This small group discussion guide draws directly from Jason May's sermon “Becoming A Person Of the Word Part 4” so you can keep engaging with the message all week. Read, reflect, and share it with your small group or friends.
Small Group Discussion Guide
Becoming a Person of the Word
Based on the Sermon: "How to Become a Person of the Word, Proverbs Style"
Key Text: Proverbs 2:1–4
A Note to Facilitators Welcome, and thank you for leading your group this week! You don't need to be a Bible scholar to guide a great discussion — your job is simply to create space for honest conversation and help people connect with God's Word. This guide gives you everything you need. Feel free to skip questions that don't fit your group, and don't worry about covering everything. A great discussion that goes deep on a few questions is better than rushing through them all. Estimated total time: 75–90 minutes.
OVERVIEW
For the Facilitator — Read This Before Your Group Meets
In this sermon, the speaker makes a bold claim: no portion of Scripture better equips us to become people of God's Word than Proverbs 2:1–4. Using vivid illustrations — a mechanic's sledgehammer, a first-grader chasing his crush, Jacob rolling a massive stone to impress Rachel — the sermon argues that becoming a person of Scripture requires three things: preparing your heart to receive it, praying persistently for understanding, and searching it with relentless effort. The message closes with a practical method for studying a book of the Bible and a compelling vision of what happens in our lives when we actually do it.
Bottom Line: God has given us a treasure — His Word — and He's calling us to pursue it with the same intensity we'd pursue something we truly love and deeply value.
SECTION 1: ICEBREAKER
(5–10 minutes)
Opening Question — Choose One:
Option A (lighter, fun):
"Think of something you pursued really hard to learn or get good at — a skill, a hobby, a sport, or even winning over someone you cared about. What made you willing to put in that kind of effort?"
Option B (slightly more reflective):
"What's one thing someone taught you about the Bible — a verse, a story, a principle — that has genuinely stuck with you over the years? How did you learn it?"
[Leader Tip] Don't rush this section. A good icebreaker helps quieter group members find their voice before the deeper questions begin. If your group is new or tends to be reserved, use Option A — it's lighter and invites laughter. If your group is comfortable with each other, Option B transitions naturally into the sermon theme.
SECTION 2: SCRIPTURE READING
(5 minutes)
Ask a volunteer to read the following passage aloud slowly. Encourage the group to listen for words or phrases that stand out to them.
Proverbs 2:1–5, 9, 12, 16, 20 (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; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1–5)
"Then you will discern what is right and just and fair — every good path." (Proverbs 2:9)
"Then you will be delivered from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things." (Proverbs 2:12)
"Then you will be delivered from the strange woman, from the adulteress who flatters with her words." (Proverbs 2:16)
"So you will walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous." (Proverbs 2:20)
Brief Context for Facilitators: Proverbs was written primarily by King Solomon, largely to prepare his son to lead wisely. The book uses poetic and personified language — wisdom is described throughout using feminine pronouns ("she," "her") to appeal to the book's original male audience and draw them toward wisdom the way a man is drawn toward a woman he deeply admires. The three "if" statements in verses 1–4 are conditions; the "then" statements in verses 5–20 are the remarkable results.
SECTION 3: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(30–45 minutes)
Work through as many of these as time allows. Questions are organized from observation → interpretation → application. You don't need to ask every question — choose what fits your group best.
THEME 1: Playing Games with God's Word
(Observational — 5–8 minutes)
1. The sermon opened with a story about a man named Jones who kept breaking the mechanic's rules — and then played a game while his car was being destroyed around him. The preacher said, "That's where a lot of people are with the Word of God — they play a lot of games while something serious is going on."
What do you think it looks like, in real life, to "play games" with the Bible? What are some ways people — including us — tend to do that?
[Leader Tip] This question invites honest self-reflection, so model vulnerability if you can. The goal isn't to judge others but to recognize tendencies we all share — treating the Bible like a rulebook to negotiate with, picking verses we like and ignoring others, or treating church as a box to check. If the group goes quiet, try: "Have you ever found yourself reading the Bible hoping it would say something different than what it said?"
2. The preacher said: "If God has spoken, there is nothing more important than to hear and to heed what He has said."
What's the difference between hearing God's Word and heeding it? Why do you think the gap between those two things is so common — even among people who genuinely love God?
THEME 2: Three Qualifications — Proverbs 2:1–4
(Interpretive — 10–12 minutes)
3. The sermon identified three qualifications from Proverbs 2:1–4 for becoming a person of the Word:
- Prepare your heart — receive it, treasure it, incline toward it (vv. 1–2)
- Pray persistently — cry out for discernment, lift your voice for understanding (v. 3)
- Search persistently — seek it like silver, dig for it like hidden treasure (v. 4)
Which of these three comes most naturally to you? Which one do you find most challenging — and why?
