The Big, Red Self-Destruct Button - Proverbs Youth Sunday School Lesson

Brief: We bring negative consequences on ourselves when we sin.

(Printable Student Sheet)

Scripture: Proverbs 26:27; 20:17; 22:5; 21:16; 17:11; 18:3; 19:3

 

Read Proverbs 26:27.

What does this verse mean? 

There are consequences, potentially negative consequences, for everything we do.

 

Read Proverbs 20:17.

Why does sinning give us pleasure?  

As humans, born with a sinful nature, we enjoy giving in to our desires. We’re selfish and greedy, and we like to get things without having to give anything up. And we like to see what we can get away with. Sinning is fun, at least for a time.

 

What does Solomon mean when he says we end up with a mouth full of gravel?

The pleasures of sin are short-lived. We do something wrong and then, it’s over, and we realize that the thing we did wasn’t that great after all. We’re not satisfied. It doesn’t make us any happier. We’re right back to where we started.  And we probably feel guilty too.

 

Read Proverbs 22:5 and 21:16.

What happens when we sin? 

We pay the negative consequences. There are thorns and snares waiting for us. If we sin, we’re going to get ourselves into trouble. There’s going to be consequences. We could even end up dying as a result of our sin.

 

What are some examples of how we can die as a result of our sin? 

Smoking leads to lung cancer. Premarital sex leads to STDs. Doing drugs leads to overdose. Losing our temper or offending people leads to fights.

 

Read Proverbs  17:11.

What is this verse saying will happen to us if we continue to sin?  

We could get ourselves in trouble with the authorities. Society makes rules for a reason, and if we are breaking those rules, we will not be allowed to get away with it. The police will stop us. Or we could apply this to a job situation. If we’re doing something we’re not supposed to at work, we’ll be disciplined for it. The same thing happens at home or school. Our parents and teachers are the authorities there. If we’re doing things we shouldn’t, we’re going to be punished.

 

Read Proverbs 18:3.

When we sin, who has contempt for whom? When we sin, who is disgraced? 

This verse points out that those who do wrong are looked down upon or disliked or even worse.  How do we feel about Hitler?  How do we feel about someone who always lies to us?  How do we feel about someone who’s always bragging or making fun of others?  One of the consequences of sin is that others learn not to like us very well. They will have contempt for us, and we will be in disgrace.

 

Read Proverbs 19:3.

When we sin, who should we blame for the negative consequences? 

Our first reaction when we find ourselves dealing with the consequences of our sin is to get mad at God or our parents or teachers or the policeman or our boss or someone else, just as long as it’s not us. But as we have seen throughout this lesson, we are the only ones to blame for the negative consequences of our sin.  We are the ones who dug the pit so that we could fall into it.

We’re the ones who rolled the stone so that it could roll back on us. If we don’t want trouble, we shouldn’t start it. Then, we won’t have to worry about feeling empty after our sin and feeling guilty and having negative consequences and getting in trouble and having people not like us.

How Do I Get Wisdom? - Proverbs Youth Sunday School Lesson

Brief: We get wisdom by humbling ourselves and asking God to teach us.

(Printable Student Sheet)

Recap

We learned last time that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. If we respect God’s sovereignty and understand the fact that He has the authority to tell us how life should be, and if we obey God, then that will be the first step toward becoming wise.

And we learned that when we pursue wisdom, we get a lot of benefits out of it. We don’t sin as much or make as many mistakes, so we don’t have to suffer through as many consequences. We make better decisions on how to spend our time and our money, and we reap the benefit of that by having more time for what really matters and being a little better off financially. We make better decisions on how to treat our bodies and so, we usually live longer.

But how are supposed to get wisdom? We know it starts with respecting God, but what is the next step?

 

Scripture: 1 Kings 3:4-28; Proverbs 11:2; 2:1-6; 22:15; 3:11-12

 

Read 1 Kings 3:4-28.

How did Solomon get his wisdom? 

He asked God for it, and God gave it to him.

 

And after he prayed, how long did it take for Solomon to become wise?

