Before the Session
Facilitator: In advance of the session
- Have the Bible Background Video ready to view.
- Review today’s scripture text and the session activities to help better facilitate the discussion.
- Encourage your group to listen to the Faithelement podcast ahead of the next session (Share the link via email or social media)
Context (from Youth Session Page)
Give each person a pen and paper and instruct them to list any question for which they have always wanted an answer. If you wish, you can encourage them to be serious, faith oriented, social, or any other criteria you wish the students to discuss. Of course, a simple “no questions barred” could be fun as well. Make sure to give them plenty of time to think of a good question.
Once the questions have been written, collect them, and return a random question to each person. Invite people to, one at a time, read the question presented to them and share their answer, allowing for rebuttals or questions if time permits. Ask:
- What do you think was the most difficult question to answer (other than yours) and why?
- Why might you have rather been given a different question to answer?
- What kinds of questions did you not write but maybe wish you had and why?
- If you could ask God one question what would it be and why?
- Why would someone consider or not consider you to be a wise person?
- How would you define wisdom and how does one gain it?
Content (from Mind Session Page)
Read 1 Kings 2:10-12 and 3:1-14 and watch the Bible Background Video
Then ask questions like these:
- In the beginning of chapter 2, David urges his son to worship and obey God. Why do you think David considered this the first and most important piece of advice to give the new king?
- In what ways had David modeled this for his son?
- At what points did Solomon honor David’s faith and how did he stray from it?
- What kind of wisdom do you think Solomon was really asking for in this passage?
- Why do you think God was so pleased by Solomon’s request?
- Given all the advantages that Solomon had at the beginning of his reign, how do you think things were able to end up so wrong, to the point where his kingdom was not be passed down to future generations?
- What do you think this passage, especially in context, teach us about the nature of wisdom?
Closure (from Media Session Page)
Play the Swedish Chef video and ask questions like these:
- Why we can we only understand the Swedish Chef when he is angry?
- How wonderful must it be to understand when others do not?
- Do you think that is sometimes a gift from God?
- Can we misuse our divine insight and wisdom?
Play the Trash Bins video and ask questions like these:
- Why do you think people put a trash can seven feet in the air?
- Who could have prevented them from doing this and how?
- If Solomon was so wise, then why did he work the people so hard and take so many ladies as wives or concubines?
- How are we like Solomon, in regards to wasting divine wisdom, in your city?
- What about in your local church?
- What can we learn from Solomon’s use of wisdom to help us be God’s people?
Close in prayer
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