Small Group Discussion Guide

"Becoming a Person of the Word"

Based on the Sermon from Proverbs 2:1–4

A Note to Facilitators: Welcome, and thank you for leading your group this week! This guide is designed to be flexible — you don't need to cover every question. Read through it beforehand, pick the questions that feel right for your group, and trust the Holy Spirit to guide the conversation. Your job isn't to have all the answers; it's to create a safe space for honest dialogue and genuine connection.

OVERVIEW

What was Sunday's sermon about?

Using personal stories from golf, football, and family life, the sermon explored what it means to become a person of God's Word — not just someone who reads the Bible occasionally, but someone who is deeply shaped by it. Drawing from Proverbs 2:1–4, the message introduced the first of three qualifications for becoming a person of Scripture: preparing your heart to receive God's Word. This first qualification has four practical parts — receiving, treasuring, attending, and inclining — all of which involve actively opening our hearts before we even open our Bibles.

SECTION 1: ICEBREAKER

(5–10 minutes)

Choose one of the following to open your time together:

Option A (lighter, fun):

"Think of a skill, hobby, or subject you've worked hard to get better at — maybe a sport, an instrument, cooking, or something at work. What did it take to improve? What was the hardest part?"

Option B (more reflective):

"Can you think of a time when you received really good advice or wisdom that genuinely changed how you approached something? What made you actually listen to it?"

[Leader Tip]: Don't rush the icebreaker — it warms up the group and builds trust. If your group is quiet, share your own answer first to model openness. Keep it to 10 minutes so you have time for the main discussion.

SECTION 2: SCRIPTURE READING

(5 minutes)

Have someone read the passage aloud. Invite the group to listen for words or phrases that stand out to them.

PRIMARY PASSAGE — Proverbs 2:1–4 (NASB)

"My son, if you will receive my sayings and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures..."

SUPPORTING PASSAGE — Proverbs 3:13–18 (NASB)

"How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast."

SUPPORTING PASSAGE — Proverbs 8:22–31 (NASB, selected verses)

"The Lord possessed me [wisdom] at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth... Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in the world, His earth, and having my delight in the sons of men."

[Leader Tip]: After reading, give the group 30 seconds of silence to sit with the passage. Then ask, "What word or phrase jumped out at you?" This simple question invites everyone into the conversation without pressure.

SECTION 3: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

(30–45 minutes)

Work through these questions at a natural pace. You don't need to cover all of them — choose 5–7 that fit your group best. Questions are arranged from lighter to deeper.

THEME A: Understanding the "Why" — Why the Word Matters

(5–8 minutes)

1. The sermon opened with a bold claim: "If God has spoken, there is nothing more important than to hear what He said." What's your initial reaction to that statement? Does it feel true in your daily life, or does it feel like something that's easy to agree with but hard to actually live out?

2. The preacher said that Proverbs is uniquely designed to help us understand and engage with all of Scripture — that getting into Proverbs and getting Proverbs into us teaches us how to become people of the Word. Based on the passages we just read, what do you think makes Proverbs different from other books of the Bible? What does it seem to offer?

THEME B: Salvation vs. Discipleship — No Qualification Required

(5–8 minutes)

3. The sermon used a golf story to make a powerful distinction: there is no qualification for salvation — Christ played that round for us — but there are qualifications for becoming a person of God's Word. How would you explain that distinction in your own words? Why is it important that we understand both truths?

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast." — Ephesians 2:8–9

[Leader Tip]: This is a key theological point, and it's worth spending a moment here. Some group members may have grown up with a performance-based faith and may find it emotional to hear that salvation is truly free. Be sensitive. If the group goes quiet, you might gently ask, "Does it ever feel hard to believe that salvation is truly a gift, with no strings attached?"

THEME C: The Four Parts of Qualification One

(15–20 minutes)

The sermon unpacked four parts to the first qualification from Proverbs 2:1–2. Let's look at each one:

4. RECEIVE — The preacher described receiving the Word like running out to greet someone you love, arms wide open. He used the Hebrew word tikka, meaning "to accept something with approval."

How do you typically come to God's Word? Do you find yourself approaching it with open arms — eager and expectant — or does it sometimes feel more like an obligation, a chore, or even something you quietly resist? What shapes your attitude on any given day?

[Leader Tip]: This question invites honest self-reflection, not performance. Model vulnerability by sharing your own honest answer. Affirm whatever people share — the goal is honesty, not the "right" answer.

5. TREASURE — The sermon connected treasuring God's Word to the image of a child excitedly digging into a suitcase for a gift, and to Proverbs 3:13–18, which says wisdom is "more precious than jewels" and "nothing you desire compares with her."

What are some things you genuinely treasure in your life right now — things you protect, think about often, and make room for? What would it look like practically to treasure God's Word in a similar way?

6. ATTEND — Being attentive means deliberately setting your "hearing device" toward wisdom. The sermon pointed out that we choose what we tune into — sports, music, news, social media — based on what we value.

What are the loudest "voices" competing for your attention in an average week? When it comes to Scripture specifically, what tends to make it harder to tune in — and what has helped you actually listen?

[Leader Tip]: If discussion stalls here, try this follow-up: "The preacher mentioned that he once spent three hours adjusting a radio dial just to hear the Cleveland Browns. What would it look like to pursue God's Word with that kind of persistence?"

7. INCLINE — To incline your heart means to make a deliberate, willful commitment — like a soccer captain who decides to win the first lap at practice, no matter what it costs. The Hebrew word for understanding here (tevunah) means knowing not just what something means but how it works in real life.

