That Means You Too

Proverbs 11:18:"The wicked man does deceptive work, But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward."Today's Episode: What Service SowsOn Veterans Day, I think about my great-uncle, D. A. Record. We called him Uncle Bubba. He served in World War Two. Near the end of his life, he kept telling me one story.His unit had driven a tank into a minefield without realizing it. To get out, somebody had to follow those tracks backward, every twist and turn. You couldn’t just throw it in reverse and hope for the best.Uncle Bubba told me he’d been driving tractors in rural Dallas since he was eight years old. Imagine that. Something he learned as a little boy in a field became a lifesaving skill on a battlefield halfway around the world.And it worked. He got that tank out without setting off a mine.But then came the part that still hurt. The way he remembered it, the credit went to his white superiors. He helped get everybody out, but somehow his name got left out of the story.Listen to Proverbs 11:18 in the New King James Version:“The wicked man does deceptive work, But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.”I hear both sides of that verse when I think about my uncle. There’s the good he did, and the injustice of somebody else getting the credit.I wish he’d received the recognition he deserved. And I like to think he’s smiling down on me right now as I tell his story.Now, when the proverb says “sure reward,” I don’t hear a promise that everybody gets a medal. My uncle’s story won’t let me say that.But here’s what I do know: somebody else getting the credit couldn’t undo the good he did. Those lives mattered. That was part of the harvest.So do honest work. Give credit where credit is due. And don’t wait till somebody’s gone to tell their story.My uncle’s name was D. A. Record. We called him Uncle Bubba.Today, I’m saying his name.🔥 REMEMBERDo work worth honoring, and give people credit for theirs.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, help me serve honestly and honor those who serve.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEThink of someone whose work went unnoticed. Thank them today, naming what they did and why it mattered. Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe

Proverbs 10:14:"Wise men store up and treasure knowledge [in mind and heart], But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand."Today's Episode: Write It Down–Store It UpI was in the studio the other day, and I spent twenty minutes getting a vocal to sit right in the mix. Then I opened the next session and thought, “Now, what did I do last time?”Dang! Should’ve written that down.Today is World Science Day, and I’ve been thinking about a part of science that doesn’t get much applause: keeping notes. What did you try? What happened? What happened when you changed one thing? Did you write it down?Even the attempt that didn’t work is worth keeping. Next time, you know where you’ve already been.Listen to Proverbs 10:14 in the Amplified Bible:“Wise men store up and treasure knowledge [in mind and heart], But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.”I like that word treasure. A note can look like nothing when you write it down. Then a week later, it’s the missing piece you need.Say you’ve had a hard conversation, and that night you write a couple lines in your journal.“I was ready to go off. I took a walk first. When I came back, I could actually tell them what hurt.”Nothing fancy. You probably don’t even underline it.Then a week later, somebody gets under your skin again. You flip back and there it is, in your own handwriting: taking a walk gave you enough room to say what you meant.You’ve got something to try because you took the time to notice what happened and wrote it down.And when somebody asks you for advice, you’ve got more to offer than the first thing that pops into your head. You can say, “Here’s what I tried. Here’s what I noticed.”That’s worth treasuring.So keep a note about what God’s teaching you. Read it back. Put it to work till it sticks. The answer you’re looking for tomorrow might start with something you noticed today.🔥 REMEMBERWrite down what you notice. You might need it later.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, teach me to notice, remember, and use what matters.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEWrite three lines today: what I tried, what I noticed, and what I’ll try next. Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe

