Listen To Wise People!

For Engage 2: Set up an obstacle course using different items. You could set up inflatable obstacles, chairs, safety cones, etc. Before starting the game, bring the contestants to the starting line and turn them in circles a couple of times.

Host Welcome to the Lab! I hope you are ready for a great day.

Co-Host I am. Can you, uh, guess why I’m wearing this mask?

Host You want to know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop?

Co-Host I do, but that’s not why. It’s because owls are known for being wise, and this month is all about making wise choices. You know why owls are so wise, right? It’s because they ask a lot of questions.

Host Of who?

Co-Host Owls.

Host Who?

Co-Host Owls.

Host Who?

Co-Host I told you already. Owls! Owls ask a lot of questions.

Host Who?

Co-Host I’m leaving!

Host Asking questions is actually a wise choice, and it’s also important to listen to the answers. That’s what we’re going to discover today. Let’s stand up. Turn to someone and tell them which animal you think is the smartest.

Host Do you think that Ethel and Sophia just made a bad decision?

 Co-Host I do. How can they trust Skip McDougal? He usually gives terrible advice. He is so unlike the wise old owl. (Points to himself/herself)

Host Speaking of owls, have you ever seen an owl’s legs?

Co-Host That’s hideous. I guess someone skipped leg day. We wouldn’t go to owls for workout advice.

Host No, you have to go the right kind of people if you want the right kind of help. Our Big Point will help us understand what kind of people we’re looking for. Let’s choose an assistant to reveal it.

You can help as we count down from three and then read the Big Point.

Co-Host Let’s all say it together, Listen To Wise People! That makes a lot of sense; unwise people’s advice could cause a lot of problems.

Host Yep, but wise advice doesn’t do you any good unless you listen to it. Hearing wise advice and then doing your own thing can lead to just as many problems as never having heard it in the first place. Let’s play a listening game to test how well we hear.

Co-Host It’s called a whisper challenge. We will choose two adult volunteers who will be the captain of each team. We’re going to whisper a phrase and your team will shout the phrase to your captain. You’ll have to really listen carefully to hear what we are saying.

Co-Host A stitch in time saves nine? What does that even mean?

Host If you fix a problem early, it will save you bigger problems later.

Co-Host That’s a good saying, but, like you said, it only helps if you listen.

Host I think we should head back into the lab and see if Ethel and Sophia will listen to better advisors.

Host Would you pay to hear the three of them play the accordion? I don’t think anyone is going to hire their band.

Co-Host Do you think listening to Skip McDougal is working out well for them? They should have followed our Big Point and found better advice. Say it with me,

Co-Host Listen To Wise People! Let’s see what the Bible says in our Big Verse. We need an assistant to help us.

Host and Co-Host choose a kid to volunteer.

Co-Host Help us count down from three, and then read the verse.

Host Proverbs 12:15 (NIrV) says, “Those who are wise listen to advice.”

Co-Host But Solomon didn’t mean just any advice. He meant advice from wise people.

Host Yep, taking advice from a foolish person is like being led by a blind person. Jesus said in Luke 6:39 (NIrV),

Host “Can a blind person lead another blind person? Won’t they both fall into a pit?”

Co-Host That’s what we’re going to test in this game. We’ve set up an obstacle course on stage and chosen two teams of contestants. Here’s the challenge: both team members are blindfolded.

Host They have to navigate the obstacles without touching them, or else they’ll have to start over. Let’s see if they can reach the end before the timer runs out.

Co-Host That did not work out very well. A blind guide is useless.

Host Why don’t you try it again, and this time we’ll take the blindfold off the guide.

Co-Host That seemed much easier. Host Our life is so much better when we listen to the wise people God puts in our lives. In our Big Story today, we’re going to meet a king who wasn’t sure who to go to for advice. First let’s stand and spend a moment worshipping God.

One of the blessings of coming to church is that we have many wise people around us. That’s good news. Don’t try to figure things out alone. Ask God for wisdom, specifically for ears to hear as He connects you with wise people here at church. Later in the service, we’ll give you a chance to talk to your small group leader and pray about areas where you need wisdom. Let’s take a moment now to pray at your seat and ask God to help you find the right people to give you advice. (Pause) Now I’ll pray for all of us.

Co-Host I’m glad that Herman hired all three of them back to the lab. I think they’ll think twice before they listen to Skip McDougal.

Host I just wish that Rehoboam had listened to wise advisors instead of his friends. It may be fun to play a game of football with your friends, but that doesn’t make them the best people to listen to. Follow our Big Point and

Host Listen To Wise People!

Co-Host That’s something to talk about in this week’s Big Do.

Host Gather your family and talk about people you know who are wise. Discuss what makes them good advisors.

Co-Host I already know who I’ll choose, and it’s the smartest person I know.

Host Smart and wise are two different things. Wisdom is doing things God’s way. Smart people might know a lot about math or science and still make unwise choices. Check out some of these famously bad decisions.

(Write these facts on notecards to read. You may replace these with other facts you may find, if desired.)

Host

• The citizens of Picoaza listened to an ad for Pulvapies foot powder that said, “Vote for Pulvapies.” They did and elected foot powder to become their mayor in 1967.

• An inventor sold his invention, the safety pin, for $400. By the time he died, they were making 5 billion safety pins per year.

• A spelling error in computer code caused NASA’s $165 million dollar Mars Polar Lander to malfunction and then crash during its landing on Mars.

Co-Host Yikes. That makes me feel better about some of my mistakes.

Host It makes me glad that God gives us wise people to help us when we’re not sure what to do. Speaking of wise people, let’s turn to our small groups and talk about what we’ve learned.

• Do you think it was wise for Ethel and Sophia to quit and start an accordion band? Why not?

• What was Rehoboam’s big mistake? Not listening to wise people. How did it ruin his country? He lost all but two tribes

• What is a decision that you need wisdom about? Let’s pray about those needs.

• What did Herman tell us to do with our families in the Big Do? Talk about who you know who is wise

• Our Big Point says Listen To ______ People!

  • Wise
  • Lots of

• What kind of band did Ethel and Sophia form?

  • Rock
  • Accordion

• What did the Israelites ask Rehoboam to do?

  • Lighten the workload
  • Push them harder

• Who advised Rehoboam to make things harder?

  • His friends
  • His dad’s wise advisors

• Whose advice did Rehoboam listen to?

  • His friends
  • His dad’s wise advisors

• Proverbs 12:15 (NIrV), “Those who are _____ listen to advice.”

  • Foolish
  • Wise

• Why does it matter who you listen to?

• God can point us to wise people who can help us.

  • True
  • False

• Name one wise person you know.

What challenge did Herman give us as this week’s Big Do? Talk about who you know who is wise