Dear Brothers, Last week we started into Chapters 5-7 of Proverbs which give us three reasons not to break God’s laws of purity: 1. It’s disappointing (chapter 5), 2. It’s destructive (chapter 6), and 3. It’s deadly (chapter 7). That’s why God says, “avoid sexual immorality.” This week we continue to the second warning from Chapter 6: Sexual Sin is Destructive From Proverbs 6:26, 27, 29 26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man’s wife preys on your very life. 27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? 29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. In Proverbs 6 Solomon deals with adultery and shows that sexual sin is destructive. How is it destructive? He lists 5 ways: 1.You lose the Word of God (vv. 20–24). In chapters 5—7, each of the warnings against adultery is prefaced by an admonition to pay attention to the Word of God (5:1–2; 6:20–24; 7:1–5). It is by our trusting and obeying His truth that God keeps us from believing the enemy’s lies. 2. You lose wealth (vv. 25–26). To be “reduced to a loaf of bread” means to be degraded to the lowest level of poverty. If the adultery results in scandal, a lawsuit, and a divorce, the price will not be cheap. We have seen pastors, CEO’s and even presidents of countries lose their livelihood and their reputation this way. 3. You lose enjoyment (vv. 27–31). Fire is a good thing if it’s confined and controlled. It can keep us warm, cook food, and manufacture electricity. Physical Intimacy is a good gift from God, but like fire, if it gets out of control, it becomes destructive. What begins as a “warm” experience soon becomes a burning experience, like fire in your lap. 4. You lose your good sense (v. 32). King David was a brilliant strategist on the battlefield and a wise ruler on the throne, but he lost his common sense when he gazed at Bathsheba and lusted for her. Surely David knew that we reap what we sow, and reap he did, right in the harvest field of his own family. 5. You lose your peace (vv. 33–35). The angry husband will use every means possible to avenge himself, for a loving husband would rather that his neighbor steal his money than steal his wife. “For love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame” (Song 8:6). The offender will have no peace, and no amount of money offered to the husband will be accepted. With these 5 destructive patterns of sexual sin, doesn’t purity make great sense? Blessings, Kari Discount for Global Leadership Summit - Save the date… GLS on Oct. 22nd at LifeCentre church in Orleans! LeaderImpact members receive a special registration discount. Enter promo code LI20 for an extra $20 off! This years GLS features: Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, Craig Groeschel and others. For Hamilton guys see website for locations and dates near you. To register, please visit the website: https://globalleadershipnetwork.ca/gls2026/ Early bird pricing ends October 2nd. Ottawa Civic Prayer Breakfast - The OCPB will be held the morning of Oct. 30th at the Ottawa Conference and Events Center. The speaker will be Susan Finlay from Nation at Prayer. We have several guys planning to attend. Check with guys in your group, or register at the link below: https://ottawacivicprayerbreakfast.com/ 2027 Global Exchange - Marquita and I are leaning into the Global Exchange to Uraba Colombia March 13-20, 2027. Let us know your interest and availability.

Dear Brothers, Last week we continued into Chapters 5-7 of Proverbs which give us three reasons not to break God’s laws of purity: 1. It’s disappointing (chapter 5), 2. It’s destructive (chapter 6), and 3. It’s deadly (chapter 7). That’s why God says, “avoid sexual immorality.” This week we continue to the third warning: Sexual Sin is Deadly From Proverbs 7:21, 22 21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. 22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, This chapter vividly describes a naive young man who falls into the trap of the adulteress. Note the steps that lead to his destruction. He tempts himself (vv. 6–9). You get the impression that this young man is either terribly dumb or very proud, convinced that he can play with sin and get away with it. But he’s only tempting himself and heading for trouble. To begin with, he’s out at night, “walking in darkness,” and he’s deliberately walking near the place of temptation and danger. He didn’t heed the wise counsel of the Lord: “Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house” (5:8 nkjv). Guys, I’ve listened to many sad stories from brothers who have indulged in sexual sin and suffered greatly; almost always, the guys put themselves into the place of temptation and danger. Unlike Job, they didn’t make “a covenant with [their] eyes not to look lustfully at a woman,” nor did they follow the example of Joseph and flee from temptation. We can’t help being tempted, but we can certainly help tempting ourselves. The man is tempted by the woman (vv. 10–20). Like the deadly spider in a web, the woman was watching at the window, ready to pounce on her prey. And, She caught him (Gen. 39:12), kissed him (Prov. 5:3), and convinced him that it was an opportune time for him to visit her. She appeals to the man’s ego as she flatters him and makes him think he’s very special to her. What she’s offering to him she would never offer to anyone else! Right!! By going to her house, table, and bed, the man willfully disobeyed God’s law. If he had looked up to the Lord and remembered His Word (v. 24), and kept his heart focused on God’s truth (v. 25), and considered the terrible consequences of his sin (vv. 26–27), he would have turned around and fled from her clutches. Our society today not only smiles at sexual sin, it actually approves it and encourages it. But the gospel is still “the power of God unto salvation”, and Christ can still change people’s lives. It isn’t enough for us to protest evil; we must avoid tempting situations and not look lustfully at any woman or image. Guys, This is deadly stuff. Blessings, Kari Global Leadership Summit - What an awesome cohort of speakers, and so practical. Thank you to LifeCenter Church and OneWay Ministries for their help and sponsorship of this event. Ottawa Civic Prayer Breakfast - The OCPB will be held the morning of Oct. 30th at the Ottawa Conference and Events Center. The speaker will be Susan Finlay from Nation at Prayer. We have several guys planning to attend. Check with guys in your group, or register at the link below: https://ottawacivicprayerbreakfast.com/ Early Registration Cutoff Approaching for the 2027 Global Exchange - Marquita and I are leaning into the Global Exchange to Uraba Colombia March 13-20, 2027. Early registration cutoff is Oct. 31st, which saves $500. Let us know your interest and availability.

