Reading For The Day – Matthew 7:15-23"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
Some people are like wolves that pretend to be sheep. They act and dress like the sheep, only to destroy the lambs once they are among them. A Wolf found it very hard to get inside a sheep house because of the watchfulness of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep whose skin the Wolf was wearing began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing. So, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her - and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals. Appearances are deceptive. (Aesop)
Jesus said that we can figure out which sheep are true sheep, and which are wolves. He said we'll know, because even if a wolf is dressed like a sheep, it acts like a wolf. A wolf can't baaa like a sheep, it can't chew cud like a sheep, it can't eat grass, or even smell like a sheep. Jesus said that a wolf can try to look like a sheep, but you can tell it apart by its actions.
Jesus also compared people like this to trees. If a tree has apples on it, what kind of tree is it? An apple tree! Will an apple tree ever grow pears? No - that's what a pear tree is for. Jesus said our actions are like fruit. If a man lies, he is a liar, no matter how often he says he isn't. A man can say he is a Christian, but if he doesn't act like a Christian, then you know he is false.
Some people are like wolves that pretend to be sheep. They act and dress like the sheep, only to destroy the lambs once they are among them. A Wolf found it very hard to get inside a sheep house because of the watchfulness of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep whose skin the Wolf was wearing began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing. So, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her - and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals. Appearances are deceptive. (Aesop)
Jesus said that we can figure out which sheep are true sheep, and which are wolves. He said we'll know, because even if a wolf is dressed like a sheep, it acts like a wolf. A wolf can't baaa like a sheep, it can't chew cud like a sheep, it can't eat grass, or even smell like a sheep. Jesus said that a wolf can try to look like a sheep, but you can tell it apart by its actions.
Jesus also compared people like this to trees. If a tree has apples on it, what kind of tree is it? An apple tree! Will an apple tree ever grow pears? No - that's what a pear tree is for. Jesus said our actions are like fruit. If a man lies, he is a liar, no matter how often he says he isn't. A man can say he is a Christian, but if he doesn't act like a Christian, then you know he is false.
• Someone who cheats on a test. (wolf)
• Someone who is polite to everyone. (sheep)
• Someone who is only polite to people she wants to impress. (wolf)
• Someone who admits when he is wrong. (sheep)
• Someone who is difficult to upset. (sheep)
• Someone who blames others for her mistakes. (wolf)
• Someone who exaggerates. (wolf)
Discuss these questions with your parents or your Sunday school teachers.
1. Are we supposed to be on the look out for those that would deceive us?
2. How do we protect ourselves from evil people?
3. How can we tell if someone believes in Jesus?
2. How do we protect ourselves from evil people?
3. How can we tell if someone believes in Jesus?
Copyright: Sunday School Sources at eBibleTeacher.com © 2000-2006
Activity For The Day - HEAVENLY TREASURES
