Wisdom-Trek ©

H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III

Do you desire to gain wisdom, make an impact on your world, and create a living legacy? Through the use of positive/encouraging stories, parables, allegories, and analogies we will explore the trails of everyday life in a practical and meaningful manner as we scale towards our summit of life. The purpose of our Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal is to teach you wisdom and discipline, to help you understand the insights of the wise, to teach you to live disciplined and successful lives, to help you do what is right, just, and fair. By obtaining this wisdom then you will be able to create a living legacy for today that will live on and be multiplied through the lives of others. Wisdom-Trek.com is your portal to all things pertaining to the acquisition of wisdom, insight, and knowledge. The Wisdom-Trek platform includes this website along with a daily journal, and a daily podcast on wisdom and creating a living legacy. It is your portal because it is our hope that everyone will share and participate in gaining wisdom, insight, and discernment. As we gain wisdom it is so we can share what we have learned with others. No single person is ‘all-wise’ and when we share with each other that we all gain wisdom. We encourage you to share insights, ask questions, and grow together. Join us today and become part of the Wisdom-Trek team.

  1. 9H AGO

    Day 2794– A Sacrifice, A Savior, a Sword – Luke 2:39-52

    Welcome to Day 2794 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2794 – The Day the Pupil Stumped the Professors – Luke 2:21-38 Putnam Church Message – 01/04/2026 Luke’s Account of the Good News - “The Day the Pupil Stumped the Professors.”    Last week was the final Sunday of 2025, and we continued our year-long study of Luke’s Narrative of the Good News in a message titled: “A Sacrifice, A Savior, a Sword.” Today, in the first week of 2026, we will explore the third and final story of Jesus’s childhood. We will explore “The Day the Pupil Stumped the Professors.”  Our Core verses for this week are Luke 2:39-52, found on page 1592 of your Pew Bibles.  39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. The Boy Jesus at the Temple 41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”[f] 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Opening Prayer Gracious Father, As we step into a new year, we come again to Your Word—not simply to gain information, but to be shaped by truth. Open our eyes to see Jesus clearly. Open our hearts to receive what You are forming within us. And may Your Spirit teach us, just as He once taught in the temple courts long ago. We ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen. Introduction — The Childhood Stories We Never Get If you are curious about the childhoods of the significant figures of Scripture, you would think that you would find detailed accounts—stories of early faith, formative moments, maybe even mistakes that shaped future obedience. But what you would find in...

    34 min
  2. 1D AGO

    Day 2793 Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 110:1-7 – Daily Wisdom

    Welcome to Day 2793 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2793 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 110:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2793 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred ninety-three of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today’s Wisdom-Trek is: The Priest-King of the Cosmos – The Coronation of the Ultimate Human. Today, we arrive at what might be the most significant mountain peak in the entire Old Testament. We are standing at the base of Psalm One Hundred Ten, and we will be trekking through the entire psalm, verses one through seven, in the New Living Translation. In our previous journey through Psalm One Hundred Nine, we stood in a courtroom. We saw David as a defendant, surrounded by accusers. We saw him destitute, weak, and pleading for help. That psalm ended with a vision of God standing at the "right hand" of the poor to save him. But today, the scene shifts dramatically. The courtroom is gone. The weakness is gone. Psalm One Hundred Ten opens the door to the Throne Room of the Universe. We are no longer looking at a needy human King David; we are looking at a Divine figure who is invited to sit at the right hand of Yahweh Himself. This short psalm—only seven verses long—is the most frequently quoted Old Testament chapter in the New Testament. Jesus quoted it to stump the Pharisees. Peter quoted it on the Day of Pentecost. The author of Hebrews built his entire theology of the priesthood around it. Why? Because this psalm unveils the mystery of the Messiah. It reveals a figure who is both a conquering King and an eternal Priest—a combination that was legally impossible under the Law of Moses. It gives us a glimpse into the Divine Council, where the Father invites the Son to rule over the chaos of the nations. So, take off your sandals, for we are standing on holy ground. Let us listen to the conversation between the Father and the Son. The first segment is: The Oracle of the Throne: The Two Powers in Heaven. Psalm One Hundred Ten: verse one. The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet." The psalm begins with an explosion of theological depth. "The Lord said to my Lord..." In the Hebrew text, this reads: "The oracle of Yahweh to my Adonai." David, the King of Israel, is writing this. He is the highest human authority in the land. Yet, he is eavesdropping on a conversation in the heavenly realm. He hears Yahweh (God the Father) speaking to someone David calls "my Lord" (Adoni). Who could possibly be David’s Lord? David had no human superior. This is the question Jesus asked the Pharisees in Matthew Twenty-two. If the Messiah is merely David’s son (a human descendant), why does David call Him "Lord"? The answer lies in the Divine Council worldview. David is seeing a figure who is...

