This lesson set concerns the annointing of David by Samuel.
There are 5 workshops.
SUMMARY:
puppets - This rotation has one longer skit, designed to be pre-rehearsed and performed by adults or youth for the children attending this rotation.
games - The children will play a game to demonstrate that things and people are not always as they appear. Use optical illusions, partial images, magnifications of microscopic objects, and photos of people who don’t fit stereotypical appearances.
video - King David, video from Paramount Pictures, 1985. Starring Richard Gere
drama - The class will learn about how David, a shepherd boy, was chosen to be king of Israel by listening to and acting out 1 Samuel 16:1-13.
storytelling - The children will play mirrors to discuss the reflections of our hearts. Read Psalm 8 responsively.

All lessons are copyrighted by the Kirk of Kildaire and may be used for non profit purposes only.

See the flyer for this lesson and the complete set of Faith Quest lessons .
Contact us about our lessons at woynicz@mindspring.com



FAITH QUEST

David—God’s Chosen King



PRAISING PUPPETS


Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Memory Verse: “The LORD said, ‘People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.’” 1 Samuel 16:7 (CEV)

Concepts:
 God sees our hearts and not our outward appearance.
 God chooses unlikely people to do God’s work.
 The Holy Spirit goes with people who do God’s work.

Objectives: This workshop will help the children understand that God has created each of us for a purpose and has a plan for our lives. The people God chooses for jobs sometimes surprise us. The jobs God chooses for us sometime surprise us. Even though the world may try to put us into its own categories (by looks or economic standing, etc), God knows best— God knows our hearts! And God’s purpose will prevail. Once God is ready to use us for service, God will give us what we need—God’s Spirit, if we do not already have it, and any additional gifts and talents that we may need.

Procedure:
Welcome and Introductions:
1. Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your nametag.
2. Tell the children that today they will hear a story about how God chose someone to do his work and then will use the puppets to understand more about how people are chosen for special jobs.

Bible Story:

Plan to spend about 10 minutes on the Bible story before doing the puppet show. For the first two weeks of the lesson, you will need to read the story to the class. After that you may still read the story or jump directly to the discussion. The FaithQuest curriculum is based on the CEV Bible, so that version is included here. You can share some basic Bible facts before reading the story: the story comes from the Bible, the Bible is God’s Word, and the story is from the book of the Bible called 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel is a book of the Old Testament. Samuel was a prophet of God. His job was to advise the King about God’s plans.

You might want to introduce the story like this: The people of Israel had God, but they also wanted a flesh and blood king that they could see. At the time of this story, Saul was the very first king of Israel. God chose Saul and then helped him to win battles, but Saul began to think he did not need God. He thought he was great, not God, and he stopped thinking that God deserved the credit or thanks for what Saul accomplished. Samuel, who was God’s prophet and priest over Israel, loved God and realized how much we all need God. He was sad that Saul no longer felt this way. In this Bible story, God is telling Samuel that God had chosen a replacement for Saul.

From the CEV:
The LORD Chooses David To Be King
1One day he (the LORD) said, "Samuel, I've rejected Saul, and I refuse to let him be king any longer. Stop feeling sad about him. Put some olive oil in a small container and go visit a man named Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem. I've chosen one of his sons to be my king." 2Samuel answered, "If I do that, Saul will find out and have me killed."
"Take a calf with you," the LORD replied. "Tell everyone that you've come to offer it as a sacrifice to me, 3then invite Jesse to the sacrifice. When I show you which one of his sons I have chosen, pour the olive oil on his head." 4Samuel did what the LORD told him and went to Bethlehem. The town leaders went to meet him, but they were terribly afraid and asked, "Is this a friendly visit?"
5"Yes, it is!" Samuel answered. "I've come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. Get yourselves ready to take part in the sacrifice and come with me." Samuel also invited Jesse and his sons to come to the sacrifice, and he got them ready to take part. 6When Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel noticed Jesse's oldest son, Eliab. "He has to be the one the LORD has chosen," Samuel said to himself.
7But the LORD told him, "Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts."
8Jesse told his son Abinadab to go over to Samuel, but Samuel said, "No, the LORD hasn't chosen him."
9Next, Jesse sent his son Shammah to him, and Samuel said, "The LORD hasn't chosen him either."
10Jesse had all seven of his sons go over to Samuel. Finally, Samuel said, "Jesse, the LORD hasn't chosen any of these young men. 11Do you have any more sons?"
"Yes," Jesse answered. "My youngest son David is out taking care of the sheep."
"Send for him!" Samuel said. "We won't start the ceremony until he gets here."
12Jesse sent for David. He was a healthy, good-looking boy with a sparkle in his eyes. As soon as David came, the LORD told Samuel, "He's the one! Get up and pour the olive oil on his head." [5] 13Samuel poured the oil on David's head while his brothers watched. At that moment, the Spirit of the LORD took control of David and stayed with him from then on.
Samuel returned home to Ramah.

