03-19-23 Honey for the Soul: The Freedom of Wisdom

ICEBREAKER
How did you decide who you would marry? Or, what you would choose for your vocation?

We're discussing a teaching series from church called "Honey for the Soul: The Sweet Hope of Wisdom." This is based on Proverbs 24:14 which says, "Wisdom is like honey for you: if you find it, there is a future hope for you." This week, our discussion will be around the freedom God gives us to choose and some of the principles God gives us for choosing wisely. 

1. Are you following the reading through Proverbs? How's that going for you?
2. Have any particular proverbs from this week's reading stood to you?​

REVIEW & DISCUSS

1. In his book, Decision Making and the Will of God, Gary Friesen says the first principle of decision making is "Where God commands, we must obey."
   1. Which commands must we obey in the Old Testament?
      Remember, there are three types of law in the OT—Ceremonial Law, Civil Law, and Ethical Law. Both the Jewish Ceremonial Law and the Jewish Civil Law are now obsolete. Only the Ethical Law remains in effect. It is this "law" that Jesus says he did not come to abolish but to fulfill (Matthew 5:16-18).
   2. What are some of the Commands of Christ that we must obey?
   3. What are some of the commands we receive elsewhere in the New Testament? 
      Think about the One Anothers.
2. Friesen's second principle of decision making is "Where there is no command, God gives us freedom."
   1. How have you thought of God's will for you? Like a dot and your job is to make sure you land on it or like a fence inside of which you have freedom to choose?
   2. What does realizing that we have freedom to choose do to your decision making process?
3. Friesen's third principle of decision making is "Where there is no command, God gives us wisdom."
   
4. Read 1 Corinthians 10:23-33. In this part of Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he's applying four larger principles of wisdom to a specific decision the Corinthians must make—should they eat meat that has been sacrificed to an idol? Those four principles are as follows. Godly Wisdom is ...
   1. God Honoring (see vs 31) 
   2. People Loving (see vs 24 & 28)
   3. Self Caring (see vs 27, 29-30 and chapter 9)
   4. Kingdom Promoting (see vs 33 and 9:19)
5. Think of a significant decision you need to make. What might that decision look like within these four principles?

PRAYER
First, take some time to identify ways you can pray about what you just discussed. Second, take some time to ask for additional prayer requests. Then close your time together in praise and prayer.