Garet explores how the voices and influences around us shape our ability to discern between wisdom and folly. Drawing from Proverbs, he describes wisdom not simply as knowledge but as prudence—good judgment that takes practical shape in our lives—and reminds us that fearing God is rooted in reverence and awe rather than guilt or fear. In a culture increasingly marked by distraction, isolation, and division, Garet encourages us to pay attention to what we regularly hear, see, and consume, intentionally choosing influences and relationships that lead us toward wisdom. For circumstances we cannot change, he points to grief, self-care, and healthy boundaries as practices that can help sustain us as we continue pursuing connection, generosity, integrity, and justice.

Ryan’s message opens the series on Proverbs by reframing wisdom not as having all the right answers, but as learning how to live well in the complexity of everyday life. Beginning with Proverbs’ claim that “the fear of the Lord” is the beginning of wisdom, he describes that fear as awe and wonder, an awareness that God is bigger than our understanding and that we are not the center of everything. That awe leads to humility, giving us permission to say “I don’t know,” which in turn opens us to curiosity, better questions, deeper conversations, and perspectives beyond our own. Ryan argues that wisdom is ultimately demonstrated in how we apply what we learn, particularly in ways that honor the dignity and humanity of others. His central idea is that wisdom begins when awe awakens us to humble curiosity, leaving us with the challenging question: What if becoming wiser requires us to become less certain?