Wisdom for Everyday Life

• Session 1: Your Words Have Power

  Watch: Session 1 (11 minutes)

  Discuss:

  1. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever said?

  2. Are you currently facing any decisions for which there isn’t an obvious right or wrong path to pick? What do you typically do in situations like this?

  3. Have you read Proverbs? If so, would you recommend it to a friend? Why, or why not?

  4. Our words have power, so we need to use them wisely. What would change in your life, this week, if you were far more aware of the utter uniqueness of your voice: your vocal fingerprint given to you by God for a purpose? Would it change what you say, how you say it, and who you say it to? Why, or why not?

  5. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” In which situations do your words tend to stir up – or defuse – anger? Describe a time when you used a gentle answer to take the tension out of a volatile situation.

  6. Why do you think truthfulness is integral to the mark you’ll leave on this world?

• Session 2: Using Words Wisely

  Watch: Session 2 (9 minutes)

  Discuss:

  1. Have the words of a character in a book, in a film, or on a stage, ever reduced you to tears? If so, why were you so moved by what they said? Have your words ever made someone else cry (in a good way)?

  2. Proverbs 10:19 says, “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues,” and Proverbs 15:28 says, “The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.” When it comes to words, less is more. Do you agree? Why, or why not? Why is it so easy for us, in this cultural moment, to use too many words in any given situation on any given day?

  3. Proverbs 25:15 says, “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.” Can you think of any world leaders who have shaped their nations, for better or worse, with their words? What do you think Stephen means when he says that gentleness is a superpower? Where would those who know you best place your speech, on a scale of harsh to gentle?

  4. The following verses also deal with the destructiveness of gossip, slander, and lies: Proverbs 6:16–19, 10:18, 11:13, 16:28, 18:8, 20:19. How would you explain to a five-year-old the power of their words and how important it is to use their words wisely?

  5. Read Psalm 34. What kinds of words come out of the mouths of the godly? Explain the life hack offered by the psalmist in verses 12–13.

• Session 3: Forging Great Friendships

  Watch: Session 3 (10 minutes)

  Discuss:

  1. Who was the first friend you made at school? Are you still friends?

  2. Stephen opens the session by asking, “What if the most significant thing you did with your life wasn’t an achievement you attained, but a friendship you forged?” Does this seem far-fetched to you? Why, or why not?

  3. How have your friends influenced you? How have you influenced them? Have you ever wanted to trade in some of your friends for new ones? If so, why, and did you? Are the elderly people in your life surrounded by friends? If not, what’s your next step?

  4. Read Proverbs 22:24–25 and Proverbs 27:9. Point out the differences between these two kinds of friends.

  5. Read Ecclesiastes 4:9–12. List some of the advantages of strong friendships.

• Session 4: Humility Over Pride

  Watch: Session 4 (11 minutes)

  Discuss:

  1. Do you look for yourself first in a group photo?

  2. Why, when it comes to wisdom, is pride your greatest enemy, and humility your greatest friend? Why do you think it’s so easy to see pride in others and so hard to detect pride in ourselves?

  3. Discuss the idea that pride builds barriers while humility builds bridges. Can you trace the ways you’re building one or the other?

  4. Have you ever taken credit for something God did? If you have kids, how would you explain to them that pride comes before destruction because it’s the precursor to almost every other sin? What does Stephen mean when he says that pride makes us stupid?

  5. Read James 4:10 and 1 Peter 5:6. What is the direct result of humility?

  6. Read Paul’s instructions in Romans 12:16 and Philippians 2:3. How does humility influence our relationships within the church and elsewhere?

• Session 5: Turning Fear into Awe

  Watch: Session 5 (10 minutes)

  Discuss:

  1. What’s your biggest fear? Why? Has fear ever saved your life? Has fear ever robbed you of life?

  2. Stephen says, “If you fear God, you need fear nothing and no one else.” Does this seem far-fetched, or too good to be true, or right on? Does Stephen’s phrase “a hopeful fear of God” sound counterintuitive or contradictory to you?

  3. To “fear the Lord” means to be so captivated by His majesty and so in awe of who He is that other fears find no traction in our lives. How would you explain to a friend who has recently put their faith in Jesus that the fear of God induces courage?

  4. Read Isaiah 41:10–13. What kind of fear is being spoken about in these verses (the good kind – fear of the Lord – or the toxic kind)? What reason does God give us for living fearlessly, joyfully, and confidently?

  5. Read Matthew 10:28, Luke 12:32, and John 14:27. Discuss how Jesus differentiates between worldly fear and godly fear.

  6. Paul writes to Timothy, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Do you think fearing God increases your power, love, and self-control? If so, how?