THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS
This week, Discovery Village is having a special pick-up night to grab the kids’ monthly God-Time packs. Head to your campus on Tuesday, June 30, between 6-7:30 pm for the DV Pick-Up Parade!
GROUP VALUES
There are great opportunities around our area to serve together as a group. Discuss a few ways your group can share the love of Jesus by helping your neighbors or a local community organization. Find some ideas to get started at adabible.org/bethechurch.
GROW AS A LEADER
Did you know we have a Small Group Leaders Facebook group? If you haven’t joined, jump in today and share a picture of your group, something you have learned as a leader or a way your group has served together!
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to week ten of our series, The Way of the Wise. This week we will talk about two scenes that help us understand the slow and steady progress of neglect.
What is one of your favorite July 4th traditions? What will you be doing differently to celebrate this year?
THE WISDOM CHALLENGE
What is one verse that has jumped out multiple times over the course of the last couple months of reading the Proverbs?
WHAT HE SAW
Proverbs 24:30-31 says “I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense. Thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds and the stone wall was in ruins.” He neglected something so valuable. What are the critical things we easily neglect in our lives?
What is something you want to focus on to make sure it is not being neglected in this season?
Reversing gradual decline requires intentionality. What’s one area of your life you want to focus on to reverse any slow and steady decline?
Hebrews 12:15 reminds us to, “Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.” Why is it so easy for us to become bitter and discontented in life? What are some things we could do to prevent our heart from this?
WHAT HE LEARNED
Proverbs 24:33-34 says “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”
We don’t have to do anything destructive to ruin our lives. We might think everything fell apart “all of a sudden,” when in reality, years of neglect caught up to us in our relationship with our kids, career, marriage, spiritual life, friendships, health or finances. How have you seen this happen to one degree or another in your life or in the life of someone else?
Proverbs 1:28 “Then they will call for me but I will not answer. They will look for me but will not find me.” Wisdom is telling them that since they ignored her before, there’s not much she can do to help now. There is no quick fix to repair years of neglect and bad decisions. Why is it not a satisfying answer to most of us to put in the time in a different direction and take 100 steps to slowly try to fix something?
We were reminded this week that it’s never too late to turn around and begin a new direction in our lives. How can we help each other remember this and stay the slow and steady course of wisdom?
WRAP UP
This week we talked about what happens when we neglect wisdom. What’s one habit you want to continue, revive or begin to prevent or reverse neglect?
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