Contents A Note from the Author Before You Begin Step 1: Wisdom s Value Step 2: A Journey to Meet King Solomon Step 3: Solomon s Purpose

Transcription

1 Contents A Note from the Author 9 Before You Begin 11 Step 1: Wisdom s Value 13 Key Ideas about Commitment Goals of the Study Lesson: Wisdom s Value Three Important Considerations Life Application Questions Step 2: A Journey to Meet King Solomon 33 Key Ideas about Wisdom How to Read Proverbs Three Levels of Wisdom Store up Wisdom Lesson: A Journey to Meet the King Step 3: Solomon s Purpose 53 The Benefits of Wisdom Lesson: Solomon s Purpose Causes of Pain and Frustration Future Hope A Cheerful Spirit Create your first Pearl Step 4: The Beginning of Wisdom 75 Lesson: The Beginning of Wisdom The Recipe for a Thriving Heart Consistent Actions of Wisdom Succeeding Where it Matters Most Questions for Completion What have we Accomplished? What s Next?

2 I am excited to join you on this journey as you make a commitment to seek and apply wisdom. I know from years of personal experience that seeking wisdom through Proverbs gives a major return on investment. As you begin, consider reading How Can 10 Minutes Change Your Future? This important introduction for The Proverbs Challenge is posted on our website in the free resources section and contains a few ideas that are helpful for you to consider as you begin. The Proverbs Challenge is my attempt to share with you what I have found in my own search for wisdom. It has been a deeply rich and wonderful journey. My hope is that, by sharing what I have learned, it would be a way to reach you with an idea which has given so much to me. Experience tells me that you will be amazed as your story becomes brighter and more full of blessing by understanding and implementing Solomon s training program. I would be surprised if this journey is not a major turning point for you. There are too many incredible ideas in this challenge for it not to change the course of your life. Most people must never really consider the incredible value of wisdom. Otherwise they would be searching after it with more intensity. Wisdom will bring you abundance, prosperity, and honor in all areas of life. This includes riches in relationships and achievement. Wisdom also leads to an incredible form of riches called emotional satisfaction or contentment. The potential for wisdom to impact your life for the better is unlimited. If you open your heart to accept the ideas presented in Proverbs, I think you will be amazed by what happens. There is no telling what blessing you can bring both in your own life and in the lives of others around you if you have enough wisdom. If you feel like this message is important, please share it with your friends or family. I m sure you can already think of a few people in your community who would benefit from seeking and applying the insights found in Proverbs. I m excited for you as you begin. The day you make a commitment to search for and apply wisdom is the day your life forever changes for the better. My door is always open if there is any way I can help. Sincerely,

3 Goals of the Study Primary Goals: To learn how to thrive and have balance in my heart so that I can succeed in the areas where it matters most both for today and for years to come. To become passionate, devoted, and disciplined about searching for and applying wisdom in order to change my future. Secondary Goals: To establish and develop life-giving attitudes and patterns of behavior that unlock the door to a desirable future. To shine light on any areas where I am blind, oblivious, or short-sighted and have embraced foolishness instead of wisdom. To get rid of foolish emotional or behavioral patterns that result in pain or misery. To take action on wisdom s principles so I can become a wiser person. I don t want to be a person who merely studies about wisdom but remains foolish. To experience the power of seeking wisdom together with others by considering ideas and insights from Proverbs with a few friends or a mentor. Exercise: Rank your top five goals above 1-5 based on which one you feel is most important or valuable to you. Questions for Reflection: 1. Expound on your favorite goal and explain why you think it is an important goal. 2. Don t be limited by my goals. This study is not for me it s for you. From my limited perspective, I have listed goals that I feel are important, but I know the most important goal is the one you set for yourself. Why are you choosing to invest time and energy into this journey? What is one goal you have for yourself?