Proverbs 9:16:“Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says,Today's Episode: Whose House?Whose house?If you heard that question and answered it in your head, you already know where I’m going.Run-D.M.C. “Run’s House.”They didn’t start hip-hop, but they helped bring it to a whole new audience. And on that record, Joey Simmons, aka Run makes it clear whose house he insists you’re standing in. You better recognize.Now, take that question with you into Proverbs chapter nine. Two people are inviting you over. Both make you feel welcome. And if you only hear the first line, you might think they’re hosting the same party.Proverbs 9:16 in the NIV says:“Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says,That’s Folly talking. Go back to verse four and Wisdom opens with the very same words.So how do you tell the difference?Keep listening.Wisdom invites you to eat, leave your foolish ways behind, and learn how to live. Folly offers stolen water and food eaten in secret. She makes the secrecy sound like part of the fun. By the end of the chapter, we find out where that invitation leads.Funny how nobody puts that part on the flyer.They tell you who’s coming. What’s on the menu. Maybe there’s even complimentary baby oil. I got questions, but let’s keep moving.You got invited. Fine. What’ll you be expected to go along with when you get there?Maybe it’s a room where everybody laughs at somebody who isn’t there. You came to hang out. Now they’re waiting for you to pile on.Or it’s an opportunity that sounds good until somebody says, “Just don’t tell anybody how we do it.”Pay attention to that part.You can be glad somebody thought of you and still decide to stay home.Wisdom’s house might ask more of you up front. At least you know what you’re being invited into: a way to live.Before you say, “I’m on my way,” ask yourself.Whose house?🔥 REMEMBERBefore you accept the invitation, find out what comes with it.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, help me recognize wisdom before I walk through doors.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGELook at one invitation you’re considering. Name what you’d have to go along with to say yes. Decide if it’s worth it. Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe

Proverbs 8:31:"And how happy I was with the world he created; how I rejoiced with the human family!"Today's Episode: Wisdom Delights in UsTell me if you know this feeling. You just finished cutting the yard. Before you push the mower back to the shed and move on to the next chore, you turn around, breathe in that fresh-cut smell, and look at the lawn like, “I did that.”Or you finish a song and tell yourself you’re checking the mix, but really, you just wanna hear it one more time.Okay, last one, ’cause this is getting good. You get dressed, stop at the mirror on your way out, and give yourself in your Austin Powers voice: “Yeah, baby!”Yeah baby…Go ahead. Enjoy it.Listen to Proverbs 8:31 in the New Living Translation:“And how happy I was with the world he created; how I rejoiced with the human family!”That’s Lady Wisdom talking. She delights in God’s world and the human family.And you know what? God did something like that in the creation story found in Genesis. At the end of the sixth day, God looks at everything he’s made and calls it very good. On the seventh day, God rests.Now, in my words, that sounds a little like God saying, “Oh I did that thing.”So if you’ve ever stood back and said that, you might sound a little like your heavenly Father.We can get so caught up in what something needs to become that we barely let ourselves enjoy what it already is.The lawn will grow back. The song might need another pass. And please, don’t let me catch you wearing that same outfit all week.You still get to enjoy it. Right now.What if you gave yourself a little measure of grace today? I know you got a ways to go, but look at how far God has brought you. Maybe a conversation you used to avoid is one you finally had. Maybe you asked for help before you ran out of strength. All of that counts.Don’t get it twisted, there is plenty left to do. But let yourself be glad about what’s already here.Go ahead. Turn around and look. See what God’s been doing.🔥 REMEMBERYou can enjoy how far God’s brought you, even when you’ve still got a ways to go.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, help me pause and enjoy what you’ve already done.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEBefore your next task, stop for one minute. Name one thing you’ve finished or one way you’ve grown. Thank God for it. Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe

Proverbs 7:25:“Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.”Today’s Episode: Before Your Feet FollowBefore your navigation app gives you directions, you have to tell it where you want to go.You can have a full tank, good tires, and a beautiful day for a drive. But if you enter the wrong destination, every helpful instruction takes you farther toward a place you never needed to be.Sometimes we need to check what destination our heart has entered.Proverbs 7:25 says:“Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.”The chapter warns about seduction and adultery. But notice where this instruction begins.The heart.Before the feet follow a foul path, the heart will tag and save an emotional smart link right to that destination.You been secretly imagining “what it would be like” and then you’re surprised when you offer yourself allowances for things you never thought you’d permit.Then…when you finally do the deed, you say, “I don’t know how I ended up here.”Our feet may have been following directions our heart had been low-key giving them for a while.Now, a passing thought isn’t a decision. Feeling attraction doesn’t mean you’ve betrayed somebody. An angry feeling doesn’t mean you’ve chosen revenge.We do have choices about what we keep entertaining and preparing to act on.Take resentment. We can spend days rehearsing what somebody did, imagining the confrontation, polishing every cutting remark. Then one ordinary question comes along, and we unload the whole speech.The conversation caught them by surprise. We’d been practicing.What if we noticed that rehearsal earlier?“God, I’m hurt. I keep imagining ways to hurt them back. Help me find an honest way to address this.”That’s a different destination. We can tell the truth, seek support, and set a boundary without making retaliation the goal.Wisdom invites us to pay attention while choices are still taking shape.What am I making room for? Where would this lead if I kept feeding it? Is that somewhere I want my life to go?And if you’ve already taken some wrong turns, you can still ask for help changing direction.Start with what’s happening in your heart. Give it honest attention before another step.🔥 REMEMBERYour feet can follow the directions your heart keeps rehearsing.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, guide my heart toward paths my feet can follow.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEName one harmful outcome you’ve been rehearsing. Write a wiser goal, then take one action toward it today: ask for help, address the hurt, or set a boundary. Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe

Proverbs 6:28:“Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?”Today’s Episode: What Did You Think Was Gonna Happen?“Can I walk across those hot coals without burning my feet?”Well... what did you think was gonna happen?Sometimes wisdom is that blunt. You can almost hear somebody standing on the porch, watching you work very hard to make a bad idea sound reasonable.Proverbs 6:28 in the New International Version asks:“Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?”The next verse applies that picture to adultery. Getting involved with somebody else’s spouse brings consequences. Desire doesn’t make betrayal harmless.We can see the problem when it’s feet and fire. But put our own situation in the picture, and suddenly we need to explain.“Naw see…what had happened was…It’s complicated.”The circumstances may be complicated. But stupid is still stupid. And the harm can still be real.“Oh we’re just talking.”Then why does the conversation need to stay hidden?“Now I know where the line is.”Are you using that knowledge to stay clear of it, or see how close you can get?The proverb brings us back to something ordinary: what we choose puts us in contact with consequences.Sometimes we keep asking God to protect us while refusing to step away from what is doing the damage.We want the relationship protected, but we keep feeding the secret. We want trust restored, but we’re still holding back the truth.And the people who get hurt may never have agreed to take that risk with us.Wisdom asks us to consider them before another step.That warning can sound severe. It can also be mercy reaching us while there’s still time to change direction.You can end the inappropriate conversation. Stop making opportunities to be alone together. Ask a trustworthy person to help you keep the boundary you’ve been negotiating.And if harm has already happened, you still have a next step. Take responsibility. Seek help. Respect the hurt person’s boundaries and the time repair may require.Forgiveness is precious. Rebuilding trust takes honest work.The question is right there in front of us.Can you keep walking on the coals and expect your feet to be fine?You already know enough to choose your next step.🔥 REMEMBERDon’t ask your good intentions to cancel your harmful choices.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, give me courage to step away from harmful choices.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEName one boundary you’ve been negotiating. Take one concrete step to honor it today, and tell a trusted person what you’ve decided. Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe

Proverbs 5:7:“So now, children, listen to me; do not turn aside from the words I speak.”Today’s Episode: That Means You TooThere’s a certain kind of announcement that gets made in a house.“Everybody, come here.”And somebody always needs clarification.“Me too?”Yes. You live here. Everybody includes you.Proverbs 5:7 in the New English Translation says:“So now, children, listen to me; do not turn aside from the words I speak.”Children. I like that word here.The teacher has been warning about the damage unfaithfulness can do. Now he gathers his listeners’ attention again. There’s a relationship inside the instruction.The NET says “children.” Daughters can receive this wisdom, too. And what about those of us with gray hair? Child please.Being grown doesn’t mean we’ve outgrown being taught.That means you too, preacher. Teacher. Parent. President. Chaplain. Person everybody calls when they need advice.There’s a strange illusion that can happen when we pass truth along. Because we know how to explain it, we start feeling like we’ve graduated from needing it.We can preach a whole message on patience and get irritated when somebody takes too long to say amen.Don’t get it twisted. We still need the wisdom we’re handing out.And when people trust us to teach it, we have a responsibility to examine how we’re living it.If I keep telling you that truth will change your life, but mine stays raggedy in the very places I’m correcting you, eventually you’re going to have questions.You should.Our behavior can make it harder for people to trust what we’re saying. They’ve heard the lesson. They’re also watching the life.That doesn’t mean teachers have to be flawless. It means we need to be honest, accountable, and willing to repair what we damage.“I was wrong” belongs in our vocabulary right beside “Let me explain.”The verse says, “do not turn aside.”That warning still applies after we’ve taught the class. After we’ve counseled somebody. After the microphone is off.God can work with a teachable heart. We can hear Scripture address us, receive correction, and practice what we’ve been recommending.Before I decide who needs this message, let me sit with it myself.Children, listen.That means me too.🔥 REMEMBERPassing wisdom along doesn’t give you a pass on living it.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, let the wisdom I share keep shaping me first.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEChoose one wise instruction you’ve been recommending to somebody else. Name where your own practice falls short, and take one corrective step today. Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe

Proverbs 4:12:“When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.”Today’s Episode: The Unhindered StepI’ve been watching a freestyle rapper named Harry Mack for the past few years, and this dude is truly an Emcee in every sense of the word and has my respect.People give him words, and he freestyle rhymes using those words while the beat keeps moving. Now I’ve seen and even done freestyle rhymes for the longest, but what gets me about Harry Mack is his excellence and consistency.As a rapper. I know he’s cooking in real-time. He’s listening, making connections, finding the rhythm, and delivering it in a slick fashion all while you’re still thinking, “What rhymes with the word “fashion?”He takes what somebody hands him and finds a place for it within the flow.Listen to Proverbs 4:12 in the New International Version:“When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.”The unhindered step. And then the bigger surprise: the un-stumbling run.Walking without getting tangled up sounds wonderful. But running? Picking up speed and still keeping your footing?I want some of that.The verse before it describes being taught wisdom and led along straight paths. The verse after it tells us to hold on to instruction. That’s the setting for this freedom of movement: a life learning to follow wisdom.Harry Mack’s freestyle gives me a picture of it. What looks effortless has years of passion and practice behind it. He’s talked about his passion for hip hop and him practicing away from an audience.We want the flow. Are we willing to put in the practice?Practice listening before reacting. Practice telling the truth. Practice receiving correction. Practice keeping a promise when it becomes inconvenient.Those choices help prepare us for moments to walk in a level of integrity we couldn’t ever rehearse.Because life will hand you something you didn’t ask for. An interruption. A changed plan. A conversation that suddenly gets serious.And we can spend all our energy fighting the fact that this wasn’t in our script.Or we can ask, “Given what’s here, what’s the wise next step?”There’s something of improvisation’s “yes, and” in that. Acknowledging what’s happening gives us somewhere to begin. Radical acceptance and an unconditional bottom line to come back to love can keep us in that flow.This proverb gives us confidence in wisdom’s path. It doesn’t mean we’ll never face hardship or make a mistake or get “off beat”. It invites us to trust that instruction can help us move.Even when the pace picks up.Let wisdom teach your feet to keep up with life’s beat.🔥 REMEMBERPracticed wisdom helps you find your footing when life changes the rhythm.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, guide my steps and teach me wisdom’s steady rhythm.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEChoose one recurring interruption. Write a wise response you can practice. Use it once today, then note what helped you keep your footing. Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe

Proverbs 3:27:“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”Today’s Episode: The Good Within Your ReachBy tonight, a whole lot of people will be wearing that little sticker that says, “I voted.”Small sticker. Serious responsibility. I ain’t mad at you.Because behind those names on the ballot are decisions that reach somebody’s kitchen table. Somebody’s classroom. Somebody’s hospital room.Today is Election Day. And Proverbs gives us a question worth carrying with us.Proverbs 3:27 says:“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”When it is in “your” power to act. That’s the quote.We can spend so much time discussing what powerful people ought to do that we overlook the power sitting in our own hands.A vote. A voice. A decision about where our money goes. The willingness to stand beside somebody who keeps getting pushed aside.Jesus gave us some things to pay attention to. In Matthew 25, he describes feeding hungry people, welcoming strangers, clothing people, and caring for the sick. In Matthew 5, he blesses peacemakers.Those priorities ought to trouble us when we can step into a voting booth without thinking about hungry children, neglected neighbors, and war.We should ask hard questions about leaders and policies. Who receives protection? Who carries the cost? Are we investing in people’s ability to live, or allowing greed and violence to keep setting the agenda?We can disagree about how to solve a problem and still insist that vulnerable people deserve serious consideration.A campaign can borrow religious language too. We still have to look at the fruit.Proverbs doesn’t let us stop with examining somebody else.Don’t withhold good when you have the power to act.That reaches beyond a ballot. Pay somebody what you owe them. Share the resources you can spare. Speak up when a person is being mistreated.You may not control the whole outcome. But your part still matters.And tomorrow, whatever the results, somebody will still need food, safety, dignity, and a neighbor who cares.Let’s bring our faith into the choices we make, and keep showing up after the stickers come off.🔥 REMEMBERUse the power in your hands for the people within your reach.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, turn my power into practical love for others today.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEChoose one issue affecting vulnerable neighbors. Check where your candidates stand using their published positions. Then complete one act of practical help today: give food, offer a ride, or meet a specific need. Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe

Proverbs 2:10:“For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.”Today’s Episode: Souls & SaintsYesterday was All Saints’ Day. Today is All Souls’ Day. In Christian traditions that observe them, these days honor the saints and remember the faithful departed.Saints and souls. And you know we have some amazing ones that everybody recognizes and quotes. Then there are the everyday people whose lives reached ours before we knew what to call the gift.Some of them taught Sunday school. Some taught us how to stretch a meal, keep our word, or tell the truth when a lie would’ve been easier.And some of their best lessons didn’t sound very profound at the time.“Think before you speak.”“Leave it better than you found it.”“Everybody deserves some respect.”Back then, we might’ve rolled our eyes. Now we’re saying the same thing to somebody else. Apparently, we’ve become the grown folks.Proverbs 2:10–11 in the NLT says:“For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.”Notice where wisdom goes. Into your heart. And from the throne of your heart, wisdom watches over you: watch the throne.The entire chapter invites us to seek wisdom, and names God as its source. Wisdom becomes part of how we judge a situation and choose our next step.Think about a moment when you were ready to make a decision, and something you’d been taught came back to you.You slowed down. Asked another question. Decided to sleep on it.Somebody’s patient teaching helped you long after the lesson ended.That’s one way we engage wisdom from those who went before us. We examine what the Souls and Saints handed down, and put it into practice.We reminisce on the patience they practiced. The courage. The way they made room at the table and even their admitted mistakes.Those are things we can carry forward from the Souls and Saints.And if remembering somebody hurts today, give that ache some room. You don’t have to turn grief into a lesson before you’re ready.When you are ready, perhaps ask: What ultimate good did their life teach me that I can live out today?Their wisdom still walks with us.🔥 REMEMBERToday’s learned lesson can become tomorrow’s loving legacy.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, help me carry received wisdom into loving action today.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEWrite down one wise lesson from someone who shaped you. Choose one specific way to practice it before bedtime. Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe