Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 8
Brian urged listening to advice (Proverbs 19:20) and used river navigation—avoiding “pillows” and “strainers,” moving toward “standing waves” and the “open V”—as moral guidance; what are the real-life “strainors and pillows” he explicitly named (pornography, drugs, sexual immorality), and what “open V” practices or environments would you need to pursue to actually avoid them rather than merely condemn them?
Another way to ask: How are things like porn, drugs, and sexual immorality like dangerous “strainors and pillows” in real life? What “open V” habits, places, or people would help you actually avoid them instead of just judging them?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Brian explicitly names “pornography, drugs, sexual immorality” as dangers you should avoid by listening to wise instruction, like avoiding “pillows” and “strainers” on a river. The transcript doesn’t list specific “open V practices,” but it strongly points toward seeking wise mentors, taking instruction, and moving toward safer channels rather than flirting with hazard.
- He quotes Proverbs 19:20: “Listen to advice, accept instruction, and in the end you’ll be wise.”
- He explains “strainers” as tangled debris where “people have died,” warning to avoid them.
- He explains “pillows” as a surface rise over a submerged rock that can “flip your canoe.”
- He says you should move toward “standing waves” and the “open V,” which indicate “deep water” and a safer trough.
- He applies it morally: “pornography, drugs, sexual immorality… avoid these things. Move towards these things. Go away from this. Go towards that.”
- He urges seeking mentors: “go find those old guys… godly men, mentors… and ask them for advice. And take that advice.”