Decisions Determine Direction: Pursuing Wisdom From Above

May 23, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Three Circles: Tracing Brokenness to Redemption

Every life bears cracks where God’s light can enter. A simple tool—three circles representing creation, brokenness, and redemption—offers a way to map the gospel onto everyday conversations. Like tracing cracks in pottery, it starts by naming the fractures we see in relationships, systems, and hearts. This isn’t about perfect theology but pointing to the One who restores what sin shatters. [05:25]

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23–24, CSB)

Reflection: Who in your life carries a “broken circle” you’ve avoided naming? How might you gently trace God’s design for wholeness in their story this week?

Day 2: Cruise Ships and Choices: The Unseen Drift

Decisions steer lives as silently as a ship gliding through dark waters. What feels insignificant—a careless word, a compromised boundary—shifts trajectories over time. Like passengers unaware of the vessel’s course, we often miss how small choices compound. Yet every turn matters: toward reefs or safe harbor, isolation or community. [44:53]

“There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 14:12, CSB)

Reflection: What “one-degree drift” have you normalized? Where do you need to recalibrate your compass to God’s wisdom today?

Day 3: Lighthouses in the Dark: Purity as a Beacon

Purity isn’t perfection but undivided allegiance. Like coastal lighthouses refusing to blend with night skies, believers shine brightest when motives stay unclouded. Compromise dims the beam; integrity amplifies it. True wisdom doesn’t hide cracks but lets Christ’s light pierce through them. [56:42]

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8, CSB)

Reflection: Where have you been polishing the exterior while neglecting the lamp’s fuel? What inner alignment does your light require?

Day 4: Arguing to Win vs. Arguing to Mend

Worldly wisdom keeps score; heavenly wisdom keeps peace. Like surgeons wielding scalpels to heal rather than harm, Christ-followers debate to restore, not conquer. Truth spoken without gentleness becomes a weapon. Peacemaking isn’t avoiding conflict but entering it redemptively. [58:29]

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9, CSB)

Reflection: When have you prioritized “being right” over being reconcilers? What relationship needs truth wrapped in tenderness this week?

Day 5: Masks Off: Living Without Pretense

Hypocrisy isn’t failing but pretending you don’t. Authenticity disarms critics more than performance ever could. Like unvarnished wood showing its grain, a life without masks reveals God’s craftsmanship in both strengths and scars. Wisdom wears no disguise. [01:13:31]

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.” (James 3:17, CSB)

Reflection: Where does your “Sunday self” clash with your weekday persona? What mask is God asking you to lay down before others?

Sermon Summary

The gospel names the greatest decision a person could ever make as a living trust in Jesus who died, was buried, and rose again, and it names the greatest act of love as taking time to tell someone about God’s Son. The call points to one co-worker, neighbor, or family member and urges prayer, intentional conversations, and simple tools like the Three Circles so that spiritual talk becomes normal, hopeful, and bold.

James 3:13-18 then lays out how a believer actually navigates life: every decision is a seed, and every seed yields a harvest of either joy or regret. Decisions determine direction, and they never affect only one person; they ripple through homes, friendships, and churches. The problem is not information but wisdom. James asks who is wise and says wisdom shows up in good conduct done with the gentleness that wisdom produces. The text contrasts two wisdoms. Worldly wisdom grows from bitter envy and selfish ambition. It is earthly, unspiritual, demonic, and it always leaves disorder and every evil practice in its wake. This is the power-grab spirit that strategizes for self and then wonders why things collapse.

By contrast, wisdom from above wears a different face: first pure, then peace loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruit, unwavering, and without pretense. Purity means character before charisma, inside-out integrity where motives, speech, and conduct are clean. Peace loving does not compromise truth; it refuses to feed gossip, faction, and drama, and seeks reconciliation. Gentleness is strength under control, the way Jesus met sinners with truth that did not crush them. Compliance means a teachable, open-to-reason posture that welcomes correction, seeks counsel, and asks God for wisdom instead of assuming it. Full of mercy is active compassion that forgives and helps. Unwavering refuses favoritism and sees people through God’s eyes at the foot of the cross. Without pretense rejects the mask; the audio matches the video in public and in private.

