WISDOM

WISDOM

“Quality of Life Series”

1/27/05

LEADER: QUOTES #1&2

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"

T.S. Eliot 1888-1965 British-American poet & critic

"Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life."

Sandra Carey , California Assembly political candidate

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #3

http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/wisdom/

“Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place.”

Abigail Van Buren 1918- Advise Columnist Dear Abby

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Mom’s Survival Tips” EXCERPTS

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1690

I pass on a list of life lessons:

1. Don’t sweat your every mistake or faux pas. They make up for the things you got away with that nobody knows about.

2. Avoid marrying anyone who deliberately flushes the toilet when you’re taking a shower.

3. When someone tells you that what he’s about to say is “for your own good,” expect the worst.

4. The value of a dog is its constant reminder of how much fun it is to be idiotic.

5. If you are lavishly praised, enjoy the taste but don’t swallow it whole.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “MIT Graduation Address” EXCERPTS

By Kurt Vonnegut 1997

http://www.ozsermonillustrations.com/frames/wisdom_frameset.htm

1. Do one thing every day that scares you.

2. Sing.

3. Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

4. Floss.

5. Don't waste your time on jealousy.

6. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.

7. Stretch.

8. Get plenty of calcium.

9. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

10. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

11. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

12. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

13. Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.

14. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

15. Travel.

16. Respect your elders.

17. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Wisdom For The Road” By R.A. Kauffman http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/008/23.53.html EXCERPTS

1. Heading in the wrong direction? God allows u-turns.

2. Lord, help me to be the person my dog thinks I am.

3. The Ten Commandments are not multiple choice. —God

4. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

5. The best things in life aren't things.

6. Never give the devil a ride. He will always want to drive.

7. Be kind to your kids. They will choose your nursing home.

LEADER: What is wisdom?

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #4

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1690

"Every man is a fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists of not exceeding the limit."

Elbert Hubbard 1856-1915 American writer & printer

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #5

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1690

“Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it.” – Anonymous

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #6

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Wisdom: to live in the present, plan for the future, and profit from the past." Anonymous

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #7

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"True wisdom lies in gathering the precious things out of each day as it goes by."

E. S. Bouton, Author

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #8

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Wisdom is the power that enables us to use knowledge for the benefit of ourselves and others."

Thomas Watson 1874-1956 Founder of IBM

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #9

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1690

“Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.”

J.I. Packer, Author, Knowing God, p. 80

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #10

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1690

“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have preferred to talk.”

Doug Larson 1902 - 1981

British middle distance runner, Olympic gold medallist.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #11

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1690

“You don’t have to be listed in Who’s Who to know what’s what.”

Anonymous

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #12

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/wisdom.htm

“A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew.”

Anonymous

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #13

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/wisdom.htm

“As a man grows wiser, the talks less and says more. “

Anonymous

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #14

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Wisdom often consists of knowing what to do next."

Herbert Clark Hoover 1874-1964 31st US president

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #15

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Nine-tenths of wisdom consists of being wise in time."

Theodore Roosevelt 1858-1919 26th US president

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #16

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 1834-1892 English preacher & writer

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #17

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"The sublimity of wisdom is to do those things living that are desired when dying."

Anonymous

LEADER: Let’s look at attributes of wisdom:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #18

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"The doors of wisdom are never shut."

Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790

American entrepreneur, statesman, scientist & philosopher

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #19

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/
"Of all our possessions, wisdom alone is immortal."

Isocrates 436-338 Athenian orator & rhetorician,

Founder & head of school

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #20

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things."

Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862 American philosopher/Writer

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #21

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"The beginning of wisdom is silence. The second step is listening."

Unknown

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #22

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/
"Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers."

Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809-1892 Most famous poet of the Victorian age

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #23

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Knowledge is proud that he has learn'd so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more."

William Cowper 1731-1800 English Poet

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #24

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"To wisdom belongs the intellectual apprehension of things eternal; to knowledge, the rational apprehension of things temporal."

Saint Augustine of Hippo 354-430 Algerian Bishop of Hippo

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #25

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Wisdom thoroughly learned, will never be forgotten."

Pythagoras 582-507 BC Greek mathematician & philosopher

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #26

http://www.cybernation.com/victory/quotations/subjects/quotes_wisdom.html

“The doors of wisdom are never shut.”

