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Test Your Wisdom Old Testament Survey – 319 27. Test Your Wisdom The Course Key Verse: Proverbs 9:10 – How can I have wisdom even though I am a child? Proverbs 7:1-4, 9:1-6, 10, 13:15, 14:12; Galatians 2:20; James 1:5 The Goals As a result of this lesson the children will: 1. Know that there are two competing, conflicting lifestyles [wisdom and folly]. 2. Feel cautious about the dangers of living a foolish life. 3. Choose wisdom and live a fulfilled life. The Equipment Room For the following lesson you will need: 1. Copies of Visuals #1 and 9 [One per child] 2. Visuals #2-8c [As PowerPoint] 3. Pencils 4. Mouse trap 5. Coach [As Coach 1] 6. Advance preparation needed for 6 Mostly Girls and 8 Champions Only adaptations The Warm-up Game 1: Let’s Make a Deal! – Before Olympians, hide three prizes inside three separate containers. [Two of the gifts should be nice, like a dollar bill or a large candy bar. But one should be a “dud,” such as a penny or a rubber eraser.] Put some prizes, such as small candies or money, in your pockets or in another location that is easy for you to access. When the game begins, pick a child to be the first contestant and give them a prize from your pocket. Then, offer them the chance to either keep the prize or trade it for one of the unknown gifts inside the containers. Tell them that two of the prizes are really nice, but one prize is a dud. Once the child has made their final decision, reveal their prize. Then pick another contestant. You can even allow subsequent contestants to trade their first prize for someone else’s prize instead of taking a chance on the hidden prizes. There will probably be some disappointments and some pleasant surprises as the game progresses. [Note: Play with as many contestants as time allows, but if you plan to have more than two contestants, you will have to replace the prizes inside the containers after each contestant. Discuss the values that helped the children make decisions, such as risk tolerance, greed, optimism, pessimism, apathy, etc. Talk about being tricked by the smooth-talking host. Discuss with the players and the other students how they can make wise choices.] In our game, it was hard to make a decision when you didn’t know the outcome, wasn’t it? Often times, in life, we don’t know what the outcome will be. But if we are wise, we will make better decisions, even if we don’t know the outcome. Wise choices do not happen accidentally. They happen when we intentionally follow God’s Word. We don’t have to be tricked into making a bad, foolish choice if we base our choices on truth.

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Page 1: 27. Test Your Wisdom - Word of Life TeacherSourceTest Your Wisdom Old Testament Survey – 320 Game 2: Little Pig Towers – Provide popsicle sticks, drinking straws, construction

Test Your Wisdom Old Testament Survey – 319

27. Test Your Wisdom

The Course

Key Verse: Proverbs 9:10 – How can I have wisdom even though I am a child? Proverbs 7:1-4, 9:1-6, 10, 13:15, 14:12; Galatians 2:20; James 1:5

The Goals

As a result of this lesson the children will: 1. Know that there are two competing, conflicting lifestyles [wisdom and folly]. 2. Feel cautious about the dangers of living a foolish life. 3. Choose wisdom and live a fulfilled life.

The Equipment Room

For the following lesson you will need: 1. Copies of Visuals #1 and 9 [One per child] 2. Visuals #2-8c [As PowerPoint] 3. Pencils 4. Mouse trap 5. Coach [As Coach 1] 6. Advance preparation needed for 6 Mostly Girls and 8 Champions Only adaptations

