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Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie · Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie-A Proverb Per Day Keeps Stinking Thinking At Bay

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: What if the fastest route to success isn't always the wisest route?
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes getting there faster means missing what matters along the way.
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  SPEAKER_01: Well, Proverbs 2 verses 9 through 10 remind us
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  SPEAKER_01: that wisdom doesn't just help us reach our destination.
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  SPEAKER_01: It helps us choose the right road.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie,
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  SPEAKER_01: where a proverb a day keeps stinking thinking away.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Ernie Lansford and it's my desire to help you connect biblical wisdom
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  SPEAKER_01: to everyday marketplace decisions,
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  SPEAKER_01: allowing you to build relationships that outlast any transactions.
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  SPEAKER_01: We do our best to bring timeless biblical truth into the marketplace
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  SPEAKER_01: where influence is real and Choices are constant,
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  SPEAKER_01: and frankly, relationships matter more than results.
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  SPEAKER_01: Well, today is the second day of the month,
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  SPEAKER_01: and we are in Proverbs 2, verses 9 through 10, using the NET Bible.
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  SPEAKER_01: Quote, Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity every good way.
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  SPEAKER_01: For wisdom will enter your heart,
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  SPEAKER_01: That's
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  SPEAKER_01: Proverbs 2 verses 9 through 10 using the NET Bible.
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  SPEAKER_01: When we examine Proverbs 2 verses 9 through 10, we often overlook something important.
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  SPEAKER_01: Solomon isn't simply telling us that wisdom makes us smarter.
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  SPEAKER_01: He says wisdom helps us understand righteousness and Justice, equity, and every good way.
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  SPEAKER_01: In other words, doing what's always right, what we would call integrity.
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  SPEAKER_01: In other words, wisdom changes what we value.
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  SPEAKER_01: And when wisdom enters our hearts, doing the right thing, aka integrity, becomes attractive.
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  SPEAKER_01: Now, integrity isn't something that we reluctantly tolerate
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  SPEAKER_01: Because others are watching us, integrity becomes part of who we are.
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  SPEAKER_01: And that raises a deeper question.
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  SPEAKER_01: What makes a person valuable in the eyes of others as well as their own eyes?
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  SPEAKER_01: Is it what we have accumulated or accomplished or awards?
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  SPEAKER_01: Or is it who we have become along the way?
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  SPEAKER_01: The late Fred Smith,
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  SPEAKER_01: the former Founder and CEO of Christianity Today magazine and a mentor to many,
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  SPEAKER_01: many Christian leaders understood this distinction.
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  SPEAKER_01: When someone said a person was, quote,
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  SPEAKER_01: worth a million dollars,
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  SPEAKER_01: end quote, Mr.
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  SPEAKER_01: Smith would think, well,
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  SPEAKER_01: they may have accumulated a million dollars,
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  SPEAKER_01: but they also may not be worth a plug nickel.
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  SPEAKER_01: That's a pretty good distinction.
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  SPEAKER_01: Mr. Smith's point goes right to the heart of what Solomon is teaching us.
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  SPEAKER_01: Accumulation measures what we have.
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  SPEAKER_01: Character reveals who we are.
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  SPEAKER_01: Our worth isn't determined by the size of our bank account,
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  SPEAKER_01: our title, our possessions, or our achievements.
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  SPEAKER_01: As believers, our ultimate worth is rooted in what Christ has done for us.
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  SPEAKER_01: But the way we live out that worth really matters.
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  SPEAKER_01: Wisdom teaches us to pursue success without sacrificing righteousness,
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  SPEAKER_01: justice, equity, and integrity that make that journey worthwhile.
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  SPEAKER_01: That's why I believe success is more than what appears on a financial statement.
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  SPEAKER_01: Success is fully using the talents God has given us to add meaning to others' lives.
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  SPEAKER_01: And when we understand that, money becomes a tool rather than a measure of our worth.
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  SPEAKER_01: An achievement can become a means rather than an identity.
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  SPEAKER_01: And the way we reach the destination becomes just as important as the destination itself.
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  SPEAKER_01: Now, that doesn't mean money is bad.
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  SPEAKER_01: Wealth can be a useful tool.
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  SPEAKER_01: It can provide opportunities,
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  SPEAKER_01: create options,
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  SPEAKER_01: and support families, fund ministries, employ people, and allow us to serve others.
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  SPEAKER_01: The question isn't simply, how much did I make?
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  SPEAKER_01: The better question is, what did I do with what God gave me?
