Idea for “40 Reasons’ adapted from The 12 Essentials of Godly Success, by Tommy Nelson
Presented By:
David R. Shannon, President of Freed-Hardeman University Henderson, Tennessee
1. Are You a Loner?
Proverbs 18:1-“A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.”
2. Are You a Bad Listener?
Proverbs 18:13-“He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.”
3. Are You Quick to Give an Opinion?
Proverbs 12:23-“A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.”
4. Are You Argumentative?
Matthew 5:9-“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”
5. Are You Unforgiving?
Proverbs 20:3-“It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel.”
6. Do You Cut Someone Down?
Proverbs 12:18-“There is one who speaks like the piercings of a Sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.”
7. Do You Explode When Mad?
Proverbs 18:19-“A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle.”
8. Are You Too Blunt?
Proverbs 29:11-“A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.”
9. Do You Drop the Ball?
Proverbs 10:26-“As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.”
10. Are You a Selfish Person?
Proverbs 11:26-“The people will curse him who withholds grain, ‘But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.”
11. Do You Make Fun of People?
Proverbs 17:5-“He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.”
12. Are You Two-faced?
Proverbs 10:6-“Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.”
13. Can You Not Keep a Secret?
Proverbs 11:13-“A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.”
14. Are You inflexible and Controlling?
Proverbs 14:4-“Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.”
15. Are You an insensitive Person?
Proverbs 27:14-“He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him.”
16. Are You Unsympathetic?
Proverbs 25:20-“Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, And like vinegar on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.”
17. Do You Use Other People?
Proverbs 23:1-3 -When you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you; And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food.”
18. Do You Have Uncontrolled Anger?
Proverbs 19:19-“A man of great wrath will suffer punishment; For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.”
19. Are You Rude?
Proverbs 18:23-“The poor man uses entreaties, But the rich answers roughly.”
20. Do You Have a Critical Spirit?
Proverbs 16:21-“The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning.”
21. Are You a Mooch?
Proverbs 30:15-“The leech has two daughters-Give and Give! There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, “Enough!”
22. Are You a Liar?
Proverbs 19:5-“A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape.”
23. Are You Sarcastic?
Proverbs 14:9-“Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favor.”
24. Do You Admit When You Are Wrong?
Proverbs 14:8-“The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit.”
25. Are You a Pessimist?
Proverbs 15:15-“All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.”
26. Are You inconsiderate?
Philippians 2:4-“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
27. Are You Self-centered?
Proverbs 25:27-“It is not good to eat much honey; So to seek one’s own glory is not glory.”
28. Are You Overly Sensitive?
Proverbs 12:16-“A fool’s wrath is known at once, But a prudent man covers shame.”
29. Are You Co-dependent?
Proverbs 25:16-17-Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit. Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you.”
30. Are You Jealous?
Proverbs 27:4-“Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, But who is able to stand before jealousy?”
31. Do You Run Hot and Cold?
Proverbs 17:17-“A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”
32. Are You Cold?
Proverbs 27:5-“Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.”
33. Are You Lazy?
Proverbs 20:4-“The lazy man will not plow, because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing.”
34. Are You Arrogant?
Proverbs 16:18-“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.”
35. Do You Raise Your Voice?
Proverbs 15:1-“A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”
36. Do You Slander Others?
Proverbs 25:23-“The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.”
37. Do You Make False Promises?
Proverbs 25:14-“Whoever falsely boasts of giving is like clouds and wind without rain.”
38. Do You Have a Problem w/Authority?
Proverbs 30:17-“The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it.”
39. Do You Always Think You Are Right?
Proverbs 26:16-“The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly.”
40. Are You Pompous?
Proverbs 12:9-“Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant, Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.”