Benjamin Franklin

LEADER: “Wise Up About Your Life” CONTINUED

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=45355&ContributorID=5012

What kind of wisdom did people pass on to you? What mottos from coaches, parents, and teachers have shaped and molded you into what you are today? Some of it was probably pretty good, and some of it was probably wrong. Part of being an adult is sorting through that stuff, keeping the truly wise, and rejecting the unwise. Today we’re going to find out what true wisdom is, what the proverbs are, and then some prerequisites to living wisely.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Wise Up About Your Life” By Timothy Peck

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=45355&ContributorID=5012

All of us carry with us the collective wisdom passed on to us by the people who’ve been most significant in our lives. We’ve picked this wisdom up from parents, friends, teachers, coaches…all the people who shaped and molded us as we were growing up. Some of this wisdom is very helpful. But some of is just plain wrong. I now realize that some of the wisdom I picked up growing up was plain wrong.

For instance, one of my family’s mottos growing up was, "Look out for number one." By saying we need to look out for number one, we meant that in the end, each person has to look out for his or her own needs first. Looking out for number one means I make sure my needs are met, and then I’ll start thinking about your needs. I tried to live by that wisdom through my high school years. But when I got married I figured out that this was pretty bad advice. I soon learned that two people who live by that motto can’t sustain a long term relationship of mutual commitment. By the time I started having kids, I realized that it was impossible to live a wise life by embracing that motto.
Another one of our family mottos was, "If it feels good, do it." You have to understand, my parents were hippies for in the 1960s and 1970s. The hippie movement was all about throwing off the constraints of society, rejecting social rules, and living an alternative kind of lifestyle. That made for a very colorful childhood, as you could probably imagine. It’s this motto "if it feels good, do it," that ultimately led to my parent’s marriage crumbling. Yet I lived by this motto throughout my high school years, even though it caused lots of pain and grief. Only when I became an adult did I begin to realize that it was unwise to chase every pleasure that came by, that wisdom was learning when and where to say no.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Proud Young Man”

M. Littleton in Moody Monthly, June, 1989, p. 29

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1690

There’s a story about a proud young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the muscular philosopher and said, “O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.” Socrates recognized a pompous numbskull when he saw one. He led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, “What do you want?” “Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” said the young man with a smile. Socrates put his strong hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later Socrates let him up. “What do you want?” he asked again. “Wisdom,” the young man sputtered, “O great and wise Socrates.” Socrates crunched him under again. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man was gasping. “What do you want, young man?” Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, “Knowledge, O wise and wonderful...” Socrates jammed him under again Forty seconds passed. Fifty. “What do you want?” “Air!” he screeched. “I need air!” “When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge.”

LEADER: How do we obtain wisdom?

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #27

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom."

Aristotle 384-322 BC
Greek philosopher, student of Plato, tutor of Alexander the Great

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #28

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"The person who has a firm trust in the Supreme Being is powerful in His power, wise by His wisdom, happy by His happiness."

Joseph Addison 1672-1719)
English writer, statesman, publisher, essayist & poet

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #29

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"The more accurately we search into the human mind, the stronger traces we everywhere find of the wisdom of Him who made it."

Edmund Burke 1729-1797 British statesman

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #30

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Keeping the commandments . . . is at once a demonstration of our intelligence, our knowledge, our character, and our wisdom."

Stephen L. Richards 1879-1959 American religious leader

LEADER: “31 Days To A More Powerful You” By Dr. David Jeremiah EXCERPT

http://www.turningpointradio.org/archive/0103_articles/01_31.html

Think of all the encounters you have in a week, and how many of them require skillful navigation. You need direction for a big decision; you’re confronted by an angry co-worker; immorality steps into your path as a temptation; you receive an unexpected financial windfall; your child is testing the limits of discipline; there’s tension in your marriage; a close friend is devastated by a personal tragedy. Those situations, and hundreds more we could list, require skill-and they happen every day. Not a day goes by in which we don’t feel hesitant, even confused, about how to act. Pure and simple, we need wisdom-the skill of living life. And there are numerous verses in Proverbs which address every category of crisis we will ever face.

LEADER: Let’s look at the “Spiritual Requirements for Gaining

Wisdom”

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1690

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Reverence” Proverbs 9:10

¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Humility” Proverbs 11:2

²When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Teachableness” Proverbs 9:9

⁹Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Teachableness 2” Proverbs 15:31

³¹He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof
Will dwell among the wise.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Diligence” Proverbs 8:17

¹⁷"I love those who love me;

And those who diligently seek me will find me.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Diligence 2” Proverbs 2:4-5

⁴If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures;
⁵Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Uprightness” Proverbs 2:7

⁷He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Faith” James 1:5-8

⁵But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, ⁸being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #31

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day."