Discussion:

God chose Samuel, the prophet, to go anoint the new king. Does anyone know what anointing is? It is a ceremony where oil is poured over someone who is chosen. Samuel uses olive oil.

God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to find the new king, who turns out to be David. What do we know about Bethlehem? It is where Jesus was born. Is this just a coincidence? No, Jesus, our Savior, was to come from the hometown of David, which is Bethlehem.

Does God’s choice seem to be the obvious or likely choice? Many answers may be given, but the main idea is--No, the oldest sons, tallest sons, and the most important sons are not chosen. God chose someone so unlikely that the father, Jesse, did not even ask him to come in from the pastures to be considered. I wonder why God chose David? Lots of answers, but God knew David’s heart and knew that he would try to follow God’s will his whole life and be a good ruler and shepherd over the people of Israel. And David was a good king!

Can you think of other Bible stories where God chose an unlikely person to do God’s will? Most of the Bible story characters are unlikely – a poor teenage mother for Jesus, a poor Jewish carpenter to be the Savior, Paul the Apostle who persecuted Christians, a woman was the first to see the risen Jesus.

Application:
Note: Normally in Praising Puppets, the children perform the puppets in 1 of several skits. This rotation has one longer skit, designed to be pre-rehearsed and performed by adults or youth for the children attending this rotation.

If you decide to perform for the children, you can combine various student parts to use fewer puppets. Also, each player can perform two puppets. Post the scripts on the back of the stage so that the players can read, hands-free. The teacher and narrator can be the same person, and can be a puppet or can be a human next to the puppet stage (like Fran with Kukla & Ollie or Mr. Rogers with his puppets).

Alternatively, you can have the whole class participate in this skit—the teacher part is much longer than the other parts, then there are 12 other parts (11 students and 1 narrator). If you plan to do this, make about 15 copies of the script.

Questions following the skit:

After the skit has been performed, use questions to reinforce the concepts we are teaching about God and God’s knowledge of our hearts and what we are suited to do. Some possible discussion questions follow.

 What did you think of the students’ ideas about how to pick the best speller? encourage discussion by prompts about best-dressed, smartest, best-behaved etc.
 How did they act when they found out whom the best speller was? encourage discussion, look for idea of surprised.
 How did this remind you of when David was chosen as the king? Not the person everyone would have chosen, seemed unlikely choice, father had not even asked him to come in from the pasture to be considered.
 Do you think the teacher often know who is best at things in school? God is even more special than your teachers, because God knows things that no other human being knows about each of us.
 Do you think God knows what we’re best at? Did you know that God has designed each of us for some special purpose? Do you wonder what your purpose is? You can pray to God and ask help to know what God’s purpose is for you.
 Was the teacher right about Ben? Yes. Was God right about David? Not covered in this Bible passage, but David was a good king, and he was a man after God’s heart all of his life.

 How might the teacher have helped Ben to get ready for the spelling bee? spelling books, list of words that might be used, exercises, a homework pass the night before.
 In the Bible story, after David is anointed, God helps David get ready to be the king. What does God do to help him? “The Spirit of the LORD took control of David and stayed with him from then on.” (1 Sam 16:13b) God gives many people his Spirit to help them do God’s work.
 Do you know how the Spirit can help you too? Knowing God’s will, helps you obey God, understand right from wrong, helps you pray, teaches you about the Bible and many other things! Do you know how to ask God to give you the Holy Spirit? Tell God you know that you need God’s help, that God is responsible for the good you do, that you want to serve God. God will give you the Holy Spirit to do God’s work.


Wrap-up:
Ask whether there are any questions.


Reflection Time:
1. Ask the shepherds to pass out the journal sheets and pencils/markers. Tell the younger children to draw a picture of Samuel anointing David. Tell the older children to practice their memory verse by writing it three times. They can draw pictures when they finish.


Closing:
Prayer: Close with a simple prayer about God, giving thanks that God knows the heart of each one of us, that God has a purpose for each of us. Ask God, in the name of Jesus, to reveal that purpose to each one of us.

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help clean up as they wait for their parents to arrive.