[Leader Tip] This is a great question for getting personal sharing started. Most people will identify with one of the three. Some find Bible reading easy but rarely pray before they open it. Others pray but don't put in consistent study time. Affirm whatever people share — there's no wrong answer here.
4. The preacher pointed out that Solomon uses the image of a man pursuing a woman to describe how we should pursue wisdom and God's Word. He referenced Jacob rolling a massive stone by himself — something that normally took multiple men — just to impress Rachel when he first saw her.
What does that image of intense, motivated pursuit tell us about the attitude God wants us to bring to His Word? How does that compare to how most of us actually approach Bible reading?
5. Proverbs 2:4 says to seek wisdom "as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures." The preacher noted that the Hebrew word for silver here refers to silver in its most refined state — meaning you don't stop when you find it; you keep working until it shines.
What would it look like, practically speaking, to pursue a passage of Scripture until it "shines" — until you've really gotten everything out of it you can? Has anyone experienced that kind of deep engagement with a Bible passage? What was it like?
THEME 3: The Results — What Happens When We Do This?
(Interpretive/Application — 8–10 minutes)
6. The "if...then" structure of Proverbs 2 is striking. The preacher walked through five results that follow from the three qualifications:
- You will know God more deeply (v. 5)
- You will discern right from wrong in every situation (v. 9)
- You will be delivered from evil (v. 12)
- You will be delivered from moral temptation (v. 16)
- You will walk in righteousness — and this brings societal correction (v. 20)
Which of these five results feels most relevant to where you are in life right now? What would it mean for you personally if that promise became a reality?
[Leader Tip] This question invites vulnerability. Some people may be quietly wrestling with moral temptation, confusion about right and wrong, or a desire to know God more deeply. Create a safe, grace-filled environment. You don't need to push anyone to share specifics — the question is designed to help people identify personally with the text.
7. The preacher closed with a bold statement: "Every book of the Bible is true and good and has potential. The potential of the book is the playbook of what this book will accomplish in your life, through your life, if you put it into practice."
What does it mean to treat the Bible as a "playbook" rather than just a reference book or a rule list? How might that shift in perspective change the way you engage with it?
THEME 4: A Practical Method for Studying Scripture
(Application — 8–10 minutes)
8. The preacher taught a practical three-step approach to mastering a book of the Bible:
- Bird's Eye View — Read the whole book repeatedly to get the big picture (passion of the author, purpose of the book, people mentioned, major passages/themes)
- Worm's Eye View — Zoom in for intensive study of individual passages, sentences, and words
- View of the Playbook — Ask: What is God telling me — and us — to do?
He also recommended starting with a short book (like Philippians, Titus, or 3 John) and spending six months to a year mastering it.
What's your honest reaction to that kind of commitment — six months to a year on one book? Does it feel exciting, overwhelming, or somewhere in between? What would need to change in your life to make something like that possible?
[Leader Tip] This question often surfaces real barriers: busyness, not knowing where to start, feeling like Bible study is for "serious Christians" or seminary students. Normalize the struggle. The goal isn't to make people feel guilty but to help them take one small, concrete step. You might follow up with: "What's one small thing you could do this week to move in that direction?"
9. The preacher quoted Howard Hendricks: "You can impress people from a distance, but you only impact them up close." He used this to describe his friend Ron, who turned down a national speaking platform to stay and minister closely to students — shining shoes in dorm rooms, kneeling before soccer games.
How does that principle — impact happens up close — apply to how we engage with God's Word? What's the difference between being impressed by the Bible from a distance and being truly impacted by it?
SECTION 4: PERSONAL APPLICATION
(10–15 minutes)
These questions are designed for honest, personal reflection. You may want to give the group a moment of quiet before asking them to share.
1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you honestly describe your current relationship with God's Word — where 1 is "I rarely open it" and 10 is "I'm actively pursuing it with real effort and prayer"? What's one thing that's holding you back from moving one number higher?
2. The sermon described three postures toward Scripture: receiving it, praying over it, and searching it. Which posture does God seem to be inviting you into more deeply right now? What would that look like in your daily life?
3. Is there a book of the Bible you've always wanted to understand better but never committed to studying? What would it take for you to choose one and begin — even in a small way — this week?
4. The preacher said Proverbs 2 promises that deep engagement with God's Word leads to societal correction — that when individuals walk in wisdom, it affects families, communities, and culture. Where in your sphere of influence — your family, workplace, neighborhood — do you most want to carry that kind of wisdom?
