Godly Wisdom

Who is someone in your life that you would consider to be wise?
*What is it about them that makes you think they are wise?*

1 Kings 3:7, 9 - “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties….So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Proverbs 4:7 – “Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.”

James 3:13 - “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

Wisdom - Knowledge of what is true and right coupled with just judgement as to action.

Job 28:12-15 (NLT) - “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding. No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living. ‘It is not here,’ says the ocean. ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea. It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver.”

Job 28:21-23 (NLT) – “It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity. Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it. Destruction and Death say, ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’ “God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found.”

Proverbs 2:6 – “For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

James 3:13 – “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

Godly wisdom is displayed in a godly life.

Matthew 7:24 – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

James 1:22 – “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

James 3:13 - “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

Godly Wisdom starts with and continues in

time before God.

Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 1:7a - (MSG) – “Start with GOD—the first step in learning is bowing down to GOD…”

Proverbs 2:3-6 – “Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 3:17 – “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is our choice to release a person from an obligation for a wrong committed against us.

Excuses we use for not forgiving:

1. I can’t forgive, it’s too big, too painful.
2. I need more time.
3. I’ll forgive when they say they are sorry.
4. I can’t forgive if I can’t forget.
5. If I forgive they will just hurt me again.

Matthew 18:21–35 (niv)

21then peter came to jesus and asked, “lord, how many times shall i forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22jesus answered, “i tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23“therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24as he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.

25since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26“at this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and i will pay back everything.’

27the servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28“but when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ He demanded.

29“his fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘be patient with me, and i will pay it back.’

30“but he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

31when the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32“then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘i canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

33shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as i had on you?’

34in anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35“this is how my heavenly father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

There is no score card in forgiveness

Matthew 18:22 (niv)

22jesus answered, “i tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Unforgiveness will affect you.

Matthew 18:28 (niv)

28“but when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ He demanded.

Unforgiveness will affect everyone around you.

Matthew 18:31 (niv)

31when the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

Because we’ve been forgiven much, we forgive.

Matthew 18:32–33 (niv)

32“then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘i canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

33shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as i had on you?’

Forgiveness is not a feeling.

Forgiveness is not pretending you were not hurt.

Forgiveness is not forgetting.

Forgiveness is not condoning what the offender did to you.

Forgiveness is not immediately trusting the offender.

Forgiveness is not being a doormat.

Unforgiveness will affect your relationship with God.

Matthew 18:34–35 (niv)

34in anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35“this is how my heavenly father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Matthew 6:14–15 (niv)

14for if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you.

15but if you do not forgive others their sins, your father will not forgive your sins.

Forgiveness is a command, not a suggestion.

Ephesians 4:31–32 (niv)

31 get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

32 be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in christ god forgave you.

Conflict

Phil 4:2-3

Three principles

1. Glorify God. How can I please and honor God in this situation? 1 Cor 10:31

2. Get the log out of your own eye. Mt 7:3-5

3. Be reconciled. Mt 18:15-17

4 tips 

1. Slow down and pray. Prov 19:2. Give it 24-48 hours.

2. Seek wise counsel.

3. Quit placing unrealistic expectations on people.

4. Praise him, pray some more.

Don't Judge

1 Cor 5

Thoughts > Beliefs > Actions > Outcomes

There's a difference between being judgmental and making right judgments (discernment). 1 Cor 2:15; Rom 16:17; John 7:24

1. Judge carefully. Mt 7:1-5. Do not be hypocrites. Consider the authority by which we are judging. Is it God's Word?

2. Judge objectively. Not influenced by self or suppositions. 1 Cor 4:5a; Prov 18:13, 17

3. Judge lovingly. 1 Cor 5:5; 2:6-8; Gal 6:1; John 13:35; Col 4:5-6

Shift Your Thinking

Romans 12:1-2

Thoughts → Beliefs → Actions → Outcomes

Four things that strengthen the neural connections: Experience, emotional arousal, focused attention, repetition

The subconscious mind doesn't know where you are wanting to go it just does it's thing.

Our thoughts have so much power.

Who has the loudest voice in your life? Our minds are always being formed; either conformed or transformed.

v2 "Do not conform to the patterns of this world," If we do nothing, we naturally drift away from God and it's a slow process. "but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Eph 4:22-23 "... to be made new in the attitude of your minds."

1. Get saved

2. Slow down!!! Simplify. Turn off the noise, listen to God. Learn to create margin and boundaries in your life.

3. Dig into God's Word.

4. Become increasingly aware of who/what your allow into your head. Get rid of things that are not of God.

5. Start memorizing God's Word.

Don't forget the leftovers

Mk 6:41-52

v45 Jesus sent the disciples into the storm. It's in the storms where we learn life's greatest lessons.

1. Don't fail the test. Jn 6:5-9 Jesus doesn't ask us questions to get information, but to see if we will trust and look to him.

2. Don't miss the chance to get in on what God's doing. Mk 6:41 When you don't know what to do, trust Jesus, lean into him.

3. Don't forget the leftovers. Mk 6:43, 51-52; 8:17-21; 6:48. "Jesus was about to pass them by." Remember when God passed by Moses to show Moses His glory. The disciples should have seen Jesus' glory, instead he had to get in the boat with them. We need to remember who is in charge, who has authority. It's Jesus! Never forget in the dark what Jesus has shown you in the light.

4. Believe in Jesus. Jn 6:25-29, 35. Believe in the one God has sent - Jesus.

Moving from the crowd to the committed

Lk 14:25-35

1. Love Jesus more than our family.  v25-26 Hate- to love less or a chosen preference. To be a committed follower we must love Him above everyone else. Our number 1 relationship we must have right is our relationship with God. 

2. Love Jesus more than ourselves. v26-27, 28, 31 Carry your cross: all of their hopes, dreams, etc was behind them as they carried their cross to their death. Make sure you are able to finish what you started, don't forget the cost of following Jesus. It's worth it.

3. Love Jesus more than our comforts. v33 There more stuff we own, the more our stuff has the potential to own us. We want to be less attached to worldly things and more attached to Godly things. Hold everything with open hands, be willing to give things up for God. Fall in love with Jesus so much that you realize it's all His anyway.

If I rely on the world, I become ineffective to Jesus. Come to Jesus DAILY and rely on Him alone.

It will cost you much to follow Jesus, but much more to reject Him.