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865 US 16^th President

LEADER: Where does wisdom come from?

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #32

http://www.quoteland.com/topic.asp?CATEGORY_ID=155

"Wisdom begins in wonder."

Socrates

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #33

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Remember, the wisdom of God may appear as foolishness to men, but the greatest single lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right."

Thomas S. Monson 1927- Religious leader/ business executive

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 4:11-12

¹¹I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. ¹²When you walk, your steps will not be impeded, And if you run, you will not stumble.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Treasure Hunter” Our Daily Bread 1/28/00

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-01-28-00.shtml

¹My son, if you will receive my word. And treasure my commandments within you, ²Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; ³For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; Search for [wisdom] as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord. –Proverbs 2:1-5

Mel Fisher was a treasure hunter who searched for gold and found it. In 1985, after 16 years of looking, he finally discovered the Spanish wreck Nuestra Señora de Atocha in 55 feet of water near Key West, Florida. His divers salvaged millions of dollars' worth of treasure from that sunken ship–but it didn't come easy. They toiled long and hard with metal detectors, diving to investigate every metallic "hit." Fisher's dreams and work eventually paid off when he came upon his big find.

The Bible describes another kind of treasure as being more precious than gold, silver, or rubies. It is wisdom, which is more than knowledge. It's the ability to apply that knowledge to everyday life. Solomon, who asked God for a wise and understanding heart, told us in Proverbs 2 to seek for wisdom with the same persistence and intensity as we would search for hidden treasures. We must cry out for discernment and understanding , incline our ear to wisdom , and receive God's words and treasure them in our heart .

Do we value wisdom? Do we seek it as diligently as if it were gold? If so, we will be rewarded with life's greatest treasure–the knowledge of God. –MRDII

What will it profit when life here is o'er,
Though great worldly wisdom I gain,
If seeking knowledge I utterly fail
The wisdom of God to obtain? –Nelson

You can gain much knowledge on your own,

but true wisdom comes only from God.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 3:14-15

¹⁴For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. ¹⁵She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “The Path of Wisdom #1” Our Daily Bread 9/04/98

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-09-04-98.shtml

: ²⁵Let your eyes look directly ahead, And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. ²⁶Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. ²⁷Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:25-27

I had always heard that if a farmer keeps his eyes on a distant object while he's plowing, he'll make a straight furrow. So I tested the principle when I mowed my lawn. Sure enough, my first cut was a straight swath of new-mown turf.

If you can plow a straight furrow or mow in a straight line by keeping your eyes fixed on a distant object, surely the principle should also be true of life--especially if the object on which you fix your gaze is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

LEADER: “The Path of Wisdom” Our Daily Bread 9/04/98 CONTINUED

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-09-04-98.shtml

That's what the writer of the Proverbs says in chapter 4. In fact, the whole book of Proverbs is about following a straight path.

It tells how to avoid the sexual trap (chapters 5-7),

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 5:1-5

¹My son, give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding; ²That you may observe discretion And your lips may reserve knowledge. ³For the lips of an adulteress drip honey And smoother than oil is her speech; ⁴But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. ⁵Her feet go down to death, Her steps take hold of Sheol.

LEADER: “The Path of Wisdom” Our Daily Bread 9/04/98 CONTINUED

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-09-04-98.shtml

It tells how to retain your integrity:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 12:1-16

¹Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid. ²A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil. ³A man will not be established by wickedness, But the root of the righteous will not be moved. ⁴An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones. ⁵The thoughts of the righteous are just, But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. ⁶The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, But the mouth of the upright will deliver them. ⁷The wicked are overthrown and are no more, But the house of the righteous will stand. ⁸A man will be praised according to his insight, But one of perverse mind will be despised. ⁹Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant Than he who honors himself and lacks bread. ¹⁰A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel. ¹¹He who tills his land will have plenty of bread. But he who pursues worthless things lacks sense. ¹²The wicked man desires the booty of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields fruit. ¹³An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble.¹⁴A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, And the deeds of a man's hands will return to him. ¹⁵The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel. ¹⁶A fool's anger is known at once, But a prudent man conceals dishonor.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 29:23

²³A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

LEADER: “The Path of Wisdom” Our Daily Bread 9/04/98 CONTINUED

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-09-04-98.shtml

It tells how to control your tongue:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 12:17-22

¹⁷He who speaks truth tells what is right, But a false witness, deceit. ¹⁸There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing. ¹⁹Truthful lips will be established forever, But a lying tongue is only for a moment. ²⁰Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy. ²¹No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked are filled with trouble. ²²Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 21:23

²³He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles.

