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Wise vs. Fools

13 People who despise advice are asking for trouble;
those who respect a command will succeed.
14 The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain;
those who accept it avoid the snares of death.
15 A person with good sense is respected;
a treacherous person is headed for destruction.
16 Wise people think before they act;
fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.
17 An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble,
but a reliable messenger brings healing.
18 If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace;
if you accept correction, you will be honored.
19 It is pleasant to see dreams come true,
but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them.
20 Walk with the wise and become wise;
associate with fools and get in trouble.
21 Trouble chases sinners,
while blessings reward the righteous. —Proverbs 13:13–21 (NLT)

The Crowd

7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. —Mark 3:7, 9 (NLT)

Who is in your crowd?

The Tibe

1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. —John 12:1–2a

Who is in your tribe?

The Circle

Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant. He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, —Mark 4:10-11 (NLT(

Who is in your circle?

The A-Team

Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. —Matthew 26:36-37 (NLT)

Who is on your A-Team?

Do Your Friends Lift You Up?

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Go Beyond the Sermon…

Go through the FREE online Proverbs devotional study, on your own or with a group of friends.

Relational Intelligence Quiz

Answer Yes or No to the following questions. If you answer yes to 5 or more, you may not have seen this person for who he or she really is, and you may need to raise your relational IQ.

Do you feel your difficult person is displeased with you most of the time?

Reveal Answer

Do you feel responsible for “clearing things up” with your difficult person?

Reveal Answer

Are you surprised when your difficult person is upset with you or with a particular circumstance that involves you?

Reveal Answer

Does the upset often come “out of the blue”?

Reveal Answer

Do you spend time devising remedies to make your difficult person happier?

Reveal Answer

Do you believe that he or she is really a good person who is just “difficult to get along with” sometimes?

Reveal Answer

When you feel your difficult person’s anger, do you change the way you behave?

Reveal Answer

Do you try to appease his or her anger?

Reveal Answer

Do you argue with him or her?

Reveal Answer

Does your difficult person define your life? Do you see yourself as the person your difficult person describes?

Reveal Answer

Does he or she tell you what you should think about things in general and about yourself in particular?

Reveal Answer

Do you ever think, This isn’t so bad?

Reveal Answer

Do you ever think, If I would be different, he or she would change?

Reflection Questions

Considering the different levels of intimacy Jesus had with His followers, what can be inferred about the importance of having a close-knit circle of friends in one’s spiritual journey?

Identify a relationship in your life that has positively influenced your wisdom and spiritual growth. How can you invest more in this relationship?

Assess your current “A-Team.” Are there any changes you need to make to ensure this group is helping you grow closer to God?

Consider the circles of relationships in your life. Is there someone in your broader circles who might be a wise influence that you could bring closer into your inner circle?