The Warm-up

Game 1: Let’s Make a Deal! – Before Olympians, hide three prizes inside three separate containers. [Two of the gifts should be nice, like a dollar bill or a large candy bar. But one should be a “dud,” such as a penny or a rubber eraser.] Put some prizes, such as small candies or money, in your pockets or in another location that is easy for you to access. When the game begins, pick a child to be the first contestant and give them a prize from your pocket. Then, offer them the chance to either keep the prize or trade it for one of the unknown gifts inside the containers. Tell them that two of the prizes are really nice, but one prize is a dud. Once the child has made their final decision, reveal their prize. Then pick another contestant. You can even allow subsequent contestants to trade their first prize for someone else’s prize instead of taking a chance on the hidden prizes. There will probably be some disappointments and some pleasant surprises as the game progresses. [Note: Play with as many contestants as time allows, but if you plan to have more than two contestants, you will have to replace the prizes inside the containers after each contestant. Discuss the values that helped the children make decisions, such as risk tolerance, greed, optimism, pessimism, apathy, etc. Talk about being tricked by the smooth-talking host. Discuss with the players and the other students how they can make wise choices.] In our game, it was hard to make a decision when you didn’t know the outcome, wasn’t it? Often times, in life, we don’t know what the outcome will be. But if we are wise, we will make better decisions, even if we don’t know the outcome. Wise choices do not happen accidentally. They happen when we intentionally follow God’s Word. We don’t have to be tricked into making a bad, foolish choice if we base our choices on truth.

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Game 2: Little Pig Towers – Provide popsicle sticks, drinking straws, construction paper, paper cups and masking tape to three teams of children. Give the teams five minutes to construct towers out of the supplies. At the end of the building period, announce that the big bad wolf has come to blow their houses down. Give a coach a drinking straw and have him attempt to topple the structures from a distance of approximately three feet away from the structure. If all of the towers stand, repeat the process from a distance of two feet. If all of the towers stand, repeat the process from a distance of one foot away. Discuss these questions with the children after the game is done: How did you decide to build your tower? Who gave you advice on the design? Did you listen? Were they right? How would you change your tower if you played this game again? Say: Wisdom is making the right choices to successfully survive in hard times. Snacks:

1. Wise brand potato chips or pretzels 2. Prepare a large banquet of food; like Lady Wisdom. [This could be a meal prepared by the church

or the Olympian coaches] Send invitations to all the children on the Olympian mailing list, parents of Olympians, pastors, etc. The invitations should be sent at least two weeks in advance.

Scripture Memory Review Game: Have snack size M&M packets. Tape a word of the verse on the back of each packet. Then put all the packets in a basket and mix them up. Have the children reach in the basket and grab a word. See if they can say the verse correctly until they reach their word. If they can they get to keep the M & M’s. If not, they need to put it back. You may want to have penny candy to give to those who do not get it correct.

Opening Ceremonies

Songs: Run the Race; Sunshine in My Soul [See Olympian CD tracks 1-2.]; The B-I-B-L-E; Thy Word; Step by Step; Indescribable; I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy; I’m So Happy [Here’s the Reason Why]; Since Jesus Came Into My Heart Bible Lesson Review: You will need ten food items with numbers one through ten on them. Also place ten circles on the floor labeled one through ten. Divide your group into two teams. Put ten circles on the floor. Ask questions one through ten alternating teams. When a child answers a question correctly have them come and stand on a number. Once you have all ten children on the numbers, play music as the children walk around the circle. When the music stops, each child must be standing on a number. They receive the food item that corresponds with the number on which they are standing.

The Coach’s Corner

(1a)(6)(8)(9) [Distribute copies of Visual #1 to each child and have them copy the answers unto their sheet from Visuals #2-7.] Did you know that computers are an incredible source of information and knowledge? You can learn a lot about anything in the world. Knowledge is helpful to have, but there is something better to have. Do you know what that is? It is wisdom! Wisdom is the ability to take what you know and put it into practice. For example, you may know what the names of the musical notes are, what a trumpet looks like, and even how to play the trumpet using those notes. Still this is only knowledge. If you picked up the trumpet and used that knowledge to create beautiful music; that would be wisdom. (1b) If you wanted to learn how to play the trumpet, where would you go for instructions? [Someone who knew how to play the trumpet well, someone who was wise about trumpets.] If you wanted to ask someone how to build a strong tower, who would you listen to? [Architect, builder, construction worker, an expert who has wisdom] If you want to learn about wisdom in making good and godly decisions in our lives, who should we listen to? [God] Why? [Allow children to respond: because He is all-knowing, very wise] Which reference book should

