unit 10: books of poetry ot10.7 proverbs words of wisdom...3 ot10.7 proverbs words of wisdom...

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OT10.7 Proverbs Words of Wisdom ©Beverly Wilson 2020

Unit 10: Books of Poetry OT10.7 Proverbs Words of Wisdom

Scripture: Proverbs 30:24-29

Lesson Goal: King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. He wrote most of the book of Proverbs. In this lesson we will learn how God uses animals to teach us to be wise.

Introduction: The wisest man who ever lived was King Solomon. God gave him a special gift of wisdom. Solomon wrote three books in the Old Testament--Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. In these books Solomon gives practical rules for living wisely. These rules are in the form of proverbs. A proverb is a short concise statement that conveys moral truth. The book of Proverbs is a collection of these statements.

Proverbs is in the third group of books in the Old Testament called Poetry. It is the third book in the Old Testament group of books called Poetry. Let’s say the books of poetry—Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.

Attention Getter: “Wise Choices” Every day we all make decisions. Some of the choices we make are easy and some are hard. One choice we make is which foods we are going to eat. Another choice is how we will spend our money. We have to choose which way we will go. Will we go to school today or will we stay home? Will we go to church or will we play outside? Making good choices is being wise. King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. He wrote most of the book of Proverbs. In this lesson we will learn how God uses animals to teach us to be wise.

Opening Prayer: “Dear God, Thank you for giving us the book of Proverbs. You have told us to ask you for wisdom about how to live our lives. You have promised to give us that direction. Help us to obey your Word by working hard, cooperating with others, and building our lives on you. Give us strength to not be afraid. We love you and want to serve you! In Jesus' name, Amen.”

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Proverbs 2: 6 “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/ooOOYpyN5OQ Do you know what wisdom is? Wisdom is finding out what you should do and doing it. Wisdom is more than just knowledge. It is being able to understand things that may not be clear and then doing what is right. It is knowing how to live out what we know. Being wise is a great treasure that we should seek!

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." This verse means that God is the only One who is wise. So to be wise we must trust God. When we trust God we will have His protection. God promises to help us make wise choices if we will just ask him. Then we will have wisdom!

James 1: 5 says “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” So we do not have to be like people in the world who do not have someone to guide them. God knows everything so He can help us make wise decisions.

https://youtu.be/ooOOYpyN5OQ

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In Proverbs 30 God gives us examples from nature that will help us make wise choices. God uses four little creatures that show great wisdom to teach us important lessons. So let's get out our magnifying glass and look at these animals!

The first one is an ant. An ant is a small insect with six legs. Most ants are black or red in color. They have three body parts—a head, a thorax and an abdomen. The eyes are like black dots in the head but they do not see very well. Attached to the head of the ant are two feelers or antennae. The ant smells with its antenna and follows trails to find its food. The legs of the ant are attached to the middle part or thorax. The ant uses its legs to clean itself and to carry things. They can carry more than 20 times their own weight! So they are very strong! Ants live in colonies which can number less than 100 to very large colonies that can occupy a large area and have millions of individual ants. The ant colony often divides up labor but works together to solve problems.

Did you ever see any of the ants just sitting around watching the other ants work? Did you ever see any ants just sitting there waiting for someone to tell him what to do? No. Every colony of ants has a queen ant, but she doesn't tell them what to do. She doesn't organize them or give them pep talks. She's too busy laying eggs. She lays eggs all day long.

All the ants in the colony have a job to do. There are lots of things to do in an ant colony. Some of the ants help take care of the larva or baby ants. The ant hill has to be kept clean and in good repair. New quarters have to be built as the colony grows. The ant hill has to be protected. Some of the ants have to go out and find food and then carry it back to the nest. All the ants have a job to do and they do it. They don't worry about whose doing what or how hard they're working. They see something that needs to be done and they do it.

Did you know that the Bible tells us that we can learn from these little ants? That's right. In Proverbs 6:6 it says, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." Now we are going to find out what the ants can teach us and how we can be wise.

Ants know what they are supposed to do and they do it. They don't need someone to make sure they do it and do it right. This verse is telling us that we should be more like the ants. When we see something that needs to be done, we should do it. We shouldn't have to wait for someone to tell us to do it.