    13 min
  3. 4D AGO

    Day 2792 Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 109:26-31 – Daily Wisdom

    Welcome to Day 2792 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2792 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 109:26-31 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2792 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred ninety-two of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Wisdom-Trek: The Verdict of Love – Standing at the Right Hand of the Poor. Today, we reach the conclusion of our journey through the valley of betrayal, Psalm One Hundred Nine. We are trekking through the final stanza, verses twenty-six through thirty-one, in the New Living Translation. In our previous trek, we walked through the darkest corridors of this psalm. We heard David’s agonizing cry for justice against the enemy who had repaid his love with hatred. We witnessed the "Boomerang of Justice," where David prayed for the very curses his enemy loved to return upon his own head—for his name to be blotted out and his prayers to be counted as sin. We saw David broken, fasting, fading like a shadow, and mocked by the public. It was a scene of utter devastation. But as we arrive at these final six verses, the atmosphere in the courtroom shifts. David has made his case. He has laid out the evidence of his enemy’s cruelty and his own innocence. Now, he turns his face fully toward the Judge. In this closing prayer, we move from the Curse to the Confidence. We see the Accuser—the "Satan" at the enemy's right hand—replaced by a greater Advocate. We see David move from the shame of being a byword to the joy of public praise. And we discover that the ultimate answer to slander is not revenge, but Rescue. So, let us stand with David as the verdict is read. Segment one is: The Final Appeal: Save Me by Your Hesed. Psalm One Hundred Nine: verse twenty-six. Help me, O Lord my God! Save me because of your unfailing love. After the torrent of curses and the description of his own misery, David distills his entire request into one simple, desperate cry: "Help me, O Lord my God!" The word "Help" (ozreni) implies active assistance. He is asking God to step into the fray. But notice the basis of his appeal: "Save me because of your unfailing love." Here is our covenant word again: Hesed. This is crucial. David does not say, "Save me because I am innocent," even though he is. He does not say, "Save me because my enemy is wicked," even though he is. He says, "Save me because of Your character." David anchors his salvation in the loyal love of Yahweh. Even when human love is repaid with hatred (verse five), God’s love remains constant. This is the bedrock of all true prayer. When we have nothing else to offer—when we are "skin and bones" (verse 24)—we can always appeal to God’s nature. "Lord, be who You are. You are the God of Hesed; therefore, save me." The second segment is: The Theology of Vindication: Let Them Know It Was You. Psalm One Hundred Nine: verse twenty-seven. Let them...

    10 min
  4. 5D AGO

    Day 2791 – Theology Thursday – Arianism: The Heresy That Shook an Empire and Hastened Rome’s Fall

    Welcome to Day 2791 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – Arianism: The Heresy That Shook an Empire and Hastened Rome’s Fall Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2791 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2791 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God’s Word. John’s lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com.   Today’s lesson is titled  Arianism: The Heresy That Shook an Empire and Hastened Rome’s Fall. Arianism was more than a theological dispute; it became a force that rattled the foundations of the Roman Empire. Originating with the Alexandrian priest Arius (AD 250–336), the doctrine asserted that the Son, Jesus Christ, was a created being and therefore not co-eternal with the Father. This challenged the traditional Christian understanding of Jesus’ divinity and ignited a controversy that tore through the Church and empire alike. By the time of Constantine in the early 4th century, Christianity had been legalized and heavily promoted, though not yet made the official religion of Rome. Constantine’s patronage brought Christianity into the center of imperial life, and his calling of the Council of Nicaea in 325 demonstrated just how closely church and empire were becoming linked. Yet the settlement of Nicaea did not resolve the issue. The Arian controversy lingered, splitting bishops, congregations, and emperors. What began as a debate over the Trinity soon spiraled into a crisis that divided the empire at its core. As Arianism spread, particularly among the Germanic tribes who would later overrun the Western Empire, the theological rift turned into a political fault line. In this way, a doctrinal battle over Christ’s divinity became bound up with the very fate of Rome itself. The first segment is: Why Arianism Was Declared a Heresy The Church declared Arianism a heresy at the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325. The fundamental issue revolved around the nature and divinity of Jesus Christ. While Arius believed Jesus was a creation—albeit the highest of all creations—the Church upheld that Jesus was uncreated, co-eternal, and co-equal with the Father. Scripture played a decisive role in the dispute. John 1:1 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This verse affirms the divinity of Jesus, describing Him as the Word who both existed at the beginning and was God Himself. Colossians 1:16 likewise insists on Christ’s active role in creation: “For by him [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Such passages undermine the Arian claim that Jesus Himself was a creation. The second segment is: Arianism and the Fall of Rome...