Teacher preparation in advance:

1. Pray about preparing and performing this lesson.
2. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Leaders Bible Study.
3. Make the appropriate copies of the script. If you are planning to perform, select players and rehearse the play. Time this. You can post copies of the script on the stage so players can refer to it.
4. Practice reading the Bible story. Time this also.
5. Make copies of the memory verse or plan to post it in the room for reflection time.
6. Prepare a closing prayer.
7. Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located. You can bring a CD or taped music for background music while you are gathering, along with meditative music for reflection time.


Materials:
1. Copies of the script.
2. Copies of the memory verse

References:
Notes supplied for curriculum writers' Bible study in May 2003.

WHO KNOWS WHOM GOD HAS CHOSEN?



Teacher: “Good morning. Today I have some exciting news for you. The school is going to have a spelling bee for our grade. Each class will choose one speller to represent the class. This speller will compete against the other spellers from the other classes in our grade. Whoever wins the spelling bee will win an outdoor ice cream party for their class.”

Class: (lots of excited talking)

Teacher: “The most important thing is that we choose the best speller in the class to represent us. Do I have any suggestions or volunteers?”

Student 1: “I’ll do it.”

Class: (no’s and yes’s to this)

Student 2: “I think Marjory should do it. She seems like the smartest girl in the class.”

Class: (excited discussion)

Student 3: “No, I think Rick should do it. He seems like the smartest boy.”

Class: (excited discussion)

Student 4: “What about Kimberly? She is the best behaved. She knows all the rules.”

Student 5: “How about Fred? He’s the best dressed. The judges will like the way he always wears a shirt with a collar.”

Student 6: “Clothes don’t matter. But Beth has really shiny hair.”

Student 7: “Hair is not important to spelling. Maybe we should vote. My parents always get to vote to choose people.”

Teacher: “You all have some interesting ideas. But first let’s decide on how we’re going to pick the best speller.”

Student 8: “What about your ideas, Teacher? Who do you think is the best speller?

Teacher: “You’re asking me for my opinion? Why would you ask me?”

Student 9: “You know who has the best spelling grades.”

Teacher: “Good point. Let me look in my grade book. (looking through grade book.) Well, actually, the best speller in the class is Ben.”

Student 10: “Ben? He never says anything in class. I didn’t know he was a good speller.”

Class: (All turning to look at quiet puppet. Lots of excitement and disbelief phrases—“Me neither.” “Wow!” “Who’d have thought of Ben?”)

Teacher: “Ben, will you represent our class?”

Ben: (quietly) “Yes.”

Narrator: “Ben did represent the class. And he won. One of the reasons he won was that he was the best speller in the class. The other reason that he won was that the other classes chose their spellers from the best-dressed, the most popular, the most confident and the seemingly smartest child in the class. No other class thought to ask its teacher--who actually knew who the best speller was.”

THE END

[This message was edited by Catherine on June 13, 2003 at 11:49 AM.]


post edited by exchange volunteer to add a summary of workshops.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Amy Crane,

FAITH QUEST

David: God’s Chosen King



Holywood

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Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Memory Verse: “The Lord said, People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.” I Samuel 16:7 CEV

Concepts:
1. God has a plan and is in control.
2. God sees and understands things we do not.
3. God sees our hearts and not our outward appearance.
4. God chooses unlikely people to do God’s work.
5. The Holy Spirit goes with people who do God’s work

Objectives:
1. The class will watch a video about David as a boy.
2. The children will draw a picture of what God sees in their hearts.


Procedure:
Welcome and Introductions:
1. Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your name-tag.
2. Explain the purpose of this workshop.

Scripture/Bible Story:
1. Review the Bible story 1 Samuel 16:1-13. Use clip art pictures. As you tell the story you can stick the pictures on the wall or board in sequence to refer to later.

2. Explain some of the characters in the video.

 Samuel, a prophet, is the old man who goes to see Jesse. He anoints David. The rocks that you will see Samuel holding in the video are added for dramatic effect.
 King Saul is the first King of the Israelites. God is not pleased with Saul. God wants David to unite the scattered tribes of Israel into one united nation.
 The Israelites are fighting the Philistines. No one wants to fight Goliath.

3. Watch the video. Start it AFTER the credits. Before the credit is a beheading by Samuel that the kids don’t need to witness.
Younger children: Stop the movie after David says, “so be it” the first time, which is before David picks up the sword and kills Goliath.
Older kids: Stop the video after the voice over explains that David served in Saul’s army for 10 years. You will see an older David parading into the city.


