It’s the second part of our “Kids in the Bible” series today! This lesson focuses on a young David in 1 Samuel 16, when Samuel comes to anoint the king of Israel. What I love about this series is that it empowers kids to start living their lives for Christ NOW! We had a lot of great conversations come out of this lesson and I hope you do as well!

Welcome Question

“What is something you CAN’T do because of your age?”

Introduction

Good Morning friends! We’re into the second week of our “Kids in the Bible” series. Last week we learned about a servant girl with a forgiving heart and an army general named Naaman with a sick heart and who was also sick on the outside. The servant girl was taken away by Naaman and forced to be a slave. She forgave him and told Naaman about a prophet who could heal him. Naaman was not only healed, but he also told Elisha, the prophet, that from then on he would only worship Elisha’s God as the one true God. The young servant girl played a big part in that story. The story we’ll read today has a kid who also plays a major role in a large part of the Bible as a grown up, but he started out as just a small shepherd boy.

Large Group Lesson

Does anyone know who the small shepherd boy is that I’m talking about? It was a boy named David, you might know him better as KING David. The same guy that defeated the giant Goliath, the same guy who won tons of battles for Israel, the same guy who wrote most of the Psalms, and the same guy who’s children’s, children’s, children’s child was Jesus. Well, that awesome guy, started out as a boy, a boy who took care of his father’s stinky sheep. Let’s read about that story from the Jesus Storybook Bible, “The Teeny Weenie…true King”. This book is a paraphrase, which means it makes the Bible’s words easier to understand and in more of a children’s story format.

Read the Jesus Storybook Bible pages 116-120 (read while pictures go along with the story on the screen)

David wasn’t the tallest or the biggest or the oldest. He was the youngest and the smallest. There wasn’t anything super “kingly” about him. Samuel, a prophet of God, thought he was going to get this really big awesome king that would look like Captain America or something. But God had a different person in mind. Let’s read 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Samuel was looking for a big, burly guy who would be an awesome army leader, but God was looking at the heart. He was choosing the right leader that would be obedient to Him. David would later in his life be called, “a man after God’s own heart”. Not a man after money or success or friends or popularity, he was a man after God’s heart. He loved God so much, He wanted to obey and listen to him and have a real relationship with him.

Let’s read 1 Samuel 16:10-12: And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.”

David wasn’t even in the line-up to be seen! He was out working because NO ONE thought he would or could be king. Jesse, David’s dad, didn’t even think it was possible or he would have had him in line with his brothers. But God had BIG plans for David. Sometimes as kids you can feel left out like that or feel like God doesn’t have a plan for you. Like you are too young or too little for that to matter. Have you ever felt that way before? In the New Testament, Paul writes to his friend Timothy, who’s a younger guy, and see what he says: “Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are young. Instead, be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life.”  1 Timothy 4:12

Paul said just because you are young, doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference, that you can’t be an example to others. You still can! You still are making a difference. Someone is watching you and looking for you to show them Jesus with your words, actions, faith and life!

Like we said last week, you do not have to wait to grow up to have a relationship with God. You can have one right now, at your age. There is not an age limit or a height requirement to have a walk with God. God has big plans for your life just like He had for David. Why don’t you get started with those plans now!

Let’s pray.  

Small Group Discussion

Discussion:

Say: Today, we heard the story about Samuel anointing the king for Israel that God wanted. While Samuel thought he would be choosing a big strong guy, God told him to stop judging by the outside and to look at the heart. David wasn’t even in the line to be considered king, but God had big plans for David, just like He has for you. Let’s see what you remember from the story.

• What was Samuel’s job? A prophet of God
• Who was the current king of Israel? Saul
• Who was David’s dad? Jesse
• What was Samuel looking for? A big, strong guy to be king
• What was God looking for? A heart that loved him and obeyed him
• What does it mean to be “after God’s heart”, like when we say David was a “man after God’s own heart”? To want to obey God and have a relationship with Him
• How can you be a kid after God’s heart? Live a life that obeys him, loves him, and does the right thing
• How do you think David felt getting anointed as king?
• How do you think his brother’s felt?
• Do you think you get looked down on because of your age? Have them share

God had big plans for each of you. No, we won’t all be kings, but God has chosen you for certain things. He already knows what they are, even though you don’t. The best way to find out His plan is to live a life that obeys and loves God.

Bible Challenge

Supplies: paper heart verse cards, buckets of rice, verse matching paper (K-1).

This week’s Memory Verse: “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Last Week’s Verse: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

Review the verse from last week. Give kids a chance to recite it if they choose. Then go over this week’s verse. Practice as a group.

Say: To help us learn today’s verse we’re going to play a game. I’m going to split you into two groups. You’ll race to find the hearts with the words to our verse written on them. But there is a catch. As you dig for your word your eyes must be closed. Dig in the bucket for the heart and then open your eyes to read the word. If it’s one you already have, close your eyes and dig again. The first group to get their whole verse wins.

***K-1 Accommodation: use the Heart Bible Challenge sheet to allow the kids to match the hearts to the correct words.

Prayer: Ask children if they have any prayer needs and then close in prayer.

Printable Resources

Printable Kids in the Bible Part 2

1 Samuel 16:7 Verse Cards

Heart Bible Challenge Sheet

Thanks for letting me share,