The Way of Wisdom - Bible Study for Women with Video Access: A Study of the Book of Proverbs

by Jen Wilkin, Ruth Chou Simons, Kelly Minter

Genres: Christian, Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2025

About the author

Jen Wilkin is a speaker, writer, and teacher of women’s Bible studies. During her thirteen years of teaching, she has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. Jen and her family are members of the Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. She is the author of Women of the Word.

Reviews

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been slowly working through this study first semester and just finished. I have enjoyed all Jen Wilkin studies I have done, but this was not my favorite with different weeks being lead by different women in the book. Still good and much to be learned, but I will stick with studies written only by Jen in the future.

[Jessica the Unfortunately Invested · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was this a Proverbs study or just a study of general NT passages with some Proverbs sprinkled in? The Jen Wilkin bits were good, but otherwise, it was rough for what it was.

Tough to study Proverbs in this sort of format, but I think some of the editorial choices were weak. 3/5

[Sarah Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is mostly worksheets so consider yourself warned but it is very good

[Angela Howard · Rating 2 out of 5]

The women at our church used this guide for our study of Proverbs this fall. I highly recommend the opening lesson and the closing lesson presented by Jen Wilkin. However, the lessons in the middle (lessons 3-7) are of varying benefit. They are more topical in nature and less a direct study of Proverbs. Some of the teachings do not follow the homework at all. Lesson 5 was problematic, as it taught that if you do everything right, you will be blessed with an amazing marriage and children who follow the Lord. This is not only not biblical, it is often not borne out in real life. I would expect better editing from such a large endeavor and normally fantastic teachers.

[Danielle Boedeker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I can’t give this any lower than 4 stars because it is a study of scripture which is 5000/5 every time lol

However, as much as I liked the study and teachings, I am really accustomed to and prefer verse by verse studies of scripture, and this was not that. Obviously makes sense for a book like Proverbs, but I feel like I didn’t spend as much time in it as I would have hoped. Lots of bouncing around from proverb to OT to NT which was awesome (I love seeing threads throughout the entirety of scripture), but just mentally hard for me to do.

[Rachael Sholar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not every part of this study was great, but overall the study does leave you with so much more context of how Proverbs fits into the rest of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Session 8 knocks it out of the park, as Jen usually does.

[Beth Wyant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal study. I enjoyed every session. Jen Wilkin will always be my favorite of the authors but the joint effort was lovely. My life has been greatly enriched this deep dive into biblical wisdom.

[Holly Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never read Proverbs the same way again... and that's a good thing!!!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay. I did this with a group, which yielded a lot of good conversation. if I did this alone, I think I would've been bored to tears. there were so many charts to fill out that just felt like busy work, not actually helping you understand anything deeper. the video content was great but often felt totally different than the session it was attached to. Each section is written by a different author, so it felt a bit disjointed at times.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've done a lot of Bible studies, but never one on Proverbs that was made for women. To say I jumped gleefully in anticipation when our women's ministry leader said we'd be reading this, well, is an understatement. I want the hard books: Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Leviticus, and Revelation. The hard studies to root God's beautiful truth deep within my heart.

I'm in awe of Jen Wilkin, Ruth Cho Simmon, Kelly Minter, Adrienne Camp, Elizabeth Woodson, and Courtney Doctor. The unity of the women to write this study together is evidence of the Holy Spirit's guidance within the pages of this study. Each chapter is unique in its own way of teaching, but each chapter brings forth perspectives and interpretations that are so profound.

As a woman who deeply desires to be used by the Lord to help women dive into the Word and enrich their hearts with His love and overwhelming Truth, I learned so much more from this study than just from the Proverbs. I learned how women can impact each other, help one another, and encourage one another.

This study is perfect for personal reflection or group study. I highly recommend it!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Through this manual for how to be a gospel girl in a Gossip Girl culture, The Way of Wisdom invites teachers Jen Wilkin, Ruth Chou Simons, Kelly Minter, Adrienne Camp, Elizabeth Woodson, and Courtney Doctor provide a carousel of counsel among this amusement park we call life. But instead of a mouthful of feel-good flattery, they provide the affirmation of a soul satisfied with a banquet of blessings at the family table where love is the most important entree on the menu!

The Word of God is the way of wisdom, and humility is the highway to wisdom. The highway is paved through laying down your life in tender surrender before the Lord and “living God’s way in God’s world…Our actions will always follow the trajectory of our heart’s worship.” Idolatry is the root of deception and perverse speech; soul satisfaction in the Savior alone is the soil of solution in which truth thrives!

Learning is taught; lifestyle is caught. Learning is instructed; lifestyle is infectious. The way wisdom shows up in our lives is when we let it challenge our choices, cultivate our character, and carry it forward to the next generation. Discipline isn’t about behavior modification born out of frustration and ending in punishment. Discipline is about heart transformation born out of reconciliation and ending in sanctification.

Where is the trailhead to the way of wisdom? Wisdom is found as “you pursue it, search for it, call out for it, seek it. You incline your ear to listen, humble your heart to receive, and treasure God's commands in your heart. You surround yourself with gospel friends and draw near to Jesus. Then you simply ask God for it.” The Way of Wisdom is a treasure hunt, and I can’t wait to travel it through a study of the book of Proverbs!

[Kirstie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't what I expected from a study of Proverbs but I did enjoy and benefit from the study. Instead of going through the book chapter by chapter and verse by verse, you take a look at a different topic covered in Proverbs each week and then look at various references, both in Proverbs and in the gospels and epistles, that speak to that topic. I loved the continual reminder that the ultimate example of a life of wisdom is Jesus during His earthly ministry. The video teachings were all great as well. The last week Jen Wilkin led us on a deep dive into Proverbs 31 and I have to say she makes a compelling case for an understanding of the Proverbs 31 woman as being Wisdom herself as opposed to "the ideal wife". I don't think I'll ever see Proverbs 31 the same way again! Overall, this was a great study and I walked away with a lot of great, practical advice about walking the way of wisdom, and living a life fully dependent on my Savior.

