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Props: Candy, rope for waves, healthy food, plates,
umbrella, swim trunks, coat and gloves, cardboard for foolish man's
house, covers and pillows for bed, cap and gown for the wise man
to wear, papers, pencil, table, candle and lighter, bucket for catching
waves
2 people act out the story, while the teacher narrates.
Story:
Long ago, in Bible times, Jesus tells of a story
of 2 very different men. One man was very, very wise. He made good
choices, and lived a wise life. Everyone could see he was his Momma's
smartest son. If you needed advise, the Wise Man was the one to
go to!
The other man was very, very foolish. Why, he was
so foolish that many people wondered how in the world he had made
it to the ripe old age of 20! They wondered how he even managed
to get out of bed in the morning, he was so very foolish! (And,
to tell you the truth, he DID have a little trouble with that!)
The foolish man made very foolish choices, and did
foolish things. Why, when it rained, the foolish man would get his
umbrella, and open it up, which all seems very wise, but then he
would hold it upside down, about knee height, and wonder why he
was getting SO wet! The wise man, of course, would get his umbrella,
and hold it over his head, in the proper position, and stay good
and dry.
The foolish man, for supper, would get a BIG plate
of candy, and eat and eat, and eat, … until he felt sick. Then he'd
eat some MORE candy, until he had a BAD stomachache, and had to
go to bed sick. The wise man would eat a proper meal of meat, and
vegetables, and fruit, and drink his milk, and feel good and strong
and healthy, and go out and have fun after dinner.
The foolish man, when it was very cold, would put
on swimming trunks, and shiver, and shake, and FREEZE outside! The
wise man, when it was very cold, would put on a warm coat, and heavy
gloves, and be very comfortable outside.
The foolish man, on Saturday nights, would stay
up very, very late watching tv. When he would get very, very sleepy,
and his head would nod, he'd get up, do some jumping jacks, slap
himself in the face, and watch some more tv. On Sundays he'd feel
too tired to come to church. The wise man, on Saturday nights would
notice when it was his bedtime, turn off the tv, and go to bed.
He felt good and ready for church on Sunday mornings!
It came to be time for these young men to build
themselves a house. The foolish man was down at the seaside, trying
to catch the waves, and he decided to just build his house right
where he stood. After all, he really liked trying to catch waves,
and he hadn't gotten any yet. If his house was right there, he could
try all the time, it would be really handy. Now, there were no other
houses around in that area, but he figured that was just because
no one else was smart enough to think of such a good place, so,
right where he stood in the sand, with the waves licking his feet,
he started to build. He grabbed whatever came handy, and put it
together however it came together, he worked very hard, (if not
very smart) and in no time, he had his house built. It was a very
shaky house, but he was very proud of it! Then the foolish man went
out to try and catch some more waves.
The wise man went about things a bit differently.
He looked the land over and thought about how the water would flow
down it, how high the tides rose, the sun and its effect, and even
the trees and plants. He decided where the best place would be for
the house to be built, and then he checked the ground. The spot
where he chose had solid rock under the layer of sand. That would
be a very good and stable place for his new home. He took his plans
for his home, and got his materials and started building. He worked
a long time. For days and days he worked while his foolish brother
played. His brother thought he was being dumb. In spite of that,
the wise brother kept working until finally, his house was built.
It was a good, sturdy house, a house a man could be proud of.
Soon after their houses were built, it began storming
outside. The sky got dark. The foolish man stood outside and looked
up at the sky. The wise man went into his house.
The wind began to blow, and the waves began to
crash. The rain started, light at first, then heavy. The wise man
lit a candle, so that he could see to go about his business. The
foolish man opened his umbrella, and held it down. He was watching
the waves get closer and closer to his house. "I'm gonna catch 'em!"
He thought. His house wasn't very strong to begin with, and when
the waves and the wind and the rain hit it, it fell FLAT! "Missed
that wave!" the foolish man said, and he emptied his umbrella over
his head.
Now, in Jesus' parables, sometimes one thing stands
for something else. Can you guess what the thing is that the houses
stood for in the story?
Our lives
The foolish man had his life built on a shaky foundation.
What could the shaky foundation be? Clothes, things,
money, job, position, power, friends. These are things that we spend
time and energy on, we build our lives on them, and try and base
our security on them, our happiness on them, but they are not strong,
and cannot give our lives the base that we really need.
The wise man built his house, or his life, on a
solid, strong rock foundation. Can you guess what the rock stood
for in the story? That's right! Jesus! Nothing is better, or stronger,
or will last longer than Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only thing that
we can build our lives on that is worthwhile, that will last forever.
Those men in the story represent who? That's right,
they represent us! We each are either the wise man, or the foolish
man. Each of us is building a life. We have each chosen where we
are going to build. Some of us are building on some shifting, sinking
sand. Some of us have recognized that Jesus is the only truly important
thing in the world, and are building on Him. Which are you? Are
you building your lives on the wrong foundation? Do you have Jesus
Christ as the center of your life?
The neat thing about us is that our story
is not over. Maybe you realized today that you are the foolish man.
You know that if the storms of life came, your house would fall
flat, and you don't want to be that way. If you know today that
you've been that foolish one, building on the wrong thing, and you
want to be wise instead, please pray with me right now: Dear God,
I thank you for Jesus, the rock. I thank you that He can bring me
through the storms of my life. I believe He is God, and that He
paid the price for my sin. I want to ask forgiveness of my sins
right now, and ask Jesus to come into my heart, to be the boss of
my life. Right now, God, I am asking you to make me a wise person.
Please, Jesus, come into my heart, and I will do what you say for
me to do in my life. Thank you God.
amen
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