Live Wise: The Power Of Proverbs
The Benefits Of Living In Reality
Life is difficult. There’s no way around it. But too often, we make it more difficult than it has to be because we work against principles God put into place. Fortunately, God offers us wisdom for how to live in harmony with the seen and unseen realities of our world. In this series, we’ll look at some of the powerful wisdom God offers from the book of Proverbs that can help us thrive in our family, finances, and careers.
Links
Series
Speakers
Joël Malm
Teaching Pastor
Key Point: You can ignore reality, but you can’t avoid the consequences of ignoring reality.
Proverbs 1:1-7, 20-33
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof,[a] behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Key Point: Wisdom is the path to living in harmony with reality. It helps you stop unnecessary suffering.
Live Wise | Week 1 | The Benefits Of Living In Reality
TALK IT OVER NOTES
You can ignore reality, but you can not avoid the consequences of ignoring reality.
Q1) How often do you think you choose to ignore reality?
Sometimes we even ignore things because it is too uncomfortable to look at.
A painful thing is ignoring reality for too long before it catches up to you.
Newton's Third Law:
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Sometimes when things aren't working out in our life it's because we don't understand a principle that God has put into place.
God has given us everything.
He's given us everything we need for life in godliness.
Proverbs shows us how to live in harmony with reality
Proverbs 1:1-7
“Fools despise wisdom and instruction”
God created the world, so He knows how it works!
4 Kind Of People In The World:
- People who help others
- People who hurt others
- People who help themselves
- People who hurt themselves
Naive People - People who help others while hurting themselves
Foolish People - People who hurt themselves AND others
Wicked people - People who help themselves while hurting others
WISE people - People who help themselves while helping others
“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but the companion of fools always suffers harm.”
Q2) Are you growing more wise?
Proverbs 1:20-33
What most people are doing most of the time, is not the wise thing…
Scoffer:
Someone who makes fun of people being wise
If you follow God's principles in spite of what the world around you is doing, it can be a dumpster fire around you. But you can walk out not even smelling of smoke because you've been living by God's principles and wisdom.
Key Point:
Wisdom is the path to living in harmony with reality. It helps you stop unnecessary suffering.
PRAY IT OUT
Father, we thank you for everything you have done for us. We ask that you give us wisdom, Lord. In this world there are a lot of foolish people, and we just ask that you shine your light in the darkness and guide us to victory, Lord. Help us walk with you. Lord, you are the author of our story, so we just pray that you allow us to walk in that truth along the path that you have paved out for us, Lord. We love you and we thank you. We pray this in your name, Amen.