    10 min
  5. 6D AGO

    Day 2790 Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 109:6-25 – Daily Wisdom

    Welcome to Day 2790 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2790 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 109:6-25 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2790 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2790 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today’s Wisdom-Trek is: The Boomerang of Justice – Wearing Curses Like a Cloak. Today, we are walking into the storm. We are continuing our journey through Psalm One Hundred Nine, and we are covering the most difficult and controversial section of the entire book: verses six through twenty-five, in the New Living Translation. In our previous trek, we stood with David in the opening five verses. We saw him as a man betrayed. He said, "I love them, but they try to destroy me." He told us that in return for his friendship, they acted as his "accusers"—literally, they acted as "satans" or adversaries against him. They repaid evil for good and hatred for love. David’s response in that first section was to become "prayer"—to retreat entirely into God. But today, we see what he prayed. And frankly, it is terrifying. Verses six through twenty are often called the "Imprecatory Psalms"—the cursing psalms. David unleashes a torrent of judgment upon his enemy that leaves no stone unturned. He prays for his enemy’s death, the destruction of his family, the loss of his job, and the erasure of his name from history. Many people struggle with these verses. They ask, "How can a man after God’s own heart pray this way? Isn't this un-Christian?" To understand this, we must put on our Ancient Israelite worldview lenses. This is not personal revenge; this is an appeal to Retributive Justice. This is the law of the boomerang. David is asking God to let the punishment fit the crime exactly. The enemy wanted to destroy David’s life and legacy without cause; David is asking the Divine Judge to let that destruction fall back on the enemy’s own head. It is a passionate plea for the moral order of the universe to be upheld. So, brace yourselves. We are about to witness the severity of God’s justice. The first Segment is: The Appointment of the Accuser. Psalm One Hundred Nine: verses six through seven. They say, "Get an evil person to turn against him. Send an accuser to bring him to trial.  When his case comes up for judgment, let him be pronounced guilty. Count his prayers as sins." Now, there is a debate among scholars here. Some translations, and the NLT implies this with "They say," suggest that these verses are actually the enemies' curses against David. However, the Hebrew text is ambiguous, and historically, most interpreters view this as David speaking against his enemy, asking God to subject the enemy to the very legal warfare he used against David. We will proceed with that understanding, as it fits the flow of the rest of the psalm. David prays: "Get an evil person to turn against him. Send an accuser to bring him to trial."...

    13 min
  6. FEB 3

    Day 2789– A Sacrifice, A Savior, a Sword – Luke 2:21-38

    Welcome to Day 2789 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2789 – A Sacrifice, A Savior, a Sword – Luke 2:21-38 Putnam Church Message – 12/28/2025 Luke’s Account of the Good News - “A Sacrifice, A Savior, a Sword”   Last week, we continued our year-long study of Luke’s Narrative of the Good News in a message titled: “The Nativity Revisited – Love Came Down.” This week is the final Sunday of 2025 – in some ways, it flew by in a flash, but in others, it has been a very long year. Today, we find the newborn Christ eight days old, and he is taken to the temple for circumcision and naming of the child, as every devout Hebrew did. Today's passage is the story of “A Sacrifice, A Savior, a Sword.” Our Core verses for this week are Luke 2:21-38, found on page 1591 of your Pew Bibles. Jesus Presented in the Temple  21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[b]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[c] 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.” 36

    31 min
  7. FEB 2

    Day 2788 Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 109:1-5 – Daily Wisdom