Discussion:
God did not choose the older brothers. What did you think when you first saw the young David? Did you think he was too young? What do you think David’s brothers thought about God’s choice? (he’s too young, why did God choose him?)

Read the memory verse: “The Lord said, People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.” I Samuel 16:7 CEV

What do you think God saw in David’s heart that others couldn’t see by looking at him? (David’s love for God, the Holy Spirit in him)

What does God see in your heart? What does God know about you that others do not?

Reflection Time:

Hand out journal sheets, a red heart, scissors, glue sticks (or tacky glue – it sticks better) and colored pencils and/or markers.

Cut the heart vertically in half – jagged, straight cut, wavy, whatever. Make sure both halves fit together in place, and glue the outside edges of the heart to the journal page. Bend each half of the heart at the glued edges so the heart opens up. Draw, inside the heart, a picture or write words that describe what God sees in your heart OR something that God knows about you that makes God smile (a talent, an attitude, something you do that is pleasing to God.) Close the heart up.

Gather together and share what is inside your heart. Tell the children that God knows each one of us inside and out and has a special plan for our lives. The Holy Spirit is in us when we do God’s work.

Closing:
Prayer: Lead prayer. Thank you God for having a plan for us and for loving us for who we are inside and not what we look like on the outside. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who is with us when we do your work – even when it is hard to do the right thing. Amen

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help tidy up. Put clothes and props in the bin on the stage.

Teacher preparation in advance:
1. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Leaders Bible Study.
2. Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located. The bin with supplies is in the closet.
3. Preview the video and have it cued to the correct starting place.
4. Prepare the hearts from red construction paper. Make the hearts large enough to fill ½ page of standard 8 ½ X 11 construction paper. You may wish to precut the heart shapes for younger children. Older children can cut the heart shape out. Walk the kids through the steps of folding a square and cutting into a heart shape.
5. Prepare the clip art pictures to tell the story. Cut each picture page in half so that you can show one picture and caption at a time. Color the pictures if you wish.
6. Be sure you have plenty of popcorn popped BEFORE the children arrive. You will need to have your attention on the children at that point. Ask the shepherds or child volunteers to help distribute it to children who are sitting quietly.

Supply List:
Video
Journal sheets
Glue, pencils, scissors (fancy cutting scissors are fun if you have any)
Red construction paper
story in pictures (see attached file)

References:
King David, video from Paramount Pictures, 1985. Starring Richard Gere. Available from www.Amazon.com or www.VisionVideo.com

FAITH QUEST

David: God's Chosen King


Antioch Arcade - Games

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16: 1-13

Memory Verse: The Lord said, “People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.” -- 1 Samuel 16: 7 (CEV)

Concepts:
 God sees and understands things we do not.
 God sees our hearts and not our outward appearance.

Objectives:
1. Older children will locate the story of David’s anointing in their Bibles. Younger children will learn that the story is in 1 Samuel.
2. The children will review the story.
3. The children will play a game to demonstrate that things and people are not always as they appear.
4. The children will discuss the concepts of God seeing things that we don’t, and God judging people by our hearts and not our outward appearance.

Procedure:
Welcome and Introductions:
1. Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your name-tag.
2. Open with a brief prayer.

Scripture/Bible Story:
1. Grades 1-2 will not use Bibles, but do open yours to show them where the story is. For grades 3-5, make sure everybody has a Bible. The shepherds will have extra Bibles. (There are also extra Bibles in the cupboard of Creation Station.) Help the students to find the book of 1 Samuel. (Get the shepherds to go around the room and help with this.)
2. If necessary, review the organization of the Bible: The Bible is divided into two big parts, the Old and New Testaments. Each part is a collection of books. Each book is divided into chapters and verses. Have them figure out whether I Samuel is in the Old or New Testament (happened before Jesus so it’s in Old Testament).

Show them that if they open their Bible in the middle, they’ll usually land in the book of Psalms in the OT. Point out that the book name is at the top of each page. Tell them that I Samuel comes before Psalms, then let them flip through the first half of the Bible for it. (Some of the older children should know the books of the Bible. Encourage everyone to learn them.)

After they’ve found I Samuel, help them find chapter 16 and tell them this is where the story of David being chosen as king is told in the Bible. Some of the children will confuse chapters and verses. Show them that chapter numbers are the big ones, and also are at top of every page.

3. Review the story, using the summary below as a guide. Unless this is the first Sunday of the rotation, let the children help you tell the story. This will give you an idea of how much they already know. Other ideas for reviewing the story in later weeks:

 Begin the story and let each person in the circle add one line to the story until it is complete. Help them tell the COMPLETE story.

