Devotion by Tina Miller Sermon by Ian Ferguson
August 10, 2025
Gather
Two different non-transparent bags or boxes of candy or snacks.
Introduction
[Parental note: in this lesson, there is a balance to be struck between not speaking badly of someone and speaking the truth about a fool. In order to apply wisdom, we need to be specific in thinking about a person your children should avoid as a friend, while at the same time treating them with love and humility that comes from seeing ourselves as recipients of God’s grace. Ultimately, we pray that our stance for wisdom will lead not to snobbery but to open doors for sharing the gospel when others are surprised that we will not join in their folly (1 Peter 3:10-17)]
Secretly empty one of the candy containers and refill it with something not so appealing (e.g. small pebbles). Allow some signs that you have tampered with the package.
Allow your children to choose a piece from each bag. Discuss their disappointment at not getting what they were anticipating from the changed one. How could they have figured out that something wasn’t right? (appearance, weight, sound, etc…)
Background
Throughout the story of Scripture, the Lord offers us two choices—the path of wisdom or the path of folly/foolishness. We’ve talked about these choices in our *devotions before and have seen that only one path leads to life. Today we’re going to talk about making wise choices in our friendships, and how to guard against the wrong kind of friends.
*Examples to review include, A House that Stands (May 2025) and The Narrow Gate (May 2025). Also The Fading Glory of the World (April 2025)
Pray
We ask you Lord, the giver of every good and perfect gift, who gives wisdom generously to everyone who asks for it, to help us see your wisdom today so that we can make the choice to walk in your path and know your blessing.
Looking into the scripture passage
Read: Proverbs 13:20
Ask: What happens to the friends of fools?
We definitely don’t want to come to harm, so how can we know what a fool is like?
Can you think of some characteristics of a fool? [Discuss responses]
Like looking for the clues that the wrong kind of candy is in the bag, let’s look at some other Proverbs that Pastor Ian shared that give us some examples of fools to avoid as friends.
Read: Proverbs 22:10
Ask: What kind of person does this verse say we should stay away from?
Read: Proverbs 22:24
Ask: What kind of person does this verse say we should stay away from?
Read: Proverbs 23:20-21
Ask: What kind of person does this verse say we should stay away from?
Apply the passage
Activity 1 Discuss the “guardrails” given by Pastor Ian to help us avoid following sinful friends
- Are you being pressured to act in a way that is NOT like Jesus?
- Do you feel like you have to hide where you’re going or what you’re doing? [It is VITALLY important that children learn not to keep secrets from their parents, so spend more time on this. One area to consider is the wisdom of internet restrictions. Review the protections you’ve set up in your home and why you have these.]
Activity 2 Do a little role-playing. Act out some temptations offered by the wrong kind of friend–perhaps one they have actually faced-and the right way to respond. What specific harm might come from the actions of these friends? How can we be strong in our refusal to do the wrong thing but kind in our treatment of a foolish friend? Spend some time praying for people your children know who are foolish.
Activity 3 Can you think of people in the Bible who have made the wrong choice in the friends they listened to? Friends that led them away from wisdom and life? [examples could include Solomon, Rehoboam, Israel at Kadesh Barnea, Judas Iscariot]. What could they have done differently?
Memorize
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.
Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)
Practice the verse If your kids didn’t color these pages at church on Sunday, print and color them, then hang them up in a place where they’ll be seen often this week. If the children brought the pages home from church, use them for memorizing this week.
Extra Stuff
Seeing Jesus in the passage
In Proverbs 9, wisdom and folly are pictured as women inviting people to a banquet. The listener has to choose which invitation to accept. Read the following parable taught by Jesus.
Read: Luke 14:16-24
Ask: Parables are stories that show us what God’s kingdom is like through an everyday ordinary event. The man in this parable invited people to a banquet. Who do you think he represents? Who invites us to come to eat with him?
How do we get to eat with Jesus?
Read: John 14: 1-6
We have talked on other weeks in this Proverbs study about Jesus being the best kind of friend. There is so much here that you can discuss with your children! Take extra time to show your children the beauty of our Savior, the friend of sinners. Compare what he has to offer with the death that comes to fools.