Bandon First Baptist

09/07/2026

09/07/2026

Tips on Dealing with a Fool

Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips. (Proverbs 14:7)

September 7, 2026
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll
So much for analysis. It’s time for application. For the sake of space, I will limit my comments here to a major heartache—being married to a fool. Some people are living with a marriage partner who has turned out to be totally different from the person they thought they married. And now they realize they’ve got a fool on their hands. Well-meaning friends and spiritual leaders may give all kinds of advice or teaching, but nothing works.

If there is continued folly, isolation is the most effective treatment. I wouldn’t dare make that statement without biblical support, because too many voices are saying something else these days. But according to Proverbs, if there is continued folly, the most effective treatment to employ is isolation.

Isn’t that insightful? Our thinking will break down if we stay in the presence of and try to do verbal battle with a fool. If we try to outsmart a fool, outtrick a fool, outfight a fool, we will lose! We will lose clear thinking. We will begin to lack true knowledge. We will lose the discernment of understanding. “Leave the presence of a fool” is a command worth taking literally (Proverbs 14:7 NASB).

Of course, each situation must be considered independently. Great effort must be expended in prayer and counsel, and reconciliation attempts must be tried in every conceivable manner. But when all these fail and the foolish lifestyle is still evident, reason will no longer work.

Look again at Proverbs. “Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, much less are lying lips to a prince” (17:7 NASB) and “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words” (23:9 NASB 1995).

I’ve met some fools who have been forced to live in the street. It’s remarkable how broken they can become. It’s encouraging how quickly God gets their attention. It’s amazing how much more committed they can be to a marriage when they have had to learn the hard lessons of loneliness and faced the struggle of having no place to live. I have seen God use isolation to bring people to their knees.

The church needs to hear the testimony of former fools more often—in waters of baptism, in adult fellowship classes, even on occasion in Sunday worship gatherings. A proclamation is in order when fools repent and are restored.

Even fools can come to an end of their godless folly. When they do—when repentance is obvious and authentic—forgiveness is the most Christlike, the most appropriate response. I close with the wise words of psychologist Archibald Hart, “Forgiveness is surrendering my right to hurt you for hurting me.”

09/06/2026

A Fool’s Portrait

Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. (Ecclesiastes 10:12–14)

September 6, 2026
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll
A close look at Solomon’s journal entry reveals at least four ways a fool demonstrates his or her folly:

Mouth and Words

“Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness.” (Ecclesiastes 10:12–13 NASB 1995). Pretty blunt, isn’t it? But it’s the absolute truth. Notice that “the lips of a fool consume him.” The word consume means “to swallow up.” An old German commentator named H. C. Leupold offers this translation: “The lips of a fool bring about his own undoing.”

Who is it that suffers the most consequences in the life of a fool? The fool himself. He may make others miserable, but he’s the one who is “consumed.” The fool is the one who winds up in prison. The fool is the one who suffers the ultimate brunt of his actions.

Future and Predictability

“No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?” (10:14 NASB 1995). Does this sound familiar? If you have teenagers in your home, I’ll bet you’ve used some similar lines: “Honey, if you keep acting like that, there’s no telling where you’re going to wind up.”

It’s hard enough when your teenager is acting like a fool, but it is downright tragic when the fool is your husband or your wife, and you’re trying to find meaning through a maze of madness. You feel as though you’re on a gyroscope, spinning, leaning, wondering how long you can go on. And such family instability affects everyone—especially the children.

The future of a fool is unpredictable. In some cases, the future is a terrible accident. Sometimes, as I mentioned earlier, it’s prison. Sometimes it’s a fresh grave.

Confusion and Stupidity

The fool exhausts himself by his inefficient and unproductive lifestyle. He gets so confused, he doesn’t even “know how to go to a city” (10:15 NASB).

Don’t misunderstand, it doesn’t mean they’re intellectually defective. Fools can be very bright. I have seen fools with extremely high IQs. Folly has nothing to do with IQ. But it has everything to do with stupidity! His talk is empty prattle. To quote Shakespeare’s Macbeth: “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Procrastination and Poor Judgment

Fools make all kinds of promises, but they don’t follow through. There’s wasted time; there’s a loss of priorities; there’s a careless lifestyle; there’s a lack of discipline toward unfinished tasks. Even though there are so many things to take care of, irresponsibility and verbosity abound.

09/05/2026

Please join us, Sunday at 11AM, as Pastor Dennis continues teching about Spiritual Warfare.

09/05/2026

Some “Above-the-Sun” Wisdom

There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long. Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king. (Ecclesiastes 9:14–17)

September 5, 2026
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll
I appreciate the words of one writer. He says, “This parable is not a moral tale to show what people should do. It is a cautionary tale to show what they are like.”

Solomon’s story is more than a simple account of a city under siege. It’s a scene that communicates the importance of wisdom.

Strength is more impressive yet less effective than wisdom. Isn’t it true? If we stand strength alongside wisdom, strength will get the public’s vote practically every time. We’re impressed with it. It is intimidating. It’s always going faster, getting smarter, more competitive, more skillful. But in Ecclesiastes 9:16 are the words from the wise yet poor man. His words, nevertheless, live on—“Wisdom is better than strength.”

