YEA Lesson Library
Don’t Be a Fool
About This Lesson
Using Jesus' warning in Matthew 24:45-50, this lesson teaches the importance of consistent Godly choices in our conduct and emphasizes avoiding alcohol.
Scriptures
Proverbs 20:1
Proverbs 23:19-21
Isaiah 5:22-24
Isaiah 28:7
Matthew 24:45-51
I Corinthians 5:11
I Corinthians 6:9-10
Words to Know
ADDICTED - to be dependent upon a substance such as drugs or alcohol
The Lesson
Gary, Tommy and Matt spent every spare minute working on their tree house. They used some old lumber at a building site. Tommy’s father gave them nails and hammers. They built the house in a large tree behind Gary’s house. Matt made a sign for the doorway that read, “Members Only.” The boys were excited to finally have their tree house finished.
The big weekend finally came. The boys were having their first sleep-over. They invited two other boys who lived on their street. They also invited a new boy who just moved into the neighborhood. Each boy brought something to eat or drink. They had some games to play. It would be great fun!
Saturday evening six boys eagerly climbed up to the tree house. They unrolled their sleeping bags and put sacks of food over in the corner. Matt brought a card game. They all sat around a lantern playing and laughing. It was great!
As typical with boys, they were soon hungry. Gary had a big bag of chips, Tommy had some candy bars, and one boy brought cookies. They had cans of Coke and Pepsi. The new boy had a can that looked a little different. He sipped it and offered it to Matt. Matt took a whiff of the can. He realized it was beer. What should Matt do? Should he take a drink so the new boy wouldn’t think he was a wimp? Should he refuse? What would happen if Gary’s dad found them drinking beer?
Jesus talked to His disciples about the time He would return to earth. He said no one knows the exact day or hour when He will come back. Some people will be working in their gardens. Women will do their housework. Jesus’ return will come as a surprise to every- one. He warned them not to be doing anything they shouldn’t do when He returns.
There was a servant who was in charge of a large household. His job was to take care of feeding the children and make sure all the work was done properly. This man had a very responsible position.
One day the servant didn’t feel like doing his work. He said, “My master won’t be home for a while. I can do whatever I want.” He decided to have a party. Everyone was drinking and soon the servant was drunk. He started abusing the other servants. The master came home and found the man in this condition. He punished him immediately. Jesus told the disciples, “Don’t be like that servant” (Matthew 24:45-50).
Alcohol gives people false courage. False courage can lead you to do things that you will regret. It can make you angrier than you should be. It can lead you to do foolish things, like fighting. Your memory verse says, “Wine gives false courage; hard liquor leads to brawls; what fools men are to let it master them. . .” When a person becomes a drunkard, alcohol has mastered him. God says that neither thieves or greedy people, drunkards, slanderers, or robbers will be in God’s Kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Alcohol is addictive and can control and ruin your life. Your judgement is hindered, your reflexes are slower, and often your personality is changed. Many violent acts have been committed by people who were under the influence of alcohol.
Lawmakers understand that young bodies can’t handle alcoholic beverages, such as wine or beer. The earlier a person starts drinking, the more likely he is to become dependent upon it. It is unlawful for children to drink alcohol. If you are caught drinking you will be in trouble with the police. You may have a large fine to pay. You may even have trouble getting a driver’s license later on.
Do you know kids at school who are already drinking? Look at their lives. Are they really happy? How are their grades? Are they doing other bad things? There are so many better things to do that are fun and legal. Make many friends. Participate in sports. Learn to play a musical instrument. Study to make good grades.
No one knows when the Lord will return. Would you want Him to find you doing something you shouldn’t when He comes back? You should obey God because you love Him and want to please Him. If someone tries to get you to drink alcohol remember – it is illegal! Don’t mess up your life with alcohol. God has many good things in store for you, so Don’t Be A Fool!
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for teaching us in your Word about the dangers of young people drinking alcohol. Help me to learn to resist temptation, and just say no!
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Matthew 24:45-50
Monday - Proverbs 23:19-21
Tuesday - Isaiah 5:22-24
Wednesday - Proverbs 20:1
Thursday - I Corinthians 6:9-10
Friday - Isaiah 28:7
Saturday - I Corinthians 5:11
YEAH — At-Home Activity
(Youth Educational Adventures Helps)
(alternative approaches to teaching the lesson)
Check with students to make sure they’ve read the lesson. If they haven’t, take turns reading from the student quarterly. If they have, review the key points. Regardless of which of the following options you choose (or all of them), you may wish to have the students design a pledge saying they will honor God with their bodies (similar to the pledge in the movie Courageous).
1. Temple of the Living God. These students are not too young to begin using a concordance. Help them work through a study about the temple of God. One avenue might go like this: There are specific warnings about defiling the temple. Find some of these verses. Then find verses which specifically talk about us being the temple of God. Are there verses which talk about not defiling yourself? Write a conclusion about your findings.
Note: the REACH activity “Word Study: Soma” gives some additional thoughts/direction about defiling our bodies.
