Here are some questions based on last Sunday’s sermon text (Ecclesiastes 10), in case they’re helpful to you for personal growth or group discussion…

• [1-2] Wisdom and folly are antithetical to each other. In the Bible, wisdom means fearing God (Job 28:28; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10), relating to the Triune God as he has revealed himself in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, responding to him in ways that are appropriate to who he is and what he has done. Folly is anything other than this—living as if God were irrelevant to your life. Do you believe that God is relevant to every part of your life? Does it matter to you that God became a man, that he lived, died, rose again, ascended into heaven, and will return to make all things right because he loves you? Does this matter to you when you suffer? when you interact with your family? when you’re at school or work? when you think about how to spend your money or plan for the future?

• [4] If someone with the power to do you real harm is angry with you, it might be common sense to walk (or run) away. Biblical wisdom says otherwise, that staying put and calmly working toward reconciliation can “lay great offenses to rest.” How do you see this at work in the wisdom of Jesus? How does Jesus continue to engage with those who sin against him? Have you embraced this kind of conciliatory wisdom? Can you think of situations, conflicts, when you’ve personally been tempted to “fight or flight” reactions, but have instead looked to Christ for help and sought reconciliation? Why is it so hard for us to walk by wisdom like this?

• [18] As sinners prone to wander from God, we default to folly. The only thing you need to do in order for your life to be ruined by unbelieving folly is to sit back and relax. Alternatively, growing in wisdom and applying wisdom is hard work. Why is it such hard work to consider God as we live? How can you grow in wisdom for living life with God?