ADAPTATION > 8

Champions Only

ADAPTATION > 9

Challengers Only

ADAPTATION > 1a

Extra Action

ADAPTATION > 6

Mostly Girls

ADAPTATION > 1b

Extra Action

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we look at? [Bible] Do you know which book in the Bible talks about wisdom and folly or foolishness the most? [Proverbs] Let’s turn in our Bibles to Proverbs 7 and learn some more about making good choices that please God. Bible Coach: As you are turning there, I need a coach to volunteer. Coach 1: I’ll do it. Bible Coach: I have a mouse trap here. It is built to catch a mouse and not people. So I think you

should be safe. [Smile weakly then continue] Let me make sure that it is working correctly before we begin. [Demonstrate the power of the trap by springing it, by touching the trigger with a pencil. The pencil will most likely be snapped in half by the trap – be careful! Reset the trap.] Okay, this is what I want you to do. I want you to put your finger in this trap. [Wait for a reaction.]

Coach 1: Do you think I should try it? [Allow children to respond.] No way! I’m not even going to

attempt such a bad choice. Bible Coach: Why won’t you try? Coach 1: That would be foolish. I’d hurt or break my finger. Bible Coach: Well, would you try to put your finger in it if I told you I would pay you a thousand dollars

to do it? Coach 1: [Hesitate then answer] I don’t think I would. Bible Coach: But you were thinking about it! You could do a lot of things with a thousand dollars! Coach 1: Well, I did think about it but, my fingers are worth more than a thousand dollars. Besides it

would cost me time off of work and a hospital bill to get my finger fixed. It would be very costly. If I put my finger in that trap, it would be a bad decision and cost me.

Bible Coach: You know you made the right decision. [Continue the lesson. Note: Make sure you unset the trap or have it at a place that the children can’t get to it.] We are going to talk about the decisions that you make every day. We are going to see that making bad choices may have dangerous results. We want to make good choices, choices that are wise, not foolish! If Coach [Name of Coach 1] would have put his [her] finger in the trap, that would have been a foolish decision. Instead he [she] chose wisely. Choosing wisely is the way to have a great life! There is nothing in life more exciting than following God’s Word! Let’s look at Proverbs 7:1-4. [Read Proverbs 7:1-4.] The book of Proverbs describes wisdom and folly as if they were young women. If wisdom and foolishness are young women, what would they say to young men? In Proverbs 9, Wisdom and Folly spoke to young men and now, they speak to you and to me! We are going to look at wisdom, but remember, if we don’t follow wisdom then we follow folly. Folly means that we are tricked or choose to make bad decisions. [Proverbs 9:16] Let’s listen to Lady Wisdom as she speaks. [Read Proverbs 9:1-6.] [Display Visual #2.] A wise person works to build a strong life. A wise person is like a builder who makes sure that the support beams are strong enough to hold the roof up. Lady Wisdom has seven pillars holding up her house. The pillars or support beams in our lives are the truths of God’s Word. We need to work hard to build these truths into our lives. We must read and study God’s Word, memorize these truths, think about them all day long, obey and talk about them with other godly people. (5) Are you willing to work hard at growing stronger as a believer in Jesus Christ? Wisdom is worth the work!

