This series explores the wisdom of Proverbs and how God shapes everyday life through practical faith. Together, we will discover how godly wisdom transforms our relationships, character, decisions, and witness. In this series, we focus on the power of our words and how our speech can either bring healing and life or cause hurt and division.

Looking Back

• If you like songs to get you in a worshipful place, check out Bethel's: "God I Look to You" by searching for it here.
• Does anyone have anything special to share about how God has been speaking to them through this series about wisdom so far?

Looking Up

You can't grow in wisdom without integrity. Integrity means you have two qualities: honesty and strength. You can't learn about how to be wise without being honest about where you are, and you can't submit to God and change without strength (to be fair, mostly His strength) - the strength to persevere and learn.

It's really difficult when we know the values we should live by, and then do things that conflict with them. Psychology calls it 'cognitive dissonance' - that uneasy feeling you get when you do things that go against the values you hold. It can cause us to lack confidence in who we are, make us justify poor behaviour or make poor choices.

James 1:8 calls it 'double-mindedness' and 'unstable', Proverbs calls it 'hypocrisy'. The good news is that God is gentle and kind in working with each of us through this process, and the blessings and rewards for us are great as we submit to His wisdom.

Read together the following texts (read them in a few versions if you like): Proverbs 4:23, Proverbs 10:9, Proverbs 11:3

1. What are we instructed to do in each of these verses? What does Proverbs say the most likely result of doing these things will be?
2. In Proverbs 10 & 11 what might happen if you don't do them? What might that look like in your own life?

Now read how Jesus lived this out in Matthew 4:1–11.

3. What were the choices that Jesus made? And what didn't he choose?
4. What did Jesus use to rebuke the temptations that Satan offered him?
5. What does this say about the importance of spending time in the Word (one of our Rhythms of Grace!) and learning wisdom that will help us through trials and temptations?

Notice that none of his disciples were there to watch this – he wasn't doing it for an audience or as a lesson. Jesus acted out of the integrity of wisdom – which remained the same whether someone was watching him or not.

Looking Ahead

• Spend some time in quiet thought about this (you can play the music introduced earlier if you want): Who do people see when they look at you, at work or in groups, at church or when you're with your friends?
• We all need to be able to relax at home and speak or act less guardedly when alone or with those we feel safe with – this is healthy! But are there things you do and say when you're by yourself that you wouldn't really want others to see or hear – things that don't really fit into the values God is growing in our hearts as we walk with Him? (Hint: humans all have these!)
• Ask God to show you if there are areas (e.g. habits, reactions to things) that He would have us submit to Him and act in accordance to His wisdom.

Prayer

• Break into pairs to pray.
• If you feel comfortable, you can share areas that God has brought to your heart with your prayer partner. Or you can just pray for one another without knowing the details if you would prefer – God will still honour these prayers.
• Pray also for those that we continue to ask the Lord to bring to His saving grace, and for the people He has instructed us to tell about His Good News.