The preacher described inclining as making a determination of the will — not just a feeling, but a decision. Is there an area of your spiritual life where you've made that kind of determined commitment? What made the difference between intention and actual follow-through?

THEME D: Preparing the Soil — Heart Posture Before Bible Study

(5–8 minutes)

8. The sermon ended with a gardening image: just as you till the soil before planting seeds, you prepare your heart before opening Scripture. The preacher suggested asking yourself four questions before you study:

• Am I going to receive this or resist it?
• Am I going to treasure it?
• Am I going to give preference to hearing it?
• Am I going to commit to do it?

Which of these four preparation questions feels most challenging for you personally — and why? What might it look like to actually pause and ask yourself these questions before reading the Bible this week?

9. Proverbs 8:30–31 says that wisdom "rejoices in the world" and finds delight "in the sons of men." In other words, God's wisdom delights in you and was designed with you in mind.

How does it change your approach to Scripture to think of God's wisdom as something that actively delights in you — rather than something you have to earn or master? Does that feel easy or hard to believe?

SECTION 4: PERSONAL APPLICATION

(10–15 minutes)

These questions are for quieter, more personal reflection. You may want to give people 2 minutes to think or journal before sharing.

1. Of the four parts of the first qualification — receive, treasure, attend, incline — which one do you sense God is most specifically inviting you to work on right now? What would taking one step in that direction look like this week?

2. The sermon described how different biblical "passes" serve different purposes: some take you deep (like the book of Job for understanding suffering), some develop you over time (like Ephesians for maturity), and some give you practical wisdom for the rough patches of daily life (like Proverbs). Where are you in life right now — and what kind of Scripture might God be inviting you into in this season?

3. The preacher shared that one of his mentors once said to him: "Howard, if only you could discipline yourself for that which truly matters." If someone who knows you well said that to you today — pointing to your engagement with God's Word — how do you think you'd honestly respond?

✅ THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

Choose one of the following practical steps and commit to it before your group meets again:

• Option 1 — The Soil Check: Before you open your Bible each day this week, pause for 30 seconds and honestly ask yourself: "Am I coming to this ready to receive, treasure, attend, and incline — or am I just going through the motions?" Notice what comes up.

• Option 2 — Start in Proverbs: Read one chapter of Proverbs each day this week (there are 31 chapters — one for each day of the month). As you read, write down one verse that stands out and one question it raises.

• Option 3 — Share the Treasure: Identify one piece of biblical wisdom that has genuinely shaped your life. Write it down, and find one person this week to share it with — a friend, family member, or coworker.

• Option 4 — Reflect and Return: Journal your honest answer to this question: "What is currently competing most with God's Word for my attention and heart?" Bring what you discover to God in prayer.

SECTION 5: PRAYER FOCUS

(5–10 minutes)

Close your time together in prayer. Here are suggested themes — feel free to pray through them together, or invite group members to pray for one another around specific needs.

Suggested Prayer Topics:

• Gratitude — Thank God that salvation is a free gift, not something we have to earn or qualify for
• Honest Confession — Ask God to reveal the honest condition of your heart toward His Word — any resistance, distraction, or indifference
• Openness — Pray for a genuine desire to receive, treasure, attend to, and incline toward Scripture
• Wisdom — Ask for the wisdom described in Proverbs 3 — the kind that leads to life, peace, and flourishing
• Each Other — Pray specifically for the person to your left or right — that God would meet them in His Word this week

[Leader Tip]: If your group isn't comfortable with open prayer, you can close by reading Proverbs 3:13–18 aloud together as a prayer of declaration, or simply pray on behalf of the group yourself. Never force participation in prayer — invite it.

SECTION 6: OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE

(For groups wanting to go further — 15–20 additional minutes)

Deep Dive 1 — Wisdom in the Beginning

Read Proverbs 8:22–31 again slowly. The passage describes wisdom as being present with God before creation — as a "master workman" who delights in humanity.

What does it mean to you that the wisdom available in Scripture isn't just good advice — it's the same wisdom God used to design the universe and form you in the womb? How does that change the weight you give to what you read in the Bible?

Deep Dive 2 — The Cost of the Word

The sermon briefly mentioned that in the early church, coming to faith in Christ often meant losing your family, your business, your home, and your place in the community — and that today, a Christian is martyred in the Middle East approximately every 30 minutes.

How does hearing about the cost others have paid to hold onto God's Word affect the way you think about your own access to Scripture? What does it mean to truly value something that others have died for?

Deep Dive 3 — Proverbs and the Whole Bible

The preacher suggested that different parts of the Bible serve different purposes: Job for suffering, Ephesians/Romans for spiritual development, and Proverbs for practical wisdom in daily life.

How have you experienced different parts of the Bible meeting you in different seasons of life? Is there a passage or book that has been especially formative for you — and what made it so meaningful at that particular time?

QUICK REFERENCE FOR FACILITATORS

Key Concepts at a Glance

Related Scriptures for Further Exploration

• Psalm 119:9–16 — Hiding God's Word in your heart
• James 1:22–25 — Being a doer of the Word, not just a hearer
• Colossians 3:16 — Letting the Word of Christ dwell richly in you
• 2 Timothy 3:16–17 — The purpose and power of Scripture
• Matthew 13:3–9, 18–23 — The Parable of the Sower (soil and seed)

This guide was prepared for small group use based on the Sunday sermon. Permission is granted to reproduce for church ministry purposes.