.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 12 Outcome
Look at the outcome of what people think, say, and do to know where their minds, hearts, and intentions lie. Scripture calls this the fruit that one's life bears. It usually takes time to see the outcome of a life, through the evidence it produces.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 11 Relate
How one relates to mankind reveals what is in their heart and mind, showing good or evil intent. Instead of listening to what people say, watch how they relate to others, especially strangers, to learn what you need to know about them.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 10 Simple
Solomon now moves on to more simple to understand and follow wisdom. When life gets complex and multi-faceted, the simple ways are often lost to the noise. Come back to these simple contrasts regularly to keep your life on track.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 9 Advance
The way to advance in life is to learn, then apply what you've learned. This is wisdom. To do otherwise is to remain ignorant and naïve, never able to advance beyond base thoughts and actions, always lost and enslaved to sin.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

@5Solas 6 household baptisms in the NT:
Cornelius Acts 10:2, 11:14 Belief
Lydia Acts 16:14-15 Unstated
Philippian jailer Acts 16:31-34 Belief
Crispus Acts 18:8 Belief
Stephanas 1 Cor 1:16 Unstated
Royal official John 4:53 Belief
The weight of evidence 2:1 is that belief precedes baptism.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

@YourCalvinist @1689Nacho I tried manuscript, the way it's taught in many seminaries. Didn't work. I now use a one page outline. I have preached without an outline before, and it does help with connecting to the congregation. For me, some passages need outlines, and some don't.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

@WaulkThisWay Patriotism has no place with the gospel. Following this corrects a lot that's in American churches.
@MichelleDLesley says the two places heresy normally finds inroads is through the women's ministry and the music ministry, and she is being proven right day by day.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 8 Evidence
The evidence of wisdom is a righteous and holy life. The evidence of wisdom's creator is creation itself. The evidence of a lack of wisdom is an immoral and wicked life. If you have it, evidence wisdom in all that you are, say, think, and do.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 7 Base
Is Solomon's warning here about the seductress, or of something more base? Look beyond the situation and see the base human trait in play here. When you follow your base nature you are moving headlong into pleasant destruction.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 6 Character
A person of righteous character has a shield against attacks on their life. Such character serves to protect and preserve the one who has it, keeping them from sin in a world of temptation. Build this character by steeping your mind in scripture.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 5 Woman
Few things can ruin or make a man like a woman. One woman seeks pleasure for a moment, while the other for a lifetime. One woman seeks to control a man, the other to complement him. Heed Solomon's advice about women: he knows.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 4 Path
The way of wisdom is a path walked by those who have sinned and learned. As you live your life, look for the path of your predecessors who felt the pain of disobedience and the joy of wisdom. Make your life a path of wisdom, one worth emulating.

[Jerry Edmonds @jerryedmonds]

Proverbs 3 Desire
The way you relate to God, wisdom, and others reflects what you desire in life. Those who display arrogance and selfishness show that they desire evil. Those who display humility and righteousness show that they desire holiness.