Week 1: GET WISDOM

(An Introduction to Wisdom)

 

If you would like to print this study, or have trouble viewing it on your screen, you can download the Microsoft Word document below.

 

On Sunday at church Leon preached on the biblical principle that the “fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” from Proverbs 1. Please make sure you have watched Sunday’s sermon before Community Group.

 
 

Read this overview

In the Bible, the word “fear” can mean several things. It can refer to the terror one feels when they are faced with something frightening. It can mean deep respect, like how a servant “fears” his master. Fear can also mean the reverence or awe a person feels in the presence of greatness. The “fear of the LORD” is a combination of all of these things. In his story, Job had a version of “fear” for God…the text tells us he was a righteous man and loved God. But when Job experienced a series of tragedies, his “fear” proved deficient in explaining how God could still be good and just in the midst of suffering. When God shows up in the story, Job’s “fear” grows as he is both terrified being in the presence of a holy God and he moves from wondering about God to being full of wonder for God. This sort of fear (terror, respect, full of wonder) of the LORD gives us perspective on who He is, who we are and how life is meant to be lived. When we rightly are full of wonder for God, everything else in life becomes clear.  

Begin with silence and prayer 

[5 minutes]

Sit down, get comfortable and ask someone to pray aloud for the study.

Then spend a few minutes in silence. Ask God to help us remove distractions from our minds, listen to what He is saying to and through each of us and change our lives accordingly.

 

DEBRIEF

Reflect on last week’s study application (smaller groups)

[10 minutes]

As this is the first study of this series, we’re going to spend some time thinking about hopes and goals for what you’d like to get out of this time together. Instead of just meeting weekly, then going home and repeating, it would be helpful to think intentionally of how you’d like to see Jesus growing you to be more like Him. Take the next few minutes and spend some time imagining. 

If you are in a Community of seven or more, divide into small groups of 3–4 people each (ideally same gender). 

Spend a few minutes catching up on life and then talk about the following debrief questions: 

  1.  Where do you need more wisdom in your life? 

  2. Where are some areas you’d like grow in your love/knowledge/working out of Jesus in your life? 

  3. How can you not just study truths and ideas in God’s Word, but apply them to your life? 

 

DEEP DIVE

Open to the Bible together (whole group)

[15 minutes]

Have somebody read the following texts: 

  • Proverbs 1:1-7

  •  Job 42:1-6

Talk about the following questions: 

  1. What stands out to you from these texts? 

  2. What doesn’t make sense or needs clarification?

  3. What do you think is the main point(s)? 

  4. How does this fit into the larger story of God? 

  5. What do these texts tell you about yourself and the world? 

 

DISCIPLESHIP

Application for the coming week: 

[5 minutes]

Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. By being people who understand God’s bigness (and our smallness), by deeply respecting the plan and power of God and by being people who are full of wonder for Him, we can start to begin living wisely. Below are some questions to spark these thoughts from merely being ideas we discuss to truths we put into practice in our daily lives.

Work through these discussion questions 

 [10 minutes]

  1. Have you established any patterns in your life that reflect your fear of the LORD? If so, what habits have you formed that demonstrate love for God as a primary? If not, how could/would centring yourself around God speak into the various areas of your life? 

  2. How can you start your day and move through your schedule with the “fear of the LORD” framing your attitudes and actions? (Be specific!) Ideas: setting aside time each day for prayer and/or Bible reading; reading through a book about spiritual disciplines and putting one of them into practice; taking each significant moment that happens in your day to Jesus as it is happening.

  3. How could you this week, like Job, be a person full of wonder for God? 

  4. Write down these thoughts and find ways to enact them this week. Next week we are going to start our time off by checking in to see how we put into practice what we learned. 

Close in prayer 

[15 minutes]