It seems pretty immediate. After he prayed, the very next thing we hear about is his ruling concerning the two women and the baby.

God begins to give us wisdom as soon as we ask Him for it. Obeying God and asking Him to give us wisdom are the first steps.

 

Read Proverbs 11:2. 

Why is it necessary for us to be humble, rather than prideful, in order to become wise? 

When we are prideful, we think that we know everything already.  We don’t think we need anybody to teach us anything, not even God. So, if the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and we don’t think God can teach us anything, we can’t become truly wise because we lack the fear of the Lord. The person who is humble knows that they have a lot to learn, and they are willing to let God and other people teach them.

 

Why does disgrace come with pride? 

Because when we think we already know everything, that just shows how we little we do know.  When we rely on our own knowledge and reasoning rather than on God’s wisdom, we’re bound to get some things wrong. We’re bound to be disgraced because we didn’t start our thinking process properly with the fear of the Lord and letting God teach us.

 

Read Proverbs 2:1-6.

How do we get wisdom? 

By listening to our parents (and those wiser than us) and searching for it.

Wisdom is something we have to work for. We have to pursue it and be humble enough to pay attention to people who have it. It usually doesn’t happen miraculously, and it’s not going to happen automatically. We have to pursue it and pay attention when it’s being given to us.

 

What are some things we can do to pursue wisdom? 

Go to church and Sunday School or Bible studies. Listen to Christian teachers and spend time in God’s Word. Read books by Christian authors and find out what they’ve learned about God and about life. Pursue it. Search for it. Pay attention to it.

 

Read Proverbs 22:15.

How does discipline help us?

Discipline helps us learn our lessons. Our parents discipline us because they love us. Some parents discipline us because they’re annoyed at us and our behavior is bothering them, but discipline should be done out of love. They wanted us to learn our lessons and be good people and wanted to keep us from suffering bad consequences of getting in trouble or doing something destructive to ourselves.

 

Read  Proverbs 3:11-12.

Why does God discipline us?

God punishes us because He loves us, and He wants us to learn from our mistakes.

 

How can we know when God is punishing us for something we did wrong? How do we know that something bad happening to us isn’t just a coincidence that doesn’t have anything to do with what we did?

We can’t know one hundred percent when God is punishing us. But when something negative is happening to us, we can learn to ask ourselves some questions. We can ask ourselves what brought this on. “Was there anything I did to make this happen? Was there something I could have done differently, or was there a better decision I could have made to avoid this negative thing happening to me right now?” We should always look at those that are happening in our lives and ask ourselves what God might be trying to tell us through them and remember those things for next time.

 

So, we get wisdom by:

Asking for it

Being humble enough to learn from God and others

Pursuing it by spending time in God’s Word, listening to Christian teachers, and reading Christian books

Paying attention to our circumstances and learning from our mistakes

Wisdom - What Is It and What Can It Do For Me? - Proverbs Youth Sunday School Lesson

Brief: Wisdom has its benefits.

(Printable Student Sheet)

 

Authorship of Proverbs: The Book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, most of which were originally written by King Solomon.  They were then supplemented with the later teachings of King Lemuel and an individual named Agur, both of whom are unknown to us except by their contributions to Proverbs.  King Hezekiah is accredited with compiling and editing the book.

 

Intro Question

What is wisdom? What does it mean to be wise?

Knowing what is right. Doing what is right. Understanding how things work.

 

Scripture: Proverbs 9:10; 8:1-21, 32-36; 3:13-26

 

Read Proverbs 9:10.

What is the fear of the Lord?  Why does wisdom have to start with the fear of the Lord?

Fearing God is recognizing His awesome power and perfection.  We acknowledge that God exists, that He knows how life should be (He created it), and that He has the right to impose standards on us and punish those who do not obey His standards.

