From: Defined
I grew up in a school system where it was required to learn the parts of speech and to diagram sentences. I can still remember (somewhat!) how to diagram a prepositional phrase and I know what a preposition is: often words of location or direction like in or from. I remember my teachers saying that it was wrong to put a preposition like “from” at the end of a sentence. If I am “from” then where is the starting place? A preposition can be used to indicate a specified place or time as a starting point.
Our Source for Truth Matters.
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.” – Proverbs 2:6-8

Proverbs Class Definitions
I have been teaching the book of Proverbs using Zoom for the past nine weeks. Four more lessons remain. Early in the series, one of my students asked for an explanation of the meaning of “knowledge” and “understanding.” Because my class is for students in India, and their native language is Hindi, I had to think about how I would define the words in a way that the translator could effectively communicate the pieces and how they work together. The following slide is from that teaching.

Knowledge is gaining and remembering truthful facts. Understanding is valuing the truth and knowing how to apply the knowledge in life’s circumstances and choices. Wisdom is applying the truth in various circumstances with different people, various choices, and changing situations. If you get the first one wrong, then the rest crumble. Even more serious are the long-range implications of this. If Jesus spoke truth, then what he said bears careful attention.
How to Identify a Follower of Jesus
“So, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” John 8:31-32 Disciples abide in the words of Jesus (they believe and live the words he said) and they value and speak truth. That leads to freedom, not bondage. His words bring life, not death.
Your source for truth matters. Choose your source wisely. Because the “from” will impact the “through” and the “to” for your life.
Five Minute Friday
This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up.
All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.
Hi, FMF neighbor. There are wonderful words of wisdom in your post today, and by wisdom, I mean points of application to our lives. Thanks, Rhonda
LikeLiked by 2 people
They tried to make me diagram
sentences and stuff like that,
but because of what I am,
it’s like quantum physics to a cat.
Some tell me I’m not so bright
(too many hard concussive blows?)
but that’s OK and that’s all right,
for even likes of me still knows
that God’s in Heaven on His throne,
His Boy at His right hand,
while Holy Ghost on earth doth roam
to help us understand
that if we really truly know ”Em,
we’re bound for our forever home.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I remember fondly (sort of) diagramming sentences. Sadly they don’t teach grammar or diagramming sentences much any more. Dissecting a sentence, much like dissecting a passage of scripture can give us a whole new depth of understanding.
FMF 24
LikeLiked by 3 people