Life is better together.

Our culture screams, “Trust your heart. Follow your intuition. You do you. No one knows what’s best for you except you.” It sounds empowering, but the Bible says something very different. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us “the heart is deceitful above all things,” and Proverbs 3:5 calls us not to lean on our own understanding but to trust in the Lord with all our heart. So while the world says, “lean on you,” God says, “lean on Me.”

You can be “smart” by the world’s standards and still be spiritually empty. You can have a high IQ and a low level of obedience. The wisdom of this world makes you independent, self-sufficient, and self-confident, but the wisdom of God makes you dependent, surrendered, and secure in His hand. Worldly wisdom collects data, but godly wisdom produces fruit. Worldly wisdom says, “I figured it out”... godly wisdom says, “I’ll obey even when I don’t know”

Nicodemus is a perfect example. He was a religious expert, a respected teacher, a man full of knowledge… but when he came to Jesus, Jesus basically told him, “It’s not enough. You must be born again.” In other words information wasn’t his problem... transformation was. You can know the verses, quote the chapters, and still need a spiritual rebirth. True wisdom isn’t how much you know but  it’s how much of what you know has changed how you live. You’re not  wise because you know a lot, you’re wise when what you know actually changes how you live.

📍 Discussion Question: What’s something you keep telling yourself you’ll “fix later,” even though you already know God wants you to address it now?

Some believers are stacked with doctrine but starving in character. James 1:26 says if someone thinks they’re religious but doesn’t keep a tight rein on their tongue, they deceive themselves and their religion is worthless. You can “speak Bible” and still speak in a way that grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:29–30). God doesn’t just care what you know... He cares how you talk, how you react, and how you treat people.

Our mouth is a spiritual thermometer. You can quote Romans but tear people down with sarcasm. You can debate theology but explode in anger, gossip about others, or crush your brothers and sisters, friends, or leaders with careless words. A single word can burn a relationship, a family, or even your reputation. That’s why Scripture calls us to conversations that build, not destroy.

We love to say, “That’s just how I am. Our family is like this. We’re all strong-tempered.” But Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” New birth means new patterns, new reactions, and a new vocabulary. The real test of wisdom isn’t just what you can explain from the Bible, it’s how you speak under pressure and how you respond in conflict. If your words don’t look like Jesus, your wisdom might just be information in disguise.

You’re not as wise as you think if your mouth still sounds nothing like Jesus.

📍Discussion Question: What does it say about what’s really happening in your heart if your words are only used to break, instead of building and bonding?

One of the most common forms of self-deception is this: “I’m not hurting anyone. I’m fine. God forgives me. I’ve got it under control.” Galatians 6:7 confronts that mindset straight on: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” God’s grace forgives sin, yes, but it doesn’t erase the principle of sowing and reaping. The choices we make today are seeds, and tomorrow always shows the harvest.

We can be “wise” in excuses. “I can stop whenever I want. This doesn’t affect anyone. It’s my life. God knows my heart.” But over time, what we sow in secret shows up in public, in our family, our mental health, our relationships, our walk with God.

That’s why the eagle story pastor Josue talked about matters. An eagle raised like a chicken will live like a chicken, even though it was made to fly. Maybe you were raised in “chicken culture”, dysfunction, anger, compromise... but if you’ve been born again, you’re not a chicken anymore. You’re a son, a daughter of God, designed to soar. You're a kingdom citizen now. Self-deception says, “I’m fine like this” but  wisdom says, “It’s time to fly higher.”

Wisdom isn’t saying, “This is just how I am”... wisdom is saying, “It’s time to live who God says I am.”

📍Discussion Question: What’s one pattern or habit you feel God inviting you to shift because you want a different kind of harvest?

We live in a world where information is instant, but transformation is optional. God is not impressed by how many sermons we’ve heard, verses we’ve memorized, or podcasts we’ve streamed. He’s after lives that are actually changing. True wisdom is not just knowing the Word, it’s letting the Word read you, confront you, and remake you from the inside out. As we move through this season  with all its noise, shopping, events, and Christmas lights,  God is inviting us to something deeper: to stop pretending we’re “wise,” and start walking in real, humble, obedient wisdom.

This week take time to:

1. Reflect – Ask the Real Question
Take 10 minutes alone and ask God honestly: “Where am I wise but empty? Where do I know the truth but don’t live it?” Write down whatever He shows you.

2. Remember – You’re an Eagle, Not a Chicken
Remind yourself: “I’ve been born again. I’m not who I was.” Where you’ve been saying, “That’s just how I am,” start saying, “That’s what I’m leaving behind. and not going back”

3. Act – Choose a New Seed
Pick ONE very specific area (your words, your reactions, your secret habit, your time with God) and choose one change you’ll make this week to “sow to the Spirit” instead of the flesh.

You weren’t called to be “smart but empty.”
You were called to be born again, filled, and transformed.

Let's Pray.