High School | LLLB #9 Run from Folly

Note: Series outline and content supplemented by Live Lighter Love Better; Twelve Biblical Decisions for a meaningful life by Cary Schmidt. These lessons are prepared for the High School LifeGroup

Class notes:

Introduce the check-in system and make sure I have the best info for them.

Discuss the Christmas Party

Trust by Resting

Cherish Now

Create Sacred Space

Recalibrate in Worship

Simplify with Courage

Value Wisdom

Surrender Sovereignity

Settle the Essentials

Run from Folly

Run From Folly

The trivial an be treacherous.

It is passages like this I am so thankful to teach to such a specific age group. This is always relevant, but it is very specific to decisions you are making in high school.

Ecclesiastes 10:10–13 KJV

10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. 11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. 12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

Read story about Eastern Airlines Flight 401

After challenging us with what is valuable, Solomon is now challenging us to guard against the trivial.

High value should drive us

Love value should repel us

When the Trivial becomes Treacherous

In this chapter folly or fool show up nine times

this is a serious word and shouldn’t be thrown around carelessly

folly is “silliness or foolishness in a simple or morally perverse way”

Folly is a weight as described in Heb 12:1

Hebrews 12:1 KJV

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

We need clarity in the essentials, we also need clarity in what is trivial.

Three potential areas for folly

Reputation / folly can destroy

Influence / folly can reduce

Opportunities / folly can squander

Reputation / folly can destroy

Ecclesiastes 10:1–3 KJV

1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left. 3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

Choose temperance over the trivial.

A little folly is like a dead bug in ointment.

“Those who make a great profession have need to walk of religion very circumspectly, to abstain from all appearances of evil, and approaches towards it, because many eyes are upon them, that watch their halting; their character is soon sullied, and they have a great deal of reputation to lose.” Matthew Henry

This is not just for “clergy”. You need to recognize the priesthood nature of your life.

Solomon profiles a wise man whose hearts is in his right hand, and a fool whose heart is in his left

Right hand is strenght and honor

Left hand is a metaphor for weakness and dishonor

Proverbs 25:28 “28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.”

Temperance is a fruit of the Holy Spirit Galatians 5:22 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”

The Lord teahes us that diligence should be seen in our lives. 2 Peter 1:5-8

2 Peter 1:5–8 KJV

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Trivial Words Destroy Valuable Influence

Ecclesiastes 10:10–14 KJV

10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. 11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. 12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

Ax pictures your influence

You can make a mess and not a difference with an axe

Folly is often seen in our words

Trivial Purposes Destroy Valuable Opportunities

Ecclesiastes 10:16–20 KJV

16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! 18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. 19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. 20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

These verses teach us about self-control in life’s responsibilities and remind us that maturity is not an age but acceptance of responsibility.

There is a principle of stewardship.

Good leaders take good care of their people. Bad leaders explout their people.

Run from Folly

Folly is costly

Folly comes in a wide variety of forms

We all are susceptible to it

Decision 9

Jesus, make me effective by helping me to see the folly and walk away.