 Tell the story back to them with inaccuracies and let them correct you. (especially fun for the younger ones -- but don’t do this until the later part of the rotation.

 Photocopy the passage (remove verse numbers), cut it up and see if they can put it back together correctly.

 Hand out key words and ask the kids what they have to do with the story. Or find the key word in the Bible passage and then read it.

Story Summary

Saul was the king of Israel, but he disobeyed God, and God chose a new king. God told Samuel, “Stop feeling sad about Saul. Get some oil and go to Bethlehem to see a man named Jesse. I’ve chosen one of his sons to be my king, and I want you to anoint him.”
But Samuel said, "How can I do that? Saul will hear about it and kill me."
God answered, "Take a calf with you and tell everybody that you’ve come to make a sacrifice to me. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. When I show you which one of his sons I have chosen, anoint him by pouring the oil on his head.”
Samuel did what God said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, he invited the leaders of the town, along with Jesse and his sons, to the sacrifice.
When Samuel saw Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, he thought, "Surely this is the one the Lord has chosen.."
But God told Samuel, "Don’t be fooled just because Eliab is tall and handsome. He’s not the one I’ve chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.”
Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to go over to Samuel. But Samuel said, "The Lord has not chosen this one either." Jesse kept sending more sons over to Samuel until Samuel had seen and rejected seven sons. Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these. Do you have any more sons?”
"There is just one more,” Jesse answered, "My youngest son is tending the sheep."
Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not start the sacrifice until he gets here.
So Jesse sent for David, his youngest son. When David got there, God told Samuel, “He’s the one! Get up and anoint him.”
So Samuel took the oil and poured it on David’s head. At that moment, the spirit of the Lord took control of David and stayed with him from then on.
And Samuel went home.

Application:
1. Tell the children: Samuel couldn’t tell from outward appearances which one of Jesse’s sons God had chosen. Now we’re going to see how good we are at judging from outward appearances. Let’s play To Tell the Truth!

2. Show the kids a variety of pictures and have them guess at what the reality is. Use optical illusions, partial images, magnifications of microscopic objects, and photos of people who don’t fit stereotypical appearances. Ask questions appropriate to each picture and have them “vote” their judgments by moving to a certain part of the room. For example, with an optical illusion: “If you think all the circles are the same size, go to that corner. If you think one circle is bigger than the others, go to the opposite corner.” With partial images and magnifications, ask for suggestions as to what the complete picture is, or give them several choices and let them vote. With photos of people, ask: “Which one of these three people was convicted of robbing a bank?” Vary the voting by having them indicate their choices by hopping, spinning, standing on one foot, singing, or whatever else you can think of to keep them moving.

You might also use auditory illusions (for example, sometimes it’s hard to tell by the sound whether someone is laughing or crying) or have the children try to identify objects by touch, taste, or smell.

Older children: Use the hardest pictures. You want them to miss a lot in order to make your point about judging by appearances. They are likely to catch on pretty quickly that the correct answer is not usually the obvious answer – so when they guess one right, point out that it’s not the answer we would normally expect based on appearances.

Younger Children: Start out with some easy pictures, but be sure that there are some that most kids will miss. Keep them moving.


Reflection Time:

Talk about some of the pictures where the truth was surprising. Ask: Do you think God has a hard time knowing the truth about those pictures? (No, because God sees and understands things we do not.)

What about some of the people in the pictures? Sometimes it was hard to guess who was the criminal, who was the millionaire, who was the doctor, etc. Do you think God has the same problem we did? (No, God sees our hearts and not our outward appearance.)

In the story, Samuel thought Jesse’s oldest son was the one God had chosen. Why did he think that? (The oldest son was tall and handsome. Samuel was judging him by appearances.)

Our memory verse is what God said to Samuel. Let’s say it together: The Lord said, “People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.” -- 1 Samuel 16: 7 (CEV)

Reflection Time:
Pass out the journal pages and ask the shepherds to pass out pencils/markers. Optional: Give the children a sticker or some other memento (a smear of olive oil? A tiny reproduction of an optical illusion? ) to put in their journal as a reminder of the workshop.

Ask the children to follow the instructions and write or draw a picture to illustrate the journal question. Those who finish early can turn the page over and work the puzzle on the back.

Closing:

Encourage the children to bring an offering next week. Remind them that the offering from this rotation will go to our missionaries.