[Leader Tip] For Application Question 1, you might answer it yourself first to model vulnerability. This creates a safe environment for others to be honest rather than giving the "right" answer. Remind the group that wherever they are is a valid starting point — God meets us there.
SECTION 5: THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE
Choose One — or Invite Group Members to Choose Their Own
📖 Option 1 — The First Step Choose a short book of the Bible you've never studied carefully (suggestions: Philippians, Titus, James, 1 Peter, or 3 John). This week, read it all the way through in one sitting — at least twice, in two different translations. Don't use a study Bible yet. Just read and listen.
🙏 Option 2 — Pray Before You Read Before you open your Bible each day this week, spend two minutes in prayer using the language of Proverbs 2:1–3: "Lord, I want to receive this. Teach me what it means. Teach me how it works." Notice if it changes how you engage with what you read.
📝 Option 3 — The Bird's Eye View Pick a short New Testament book and read it through five times this week (once a day). Each time, write down one new thing you noticed — about the author's passion, the book's purpose, or the people in it.
👥 Option 4 — Accountability Share with one person in your group which book of the Bible you want to study more deeply. Ask them to check in with you in two weeks about how it's going.
SECTION 6: PRAYER FOCUS
(5–10 minutes)
Close your time together in prayer. You can use these prompts to guide a time of open group prayer, or the facilitator can pray over these themes on behalf of the group.
Suggested Prayer Topics:
🙏 Gratitude — Thank God for the gift of His Word and for the people in our lives who have helped us understand it.
📖 Openness — Ask God to soften our hearts to truly receive His Word — not just to know it, but to treasure it and be changed by it.
🔍 Hunger — Pray for a growing desire to pursue Scripture with the kind of intensity described in Proverbs 2 — the way you'd pursue something you deeply love.
🌍 Wisdom in the World — Pray for wisdom for our nation's leaders, our communities, and our families — that God's Word would bring the "societal correction" the sermon described.
👤 Personal Commitment — Invite each person silently to make a personal commitment about one step they'll take this week to grow as a person of the Word.
[Leader Tip] If your group is comfortable with open prayer, invite 2–3 people to pray briefly over these themes. If your group is newer or quieter, you can pray over all of them yourself — but leave a moment of silence before you close for people to pray silently. That small act of inclusion matters.
SECTION 7: OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE
For Groups That Want to Go Further
Use these questions if your group finishes early, or assign them for personal reflection before next week.
Deep Dive 1 — The Wisdom She Promises
Read Proverbs 3:13–18:
"How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For its profit is better than the profit of silver and its 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."
The preacher said the first nine chapters of Proverbs are designed to motivate you to pursue wisdom before they teach you what wisdom is. Why do you think God designed it that way? What does that tell us about how human motivation works — and how God works with us?
Deep Dive 2 — The Three Kinds of Fools
The sermon mentioned that the Hebrew word "fool" in Proverbs actually represents three distinct types of people:
- Keselim — a deviator: someone who knows God's way but consistently goes their own way in a particular area of life
- Naval — a denier: someone who rejects God altogether (see Psalm 14:1)
- Evelin — a detester: someone who actively opposes God and His wisdom
Be honest: In what areas of your life might you be acting as a keselim — someone who knows what God's Word says but keeps going a different direction? What would it look like to stop deviating and start aligning in that area?
Deep Dive 3 — 2 Timothy 2:15
Read 2 Timothy 2:15:
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."
The preacher connected this verse to the third qualification in Proverbs 2 — persistent searching. He said God doesn't give us a spiritual GPS that downloads understanding instantly; He calls us to work.
What does it mean to "accurately handle" the Word of truth? What are some ways we might mishandle it — even with good intentions? And what does it look like to be the kind of "workman" Paul describes here?
APPENDIX: RELATED SCRIPTURES FOR FURTHER STUDY
For groups or individuals who want to explore the theme of God's Word more broadly:
| Passage | Theme |
|---|---|
| Psalm 119:9–16 | Hiding God's Word in your heart |
| Joshua 1:8 | Meditating on the Word day and night |
| James 1:22–25 | Being a doer of the Word, not just a hearer |
| Hebrews 4:12 | The living and active power of Scripture |
| Romans 12:2 | Transformation through the renewing of the mind |
| Proverbs 4:5–9 | The reward of pursuing wisdom |
QUICK REFERENCE: GUIDE AT A GLANCE
| Section | Time |
|---|---|
| Icebreaker | 5–10 min |
| Scripture Reading | 5 min |
| Discussion Questions | 30–45 min |
| Personal Application | 10–15 min |
| This Week's Challenge | 3–5 min |
| Prayer | 5–10 min |
| Total | 60–90 min |
Guide prepared for small group use. Permission granted to print and distribute within your congregation.