If you see a crayon on the floor, you should pick it up. You know crayons don't belong on the floor and they can get stepped on and squished. Even if you didn't use the crayons, you should still pick it up because it needs to be picked up. You don't have to wait for your teacher to tell you to pick it up. You can be wise and decide for yourself that that is the right thing to do.

What kind of chores do you have? Maybe it is taking out the trash? Do you wait for your mom or dad to tell you to do your chores? Your parents shouldn't have to tell you to do your chores every day. You should try to remember what you are supposed to do and do it without someone having to tell you to do it.

A wise child will try to remember what he is supposed to do and do it without having to be told. Here are some examples: Make your bed, brush your teeth and comb your hair, pick up your toys when you are done playing, clean off the table after you are done eating and do your chores. When you do these things without be told, you are being wise like the ant.

What are some of the jobs Jesus wants us to do? He wants us to show people we care about them by listening to them. We can share our faith by inviting a friend to come to church and worshipping with us. We can help to keep the church clean. We should not have to wait for someone to tell us to do these things. No, if we are wise we just do them because they need to be done.

Another thing God wants us to learn from ants is found in Proverbs 30:25. It says "Ants are creatures of little power, yet they store up food in the summer." Ants are hard workers. They work very hard storing up food so they will not be hungry in the winter. In the same way we are to work hard earning a living. We are to prepare for the future by saving food and money so we will not be hungry!

The second animal God uses to teach us a lesson is the coney or hyrax. The hyrax, or rock badger as it is sometimes called, is a small footed mammal that builds its homes in rocky cliffs. In Israel today they

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are known as rock rabbits. These small animals look like an oversized guinea pig or a rabbit with rounded ears and no tail. They are about two feet in length and weigh about 10 lbs.

The rock hyraxes spend several hours a day sunbathing followed by a short feeding time. They eat quickly with other hyraxes forming a circle to watch out for predators. They eat grass, herbs, leaves, fruit, insects, lizards, and bird eggs. Their three chambered stomach helps break down the plants they eat.

The hyrax may look like a pig or rabbit but it is not. It has similar teeth, toes and skull structures to that of an elephant: Like the elephant it has a pair of long, pointed tusk-like incisors. The male hyraxes have larger and sharper tusks than females.

Hyraxes have stumpy toes with hoof-like nails. There are four toes on each of the front feet and three on each back foot. The rock hyrax feet have black, rubbery pads that are kept moist by numerous sweat glands. The pads lift up in the center for a suction cup-like effect that helps them keep their grip on rocky surfaces.

Proverbs 30: 26 says "Convey are creatures of little power yet they make their homes in the crags." This means that they have built their homes in rocks or boulders.

What can we learn from the hyrax? They are wise builders! They build their homes on boulders, rock formations, or even little nooks in the cliff that provide shelter or protection.

God uses the hyrax is to teach us that we are to build our lives in the protection of The Rock Jesus. Just like the rocks give the hyrax protection, God will give us protection and shelter if we obey him and put him first in our lives! God is our refuge and strength and offers us a place of protection under his wings of love. It is like being hidden in a cave on a high cliff far above the trouble below.

In Proverbs God names another animal that we should learn from; it is a locust Listen to Proverbs 30:27 "the locust have no king, yet they advance together in ranks."

A locust is an insect that can eat his weight in plants everyday! He can survive in any environment. The locust looks like a grasshopper but the two do not act the same. Both have three body parts-- head, thorax, and abdomen.

A locust is like a grasshopper except that it has be ability to swarm. The locust travels in a swarm. A swarm can be between forty and eighty million locust all moving across a field at the same time! A swarm of locust can destroy 423 million plants a day. That means it can destroy a whole crop in a field in just a few minutes.

The locusts teach us an important lesson about working together. They cooperate with one another and move across a field in order. God is showing us that we too need to cooperate with one another and work together well. God made us to be social beings. That is, we will only become all that God wants when we work well in our family, in our school, in a marriage, as well as in the church and with our friends. Learning to be a part of the team is important. God wants us to learn to cooperate with one another like the locust do!

The fourth little animal that God uses as an example to us is the spider. A spider is an arachnid not an insect. It has 8 legs while insects have six. They don’t have antennae while spiders do. Spiders are found on every continent of the world except Antarctica. There are more than 40,000 spies of spiders. They can survive almost anywhere there is food.

