26-0628a - Detailed Summary

Mike greeted the congregation present in person and those listening on the phone. He acknowledged it was his turn in the speaking rotation and prayed that the lesson would be uplifting, drawn from God’s word, truthful, and sound. He announced the title of his lesson as "Being Sound." This is Part 1 of the sermon delivered on June 28, 2026, in the AM service at West Side Church of Christ, with Kevin and John N. as the scripture readers.

Mike referenced a periodical article on the table in the back titled "Is Preaching All That Important?" He considered preparing a lesson on that question but reflected on a short anecdote within the article. After a sermon, a preacher greeting people at the door heard someone comment that preachers find amusing things to talk about. Mike reasoned that preaching requires a topic and that from the pulpit, one should not spin yarns or share personal stories unless they support a sound lesson. Preaching must remain focused and truthful.

Mike explained that to be sound means to be perfect, complete, whole, or healthy. He introduced the idea of considering different aspects of soundness from scripture, beginning with three kinds of sound wisdom mentioned in Proverbs. He referenced Proverbs 14:30 regarding a sound heart and Psalms 119:80 about letting the heart be sound in God’s statutes. The focus then shifted to understanding what sound wisdom is.

Drawing from the first nine chapters of Proverbs, which emphasize having and getting wisdom with its beginning in fearing the Lord, Mike highlighted Proverbs 2:5-7 (noting a typo in the outline where the chapter was omitted). The verses state that one will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God, for the Lord gives wisdom from His mouth, along with knowledge and understanding. God stores up sound wisdom for the upright and is a shield to those who walk uprightly. Mike stressed that the Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from His mouth.

Mike distinguished knowledge (knowing something) from wisdom (how we operate on what we know). He recalled Solomon’s request to God for wisdom upon becoming king, seeking insight to lead the people by knowing how to go in and out among them. Both knowledge and wisdom come from the Lord. He reiterated that God stores up sound wisdom for the upright.

Beginning with Proverbs 3:19, Mike read that the Lord by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding established the heavens, and by knowledge the depths were broken up with clouds dropping dew. He urged keeping sound wisdom and discretion before one’s eyes. Discretion is described as learning how to perform or apply the knowledge one has. Mike noted that the world and country desperately need this advice but are largely ignoring it, instead pursuing outlandish ideas that lack sound wisdom and discretion.

In Proverbs 8:12-14, wisdom speaks: "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence and find out knowledge and discretion." It declares that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, including pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth. Wisdom claims counsel, sound wisdom, understanding, and strength. Mike emphasized the need to find and possess this sound wisdom.

Mike turned to 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, the passages previously read, to explore Paul’s teachings. Paul addressed divisions in the Corinthian church stemming from "preacher-itis," with factions claiming allegiance to Paul, Apollos, Cephas (Peter), or Christ. Paul questioned whether Christ is divided, if Paul was crucified for them, or if they were baptized in Paul’s name, aiming to refocus their thinking.

Quoting from Isaiah 29:14, Paul stated God will destroy the wisdom of the wise. He asked where the wise, scribe, and disputer of this age are, affirming that God has made foolish the wisdom of this world. Mike acknowledged that some possess great worldly wisdom, such as sending rockets and satellites into space—skills he himself lacks—but noted that worldly wise individuals often forget or deny God who granted them that ability. In verse 21, since the world did not know God through its own wisdom, God chose to save believers through the "foolishness" of preaching. This approach makes the world’s wisdom foolish, as people deny their Creator and boast in their own intelligence. Mike called for returning to sound principles, recognizing that God created the world in wisdom.

Mike emphasized that the preaching and message delivered ought to be sound and truthful. It will be sound if based on God’s word. Referencing the King James Version, he clarified that God was pleased by the "foolishness of preaching" to save those who believe—not foolish preaching. He observed that there has been too much foolish preaching and stressed the need to preach the message taught by the apostles. Belief in the true message is essential.

Mike reiterated the scripture: Jews request a sign and Greeks seek wisdom, but Christians preach Christ crucified—a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. He explained that the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

To illustrate God’s wisdom appearing foolish to humans, Mike recounted the story from the Old Testament of Joshua and the Israelites crossing the Jordan into the promised land. At Jericho, God instructed them to march around the city once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they were to march around it seven times, then give a loud blast on the trumpet and shout. Many would view this as stupid or lacking military strategy, as it involved no battering rams or conventional tactics to bring down the walls. However, the people obeyed God, and on the seventh circuit on the seventh day, the walls of Jericho fell. They captured and defeated the city. This demonstrates that the foolishness of God is wiser than man, and the weakness of God is stronger than man. All that God does is through His wisdom.

People may consider it foolish to preach that Jesus is the Son of God who died, was buried, and arose on the third day. Yet to those who are called, Christ is the power and wisdom of God. Mike read further that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world to shame the mighty. This is so that no flesh should glory in God’s presence. Of God, believers are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. As it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. We need wisdom and should ask God for it if we lack it, as He will give it. We need sound wisdom.

Mike turned to another aspect of soundness: a sound heart, from Proverbs 14:30. A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones. While one might initially think this refers to the physical blood pump that needs to be healthy, the mention of envy shows it addresses the inner heart. Envy arises from the heart; an envious person may act spitefully against others, but this envy ultimately destroys them as rottenness to the bones.

In conclusion, Mike referenced the King James Version of Psalms 119:80: "Let my heart be sound in thy statutes." Statutes refer to commandments, judgments, and the Word of God, as Psalm 119 elevates these throughout. The psalmist desires a sound heart in God’s statutes so as not to be ashamed. If one is unsound in what they say and do, others will eventually shame them. Mike urged soundness in obeying God rather than man. The preaching done should be according to the truth from the heart of the Word. The message presented should be sound.

Mike invited those present to stand on sound ground by possessing sound wisdom, knowing the difference between the world’s wisdom and God’s wisdom, and having a sound heart. He called for obedience: if one has not yet obeyed God and named the name of Christ, they should believe that Christ is the Son of God, turn from the unsound things of the world, repent of sin, confess faith in Christ, and be baptized for the remission of sins. They should then remain faithful until the end. For any who have come to Christ but been led away, they should let the church know their desire to return. If there is any other need, they should come forward now. The call was to be sound in obeying God, not man.