Bible Story: Based on Genesis 11:1-9
Life Value: Humility
So brick after brick after brick, they started building their tower.
The people bragged and boasted to each other about how famous they were going to be as they laid brick after brick after brick.
“Everyone in the whole world will know about us,” they smugly said feeling SO important in their own power. “We will be better than everyone else. We are awesome, awesome, awesome!” And they continued building brick after brick after brick.
God saw their pride and said: “If they do all this, there’s no telling what these people will try next. I’m going to jumble up their language so they can’t understand each other anymore.”
Up until this point in the Bible, the whole world had one language – one common speech for all people.
After God confused their language, when the people talked, it sounded like babbling because they had different languages instead of just one. Now it was impossible to continue building brick after brick after brick because they could not understand each other anymore.
Oops! Guess they should not have been so proud. God scattered the people all over the world and that city became known as Babel.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why did God stop their plans? (The people were building a monument to themselves, to call attention to their own abilities and achievements, instead of giving glory to Him.)
2. Is there anything you have ever boasted about or tried to build yourself up, but not for the glory of God?
3. What is the opposite of pride and how can it be shown in our lives? (Have the children explain what humility is and see if they can give examples of how it can be shown in their everyday lives.)
4. What are some ways we can put God first in our lives?
Action Step: Have each child make a poster from construction paper which says: “Put God First.” Provide crayons, markers, paint and an assortment of add-ons such as glitter, colored sand, paper confetti, etc.
Bible Verse: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2).
Suggested Song: “Babbling On” (from In the Beginning album by Mary Rice Hopkins). Click on song title to hear a clip.