Proverbs 26:17, Beware of the Dogs Bible Lesson

Bible Crafts and Games About Fighting for Children's Ministry

Beware of the Dogs - Fighting Bible Lesson for Children Proverbs 26:17

The following crafts and activities come from the Bible Lesson "Beware of the Dogs" based on the Bible verse, "Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own." from Proverbs 26:17. This lesson is presented in the form of a story about a poor, foolish frog who gets involved in the fight of three dangerous dogs. (Preview the lesson below.) This lesson is available to member's on The Resource Room and as an instant digital download.

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What a GREAT lesson! The wonder of it is in the comparison to "dogs"! All children, and I'm hoping, ALL ADULTS as well will learn great lessons from this.

"Grabbing a Stray Dog by the Ears" Activity Sheet

Psalm 26:17 One Who Grabs a Stray Dog by the Ears Bible Craft for Children's Ministry

This fun interactive craft will remind your students what Proverbs 26:17 warns against: Getting involved in a quarrel that isn't yours is like pulling the ear of a stray dog. You could get hurt.

Children color the pattern and then attach the ear to the head, and then the head to the dog's body with a brass fastener so that the mouth of the dog opens when the children pull on the dog's ear. This pattern is available to members on The Resource Room and as an instant download.

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Before you present the story, ask your children if they know what strife, dissension and contention mean.

Strife is a bitter conflict, fight or battle. Example: Angry words can cause strife.

Dissension is strong disagreement or difference in opinion which can cause fights to break out between dissenting parties.

Contention is a fight with someone you disagree with.

This is a wonderful lesson, not only for children, but adults. We often meddle in things which we wish we would not have because we don't know all the details and it causes confusion, which is also against the word of God. I am often taught while teaching the preschool class I have. Thank you for this lesson. Ramona Houston

Color a Picture of the Dogs from Story

Beware of the Dogs Bible Verse Coloring Sheet and Lesson Visual

This picture can be used as a coloring sheet and as a visual for the Bible lesson. It is available in both KJV and NIV and in both color and black and white.

What you will need:

Paper

Crayons or Markers

How to make:

1. Before class print out the color sheet and make copies.

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2. In class have the children color it.

3. As they work, talk about dogs. Ask them if they have ever met a mean dog and what happened.

Proverbs 26:17 Bible Lesson Stick Puppets

Beware of the Dogs Proverbs 26:17 Stick Puppets to present or review the lesson.

Stick Puppets

You can use these stick puppets to present the Bible lesson, or have your children use them to review the Bible lesson.

Print out the patterns onto card stock, cut them out and then glue them to craft sticks or paint sticks.

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"Beware of the Dogs" Bible Lesson

Strife, Dissension and Contention were three very dangerous dogs. (Show your children the picture of the dogs or use the stick puppets.) They were always fighting about one thing or another. Strife would get mad at Dissension because he didn't agree with him about what the rules of a game should be. Contention always wanted things done his way. And Dissension always had to be first. He didn't like taking turns and was always complaining about the others not following the rules. Yes, they were very dangerous, but this isn't what made them so bad to be around.

The worst thing about Strife, Dissension and Contention was that they would get others caught up in their fights. One day the three dogs had gotten into a big fight over whose turn it was to be the seeker in a game of Hide and Seek. They all ended up going home in a huff and yelling at each other that they didn't want to be friends anymore. On this particular day Freddy, a foolish little frog, (Show your children the frog stick puppet.) happened to be hopping by Strife's house as he was about to go in. The foolish little frog noticed that Strife did not look happy. He stopped and asked Strife if he was okay. Of course, Strife was not okay, and he starting telling Freddy all about his problems. He started complaining about his friends and how awful they were. He told Freddy about how Dissension would never agree on any of the rules and would change them whenever it was his turn to be it. And how Contention always acted like a big baby because he had to always have things done his way no matter what they played.

Foolish Freddy wanted to be helpful. He wanted to make Strife feel better so he agreed with Strife that Dissension was not a good friend when he changed the rules all the time and that Contention was acting like a baby when he had to have things done his way.

This was exactly what Strife wanted to hear. Strife went running back to his friends and told them what Foolish Freddy had said. He told them how Freddy thought that Dissension was a terrible friend and that Contention acted like a big baby. Dissension and Contention got very mad when they heard this. They went back to Foolish Freddy's house with Strife. All three of them knocked on his door. Poor Freddy, as soon as he opened the door Strife, Dissension, and Contention starting yelling at him. They snarled, barked and growled. Freddy tried to explain, but the three dirty dogs got even madder. They started snapping at him. Freddy was so scared he slammed the door in their faces and ran and hid under his bad for a very long time.

Poor Foolish Freddy he learned the hard way. If only he had read Proverbs 26:17, he would have known better.

Application

Let's find out what Foolish Freddy should have known. (Open your Bible to Proverbs 26:17. Read the verse and explain it. The International Children's Bible says, "To grab a dog by the ears is asking for trouble. So is interfering in someone else’s quarrel if you’re just passing by."

Ask your children, "What do you think would happen if you pulled the ear of a stray dog? You would probably get bit. The dog would hurt you. Did Freddy Frog get hurt when he got involved in the three dogs' argument? He didn't get hurt physically, but he did emotionally. He was so scared he ran and hid.

Discussion:

1. What did Foolish Freddy do wrong? He got involved in a quarrel that had nothing to do with him.

2. What should have Freddy done instead? He should have told Strife that he hoped he could work things out with his friends.

