Proverbs: Lessons in Wisdom – 06.19.22

Proverbs 12:13-14,17-18, 15:14, 16:23-28, 18;21,24:26, 25:11

Connect: What was your relationship like with your father both positive and negative? How did it affect the way you look at your Heavenly Father?  Do you see yourself as God’s beloved son or daughter? What is that like for you?  If not why not? 

Engage:  See verses above, we all grew up with,” Sticks and stones can break our bones, but words will never hurt me. “Have you had words hurt you? What was that like and have you had words that brought life? What were those times like for you? 
How are you doing with your words, Ladies too? Are we using uplifting words or words that gossip, cut down, Do your words bring life or death to those you interact with? 

James 3:9 what does that look like in your life? 

Zach shared 5 words of Blessing for Dads but also for women too. 

#1 Instructional words 
      How are you doing with instructional words? Are you instructing in just in things that worldiy or are you teaching your children or grandchildren, the word of God? What does that look like for you? 
 Meals are great time to ask questions? Do you have meals together and what is that like for you? What some areas that you use to connect and instruct with your children or grandchildren? 
   If you have not taken time, have you been able to talk to Jesus about this?
 How is your heart teachable? Are you asking the Lord to help you be teachable what does that look like for you?

#2 Integrity 
    Proverbs 12:13-18 
Do your words connect with your actions? 
Tim Keller quote “Words embody our inner life” What do you think of that statement ? 
How are you living out the words you are saying? 
How are you doing with the Life / work balance?  
Integrity means adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
Where have you seen great meanings of integrity? Where have you seen bad examples of integrity?  How are you doing with integrity in your life?

#3 Fitting
 Apt words – Proverbs 25:11   Proverbs 18:13 
Do you listen to what’s going on in your children’s heart? Do you talk more than you listen? Are you aware of what your children and grandchildren don’t say? 
Nelson Mandela said, “”It is never my custom to use words lightly. If 27 years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die.”
What do you think of this quote? 

#4 Kindness Proverbs 15:1,4 , 16:24
       How have you experienced kindness? How have you experienced anger? How has that landed on you? God is slow to anger – Can you receive that in your own life? 
Zach used gentle/ harsh, soothing / perverse?  Very opposite, how are you doing with these words in your own life?  Where is your heart in the use of these words?  

#5 Correction – Proverbs 3: 12 
Example of Eli – 1 Samuel 2:12 – Zach talked about free range parenting – Do you have an example of free-range parenting in your sphere of influence – how do you respond to that?  Are you willing to enter correction? Do you have examples of good correction or bad correction in your own life? 

Luke 6:45: A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Friends how is your heart?  Where are you with your heart? 

Apply: What is the invitation for you this week? What is the Lord asking you to do in light of these sermon questions? Do you have someone you can process all of this with, if not what do you think you need to do in light of what the Lord is asking you to do?