ADAPTATION > 5

Mostly Unchurched Children

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[Display Visual # 3.] In her speech, Lady Wisdom is so excited about the things that she is learning that she throws a big dinner party! She gets the dinner table set and invites everyone to come to the party to share and enjoy the things that she is learning. Can you imagine having a big table filled with food and trying to eat it all by yourself? A banquet is meant to be shared. The wise person invites others to enjoy the benefits of wisdom. He loves to share the things that God is teaching him through Bible study and life. Do you share praises and prayer requests with your friends in Personal Training Time? Do you love to praise God for what He is teaching you? Isn’t it exciting when we can encourage someone else with a lesson that we have learned? [Display Visual #4.] Just like Lady Wisdom, who sent servants out to find people in faraway places, our church has some wise men and women who share God’s wisdom with others around the world. Do you know who they are? [Allow children to respond.] They are our missionaries! You can be a missionary, too; right in your neighborhood or school by telling others about God’s truth. [Display Visual #5.] The wise person directs people away from folly. Some of you were wise enough to know that Coach [insert Coach’s name] shouldn’t stick his finger in the mouse trap. Some of you warned him by telling him not to do it. (7) We need to warn others to choose God’s way. Sometimes, directing people away from folly will cause you to lose your “friends.” When you tell them about Jesus and the Bible they may choose the other way to live: foolishly. You can and should still love them. But if they do not want to follow wisdom, they will not help you to grow in your faith. It is very sad to have a friend turn away, but it is too dangerous to hang around with them. Choose good friends and direct them away from danger! [Display Visual #6.] A wise person offers help to those who don’t know how to live. You can help others by looking for people that need help understanding God’s Word. Who has offered to help you? [Answers include: coaches, parents, pastor, friends.] Remember, God, who knows everything, has offered to give you wisdom. All wisdom comes from God and all you need to do is ask Him for it. [Read James 1:5.] [Display Visual #7.] A wise person makes good decisions throughout his or her life. The plan of God for your life is the best plan. You cannot make a better plan for your life than God has for it. The most exciting life for any child of God is to follow God’s Word! It doesn’t get any better than that! When we choose God’s plans and follow them, we are practicing wisdom. Every day we need to remind ourselves that we are not supposed to choose our ways today. [Galatians 2:20] God knows what is best for you and your life. His ways bring an enjoyment like none of those other things can. Stick to the plan! (2) (4)

Running the Race

Mostly Unchurched Children Mostly Churched Children How wise are you? The book of Proverbs not only shows us how to live, it also shows us how to measure our progress in God’s eyes. Is there a test that will measure your wisdom level? The answer is yes! Here are a few questions to determine whether you are a wise person or a foolish person. [Display Visual #8a.] How do you respond to correction? When people share how your choices do not match up with God’s Word, do you get angry and ignore them? Then you are a fool. When parents and friends show how you can make better choices and please God, do you thank them for their concern and make changes quickly? Then you are wise. [Proverbs 9:7-8]

How wise are you? The book of Proverbs not only shows us how to live, it also shows us how to measure our progress in God’s eyes. Is there a test that will measure your wisdom level? The answer is yes! Here are a few questions to determine whether you are a wise person or a foolish person. [Display Visual #8a.] How do you respond to correction [Proverbs 9:7-8]? When people share how your choices do not match up with God’s Word, do you get angry and ignore them? Then you are a fool. When parents and friends show how you can make better choices and please God, do you thank them for their concern and make changes quickly? Then you are wise.

ADAPTATION > 7

Mostly Boys

ADAPTATION > 4

Mostly Churched Children

ADAPTATION > 2

Small Group

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[Display Visual #8b.] Are you willing to work hard and study the Bible so that you can know God’s instructions? [Proverbs 9:9] If you are, then you are wise. The Bible will help you to become better and better at making good choices. [Display Visual #8c.] Do you have a loving, personal relationship with God? A wise person doesn’t want to do anything that will not please God. We are most happy when we are living God’s way. [Proverbs 9:10] So are you a fool or a wise person? God knows which you are; you cannot fool Him [Proverbs 5:21-23]! If you are living foolishly, you need to ask God to forgive you and make a commitment to live for Him. I want you to close your eyes and bow your head. If you need to ask God to forgive you for being foolish, do so now! Also, are you learning God’s Word so that you can be wise? If not, ask God to forgive you and help you to grow in wisdom. [Close in Prayer]