Dear Brothers, Happy Thanksgiving! This week we continue in proverbs to Purity Preventing Bitterness From Proverbs 5:3,4 3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; 4 but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. This week we start a 3 week series on sexual purity from Proverbs 5-7 The 7th commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery.” Gods intent was for physical intimacy to be a blessing not a curse, so he puts protective commands around it. God invented this intimacy and He has every right to tell us how to use it properly. Yet, today many ask, “What’s wrong with premarital or extramarital sex, or any other kind, for that matter? English writer Quentin Crisp says; “Life is a game… and nothing spoils a game more than those who take it seriously.” ² So, the verdict’s in: sex is a fun game; don’t take it too seriously. Sexual sin is one of the main themes of modern media; yet popularity is no test of right and wrong. Many things that the law says are legal, the Bible says are evil. Why worry about sexual sins? Chapters 5-7 of Proverbs give us three reasons not to break God’s laws of purity: 1. It’s disappointing (chapter 5), 2. It’s destructive (chapter 6), and 3. It’s deadly (chapter 7). That’s why God says, “avoid sexual immorality.” Today we will look at the first of the 3. 1. Sexual Sin Is Eventually Disappointing. When married people honor God in their sexuality, they can experience increasing enjoyment and enrichment in their intimacy. But when people dishonor God, the result is just the opposite. Outside of marriage people experience disappointment and disillusionment and continue searching for fulfillment they will never find. God created sex not only for reproduction, but also for enjoyment, and He didn’t put the “marriage wall” around sex to rob us of pleasure but to increase pleasure and protect it. In chapter 5, Solomon explains people’s experience going from sweetness to bitterness (vv. 1–6). He speaks of “the adulteress” and she is mentioned 7 more times. The beginning of this sinful alliance may be exciting and sweet, because the kisses and words from her lips drip like honey (7:13–20), but in the end, the “sweetness” turns to bitterness, and the honey becomes poison (5:4). Proverbs emphasizes the importance of looking ahead to see where your actions will lead. The wise man checks on the destination before buying a ticket (4:26), but modern society thinks that people can violate God’s laws and escape the consequences. Yet, their insolence can’t neutralize the tragic aftermath that comes from breaking the laws of God. Are you pursuing purity in your sexuality, or are you experiencing bitterness? Blessings, Kari Discount for Global Leadership Summit - Save the date… GLS on Oct. 22nd at LifeCentre church in Orleans! LeaderImpact members receive a special registration discount. Enter promo code LI20 for an extra $20 off! This years GLS features: Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, Craig Groeschel and others. For Hamilton guys see website for locations and dates near you. To register, please visit the website: https://globalleadershipnetwork.ca/gls2026/ Early bird pricing ends October 2nd. Ottawa Civic Prayer Breakfast - The OCPB will be held the morning of Oct. 30th at the Ottawa Conference and Events Center. The speaker will be Susan Finlay from Nation at Prayer. We have several guys planning to attend. Check with guys in your group, or register at the link below: https://ottawacivicprayerbreakfast.com/ 2027 Global Exchange - Marquita and I are leaning into the Global Exchange to Uraba Colombia March 13-20, 2027. Let us know your interest and availability.

