Call to worship:
8 Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
Psalm 66:8-10
Gathering Video
Questions for reflection:
How does the scripture describe wisdom? How is it found?
Where has life felt like the metaphor of mining? What was God able to produce through the refining?
In what was do you see the wisdom of God through the presence of Christ?
Corporate Prayer:
Our Father in Heaven,
We thank you for this year with its celebrations and sorrows. We are grateful that you have been with us for every moment. For the wounds we’ve encountered, we ask you to heal us. For the wounds we’ve inflicted, we ask you to forgive us. As we embark into a new year we pray for your guidance and direction. Grant us a hunger for your word, a passion for prayer, and a love for people. Let us reflect you well in all that we say and do.
For the glory of Christ we pray, amen.
Notes//Quotes//Slides:
Mike reading - Prov 1:20-23
Title: Where's Wisdom
Slide 1
“That excuse is implicitly rejected here. Wisdom is not some hidden treasure that has to be dug from the depths of the earth (compare Job 28) or the sole possession of the lonely sage sitting atop a mountain. To the contrary, Wisdom roams the streets looking for someone to instruct. The ways of right and wrong, as presented in this word of God, are open for all to read and follow. At the same time, this section is a true appeal from the Spirit for whoever has ears to turn and listen.”
- Duane A. Garrett
Slide 2
Proverbs 13:20: "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm" (ESV).
Slide 3
Psalm 1:1-2: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers" (ESV).
Slide 4
Proverbs 12:26: "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray" (NIV/NKJV).
Slide 5
Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (ESV)
Slide 6
Proverbs 17:3, “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.” (ESV)
Slide 7
1 Corinthians 9:27: “It is my own body I fight to make it do what I want. I do this so that I won’t miss getting the prize myself after telling others about it.” (ESV)
Slide 8
Colossians 1:28-29: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”
Slide 9
Well, I'm coming to the edge of the widest canyon
My companions dear
I'm starting to question my manifest destiny
My claim to this frontier
And I'm coming to the brink of a great disaster
The end just has to be near
The Earth spins faster, whistles right past you
Whispers death in your ear
Oh, don't pretend you can't hear
Don't pretend you can’t
— Manifest, by Andrew Bird