WISDOM FROM PAST EXPERIENCES

Sermon Based Small Group Lessons

Wisdom From Past Experiences: Repeating Good Decisions and Correcting Bad Ones

2008 February 24

Dr. Les Hughes, Senior Pastor

Meeting Sched= ule

1. Fellowsh= ip time & snacks

2. Share pr= ayer requests

3. Pray (ta= king turns with short sentence prayers is good if group members are comfortable)= .

4. Begin the lesson.

&= nbsp; a. Share the title (above)

&= nbsp; b. Ask the Ice Breaker Question

&= nbsp; c. Follow the guide, reading the Scri= pture and asking the questions.

Ice Breaker Questions

What is one thing you observe people doing over and over again and think, “Boy, it seems like they would learn from their mistakes!”

When is a time in your life that you had to make a decisi= on between two good things?

Pastor Les said, “God has giv= en us several ways to grow in wisdom. We have His word, the Bible. We have His Holy Spirit who lives insid= e of every disciple of Christ. And= one tool he gives us is the ability to learn from the past: our past experience= s as well as the past experiences of others.” Let’s read the passage again= to refresh us and see what happened to the people of Israel in their decision making.

Focus Scripture: Joshua 7:1= -12, 18-23

Digging for T= ruth

1. A WISE PERSON LEARNS FROM PAST EXPERIENCES.

&= nbsp; We aren’t designed to do it alone. Doing church as a team makes everyone better. In what ways do you think believer= s need one another?

Pastor Les said “MAKING UNWISE DECISIONS CAN HAVE DEVASTATING RESULTS IN LIFE, BUT WHAT’S EVEN MORE TRAGIC IS WHEN WE MAKE THE SAME BAD CHOICES OVER AND OVER AND OVER.”<= /p>

Have you ever caught yourself in a pattern of bad choices?

&= nbsp; Pastor Les talked about the value of starting over. Do you know someone who has starte= d over well?

&= nbsp; David said, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

2. A WISE PERSON LEARNS FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS.

Les said that “We don’t have to learn the hard way. When you see someone in a behavior or making a decision that leads to terrible consequences, especially when it involves disobedience to God, learn that experience. You don’t have to wait un= til you experience it all yourself.”

What can we learn from the experien= ces of others.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”<= /i>

--George Santayana, Philosopher

Can you think o= f a time that you made a good decision after observing someone else making a bad one?

What are some of the most common reasons for people making bad decisions? (ie, thinking of now instead of the future, selfishness, etc.)

3. GOD BLESSES P= EOPLE WHO RECOVER FROM UNWISE DECISIONS.

People who start over well follow t= he Israelites in this pattern:

Ø They admitted their mistake (especially their disobedience and their pride). They didn’t make excuses or try to cover it up.

Ø The= y got rid of the sin. In this case the sin included a person and they didn’t’ mess around. They did away with him.

Ø They changed their actions

In light of what’s happened in your past, how can you act wisely today?

How can you live wisely in the area= of finances, or relationships, or your career?

Where are your weak spots because of your past?

Where are you most vulnerable?

You can’t go back and change = the past, but you can learn from it and not repeat foolish patterns.

Closing Quest= ions

1. How have= your failures in life helped define who you are?

2. What hav= e you learned from your mistakes?

3. Has God revealed any paths you might currently be on that will lead to failure?

4. What are= the keys to making good decisions the first time around?

Closing Challenge=

&= nbsp; Seek to read a chapter in God’s word every day. You can find a great plan that man= y at Westwood are doing at www.BiblePlan.org. Sign up for the New Testament in a= year plan.