This lesson teaches children that God loves honest, wise choices more than wealth or cleverness, and that listening to good advice helps us grow. It is written for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God loves people who tell the truth, listen to wise advice, and choose to be kind. Being good is more important than being rich or being popular.
Memory Verse
Proverbs 19:1
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.
(WEB)
Ask the children to stand tall and place one hand over their heart. As they say the verse together, have them walk in place with honest, steady steps, like someone walking on a straight path.
The Story: Proverbs 19 for Kids
King Solomon wrote many wise sayings to help children learn how to live. In this chapter, he compared two kinds of people. One man was poor but honest, and he walked with a clean heart before God. The other man talked sweetly but told lies and acted foolishly.
Solomon taught that lying does not pay off in the end. A person who tells lies to a judge will not go free, and a person who keeps pouring out lies will be found out. Solomon wanted children to see that truth always wins in God’s eyes.
Solomon also talked about friends. He noticed that when a person has money, many people want to be near him. But when someone becomes poor, even family members may stay away. Solomon wanted children to know that real friends are not chosen because of gifts or riches.
Then Solomon spoke about anger. He said a wise person is slow to get angry and quick to forgive. He said that choosing to let a small wrong go is a good and honorable thing to do. Solomon said, in simple words, that a hot temper leads to trouble.
Solomon finished by urging young people to listen to good advice from parents and teachers. He said that a child who stops listening to wise teaching will wander away from what is true. He wanted every child to learn that listening is a way of growing wise.
Read It Together
Proverbs 19:5
A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free.
(WEB)
Point out that this verse warns about lying, and that God sees every word we speak. Ask children to think of a time when telling the truth was hard, and help them see that God helps us be honest.
Proverbs 19:11
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.
(WEB)
Show children that being slow to anger is a sign of wisdom. Explain that overlooking a small hurt, instead of getting revenge, can bring peace and honor to the person who chooses it.
Proverbs 19:20
Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end.
(WEB)
Point out that this verse invites children to accept advice and instruction. Explain that parents, teachers, and church leaders often help us learn things that make us wiser as we grow older.
Talk About It
- What is one way you can show honesty at school or at home this week?
- Why do you think it is hard to tell the truth sometimes, and how can God help you when it feels hard?
- What makes a friend a true friend, and how can you be that kind of friend to someone else?
- What can you do when you feel angry, so that you stay calm and make a wise choice?
- Who is someone who gives you good advice, and how can you show that you are listening to them?
Activity Ideas
Honest Heart Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child draw a large heart and write or draw one honest thing they can do this week inside it. Let them cut out the heart and take it home to place on the refrigerator as a reminder.
Walk the Straight Path Game
You will need masking tape or a piece of string, and a few toy cones or cups. Lay a long straight line of tape across the floor and place cups along it as “temptations.” Children walk slowly along the line, trying to keep their feet on the path and stepping around the cups, while the group talks about choosing the honest path.
Wise Advice Jar
You will need a clean jar, slips of paper, and a pen. Ask each family member to write one piece of good advice they have heard on a slip of paper and place it in the jar. Over the week, the family can pull out a slip each evening and read it together at dinner.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter is a collection of practical wisdom about honesty, friendship, self-control, humility, and teachability. Solomon contrasts the integrity of a humble person with the foolishness of someone who speaks falsely or refuses correction, and he reminds readers that God cares deeply about how we treat others and how we respond to instruction.
Avoid overstating to children that God always rewards honest people with money or immediate success. The chapter speaks of good character leading to life and contentment, but children should also understand that God’s faithfulness is not a promise of material gain, and that people of integrity still face hardship.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Father, thank you for teaching us to be honest and wise. Help us tell the truth, listen to good advice, and stay calm when we feel angry. Help us be kind friends to everyone. Amen.
