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LESSON 11: WISDOM IS AS WISDOM DOES

Character and a good name are built, not with increasing knowledge, but rather one choice at a time, one action at a time, one day at time. If you’ve ever learned to type you remember the hunt and peck phase. Struggling to not look down at your fingers, wearing out the backspace key, and breaking the auto-correct on your computer. If your work has forced you to keep at it, day in and day out, over any length of time, your fingers are now likely flying over the keys as you bang out emails, reports, and social media posts. You may even be able to carry on a conversation with someone while looking at them and still be typing. How did you get there? You learned to type by typing. Think also of a child learning to walk and then consider the ease and agility of an athlete. Good teaching and a pursuit of knowledge are important, but remember Jesus’ words, “the one who hears these words of mine, AND puts them into action, he is like a man who built his house upon the rock.”

Similarly, you can gain knowledge about prayer, but you will only learn to pray by praying, to share your faith by sharing your faith, to spend time in the Word by spending time in the Word, to serve by serving. Our weak efforts to put his Word into action are taken by God, empowered by his Spirit, and turned into something more. Are we encouraging the young people of the church to actively exercise their knowledge, whether a little or a lot, in a way that honors God? It is through this exercise that they will grow in wisdom and stature, and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).

I want to leave us with a hard question. Are we leading the children by example? Can it be said of us, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). Can we tell the children, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). By God’s grace I pray that we will not be found wanting, that we will be able to look at our spiritual children and say with the apostle John, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

BIG IDEA: Wisdom is shown in our actions.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Proverbs 20:11-20
1 Timothy 4:12
Hebrews 13:7
1 Corinthians 11:1
Philippians 4:9

SECTION VERSE:
Then you will understand what is  right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. – Proverbs 2:9-10

LESSON VERSE:
Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright? – Proverbs 20:11

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• Read and discuss Prov. 20:11 and 1 Timothy 4:12.
• What is character? How is it formed?
• Why is important to form good habits while you are young?
• Who helps you to live wisely? Who gives you that power? (2 Peter 1:1-8)
• How can you be an example to older Christians?

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ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

LESSON 10: A WISE FRIEND

There are two lessons that we’d like to teach the children in this Quest. The first is how to be a friend worth choosing. The second is to choose their friends wisely. One of my favorite examples of
friendship from scripture is that of David and Jonathan. Jonathan proved to be a friend worth choosing. His loyalty, bravery, integrity, and love for David even unto death are characteristics we can all admire and seek to emulate. David chose his friend wisely and did not forget him after he was gone. “Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” – 2 Samuel 9:1. David then took Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s disabled son, and brought him into his house and treated him as family. It doesn’t stretch credulity to think that perhaps David himself shared these words of wisdom with his own son Solomon, “A friend loves at all times,” and “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another,” as he reflected back on his friendship with Jonathan.

We want our kids to have a godly desire to be, and seek God’s grace to be, that kind of friend. A friend who leads others on good paths, spurs others on to faith and good works, speaks words that edify, is loyal and reliable, looks out for their friends, brings out the best in others, and loves at all times with the sacrificial love of Christ.

Equally important is that our children wisely choose this kind of friend for themselves. How many of us have used this phrase of a young person gone astray: “He/she fell in with the wrong crowd”? Don’t misunderstand, Jesus was a friend to sinners and so should we be. However, there is a qualitative difference between the unbelieving friend, to whom you can be a witness for Christ, and a close friend with whom you have fellowship in Christ, share your deepest struggles, and depend upon to correct you when you need it. The latter must be chosen very carefully. The warnings are plenty.

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin” (Prov. 18:24), “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person…or you may learn their ways” (Prov. 22:24-25). “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor. 15:33). When it comes to choosing close friends we need to help the children develop a godly vision for choosing wisely.

BIG IDEA: Wisdom chooses friends carefully.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Proverbs 18:24, 27:5-6, 22:24-25
1 Corinthians 15:33

SECTION VERSE:
Then you will understand what is  right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. – Proverbs 2:9-10

LESSON VERSE:
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. – Proverbs 17:17

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• Read and discuss Prov. 17:9-22.
• What is a friend?
• Who is your closest friend? Why?
• What does God say makes for a good friend? Not good friend?
• How can you become a good friend? (Spend time with the best friend, Jesus, in His Word and in prayer).

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.