Finding Wisdom, Courage, and Love Over the Rainbow

God’s grace stands at the beginning as the gift that made a season of ministry possible. The call to ministry had felt real but unclear, and God used the church as a place to discern it, serve youth and young adults, and receive grace, forgiveness, guidance, and support. The rain coming through sunshine becomes a picture of that same grace, a little relief breaking into a scorching hot day, and the possibility of a rainbow opens the door to the memory of Granny Mew and *The Wizard of Oz*.

Hebrews 13 gives the biblical frame for the whole thing. The author of Hebrews writes to newer Christians who know the old Hebrew texts and are facing real persecution. Hebrews 10 shows that their faith had already cost them insults, prison, and the confiscation of property, so the benediction asks God to equip them with what they need to do his will. That prayer sounds a lot like the need for wisdom, courage, and love, or in Oz language, a brain, courage, and a heart.

The scarecrow becomes the picture of a person stuck, stagnant, and directionless. Information may be everywhere, with every belief system and answer at a person’s fingertips, but a flood of information does not automatically give true wisdom. The living word of God still breathes today, and when Scripture connects deeply, God is guiding a lost soul back to the gospel. James says that whoever lacks wisdom should ask God, and the cross gives the most crucial wisdom there is: Christ took sin upon himself, and that truth gives purpose and direction.

The cowardly lion becomes the picture of courage that cannot live on a front. Motivational quotes, gym pumps, and worldly confidence may feel powerful for a moment, but they fade when fear shows up again. Lasting courage comes from faith in the God who stood with David before Goliath, with Peter on the raging sea, and with Daniel in the lions’ den. Small steps and large leaps both teach the heart that God really does see his people through to the other side.

The tin man becomes the picture of love withheld and hearts hardened. Human love can be warped, abused, and disappointing, but Romans 5 declares a better love: while sinners were still undeserving, Christ died for them. The cross is the ultimate act of love, the place where blame, torture, shame, pain, and sin were carried by Christ. That love softens hearts, transforms people, and sends them to love others in the same way.

##

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Wisdom comes from the living Word [29:38] The world can hand a person endless information and still leave the soul stuck on a pole like the scarecrow. Scripture gives something deeper than data because the living word of God still breathes and still speaks into real confusion. The gospel gives the central wisdom that every other question must gather around: Christ took sin upon the cross, and that truth shows what life is for. [29:38]
• 2. Courage must outlast the gym pump [35:08] Worldly courage often feels real until fear presses back in. A quote on a wall or a rush of confidence can help for a moment, but it cannot carry the weight of suffering, danger, or obedience. Lasting courage grows when faith keeps comparing present fear to the God who has already proven himself bigger than lions, giants, storms, and death. [35:08]
• 3. Faith grows through steps and leaps [36:45] Small acts of obedience train the heart to trust God in ordinary fear. Larger leaps give the soul a new comparison point, so the next fear does not look quite as large as before. The believer’s courage becomes steadier as each experience becomes a testimony that God really does see his people through to the other side. [36:45]
• 4. Christ’s love softens hardened hearts [45:15] The tin man’s frozen body gives a picture of a heart that has been hurt until it can hardly move. Human love often falls short because the heart was made for a perfect love that no sinner can fully provide. Romans 5 gives the healing center: while the undeserving were still sinners, Christ died, and that love is strong enough to make a hardened heart tender again.
  
  ## [45:15]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [19:19] - A Final Word of Thanks
• [21:05] - Rain, Rainbows, and Granny Mew
• [23:20] - Christian Life and The Wizard of Oz
• [24:09] - Hebrews 13 and Persecuted Christians
• [25:45] - Equipped for God’s Will
• [27:46] - The Scarecrow and True Wisdom
• [31:07] - Asking God for Wisdom
• [32:34] - The Cowardly Lion and Courage
• [35:38] - Courage That Does Not Fade
• [36:45] - Small Steps and Large Leaps
• [39:18] - Mission, Fear, and Daniel’s God
• [41:34] - The Tin Man and Love
• [45:15] - Christ’s Perfect Love
• [46:29] - Equipped to Love Others

Bible Reading

Hebrews 13:20-21
“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” [18:03]

Romans 5:8
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” [45:15]

James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.” [31:44]

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” [41:54]

Observation questions

1. In Hebrews 13:20-21, what is God being asked to do for his people, and what is the purpose of that equipping? [25:45]
2. What details make the scarecrow a picture of being stuck and directionless rather than truly wise? [27:46]
3. What examples were given of courage that looks strong on the outside but does not last very long? [35:08]
4. According to Romans 5:8 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, what makes Christ’s love different from human strength, knowledge, or effort?

Interpretation questions

1. Hebrews 13:20-21 connects God’s peace, Jesus’ resurrection, and being equipped to do God’s will. How does that change the way a believer thinks about obedience in hard seasons? [25:45]
2. James 1:5 says God gives wisdom generously. Why might asking God for wisdom be different from simply gathering more information, opinions, or advice? [29:38]
3. Courage that comes from faith lasts longer than courage that comes from a moment of hype. Why does fear expose the weakness of self-made courage so quickly? [35:38]
4. Romans 5:8 says Christ died for sinners, and 1 Corinthians 13 says everything else is empty without love. What does that suggest about the kind of love that can actually soften a hardened heart? [45:15]

Application questions

1. Where does life currently feel most like the scarecrow’s situation—stuck, confused, or without direction? What would it look like this week to ask God plainly for wisdom instead of just scrolling for answers? [31:44]
2. Is there a place where confidence has been coming mostly from appearance, routine, productivity, or a temporary emotional boost? What tends to happen when fear pushes back in that area? [35:08]
3. What is one small step of faith that could help build courage right now—starting a hard conversation, praying out loud, serving someone, speaking about Christ, or something else? [36:45]
4. Has God ever used a larger leap of faith to make an old fear look smaller afterward? What happened, and how did that experience reshape trust in God? [38:32]
5. Where has love been hardest lately—receiving it, giving it, or believing it is real? How might Romans 5:8 meet that exact place of hurt? [45:15]
6. Have past wounds, disappointment, or betrayal made the heart feel emotionally frozen in any area? What would it look like to bring that numbness honestly before Christ instead of hiding it? [43:17]
7. Christ’s love does not stop at comforting people; it also sends them out to love others. Who is one person that could be served with patience, mercy, or honest care this week? [46:29]