Have you found yourself working hard doing research on a purchase or planning a trip only to eventually see your decisions prove less than you imagined? Decision-making can be a complex and anxious experience, depending on the gravity and consequence of the decision. When you include the desire to do God’s will and the desire to use wisdom to avoid pitfalls, the stakes feel high, and some decisions can feel daunting. Today, Proverbs will give us a good perspective about obtaining wisdom, avoiding foolishness and potentially reducing our tension. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. Read Proverbs 9:1-18. In Proverbs 9, we see Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly both at work vying for our attention. What do you find interesting about both of their messages to the simple? 2. Both lady Wisdom and lady Folly are inviting the simple to their perspective banquets. What are the differences between the banquets? What are the end results of attending the banquets respectively? 3. Read Proverbs 9:9. What happens to a wise man when he is given instruction? Contrast that verse with Proverbs 9:7. What happens to the instructor who corrects a scoffer? 4. Proverbs 9:10, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” is a familiar verse to many. In your own words, why does fearing God start someone on the path of wisdom? 5. Read Mark 13:21-23. There is warning that false prophets will perform signs and wonders in order to lead believers astray. How can we use wisdom to recognize these distractions and guard ourselves from these deceptions? 6. According to Proverbs 9:12, we are the ones who have the most to gain or lose from following or ignoring wisdom. It can be a sobering thought to realize we are the main beneficiaries of our own decisions, both good and bad. How might this spur us on to seek wisdom and also rest in it?