James calls for examination. What source is guiding choices, what fruit is showing up, and what habits are forming the heart. Wisdom is not automatic. God gives it to those who ask, who saturate their minds with Scripture, pray over decisions, walk closely with Christ, surround themselves with godly counsel, and obey what God reveals. The first decision is Jesus; the next is seeking wisdom from above for every other choice. The church that lives here will shine like a lighthouse, not blend into the dark.

Key Takeaways

1. Decisions determine direction and destiny Every choice plants a seed that will grow into either joy or regret. Small shifts, one degree at a time, quietly set a new course before anyone notices. Wisdom pauses, prays, and listens so that direction aligns with Christ rather than impulse. Choices always land someone, somewhere. [44:07]
2. Worldly wisdom breeds envy and disorder When envy and selfish ambition drive the heart, outcomes eventually unravel. That way of thinking is earthly, unspiritual, and it opens the door for every kind of evil practice. It looks clever in the moment and leaves wreckage in the end. [41:40]
3. Wisdom from above looks like Jesus Heaven’s wisdom is first pure, then peace loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruit, unwavering, without pretense. These qualities mark a life shaped by Jesus’ character, not by cultural heat. The test is fruit, not flair, and integrity that holds in private as much as in public. [51:14]
4. Teachable hearts receive God’s wisdom Pride shuts the door on growth; humility opens it. A person who is open to reason, approachable, and willing to yield will keep learning and changing. God delights to pour wisdom into hearts that know their need and ask. [65:29]
5. Share the gospel with one person Love finds a name, prays over it, and steps into a real conversation about Jesus. The news of the cross and resurrection is the greatest gift a believer can pass along. The greatest decision is to trust Christ, and the greatest act of love is to tell someone about him. [13:48]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:39] - Naming the fear of evangelism
[05:49] - Three Circles tool invitation
[10:56] - Pray for one person to reach
[11:20] - Greatest decision is Jesus
[39:30] - James 3 and the weight of choices
[44:07] - Decisions determine direction
[46:24] - Ask God for wisdom
[48:47] - What worldly wisdom produces
[51:14] - Marks of wisdom from above
[52:14] - Purity before charisma
[57:04] - Peace that resists revenge
[62:04] - Gentleness as strength under control
[63:13] - Teachable, open to reason
[71:51] - Sincere, unwavering, without pretense

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
James 3:13-18 (CSB)
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Observation Questions

What two types of wisdom does James contrast, and what outcomes does each produce?
List the eight characteristics of "wisdom from above" mentioned in James 3:17. How do these differ from worldly wisdom?
According to the sermon, why are decisions compared to seeds? What example was given about small choices shifting direction over time? [44:53]

Interpretation Questions

Why does James link envy and selfish ambition to "disorder and every evil practice"? How might these attitudes harm relationships or communities?
The sermon describes gentleness as "strength under control," similar to how Jesus met sinners. How does this redefine cultural ideas of power or assertiveness? [01:02:04]
What does it mean for wisdom to be "without pretense"? Why is consistency between public and private life vital for a believer’s witness?

Application Questions

Identify one person in your life who doesn’t know Jesus. How could you intentionally pray for them this week, and what step (like using the Three Circles tool) could you take to share the gospel? [05:49]
Reflect on a recent decision you made. Were your motives rooted in purity (character) or charisma (external validation)? What would it look like to seek God’s wisdom first in future choices?
Are there areas in your life where envy, selfish ambition, or division have taken root (e.g., work, family, church)? How can you actively pursue peace and reconciliation in those situations?
The sermon emphasizes being "teachable and open to reason." Who is a trusted, godly person you can invite to speak truth into your life this month? What specific area do you need counsel on? [01:03:13]
Think of a habit or relationship where your "audio doesn’t match the video" (e.g., kindness at church but harshness at home). What practical step will you take to align your private and public life this week?

Sermon Clips

39s

#ChooseFaithFirst

“The greatest decision you can make this morning is to place your faith in Jesus. That's first and foremost. And the second greatest decision you can make is to seek the Lord's wisdom in making the rest of the decisions that you will have to make. And so today, you have a decision to make. Some of you can look back on your own life and you realize, you know, if I would have just taken some time, if I would have spoken to the right people, my life would be different.”

