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Understanding for Our Raging Hearts Rev. Scott Strickman Download

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Proverbs

Proverbs 19:2-3 (ESV)
2 Desire without knowledge is not good,
and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
3 When a man's folly brings his way to ruin,
his heart rages against the Lord.

Sermon Outline
Wisdom involves a kind of understanding that helps us navigate complexity such that we come out in the right place.

1. A Key Ingredient of a Wise Life

v2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

2. Dynamics of a Fool’s Life

v3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.

3. Outcomes of a Redeemed Life

v2 “misses the way”, v3 “his way to ruin”
v3 “his heart… the Lord”

Prayer of Confession
Our wise and loving Father, pardon our sins. Our desires have ruled our lives. We have hastily done what we should not have, without understanding, and we have hated the consequences. Our frustrations have promoted anger and resentment instead of reflection, learning and change. We have raged against you and others. We have lost our way. We thank you that in your wisdom you sent Jesus, and through his suffering we are redeemed. We look to him for forgiveness and pray that you would grant us understanding. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

Of these two proverbs, which is more characteristic of you: a) “He who hesitates is lost” b) “Look before you leap”
What role does desire play in your experience? How are your choices affected by what you desire? Do you associate any difficulties in your life with your desires?
How can desires shape (or distort) understanding? How can understanding help you contain, form, or properly direct and express your desires?
When things go wrong, when you fail, when troubles come, what role does anger play in your response?
When you are angry, do you feel a need to identify fault? Can you be angry and not have anyone or anything to blame?
When a person is angry with God: what should they not do? What should they do?
How does a lack of understanding and being controlled by desires lead to ruin? What needs to happen to change course as you move forward in life knowing you will face situations where you don’t know all that you need to know?
God deals with sin and separation through Jesus, who holds together God and humanity in himself, and God Himself bears the hostility in order to extinguish it so there can be peace – if there was an easier way, do you imagine God would have taken another way? Do you discern any wisdom in the plan of God to address the world’s deepest issues in this way?
Why is it important that we understand that Jesus wants us to “join” ourselves to him? How does that attachment become where our desires are satisfied, changed, or renewed?
How does a maturing understanding of the gospel transform the role of desire in our lives? What becomes different?