The Word On Wisdom Series

A little test this morning. You have 10 blanks there on your outline to answer the following questions -

1. How long would it take darkness to cover the earth if the sun went out?

O 4 1/2 minutes O 8 1/3 minutes O 25 minutes O 2 hours O 1 day

2. What percentage of all forms of life that have existed on Earth are now extinct?

O 50% O 65% O 70% O 85% O 95%

3. What is the most air polluted city in the United States?

O Chicago, IL O Denver, CO O Los Angeles, CA O New York, NY O Seattle, WA

4. What is the average speed at which a beard grows per year?

O 40mm O 140mm O 240mm O 340mm O 440mm

5. Anteaters actually prefer termites to ants. True or False?

O True O False

6. About how many dimples are there on a golf ball?

O 50 O 100 O 200 O 400 O 600

7. How many eyes does an earthworm have?

O 0 O 1 O 2 O 4 O 8

8. How much of a cucumber is water?

O 11% O 37% O 68% O 80% O 96%

9. It is estimated that about 7-million of these are thrown away every day. Is it...

O Publishers Clearing House entries O Tax dollars O Pennies O Sheets of unused paper

10. What animal does cashmere come from?

O goats O sheep O whales O lamas O bears

How did you do? If you got a significant percentage of those right people might say you are smart, or may wonder what the limits of your knowledge may be. Some might even call you wise, but if you have lived for very long, you know there is a significant difference between knowledge and wisdom.

For example a Massachusetts doctor and Harvard graduate was suspended for leaving a patient on the operating table midway through spinal surgery so he could deposit a check at his local bank.

The state board of medicine said David Arndt, an orthopedic surgeon, posed ‘an immediate threat to the public health, safety and welfare’ after he left the patient with an open incision in his back. After his 35-minute trip to the bank, Arndt returned to the operating room and finished the surgery.

Plenty of knowledge and education, but it didn’t necessarily bring along much wisdom. In fact, wisdom can often be learned from the fairly uneducated. Take children for instance. You may have heard some of these before. . .

• Patrick, age 10, says, “Never trust a dog to watch your food.”

• Michael, age 14, says, “When your dad is mad and asks you, ‘Do I look stupid?’ don’t answer him.”

(Example of Greg. . .”Do you want to go to bed?”)

• Wise man that Michael is, he also said, “Never tell your mom her diet’s not working.”

• Randy, 9 years of age said, “Stay away from prunes.” One wonders how poor Randy discovered that bit of wisdom.

• Lauren, age 9 says, “Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick.”

• Joel, 10 years old, says, “Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a baseball bat.” and

• Eileen, age 8 says, “Never try to baptize a cat.”

Or the other day I came across some rather helpful wisdom from an unlikely source.

Wisdom from cowboys. For example –

If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.

How about this story. After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him...The cowboy piece of wisdom, when you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

Here’s a good piece of summer cowboy wisdom, never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

Free gift for Father’s Day, there’s two theories to arguin’ with a woman. Neither one works.

How about, if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.

And wisdom to always keep in mind from a cowboy, always drink upstream from the herd.

Some pieces of wisdom. Today we are looking at the topic of wisdom, as presented to us in James chapter 3. James 3:13 (read). Now, follow the flow of this letter that James has written. Remember, the recipients probably didn’t break it down like we do, and just read a few paragraphs every week or so. They likely picked-up this letter, and right off the bat they read these words from James saying that if you lack wisdom, ask God, and you will receive it. But don’t ask with doubt. Remember that from chapter one?

Then we get into chapter two, and they read his writing about this idea of faith without works, and that James says that kind of faith is dead. Then he talks to them about the use of the tongue. How dangerous and powerful the tongue can be.