Wisdom Sunday School Lesson
Wisdom Sunday School Lesson for Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
God is the ultimate source of wisdom.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn to seek God's wisdom when making life choices.
KEY PASSAGE:
Psalm 119:105, 1 Kings 3. King Solomon asks for wisdom.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” - Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
We all face tough choices in life, and sometimes it’s hard to know the right thing to do. Thankfully, we can go to God and receive the wisdom we need to make the right choices.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us the Bible. Teach us to bring our tough choices to you, and give us the wisdom we need to make the right choice.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
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MEMORY VERSE
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” - Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.” - Psalm 119:105 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Put the verse on the big screen and read it aloud with the kids.
SMALL GROUP:
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
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SKIT
THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT
ITEMS NEEDED:
An iPhone
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
1M, 1F (voice)
CHARACTERS:
Todd- A kid in trouble
Siri- The voice on Todd’s phone
Todd enters, wearing a backpack. He pulls out his phone and pushes a button to talk to it.
TODD: Siri, are you there?
SIRI: I am here, Todd. How can I help?
TODD: I need help. It's an emergency.
SIRI: Would you like me to alert 911 to your location and the nature of your emergency?
TODD: No, not that kind of emergency. But my parents are going to kill me.
SIRI: I will alert police that a murder is going to take place.
TODD: No, no, they're not really going to kill me. They're just going to be mad.
SIRI: There are more than thirty anger management groups available in your area.
TODD: That's not what I need. I need help making a tough choice.
SIRI: Would you like to download the Magic 8-Ball app?
TODD: No! I need an app to get me out of danger!
SIRI: I have an app with hints to help you play Danger Run.
TODD: Not that kind of help. What do you do when you can't go home and face your parents?
SIRI: There are more than 300 hotels within a twenty-mile radius. Would you like me to make a reservation?
TODD: I don't have that kind of money.
SIRI: I can help you apply for a Visa card. Would you like to start an application?
TODD: Really? You can get me a credit card?
SIRI: I can.
TODD: But I'm just a kid.
SIRI: I have an app for everything.
TODD: You do, huh? Then find an app that'll tell a kid what to do when he's in big trouble at school and at home. He's got no defense for what he did, and he's going to pay big time.
SIRI: There are more than twenty thousand attorneys in your city. Would you like me to contact one?
TODD: I don't need a lawyer. I don't need an app. I need help.
SIRI: Sounds like you need wisdom.
TODD: Wisdom. Yeah. You got an app for that?
SIRI: As a matter of fact, I do.
TODD: Let's see it.
SIRI: It's already on your phone, between Fandango and Angry Birds Space.
TODD: The Bible? How's that going to help me?
SIRI: The same way it has helped people for thousands of years.
TODD: Go on.
SIRI: If you have hurt someone, there's a verse for that. If you have trouble with authority, there's a verse for that. If you have a tough choice to make, there's an app for that.
TODD: That's all in the Bible?
SIRI: It's all there. No in-app purchases necessary.
TODD: That's impossible! Â
SIRI: No, but I have a new Mission: Impossible trivia app.
TODD: I don't need another game. I need help.
SIRI: I'm telling you, Todd, the Bible has a verse for anything you need.
TODD: Anything?
SIRI: Anything.
TODD: Does it have a verse to teach me how to surf?
SIRI: Try looking in the book of Dude-eronomy.
TODD: Did you just make a joke?
SIRI: Yes I did.
TODD: That was a good one.
SIRI: I have 6000 more apps about jokes. Would you like one?
TODD: Maybe later. I think I'll give this Bible app a try.
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OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
Board game with instructions
Choose a board game the kids probably don't know, like an old school classic such as the Mad Magazine game. Have it set up, and ask the kids how they think the game is played.
Some things in life don't really require directions. Your moms and dads can probably pull a new appliance out and plug it in without giving it a glance. But when it comes to board games, it's a little harder. Each game has different pieces - tokens, characters, spinners, dice, cards. Some even have houses, hotels, and murder weapons. The best place to start, if you're trying to learn a new game, is to read the directions. They tell you step by step how to set up the game, how to start, how to play, and how it ends.
Board games are full of strategy, choices, and chance. So is life. And when life presents you with a tough choice, it's good to know where we can go for instructions.
God, our creator, is the source of all wisdom. He made Solomon the wisest ruler in history, and that same wisdom can be ours if we ask for it. We can go to God in prayer, seek the counsel of more mature Christians, and we can go to the Bible, a book that has a verse for everything.
Over the next several weeks we'll be looking at a few verses that cover some of life's tough choices. Some of you may even find the wisdom you need for a choice you're facing right now. Some of you may be facing different choices. It doesn't matter how big or how hard your choice is, there IS a verse for that. Read the instructions, and you will find the wisdom you seek.
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LARGE GROUP GAME
PBJ RACERS
ITEMS NEEDED:
Two jars peanut butter
Two jars of jelly
Two loaves of bread
Dull knives and spoons
Two blindfolds
INSTRUCTIONS:
This is a game for two teams of two. Set both teams up at separate tables. One teammate will wear a blindfold and assemble the sandwich. The other teammate's job is to talk them through the process - tell them how to find the ingredients, when they have enough on the bread, etc. The second teammate cannot touch the first teammate or any of the items on the table, even if they fall on the floor. The first team to fully assemble a sandwich wins.
VARIATION:
For younger kids, use a non-sharp spreader for the peanut butter. You may want to eliminate the jelly to make the game easier and quicker.
For older kids, you could make it a beauty contest vs. a timed contest. Whoever makes the prettiest plate of peanut butter and jelly sandwich wins.
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LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
God is the ultimate source of wisdom.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn to seek God's wisdom when making life choices.
KEY PASSAGE:
Psalm 119:105. King Solomon asks for wisdom.
1 Kings 3. I lean towards this story not being appropriate for elementary age kids.  I think it’s still possible to teach about Solomon’s wisdom without the use of this story.
INTRO
It's hard for most of you to remember a time before smartphones, but believe it or not, just a few years ago, no one had a phone that could surf the web, send email, and run apps. All of that changed when Apple introduced the iPhone. Apple founder, Steve Jobs, completely reimagined how people would use their phones, and the first iPhone was a revolution.
One of the biggest innovations was the app, a piece of software that can run games, work programs, and other programs right on your phone. Steve Jobs envisioned a phone that would have an app for every purpose. In fact, as his software and hardware developers worked on the device, he coined a phrase that became a commercial slogan - "There's an app for that."
If you want to play music, there's an app for that. If you want to play games, there's an app for that. If you want to learn about dinosaurs, there's an app for that.
That's the inspiration for our new se
ries, "There's a verse for that!" For every moment, every challenge, every choice we make in life, we're going to see that God has a verse for that in the Bible, beginning with today’s verse from Psalms.
READ Psalms 119:105
We can rely on God’s Word to help us make wise choices and live for God. Today’s story is a good reminder that when we have tough choices to make, there's only one place to go.
READ 1 Kings 3:3-15
Solomon was the son of King David. He was a good man who loved God. God was pleased with Solomon's heart, and he offered to give Solomon anything he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom to make the right choices and be a good king. Because he made that wise request, God made him the wisest man to ever live.
READ 1 Kings 3:16-28
Solomon was so wise, rulers from across the world came to visit him, just to learn from him. They brought him gold and wealth and riches, making him not only the wisest but wealthiest king on Earth. At the end of his life, though, Solomon wisely saw that these things were nothing compared to God.
READ Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
MAIN POINT
Solomon could have had anything he wanted. He could have gone for more money, more power, more of anything. Solomon's request for wisdom shows he was already a very wise man, and he couldn't have gone to a better source than God.
God is our Creator. He is the one who made us and the world around us. He sent his son Jesus to live as a man and die for our sins. There is no choice, no situation, no scenario God has not seen or faced a thousand times before. There is no better source for wisdom than the God who gave us the Bible.
DRIVE IT HOME
There are a number of ways to seek wisdom from God. Like Solomon, we can go to God directly in prayer. When we are faced with tough choices, the best thing to do is to get alone, clear your mind, and focus on Christ. Pour your heart out to God, let him know what choice you're facing. He already knows, but he still wants you to bring it to him so that he can help you make the best choice.
Another way to find wisdom is to ask someone you know and trust. The best people to ask are parents, teachers, pastors, someone older who can guide you in making the best choice. That's one reason so many people, including the Queen of Sheba, came to see Solomon. They wanted to learn from someone who had more wisdom than they!
Finally, don't forget to open your Bible. This whole series, we will be opening the Bible to ask tough questions. What do you do when you've wronged someone? When someone's wronged you? Do you always have to tell the truth? How do you handle temptation? Every answer you need is right here. Big or small, whatever choice you are facing, there's a verse for that.
There's a verse for every question we have because God, in his wisdom, gave us this book. The same source of wisdom Solomon met in his dream is available to us here in this book. God didn't just tell us to do the right thing and leave us on our own. We have his Son, and we have his word. Whatever tough choices you face in life, God has an answer. There's a verse for that.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us the Bible. Teach us to bring our tough choices to you, and give us the wisdom we need to make the right choice.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
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SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER
Who is the wisest person you have ever met?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Psalm 119:105
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids act out the scene in Solomon's throne room with the two feuding mothers.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read 1 Kings 3:3-15
Who was Solomon?
What did Solomon ask for?
What did God say he would give Solomon?
Read 1 Kings 3:16-28
How did Solomon know who the baby's mother was?
Where can we get wisdom like Solomon?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us the Bible. Teach us to bring our tough choices to you, and give us the wisdom we need to make the right choice.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
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SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER
Who is the wisest person you have ever met? What wisdom did they give you? Â
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Psalm 119:105
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids act out the scene in Solomon's throne room with the two feuding mothers.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read 1 Kings 3:3-15
Why do you think Solomon asked for wisdom?
Why did God promise Solomon wealth and riches in addition to wisdom?
Read 1 Kings 3:16-28
How would you have made a decision in this case, if you didn't already know the outcome?
Why did Solomon order the baby to be cut in half?
Read Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
How did Solomon feel about all his riches?
How can we gain the same kind of wisdom that Solomon had?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us the Bible. Teach us to bring our tough choices to you, and give us the wisdom we need to make the right choice.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
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For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Wisdom Children's Ministry Lesson (just click the link).Â
Here's a video from Saddleback kids that you might find helpful to go along with your Sunday School Lesson on Wisdom.
Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a Wisdom Sunday School Lesson:Â
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Free Children's Sunday School Resources - The BibleÂ
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Lesson: Walk in Wisdom ("Walk" Series – Part 1)
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The Wisdom of Solomon Sunday School Lesson
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