Week 4: WISDOM AND FRIENDSHIP

 

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 Travis preached on Wisdom and Futility. Please make sure you have watched Sunday’s sermon before Community Group.

 
 

Read this overview

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]

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

Can you spot a time from the past week where you consciously “set your mind on things above”?

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

 

DEEP DIVE

Open to the Bible together (whole group)

[15 minutes]

Read these Proverbs as a group. For each of them. Ask...

  1. When has this proverbs resonated with your experience? 

  2. When has your experience disagreed with this proverb? 

Prov. 12:26 The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Prov. 13:20 Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

Prov. 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Prov. 18:24 a man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Prov. 27:6 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Prov. 27:9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.

Prov. 27:10 Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend 

And don’t go to your brother’s house in your times of calamity; Better a neighbour nearby than a brother far away.

Prov. 29.5 Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet

Once you have read all these Proverbs, draw out some common themes. Discuss these themes. 

 

DISCIPLESHIP

Application for the coming week: 

[5 minutes]

  1. Have you opted out of all friendships for some reason? 

  2. If you’ve identified that you’re not always a loyal friend (a ‘secret keeper’), what could you do to remedy that? To make  amends? 

  3. If you’ve identified that your friends are not always loyal to you, what could you do about that? What do you think it would be wise to do (remember the proverbs from above...)? 

Work through these discussion questions 

 [10 minutes]

Pick 2 or 3 of these questions to discuss. 

  1. Whether you’re married or single (or dating, divorced, etc), do you find yourself prioritising romance over friendship? 

  2. Assess the season of life you are in, and discuss whether this is a season where it would be wise to invest in friendships, or to invest in something else.

  3. Are you happy with the depth of your friendships? What practical steps could you take to deepen friendships if not? 

  4. Are you happy with the number of friends you have? What practical things could you do to make new friends? 

  5. Do you consider yourself one of the lucky 10% who has experienced what CS Lewis calls ‘true friendship’? If so, share about the experience. 

  6. What aspects of Gods love for you does the language of friendship emphasise? 

  7. What do you find captivating about Gods “voluntary” love? What do you find captivating about Gods “loyal” love? 

Close in prayer 

[15 minutes]