Prayer: God, please help us to be like you, and not judge others by their appearance. Help us to have good hearts and not worry so much about our own appearance. Amen

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to collect pencils, Bibles, etc. When the room is tidy, dismiss the class.

Teacher preparation in advance:

1. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Leaders Bible Study.
2. Prepare a closing prayer.
3. Write the scripture verse on the white board or display it in the room some other way.
4. Collect pictures for use in the game. Books, magazines, newspapers and the Internet are all good sources. Have pictures large enough for display to a group. Write what you are going to ask about the picture on the back so you can read the question as you hold the picture up for the class to see.


Supply List

Pencils (in supply bin; the shepherds also have pencils)
Dry-erase marker (in supply bin)
Extra Bibles
Pictures for game
Journal sheets

References

Storytelling ideas: http://www.dennisdewey.org/Dennis8.htm

Optical Illusions for this workshop were collected from the web. We have not posted them to respect copyrights. Other pictures and the journal may be viewed by going to our web site. Select the David story from the menu.

FAITH QUEST

David: God’s Chosen King


Good News - Storytelling

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Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Other scriptures used in this workshop: Psalms 8

Memory Verse: The Lord said, People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts. I Samuel 16:7

Concepts:
 God has a plan and is in control.
 God sees and understands things we do not.
 God sees our hearts and not our outward appearance.
 God chooses unlikely people to do God’s work.

Objectives:
1. The children will play mirrors to discuss the reflections of our hearts.
2. Read scripture and discuss the anointing of David.
3. Read Psalm 8 responsively.

Procedure:
Welcome and Introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your nametag.

Explain the purpose of this workshop:
As we continue to study the life of David, we will find out that he has many talents. He is thought to be the author of many of the Psalms in the Bible. He was a shepherd, he was strong, he was able to kill Goliath with his sling and a rock, and he was chosen by God to become King of Israel. The people of Israel did not select David to be king, God did. As we will learn from the scriptures today, David used music to help calm King Saul, who one day David would replace as King.

Scripture/Bible Story:
1. Ask the children to say the memory verse. (Display the verse on poster board.)
2. Ask them to bow their heads for prayer.
3. Tell the story of David’s anointing in your own words or read from a Children’s Bible storybook. Use lots of emotion. Have them to sit and open their Bibles to the Scripture. In later weeks, ask the children “what happened next” to tell the story.
4. Provide an opportunity for questions, in case the scriptures are not understood.


Application:

Reflections of our hearts - As we can see from the scriptures, it was not the oldest son, or the most handsome son of Jesse who was chosen by God to become King. We know that God selected David because he reflected his faith in God, he had in his heart what God knew would help the people of Israel.
1. Ask the class to stand.
2. Tell them that they are a mirror. They are to do everything that you do – reflecting your mood and actions.
3. Once they understand the activity – do several things; (smile big and raise your hand, place hands on your hips and lean to the left, etc.)
4. If the class understands the activity – ask them each to find a partner.
5. Have them to face each other. The one with the longest hair is the mirror first. Tell the other child to act out several things to be reflected in the mirror. After a minute have them to switch roles.
Once they have had an opportunity to act out and be a mirror, ask them to sit.
Discuss:
A mirror catches our reflections and actions. Could the mirror reflect your moods; for example when you showed you were happy, laughing, and or sad? What we feel on the inside can be hidden from others, but not God. God knows what is in our heart. Your actions are a reflection on your faith and what you believe.

The story and the review: You will review the scriptures by groupings of verses, with questions about David. Read the overview of each verse here and then ask the questions that are in italic.

Verses 1-3: God tells Samuel to stop grieving over the rejected King Saul. Samuel is to go to Bethlehem to anoint a new king. The king will be one of Jesses’ sons. God tells Samuel he will inform him who to anoint, and not to worry.
1. What do you think Samuel was thinking as he went on this journey?
2. What do we already know about Bethlehem?

Verses 4-5: Samuel obeys, but he is afraid elders will meet and ask him what he is doing. He will feel like he is betraying his King. When he meets Jesse and his sons, Samuel gives peace to them from the Lord and invites them to the sacrifice.
1. From the scripture we read a few minutes ago, who is missing among Jesse’s family?
2. Was Samuel prepared for a sacrifice? (What did he bring with him on the journey?)

Verses 6-7: The first born comes toward Samuel and he is sure since he is the oldest son, that he is the one (Samuel thinks to himself). God tells Samuel that he is judging from one’s outside appearance and that this son is not the one to be anointed as King.
1. How many of you are the oldest in your family? Do you get special treatment? During this time in history the oldest was often the first to be chosen for something great.