4 Lesson: Solomon s Purpose Primary Objective: To learn Solomon s purpose or objective for writing Proverbs. Key Verse: Proverbs 1:2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight. (NIV) In this third section we are going to slow down and really dig in to Solomon s purpose for writing Proverbs. This is a critical step. Once you know how and why something is designed it becomes an effective tool in your hand. When you consider Solomon s depth of insight and the magnitude of his wisdom his purposes will not surprise you. As you go through underline or highlight any idea that stands out to you as important or significant. This is a critical step in order to complete this section. 1 Getting Wisdom and Discipline Verse: Proverbs 1:2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight. (NIV) Define Key Words: (Circle your favorite synonym and antonym for each key word) Attain means to gain, achieve, or acquire. The opposite is to abandon or forfeit. Discipline means training or education. It is to bring under control, or put in order. The opposite is chaos, disorder, or confusion. Insight means discernment or. The opposite is ignorance or stupidity. Paraphrase the Idea: Solomon s first and primary purpose is to help the reader attain wisdom through training. His education program helps to bring our chaotic and foolish ideas and behaviors under control. It leads to gaining insight and wise perspective. The Potential Energy of a Boulder: Many people spend their entire life trying to move boulders that have almost no potential energy. If you exert the effort to move a boulder on flat ground, the effects will be insignificant. This is a very frustrating way to live. Some boulders high in the mountains can be tipped and moved down the entire side of the mountain with relatively little energy or effort. One way to gain an amazing life is to find a boulder with a high level of potential energy and tip it. This action plan leverages the laws of the universe to help you experience more powerful results.

5 One of Solomon s main purposes is to help give you a vision of using the axioms or universal laws to stack the odds of success in your favor. The virtues he writes about have unlimited potential energy that is waiting to be unleashed. Creating an Avalanche of Success: Proverbs was specifically designed as a training program to help the reader gain the disciplines of wisdom. Discipline is a powerful multiplier. Many times a single boulder rolling down the mountain can result in an avalanche. Through the laws of discipline a single boulder can create a chain reaction that knocks loose other boulders. A portion of the kinetic energy of a single boulder can be transferred to unlock the potential energy in other boulders. Activated discipline in a human life is one of the most powerful forces on earth. A single boulder does not always create an avalanche, but through activated discipline it is possible for an avalanche to be formed. If you consistently perform the same beneficial actions each day for a period of ten or twenty years, the laws of discipline can work in your favor to create avalanches. Your consistent attitudes and actions shape and determine what is possible for your future. How could you harness the laws of discipline in order to start an avalanche that would change everything for you? Questions for Reflection: 1. Can you think of any areas in your life where you are working really hard trying to move boulders with relatively little potential energy? 2. The opposite of activated discipline is chaos, disorder, or inconsistent action. Many people work really hard at something for a week or two and then they give up or start working on something else. Can you think of a time when you have done this? Why does this plan lead to ineffective or inconsistent results? 3. Consistent action performed daily over time can be turned into an unstoppable force. What are some beneficial consistent actions that you could enjoy that have a high level of potential energy? 4. What enables some people to harness the laws of discipline in order to create an avalanche of success in their lives? What will it require for you to become one of those people?

6 Recommendations for Winning with Consistent Action: 1. Pick something that doesn t require much time (5-10 minutes). If you pick something that takes an hour you won t be likely to do it with consistency. 2. Start out with one or two small disciplines and build slowly. Win with them for six months. You ll never be the same again. 3. You won t do something long-term if you don t find a way to enjoy it. Have fun and enjoy little daily life-giving disciplines. 4. Do it with someone you like. Join a club of people with a common interest that meets regularly. Work towards a common purpose or enjoy a common hobby together. 5. For individual disciplines, keep a written daily record in your journal or a daily check list. This provides accountability and empowers you by enabling to keep track of your success. Consistent Actions you Might Enjoy: Read a chapter from Proverbs for the corresponding day of the month and write down your favorite verse. Memorize and meditate on one verse from Proverbs each week. Transform your attitude with a thankfulness journal. Write down five things that you re thankful for each day. Surprise someone with a kind word each day. Tell them why you appreciate or admire them. Go out of your way to make someone feel special or important. Seek the advice of another person who has a track record of success. Do a simple daily thing to improve your physical health. Eat an apple each day. Drink a consistent amount of water. Do a daily exercise for 20 minutes. Make Plans to Thrive. Spend 5-10 minutes per day and examine your priorities. If it works better pick a certain time on a consistent day of the week. Review your list of priorities regularly so that you can consider and make a plan to win in the areas where it matters most. Record your favorite verse from Proverbs Chapter 19: Chapter 20:

7 How to Read Proverbs Read Proverbs with Eager Expectation One enemy that keeps people from gaining wisdom is a bad attitude. For some people learning about wisdom is drudgery. They expect no benefits from wisdom and that is exactly what they get. Other people seek wisdom with eager expectation. They ask themselves good questions as they study. If I continually read advice and ideas from one of the wisest men in history, how is it possible that my life won t be transformed for the better? As I read today, what amazing idea will I find that will really help me? When you read Proverbs with eager expectation it opens your heart to receive the wisdom you need. Read Proverbs with Consistency Proverbs has 31 chapters. You can pick the Proverb of the day based on the day of the month. For instance, if today were September 22 nd read Proverbs chapter 22. Pick out your favorite verse and write it down in a journal. Write down why you think this verse is important. If you do this consistently for the next five years, Solomon s guarantee of success in finding wisdom will become a reality for you. If you don t read Proverbs with consistency for a period of years, it is very unlikely that it will really help you. Read the chapter of Proverbs for the corresponding day of the month. Select your favorite verse from the chapter. Write it down in a journal or notebook. Paraphrase the verse in your own words. Next explain why you like this verse. Why is it important or helpful to you? Wisdom requires developing consistent patterns of action. Write down one way you could apply the main idea of the verse with consistent action. Read Proverbs with a Friend or Mentor Pick one or two friends and ask them if they might be interested in reading Proverbs together. You might also consider reading Proverbs with a mentor who has more life experience. With them, make a commitment to read Proverbs and share some of the verses that stand out to you. You could also meet once a week or at another regular interval and discuss some of the ideas and insights you are learning about. Some people might prefer to do a topical study of Proverbs or do a workbook like this one together. Wisdom becomes much more powerful when it is studied together in a community of friends or with a mentor. Pick one or two other friends that are committed to read Proverbs together. If it is helpful, consider sending each other your favorite verse for the day through or text several times each week.

8 Meet once per week or at another regular interval. When you meet, read a chapter of Proverbs together. Let each person take turns reading two or three verses out loud until you read the entire chapter. Have each person share their favorite verse from that chapter of Proverbs and explain why they feel it is important or meaningful. Also consider having each person share one area where they would like to learn or grow where they could use some wisdom. Consider making a Pearl together based on one of your favorite verses. (This is an exercise you will learn in a later section.) Read Proverbs with Application in Mind Wisdom requires doing something. It is a good idea to store up knowledge, but without application you will receive little benefit. Head knowledge without application is like a car without the gasoline. You must apply knowledge before it can take you from where you are to where you want to be. Wisdom is most comfortable with people who form patterns of beneficial action. These are called wise habits. It takes too much brainpower and energy to come up with something new every day. Find several Proverbs that you really like. Come up with a 5-10 minute action that you could perform with consistency, and do it every day for a month. Switch up your patterns until you find something that is both comfortable for you and highly beneficial. Ideally it should consume a relatively small amount of time and energy. Wisdom flourishes in a person s life when there is an environment of habitual patterns of beneficial action. Questions for Reflection: 1. Why is reading Proverbs with eager expectation important? 2. Why is reading Proverbs with consistency important? 3. Why is reading Proverbs with application in mind important?