Wisdom sets a table with wine and meat, invites you to feast, and at that same table she warns. Around this image the sermon on alcohol and pleasure is built, with three guests taking their seats in turn: a father cautioning his son, the mother of King Lemuel, and Jesus himself (Proverbs 23). It is a conversation without easy slogans, because alcohol in our lives almost always wears someone’s particular face, an uncle, a father, someone close. Listen to those three voices before you answer the question about your own limits.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Read Proverbs 23:29-35. How does the father describe, through his riddles, a person controlled by wine, and why doesn't he simply tell his son "don't drink"?
- King Lemuel's mother (Proverbs 31) warns her son about wine because of his responsibility for the poor and forgotten. Who or what are you responsible for, and what could cloud your clear judgment?
- The speaker notes that wisdom invites us to a table with wine and meat, yet gives a warning along with the invitation. How do you understand this balance between enjoying God's gifts and being careful?
- The sermon says alcohol in our lives always has someone's face. How do your own experiences and the people close to you shape the way you think and talk about alcohol?
- Jesus warns the Pharisees not to let their strong convictions make them miss the forgiveness and love He brings (Luke 7:31-35). Where are your own rules in danger of overshadowing grace toward others?
- The speaker's father, after coming to know Jesus, forgave his own father who had destroyed the family through alcohol. Whom do you need to forgive, or what wise decision do you want to make this week?
