This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.Part I (00:13 – 03:55)Vladimir Putin, A Friend to Christian Morality and Conservative Culture?: A Christian Response This Question Part II (03:55 – 17:31)The Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Ruler in “Symphonia” — What Does This Mean?Moscow Patriarch Stokes Orthodox Tensions with War Remarks by Religion News Service (Peter Smith)Part III (17:31 – 24:09)So Having a McDonalds Didn’t Guarantee Peace? Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention Proved Wrong as Russia Invades UkraineFood Companies, Long Symbols of the West in Russia, Pause Operations by New York Times (Julie Creswell)Foreign Affairs Big Mac I by New York Times (Thomas L. Friedman)Sign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.

This week, Dr. John Snyder and Teddy James continue our series on Proverbs 2, examining our biblical response to wisdom. As a refresher, we’ve explored what it means to welcome wisdom into our lives, treasure her, and turn our ears to her. Now, we focus on how we can incline our hearts to wisdom.
Inclining our hearts is an active exercise. We’ll never achieve this if we approach wisdom lazily. The heart must be moved by the will. Just as a relationship can grow cold without effort, our spiritual lives will wither if we don’t actively and regularly warm our hearts by heeding wisdom’s voice.
In this episode, John presents 10 definitions of what it means to incline our heart to wisdom:
To spread out — Picture a river overflowing its banks in the rainy season.
To stretch out or extend — Imagine reaching for something you desperately need.
To bend down — Like a worker setting their shoulder under a heavy burden (the heart bends to embrace the task of the Word).
To turn aside or swerve — Someone pausing their journey to closely examine something off the path.
To plot or scheme — Desiring something and realizing it requires careful planning.
To be inclined to a certain view — When a strong opinion manifests in your daily life and conversations.
To be won over — Being convinced of something’s value and inclining toward it.
To engage in a new relationship — Think of a honeymoon and the heart’s enthrallment at the start of a marriage.
To stay or remain — The heart finding a sweet resting spot (John 15). No longer running to find happiness, but abiding in Christ.
To be enticed — In this context, it’s the pleasing experience of meeting God in His Word, drawing us back again and again.
We challenge you, as we did in the podcast, to write these definitions on a bookmark and keep them nearby as you read Scripture. Choose one and pray over it. Ask God to win you over to holiness, help you remain in Christ’s reality, or entice you with Jesus’ beauty. Incorporate this into your Bible reading this week.
Resources mentioned:
Proverbs 4:23
Luke 6:45
Jeremiah 15:16
John Flavel – Keeping the Heart https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/keeping-the-heart-john-flavel-9781845506483?variant=9996757598255
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This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.Part I (00:13 – 02:55)Should My 5-Year-Old Listen to The Briefing? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The BriefingPart II (02:55 – 07:22)Does God Love Bad Guys Who Go to Hell? — Dr. Mohler Responds to a Letter from a 5-Year-Old Listener (And His Brothers) of The BriefingPart III (07:22 – 11:22)Can You Shed Light on the Prevalence of Supernatural Events in the World Today? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The BriefingPart IV (11:22 – 15:16)Where in the Bible Does It Say What Rights We Have? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The Briefing Part V (15:16 – 17:14)What is the Distinction Between the Preaching and Teaching of the Word of God? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The Briefing Part VI (17:14 – 23:25)Am I, as a Paramedic, Complicit in the Culture of Death If I Am On an Assisted Suicide Call and Do Not Stop It? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The Briefing Part VII (23:25 – 26:58)What is the Appropriateness of State and National Pride for Christians? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The BriefingSign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.