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Week 9 of 10

What Is Proverbs Exposing in Us?

Gather the threads — what Proverbs has exposed in us, and how a man actually follows the instruction.

Background

We said this in Week 1: this study is not about learning Proverbs — it's about allowing Proverbs to expose and refine the man. Week 9 connects the patterns: Heart → Words → Direction.

Primary Passage
Proverbs 3:1–12
Supporting References
— Fear of the Lord: the beginning —
Proverbs 9:10-12

Before the thread, the foundation

— The process: Heart → Words → Direction —
Proverbs 4:20-27

Heart: everything flows from it

Proverbs 10:20-21

Words

Proverbs 4:10-19

Direction

— How we follow the instruction —
Proverbs 2:1-8
Proverbs 3:11-18
— What Proverbs says to men like us —
Proverbs 3:7

Self-sufficiency: don't be wise in your own eyes

Proverbs 5:18

Marriage: active delight, not coexistence

Proverbs 16:31

Finishing well: the man you're becoming

— Callbacks —
Proverbs 30:8-9

Week 3: more dependent on God, or less?

Proverbs 9:10

Week 7: does fear of the Lord still feel like a beginning?

Key Questions
  • What did Proverbs reveal in you that surprised you?
  • Heart, Words, or Direction — where is your work right now?
  • Would she describe your posture toward her right now as rejoicing? What would it take to close that gap?
  • Proverbs 3:5 — where are you still trusting your own experience over God's instruction?
Closing Questions
  • The full arc — Themes, Relationships, Money, the Four Types, Speech, Work, Fear of the Lord, Wisdom — what one thread ran through all of it for you?
  • The one question under everything: are you actively pursuing the wisdom and understanding of the Lord?
Guiding the Discussion

This week provides an opportunity to slow down and reflect on the journey through Proverbs. Give people permission to think before answering. Rather than asking what they learned, ask what God has consistently been revealing. Look for recurring themes that have surfaced throughout the study. Proverbs is intended to expose the heart as much as it instructs the mind. Encourage honesty, humility, and gratitude for God’s continuing work of refinement.