Which person do you think is stronger? If God was looking for a new king, who do you think he would pick? Keep thinking of these pictures as we start our bible story. We are going to learn about how God looks at our hearts and not at what we look like.
Bible Lesson
Saul had been king, but he kept disobeying God so God asked the prophet Samuel to find a new king. God said to Samuel, "Go to Bethlehem and there is a man named Jesse with eight sons. One of them will be the next king." When Samuel first met the sons he thought that the oldest son, named Eliab, would be the king that God had chosen. But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at the way he looks or how big he is. Eliab is not the one I have chosen, the way he looks doesn't matter to me, I look at the heart." Jesse brought more of his sons to meet Samuel, but God didn't choose any of them. Samuel asked Jesse, "Have I met all your sons?" Jesse replied, "I have one son left named David, he's the youngest, and he's out looking after the sheep. I will bring him here to meet you." As soon as Samuel saw him the Lord spoke to him and said, "He is the one." So Samuel anointed him with oil which was a special way of promising him that he would be the next king. And from that day on the power of the Lord was with David.
Summary
God chose David as king not because he was strong or big, but because he had a good heart and loved the Lord. God isn't worried about us being strong or big, He just wants us to love him with all of our heart.
Questions
1. Why did God want Samuel to find a new king? 2. Why did Samuel think that one of David's older brothers would be king? 3. Why didn't God choose one of David's brothers to be king? 4. Why did God choose David to be king? 5. How does God want us to be? 6. Looking back at the pictures from the beginning, which person do you think God would have chosen to be king? Why? 7. How can we be like David in our own life?
Games
Bibbidy Bop Bop: Everyone sits on chairs in a circle. Choose someone to stand in the middle. This person then points at someone and says "Bibbidy Bop Bop". The person they are pointing to must say "Bop" before they finish, otherwise they then become the person in the middle. If the person in the middle says anything other than "Bibbidy Bop Bop" and the person they are pointing to says "Bop", they are out and become the person in the middle.
Comedy Hour: Form pairs or small groups. Ask each partner to complete any three of the following sentences. Then have each child have share their partner's answers to the whole group. • The funniest television commercial I've seen this year is... • The most needlessly repeated phrase a parent or teacher ever used with me is... • The best (clean) joke I've heard recently is... • The funniest person I've ever met is... • The funniest face I've ever seen someone make is... (have kids attempt to create them for their partners.) • The best practical joke I've heard of is...
Laughing Game: One person is 'It'. They choose another person in the group and have to make them laugh or smile in any way possible in less than 20 seconds. If they do not, then 'It' moves to another victim. If the victim does laugh they become 'It'.
Sit Down If: Get everyone to stand up, then read through the following list. The last person standing is the winner! • Sit down if you have eaten chocolate today • Sit down if you are wearing purple • Sit down if you were born in September • Sit down if you have blue eyes • Sit down if you are the youngest child • You have broken a bone • Gone for two weeks without a shower • Can speak more than two languages • Etc...