[Display Visual #8b.] Are you growing “smarter and stronger” spiritually [Proverbs 9:9]? Are you willing to work hard and study the Bible so that you can know God’s instructions? [Proverbs 5:1-11] If you are, then you are wise. The Bible will help you to become better and better at making good choices. Pleasing God does not happen by accident. Wise people aren’t easily tricked by Satan’s lies [Proverbs 7:22-23] because they have studied the truth. [Display Visual #8c.] Do you have a loving, personal relationship with God [Proverbs 9:10]? A wise person hates the things God hates [Proverbs 6:16-19; 8:13] and loves the things God loves [Proverbs 7:4; 8:17]! As you choose to follow God’s ways, you will learn to love God more. As you obey Him, you will grow closer to Him. A wise person doesn’t want to do anything that will not please God. We are most happy when we are living God’s way. So are you a fool or a wise person? God knows which you are; you cannot fool Him [Proverbs 5:21-23]! If you are living foolishly, you need to ask God to forgive you and make a commitment to live for Him. I want you to close your eyes and bow your head. If you need to ask God to forgive you for being foolish, do so now! Also, are you learning God’s Word so that you can be wise? If not, ask God to forgive you and help you to grow in wisdom. [Close in Prayer]

Personal Training Time

1. Should we follow wisdom or folly? Why or why not? 2. According to Proverbs 9, what wise decisions are you making? 3. What are some things you can do this week that will help you make wise decisions?

The Big O’vent

Game 3: Target Soccer [See Big O’vent Mega CD, page 354.] Just like you aimed the ball at the target, aim for wisdom in your life.

Closing Ceremonies

This week evaluate the decisions you are making. Are the wise or foolish decisions? How can you improve your decisions to be wise decisions? Be sure to share with your personal training coach next week some of the wise decisions that you made during the week.

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Lesson Adaptation Explanations

1a Extra Action: Invite a gospel illusionist to come and perform some stage tricks. Have him discuss with the children how our minds are easily fooled by misdirection, sleight of hand, concealment, etc. Say: Satan, our enemy, wants to trick us and steal our joy away from us. He wants us to live lives of folly and not wisdom. But following God’s way, the way of wisdom, gives us great joy.

1b Extra Action: Have a trumpet player begin playing from the back of the room. After he finishes, invite him up front, introduce him to the children and talk with him about how he learned to play so well. Ask questions about his teacher and the amount of time practicing that he does to keep playing the trumpet well. If a trumpet player is not available, consider using another instrument. Change the lesson text to match the instrument of choice.

2 Small Group: Have the children color Visual # 9 and encourage them to take home and read it every day. Review the acrostic [Visual #1] with them asking them to explain to the coaches what each letter means. Have them memorize the acrostic and commit to share it with at least one other person outside of Olympians this week.

4 Mostly Churched Children: For children that already know about the book and concepts of Wisdom, teach this acrostic using the word “Folly.”

Finds people that she can trick into bad decisions [Read Proverbs 9:13-18]. How can the foolish

person trick another person? She looks for the simple person. A simple person is a person that hasn’t made up their minds yet. Their thinking is like this play dough [Show a lump of play dough]. It can be squeezed and shaped by anyone who puts pressure on it. We ought to have a mind like this rock [Show a stone/rock]. No matter how hard someone tries to change our minds about God and His Word, we will not change. Do you have that kind of mind, set on following God? Or can you be tricked into stopping and sitting and talking with Folly at her house?

Offers wrong advice for “free” to anyone [Proverbs 9:13b-15]. A foolish person has nothing to do but

talk about how smart they are. The lady Folly sits down and waits for anyone to walk by. She has a house in the best spot in the city. She is giving out bad advice! She really doesn’t know what she is talking about. She is not telling people about what the Bible says because she doesn’t know what it says! How can we learn about what God’s Word says [Bible study, Sunday School, Scripture memorization, reading good books that teach us more, radio programs, pastor’s sermons, etc.]? How do we know that the pastor’s sermon is true and not just an offer of bad advice [Study the Bible for ourselves]? The best way to avoid believing bad advice is to know the truth – the Bible.

