April 14, 2023 – Proverbs 2; 4; 7

Lesson Date: April 14, 2024

Focal Scripture Passage: Proverbs 2:16-19; 4:23; 7:5-27

AIM: To lead students to discover the seriousness of guarding their heart and ways to guard their hearts, and to confess their sins and make commitments to God to guard their hearts in the future.

Before class: Read the notes on Proverbs 2; 4; and 7 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.  Write the words “Heart Health” on the board.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Direct the students’ attention to the words “Heart Health” written on the board.  Tell them heart health is a popular topic these days.  Ask: “Why should we keep our heart healthy; in other words, why does our heart matter?” (we can’t live without our heart, and a weak or damaged heart will prevent us from doing things we need and want to do).  Tell the students we hear a lot of advice about how to keep our heart healthy.

Ask: “What are some ways to keep your heart healthy?”  Allow time for some responses.  Tell the class the Heart Foundation[i] suggests four key steps to keep our heart healthy:

1. Healthy eating.
2. Regular physical activity.
3. Quit smoking.
4. Control cholesterol and blood pressure.

Ask: “How long can you live without your heart?” (you can’t).  Tell the class that since our heart is essential to life, God protects and guards our heart by placing it in the center of our chest, surrounded by strong bones and muscles.

Tell the students the title of today’s lesson is Guard Your Heart.  Ask: “In addition to the physical muscle that pumps blood throughout your body, what else is the word ‘heart’ used to describe?” (your emotions, the center of your being, your soul).  Tell them today’s lesson is about guarding that emotional, soulish part of us that is the center of our being.  Tell the class that this morning we will discover the seriousness of guarding our heart, the benefits of guarding our heart, the dangers of not guarding our heart, and talk about some ways to guard our heart.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind the students that we are studying the Old Testament book of Proverbs.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Blessings of Wise Living; we discovered some of the blessings that come from wise living and the requirements to receive those blessings).
   • Ask if anyone would recite last week’s memory verses (Prov. 3:5-6).
2. The Seriousness of Guarding Our Heart.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 4:23.
   • Tell the class that the word “keep” means to guard something.
   • Ask: “What does the word ‘diligence’ mean?” (to be very vigilant, conscientious, and careful about something).
   • Explain that in the original Hebrew language, the word “diligence” refers to a very secure place of confinement, such as a maximum-security prison.
   • Ask: “Why do you keep your wallet in your pocket or purse? Why don’t you leave it on the dashboard of your unlocked car or out on the sidewalk?” (because it is valuable and you don’t want it to be lost or stolen).
   • Tell the students this verse tells us to guard and protect our heart in the most secure and safe way possible.
   • Ask: “According to Proverbs 4:23, why must we guard our heart?” (the heart controls all other issues of our life and everything we say or do).
   • Tell the class that Jesus said it this way: “³⁴O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ³⁵A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matt. 12:34-35; see also Matt. 15:18-19).
   • Summarize: Since everything we think, say, or do comes from our heart, the Lord tells us to guard our heart in the safest and most secure way possible.
3. Benefits of Guarding Our Heart.
   • Tell the students that one way we guard our heart is to seek and live by godly wisdom, which we learned about last week.
   • Ask everyone to turn to Proverbs 2.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 2:16.
   • Ask: “What is a benefit of guarding our heart?” (we will be delivered from the temptations of “the strange woman”).
   • Explain the following:
     • The “strange woman” is an immoral, adulterous person who lures people into sin through flattery.
     • Since Solomon wrote the Proverbs to teach his son, the immoral person described here is a woman, but immoral men are just as dangerous.
   • Read Proverbs 2:17-19.
   • Ask: “According to verse 17, what does the immoral person forsake and forget?” (she forsakes the husband of her youth and forgets any godly teaching she received when she was young).
   • Ask: “According to verse 18, where does her life lead?” (to death).
   • Ask: “According to verse 19, what happens to those who foolishly follow the immoral person into sin?” (they never return; immorality is a one-way street).
   • Tell the class if we properly guard our heart, we will avoid the slippery downhill path of immorality, which ultimately leads to death.
   • Summarize: The benefits of guarding our heart include delivering us from the temptations of immorality, which are destructive and deadly.
4. Danger of Not Guarding Our Heart.
   • Ask everyone to turn to Proverbs 7.
   • Tell the class in the opening verses of this chapter, Solomon again urged his son to hear his words and obey his commands.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 7:5.