LEADER: “The Path of Wisdom” Our Daily Bread 9/04/98 CONTINUED

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-09-04-98.shtml

It tells how to get along with difficult people:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 14:7

⁷Leave the presence of a fool, Or you will not discern words of knowledge.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 15:1

¹A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

LEADER: “The Path of Wisdom” Our Daily Bread 9/04/98 CONTINUED

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-09-04-98.shtml

It tells how to stay healthy and live long:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 3:7-8

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. ⁸It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 13:18

¹⁸Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards reproof will be honored.

LEADER: “The Path of Wisdom” Our Daily Bread 9/04/98 CONTINUED

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-09-04-98.shtml

According to Proverbs, the wise person can walk the straight path and not be diverted.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “The Path of Wisdom #2” Our Daily Bread 9/04/98

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-09-04-98.shtml

But the Bible doesn't just advise, "Be wise!" It introduces us to Jesus Christ. The truly important question is our relationship to Him. He didn't just teach the truth; He is the truth (John 14:6). So the only way to follow a straight path through life is to keep your eyes on Him. --DJD

I need His eye to guide me in the pathway,
For I am weak and helpless as a child;
And if without it I would take my journey,
My feet would stumble on the mountains wild. --Anon.

Our wisdom is folly unless we're following Christ.

LEADER: “The Fullness of Wisdom”

“Where Wisdom Dwells” By T.M. Moore EXCERPT CONTINUED

http://www.pfm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Daily_Devotions1&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=12549

According to the Apostle Paul, the fullness of wisdom is lodged in Jesus Christ thus, our pursuit of wisdom must begin in prayerfully seeking to know Christ more intimately. To grow in knowledge of and love for Christ is to increase in wisdom.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Colossians 2:2-3

²that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, ³in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

LEADER: “The Fullness of Wisdom”

“Where Wisdom Dwells” By T.M. Moore EXCERPT CONTINUED

http://www.pfm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Daily_Devotions1&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=12549

To know Him is to encounter wisdom; to know and love Him- what the Old Testament referred to as the “fear” of God – is to begin to possess His wisdom for our lives and ministries.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Psalm 111:10

¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments, His praise endures forever.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Psalm 147:11

¹¹The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Psalm 90:12-17

¹²So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. ¹³Do return, O LORD; how long will it be? And be sorry for Your servants. ¹⁴O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. ¹⁵Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, And the years we have seen evil. ¹⁶Let Your work appear to Your servants And Your majesty to their children. ¹⁷Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “A Heart of Wisdom” By Warren Wiersby

http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/hymns_psalms/psalms/225

"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom". Moses' words summarize what we need to know if we want to make our lives count.

We live a day at a time. Usually, we don't number our days; we number our years. When you have a birthday and someone asks how old you are, you tell them your age in the number of years. But we'd better number our days, because we live a day at a time. "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11). God has ordained that the entire universe functions a day at a time.

We live from the heart. "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." We need to take care of the heart. That's why Solomon wrote in Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it spring the issues of life." What is in your heart will direct your life.

We also live by God's wisdom. Wisdom is knowing and having discernment, so that we can apply the truth of the Word of God at the right time, in the right way, with the right motive. Wisdom comes from the Word of God and from getting to know Him and ourselves better.

* * *

Moses gives the secret of making life count--live it a day at a time. You need God's help to apply His Word to your life. Live as though this may be your last day. Ask God for the wisdom you need and apply it by faith.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #34

http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/wisdom/

"Lord grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference."

Saint Francis of Assisi 1181-1226

Italian founder of Franciscan order in 1208

LEADER: “Where Wisdom Dwells” By T.M. Moore EXCERPT

http://www.pfm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Daily_Devotions1&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=12549

Wisdom does not come cheap. We have to work for it, beginning with a labor of prayer and pursuing the wisdom of God in Jesus Christ by every means at our disposal. The challenge is great, but the payoff is glorious, as God will equip us with His wisdom, meditated to us through Jesus Christ, to serve unto righteousness, purity, and love in the Body of Christ.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “31 Days To A More Powerful You” #2

By Dr. David Jeremiah EXCERPT

http://www.turningpointradio.org/archive/0103_articles/01_31.html

Fortunately, wisdom from God is just a prayer away. The book in the New Testament most like Proverbs is James. The hands-on nature of James mirrors its Old Testament cousin. And James is the one who tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” James 1:5.

