Practical Proverbs for the Older Student is a semester course for high school credit in Bible or Life Management. Colleges recognize this class as an elective. By adding some recommended reading, it can count as a full credit. Practical Proverbs for the Older Student is 80 lessons taken from Proverbs, then confirmed through the rest of Scripture. This book offers practical biblical solutions to high school and college age students. Life skills such as work, money, pride, choices and consequences, alcohol, drugs, food, anger management and more are covered in depth with illustrations and personal stories. Answer keys are available. Dara has taught 15 minute introductory lessons for this course online. Email Dara at dara@abidingtruthministry.com for the links. This Bible study is available in KJV and NASB.

Each lesson is, on average, two pages of a workbook with specific and meaningful fill in the blanks or write and answer questions. The student then takes the lesson to a parent or mentor for discussion questions. These can also be written out in a diary. Students testify that this format has helped them to have a better relationship with their parents as they discuss family beliefs, habits, expectations, and disagreements.

Dara Halydier will step through the first nine chapters of Proverbs with your student teaching definitions such as discernment, discretion, wisdom, instruction, and foolishness. She gives background information on David as he learned about repentance and Solomon as a man with a single vision, his sin, and his repentance. The student will then begin a chart comparing the characteristics and results of wisdom to the characteristics and results of foolishness. Other topics in the first 40 lessons include, pride/humility, honor/dishonor, living a righteous life in our culture, the Roman's Road to Salvation, characteristics of a biblical fool and a biblical wiseman, trust/fear, grace/mercy, discipline, guarding your heart, contentment, sin, our old nature, our new nature, shame, renewing the mind, and others.

Jesus is the personification of Wisdom. Wisdom is the very character of God. We must read God's word to learn about God and ourselves. The second half of Practical Proverbs for the Older Student covers Proverbs 10-31 with topics such as God and food, God and our bodies, drugs/alcohol, parents, money, setting up a budget, suffering, greed, giving, work habits, work ethic, welfare, planning, and diligence. It covers the words of our mouths, rage, anger, proper placement of emotions in a Christian's life, forgiveness, love, courtship, marriage, godliness, the characteristics of a goldy man and woman, the contentious woman, and the Proverbs 31 woman. It ends with a study of the names of God and which names have become experienced and relevant to the student.
About the Author: Dara never doubted that God made this world. She has always understood Him as her Creator. When Dara was 13 years old, she asked Jesus to come into her life and be her Savior and Lord. As Dara got older, she allowed Jesus to be Lord over more and more areas of her life. She experienced Him as her provider, her anchor, her King, and finally, at age 39, Dara was able to crawl up into God's lap and call Him Father. It is there that she loves to spend her time for in His presence there is joy. Dara loves to sing and dance before her King. Dara was born with Spina Bifida and deals with chronic pain due to a nine level fusion, but she is walking! And every step is a praise to God. Dara overcame many types of childhood abuse through the unconditional love and example of her husband, Tracy, of 33 years, and she was finally able to understand and accept God's unconditional love after she went into Christian counseling at 39 years old due to clinical depression. Dara has also worked through 30+ moves, children with learning disabilities, twins, and the rigors of ministry. Through it all, God has always remained faithful and true. Dara loves chocolate, sunsets, walks with her husband, reading, studying, playing the piano, singing, keeping in touch with her sons, and playing with her grandsons.