Verses 8-10: All seven sons pass by Samuel, and God does not choose any of them.
1. Do you think Samuel thought he had the wrong family?
2. Do you think the sons knew something was going on that would make their family powerful?

Verses 11-13: Samuel asks Jesse if these are all of his sons. Jesse says the young one is out in the field tending the sheep. Samuel asks Jesse to send for him. When the youngest son approaches, God tells Samuel to get up, this is the one! David comes over to Samuel and kneels and Samuel pours oil over his head and anoints him as the next King of Israel. From this point on, David has the spirit of God in him.
1. Pouring oil over ones head, or feet was a symbol of faith. It was a sign of honor. What is similar in our church – when do we have water poured over us, or sprinkled over our head? What does the water symbolize for us?
2. How do you think David might have changed, when it states that he was filled with the spirit?

Verses 14-16: Saul’s good spirit of the Lord is no longer in his heart, instead an evil spirit is causing him to be frightened and have bad dreams. He is told of a shepherd boy who plays the harp with soothing music that calms the sheep when they are frightened. The officials go to find the young boy.
1. Who can tell us who the young harp player is?
2. How do they know of this talented young boy?
3. We know from later scripture that David goes to live in King Saul’s place and plays the harp to help calm Saul. Do you think this happened so David could begin to see what it would be like to rule Israel?

Read Psalm 8 responsively – Make sure you have enough copies for each child and the Shepherd. Pass the sheets out and explain that this is a song written by David and is now in the Bible as a Psalm to praise the creator. Many of the Psalms in the Bible are attributed to David.


Reflection Time:
Ask the shepherds to pass out the journal sheet for Good News* and pencils/markers. Suggestion: You may wish to give the children a sticker or some memento to paste on their journal page as a reminder of the story or activity.

Closing:
Prayer: Suggestions for the closing prayer – Dear God our great creator, thank you for believing in us. Thank for your providing us with the tools we need to get your work done. Forgive us when we are lazy and do not complete our tasks. We pray you will be with our families as we travel for our summer vacations. Thank you for the freedom we have in America to worship and learn more about your word. In your name we pray, Amen.

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help tidy up. Close/lock the door and turn off the lights. The pillows in the Puppet room need to be placed back in the closet if you used them. You might want to store your story props in the closet as well, since others use this room.



Teacher preparation in advance:
1. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Leaders Bible Study.
2. Prepare an opening prayer for your lesson.
3. Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located.
4. Make copies of the Responsive Reading and the Good News Reflection Sheet in the church office.

Suggested Supply List
Bible story book
Poster of memory verse
Copies of Psalm 8 responsive reading
Copies of reflection sheet


Reference:
Bible Study led by Lori Houck the Kirk of Kildaire, Brueggemann’s First and Second Samuel Interpretation.
CEV Bible
Storytelling, Kids, and Christian Education, Arlene Flancher
Ideas from Farthing’s teaching days



Psalm – A Choral Reading using the CEV
Parts – Boys/Girls/Adult 1 and Adult 2

Psalm 8
Attributed to David

ALL Our Lord and Ruler, your name is wonderful!

Boys You let your glories be seen in the heavens above.

Girls With praises from children and from babies you have built a fortress – it makes our enemies silent.

Boys I think of the heavens that your hands made.

Girls The moon and stars in their right place.

Adult 1 I ask – Why do you care about us humans?

Adult 2 Why are you concerned about the weak?

ALL You made us a little lower than yourself. And have crowned us with glory and honor.

Girls You let us rule everything your hands have made.

Boys And you put all of it under your power!

ALL The sheep and the cattle, and every wild animal.

Boys The birds in the sky and fish in the ocean,

Girls Are all your creatures.

All Our Lord and Ruler, you name is wonderful everywhere on earth!

FAITH QUEST

David: God’s Chosen King


Apostle’s Playhouse - Drama

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Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Memory Verse: “The Lord said, People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.” I Samuel 16:7 CEV

Concepts:
Concepts:
1. God has a plan and is in control.
2. God sees and understands things we do not.
3. God sees our hearts and not our outward appearance.
4. God chooses unlikely people to do God’s work.

Objectives:
1. The class will learn about how David, a shepherd boy, was chosen to be king of Israel by listening to and acting out 1 Samuel 16:1-13.
2. The children will understand that God sees and understands things that we don’t know and that God has a plan for us.


