Wisdom Rules

PowerPoints – JETS Sabbath School – Discussion Guide

STARTWARMER Questions: (what’s a StartWarmer?)
What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever made?
Who is the wisest person you know? Have you ever seen them struggle with a decision?
What is strategy have you learned for making good decisions?

POWER TEXT: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13)

BIBLE STORY - Solomon: 1 Kings 3:16-28
Where was the moment of Wisdom in this story? (Not when the women replied – that was obvious.)
Compare: other kings kept records of their good decisions. Solomon’s scribes are doing the same. But, when other kings threatened to divide a person in half, it was from frustration/anger with the people involved. How did Solomon show wisdom (he knew the nature of the women; that they would both back down – one gave the baby away to keep it alive, the other gave it away to keep it out of her enemy’s hands). His moment of wisdom was when Solomon decided to use a ruthless threat to reveal a mother’s love.

ACTIVITY: Wisdom like Solomon (discuss in groups, report back)
1. Two students are claiming that the watch you have found is theirs. To whom should you give it?
2. Your school lunch is being stolen from your locker each day. You have told the teachers, but they say there is nothing they can do until they find that person. How can you help discover who this is?
3. You see the boy who sits next to you at school using a small paper with the test answers written on it during a test. How can you be fair to him and to the other students taking the test?

Building Wisdom: “STORM Co” means? – Service to Others Really Matters… HOW MUCH?
When others think differently than you, how do you respond? How important it is to be right?
Which shows wisdom: knowing the answer, or protecting others?
Is it more important to be right or to be kind?

ACTIVITY – Daily Circle: Have the students draw a large circle on a sheet of paper. Under the circle they will write the sentence “Jesus wants me to be fair in serving others.” Say: This circle represents a day in your life. Divide the circle into a pie chart that represent the way you spent your time last Thursday. (worship, driving, eating, school, study, work, recreation, relaxation, etc.)
Once they have finished, ask them to choose 2 colours of marking pen. Next to the circle write “Current Care” in one colour. Have them colour over bits of each division in the pie chart when they were serving others. Then in the other colour write “Future Care” and colour in the extra amount of time you would like to spend in caring for others.

BIBLE STUDY – Romans 14:1-23   Read the entire chapter around the room.
Pause after verse 1, 4, 5, 10, 12, 18, 23 and ask the appropriate questions below:
(NOTE: Try to be honest to the text while teaching this! If it makes you uncomfortable, good. Explore that!)
ASK: What is this saying? What is it teaching? Why is this important?
After verse 23: What would your friendships be like if you treated service to others as more important than your need to be right? How does this kind of Wisdom lead new people toward the Kingdom of God?
How does this value on relationships develop friendships with those who think differently than you? Why are these friendships important to God? (HE LOVES THEM and wants them in His Kingdom.)

It is eternally important to God that our relationships are strong with family and friends. Our convictions are to be kept private because they are between us and God. All we should have between us and people is love, kindness, mercy, generosity and friendship. WHY? Because this draws people toward our wonderful God and His amazing Kingdom!

POWER TEXT: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13)