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Aim: To encourage the children to seek God's guidance and wisdom daily.

Core Competency: Prayer

Objectives: The children will

• When life's a puzzle, ask the Creator.

Key Verse: If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him. ( James 2:5 )

Story: "Solomon Requests Wisdom " ( 1 Kings 3:4-15 )

Materials Required:

• White board
• Markers
• Poster Board
• Scissors

Eye on Science:

Begin by offering some of the puzzles below to the children to solve. After they've tried (and probably failed) several times, ask them how they could certainly find the solution to a difficult puzzle. The answer you are seeking is, "Ask its creator".

After two or three puzzles, write on the white board, "When life's a puzzle, ask the Creator." Discuss what this phrase means.

Read and discuss the Bible Story one verse at a time. For example, after 1 Kings 3:4 , ask the children if they believe Solomon was seriously seeking God (yes, because he offered 1000 head of livestock as a sacrifice -- hardly a cheap offering!). After 1 Kings 3:5 , ask the children what they might request if God offered them anything they wanted.

Show the final puzzle (below). Explain that it has exactly 100 squares (12x9=108-8=100), but it has a hole in the middle. Suggest that sometimes our lives may feel empty, like the have holes in the middle; something is missing. Solomon sought wisdom from God to fill this hole; show how a single cut can change the 12x9 "holey" card into a 10x10 solid card. God can do this for each child that asks Him!

Reinforce that the Creator has the solution to the puzzle of each child's life. Explain that if any child doesn't know the Creator or put his or her trust in Him, you are available after class to discuss the Creator's plan with the child and his parents or sponsor. For each child who has trusted God already, encourage them to pray daily for wisdom and to know right from wrong, just as Solomon did when he sought "puzzle power".

Puzzle 1 - Draw 9 dots in a 3x3 array. Challenge the children to draw four straight lines that connect all of the dots, without lifting the marker from the board.

Puzzle 2 - Draw the three boxes as shown below. Challenge the children to erase and redraw exactly two straight lines to make two identical rectangles.

Puzzle 3 - Draw three boxes on the board, labeling each with a capital "A", "B", or "C" as shown below. Place each integer between 0 and 14 in the appropriate box (shown). Challenge the children to place the next three integers -- 15, 16 and 17 -- into the correct boxes and to explain why those positions are correct.

Final Puzzle - Make one cut (straight, zig-zagged, or curved) across the figure to make two pieces which, when placed together, make a 10x10 square with no missing pieces.

Used: KIDZ 03/99 , KIDZ 05/01 , BSF 05/01