They make silk but not all spiders make webs. Those who do spin webs catch their food and enemies. Others wait for their prey to come to them or catch it themselves. The tiny hairs on the legs of the spider feel the movements of their enemy. Did you see that a spider has very strong legs? His eight legs can hold on to almost anything without any problem. They can get around with no problem. They can live anywhere they want to.

Proverbs 30: 28 says "a spider can be caught with the hand yet it is found in kings' palaces." The spider might be small but he is not afraid to go anywhere.

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God wants us to learn from the spider. We should not be afraid because God is with us. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. We do not have to be scared. Instead we can trust God to do big things with our life.

All of us have a choice to make. Will we choose to follow God's Word or go our own foolish way? If we obey God then we will have the great treasure of wisdom. Let's follow the examples of four little creatures and be wise. We can work hard like the ant. Next we can be a wise builder like the hyrax and build our lives on the Rock Jesus. We can learn to cooperate and work together like the locust. And finally we can learn to live fearlessly like the spider!

The Book of Proverbs tells us that wisdom comes in two ways. It is a God-given gift and is also a result of searching. We need to earnestly seek it by diligently studying God’s Word the Bible. His Holy Spirit will then help us to understand what direction we should take.

Remember be wise like the ant, the hyrax, the locust, and the spider!

Review Questions: “More or Less” Preparation: You will need two dice for each team, a marker board and a dry erase marker. Write team names on board and designate a method to record scores. Procedure: Form two teams and give one member of each team two dice. Have each team alternately answer one of the review questions below. To determine the value of the points have the team member roll the dice. If sides 1, 3, or 5 are rolled then those points will be subtracted. If 2, 4, or 6 are rolled then those points are added. The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. Be sure to play long enough for every member of each team to have a review question to answer, 1. Who wrote the book of Proverbs? (King Solomon wrote most of the book of Proverbs.) 2. What is a proverb? (It is a short statement that tells a moral truth that we should live by.) 3. What is the meaning of wisdom? (Wisdom is finding out what you should do and doing it. Wisdom is

more than just knowledge. It is being able to understand things that may not be clear and then doing what is right.)

4. What does Proverbs 1:7 teach us about the source of all wisdom? (This verse means that God is the only One who is wise. So to be wise we must trust God. When we trust God we will have His protection. God promises to help us make wise choices if we will just ask him. Then we will have wisdom!)

5. What promise does God make to his children when they ask for wisdom? (James 1: 5 says “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”)

6. What fun facts about the ant do you know? (Ant is black or red. Ant has six legs. Ants can carry 20 times their own weight! Ants live in colonies. Ants have a queen ant that lays all the eggs. Ants work hard.)

7. What does the ant teach us about how to live wisely? (We are to work hard without being told what to do.)

8. What fun facts about the coney or hyrax do you know? (Hyraxes live in rocky cliffs. Hyraxes are called rock rabbits. Hyraxes eat leaves, bird eggs, insects, grass, fruit, and herbs. Hyraxes are like elephants because they have tusks. Hyraxes have padded toes that help them climb on rocks.)

9. What does the hyrax teach us about how to live wisely? (The hyrax are wise builders. God uses the hyrax is to teach us that we are to build our lives in the protection of The Rock Jesus. Just like the rocks give the hyrax protection, God will give us protection and shelter if we obey him and put him first in our lives!)

10. What fun facts do you know about the locust? (A locust is an insect that can eat his weight in plants everyday! He can survive in any environment. The locust has three body parts-- head, thorax, and abdomen. A locust is like a grasshopper except that it has be ability to swarm. A swarm can be between forty and eighty million locust all moving across a field at the same time! A swarm of locust

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can destroy 423 million plants a day. That means it can destroy a whole crop in a field in just a few minutes.)

11. What does the locust teach us about how to live wisely? (The locust teaches us to learn to live and work together cooperatively.)

12. What fun facts do you know about the spider? (A spider is an arachnid not an insect. It has 8 legs and no antennae. They live everywhere except Antarctic. All spiders spin silk but not all spiders make webs. Those who do spin webs catch their food and enemies. Others wait for their prey to come to them or catch it themselves. The tiny hairs on the legs of the spider feel the movements of their enemy. A spider has very strong legs. They can live anywhere they want to.)