Dear Brothers, This week we look at Direction Through Trust. From Proverbs 3:5, 6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. This chapter shows us how Wisdom will Direct Your Path. God’s people have often claimed this promise as they have sought the Lord’s direction for their lives. And this promise never fails. Assuming we have obeyed the FOUR conditions God has laid down in verses 1–12. God keeps His promises when we obey His precepts, because our obedience prepares us to receive and enjoy what He has planned for us. 1. The first condition for receiving God’s guidance is that we learn God’s truth (vv. 1–4). The will of God is revealed in the Word of God, and the only way to know His will is to study His Word and obey it. By receiving the Word within our hearts, we experience growth in godly character so that mercy and truth become beautiful ornaments in our lives. We must let the Holy Spirit write the Word on their hearts. 2. Second, we must obey God’s will (vv. 5–8). “He shall direct your paths” is the promise, but the fulfillment of that promise is predicated on our obedience. We must trust God with all our hearts and obey Him in all our ways. Like Romans 12:1-2 says That means total commitment to Him. The word translated “trust” in verse 5 means “to lie, facedown.” like a servant waiting for the master’s command. The danger, of course, is that we lean on our own understanding and thereby miss God’s will. 3. The third condition is to Share God’s blessings (vv. 9–10). There’s no such thing as “spiritual” and “material” in the Christian life, for everything comes from God and belongs to God. The Jews brought the Lord offerings from their flocks and from their fields, and in this way acknowledged His goodness and sovereignty. Giving is heart preparation for what God wants to say to us and do for us. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. 4. Our fourth responsibility is to submit to God’s discipline (Prov. 3:11–12). Chastening is a part of God’s plan to help us mature in godly character (Heb. 12:1–11). God chastens us, not as a judge punishes a criminal, but as a parent disciplines a child. He acts in love, and His purpose is that we might become “partakers of his holiness” (Heb. 12:10). God promises to direct you. Will you submit to His commands and heed His direction today? Blessings, Kari Discount for Global Leadership Summit - Save the date… GLS on Oct. 22nd at LifeCentre church in Orleans! LeaderImpact members receive a special registration discount. Enter promo code LI20 for an extra $20 off! This years GLS features: Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, Craig Groeschel and others. For Hamilton guys see website for locations and dates near you. To register, please visit the website: https://globalleadershipnetwork.ca/gls2026/ Early bird pricing ends October 2nd. Ottawa Civic Prayer Breakfast - The OCPB will be held the morning of Oct. 30th at the Ottawa Conference and Events Center. The speaker will be Susan Finlay from Nation at Prayer. We have several guys planning to attend. Check with guys in your group, or register at the link below: https://ottawacivicprayerbreakfast.com/ 2027 Global Exchange - Marquita and I are leaning into the Global Exchange to Uraba Colombia March 13-20, 2027. Let us know your interest and availability.

Dear Brothers, This week we look at the Fear of the Lord and Wisdom From Proverbs 1:7 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. As mentioned last week, 1:7 is the key verse for understanding proverbs: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning [chief part] of knowledge.” This statement is amplified in 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [Holy One] is understanding.” There are at least eighteen references to “the fear of the Lord” in Proverbs. If you read all these verses carefully, you’ll get a good idea of what this important biblical phrase means. As Warren Wiersbe says in his commentary on Proverbs, If we truly “fear the Lord,” we acknowledge from our hearts that He’s the Creator, we’re the creatures; He’s the Father, we’re His children; He’s the Master, we’re the servants. It means to respect God for who He is, to listen carefully to what He says, and to obey His Word, knowing that our disobedience displeases Him, breaks our fellowship with Him, and invites His chastening. It’s not the servile fear of the slave before the master but the reverential and respectful fear of the child before the parent. Children fear not only because their parents can hurt them, but also because they can hurt their parents. Proverbs 13:13 admonishes us to fear God’s commandments, which suggests that the way we treat our Bible is the way we treat God. So Charles Bridges, a well-known author, pastor and theologian of the 1800’s says the fear of the Lord is and I quote “that affectionate reverence by which the child of God bends himself humbly and carefully to his Father’s law. His wrath is so bitter, and His love so sweet; that hence springs an earnest desire to please Him, and—because of the danger of coming short from his own weakness and temptations—a holy watchfulness and fear, ‘that he might not sin against Him.’” ⁷ No wonder Bridges was so respected in his time. His wisdom came from reverence for God! The six verses that precede this key verse (1:7) explain why the book of Proverbs was written: to give us wisdom, instruction, understanding, prudence, knowledge, discretion, learning, and counsel. Everything depends on wisdom; the other seven words are practically synonymous with it. Professor Louis Goldberg says that wisdom means exhibiting “His [God’s] character in the many practical affairs of life.” ⁸ This wisdom is necessary daily; From making business decisions to family matters, yet many Christians don’t heed the practical counsel given in Proverbs. Don’t be a Lone Ranger. Let the fear of the Lord bring you to heed His direction today. Blessings, Kari 2027 Global Exchange - Marquita and I are leaning into the Global Exchange to Uraba Colombia March 13-20, 2027. Let us know your interest and availability.