31s

#SeekGodlyWisdom

“Wisdom is not automatic. You just don't drift into godliness. No. James says, if you like wisdom, ask God. And God wants to give you wisdom. And it starts by spending time in the scriptures. It starts by praying over every decision. It starts by closely walking with the Lord. It starts when you surround yourself with godly counsel, and it starts when you obey the truth as it is revealed to you and me.”

41s

#ChoicesCreateRipples

“Decisions determine our direction, but also our decisions affect people. We often say that our choices only affect me, but that's never true. Your decisions, it influences people around you, your children, your families, your spouses, your church, your friend, and future generations. Every decision you and I make has some type of ripple effect, reaching beyond the point of impact. So what do we need? If decisions and choices are really that important, what is it that you and I need most? Well, James tells us it's wisdom. Wisdom.”

37s

#EveryDecisionCounts

“Life is built on decisions. Every day we make choices, what we say, where we go, who we listen to, what we believe, how we live, and whether or not we're going to obey the Lord. Harvard did a study a few years ago and they say that the average person makes about 35,000 decisions a day. Some of those are subconscious decisions and some of those are conscious decisions. One of the things that I really was impressed by the article is that every decision is important and every decision has consequences.”

37s

#GuardYourWords

“Just think about one careless conversation you could have. Just think about one rumor that you can share. Think about one bitter spirit or or one prideful comment that can destroy an entire church. Churches, they suffer. When believers fight for control, when believers refuse to forgive, when believers are filled with pride. And the enemy the enemy, Satan, he loves when there's division in the church because it weakens the gospel witness. It destroys the testimony.”

44s

#TeachableHeart

“One of the greatest problems in relationships is pride. And there are many people in our world, especially in our circle, that refuses correction, resists accountability. They reject counsel. They insist on their own way. James tells us that true wisdom that's from above is compliant. In other words, this word, it means that it's open to reason. It's willing to listen. Literally, that it is teachable. It's compliant to truth. It's approachable. It's willing to yield when someone shows you the right thing.”

52s

#OneDegreeAtATime

“Well, the interesting thing is that our decisions, small decisions, little decisions, one degree, one few inches over time will lead you entirely to a totally different destination, and that's exactly what happens. You think that your decisions are insignificant, you think that the choices are not important, but every decision in some way is changing your life one degree at a time. And most of the time, when it's happening, we don't even realize it. No one's life is ever ruined overnight. It happens one decision at a time, one compromise at a time, one temptation entertained, one act of disobedience, one refusal to repent.”

37s

#LiveWithIntegrity

“James says that this wisdom doesn't wear a mask. It's authentic. It's real. It is consistent in their public life and their private life, that their audio matches their video, that there's nothing in their life that can discredit or hinder or weaken the message of the gospel. It's not that they're perfect, but they truly live with sincerity. They want to live consistent lives. They want to live faithful lives. They want to be people that are transparent. They want to be people that are filled with integrity.”

104s

“James concludes that true wisdom is without pretense. It's sincere. It's genuine, hypocritical. It's without pretending, without spiritual acting. This was a an old ancient theater word where the actors would wear masks to portray someone that they were not. James says that this wisdom doesn't wear a mask. It's authentic. It's real. It is consistent in their public life and their private life, that their audio matches their video, that there's nothing in their life that can discredit or hinder or weaken the message of the gospel. It's not that they're perfect, but they truly live with sincerity. They want to live consistent lives. They want to live faithful lives. They want to be people that are transparent. They want to be people that are filled with integrity. This individual James says, without pretense is a person that you can know that they are the same here as they are at home. They're the same here as they are at work. They're the same here as they are online and in private. My friends, listen. Don't give someone an opportunity or a reason to wonder which version of you they're gonna get. Be a man or a woman who's consistent.”

104s

Ask a question about this sermon

First Baptist Church of Strafford, Missouri This sermon · AI assistant

How should Christians respond when lacking wisdom?

What distinguishes worldly wisdom from godly wisdom?

Which fruits mark wisdom that comes from above?

Decisions Determine Direction: Pursuing Wisdom From Above

Devotional

Day 1: The Three Circles: Tracing Brokenness to Redemption

Day 2: Cruise Ships and Choices: The Unseen Drift

Day 3: Lighthouses in the Dark: Purity as a Beacon

Day 4: Arguing to Win vs. Arguing to Mend

Day 5: Masks Off: Living Without Pretense

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Decisions Determine Direction: Pursuing Wisdom From Above

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