King Solomon left quite a legacy. He was known for being the son of King David, for building the Lord’s temple, and he was incredibly rich and famous. But Solomon is most known for being the wisest man to have ever lived. Solomon wasn’t born with incredible wisdom, and he didn’t spend years reading books and going to school until he became the wisest man. Solomon’s wisdom demonstrates our Finish Line this week! God gives us wisdom when we ask.
WISDOM: An Understanding of God's Truth That Guides My Actions
MEMORY VERSE: “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere." JAMES 3:17 (NLT)__
This Week’s Finish Line: God Gives Us Wisdom When We Ask
If God asked you, “What do you want? You can ask for anything and I will give it to you!” What would you ask for? Did you know God actually asked someone this?! Yep, that’s right. His name was Solomon, and he was the next king of Israel, after his father, David. Solomon was a pretty new king, and one night in a dream, God appeared to him and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon asked for wisdom, and God was pleased about it. Solomon’s request for wisdom showed that he wanted to be a good leader and knew he couldn’t do that without God’s help. He didn’t ask for money or power or to be famous. Instead, he asked for wisdom, and God gave Solomon wisdom when he asked.
Family Questions:
READ 1 KINGS 3:3-9
- How did God talk to Solomon? (In a dream) What did God tell Solomon he could ask for? (Anything he wanted)
- Look at verses 7-9. What did Solomon ask for? (Wisdom) Why did he ask for wisdom? (He was humble and knew he was young and didn’t have all the answers. He knew he needed God’s wisdom to help lead the people of Israel well.)
READ 1 KINGS 3:10-15
- What was the Lord’s response to Solomon’s request? (He was pleased when Solomon asked for wisdom and gave it to him.) Why was God pleased when Solomon asked Him for wisdom? (Solomon’s request wasn’t selfish. He didn’t ask to be rich and famous. He realized he needed God and couldn’t rule a country by himself.)
- What else did God give Solomon besides wisdom? (Riches and honor and power) Does this mean we’ll always get riches and power when we ask God for wisdom? (No. God doesn’t guarantee this to every person who asks. However, God is good and loves us so He will give us what we need.
Bring it Home Conversations & Activities:
- Check out our vision for parents and how to use these activities each week.
Teacher: Meal Time
READ JAMES 1:5, PROVERBS 3:5-6, HEBREWS 4:16
- What do these verses tell you about asking God for wisdom? (If we ask, He will gladly give us wisdom. Trust the Lord’s wisdom for everything. We can come to Him and boldly ask Him for what we need.)
- What is one situation you are in that you need Godly wisdom for right now? After each person shares, pray together as a family and ask God for wisdom for the situations you just talked about.
Friend: Drive Time
Talk about where else you might be tempted to search for wisdom other than God. (Unwise friends, media/tv/movies/games, famous people, people who don’t follow God) Talk about when you are most tempted to “depend on your own understanding,” instead of trusting in God and asking Him for wisdom (Proverbs 3:5 NLT) Parents: share a story from your life.
Counselor: Bedtime
God talked to Solomon in a dream. How can you and I talk to God? (In prayer) When and how often can we pray? (We can talk to God anytime!) How does it make you feel knowing you can talk to the Creator of the universe anytime you want? Spend time talking to Him now, before you go to sleep.
Coach: Anytime
Check out the Significant Summer Calendar and Activity Book for this week’s National Simplicity Day (July 12th) challenge! See who in your family can come up with the most creative challenge or activity for National Sugar Cookie Day (July 9th), National Blueberry Muffin Day (July 11th), National Mac and Cheese Day (July 14th) and do that activity as a family! For example: go blueberry picking and see who can fill their bucket the fastest, bake sugar cookies and pick a theme for decorating them (stories from the Bible, favorite summer activities, Christmas in July), etc.
Prayer
Thank God for always hearing our prayers and being willing to give us wisdom when we ask. Pray specifically for one situation in your life you know you need Godly wisdom for. Thank Him for being able to come to Him with confidence because Christ reconciled us to Himself through His perfect sacrifice on the cross.
Looking Ahead
Next week we will continue the month of July with the godly character trait, WISDOM. We will learn that wisdom guides us in all situations.
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