To avoid punishment, we obey Him. But in obeying God, we also come to realize what God already knows: that going against the way things were created to be leads to trouble. (Give examples of sin/bad choices and show how they illustrate wisdom. Smoking is unwise and leads to health problems because our bodies were not created to inhale smoke, nor drink alcohol to excess or do drugs. That’s why God says not to do it. Having sex outside of marriage leads to unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and broken hearts. Gossiping about someone leads to hurt feelings and broken relationships.)

The person who fears God and obeys Him avoids all these things. They are wise because they know and do what is right.

 

Read Proverbs 8:1-21, 32-36.

What are the characteristics of wisdom?  What is it like?

Trustworthy, right (verse 6)

True (verse 7)

Just (verse 8)

Upright (verse 9)

Precious (verse 11)

Lives with prudence, possesses knowledge and discretion (verse 12)

Hates pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech (verse 13)

Possesses counsel, sound judgment, insight, and power (verse 14)

Helps rulers govern (verses 15-16)

Loves those who love it and is found by those who seek it (verse 17)

Possesses riches and honor (verse 18)

Gives results better than gold or silver (verse 19)

Bestows a rich inheritance on those who love it (verse 21)

 

What does having wisdom do for you?

Gives riches and honor (verse 18)

Bestows a rich inheritance (verse 21)

Gives life and favor from the Lord (verse 35)

 

How does having wisdom give us wealth? 

Wisdom teaches us to be hard-working versus lazy and how to make good decisions about what to spend money on rather than being impulsive, wasteful, or frivolous.

 

What happens when we don’t listen to wisdom? 

We harm ourselves and find death (verse 36). Negative consequences happen because we are not acting in accordance with how God designed life to be.

 

Read Proverbs 3:13-26.

What does this passage say are the benefits of having wisdom?

Long life, riches, and honor (verse 16)

Blessings (verse 18)

Safety (verse 23)

Not feeling afraid (verses 24-25)

What is the Holy Spirit Like? Youth Sunday School Lesson

The Holy Spirit

What is the Holy Spirit?

What is the Holy Spirit like?

What does the Holy Spirit do?

John 14:15-17 - ¹⁵"If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 14:25-26 - ²⁵"All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - ²¹Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²²set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

1 Corinthians 3:16 - ¹⁶Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

Galatians 5:16-25 - ¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.    ¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

What is God Like? Youth Sunday School Lesson

Intro Activity: Your God Is Too Small discussion starter using word association

First, try a word association test with the group. Have the kids give back to you the first word that comes into their minds when you say a word. You might have them write their word associations down on paper. Then you can read them back. Example: cat, boy, movie, red, home, sex, God (always end up with God—pointing out the different responses)

Lesson: Next, discuss descriptions of God with the students. Possible questions include:

• What does it mean that we are created “in His image?” Does he look like us?
• What does God do all day long?
• What might He look like if He appeared to us in the flesh?
• Does God have a sense of humor?
• What would you do if you were God?
• Why doesn’t God fix the world’s problems?

 

Continue with these rhetorical questions:

• Is your God a “family heirloom?” Do you only believe in God because your parents do?
• Do you think of God as being like Santa Claus, just someone to give you things?
• Is He a “nice old man” like a grandfather that thinks your perfect?
• Is your God a disappointment to you?
• Is your God just someone to blame when things go wrong?

Finally, define what God is:

 

He is all-powerful—the Creator of the universe. 

Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

He remains the same.

Psalm 102:25-27 - In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

He always tells the truth.

Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

God is just and fair.

Romans 2:6-11 - ⁶God "will give to each person according to what he has done." ⁷To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. ⁸But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. ⁹There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; ¹⁰but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ¹¹For God does not show favoritism.

He is all loving.

1 John 4:16 - And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

 

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

He accepts you as you are.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 - Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

Closing Activity: God Is Like... pencil and paper; finish the phrase based on your ideas about God’s nature and character. If someone asked you to describe God, what would you say? In small groups (or individually) have kids list on paper more creative, current descriptions of God beginning with this statement:  “God is like....” You could base some of the ideas on advertising slogans such as “God is like Coke...he’s the real thing,” or “God is like Allstate...you’re in good hands with him,” After 10 minutes have each group read its description and contrast and compare results.