A Work of Art. A Work of Art Introduction A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands (Proverbs 14:1 NLT)

A Work of Art

A Work of Art Introduction

• A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands (Proverbs 14:1 NLT)

Differences between the wise and foolish person

1. Proverbs 12:15 Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

2. Proverbs 10:14 Wise people treasure knowledge but, the babbling of a fool invites disaster

3. Proverbs 12:23 The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness.

4. Proverbs 13:16 Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.

5. Proverbs 15:7 The lips of the wise give good advice; the heart of a fool has none to give.

6. Proverbs 17:28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.


• Everyone knows that a foundation is very important to any building, what foundations are we building in our lives, in our home, in our children?

• A woman’s family is held together by her wisdom, but it can be destroyed by her foolishness. (Proverbs 14:1, CEV)


• Build: an action word : to make (something) by putting together parts or materials. : to develop or form (something) gradually.

• God the greatest Architect is also doing that, building, putting us together, developing us, and forming us gradually into a Work of Art.


• Nehemiah had a heart to build the wall of Jerusalem.

• Nehemiah 5:14 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”

• They continued to build, with a sword to their side and finally the wall was completed.


• God the Master Potter – Isaiah 64:8• Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the

clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. NIV

A Work of Art 1. Beautiful Masterpiece

• Ephesians 2:10 – God’s masterpiece, his workmanship– “For we are God's masterpiece. He has

created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (NLT)

• Masterpiece – ‘anything done or made with wonderful skill, perfect piece of workmanship, a person’s greatest piece of work’.


Psalm 139:13-16 (MSG) Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.


• A big lie women believe about themselves is that physical beauty matters more than inner beauty. The world places tremendous value on external body image: The physical and the sensual.


• The truth: There’s nothing wrong with physical beauty, but it is fleeting. No one looks the same at 50 as they did at 20! There is something that matters more than the external:

• Inner beauty. Having a radiant spirit, a conscience that’s clear, a heart that’s pure, a smile that is genuine are all work that God’s Spirit is able to effect in a woman’s life. These are the things that really matter – and the areas that women should focus on primarily!

A Work of Art 2. Unique

• One of a kind, being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.

• Particularly remarkable, special, or unusual.

• Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” (NLT)

• Our self-image is destroyed because of comparison…


• A Lie• Where do we get your sense of who we

are? From people around us, or even from what people said about as a child? Many women struggle with self-image. They feel they are worthless.

• Too often, negative words spoken in childhood by family, friends significant adults (like “You’re so fat,” or name calling, become part of what women believe about themselves that they carry into adulthood.


• The Truth: • God values and loves you. God cares enough about

your soul that He gave His Son for you.• Lies keep us in bondage• The Truth releases us and sets us free to live the way

God wants us to live• Lies we believe about ourselves can influence and

even control the way we live. That’s why it’s important to concentrate on the true, noble, lovely, and admirable things about ourselves.

• When I begin to see myself as God sees me, I learn to accept myself, to see my strengths and my weaknesses; and then I begin to understand how to be content.

A Work of Art 3. Invest

• Invest– (to use, give, or devote (time, talent, etc.), as for a purpose or to achieve something.) To devote (effort, resources, etc, to a project)

• Ephesians 5: 16 “Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

A Work of Art 3. Invest

• Invest in others by discipling and mentoring them. When you invest in something it is because you believe in it and are expecting some return from the investment.

• Fruitfulness is a good sign of investment. • Ruth and Naomi • Paul and Timothy, Titus

A Work of Art 4. Live for …

• Live for … how will you finish this sentence? Live for self or live for God

• So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Ephesians 5:15(NLT)

• Living for self produces a life of selfishness, self-centeredness and pride. A person with no relationship with Christ will tend to live like this.

A Work of Art4. Live for …

• But a person who chooses to live for God will recognize Him as his or her source.

• Phil 2:3 3 “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

• The opposite is true a person who chooses to live selfishly will only live to make a good impression. They will think they are better than others.


• As you live life with Jesus, every day, and everywhere you will know that “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Phil. 2:13) NLT

• Life with Jesus will affect our speech, our attitude and our responses.


Ephesians 4:25-3125 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

A Work Of Art 5. Discipline

• Discipline “To improve or attempt to improve the behavior, orderliness, etc, by training, conditions, or rules, “to punish or correct”

• Delayed gratification. • “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the

Lord wants you to do.” Ephesians 5:17• “The key to practicing disciplining is advance

decision making. The rewards of discipline are great but they are seldom immediate” (Bill Hybels, Who you are when no one is looking)

• The purpose of Proverbs is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. (Proverbs 1:3)


1 Corinthians 9:25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.1 Corinthians 9:27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.Hebrews 12:11 (NLT)11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.


• Through discipline God is changing who I am to what he wants me to be.

• What areas of my life need discipline? • Physical • Financially • Spiritual • Time


• Everyone is involved in building, whether negatively or positively. Building foolishly will lead to disaster. Building wisely will leave a good legacy.

• ‘He is still working in me to make me what I ought to be, it took him just a week to make the moon and stars, sun and earth, and Jupiter and mars how loving and patient he must be, he is still working on me.”

A Work Of Art

B eautiful masterpiece

U nique

I nvest

L ive for …

D iscipline

A Work of Art Conclusion

• God knows my Past, my memories, experiences, failures, achievements, qualifications, growth

• God knows my Present, my physical features, skills, values, interests, abilities, personality, attitudes

• God knows my Future - my visions, fears, predictions, goals

A Work of Art Conclusion

• Since God loves us unconditionally, wants us to live contentedly, and trusts us completely to represent him. Since our true identities are found only in Christ, we need to set aside all of the inaccurate blueprints we have of ourselves and build our lives according to God’s perfect design.

• “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

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A Work of Art. A Work of Art Introduction A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands (Proverbs 14:1 NLT)