Leader Guide

Teaching

Have a child select the first Signpost card and read it aloud. Tape the card to the wall or prop it up so children can see it. Lead a discussion with the information below. Repeat for the two remaining Signpost cards. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Signpost 1 Wise and Obedient

Solomon is known as one of the wisest people who ever lived. His wisdom is a signpost to the person who is the very wisest: Jesus, the Son of God. The Bible tells us that when Jesus was a child, He grew in wisdom and in stature. He also grew in favor with God and people. (See Luke 2:52.) We should want to grow in the same ways!

Before King David died, what did he tell Solomon to do? Observe the requirements of the Lord and follow the ways of the Lord.

Solomon listened to his father and asked God for wisdom and something else. Do you remember what else he asked God for? To teach him the difference between right and wrong.

Yes; Solomon wanted to be obedient to God, as his father desired.

The word for wisdom in the Bible can be defined as a listening heart or an obedient heart. Solomon connected wisdom and obedience. Jesus made the same connection. He said that if you love Him, you will keep His commandments. He also said that He would send the Holy Spirit to help us and show us what is true. In the SuperVerse today, Jesus said that anyone who listens to His teaching and follows it is wise.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

1 Kings 3:12:

“I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!”

Luke 2:52:

Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

1 Kings 3:9:

“Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern Your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

John 14:15b–17 (cev):

¹⁵ “If you love Me, you will do as I command. ¹⁶Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. ¹⁷The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don’t see or know Him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you.”

Matthew 7:24:

“Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”

Signpost 2 Everyone Needs Wisdom

God was pleased when Solomon chose to ask for wisdom instead of selfish things. Because of this, God gave him wisdom and a lot more! Jesus tells us that if we put God’s kingdom first and live righteously, He will give us all we need. Solomon humbly confessed to the Lord that he needed help to govern God’s people. He said he felt like a little child who didn’t know which way to go. Everyone needs God’s wisdom. The Bible tells us that wisdom will guard us and protect us. Wisdom is so important that the Bible says that getting it is the wisest thing we can do! In today’s Bible story, when did the people of Israel recognize that King Solomon was filled with God’s wisdom? When he decided which woman was the true mother.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

1 Kings 3:10–14:

¹⁰The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. ¹¹So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing My people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—¹²I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!¹³And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!¹⁴ And if you follow Me and obey My decrees and My commands as your father,

Proverbs 4:7:

Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.

1 Kings 3:28:

When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

Matthew 6:33:

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

class="student_answers">Signpost 3 Wisdom Is Knowing Jesus!

Would you like to know the best way to find wisdom? The answer is to know Jesus! The Bible tells us that Jesus is the key to God’s mystery. All wisdom and knowledge are hidden away in Him! Jesus tells us that whoever listens to His teaching will increase in understanding and have an abundance of knowledge. So, the more we get to know Jesus, the more wisdom we receive from Him. It is important to remember, Jesus wasn’t just a wise person. The Bible tells us that for our benefit, God made Jesus wisdom itself!

God’s wise plan was to send Jesus into the world to die for us on the cross. Jesus chose to sacrifice His own life to pay the price for all of our sins. Then God raised Him from the dead to give us new life. Jesus makes us right with God: pure, holy and free from sin. Whoever believes in Jesus and accepts God’s plan to save us receives eternal life. Now, that is true wisdom!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Colossians 2:2–3 (cev):

² I do it to encourage them. Then as their hearts are joined together in love, they will be wonderfully blessed with complete understanding. And they will truly know Christ. Not only is He the key to God’s mystery, ³but all wisdom and knowledge are hidden away in Him.

1 Corinthians 1:25a:

This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans.

John 11:25–26 (cev):

²⁵Jesus then said, “I am the One who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in Me will live, even if they die. ²⁶And everyone who lives because of faith in Me will never really die. Do you believe this?”

1 Corinthians 1:30:

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin.

Now, let’s move on to the Discipleship Challenge.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the model craft of the Mag-Sys. Give a Mag-Sys Pattern to any children who missed Lessons 1 and 2 so they can complete the craft at home.

What was our challenge last time? Praying for wisdom when you make choices.

Did anyone remember to pray for wisdom, and what happened when you did?

Part of your challenge was to read and discuss Proverbs 4:23:

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

What do you think it means to guard our hearts? To protect our minds and hearts from anything that isn’t pleasing to the Lord. To use wisdom in all we do so we don’t stray from God’s path and plan for our lives.

Hold up the Mag-Sys model craft and have a child open Door 3 and read the words aloud: I will use wisdom with my actions: Proverbs 24:3.

Your new challenge is to use wisdom in your actions and in all you do. Wise actions can bring glory to God when we act in a godly way or do good deeds for others. Read and discuss Proverbs 24:3 with your family if possible. Then ask God to help you put His wisdom into action each day to bring glory to Him! As we learned, Jesus said that wise people not only listen to His teachings—what else do they do? They follow and obey His teachings, too. (See Matthew 7:24.)

So let’s continue to pray for wisdom, to ask God to help us make wise choices, and build our lives on His Word by following His teachings.