Disruption to Difficulty to New Creation

Boundaries- The Wise and the Fool Proverbs 9: 7-9, Proverbs 12:15 and Proverbs 14:17

The wisdom literature of Proverbs often contrasts the wise and the fool. It’s too easy to say that there are wise people and there are fools. In reality, even those of us who have grown to be as wise as possible have areas of life that need developed. However, the warning is there in scripture because we need to pay attention to what we are dealing with. Is the person in front of us teachable, curious, willing to learn, seeking wisdom, honest, discerning, and capable of good decision making? That’s a wise person. Do I need to be more cautious and boundaried because the person is lacking judgement, reckless, reactive, easily duped, assumes they know, and has a history ignoring wisdom and good advise? That is the way of the fool. We welcome the wise but we need to have appropriate boundaries when dealing with foolish behavior or foolish relational interaction. This is complicated. Let’s learn together and from each other.

1. A theme in scripture is “pay attention to wisdom and more wisdom comes.” Where our attention goes our energy follows. If we tune into wisdom and connect to wise people we grow in wisdom. Who has been a source of wisdom for you and how have they helped you learn?

2. We all grow and mature in our lives. Was there an area of your life that took you a long time to learn because you were too locked in and unteachable for a while?

3. Have you ever had to put a boundary in place with someone that was hard but proved fruitful over time? (OR) Is there a boundary you need to create with anyone right now?

4. Is there anything going on where you need wisdom right now? Could you bring that up and open yourself to the shared wisdom of the group?

What are we “praying” about? Meditation, Contemplation, Rumination.

Teach Us To Pray- Pray AND Ask

Read Philippians 4:6-7

In this short verse Paul is teaching on prayer and makes the point that relationship and connection with God is the main goal of prayer. Any relationship that is primarily transactional and about getting our own needs met isn’t a healthy relationship. That’s not the kind of relationship we want with God. In prayer we seek a sense of connection, freely sharing ourselves, a sense of peace, a safe place to express all our emotions... and we make requests.

1. What is one of the most powerful prayer experiences you’ve had?

2. Paul distinguishes between prayer AND supplication or “asking” for things. What do you think is the difference?

3. One thing emphasized here and other passages is that prayer is about connection to God first. Why is it so important that it’s a prayer of connection first and foremost?

4. Paul instructs us on how to make requests when he says, "with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Why is that important?

5. VS 7 sounds like it’s the result of praying how we are instructed to in VS 6. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The result of praying this way is peace. Why is that?

3 John