2. Fool! Define foolish and fool. Brainstorm things/activities/thoughts which are foolish. Then talk about why people do foolish things. Follow this with a discussion of ways to prevent becoming a fool, i.e. choosing your friends wisely, reading the Bible, asking God for help to avoid bad situations, listening to your conscience when it warns you, finding an accountability partner, etc.
3. Poster. Brainstorm possible PSAs (public service announcements) which warn about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, defiling the temple, becoming a fool, etc. Have the students each design a poster with their favorite slogan. Make available art tools such as glitter, glue, construction paper, stickers, markers, tempera paint, etc. for them to use on the poster.
4. The Wise Man and the Foolish Man Demonstration. Before reviewing the lesson, begin with a very visual object lesson. In a wash basin or large aluminum pan put a little house (like from Monopoly) on a pile of sand and a house on a rock. (Prior to class prepare a third option by gluing with school glue one of the houses to a rock.) Take a water bottle that has a pop top so that you can squirt the water out. Demonstrate what happens when the bottle “rains” on each house. The sand may hold as long as it’s a gentle rain, but a stronger “rain” causes the sand to be washed away. Similarly, just setting a house on a rock, unattached, is not going to provide security. This is akin to someone claiming to be a Christian without actually devoting their life to following His ways. The house which is glued to the rock is like a Christian who holds firmly to Christ and His ways. The storms of life will not sweep him away. After doing this visual demonstration, turn to the lesson and develop the tie between honoring God with our bodies in all ways and being a wise man who builds his house on the Rock.
5. Doing the Research. After reviewing the lesson, discuss with the students the affects drugs and alcohol have on their bodies. Besides damaging your body, they can also impair your thought processes, causing you to do things you wouldn’t normally do. Research the statistics on crimes related to alcohol and drug use. Here is one interesting link: https://www.verywellmind.com/crime-and-alcohol-statistics-from-1998-62821 On this site, they attribute one death every 48 minutes to alcohol in 2017. Since almost every student will have a smart phone, give them about ten minutes to see what they can find and then report back to the whole group about their findings.
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Tell why it is important that they are always careful of the things they do.
2. State the reason the servant thought it was okay for him to have a party and get drunk.
3. Give examples of what happens when people get drunk.
4. Explain why it is so dangerous for children to drink alcohol.
5. Recite their memory verse.
Topics & Themes
Alcohol
Holy Conduct
Jesus, Return of
Kingdom of God
Loving God
Obedience
Preparing for Jesus’
Return
Temptation
Wise/Wisdom
Materials Needed
Bibles, YEA Students’ and Teacher’s books, newsprint pad, markers, any type of can with a label that says “beer,” attendance, memory verse, and daily devotional charts, songbook, cassette or CD, music player, and awards
Preparation
Children are beginning to use alcohol/drugs at a much earlier age than ever before. The beginning of puberty may come as early as nine or ten years of age. This may have something to do with it, but more likely the influences of our society have more to do with it. One undeniable fact is that kids are now exposed to choices about chemical use at a much earlier age. Even grade school students report substantial peer pressure to try alcohol as early as the fourth grade. Prior to class, look up current statistics for substance use and abuse at a website like https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/.
It becomes even more important that the church and Sabbath School be clear and consistent in stating underage young people should not use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Work with the parents to let them know that you support them in this. Suggest to the parents of your students that they make their views known to their children. Be a role model for your class to follow. Provide an example consistent with your message to your class.
How to Teach This Lesson
This lesson lends itself very well to the role playing method of teaching. The class may be divided into groups. Each group will be given a life situation to act out. They can either demonstrate the right or the wrong way the situation should be handled. Allow the group to decide which they will act out. At any point in the action the teacher can say freeze – this will represent Jesus’ return. Ask: Is this what you want to be doing when our Savior returns?
Life situation #1: Use the story of the boys from the student’s book. Allow the group to decide how they will handle the situation.
Life situation #2: Karen and her family were on vacation. They were staying in a very nice hotel. Her mother and father had gone out to eat dinner at a restaurant. Karen and her brother decided to stay in so they could swim in the hotel pool. They were going to order a pizza when they got hungry. Their room had a small refrigerator that was stocked with small bottles of liquor, wine and wine coolers. Karen and her brother wanted something to drink with their pizza. What should they do?
Life situation #3: It was a hot summer day. Paul’s baseball team had just won a double-header. Everyone was jumping up and down for joy. The coach asked Paul to carry his equipment bag to the bus. When he picked up the bag, Paul noticed a six-pack of beer. He showed it to some of the other boys on the team. They were all very thirsty. How would you handle this situation?
Life situation #4: You and your father have just had a big fight. He told you that you had to spend the rest of the evening in your room. When you hear your dad leave the house, you sneak out of the house and go to a friend’s house. You know you are being disobedient, but you are mad. Your friend offers you a beer, and tells you that it will help you calm down. He said his father always keeps beer in the refrigerator. How will this story end?
Tell the students that although this lesson is specific for alcohol, drug use is likewise a behavior that can have severe consequences, besides being an activity you wouldn’t want to be doing when Jesus returns.