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  SPEAKER_01: I've often encouraged people on my previous teams
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  SPEAKER_01: to step outside their comfort zones and take calculated risk.
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  SPEAKER_01: But the motivation to do that matters.
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  SPEAKER_01: If our only reason for personal growth is more money,
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  SPEAKER_01: more recognition,
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  SPEAKER_01: or more status,
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  SPEAKER_01: we may eventually discover that we reached our destination
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  SPEAKER_01: and don't particularly like where we ended up.
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  SPEAKER_01: Psalms 106.15 gives us a sobering reminder.
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  SPEAKER_01: Quote, he gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul, end quote.
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  SPEAKER_01: That's why our why matters.
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  SPEAKER_01: Wisdom helps us understand that the means matter as much as the ends.
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  SPEAKER_01: Good results don't justify dishonest actions.
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  SPEAKER_01: A successful transaction isn't really successful if we had
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  SPEAKER_01: to compromise our integrity to get it.
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  SPEAKER_01: Good ends never launder dirty means.
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  SPEAKER_01: Think about this.
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  SPEAKER_01: When Jennifer and I traveled to visit family in North Alabama,
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  SPEAKER_01: for years I simply fought the interstate traffic.
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  SPEAKER_01: Get on the highway, get there as quick as possible and deal with it.
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  SPEAKER_01: Mission accomplished.
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  SPEAKER_01: And then one day, Jennifer suggested we take the back roads.
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  SPEAKER_01: Now keep in mind, she does all the driving.
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  SPEAKER_01: I just hold the wheel.
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  SPEAKER_01: So I changed Apple Maps to avoid highways.
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  SPEAKER_01: Well, guess what happened?
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  SPEAKER_01: We discovered charming little towns,
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  SPEAKER_01: local meat and three restaurants, beautiful scenery, and a much more enjoyable trip.
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  SPEAKER_01: And we arrived at our intended destination.
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  SPEAKER_01: We were relaxed because, frankly, we had enjoyed the journey.
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  SPEAKER_01: And possibly that's part of what Proverbs 2, 9 through 10 is teaching us.
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  SPEAKER_01: Wisdom doesn't always choose the fastest way.
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  SPEAKER_01: Wisdom chooses the good way.
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  SPEAKER_01: And in the marketplace,
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  SPEAKER_01: we can become so focused on the destination,
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  SPEAKER_01: the quota,
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  SPEAKER_01: the promotion,
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  SPEAKER_01: the transaction,
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  SPEAKER_01: the next reporting period,
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  SPEAKER_01: that we forget to ask whether we're traveling the right road.
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  SPEAKER_01: The wise marketplace professional understands that how we get there matters.
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  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes the scenic route is slower.
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  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes it is harder.
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  SPEAKER_01: But sometimes it is the road That allows us to become the person God intends us
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  SPEAKER_01: to be while we're getting there.
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  SPEAKER_01: Today's customer success code.
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  SPEAKER_01: Good ends never wander dirty means.
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  SPEAKER_01: Today's action points.
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  SPEAKER_01: Ask yourself, how fast am I traveling?
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  SPEAKER_01: Am I moving so quickly toward the next goal that I'm missing something important along the way?
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  SPEAKER_01: Action point number two.
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  SPEAKER_01: Ask yourself, What is my personal definition of success?
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  SPEAKER_01: Is it based primarily on what I accumulate or on the significance I add to others?
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  SPEAKER_01: Action point number three is ask yourself, who models success for me?
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  SPEAKER_01: What do I admire about that person and does their definition of success align with my values?
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  SPEAKER_01: And action point number four, choose the scenic route today.
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  SPEAKER_01: Slow down.
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  SPEAKER_01: Somewhere you normally rush.
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  SPEAKER_01: Have the conversation.
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  SPEAKER_01: Listen longer.
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  SPEAKER_01: Take the back road.
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  SPEAKER_01: Look around.
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  SPEAKER_01: I pray the prayer that Apostle Paul prayed over the Colossians, verses 1, 9 through 10.
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  SPEAKER_01: We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and
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  SPEAKER_01: to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
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  SPEAKER_01: Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord,
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  SPEAKER_01: and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.
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  SPEAKER_01: All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you for joining me on this episode
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  SPEAKER_01: of Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie.
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  SPEAKER_01: If this episode has been meaningful to you or adding significance to you,
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  SPEAKER_01: please consider sharing it.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: That's how we influence the marketplace for God.
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  SPEAKER_01: We truly do.
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  SPEAKER_01: And remember, chasing personal success is temporal.
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  SPEAKER_01: Adding significance to others is infinite.
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  Thank you.