13. What lesson does the spider teach us about how to live wisely? (The spider is not afraid to live anywhere. We should not be afraid. We should not be afraid because God is with us. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. We do not have to be scared. Instead we can trust God to do big things with our life.)

14. What is the most important choice that we have in life? (We can choose to go God’s way or we can choose to go our own selfish way.)

15. What is the memory verse? (Our memory verse is Proverbs 2: 6 “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Target Practice” Our memory verse is Proverbs 2: 6 “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Have students locate the verse in scripture and read together aloud several times. Say: “This verse tells us that God is the source of all wisdom. God is all-knowing and He understands everything. He knows what is best for us. If we seek to know the truth by studying His Word then His Spirit will guide us in making wise decisions. Preparation: You will need Bibles, a large sheet of butcher paper, marker and beanbag. Draw target on butcher paper and print the words of Proverbs 2:6 in separate sections of the target. Number the sections in word order. In an open space on butcher paper draw and number twelve blank lines. Place the target on the floor. Procedure: Children take turns tossing the beanbag onto the target. Children are to say the number and the word written in the section on which the bean bag lands. Print the word on the blank lines with the corresponding number. Continue until all the blank lines are filled in.

Group Learning Activity: “Compass or Map” Object Lesson (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need to bring compasses or maps for the class to see. A picture map is more helpful for younger students to understand. Put the compass and map in a backpack along with other things that could be used on a hike such as a water bottle, trail mix, socks, rope, flashlight, sunglasses, walking stick, etc. Say: “Today we are going to pretend that we are going on a hike. We are going to take a backpack with some items that would be helpful to find our way.” Procedure: Allow children to see and have a hands-on experience with a map and compass. Be sure to point out the features of a compass—needle, gauge with the north, south, east, and west marked; how the compass needle moves then children move around the room. Share what the purpose of a map is. Point out the features of a map—roads, railroads, highways, other features such as pictorial symbols of industry or historical places. (It is generally best to use a map of places and land features that are familiar with your children so they can understand the concept that the map is a drawing of real places.)

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Say: “A compass is an instrument containing a magnetized pointer which shows the direction of magnetic north and bearings from it. A map is a diagram or representation of an area of land or sea showing physical features, cities, roads, etc. These tools help people to find their way if they are entering an unfamiliar town or city. The directions on a map are north is shown going toward the top; south is toward the bottom of the map; east is to the right of the map and west is to the left. A compass and a map are important tools for a hiker to use to find their way to an unfamiliar location. What would happen if a hiker did not have a way to find the directions to a new location? (They would get lost.)” Optional: You might want to use your cell phone and talk about Google maps or other devices that will track location and traffic. Say: “God is our compass or map to help us through our life. He will be our guide. God’s wisdom will help us make right decisions and help us do things God’s way.” Review the memory verse together. Optional: Print each word of the memory verse Proverbs 2: 6 “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” on strips of paper and tape them to the items in the backpack. Instruct the students to line up and run to the backpack. The person must reach into the pack and pull out the item with the first word of the verse on it. The next person must run and pull out the second word. The third person pulls out the third word etc. until the whole verse is displayed on the floor.

Group Learning Activity: “Wisdom” Game (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need index cards and writing pens. Before class write one letter of the word “wisdom” on the front of six cards. On the back, describe situations such as the following:

• You’re not supposed to wear your brother’s clothes without asking first, but you want to borrow his blue sweater for school today, and he’s already gone. What do you do?

• You’re visiting your grandmother. When no one else is in the room, you break a lamp. But no one saw you do it. What do you do?

• Your mom told you never to run in the house. You ran through the family room, fell, and cut your lip. Your mom is comforting you and asks you what happened. What do you say?

• You come home from school, it’s a beautiful day, but you have a lot of homework to do. Your friends want to play. What do you tell them?

• Your mom and dad have told you that it is wrong to smoke cigarettes, but your friends want you to try it. What do you do?

• A stranger comes up to you as you walk home from school and asks you what time it is. What do you say?

Say: “King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. He said that the wisdom comes from God and that we can find it in God’s Word. Today we are going to play a game to help you learn if you have godly wisdom.”

