Children’s Message on Proverbs 1 Follow God’s wisdom, and rely on Him
Main Objective: Choosing to be wise rather than foolish sounds like an obvious pick, but sometimes in our lives we focus or rely on the wrong things. This message describes the difference between artificial intelligence and human creativity, to illustrate how we tend to look to the wrong things for answers. Proverbs reminds us that the way of wisdom is worth pursuing. Genuine intelligence comes from real people, and genuine wisdom comes from the Lord!
Law/Gospel Theme: God wants us to act as wise and not foolish people, and He helps us to do that. True wisdom comes from recognizing that all we have comes from the Lord, and that who we are is found in Christ. Wisdom comes from knowing that we rely on God and His word, not a machine or tools, for all things. We can be wise because Jesus lives in us. He promises His presence, and when we read God’s word and pray, we can discern wise choices for our lives.
Proverbs 1:1-7, 20-33 Children’s Sermon- Genuine Wisdom Comes from the Lord
Optional Materials: Pictures or notes created by Artificial Intelligence, Bible.
Bible Passage: Proverbs 1:1-7, 20-33
Message: Note: As with most messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and should cater to timing as well as to your audience and student needs. Use whatever works best for you.
Greet the children and show some images created with Artificial Intelligence…
Hello, children of God!
Have you ever seen something that seemed a little bit odd? Maybe you couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but it was strange? I want to show you some pictures here. Let’s see if they look a little weird in any way… Display several pictures generated with AI, especially ones that have odd qualities or don’t look normal. If desired, you could also read a statement or listen to a voiceover that AI has created.
All of these were made with something called Artificial Intelligence, or “AI” for short. We see AI a lot these days. It’s all over the internet, and sometimes it seems like it can do everything for us, from answering trivia questions to planning a vacation. It can be quite helpful. However, it’s ultimately not the same as a genuine human mind. At the end of the day, it’s still artificial intelligence. We need to be careful not to rely on it too much. AI can help you with your homework, but if you try to have it write an essay for you, your teacher is likely to notice. AI can’t be your friend or play soccer with you. It’s not a substitute for personal interaction, and we don’t want to depend on it for everything.
Actually, anything in our life can become dangerous when we rely on it too much or place it above God in importance. At the end of the day, those things can fail us. Technology and modern appliances are wonderful tools that make our lives easier, and they aren’t bad, but they might let us down when the power or the wi-fi goes out. The only thing we can truly depend on is God. His word will never fail us. In the Bible, the book of Proverbs warns us to seek wisdom rather than foolishness. That sure sounds like an easy “no-brainer” decision, but we don’t always get it right. When we think about it, making foolish decisions is sort of like trying to rely on faulty AI for all that we do. Sometimes it sounds like a nice shortcut, but in the end it doesn’t satisfy.
Proverbs is full of advice and wise sayings. The author describes wisdom as crying out and pleading with us to listen. How do we do this, though? How can we decide what is wise? Where does wisdom come from? Wisdom comes from God. He is the source of all knowledge and truth. Wisdom is more than just knowing about things. It is understanding what’s right and wrong so that we can make the best decisions. It’s something that God gives us when we pray, read the Bible, and talk to other wise people in our lives. Seeking wisdom will bring us something that lasts. We can count on that. Putting our hope in things that aren’t genuine or dependable is ultimately rather foolish. Follow God’s wisdom, and rely on Him!
Let’s say a prayer to ask for God’s help as we seek His wisdom in discerning choices.
Prayer:
(Have kids repeat each line)
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us what we need.
Help us to look to you for wisdom
And rely on You alone for all things.
Help us make wise choices in our lives
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!
Proverbs 1:1-7, 20-33 Meaning for Kids
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof,
behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
-Proverbs 1:1-7, 20-33