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A Summer of Wisdom

Get Wisdom, Get Understanding

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

Did you ever ask yourself, "How could I have been so stupid?"
Or, "What was I thinking?"
Or, "I wish I could make that decision all over again?"

That's life. We start out not knowing much and not even knowing what we don't know. Life is all about learning and growing. Maturity is the goal. It would be nice to get there sooner rather than later, but that is where we are all headed.

And that's what the Summer Wisdom Series is all about. Helping you grow, learn, and "get wisdom."

How it Happens!

We move from 1) information to 2) knowledge or understanding, from knowledge and understanding to 3) insight, and finally, from insight to 4) wisdom.

We start out with information. Information is the facts and the details. Part of our problem is TOO MUCH information. We are drowning in information. So, we actually need wisdom to figure out what information is most important.

Next comes knowledge or understanding. As we collect and organize the facts and data, we begin to make sense of the details. Meaning begins to emerge. We were confused but now we begin to understand what is going on.

Insight happens. You begin to have the "aha" moment. The lights come on. Insight has the flavor of meaning that becomes personalized. Not only do things make sense, but they make sense for you. The Apostle Paul uses the word "enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18). Meaning in general becomes personal, particular, and applicable for your life.

Wisdom is the final stage. The previous three stages remain at the idea level. Up to this point, it is all theory. It may be good theory, right theory, and biblical theory, but it is still in your head. In the biblical  tradition, wisdom is knowledge, understanding, and insight that is put into practice. You live the truth. You become a "doer of the Word" (James 1:22-25).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says there are wise and foolish builders. The wise are those who hear the words of Jesus and then PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE (Matthew 7:24-27). That is how you build a life that will stand the storms of life.

That's what the summer is all about--helping you get understanding and find wisdom.

Three Types of Wisdom

We have finished our first month on Ecclesiastes (see below) and have two months ahead of us. We dive into a different book of the Old Testament Wisdom Literature each month.

June is Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes helps us with theological wisdom, or existential wisdom. This wisdom asks the big questions of life. It takes some hard work to wrestle with these big questions. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes is our guide to tough questions and the start of answers that satisfy.

July is Psalms and spiritual wisdom. One of the big questions of life is: Who is God and how do I connect with God? Psalms tells us it is through prayer, reflection, worship, wonder, reverence, awe, humility, trust, and more.

August is the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is practical wisdom. You can think of Proverbs as "street smarts."

Three Ways to Get Wisdom

1.  The Sunday sermon starts the wisdom process every week. You can take notes on the church app if that is helpful for you.

2.  The devotional guide takes you further into the biblical passages so you get the benefit of the entire biblical book of the month. The guide also helps you put into practice what you are learning.

3.  The mid-week community learning time. For June and July we have additional teaching to help you get even more from your Bible study. We have identical teaching times on Monday evening and Wednesday morning. Each time has both an onsite and an online option. Go to this page on our website and register. That will help us with material preparation.

It is going to be a great summer.

Our next post will explore why we need wisdom.

Blessings and Grace,
Pastor Brian

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