Words
Proverbs 10:18-19, 31-32; 12:13-14, 17-18; 15:1, 4; 16:23, 28; 18:13, 21; 24:26; 25:11, 15

• Big Idea
  • Words can make or break our lives.
• The Power of Words                                                                                                                      
  • Words are powerful. Proverbs 12:18; 15:4; 25:15
  • Words have the power of life or death. Proverbs 18:21
• The Problem with Words                                                                                                                     
  • Words can distort. Proverbs 10:18-19; 12:13-14
  • Words can separate. Proverbs 16:28; 18:13
• The Redeeming of Words                                                                                                               
  • Words can repair. Proverbs 10:31-32; 12:18; 15:1; 24:26; 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
  • Words can persuade. Proverbs 12:14; 16:23; 25:11
• The Perfecting of Words                                                                                                                 
  • Let God have the last word. Romans 10:9-10; James 3:5-6
  • Let God reverse our cursing.  Genesis 11:1-9 

The Foolishness of God
1 Corinthians 1:18-25

• Big Idea
  • Our wisdom only takes us so far, but by God's foolishness we are saved. Genesis 1:1; 3:1-24; 12:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:6; Hebrews 10:14
• Our Foolishness                                                                                                                                      
  • The message of the cross isn't something we find immediately attractive or useful.                     1 Corinthians 1:18
  • We all have a sense of right and wrong – but we fail to be consistent even with our own personal codes. 1 Corinthians 1:19-20
• Our Wisdom                                                                                                                                    
  • People look for answers in different ways. Matthew 12:39-40; Mark 8:11; John 6:30
  • What can a guy dying on a cross teach us about life? 1 Corinthians 1:23
• God's Wisdom                                                                                                                                
  • Coming to understand God's wisdom is something that happens to us. 1 Corinthians 1:24
  • God loves us. 1 Corinthians 1:21
• God's Foolishness                                                                                                                         
  • Receive God's grace. 1 Corinthians 1:25  

Be a bold fool. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 ​

Tests 
Proverbs 3:9-14; 10:16, 25; 24:10-12

• Big Idea
  • Our tests can either make us wiser or more foolish.
• The Test of Success                                                                                                               
  • One of the worst things that can happen to us in life is to become successful.  
  • Without wisdom our fulfilled desires can ruin us. Proverbs 10:16, 25; Jeremiah 45:5   
• The Test of Suffering                                                                                                                 
  • Pain can lead us to harden our hearts to God and others. Proverbs 3:11; Romans 1: 18-32
  • Pain can help us to see that we're not alone.  Proverbs 3:11-12
• The Way of Wisdom                                                                                                           
  • Giving things to God first, changes what success does to us. Proverbs 3:9
  • We can't get over our foolishness, until we admit we're fools. Proverbs 3:13-14
• The Rescue Plan                                                                                                                 
  • Worshipping and serving God alone reveals our confidence that He is at work. Proverbs 24:10-12; John 12:12-13; Luke 4:5-7
  • Jesus showed us the true meaning of success. John 12:23-26 

Justice
Proverbs 3:18-20, 27-32; 11:10-11; 19:17; 29:7

• Big Idea
  • To seek justice puts us in the middle of God's grace. 
• Thread
  • We have a small view of what it means to be blessed.  Psalm 1:1-3; Proverbs 3:18 
  • We have a small view of God. Proverbs 3:19-20 
•  Unraveled
  • We unravel when we sin. Romans 14:23
  • Our community unravels when we think our stuff is only our stuff. Proverbs 3:27-32; Matthew 10:8 
• The Righteous  
  • We need God's help in knowing how to deal justly. Proverbs 3:30-32; 11:10 
  • A righteous person in the Bible is someone who lives with regard for others.   Proverbs 11:10-11; 13:32 
• Restoration
  • Jesus became the poorest of the poor to offer us what we don't deserve. Proverbs 19:11; Matthew 10:1-42; 25:31-46; Luke 8:1-3 1. 
  • The reality of Christ's presence in our lives can be manifest where we live. Proverbs 29:7; Romans 5:1; James 3:18