Procedure: Have children sit in a circle. Shuffle the index cards, and then read the situations to children. Discuss several options after each one. Ask kids to answer each question, turn the card over and place it on the floor in order, spelling “wisdom.” After discussing all six of the situations, point out the word “wisdom.” Say: “In our game you chose wise solutions to your problems. King Solomon was a good king because he was wise. Wisdom is a gift from God, and it’s a good thing for all of us to ask for!”

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Group Learning Activity: “God’s Wisdom” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students understand the “rules” that God has given us to obey. Preparation: You will need Bibles, spiritual journal page, pencils or pens. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God’s wisdom is available to all who ask for it and if they live a life using Godly wisdom they will experience great blessing. Today we are going to read some scriptures that deal with God’s wisdom.” Procedure: Have students look up the following scripture. Discuss the meaning of each verse with the group.

• Job 28:28 “And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil

is understanding.” Fear of the Lord means to have respect and reverence for God and to be in awe of his majesty and power. This is the starting point for real wisdom.

• Psalm 37:30 “The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.” When believers read and follow God’s Law then they will be known for their wise and just words.

• Proverbs 3:13 “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding” God desires that we seek after wisdom because he wants to give us the understanding and wisdom to live a truly happy life.

• Proverbs 9:12 “If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.” Wisdom begins with a right relationship with God. When you have that right relationship with God you will be rewarded.

• James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” When difficult trials come we realize that we need God’s help and wisdom. That wisdom is more than just knowing something; it is knowing how to use that knowledge to put things together in a practical way. We simply have to ask God for that ability and He promises to supply it! He gives it to us through His Word the Bible.

• Daniel 2:21 “He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Daniel praises God for His communication to man. Daniel knew that god reveals His great knowledge to His children.

• Luke 2:40 “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.” Jesus grew as other children do. Jesus was perfectly obedient to God. The goodness and grace of God was upon Him and therefore He was filled with godly wisdom.

• 1 Corinthians 1:25 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” God is wiser than men. He brought salvation to us through the death of His Son Jesus. This act may seem foolish to man but it was infinitely wiser and stronger than anything man could do to pay for our eternal life.

• Ephesians 1:17 “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus would have a life that is centered on the purpose of knowing the truth of God as revealed in His Word. This knowledge of the Word would help them know and understand who God is and what His will is for our lives.

• 2 Timothy 3:15 “and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Timothy has been taught the Word of God by his mother and grandmother. Paul encourages him to continue believing and studying God’s Word as it was passed on to him. The continued knowledge of the Word of God would increase Timothy’s faith in God.

Have students record what they have learned about the importance of learning to use their Bibles in their spiritual journals. Challenge students to recite the names of the Books of the Old Testament without any assistance. Encourage them to practice saying the books of the Bible at home.

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Group Learning Activity: “Shield of Wisdom” Game (Grades K-5) Preparation: This game is similar to Dodge Ball. You will need several wadded up sheets of newspaper. Wad up two pieces of paper and wrap them in scotch tape to make a ball. Make as many balls as students in your class. Procedure: Have the children form a circle. One child will stand in the center. The children standing in the circle will try to tag the center person with the paper wads they throw. Once a child has been tagged, he must choose someone to take his place in the center. Choose a volunteer to go first and begin to play. After playing for a while, change the rules. The person in the middle will now be able to choose four other people to act as “human shields.” The children standing in the circle will still try to tag the center person, but the human shields can catch the newspapers and throw them back or hit them out of the way. Now the center person is less likely to get tagged. After a couple of minutes, switch to let someone else be the center person. After playing for a while, stop the game. Ask the children to pick up the newspapers from the floor and sit back down in the circle. Say: “What was it like to be the center person at first? Was it easier for the people in the circle to tag you?” What it was like to be the center person after we allowed the “human shields?” Our enemy, the devil is coming after us with fiery darts. We need God’s protection. Proverbs teaches us that if we will listen to God’s wisdom, we will be protected from the trickery of the enemy and the consequences of bad choices. Say: “Now, imagine the four human shields to be wisdom, instruction, knowledge, and understanding. Our memory Proverbs 2: 6 “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” teaches us that God desires to guide us into the right path. He wants to give us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so we can do what is right!” Say: “Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, left us a treasury of written wisdom. He gave practical insights and guidelines for life in the form of proverbs--short, easy to learn sayings that call a person to action. Proverbs give us priceless instruction to help us to live life the way God designed us to live and to keep us from the foolish tendencies we have to destroy ourselves and others.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Wisdom Sticks” (Grades 4-6) Preparation: You will need wooden craft sticks, decorative tape, duct tape, multi-colored markers, and Bibles. You can use colored craft sticks if desired. Say: “In this lesson we learned how King Solomon asked God to give him the gift of wisdom. We also learned about two kinds of wisdom—God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom. God’s wisdom is knowing God and what His Word tells us about how to live a life that pleases Him. Having God’s wisdom brings true peace and satisfaction. We are going to make craft today that will help us know how to follow God in our day to day lives.” Procedure: Provide each student with several craft sticks and tape. Encourage the students to use the decorative tape, duct tape, and multi-colored markers to decorate their craft sticks. Have students write one of the following references on their “wisdom” stick. Students should look up the reference in their Bible and know what the wisdom for living is. (Students may also think of other scripture references that is wisdom for living. Encourage students to read the book of Proverbs and choose a reference for wisdom.)

• Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

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• Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”

• Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” • Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and

discipline. • Proverbs 11:25 “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others, will himself be

refreshed.” • Proverbs 12: 22 “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” • Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with the wise grows wise but a companion of fools suffers harm.” • Proverbs 14:29 “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays foly.” • Proverbs 16:24 “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” • Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

Encourage the students to take their wisdom sticks home and use them as bookmarks or tape them in their lockers, or carry them in their backpacks to help them remember throughout the day

Craft Learning Activity: “Wise Words” Booklet (Grades K-3) Preparation: Each student will need a printed copy of the “Wise Words” booklet below. You will also need scissors, colored markers, crayons, and a stapler. Procedure: Have children cut apart the page on solid lines and then fold pages on dotted lines. Help students assemble pages in order and then staple pages together near the fold. Have children write their names on the front of the booklets. Have children turn to page 2 in their books and read the bible verse written on that page. Ask the children “When is a time you need to act wisely by telling the truth? Have children draw a picture of that time on page 3. Continue with the other Bible verses in the book. Say: “What wise instruction has your mom or dad or teacher told you? (Look both ways when crossing the street. Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t touch the stove. Read your Bible.) “Who helped Solomon become wise? (God gave him the gift of wisdom.) God tells us that we can ask for wisdom, too.” Read James 1:5 aloud with the class. “How does God help us to become wise? (He gives us instructions in the Bible. He gives us parents and teachers to help us learn His commands. He helps us know the right thing to do.) When might a child your age need wisdom to make a good decision? (When other children want you to do something that your parents have told you not to do. When you are alone and no one is looking. When you feel stressed at school and you feel that you cannot handle the situation.) Help students use the Bible to find the verses that are listed in the booklet:

• Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

• Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”

• Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Wise as an Owl Paper Bag Puppet” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need cardstock or construction paper, colored or brown paper lunch bags, liquid glue or glue stick, scissors, black marker, and the printed owl template below. Print out the owl template below onto colored cardstock or construction paper. If you print the owl template on different colors of cardstock, students can trade the pieces around so their owl can be more colorful.

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Say: What would you ask for if God told you you could have anything? Why do you think Solomon asked for wisdom? Owls are considered wise animals. We will make owls to remind us of Solomon’s wisdom.” Procedure: Distribute the materials to students. Have students cut out the pieces of the owl from the printed colored cardstock. Cut out two beaks. Cut out two pointy ears. Cut out two eyes. Cut the two wings out. Cut out the two feet. If you are using colored paper lunch bags you can have students glue the pieces of the owl to the bag. You can use a plain brown or white paper bag if desired. Students use markers to add feathers or draw other effects on the wings. Have students glue the smaller wings on top of the larger wings. Glue the wings onto the paper bag just under the flap. Glue the ears onto the top of the paper bag. Glue the 2 beaks pieces together at one end. Glue the beak and feet onto the paper bag. Cut the eyes out and glue them above the beak. Use a black marker to add detail to the wings and other parts of your owl puppet. Have students use their wise owl puppets to retell the Bible lesson in their own words.