Dear Brothers, This week we start Proverbs with an Overview From Proverbs 1:7 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. The late British poet T. S. Eliot once asked: “where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?” We are living in the information age, but we certainly are not living in the age of wisdom. Many people who are wizards with their devices seem to be amateurs when it comes to making a success out of their lives. Even AI can collect data and obey signals, but it cannot give us the ability to use knowledge wisely. What’s needed today is God’s wisdom. The book of Proverbs is all about godly wisdom, how to get it and how to use it. It’s about priorities and principles, not get-rich-quick schemes or success formulas. It doesn’t tell you how to make a good living, but how to make a great life. As never before, God desperately needs men who understand and practice the skills involved in building a godly life. May you and I be among them! So, Proverbs is or wisdom guide. The words wise and wisdom are used at least 125 times, because the aim of the book is to help us acquire and apply God’s wisdom to the decisions and activities of daily life. The book of Proverbs belongs to what scholars call the “wisdom literature” of the Old Testament, which also includes Job and Ecclesiastes. ¹ The writers of these books wrestled with some of the most difficult questions of life as they sought to understand life’s problems from God’s point of view. After all, just because you’re a believer and you walk by faith, it doesn’t mean you put your mind on the shelf and stop thinking. Proverbs helps us think through many practical and relational issues from God’s perspective. The author of Proverbs is King Solomon who God gave great wisdom, so that people came from all over to listen to him and returned home amazed. The Key Verse That Helps “Unlock” the Book is 1:7: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning [chief part] of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This statement is amplified in 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [Holy One] is understanding.” We will explore the fear of the Lord more next week. Solomon often uses the phrase “my son”, like truths that loving, godly parents would pass along to their children. As God’s children, in Christ, we can ask for this wisdom in Christ’s name daily. Blessings, Kari 2027 Global Exchange - Marquita and I are leaning into the Global Exchange to Uraba Colombia March 13-20, 2027. Let us know your interest and availability.

Dear Brothers, Happy Labour Day! This week we continue to another key concept from 1 John being No Fear From 1 John 4:16b, 18 16 God is love. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with torment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. After free trade negotiations fell apart last week, businesses noticed that things were coming to a standstill. It’s like fear gripped our nation. The solution, like Bob Newhart used to say… Just stop it. Like the No Fear t-shirts from the 90’s. No Fear was a brand, which catered to extreme sports athletes. It became famous for clothing with bold quotes promoting absolute fearlessness and rebellion against conventional rules. So obviously the answer is to: get a No Fear t-shirt and rebel against conventional rules. Maybe John has another way. John contrasts: fear and torment to God’s love. Unfortunately, many believers experience fear and torment daily because they are not gaining confidence from God’s love. A believer who experiences perfecting love grows in his confidence toward God. He has a reverential fear of God, not a tormenting fear. Like a son who respects his Father, not a prisoner cringing before a judge. People are afraid, literally phobia in Greek because of the uncertainties of this world. A Jesus follower does not have to fear the past, present, or future, for he has experienced God’s loving care, and this love is being perfected in him daily. No fear of the future because our sins were forgiven in Christ when He died on the cross. No fear of the past, because “He first loved us even when we were dead in our sins”. And no fear of today, because “no created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. God wants us to live in an atmosphere of love and confidence, not fear. The perfecting of God’s love in our lives come in three stages. 1. When we were lost, we lived in fear and knew nothing of God’s love. 2. After we trusted Christ, we found a perplexing mixture of both fear and love in our hearts. 3. But as we grow in fellowship with the Father, gradually the fear vanishes, and our hearts are controlled by His love alone. An immature Christian is tossed between fear and love; a mature Christian rests in God’s love. A growing confidence in the presence of God is one of the first evidences that our love for God is maturing. So, today are you fearful of what’s happening in the market, or secure in God’s loving care. Blessings, Kari New Study Guides - One box left! Leader Impact had an overprint of our new study guides for groups, so I scooped a bunch of them. I have only one box of guides left. If you would like some for your group, just email or call me and I’ll get them into your hands. Hamilton Summer Meetings - Alas, summer meetings are done. Thank you to Kevin Morris for your stalwart leadership! 2027 Global Exchange - Marquita and I are leaning into the Global Exchange to Uraba Colombia March 13-20, 2027. Let us know your interest and availability.