Leads people away from doing good [Proverbs 9:15]. A foolish person is not a good friend to have!

He will try to keep you away from doing right! Folly tries to get the people passing by to come and visit with her. She doesn’t want people to ignore her and pass her by. She will say anything to get people to stop and come into her house. Her house is a word picture for the way that she lives. It doesn’t matter if people are on their way to be obedient or do their job [the right way]. A foolish person just wants to sit and do nothing – he really is lazy!

Lies about the benefits of folly [Proverbs 9:17-18]. How did I tempt [volunteer’s name] into sticking his

finger in the mouse trap [by offering him money]? How much was I offering? [$1000] A foolish person will say whatever a simple person wants to hear in order to get them to stop doing what is right. Folly says that she knows what is better! She says that stealing and sneaking around is the best way to get what you want. She says that sin is fun – more fun than obeying! Is that true? No way!

Yells her wrong message above everyone else [Proverbs 9:13]. A foolish person argues and fights

about something that is wrong. A foolish person doesn’t listen to anyone else. He thinks that he knows it all and isn’t afraid to shout his opinion at anyone who is near them. Do you know people like that? They don’t want to hear about Jesus because they think that they are smarter or stronger than He is. They think that they don’t need Jesus to direct their lives.

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[Continue lesson at Running the Race.] 5 Mostly Unchurched Children: Read Matthew 7:24-29 to the children. Discuss the foolishness of

building on a sand bar in a flood plain. Discuss the wisdom of building on bedrock high above the high water marks. What should be the foundation of our lives? God and His Word.

6 Mostly Girls: Have a formal ladies tea. Have the girls invite a lady to be their guest of honor. The girls should invite a woman that has influenced them in their spiritual lives. This woman should be a model of wisdom. Have the girls share what they have learned from this woman of wisdom. Then share the lesson with all of the ladies, both young and old.

7 Mostly Boys: Read Proverbs 13:15, 14:12 and Ezekiel 18:20. Divide the boys into small groups. Provide the groups of boys with copies of the local newspaper and a pair of scissors. Have them find stories in the paper where foolishness [choices outside of God’s boundaries] was deadly or dangerous. After five minutes have them share some of their clippings. Say: The choice of foolishness is indeed dangerous!

8 Champions Only: Prepare a banquet for the Champions only or take them out to a fancy restaurant. Teach this lesson and discuss the bigger life decisions that these young people will be facing as they leave Olympians and move to up to Student Ministries. Talk with them about how to apply the principles of wisdom to: dating, media selections [music, movies, TV, magazines], peer pressure, involvement in extracurricular activities, clothing selections [modesty], etc. Be sure to contact parents and discuss this plan before implementing it. Consider inviting parents to “escort” their Champion to the banquet. Consider giving a gift to the Champions – a copy of the book of Proverbs!

9 Challengers Only: Use the following puppet skit to teach the lesson to Challengers. “Lefty” is any puppet operated on the coach’s right hand.

Coach: Hey. where’s Lefty? Lefty: Right here. Coach. Coach: Hey Lefty, do you know what wisdom is? Lefty: Yeah. They are teeth in your mouth. Coach: No, not wisdom teeth! I’m talking about WISDOM [slowly and clearly

pronounced]! Lefty: And I’m talking about TEETH [slowly and clearly pronounced]! Coach: But our lesson is about wisdom not teeth. Besides, you don’t have any teeth

[looks in Lefty’s mouth] Lefty: [coughs and sputters and chokes; Coach lets go of Lefty’s lip] Coach: Sorry Lefty. Now do you know what we were talking about? Lefty: Of course I do. We were talking about what you did with your three wishes? Coach: Huh? Lefty: You know – you wished ‘em. Coach: NO! Wisdom is a person’s ability to make smart choices. Lefty: Like sticking your fingers into a puppet’s mouth?! Do you know how many

germs are in there? It’s not safe to do that sort of stuff! Coach: Then you would say it wouldn’t be wise? Lefty: What’s not wise?