The author of Proverbs, King Solomon, gained the wisdom to write more than 3,000 proverbs the same way James advises us to get it: by asking God (I Kings 4:32). When Solomon succeeded his father David as king over Israel, God presented Solomon with a blank check: “Ask! What shall I give you?” Understandably, twenty year-old Solomon’s knees were knocking at the prospect of being king. So instead of asking for riches and long life, he asked God for wisdom, and God was true to His word: “I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.” And as a bonus, Solomon received riches and honor too.

Word of Solomon’s wisdom spread far and wide throughout the nations. He wrote proverbs, composed songs (the Song of Solomon), and taught about botany, agronomy, zoology, and all facets of nature. Kings from the surrounding nations sent their officials to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and some rulers made the trip themselves-like the Queen of Sheba who journeyed from Africa.

For specific wisdom in unique situations, we may not have because we have not asked (James 4:2). But in many more of life’s situations, we may lack wisdom because we haven’t poured over the proverbs of Solomon.

LEADER: “31 Days To A More Powerful You” By Dr. David Jeremiah EXCERPT

http://www.turningpointradio.org/archive/0103_articles/01_31.html

Dr. David Jeremiah offers both a challenge and a path to wisdom:

“There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs.

I challenge you to read a chapter a day each month-two chapters on one day in the months having only 30 days-for the next year. Whatever the day’s date is, read the corresponding chapter of Proverbs. If you do that faithfully for a year, you will have read the book of Proverbs 12 times and your life will never be the same.”

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QUOTE #3

“Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place.”

Abigail Van Buren 1918- Advise Columnist Dear Abby

“Mom’s Survival Tips”

I pass on a list of life lessons:

1. Don’t sweat your every mistake or faux pas. They make up for the things you got away with that nobody knows about.

2. Avoid marrying anyone who deliberately flushes the toilet when you’re taking a shower.

3. When someone tells you that what he’s about to say is “for your own good,” expect the worst.

4. The value of a dog is its constant reminder of how much fun it is to be idiotic.

5. If you are lavishly praised, enjoy the taste but don’t swallow it whole.

“MIT Graduation Address”By Kurt Vonnegut 1997

1. Do one thing every day that scares you.

2. Sing.

3. Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

4. Floss.

5. Don't waste your time on jealousy.

6. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.

7. Stretch.

8. Get plenty of calcium.

9. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

10. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

11. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

12. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

13. Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.

14. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

15. Travel.

16. Respect your elders.

17. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

“Wisdom For The Road” By R.A. Kauffman

Heading in the wrong direction? God allows u-turns.
Lord, help me to be the person my dog thinks I am.
The Ten Commandments are not multiple choice. —God
A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.
The best things in life aren't things.
Never give the devil a ride. He will always want to drive.
Be kind to your kids. They will choose your nursing home.

QUOTE #4

"Every man is a fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists of not exceeding the limit."

Elbert Hubbard 1856-1915 American writer & printer

QUOTE #5

“Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it.” – Anonymous

QUOTE #6

"Wisdom: to live in the present, plan for the future, and profit from the past." Anonymous

QUOTE #7

"True wisdom lies in gathering the precious things out of each day as it goes by."

E. S. Bouton, Author

QUOTE #8

"Wisdom is the power that enables us to use knowledge for the benefit of ourselves and others."

Thomas Watson 1874-1956 Founder of IBM

QUOTE #9

“Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.”

J.I. Packer, Author, Knowing God, p. 80

QUOTE #10

“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have preferred to talk.”

Doug Larson 1902 - 1981 British middle distance runner, Olympic gold medallist.

QUOTE #11

“You don’t have to be listed in Who’s Who to know what’s what.”

Anonymous

QUOTE #12

“A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew.”

Anonymous

QUOTE #13

“As a man grows wiser, the talks less and says more. “

Anonymous

QUOTE #14

"Wisdom often consists of knowing what to do next."