   • Ask: “Why should we guard our heart by obeying God’s commands?” (like Proverbs 2:16, this verse says doing so delivers us from the temptations of the immoral person who seduces with flattery).
   • Tell the students the rest of the chapter describes a foolish young man who doesn’t realize the value of his heart or the serious consequences of immorality, so he carelessly fails to guard his heart.
   • Read Proverbs 7:6-7.
   • Ask: “How is the young man described?” (simple and void of understanding).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 7:8-9.
   • Ask: “Where did the foolish young man go, and when did he go there?” (he went toward the immoral woman’s house in the dark of night).
   • Tell the class that Jesus said people love darkness because their deeds are evil (John 3:19).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 7:10-12.
   • Ask: “How is the immoral woman described?” (she was dressed like a harlot, she was cunning and crafty, she was loud, stubborn, doesn’t stay at home, and she lies in wait to entice and capture foolish men).
   • Read Proverbs 7:13-18.
   • Ask: “What did the immoral woman do?” (she grabbed him, kissed him, and invited him to have sex with her).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 7:19-20.
   • Ask: “What did she promise him?” (that her husband was away, which meant they would not get caught; no one would know about their sin).
   • Stress the fact that the devil always tells that same lie!
   • Read Proverbs 7:21-27.
   • Ask: “Did the foolish young man yield to the temptation of the immoral woman?” (yes).
   • Ask: “How do verses 22 and 23 describe the man?” (like a dumb ox going to slaughter, a fool going to the stocks, and a bird flying into a deadly snare).
   • Ask: “According to verses 26 and 27, where will failing to guard our heart take us?” (down to destruction and death).
   • Tell the students that these verses warn about physical immorality, but pornography is just as dangerous and deadly.
   • Summarize: The danger of failing to guard our heart includes foolishly falling into the trap of immorality, which will ultimately destroy us.
5. Ways to Guard Our Heart.
   • Explain the following:
     • We have discovered the seriousness of guarding our heart, the benefit of guarding our heart, and the danger of not guarding our heart.
     • Now it is time to get very practical and discover some ways to guard our heart.
     • We can learn a lot about how to guard our heart by seeing what the foolish young man in Proverbs 7 did wrong.
   • Ask: “According to verse 7, what was his first mistake?” (he was void of understanding, which means he did not fear the Lord or obey His Word).
   • Tell the class to guard our heart, we must trust Jesus for salvation and read the Bible.
   • Ask: “According to verse 8, what was his next mistake?” (he went toward the immoral woman’s house).
   • Tell the class to guard our heart, we must not hang around with ungodly people (Ps. 1:1).
   • Ask: “According to verse 9, what was his next mistake?” (he was out late at night when a lot of sin and wickedness takes place).
   • Tell the class to guard our heart, we must not go out late at night.
   • Ask: “According to verse 13, what was his next mistake?” (he should have fled from the immoral woman, like Joseph did in Gen. 39).
   • Tell the class to guard our heart, we must flee from immorality (1 Cor. 6:18).
   • Ask: “According to verses 14-21, what was his next mistake?” (he shouldn’t have listened to the immoral woman’s flattery and lies; Prov. 2:16).
   • Tell the class to guard our heart, we must not listen to tempting flattery and lies.
   • Ask: “According to verse 22, what was his next mistake?” (he ignored the dangers and went willingly into sin.
   • Tell the class to guard our heart, we must be wise and discerning to resist sin.
   • Summarize: To guard our heart we must cling to the Lord Jesus and His Word, and be wise and discerning in our behavior.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Remind everyone that the title of this lesson is Guard Your Heart.  Ask: “What did Jesus say about our heart?” (what is in our heart will come out in our words and actions).  Stress the fact that because of this, we MUST fill our heart with scripture, Christian music, and good, wholesome things.

Stress the fact that a Christian who watches inappropriate or suggestive TV, videos, and social media, or listens to worldly, secular music is NOT guarding his or her heart.

Tell the students that doing those things makes us become accustomed to profanity, vulgarity, and suggestive talk; the more accustomed we become to those things, the less we will be shocked by them, and the easier we will be drawn into them ourselves.  Ask: “Would you leave your house unlocked and your alarm system unarmed if you knew there were burglars hitting homes in your neighborhood?” (no).  Stress the fact that watching and listening to worldly entertainment is like leaving your heart, your most valuable possession, unlocked and unprotected.

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Urge them to confess any sins of not guarding their heart, and to make a new commitment to God to guard their heart in the future.  Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer.

CONCLUSION: Ask everyone to memorize Proverbs 4:23.  Urge them to protect their heart more than their most treasured possession.

[i] https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/bundles/healthy-living-and-eating/keeping-your-heart-healthy