“Life is hard; it’s harder if you’re stupid.”
-John Wayne
Ephesians 5:17 (CEV)
Don’t be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do.
The word “fool” is listed 45 times in Proverbs alone.
Fool Verses (The Message):
“Fools are headstrong and do what they like.”
“Foolish children do their own thing.”
“Fools litter the country with silliness.”
“Sir Fool comes along and tears wisdom down brick by brick.”
“The foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.”
“Fools are headstrong and reckless.”
“Fools get stupider by the day.”
“Fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.”
“Fools are hollow, there’s nothing to them.”
“Fools sweat it out the hard way.”
“Having a fool for a child is misery (painful).”
“Only a slap in the face brings fools to attention.”
“Fools love to pick fights.”
“Hire a fool, and you shoot yourself in the foot.”
To slander is to be a fool.
Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline…
It’s senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool who has no heart for wisdom.
It is better to be poor and honest than to be a fool and dishonest.
When leaders gather, the fool has nothing to say.
The wise person sees but the fool is blind.
Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool!
“As a dog returns to its own vomit, so fools recycle silliness.”
fool (definition)
- 1. One who acts unwisely on a given occasion (to do something stupid)
- 2. One who has been tricked or made to appear ridiculous (punk’d)
fool (biblical definition)
- In scripture, fool is often used for a wicked or depraved person; one who acts contrary to sound wisdom; one who follows his own inclinations, who prefers temporary pleasures to the service of God and eternal happiness.
- One who deliberately disobeys God
- One who elevates oneself above God
5 DANGERS OF DUMBNESS
1. FOOLISH FRIENDSHIPS
You can be the right person with the right dream, but spend time with the wrong people, and that dream will end up a nightmare.
Proverbs 13:20 (NLT)
Walk with the wise and become wise;
associate with fools and get in trouble.
1 Corinthians 15:33 (NLT) says, “bad company corrupts good character.”
CEV = Don’t fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you.
Proverbs 14:7 says, “Escape quickly from the company of fools.”
2. FOOLISH TALK
Proverbs 18:6 says, “The words of fools start fights.”
Proverbs 18:7 says, “Fools undone by their big mouths; their souls are crushed by their words.”
Proverbs 12:16 says, “Fools have short fuses and explode too quickly…”
3. FOOLISH IDEAS
Proverbs 5:23 (MSG)
Mark well that God doesn’t miss a move you make; he’s aware of every step you take. The shadow of your sin will overtake you; you’ll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark. Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.
4. FOOLISH ACTIONS
Proverbs 27:12 (CEV)
Be cautious and hide when you see danger—don’t be stupid and walk right into trouble.
5. FOOLISH HABITS
Luke 12:21 (NLT)
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT)
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
