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2026-05-09 | Sermon Study Guide | Mother's Day

Sermon Study Guide | Sermon: Mother’s Day | Wisdom in an Age of too much Information
Scripture: Proverbs 1:7 ; Proverbs 3:5-6 | Date: May 9, 2026
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CONNECT - “A Personal Reflection”
This section is designed to help you relate personally to the theme of the sermon. It encourages you to reflect on your own life experiences and how they connect to the message.
Most of us have more information than we know what to do with. We can search for answers, collect opinions, listen to experts, and still feel unsure about how to actually live. Think about a time when you had plenty of information but still needed wisdom. Maybe it was a parenting decision, a relationship, a career choice, a season of suffering, or a question of faith. What helped you find your footing? Who has been a wise voice in your life, not because they had all the answers, but because they helped you see clearly and live faithfully? Share with your group
ENGAGE - “Exploring the Scripture”
This section invites you to dive into the biblical passage, discuss its meaning, and apply it to your life through thoughtful questions.
Read Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 3:5-6 as a group and discuss:
- “Information is everywhere” but “wisdom has become incredibly rare.” Where do you feel that most personally right now?
- Wisdom was described as “knowing what to do with what you know.” How is that different from being smart, informed, or successful?
- Proverbs says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). How would you explain “the fear of the Lord” to someone who hears that phrase and assumes it means being afraid of God?
- Silicon Valley often celebrates autonomy, achievement, and being the author of your own story. Where can those values be helpful, and where can they leave people secretly adrift?
- What helps you discern what is true, good, and wise when so many voices are competing for your attention?
- The panel named that wisdom is often communal. Who are the people you trust enough to let them lovingly challenge your perspective?
- Proverbs 3:5-6calls us to trust the Lord and not lean only on our own understanding. What would it look like this week to locate yourself in God’s wisdom rather than only your own conclusions?
APPLY - “Putting the Scriptures into Action”
This section challenges us to take what we’ve learned and implement it in practical ways in our daily lives.
- Identify one area of your life where you have been gathering information but avoiding a wise next step. Name the next faithful action you can take.
- Pay attention to the voices shaping you this week. What podcast, feed, friend, mentor, Scripture passage, or habit is forming your view of life?
- Ask one trusted person this question: “Where do you see me needing wisdom right now?”
- Practice Proverbs 3:5-6 by praying before you decide, not just after you feel stuck.
- Choose one way to reduce noise this week: a phone boundary, a pause before responding, a break from a feed, or time in Scripture before taking in other opinions.
- Reach out to someone who has been a wise presence in your life and thank them for the way they helped orient you toward God.
- Embrace the heart of Jesus for wisdom and invite a friend to attend Alpha with you.
PRAY - “Seeking God’s Guidance”
This section offers a short prayer to help us center our hearts and invite God to work in our lives through his scripture.
God, we confess that we often have more information than wisdom. We are surrounded by voices, opinions, and options, and we do not always know how to see clearly or live faithfully.
Teach us to trust You with all our hearts and not lean only on our own understanding. Give us humility when we are too confident, courage when we are afraid, and discernment when the world feels loud and unstable. Thank you for the people who have shaped us with love, patience, and wisdom. Help us become those kinds of people for others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
If you have feedback on this guide or ideas that would help your group engage more deeply, we’d love to hear from you.
Your insight helps us continue growing as a church that wrestles honestly and walks faithfully together. Contact msummers@menlo.church