"Be not deceived: Evil company corrupts good morals." [1 Corinthians 15:33]
   
    Thought: Companion to this is the adage: "Birds of a feather flock together" or "You are known by the company you keep."   The role of peer pressure is seen in all these statements.  Peer groups are both good and bad.  If peer pressure keeps us from doing wrong and encourages what is right, we can see the positive side.  The dark side of peer pressure is evident when peer pressure encourages the use of drugs, tobacco, alcohol or any variety of illegal activities.  These words of wisdom tells us to choose our friends carefully.

"The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot." [Proverbs 10:7]
  
   Thought: In the Hebrew culture, one's name was considered more than a label, but ideally the outward expression of one's inner nature and character.  A person's name was considered "an immortal part" of the person because it survived his death. Illustrations of this can be seen in the names Abraham Lincoln and Hitler.  Though these men have been dead for a long time, the very mention of their names gives rise to their character.  How often have doors of opportunity for you been opened or closed by the very mention of your name?  Where ever you go, your name will speak long before you get a chance to open your mouth.

 

"...he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame." [Proverbs 10:5b]

 

   THOUGHT: Laziness in adulthood is the product of an idle youth. It has been said that " he who idles away the time of his youth will bear the shame of it when old." Proverbs indicates the root causes of an idle youth is his the refusal to listen to parents, speaking ill of parents and wasting of his father's resources on foolish and unnecessary things. On the other hand, some parents abandoned their parental responsibility for their children's laziness and bad name because they have used indulgence instead of restrain, emphasized pleasure instead of godliness, shown favoritism instead of love, passed over little wrongs instead of discipline and given in to demands instead of exercising parental control. Usually all this is done to "keep the peace" but he result is the reinforcement of bad behavior and robbing the child's good character traits that are needed for a productive life. Laziness is a negative character trait that leads to poverty and stealing. Young people must accept responsibility for who and what they are because of the choices they make. Parents who chose to run from parental responsibility must accept accountability for who and what their children are.

“A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.” [Proverbs 12:2]

THOUGHT: If for no other reason, men choose to deny the existence of God. By denying the existence of God, men believe they are removing themselves from God’s condemnation. To say someone doesn’t exist doesn't make it so. All it means is that those who deny the existence of God live in self-delusion. When they come to realize how wrong they were, it will be too late. The writer of Hebrews tells us that it is “appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” [9:27]. Two statements are made here. One, all mankind die. Experience has taught us this is true. The second, after death we will face judgment. We know this by revelation. If what the Bible says about this present life is true, do we dare deny what it says the future life? In Revelation 20:12 – 14  “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” Your choice, your consequences.