Lesson 1: David is anointed.
Passage: 1 Samuel 16:1-11 - In this passage, God tells the prophet Samuel to stop mourning Saul’s rejection and to go to Bethlehem to anoint a new king from among Jesse’s sons. Samuel is hesitant, fearing Saul’s reaction, but obeys after God provides a cover story. In Bethlehem, Samuel invites Jesse and his sons to a sacrifice. As Jesse’s older sons are presented, Samuel assumes that the eldest, Eliab, must be God’s chosen, but God tells him not to judge by appearance, for God looks at the heart. One by one, seven sons pass by, but none are chosen. Samuel then asks if there are any more sons, and Jesse mentions the youngest, David, who is tending sheep.
Big Idea: People look at the outside, but God looks at the heart.
For Teachers:
Lesson plan.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Pass the Rhythm Game — Activity Leader
The Activity Leader will make up a quick rhythm using different parts of the body. For example: tap your head once and then tap your knees twice. The children must listen carefully and copy the same rhythm. The Leader will then move on to another rhythm and the children will copy again.
To make this more challenging, the children can take turns making up their own rhythm, going around the circle so that everyone gets a chance to lead.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are starting something brand new. In the Bible there was once a king whose name was Saul. But God said that there was going to be a new king, someone with a good heart. And his name was King David.
Let’s watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Who were the two funny people telling the story today?
Who did God choose to be the next king?
Was David the biggest or strongest of his brothers? What did God like about him?
Do you think God can use you to do big things too, just like David?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
Dear God, thank you for the story we learned about King David, and how God chose him because of his big heart. Please help us to have hearts that love you too. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity: “What’s In My Heart?“ Craft— Activity Leader
Kids will be given paper hearts. They can glue the verse to the outside and write/draw attributes that God looks for on the inside (ie. Sharing, compassion, saying sorry, speaking kindly, etc.).
If a child is not interested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Pass the Rhythm Game — Activity Leader
The Activity Leader will make up a quick rhythm using different parts of the body. For example: tap your head once and then tap your knees twice. The children must listen carefully and copy the same rhythm. The Leader will then move on to another rhythm and the children will copy again.
To make this more challenging, the children can take turns making up their own rhythm, going around the circle so that everyone gets a chance to lead.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are starting a brand new series. We’ve been learning a lot about Jesus and his followers, but now we’re going to go way back in time before Jesus, when the people of God needed a new king. Their first king was a guy named Saul, but he wasn’t a very good king, and God decided to choose someone new. Can anyone guess what his name was?
Let’s watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Why did Samuel go to visit Jesse and his sons?
What did God say when Samuel saw the tall, strong brothers?
What do you think made David special in God’s eyes?
What do you think is more important, what’s on the outside or what’s on the inside? Why?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
Dear God, thank you for the story we learned about King David, and how God chose him not because he was the biggest or strongest of his brothers, but because God saw his heart and knew that it was good. Please help us to learn to not only look at what’s on the outside, but to remember that it’s what’s on the inside that really counts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity: “What’s In My Heart?” Craft — Activity Leader
Kids will be given paper hearts. They can glue the verse to the outside and write/draw attributes that God looks for on the inside (ie. Sharing, compassion, saying sorry, speaking kindly, etc.).
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Ghost Game — Activity Leader
The game starts with two kids chosen to be “ghosts.” Everyone else puts on blindfolds and walks around the room slowly. The ghosts trail behind someone for ten seconds. If the person thinks there’s a ghost behind them, they ask, “Is there a ghost behind me?” If they are right, they become a ghost and trail other players. If they are wrong, they’re out of the game. If a ghost trails someone for ten seconds without them noticing, the ghost will lightly tap them on the shoulder and they are out.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are starting a brand new series. We’ve been learning a lot about Jesus and his followers recently, but now we’re going to jump back to a time before Jesus was born, back to the stories of the Old Testament in the Bible.
Who are some characters that you know from the Old Testament?
Can you guess who we might be learning about today?
Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-11
Now let’s watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
How did Samuel almost make a mistake when choosing the next king?
What do you think God was looking for in a good king for the people?
What do you think God might have seen in David, even though he was the youngest out of all his brothers?
What can this story teach us about how we see other people and ourselves?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
Dear God, thank you for the lesson we learned today about King David, and how you chose him not because he was the biggest or the strongest, but because of his heart that loved you. Please help us to remember not to look only at the outside, but to remember that it’s what’s on the inside that really matters. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity: “What’s In My Heart?” Craft — Activity Leader
Kids will be given paper hearts. They can glue the verse to the outside and write/draw attributes that God looks for on the inside (ie. Sharing, compassion, saying sorry, speaking kindly, etc.).
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
For Parents:
Follow-up questions.
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What part of the story did you like best?
Why do you think God chose David to be the new king even though he wasn’t big or strong like his brothers?
How do you know that someone has a good heart? How can we show our good hearts to others?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
Why do you think God didn’t choose the strongest or tallest brother to be king? Who did he choose instead?
What kind of things do you think make David a good king?
Why do you think God cares more about what’s on the inside than what’s on the outside? What does it look like to have a good heart?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What did you learn about David, who God chose to be the new king?
Why do you think God chose David instead of one of his older brothers who were biggest and stronger than him?
Why is it important that God sees the heart instead of judging by appearances?
What are some qualities you think God might be looking for in your heart?