Dear Brothers, Please say congratulations to Steve Hyde who was married on Saturday. Every blessing to you Steve and to Sandy your new bride! See photo at bottom of today's email. This week we continue to another key concept from 1 John being Confidence in Prayer From 1 John 5:14, 15 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. You can have confidence in Prayer It is one thing to know that Jesus is God and that we are God’s children, but what about the needs and problems of daily life? Earthly fathers take care of their children; does the heavenly Father really respond when His children call on Him? YES! Christians can have confidence in prayer, just as they have confidence in Christ coming again. The word confidence or Parrhesia, means “freedom of speech.” We can come to the Father freely and tell Him our needs. Of course, there are conditions we must meet. First, Unconfessed sin is a serious obstacle to answered prayer. Even unresolved differences between a Christian husband and wife can hinder their prayers. And unless a believer is abiding in Christ’s love and obedience, his prayers will not be answered. Second, we must pray in God’s will. “Thy will be done” (Matt. 6:10). “Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done on earth,” wrote Robert Law. George Mueller, who fed thousands of orphans daily in answer to prayer, said, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold of God’s willingness.” There are times when we simply do not know God’s will in a matter. But most of the time we can determine God’s will by reading the Word, listening to the Spirit, and discerning the circumstances around us. Our very faith to ask God for something is often proof that He wants to give it. There are many promises in the Bible that we can claim in prayer. God has promised to supply our needs—not our greeds! If we are obeying His will and really need something, He will supply it in His way and in His time. Prayer is the God appointed means for a believer to receive what God wants to give him. Prayer keeps us in the will of God, and living in the will of God keeps us in the place of blessing and service. We are not beggars; we are children coming to a wealthy Father, who loves to give His children what they need. The most important thing about prayer is ascertaining the will of God. Once we know the will of God, we can pray with confidence and then wait for Him to reveal the answer. Blessings, Kari New Study Guides - Almost gone! Leader Impact had an overprint of our new study guides for groups, so I scooped a bunch of them. I have only a couple of guides left. If you would like some for your group, just email or call me and I’ll get them into your hands. Hamilton Summer Meetings - This Friday morning is the last meeting at Williams on the Bay. Thank you to Kevin Morris for his stalwart leadership! 2027 Global Exchange - Marquita and I are leaning into the Global Exchange to Uraba Colombia March 13-20, 2027. Let us know your interest and availability.

Dear Brothers, This week we continue to another key concept from 1 John being Overcoming From 1 John 4:3, 4 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. We live in a crazy world. Do you ever feel like the evil one is winning? Many people do. So John helps us by reminding us like little children. These verses are for our comfort, and to deliver us from the fears of being drawn away by the delusions of false prophets, and antichrists. Since we belong to God, we need not be drawn away. We are the children of God and adopted by grace. So we are kept by the power of God unto salvation, as all believers with this living hope are. John reminds us that we are enlightened by the Spirit of God, who helps us discern truth from error. The Spirit reveals truth from God’s word to guide and help us overcome false prophets and the spirit of antichrist. He will give us a mouth that none can shut, and wisdom that none can resist. The Spirit will also speak to our spirit and give an inward testimony of assurance which withstands the enemies attacks. The reason for our victory, the reason for our comfort and support in our daily warfare, is: Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. "he that is in the world" means the spirit of the antichrist, whose doctrine was promoted by the false teachers then, and now. But the God who abides in us and we in Him is mightier than the man of sin, and his emissaries. He will keep and preserve us from all corruptions, and every false way. Christ, who dwells in our hearts by faith, is stronger than the strong man. Jesus is armed, and able to save and deliver out of the evil one’s hands. Jesus sends the Spirit to carry on and complete the work of grace started in us. Even the name of Jesus alone will make the evil one fly away. Can you see that you are equipped with everything you need to overcome the one in the world? Why, because He who is in you is so much greater than he who is in the world. Blessings, Kari New Study Guides - I still have some left! Leader Impact had an overprint of our new study guides for groups, so I scooped a bunch of them. I have guides for Essentialism, Boundaries for Leaders, Leaders Eat Last, Becoming A Leader Of Impact, Radical Candor, and The Advantage. I have a box of each of these. If you would like a bunch for your group, just email or call me and I’ll get them into your hands. Hamilton Summer Meetings - Friday morning meetings at Williams on the Bay are almost done. Only 2 weeks left. Kevin Morris is leading a series on “Disciplines of a Godly Man” by Kent Hughes. Kevin has handouts, so no book needed. If you have questions, Kevin's email is: kmorris@bell.net