[Elizabeth Mayberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Women’s Bible Study also wrapped up this month and we read The Way of Wisdom. It was a group effort Bible study with 6 teachers teaching separate sections. Because of this, I felt it to be disjointed at times and drastically varying in depth and understanding depending on the teacher. The best sections were taught by Jen Wilkin because she digs deep into the text and historical context (I love her studies.) I was also pleasantly surprised by Courtney Doctor’s week and would be interested in doing more from her in the future. The other teachers however felt more surface level and topical. The study itself was a lot of busy work without the need to think deeply, which was a bummer. Overall, still a good, Biblical study on the book of Proverbs and I did learn new things despite being pretty familiar with the book (the Word of God is living and active after all!)

[Veronica Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

I personally just feel like this wasn’t a study of the book of proverbs. Of course it covered a lot of the proverb content, but it felt super all over the places and unorganized. The amount of “homework” to do each day is overwhelming and hard to keep up with. The video lessons were definitely helpful though! If you are set on doing this study, I suggest you do it at your own pace and not try to cram it all into their suggested amount of weeks, cause it’s just a lot! I felt like I gave a valiant effort and finished the study feeling like “what did I even learn about Proverbs?” Biggest takeaway was that the Proverbs aren’t promises, but instead principles to live by. I’m wondering if it just didn’t feel like a cohesive study overall cause of so many different minds. Overall was a tad bummed at this study as a whole.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I completed this study at a women's Bible study church group. I was so disappointed. The videos were sometimes completely off topic (especially Kelly Minter's session - and I usually love her studies!) and I'm really tired of Jen Wilkin making everything in the Bible into a symbol or metaphor. She believes the whole book of Proverbs is about Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly, not primarily a collection of teachings to follow. She believes Proverbs 31 is really a final personification of Lady Wisdom, not an example of a wise and excellent wife. The whole study felt disjointed with a different teacher each week. The price is really high, especially for an 8-week study. I don't have much positive to say about the entire study other than the fact that it got me into the book of Proverbs for 8 weeks.

[Jessa Kindel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completed the book for my last women’s group session! Overall a great study and really gave me a new perspective on proverbs and wisdom as a whole. Only loses a star because the homework was pretty extensive and hard to finish on the one week timeline so I didn’t get to dive into some sections as much as I would have liked. Further reinforced my love for Ruth Chou Simmons as an author and discovered Elizabeth Woodson. I also do feel like the homeowner jumped alll over the place scripture wise so I spent half of my time just flipping through my Bible trying to find the 65 verses referenced in each homework

[Cassie Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best studies I’ve done! There is so much packed into this study and the videos are a great reinforcement of the teachings. I loved the variety of speakers and teaching styles. This is one I will come back to again just because there’s no way to absorb it all one time through, and I know I will need reminders. It gave me a new outlook to approach Proverbs and held up a mirror to my life & character which was uncomfortable but much needed. Highly recommend!

[Rebecca Trump · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Way of Wisdom Bible Study is written especially for women. My small group just finished this study of Proverbs and it was so helpful and inspiring. If people would follow God’s wisdom given in these Proverbs, life would be so much better. We would still have trials in this life, but His wisdom and knowledge gained from this text would help us live as we should in Him. I highly recommend this study.

[Ruth Castle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed hearing from this group of gifted teachers and examining the many pictures of wisdom we find in the book of Proverbs and considering how wisdom plays out in our relationships, work, resources, and more. Most importantly, we are reminded that the source, the way, and the goal of all wisdom is Jesus himself.

[Barb S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually 4.5 stars. The charts in the homework were time consuming and sometimes mind stretching… groaned when they came up (but I have to admit they did drive the point home!). The included videos were awesome. My Bible Study group all agreed this was one of the best studies we’ve done. This one will definitely stick with me!

[Anna Grace Paulovkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible in-depth 8 week study on the book of Proverbs. I loved that each week had teaching from a different woman while simultaneously all connecting with the same themes of lady wisdom and lady folly. Highly recommend doing this study with other women in a Bible study format! Lots of great discussion.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed my group Bible study with this book. We had good discussion and I thought the teaching videos were very well done. The workbook/text itself was just okay. A little light on theology for my preference with some questions that didn’t seem beneficial. But the accompanying teaching videos were more in depth and thought provoking!

[MK Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a different study! I tend to become weary of Bible studies just because I've been studying Scriptures most of my life. It's always a breath of fresh air to come across something I haven't before.

[Mickenzy Clemons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this study. Normally I’m not a huge fan of workbook studies. But this one hit differently for me. It encouraged me, challenged me, stretched my thinking. I didn’t watch all the videos but the workbook was really insightful.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

We did this study with our ladies' group, and it was beneficial for women of all ages and stages of their Christian walk. There is a lot to it, and the homework takes some time, but we found it worthwhile. We enjoyed the perspective that the different teachers brought to the subject.

[Eva Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of a study book on wisdom itself, rather than the book of Proverbs, but I really enjoyed it! I'm most thankful for the fruitful conversations and relationships that have formed in my Women's Group through the study of this book.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This study had a good length of daily homework, was nicely organized, and provided good discussion with the group I did it with. As with many collaborations, some authors' styles matched mine better, but on the whole this was an excellent study.

[Kaleigh Tatar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this study so much! It is a must do for all women (and men too!!). Full of God's principles that relate to us all and lead us to live a life for Jesus. Can't wait to revisit it in the future.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5✨

[Anne Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the variety of teachers and the wisdom that can be gained from the book of Proverbs.