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Coach: It’s not wise to put your hands in a puppet’s mouth. Lefty: But it’s okay to stick your hand up his back? You know your hands are cold!! Coach: Lefty, what I am trying to say is that “wisdom” means making good choices –

choices that avoid danger. Lefty: Yes. That’s right. Coach: What’s right? Lefty: You’re right when you say sticking your hands in my mouth would be

dangerous. Next time I’ll bite you! Coach: How can you do that? You haven’t got any teeth! Lefty: Don’t try my patience…. Just get back to your talk about wisdom. Coach: I didn’t make any wise remarks [chuckles to self]. Lefty: You can say that again. Coach: I didn’t make any wise remarks [chuckles to self again]. Lefty: [just stares at Coach until he stops] Coach: Ahem, Lefty, I want to test your wisdom levels. Lefty: Will it involve needles or drawing blood? Coach: Nope, no needles. Maybe a little blood… Well here’s what I need you to do. I

have a mouse trap here. It is built to catch mice. Lefty: That’s good. I think I smell one right now. [locks eyes with Coach] Coach: So I think you should be safe. [Smile weakly, and continue] Let me make sure

that it is working correctly before we begin. [Coach demonstrates the power of the trap by springing it, by touching the trigger with a pencil; the pencil will most likely be snapped in half by the trap; have another coach reset the trap.] Okay then. This is what I want you to do. I want you to put your head in this trap.

Lefty: What? Coach: Stick your head in this trap. Lefty: What? Do you think that I have lint for a brain? Don’t answer that! I will not stick

my head in that trap. Coach: Would you do it for a piece of cheesecake? Lefty: Plain cheesecake? No way. Coach: How about chocolate marbled cheesecake? Lefty: [Looks at the trap] Chocolate marbled cheesecake? [moves towards the trap,

then hesitates]

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Coach: [Enticingly] With chocolate raspberry truffle sauce drizzled on top… Lefty: [Lunges towards the trap] Coach: [Grabs Lefty’s head before Lefty can get trapped] It is now obvious that you

have no wisdom teeth in that head! To put yourself in that kind of danger for a piece of dessert is foolish!

Lefty: [In a mesmerized tone] chocolate marble cheesecake… must have

cheesecake… Coach: Snap out of it Lefty! You are not thinking wisely or clearly! Lefty: [Comes out of trance] Oh, sorry, Coach. I lost my head. Coach: You sure did. You almost lost it in more ways than one. Things that we enjoy

[like cheesecake] can sometimes make us stop thinking clearly. We need to keep our minds focused on the truth.

Lefty: Why are we talking about my wisdom truth again – there are none in there.

See? [Opens mouth widely] Coach: True wisdom, the kind of wisdom that keeps us out of trouble and helps us to

enjoy life the way God wants us to, comes from God. Lefty: Does He have a website where I can order some? Coach: No, God’s truth and wisdom is free. It’s found in the Bible. When we study the

Bible, we understand how God wants us to live. Lefty: And then our wisdom teeth come in the mail? Coach: NO! When we know God’s Word and when we do what it says, we get wisdom.

Wisdom is a person’s ability to make smart choices. Listen to these verses. [Read Proverbs 9:10-12]

Lefty: Wow. So, anybody can get God’s wisdom? Coach: Yes, anybody. Lefty: Even these kids? Coach: Yes, especially these kids. Lefty: Great, I gotta go read my Bible! And order my wisdom… Coach: Okay, see you, Lefty. Say goodbye, Lefty. Lefty: Goodbye, Lefty.

[Continue lesson at Running the Race]

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