After God S Own Heart, Lesson 4, Leader S Guide

“After God’s Own Heart,” Lesson 4, Leader’s Guide Dependence, 1 Sam 23:1-5

Central theme: God’s kind of man depends on the Lord and seeks to please him

For Starters – Three Steps And A Roll

Find an open space to do this activity. Break students up into pairs. One will be the traveler, one will be the travel master. The traveler will try to reach a certain object that is placed where they can see it. The travel master will be the one to direct them how to reach the object. The traveler can only take three steps at a time, and at the end of three steps must stop and say, “Travel master, where may I go?”

The travel master will then roll a die. Based on what the travel master rolls, the traveler must respond.

1 = Three steps forward 2 = Turn 90 degrees to the right and then three steps forward 3 = Turn 90 degrees to the left and then three steps forward 4 = Three steps backward 5 = Three steps in any direction the traveler chooses 6 = No steps

The object is to see how long it takes to reach the object while following the travel master’s instructions. After the traveler reaches the object, have the partners switch.

Supplies: Objects (enough for each pair to have one) Dice (enough for each pair to have one)

After the activity is finished, ask the group some or all of the following questions:

-What was it like following someone else’s directions, even if you could see where you thought you wanted to go? -Did you prefer to roll the dice and give instructions or to follow the instructions? -What were the challenges of each role?

Look at the Book – 1 Sam 23:1-5

As we look this week at another episode in the life of David, we’re going to see that one thing that God values is dependence on him.

Read together 1 Samuel 23:1-5 Handout: What prompted David to ask for the Lord’s guidance? (The Philistines’ attack of Keilah)

Explain to your group that a “threshing floor when full was at once the symbol of plenty and the target of raiders. It was vulnerable to attack because it had to be open to breezes which facilitated winnowing the grain...The sheaves [of grain] were spread out on the hard surface and either trampled by animals or by a sledge or roller machine to separate the kernels from the stalks…The blessing of God is symbolized by the full threshing floor.” (From Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) (If helpful, there’s a full color picture of a threshing floor at the end of the lesson.)

Once again, the Philistines’ attack goes beyond just trying to cripple a town and the nation of Israel, although that’s part of their plan. It’s also partly about attacking the reputation of God at the place that symbolized his protection and provision. (This also resonates with Goliath’s taunts about Israel in 1 Sam 17.)

Handout: When David learns of what the Philistines are doing, how does he respond (v. 2)? (He inquires of the Lord whether he ought to attack) Given the seriousness of the situation, does David’s response surprise you?

David asks the Lord what he should do in response to the Philistines attacking Keilah. But this isn’t the only time he seeks the Lord in such a dire situation. In fact, in a situation that was even more dire, he does the same thing. Let’s look at 1 Samuel 30 also.

Read 1 Samuel 30:1-8

Explain to your group that Ziklag was the town where the families of David and his men lived (cf. 1 Sam 27:1-6). So, when they returned from battle to find that Ziklag had been overthrown, it was more personal than any of the Philistines’ previous attacks. Yet, even in this case, David asks for the Lord’s guidance before acting.

(Optional teaching direction: You could speak to your group about the voices they listen to in life. This could provide a good discussion of the role of friends, mentors, etc. as the “prophets” in their lives who speak to them. Do they guide you well, do they guide you poorly? Connect it to dependence by talking about going to God for direction rather than others. You could focus especially on the Proverbs and Jeremiah 17 passages highlighted below.)

Why do you think David asks each time instead of just going after them?

Handout: Have you ever been in a situation when you just reacted without thinking? How did it turn out?

Explain that David doesn’t ask for the Lord’s guidance simply because he is indecisive or afraid to make a choice. In his fight with Goliath, David simply responded to the Philistine’s blasphemous threats immediately and decisively. No, David inquires of the Lord because he recognizes that his own judgment of what is right might not be perfect. David is fully dependent on God and doesn’t want to act in any way that the Lord doesn’t smile upon.

Read Proverbs 16:25 and 19:2.

Handout: How do the words of Proverbs 16:25 and 19:2 encourage our dependence on God?

Even though the quick and easy response—to attack the Philistines—may have seemed logical, David didn’t want to fall victim to trusting in his own thoughts and plans instead of depending on God. He knew what these two proverbs teach: that though a particular response may have seemed right to him, it could have been completely wrong and he could miss the way. Instead, David sought God’s wisdom and insight.

Handout: This week, I learned that a man after God’s own heart depends on God.

Handout: What are some areas of your life in which you find it difficult to depend on God?

Read Jeremiah 17:5-8 to close the time and then ask your group to pray about the things they’ve listed as areas in which they find it difficult to depend on God.

Optional activities:  Have your guys participate in “Across the Battlefield.” In this activity, your group becomes a platoon of soldiers. The group objective is to get the entire team to a rendezvous point that resides “across the battlefield.” The only hitch is that each of the soldiers in the platoon has sustained an injury of some sort (e.g. broken leg, blinded, etc.). In order to get everyone to the rendezvous point, the team must rely and depend on one another to help make up for their weaknesses.  If you’re taking the optional teaching direction, share this video with your group (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MInOApCkA98). The song is called “Good Advice” and it’s by Allan Sherman. It’s a funny song and could tie in nicely to the idea of listening to those who are worth listening to.