3. What would you have done in this situation?

4. What should you do if a friend calls you up on the phone and starts to talk about another person and the problems they are having? Don't take sides. Tell your friend that you don't want to talk about someone behind his back. You can tell him that you are sorry that he is fighting with his friend and that he should try to work it out. You could suggest that he think about what Jesus would do if he was having problems with a friend. You could also suggest that he put himself in the place of his friends and try to see his point of view.

5. Why did Strife tell Foolish Freddy his problems? He wanted someone to take his side, which would make him feel like he was right, even though he wasn't.

6. Have you ever acted like Strife, Contention and Dissension?

7. Have you ever acted like Freddy?

8. Have your children look up the following verses and discuss how they relate to today's lesson.

Proverbs 20:3 - "It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel."
Proverbs 16:28 - "A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends."
Matthew 18:15 - "If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over."

You've heard the joke "Don't do as I do, do as I say"? Well it hits home to more adults than would probably care to acknowledge it, and my hopes would be that this lesson would instill in the children who'll be a part of it, that it does matter. My goal would be that they would have inner knowledge enough to pull upon, should they ever find themselves being influenced by others to "follow along". You expect it to happen at school and in the streets, but when it happens within the church itself, it's usually disguised as being "God-ordained". God's speaking to us to see and follow his teachings as HE intended, not as we interpret when it suits our position or point. THANKS for an avenue of impact! Kristi

"Feed the Dog" Bible Verse Review Game

What you will need:

Card Stock

How to make:

1. Print out the big dog pattern (Available in color or black and white.) and bones onto card stock.

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2. Color the picture and cut around the mouth with an Exacto knife or razor blade.

3. Cut out the dog bone shapes and write one word of the verse on each bone.

4. In class place the bones on a table in front of the children or on the floor.

5. Write the Bible verse on the board and go over it several times. If you have older children who can read, erase the verse. If you have younger children, leave the verse on the board.

6. Ask the children what the first word of the verse is. If a child finds the bone with that word, have him put the bone with that word in the dogs mouth. Keep going until every child has had a chance to “feed the dog”.

Make a Picture of a Dog with Moving Ear

Dog Holding A Bible Verse Card Craft for Children's Ministry

This is one dog in which the children can pull his ear and not get bitten.

1. Print out the pattern and cut around the square of the dog.

2. Cut the ear and little note out.

3. Use an Exacto knife to cut a slit in the mouth and where the ear should go. Make the slit only big enough to get the ear in when the tabs are folded back.

4. Fold back the tabs on the ear and insert it into the slit, and then flatten out the tabs.

5. You can print whatever message you would like on the message paper. I wrote, "Don't get involved in other's fights."

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Play "Doggy Doggy, Who Pulled Your Ear"

Make a headband out of wide elastic or stretchy material. Cut dog ears from felt and sew them to the band. Play just like "Doggy,Doggy, Where's Your Bone? except say,"Doggy, Doggy, Who pulled Your Ear?"

Play "Doggy Doggy, Where's Your Bone" Bible Verse Game

(Older children) Before class cut out some dog bone shapes from construction paper. Write one word of the Bible verse on each bone. Pick a child to be the doggy. Place the bones in order behind the doggy to spell out the Bible verse. Have the children say the chant. The doggy then turns around and decides which bone is missing by reading the words on the bones. He then tries to guess who stole the bone.

"Follow the Paw Prints" Bible Verse Review Game

1. Before class print out enough paw prints to have one for each word of the Bible verse.

2. Write one word of the verse on each print.

3. Tape the paw prints in order of the verse around the room. Make it go around in circles, over and under chairs, around tables, and cross paths.

4. In class see if the children can follow the paw prints to spell out the Bible verse. You may want to have a doggy treat at the end of the path. If you have younger children, write the verse on the board so they can look at it if they have problems.

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Comments

We used this lesson for kids club this week and made a bulletin board. On the bulletin board we put in big letters "We will never let THESE dogs out!!" The kids colored pictures of the dogs of strife, contention and dissension and put them on the bulletin board. "Who let the dogs out," is very popular right now, so the kids enjoyed making the bulletin board. I also had two of our teenage kids come and get in an argument in the middle of the singing before the lesson then I got involved in the disagreement, this really got the kids attention. They were surprised to see us talking badly to each other and it made them very uncomfortable. This was a good lesson on how it makes others feel if they see you quarreling. Crystal

Thanks for all your great ideas!! The kids loved the paw prints, and they had a great time hiding the bones of the memory verse and trying to figure out who had the bone. Crystal

For this lesson, I cut out a dog about 7" tall out of poster board. Glued black ears, spots, and black tail. I fixed it so that the dog was standing up on a table (glued heavy cardboard to the back and folded it in a triangle). Glued the memory verse on the front of the dog. Bonnie Lucas

My preschool Sunday school recently completed the lesson "Beware of the Dogs". I cut out and colored the three dogs, Contention, Dissension and Strife, that were available on your web site, and put them on large craft sticks. The children made the stand up dogs also featured on your web site. For the poodles, we tore off pieces of cotton from cotton balls and glued them to the tails of the poodles as well as the "fluffy" part around the feet of the poodles. We also glued wiggly eyes to their faces as well. The children added spots to the body of the dalmatian. They enjoyed this lesson very much! Sincerely, Ella Price

I changed the names, as they would not know what the words meant, to Fighter, Troublemaker and Selfish. Also I thought they could take them home to act out the story. I bought a dog bone and hid it as kids this age love to hunt for things. Kay Hershberger