Bible Reading Challenge – Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon

If you would like ideas for activities and extensions for your Bible Readings, this Bible Reading Challenge is for you! Below you will find a challenge sheet filled with a variety of activities. Some activities may be particularly suited for children and families, while others may be suited for adults and teens – there is something for everyone. Each activity collects a certain number of points with a goal of 1000 points.

Print this badge book to keep track of your points and earn badges: Psalms to Malachi Printable Badgebook PDF!

One of the best parts of a challenge is doing it together. Share your thoughts, favourite verses, quotes, reviews, photos, artwork, etc. in “Sisters Bible Study” on Facebook or “readthebiblechallenge” on Instagram with the hashtag #psalmstomalachi and #2021readthebiblechallenge!

To see all of the challenges go to www.magnifyhimtogether.com/bible-reading-challenge.

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon – Challenge Sheet

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon Challenge – see below for details for each of the activities.

Details for the Challenge Sheet Activities

READ

Using the Bible Reading Companion, read Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon Reading Plan PDF

Proverbs and Ecclesiastes Reading Plan Bookmarks

Print these bookmarks and color in one object per chapter to keep track of your reading! Thank you to Tanya W.

BIBLE JOURNAL

Use a notebook or a Bible Reading Journal to take notes while you read. You can download a page of suggestions (Bible Journal suggestions) to paste in your notebook if you wish. Share your thoughts or favourite verses. This is the link for the Psalms to the Song of Solomon Bible Reading Journal.

BIBLE MARKING

As you read through Proverbs, use coloured pencils to mark all the occurrences of wisdom (wise) or foolish (fool). These words are from the King James Version and may not be the same in other translations.

BIBLE ART

Choose a verse that exhorts or encourages you during your bible readings. Share it here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1393428964180459

LITERATURE

Read through one of the following books and share a quote or two.

Ecclesiastes and Other Studies by L.G. Sargent

The Song of Solomon Study Guide

LISTEN

Listen and write a summary! Search for this series of talks on Christadelphian Bible Talks and Exhortations: Proverbs for Kings by Roger Lewis.

Or listen to the Kids’ Daily Readings podcast:

MEMORY VERSE

Learn these two verses by heart: Proverbs 4:18, Ecclesiastes 11:7, Song of Solomon 6:3 . You can print out the PDF of these bookmarks to help you memorize them. You can also colour them, use them as bookmarks, or use them as a template to journal into your Bible margin.

LANGUAGE

Do a word study on the word “vanity”. This link explains how to do a word study including a template that may help: How to Do a Bible Word Study – Template Included. Share what you learn!

HYMN STUDY

Spending time with a hymn related to the Bible passage that you are reading can enrich what you are reading. You can approach a hymn study in many ways. This month’s hymn is Hymn 351: O happy is the man who hears.

Option 1) If you don’t know the hymn already, you can learn to play and sing it. This website provides piano music for each of the hymns that you can sing along with.

Option 2) Sing it daily for a week.

Option 3) Write out the hymn (you can use this template!), and write Bible passages that relate to the different lines from the hymns along the side (you can also mark this right into your hymnbook to make the hymn more meaningful the next time you sing it).

DIG DEEPER

The value of gold and jewels is contrasted in the book of Proverbs with the value of wisdom. It is easy for us to appreciate the value of gold and jewels, but do we see wisdom as more valuable? Investigate why gold and jewels are precious. Where do they come from? How common are they? How much effort is expended in order to find them? What kind of a process do they need to go through to become pure? Why makes them valuable? Make a list of what the book of Proverbs has to say about them. How is the process of finding and achieving wisdom similar?

BIBLE STUDY

FOOD

The writer of Ecclesiastes speaks of how everything is vanity. What he seems to mean is that it doesn’t last, it lacks substance, it is not something you can depend on. Meringue is a bit like this. It looks much more substantial than it is. Try making something with meringue-like pavlova and you will probably see the connection in more ways than one 🙂 https://www.recipetineats.com/pavlova-recipe/.

QUIZ

Sometimes a question to find the answer to can be helpful to keep little ones engaged. Aquila N. Priscilla has done an excellent job preparing lots of questions to ask before or after reading – you can find their book for purchase here: Know Questions: Psalms to Song of Solomon. Alternatively, you can find crosswords for Proverbs here: Know Questions: Proverbs Crosswords. There is also a free app for iPhones here: Bible Quiz – Know Questions on the App Store.

OUR WORLD

What do you know about ants? Proverbs 6 tells us that we can learn wisdom from an ant. When you can, watch ants outside and see how busy always seem to be. If you ever disturb a large ant nest you will see how quickly they can move what may be hundreds or thousands of ant eggs to a different location! They all cooperate together to do what they are meant to do. If you want to know more about ants, do your own research, or you could read Abi the Ant (Audiobook here – www.magnifyhimtogether.com/2020/05/13/abi-the-ant-audio-book-silent-witness-series/).

ART

Ecclesiastes speaks of how although everything on the earth may come and go, the earth abides forever. Make a paper mache light-up globe to remind you of this: http://www.housingaforest.com/paper-mache-globes/. Share a photo of your creation on social media with the hashtag #psalmstomalachi.

THE HEART

“In a normal human being the will plays the part of a schoolmaster using reason and judgment to instruct the feelings. As a man thinketh in his heart so will he be. Thoughts of some kind are busy in every conscious moment. We are not always acting or speaking, but while we are awake we are always thinking. It is possible indeed that thought is active even in sleep. It is easy then to see what a large part thought must play in the formation of character and, looking a step further, we may realize what a wonderful opportunity for development is offered, using the thought of today to give strength for tomorrow.” (Principles and Proverbs, I. Collyer)

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)