2. What Is Wisdom?

4. Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

5. Proverbs….The Book of Wisdom Wisdom / Wise Men / Being Wise is mentioned at least 100 times! There are 2 whole sections where “Wisdom” speaks….. 1: 20-33 and 8:1, 4-36

6. Proverbs 8: 12-13 12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. 13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”

7. Proverbs 2: 1-15 The Benefits of Wisdom

8. What Makes Someone A “Fool”?

12. The First Degree is the Simple or Naive Fool, who is unthinking and gullible. He lacks the most basic understanding of moral cause and effect.

14. The Second Degree is the Self-Confident Fool. He is known by his stubbornness, arrogance, and by his big mouth.

15. Proverbs 3: 5-7 5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”

16. The Third Degree is the Committed Fool, who has decisively rejected wisdom, and instead pledges their allegiance to destructive thoughts and anger.

17. Proverbs 8: 34-36 34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. 35 For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. 36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

18. A further-developed version of this condition is the Shameless Fool. It describes someone who has not only rejected wisdom, not only made a commitment to destructive ideas and behaviors. He is also ignoble, irreverent, boorish, rude, and even vile and villainous.

19. Proverbs 14:8 “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.”

20. Differences Between The Stages: The Naive Fool doesn't realize that sin has consequences. The Self-Confident Fool doesn't believe that sin has consequences. The Committed Fool doesn't care that sin has consequences.

21. The Fourth Degree or terminal stage of Character Deficiency Syndrome is reached by the Scornful Fool. He is a Mocker who is openly contemptuous of spiritual truth and moral righteousness.

22. Proverbs 1: 29-31 29 “Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, 30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.”

23. Proverbs 5: 22-23 22 “The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. 23 He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.”

24. Proverbs 13:14 “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.”

25. 1)Do you have an established routine where you pray for and seek God’s Wisdom for your life? 2)In what ways have you lived in ignorance about the commands of God that are in The Bible? 3)Are there areas of life where you’ve become over-confident and fail to ask God for wisdom? 4) Who are some individuals in your life that are hostile to your faith in Christ? PRAY FOR THEM!