    Welcome to Day 2788 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2788 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 109:1-5 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2788 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred eighty-eight of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The tile for today’s Wisdom-Trek is: The Courtroom of Lies – When Love is Repaid with Hatred Today, we are stepping off the mountain peak of victory and descending into the deepest, darkest valley of the human experience. We are beginning our journey through Psalm One Hundred Nine, and today we will navigate the opening complaint, verses one through five, in the New Living Translation. To understand the emotional whiplash of the Psalter, we have to remember where we just were. In our previous trek through Psalm One Hundred Eight, we stood with King David on the mountaintop. He was the confident Warrior Poet. He woke the dawn with his song. He looked at the map of the nations and declared, "With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes." It was a psalm of absolute certainty, military strength, and divine conquest. We left feeling invincible. But today, the music changes. The triumphant horns of Psalm One Hundred Eight fade away, replaced by the dissonant, scratching sound of a lawsuit. Psalm One Hundred Nine is famous—or perhaps infamous—as the most intense of the "imprecatory" or cursing psalms. Later in this psalm, David will unleash a torrent of curses against his enemy that makes many modern readers cringe. But before we get to the curses, we must understand the pain that birthed them. We must sit in the defendant’s chair. In these opening five verses, David is not the General commanding an army; he is a man alone in a courtroom, surrounded by a mob of liars. He has been stripped of his reputation, betrayed by those he loved, and—most terrifying of all—he is facing the silence of God. This is a psalm for anyone who has ever been slandered. It is for anyone who has loved someone deeply, only to have that love thrown back in their face as hatred. It is the raw, unedited cry of a heart that has been stabbed in the back. So, let us enter the courtroom and hear the plea of the innocent. The first segment is: The Silence of the Judge: The Crisis of Communication. Psalm One Hundred Nine: verse one. O God, whom I praise, don’t stand silent and aloof The psalm opens with a desperate appeal to the only One who matters. "O God, whom I praise..." Literally, "O God of my praise." This is a statement of history and identity. David is saying, "Lord, You are the subject of all my songs. I have spent my life building a throne of praise for You. I have defined myself by Your glory." It is an appeal to relationship. He is reminding God, "We are friends. I am Your worshiper." But this intimacy makes the current situation unbearable: "...don’t stand silent and aloof." The Hebrew simply says, "Do not be silent." In a legal context—and this psalm is full of legal imagery—the silence of...

    12 min
  8. JAN 30

    Day 2787 Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 108:10-13 – Daily Wisdom

    Welcome to Day 2787 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2787 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 108:10-13 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2787 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred eighty-seven of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today’s Wisdom-Trek is: The Divine Stomp – Storming the Gates of the Impossible.   Today, we arrive at the grand finale of our journey through Psalm One Hundred Eight. We are trekking through the final stanza, verses ten through thirteen, in the New Living Translation. In our previous trek, we stood in the War Room of Heaven. We heard the Divine Oracle in verses six through nine, where Yahweh looked at the map of the Middle East and claimed His territory. We heard Him declare, "Gilead is mine... Manasseh is mine... Moab is my washbasin... I will wipe my feet on Edom." It was a breathtaking assertion of ownership. We saw God claiming the hostile nations as His servants—His washpots and His shoe-racks. It was a moment of high theology and divine confidence. But today, the scene shifts from the map on the wall to the mud on the ground. In Psalm One Hundred Eight, verses ten through thirteen, King David takes that divine promise and tries to walk it out in the real world. And he immediately hits a wall—literally. He finds himself standing outside the "fortified city" of Edom. The map says Edom belongs to God. But the reality says Edom is locked up tight behind impregnable walls. This is where the rubber meets the road in our spiritual lives. It is one thing to sing about victory in the sanctuary; it is another thing to secure it on the battlefield. It is one thing to believe God owns the problem; it is another to see Him conquer it. In these final four verses, we will see the transition from Promise to Petition, and finally to Participation. We will learn that the only way to breach the fortified city is to abandon human strategies and rely on the Divine Warrior to do the trampling. So, let us draw our swords one last time and march toward the gate. The first segment is: The Crisis of Geography: The Impregnable City. Psalm One Hundred Eight: verse ten. Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me to Edom? The psalm moves from God’s voice back to David’s voice. And David has a logistical problem. God just said in verse nine: "I will wipe my feet on Edom."   David responds: "Okay, Lord. But who is going to get me inside?" "Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me to Edom?" To understand the weight of this question, we have to look at the geography. The ancient capital of Edom was Bozrah, and later Petra (Sela). Edom was legendary for its natural defenses. It was carved into the red sandstone cliffs. The only way in was through a narrow canyon called the Siq. It was a natural fortress that armies broke themselves against for centuries. It was the "Fortified City" (Ir Mibzar) par excellence. When David

    11 min
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About

Do you desire to gain wisdom, make an impact on your world, and create a living legacy? Through the use of positive/encouraging stories, parables, allegories, and analogies we will explore the trails of everyday life in a practical and meaningful manner as we scale towards our summit of life. The purpose of our Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal is to teach you wisdom and discipline, to help you understand the insights of the wise, to teach you to live disciplined and successful lives, to help you do what is right, just, and fair. By obtaining this wisdom then you will be able to create a living legacy for today that will live on and be multiplied through the lives of others. Wisdom-Trek.com is your portal to all things pertaining to the acquisition of wisdom, insight, and knowledge. The Wisdom-Trek platform includes this website along with a daily journal, and a daily podcast on wisdom and creating a living legacy. It is your portal because it is our hope that everyone will share and participate in gaining wisdom, insight, and discernment. As we gain wisdom it is so we can share what we have learned with others. No single person is ‘all-wise’ and when we share with each other that we all gain wisdom. We encourage you to share insights, ask questions, and grow together. Join us today and become part of the Wisdom-Trek team.