There are two ways to live. One is wide, easy, and crowded — and it ends in destruction. The other is narrow, demanding, and often lonely — but it leads to life. In Proverbs 2, a father pleads with his son to pursue wisdom with urgency and conviction. Not casually. Not half-heartedly. But like a miner digging for silver.

This chapter shows us that wisdom must be pursued, yet it is ultimately God’s gift. Through wisdom, He guards us from loud cultural pressure and subtle personal temptation, preserving us for a life that endures.

In Proverbs 1:20–33, Wisdom steps into the open and cries out—publicly, urgently, and graciously. In this sermon, we explore the storyline of Proverbs, where two voices call and two paths are set before us: wisdom and folly, life and destruction. We consider the grace of Wisdom’s invitation, the sobering reality of rejected counsel, and the biblical principle that we ultimately “eat the fruit of our way.” Most importantly, we see how Wisdom personified in Proverbs finds her fulfillment in Jesus Christ, Wisdom incarnate, who came for sinners, bore judgment in our place, and calls us to life.

We are always being shaped by the voices we listen to. Proverbs 1:8–19 helps us learn how to discern between the voice of wisdom that leads to life and the voice of folly that entices and destroys. This sermon examines how God uses authority to form us in wisdom, how sin speaks persuasively while concealing its end, and how Jesus Christ—the wisdom of God—rescues sinners who have already listened to folly.

In Proverbs 1:1–7, we see that wisdom begins not with information but with worship: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” This sermon explores what the fear of the Lord is (and isn’t), distinguishing dread that drives us from God from reverent awe that draws us near. We consider how knowing God rightly becomes the most important knowledge, how it grounds all other understanding, and how it produces humility, stability, and courage for life in God’s world. Finally, we contrast this posture with the fool who despises wisdom and instruction, and we land on the gospel: in Christ, dread is cast out, reverent joy is born, and true wisdom finally has a beginning.

Proverbs 1:1-6

Life rarely follows the plan. When good intentions collide with real pressure—conflict, temptation, disappointment, or grief—we discover how much wisdom we actually lack. In this sermon on Proverbs 1:2–6, we explore the purpose of Proverbs: not merely to inform us, but to form us. Scripture calls us to a posture of teachability, a lifelong process of training, and a clear end—a life shaped by righteousness, justice, and uprightness before God. True wisdom is not talent or technique, but Spirit-shaped skill for living toward the right goal. Ultimately, this training is grounded in Christ himself, God’s wisdom incarnate, who transforms our instincts and faithfully finishes the work he begins.

What is wisdom—and why does Scripture insist that nothing matters more? In this opening sermon of our Proverbs series, we explore why biblical wisdom is not optional advice but essential for life. Looking at Solomon—the wisest king, and yet a tragic fool—we see both the beauty and the limits of wisdom as information. Proverbs gives us the path of life, but only Christ, the One greater than Solomon, gives us the power to walk it. This message sets the foundation for reading Proverbs through a Christ-centered lens, inviting us to pursue wisdom humbly, repent honestly, and hope confidently in Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God.

How do we run well and finish?

At the heart of Advent is the love of God. In this sermon from 1 John 4:9–10, we see that God’s love is not something we climb toward, but something that comes down to us in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Christ’s first Advent reveals a love that initiates, draws near, and sacrifices itself for sinners; His second Advent will reveal that same love perfected—glorifying His people, setting all things right, and never letting them go. As we wait for Christ’s return, we are invited to rest in His love, return His love, and reflect it to the world.