Herbert Hoover 1874-1964 31st US president

QUOTE #15

"Nine-tenths of wisdom consists of being wise in time."

Theodore Roosevelt 1858-1919 26th US president

QUOTE #16

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 1834-1892 English preacher & writer

QUOTE #17

"The sublimity of wisdom is to do those things living that are desired when dying."

Anonymous

QUOTE #18

"The doors of wisdom are never shut."

Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790

American entrepreneur, statesman, scientist & philosopher

QUOTE #19

"Of all our possessions, wisdom alone is immortal."

Isocrates 436-338 Athenian orator & rhetorician, Founder & head of school

QUOTE #20

"It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things."

Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862 American philosopher/Writer

QUOTE #21

"The beginning of wisdom is silence. The second step is listening."

Unknown

QUOTE #22

"Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers."

Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809-1892 Most famous poet of the Victorian age

QUOTE #23

"Knowledge is proud that he has learn'd so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more."

William Cowper 1731-1800 English Poet

QUOTE #24

"To wisdom belongs the intellectual apprehension of things eternal; to knowledge, the rational apprehension of things temporal."

Saint Augustine of Hippo 354-430 Algerian Bishop of Hippo

QUOTE #25

"Wisdom thoroughly learned, will never be forgotten."

Pythagoras 582-507 BC Greek mathematician & philosopher

QUOTE #26

“The doors of wisdom are never shut.”

Benjamin Franklin

QUOTE #27

"It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom."

Aristotle 384-322 BC Greek philosopher, student of Plato, tutor of Alexander the Great

“Wise Up About Your Life”

“Proud Young Man”

QUOTE #28

"The person who has a firm trust in the Supreme Being is powerful in His power, wise by His wisdom, happy by His happiness."

Joseph Addison 1672-1719) English writer, statesman, publisher, essayist & poet

QUOTE #29

"The more accurately we search into the human mind, the stronger traces we everywhere find of the wisdom of Him who made it."

Edmund Burke 1729-1797 British statesman

QUOTE #30

"Keeping the commandments . . . is at once a demonstration of our intelligence, our knowledge, our character, and our wisdom."

Stephen L. Richards 1879-1959 American religious leader

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1690

“Reverence” - Proverbs 9:10

“Humility” - Proverbs 11:2

“Teachableness” - Proverbs 9:9

“Teachableness 2” - Proverbs 15:31

“Diligence” - Proverbs 8:17

“Diligence 2” - Proverbs 2:4-5

“Uprightness” -Proverbs 2:7

“Faith” - James 1:5-8

QUOTE #31

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day."

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865 US 16^th President

QUOTE #32

"Wisdom begins in wonder."

Socrates

QUOTE #33

"Remember, the wisdom of God may appear as foolishness to men, but the greatest single lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right."

Thomas S. Monson 1927- Religious leader/ business executive

Proverbs 4:11-12

“Treasure Hunter”

Do we value wisdom? Do we seek it as diligently as if it were gold? If so, we will be rewarded with life's greatest treasure–the knowledge of God.

What will it profit when life here is o'er,
Though great worldly wisdom I gain,
If seeking knowledge I utterly fail
The wisdom of God to obtain? –Nelson

You can gain much knowledge on your own,

but true wisdom comes only from God.

Proverbs 3:14-15

“The Path of Wisdom #1”

Proverbs 5:1-5

Proverbs 12:1-16

Proverbs 29:23

Proverbs 12:17-22

Proverbs 21:23

Proverbs 14:7

Proverbs 15:1

Proverbs 3:7-8

Proverbs 13:18

“The Path of Wisdom #2”

But the Bible doesn't just advise, "Be wise!" It introduces us to Jesus Christ. The truly important question is our relationship to Him. He didn't just teach the truth; He is the truth (John 14:6). So the only way to follow a straight path through life is to keep your eyes on Him.

I need His eye to guide me in the pathway,
For I am weak and helpless as a child;
And if without it I would take my journey,
My feet would stumble on the mountains wild. --Anon.

Our wisdom is folly unless we're following Christ.

Colossians 2:2-3

Psalm 111:10

Psalm 147:11

Psalm 90:12-17

“A Heart of Wisdom”

"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom". Moses' words summarize what we need to know if we want to make our lives count.

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QUOTE #34

"Lord grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference."

Saint Francis of Assisi 1181-1226

Italian founder of Franciscan order in 1208

“31 Days To A More Powerful You” #2

James 1:5.