Craft Learning Activity: “Umbrella of Protection” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need a paper plate, blue beads, paint or colored markers, white string or yarn, hot glue gun or clear transparent tape, black marker, paint brushes, and scissors. Procedure: Cut off the bottom half of your plate and set aside for the handle. Cut the bottom of your larger plate piece in a reverse scallop pattern for the bottom of your umbrella. Using your black marker draw several lines from the top center of your umbrella connecting to each point on the bottom of the umbrella and outline the outside of your umbrella. (See photo.) Paint or color with the markers each section of the umbrella a different color and let dry. Cut the bottom piece of the plate you set aside into a handle for the umbrella and glue to the back bottom center of the umbrella. Cut about seven 10” pieces of yarn and tie 4- 5 blue beads into each strand and double knot the bottom bead on each strand. Turn your umbrella plate over and carefully glue each strand onto the bottom of the umbrella. You can use a glue gun or clear tape.

Say: “God’s gift of wisdom is like an umbrella of protection for us. Just like the umbrella protects us from the rain, God’s wisdom protects us from making wrong decisions. God’s wisdom is found in His Word. We should read and study His Word every day. We should ask the Holy Spirit to help us be obedient to God. Then we will have God’s protection of God’s truth. How foolish it would be to attempt to live apart from the protection that God desires to give us!” Optional: For this craft, you could use a paper baking cup for each child, a pipe cleaner, and crayons or markers. Have the children each color their own design on the outside of the baking cup. Turn it upside down and slide a pipe cleaner through the center. Show them how to make a small loop in the pipe cleaner at the other end to made it look like an umbrella.

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Craft Learning Activity: “God’s Sunglasses of Wisdom” (Grades K-4) Preparation: You will need to print the template below of paper glasses on poster board or cardstock. You will also need scissors, markers, and red or blue cellophane. Stickers and other items of decoration are optional. Procedure: cut out a 6” X 20” piece of poster board for each child. Fold the poster board in half to make a 6” X 10” piece. Use the template as a pattern for the glasses. Make sure the edge of the “nose piece” is on the folded edge of the poster board. Cut out the center hearts. Using small squares of red or blue cellophane, glue onto the inside rim of the glasses. Make sure to leave enough room on the square to glue onto the glasses. Allow the children to decorate the glasses using markers or stickers. You can also have the children write the memory verse Proverbs 2: 6 “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” on the glasses to remind them that as we acknowledge the Lord, He will show us the path on which to walk.

Say: “God loves us and desires that we live a life that is godly. He wants to guide us by revealing His truth to us. He will give us wisdom to see the direction or path that we need to take. We must earnestly seek to know God’s wisdom by studying His Word every day. God promises to give us His Holy Spirit to guide us.”

Life Application Challenge: “Which Path?” Preparation: You will need a large sheet of poster paper and a marking pen. Procedure: Draw two large paths that are large enough to write in that come together at one place. Draw a stick figure or get more artistic if you like to represent us at the fork of the road. At the top of one of the roads write, “The path of wisdom.” At the top of the other road write, “The path of wickedness.” Say: “Here is a crossroads of two paths. One is a life that is obedient to God. The other path is one of selfishness and doing what you want. What would be some examples of things that we would do if we are on the path of obeying God? (Have students give examples and you write these actions on path labeled wisdom.) What would be some examples of things that we would do if we are on the path of wickedness?” (Let students give examples and you write these actions on the path labeled wickedness.) “Which of these paths would you like to follow?” When finished, ask the children to divide up into small groups of two or three and have the children pray for one another that the Lord would help them to always choose the right path. (Do not insist that children pray. Prayer should always be voluntary.) Lead the children in a prayer of thanksgiving for their parents who pass on godly wisdom and especially to God who is the author of wisdom. Pray with children that we would have hearts that are willing to hear and obey God’s wisdom. If any children have not yet responded to the Gospel, give them an opportunity.

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Proverbs 2: 6

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

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Eyeglass Template Place the edge of the “nose piece” is on the folded edge of the 6”x 20” poster board that has been folded in half to make a 6” X 10 piece. Cut out the center hearts.

unit 10: books of poetry ot10.7 proverbs words of wisdom...3 ot10.7 proverbs words of wisdom...

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