But there’s another piece of counsel given as verse 16 continues: “But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded” (NASB 1995). Wise counsel is never popular, rarely obeyed, and seldom remembered. No one remembered the poor man.

Do you see what this is about? This isn’t a simple little story about a village. This is a parable offering insight about life. And the poor man is the inner heart, the conscience, the spirit within us. It’s that which pulsates with Scripture—that which is in touch with the timeless sage called the Spirit of God. It is the inner man that quietly waits to be obeyed.

Another statement of wisdom is found in verse 17: Human rulers will always outshout wise counselors, and fools prefer the former. “The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools” (9:17 NASB 1995). Wise counselors will give accurate yet quiet counsel, but fools will prefer to hear the advice of loud rulers.

The enemy forces are at the wall, and our “village” is being threatened. If we are Christians, there is a quiet voice deep within our spirits. It is the voice of the Spirit of God, prompting us to turn to God’s Book as our unerring guide. But he won’t use force. He won’t even threaten. He speaks softly and waits patiently to be heard and obeyed.

In the rat race called living on the ragged edge, it is easy to be seduced. Listen to God, even if His counsel is painful. Even if you find few people who agree with you, if God says it, do it. Not until you do will you find relief and recovery. Only then can you truly come to terms with reality.

09/04/2026

Major Realities of Life, Part Two

It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!”. . . . So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! (Ecclesiastes 9:3–4, 7)

September 4, 2026
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Solomon presents to us, in these verses in Ecclesiastes 9, the major realities that give life definition and meaning. I covered two yesterday. And the third one is tough to handle:

Evil and Insanity Reside in the Human Heart

We’ve heard about the doctrine of depravity all our lives, but not much about the doctrine of insanity, right? Honestly, have you ever seen this in Scripture before? Lurking in the human heart is a permanent mixture of “evil and insanity” (Ecclesiastes 9:3 NASB 1995). It’s enough to make shivers run up one’s spine.

You see, within the human heart there is a private polluted pool, a reservoir of insanity. You can drink from it. You can swim in it. You can be polluted by it. It’s your own private pool and everybody has one. Like the prodigal who ran wild, acted out his insanity, and finally came to his senses before he went back home. Remember the story in Luke 15? Don’t miss the part that says, “He came to himself.” In other words, he returned to sanity.

There’s a fourth reality, and like the other three, it will help immensely as we try to cope with the world in which we live. It’s the reality of hope.

There Is Hope for the Living

I’m so glad we have finally arrived at something positive and affirming—hope for the living. There is nothing quite as encouraging as hope. When Solomon says that whoever is joined with the living will find hope, it turns the tide. It brings light into an otherwise dark and dismal chamber.

Since there’s hope for the living, Solomon completes the thought with “eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works” (9:7 NASB).

What a wonderful hope for believers! We don’t have to live under guilt! We don’t have to worry each morning about whether or not God is going to club us into eternity! We don’t have to live in fear, wondering if we’re in the family or not in the family. We’re there. And we’re approved. Isn’t that great news? No wonder we can eat and drink with happiness and cheer. He’s already approved us. You and I are to live happily wherever we are. So, live it up!

09/03/2026

Major Realities of Life, Part One

This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t. (Ecclesiastes 9:1–2)

September 3, 2026
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Solomon is now turning the corner in his journey. He’s bringing everything to a climax. I suppose we could say he’s coming to terms with reality. Thus far, chapter after monotonous chapter, his journal has been devoted to an exposé of emptiness. In effect he is saying, “I’ve tried all those things and they do not satisfy. Allow me to save you the trouble, dear reader. Let me introduce to you to that which has substance—the things you can count on. These things are reliable. I know, I’ve been there!” And then he presents to us the major realities that give life definition and meaning. There are four of them stated or implied here.

The Sovereign Hand of God

Among the absolute, inevitable realities, first and foremost there is the sovereign hand of God. Regardless of rank, status, color, creed, age, heritage, intelligence, or temperament, “the hand of God” is upon us.

Being in the hand of God is not synonymous with or a guarantee for being economically prosperous, physically healthy, shielded from pain, enjoying a trouble-free occupation, and having everyone smile and appreciate us. As Solomon wrote “Man does not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits him” (Ecclesiastes 9:1 NASB 1995). But what does help is the knowledge that behind whatever happens is a God who loves us and cares, who hasn’t lost a handle on the controls.

The picture isn’t complete yet. There’s another inescapable factor that various human philosophies would try to diminish:

The Absolute Certainty of Death

Death awaits us all. You can count on it. As Euripides, a Greek poet, once said, “Death is the debt we all must pay.” This theme is repeated over and over again throughout Scripture.

When we give attention to Solomon’s journal, we are reading the “fine-hammered steel” of a man telling us the truth, not the least of which is the absolute certainty of death. If you think the first two realities were tough to handle, wait until you hear the third.