Bubbles are lots of fun!

Until they burst. (And usually bursting them is the most fun.)

Sometimes, though, we use the word “bubble” to describe more than just fun with soapy water or bubble gum. When I was in college, lots of people would ask, “How is life in the Furman bubble?” A few years ago, many in real estate were talking about the “housing bubble.”

Bubbles are great while they last. But what happens when they burst? The effect can be extremely disorienting, especially when we were not aware of the bubble in which we lived until it burst!

The book of Proverbs, however, was written especially for such times. In fact, when the people of Israel experienced the two most significant “bubble bursts” in their history, much of their community regathered and discovered stability in the words of wisdom collected here.

We continue our July FamilyWise series as we talk about how wisdom works within our families, especially when bubbles seem to be bursting all around us. What does it mean that “the wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand”? (Proverbs 12:7).

 

Structure of Proverbs by chapter

Proverbs structure by chapters (click to enlarge).

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SEE IT // BE IT

(Weekly Community Group Discussion Guide)



Date: July 19, 2015 // Title: WISE FAMILY

Scripture: Proverbs 12

SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes

What do you do when a bubble burst? That’s the question we looked at this week as we continued our journey of growing wise as a family. As we traveled through Israel’s volatile history as a nation, we found that Proverbs often anchored the community during seasons of transition and change. Also in these seasons of change, we found that righteousness (right standing in our relationships) creates the rootedness or stability that we find ourselves looking for. When we live HERE, through the person of Jesus, that means we can live rooted right in the middle of the significant changes that are happening all around us instead of wishing we were THERE (anywhere else—with some other people or in some other place).

 

THE MAIN THOUGHT: “Righteousness creates rootedness”

 

5 Questions to help us grow or SEE IT

  1. What are some things your family says a lot?
    *move through each member of the family and talk about different phrases each of you say often.
  2. If you could choose three phrases of wisdom that you want to remember as a family what would those phrases be?
    *list different phrases of wisdom that your family uses or you want your family to use more and then choose the top three together.
  3. Who are some other families that your family does life with? How does doing life with them help your family live well?
    *list the ways your family has benefited from relationships with other families or if you are still looking for community, pray that God would provide meaningful friendships for your family.
  4. What do you think it means to live righteously as a family? How do you think your family could live righteously with other families?
    *discuss what righteousness means (not just keeping the rules but living in right standing) and what it might look like practically to live in right standing with one another.
  5. Where is your family’s place/what is your family’s mission?
    *think together about how your family might find a place to be on mission together this fall.

 

Three exercises to help us go or BE IT–choose at least one

UP (Our relationship with God): Favorite Phrase

Take some time this week to read portions of Proverbs 17-24 by taking one chapter at a time and reading through it as a family. As you read the chapter together, have everyone look for their favorite phrase in that chapter and explain how that phrase relates to your family. Share your discoveries together as you look for family wisdom.

IN (Our relationships with each other): Family Forgiveness

Living in right standing in our relationships with each other means learning to forgive each other well. List some places where each of you might have offended each other this week. Practice saying, “I’m sorry!” to each other and then offer forgiveness to each other. Finish the time making sure each person knows he or she is loved and then gather for a family hug—everyone hugging each other at the same time.

OUT (Our relationship with the world): Family Give

Buy each person in the family a pack of gum this week. Then tell each person to use the pack of gum to share each piece with someone that is not in your family. People are always asking or looking for gum and so going prepared to share gum will hopefully help your family get in conversations with people outside your family. Come back together and share the conversations you have this week by sharing your gum and any wisdom you were able to give or get from these conversations as you focused on them.