Week 1 of 6 David— 1 Reflect on the Word God’s Choice Read 1 Samuel 16. Have you ever been determined to have things your own for King way? For two years I insisted on selling my house and moving. It gets old being questioned over and over, “Have you sold your house, yet?” And now I have to BIBLE STORY serve up humble pie because I finally realized and accepted that God wants me God Chose a King to wait. And all this time, I had been insisting on having my way. 1 Samuel 16 Israel insisted on having a king. They chose Saul. Saul was the people’s choice. And though he was strong, handsome, and charismat- BIBLE TRUTH ic, Saul’s trust in God had failed at the most critical moments. Reflect on this: God chooses people to He had repeatedly grown impatient, distrustful, choosing to do His work. • Are you insisting do things his way. God’s spirit left Saul, never to return. Saul on your own way in sunk deeper and deeper into depression and paranoia. The This lesson will help early some area of your Israelites’ choice for a king was clearly not working out. elementary children . life right now? The writers of the Book of Samuel want us to know: • Know God chose David to • Are you willing David was chosen by God. And even before he was crowned be the king of Israel to consider God’s king, God was at work shaping David into the kind of leader • Realize that their love direction for you who would rule his people as God ruled His people. It’s and obedience is more even if it seems out not surprising, then, that God would choose a shepherd to of the ordinary? important to God than become king. He sent Samuel to anoint David. There was only what others think of one problem; Saul was still on the throne and his sons were them waiting to ascend the throne. • Feel encouraged that God has something for them to do for The youngest son of a common Benjaminite, David was not an obvious Him choice to follow King Saul as ruler of Israel. This is our first glimpse of David. He is still the little shepherd boy, almost forgotten when the prophet Samuel VERSE-A-MONTH calls upon his family. Samuel was not expecting this, for though David was “Teach me your way, LORD; lead me youthful and handsome, he certainly did not have the lineage or upbringing be- in a straight path” fitting a future king. However, we will soon find David possessed characteristics (Psalm 27:11). that made him uniquely qualified to slay giants and soothe troubled hearts, to defeat armies and unite a divided land. LESSON HELPS David’s story began with obedience. And David’s obedience is central to the HELPING HAND rest of his story. Both the aged prophet and the future king submitted to God’s Tips for teachers. decision not knowing what lay ahead. God chose David to rule a nation, but DIGGING DEEPER destined him to be a vessel through which salvation would come to the world. Important biblical and While none of our children may be chosen to be king or ruler of a nation, their theological insights. tender and willing hearts can reflect that of David’s, a man after God’s own heart. Foundational words of the faith. OLD TESTAMENT Before Jesus Was Born AR OU E Y H E R E Exodus The Creation Noah & The Ark Deborah & Barak Abraham Sarah & David and Goliath 10 Commandments10 Jeremiah & Baruch Elijah Fed by Ravens Samuel Anoints David 6 LESSON PLANNER See Hear & Say Sing Do Solve Read & Write Choose from these activities to support the Bible story. “God’s Shepherd King” Bulletin Board Resources, Item 2 Attention Bible Memory Walk Resources, Item 4 Getters Optional Activity: Pick a Play-Doh Bible Story – “God Chose a King” Resources, Item 2 Bible Explorations Bible Story Review Optional Bible Activity: Anointing a King Connections What Does God Want Me to Do? Connections, Sheet 1b To Life Shepherd’s Journal Connections, Sheet 1 Closing and Prayer Adventures; Parent Connections; Connections, Sheet 15 Optional Activity: Faith Words Resources, Item 3 PRE-SESSION POPPERS NOTES Verse in Motion [Bonus ideas for Lesson 1 of unit 1—give Verse-a-Month Club activity, etc.] To help the children learn the new Verse-a-Month Club memory verse, teach them these motions to go with the words. “Teach [hands in open book motion] Me [point to self] Your way [palms facing each other, parallel, make river motion] LORD [“L” index and thumb, move from right shoulder to waist] Lead [offer right hand outstretched] Me [point to self] In a straight path” [palms facing each other, parallel, move hands straight out from body] Psalm 27:11. [open palm] Time Line Prepare Resources, Items 1A and 1B as directed on the item. Mount the time line on a wall in your classroom. Use it each week to help the children understand how each Bible story is part of God’s story. Use it also to help them figure out the location of each story in the Bible. NEW TESTAMENT When Jesus Was On Earth After Jesus Went Back To Heaven Mission Work Birth of Jesus Jesus’ Baptism Jesus As A Child Disciples Praying Disciples Mary Jesus Anointing Jesus Raising Lazarus Raising Jesus Philip & the Ethiopian Jesus Calms the Storm Cross, Tomb & AscensionTomb Cross, 7 ttention “God’s Shepherd King” Bulletin Board A Before class, Prepare Resources, Item 2, as Getters directed on the item. Cover the bulletin board You’ll need with paper and add a border. • Resources, Item 2 In class, Let students help assemble the • Bulletin board, paper, border bulletin board. Place the title strips and • Stapler or tacks picture of David on his throne as shown in the diagram. Keep the punch-out pieces to add each week after the Use these activities to help Bible story. Ask, Do you know the names of any kings from focus the children’s attention the Bible? Who do you think this king is? I wonder how he and prepare them to learn got to be a king. Let students offer their ideas. today’s Bible Truth. TRANSITION: Say, We will begin to find out about this man in our Bible story today. Listen carefully and see if The transition state- you can figure out who he is. ment provided at the end of each Attention Bible Memory Walk Getters activity is a tool to Before class, Prepare Resources, Item 4, as directed on the item. lead children to the Bible In class, Introduce the new Verse-a-Month Club memory verse, Psalm 27:11. Explorations section of the Show the children where the Book of Psalms is in the Bible. If the children lesson. You will only use one have their Bibles help them find the cor- transition statement—the rect chapter and verse. Read the verse two statement connected to the You’ll need • Bibles or three times to the students. Hold up the last activity used before Bible • Resources, Item 4 stones from Item 4 one at a time as you Explorations. • Cardboard or foam board, opt. repeat the verse. Then hand out the stones • Laminating machine and film or to six different students. Have the students Use these memory clear Con-Tact paper, opt. stand and try to line themselves up in the stones for a variety of correct order. Encourage other students memory activities: to help them. Say, This verse asks God to teach us His way and lead us in a • Hide them around the room straight path. What do you think that means? Let students share their ideas. and let students search for TRANSITION: Say, God shows us in the Bible how to them. When they find the live for Him. Our verse tells us that He will lead us stones they must arrange in a straight path which means the right path that them in the correct order. will lead us to God. In our Bible story today another • Place all the stones in order man asks God to lead him as he looks for a special on a table or the floor. Say person. Listen to find out who needed God’s direc- the verse together and then tion and why. begin removing one stone at a time while the students continue to say the verse. Pick a Play-Doh Before class, Obtain assorted colors of Play-Doh in jars and switch the lids so they do not match the colors in the jars. Lesson 1 In class, Let the children choose a jar of Play- ption You’ll need O Doh. Have children all open them at the same time. • Assorted colors of As the children notice the Play-Doh color does not jars of Play-Doh match the lid, ask, Is your Play-Doh the color you thought it would be? What were you expecting? Let children offer their ideas. Ask, Can we tell what people are like just by look- ing at them? While we cannot see what is inside someone’s heart or mind, God can. If you wish, allow the children to play with the Play-Doh for a few minutes. TRANSITION: Say, Today we are going to meet someone who looked one way, but God saw something different. 8 Bible Story Before class, Make an anointing horn by rolling construction paper into a cone You’ll need and fastening it with tape or glue.