Review Questions
1. What did Jesus tell His disciples about the time when He would return?
2. What did He warn them about?
3. Why did the servant think it was okay to have a party and get drunk?
4. How do people act when they are drunk?
5. Why is it dangerous for children to drink alcohol?
6. Give two good reasons why you shouldn’t allow alcohol to control you.
Teacher-Directed Activity
After each group completes their role play, brainstorm about what is the best solution to that life situation. Write the solution to each situation on a sheet of newsprint.
Final Activity
This is the week when students should recite Matthew 6:9-13 and the names of the 12 Apostles. Give each one who can recite them an award. Stress that the award is given because they love Jesus so much that they wanted to put His words in their minds and hearts.
REACH Activity
Word Study: Soma
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (NIV).
The word “body” in these verses is the Greek word “soma.” This means a sound, whole body. If you are drinking alcohol, doing drugs, eating too much junk food, not getting enough exercise, overeating, cutting yourself, under-eating, watching movies you shouldn’t, or reading books you shouldn’t—you are not honoring God with your body. Any of these things taken into your body will make it unsound. Also be careful to think about your thoughts, actions, and words.
Did You Know?
There are some writings from Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty called the Instructions of Anii. These were written by the scribe Anii to the Egyptian middle class and are very similar to the Proverbs. They include an admonition to avoid drinking beer, warn about the public disgrace of drunkenness, and assert that an individual should avoid the company of disgrace of brawlers and violent men. These “wisdom writings” sound very familiar to Proverbs 20:1-3! (Source: NIV Archaeological Study Bible, page 990).
Music Notes: Living For Jesus
This hymn is on page 63 of the CEM Hymnal. It was written in 1917 by Thomas Chisholm at the request of the composer, Harold Lowden. The tune had been used in another text, but Lowden didn’t like how the words and music fit together. Lowden wrote to Thomas Chisholm and suggested the title Living for Jesus. Although Chisholm didn’t feel he had the ability, he had the words to the hymn within two weeks.
Thomas Chisholm (1866-1960) had been an editor, a teacher, and a Methodist minister before illness forced him to find a less stressful job as an insurance salesman. His favorite hobby was writing poetry. He felt each poem should send a definite message to the heart. He saw poems as his “pathway of blessings” and wrote them until the time of his death.
Read through the words before you sing the song. Write any ideas for serving God in your Bible journal. (Source: Amazing Grace, Osbeck, K., p. 257).
Journal Jot
Read Romans 12:1, 2 and write these two verses in your Bible journal. As you write, think about how you can offer your body as a living sacrifice to God!
Back to the Bible: Proverbs
Remarkably, there are more references to “wisdom” in Scripture than to the word “fool.” As you remember from the YEA lesson, the actions of a fool can have very serious consequences. You may not have to face the examples that are given in this lesson, but there will be others. Satan will tempt you every way he can, and he will not let up. Besides protecting yourself with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), you should be aware of chapters one through nine, which teach wisdom, in the Book of Proverbs. The writers, Solomon, Agur, and Lemuel provide instructions, understanding, and benefits of wisdom to the readers of Proverbs. As you read your Bible, ask God for wisdom to understand what it means. Solomon, the son of King David, asked God for help when he was king over Israel. Solomon asked for a “discerning heart” and God gave it to him. Solomon did not make a foolish request. He did not ask for wealth, riches, or material things. He wanted to be a wise king before God and that pleased God ( 1 Kings 3:1-15).
The Book of Proverbs also cautions against rejecting wisdom. Do you remember what it says about a fool? (One who does not listen to anyone but himself.) A fool believes he is the one who has all of the right answers. “The mouth of a fool invites ruin” (Proverbs 10:14). “Wise men store up knowledge”—the knowledge that is found in your Bible, God’s Word. Having knowledge is just the beginning. You also need to learn how to use that knowledge and how to apply it to your life. Doing this is the starting place for being wise! Keep wearing the armor of God to defend yourself against temptation from the deceiver (Sa- tan), and seek to be wise in the ways of the Lord. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).
Just Toolin’ Around
Learn more about Solomon and his life as king of Israel. Use your Bible, a concordance, and a Bible encyclopedia. (Hint: he did not write only the Book of Proverbs.) Write a biography of Solomon. Create a book on him, including at least 10 of the Proverbs he authored. Share the book with family and friends.
Stretch It Out
Since there are far more references to “wisdom” in your Bible than the word “fool,” find at least eight verses that speak about a fool. For every one of those verses, find two that teach how to avoid being a fool or behaving foolishly. Share your findings with your family.
Continue looking into wisdom. Evaluate the process you use to make decisions. Is God’s way or your own first in your mind as you make decisions? Talk about making wise decisions with your family. Read Ephesians 6:10-18 and arm yourself with God’s truth as you learn how to be wise in His ways.
Questions?
Remember to write any questions that you have in your journal. That way you will remember to ask your parents, teacher, or minister.
Song
“Dare To Be A Daniel” is on page 9 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Ask one of the students to lead in prayer, asking God to help them identify and resist the temptations of alcohol/drugs and tobacco. Be sure to thank God for His Word that teaches us about alcohol’s dangers.
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