Procedure:
Welcome and Introductions:
1. Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your name-tag.
2. Explain the purpose of this workshop. How many of you are the youngest child in your family? (Accept answers) Great! Today we are going to learn about David who was the youngest of eight boys. Even though he was the youngest he was still chosen to be king of Israel because God knew David’s heart was good and pure.



Scripture/Bible Story:
Review the Bible story 1 Samuel 16:1-13. Read the passage aloud to the children or let them take turns reading (for older grades).

----I wonder why God chose David to be a king even though David was the youngest? David has good qualities that will make him a good king such as patience, love of God, fairness, intelligence etc.
----How do you think David’s brothers felt? Surprised, jealous, glad to have a king in the family, annoyed because now they can’t pick on him any more.
----Has God ever chose you to do his work? Examples of doing God’s work-helping others etc.

Application:
The class will make a movie of the Lord choosing David to be King.
Actors needed: Lord (can be workshop leader), Samuel, town leaders, Jesse. Sons/daughters pick 8 (more or less is appropriate).

Don’t assign sons/daughters names or designate one as David, instead give them sealed envelopes; inside the envelope have a son’s or daughter’s name and a brief description of them. For example: “My name is Shammah and I am honest/shy/hardworking etc. I enjoy working with my hands and I am especially good at building. My favorite food is olives.” (See suggestions at the end of lesson plan.) Include a description of David in one envelope.

When selecting parts give each son/daughter an envelope but tell them not to open it until it is time to do that in the play. Make sure to give David’s envelope to one child even if all the son/daughter envelopes are not distributed.

Everyone can have a part in the play adjust numbers as necessary.
Props: olive oil flask, “offering” to God, back pack, crown, stuffed sheep if available.

Older children can act and read lines, for the younger ones or non-readers “God” (the workshop leader) can act as a narrator to cue the action and words from the actors.

Taping hints: Before taping practice the play at least once (don’t open the envelopes during practice though, save that for the real thing) and then film.
Another option: You may choose to go outside for the play either with or without taping it.

Video Taping Instructions

Equipment: camera, extension cord, tripod, blank VHS tape, TV/VCR

An old video camera that uses a VHS tape to record is easiest to use. There is no messing with wires and TV hookups to view. After you have finished taping, you remove the tape from the camera and put it in the VCR for viewing on the TV. No special lighting is required. Before the workshop: Set up the camera on the tripod. Use the extension cord to make sure you have plenty of room to focus. Position the camera so that it is in focus and at the right angle. Mark the spot with masking tape (optional but helpful). Put the camera on “standby”. Leave the camera set up or just off to the side, ready for use when needed.

A shepherd or youth helper can be the camera person after all is set up. The shepherd can also eject the tape and get it ready to view in the TV/VCR.


Reflection Time:
Why do you think I didn’t assign David’s or Jesse’s children specific parts but left it as a surprise? (accept answers) Good answers, one reason is to show how we don’t always know God’s plan in advance. We can’t control everything that happens to us. God’s plans for us may come suddenly or as a surprise. God chooses unlikely people to do God’s work.

Give each child an index card. Write down something special or interesting about themselves that we can’t see, (for example: I enjoy walking my dog, I pray at night before I go to sleep…) This can be an interesting fact about us that God knows because God knows our hearts not something that we can see (for example, I have brown hair.)
After the children write their cards shuffle them, pull one out and read it. Everyone will try to guess who wrote the card. Make sure shepherds and workshop leaders have also made a card.
Thank all the children for sharing those special things about themselves. Tell them that God knows each one of us inside and out and has a special plan for our lives.


Closing:
Prayer: Lead prayer. Thank you God for having a plan for us and for loving us for who we are inside and not what we look like. Help us to do your work. Amen

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help tidy up. Put clothes and props in the bin on the stage.


Teacher preparation in advance:

1. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Leaders Bible Study.
2. Prepare a closing prayer.
3. Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located.


Supply List

olive oil flask, back pack, “offering” to God, crown, stuffed sheep if available.
Scripts for each actor with lines highlighted
Sealed envelopes with cards for sons/daughters
Biblical costumes
index cards
Camera equipment


The Lord Chooses David to be King

Narrator: The Lord was in a bad mood, he was sorry that he had made Saul a King.

Lord (looking grumpy): Samuel, I don’t think Saul should be king anymore. He is not doing a good job. Don’t worry about it though. Pack up your olive oil and go visit Jesse. One of his sons will be a good king.

Samuel: But God, if King Saul finds out he’ll be really mad and put me in jail!

Lord: Don’t worry. Take a calf with you and tell everyone you are going to make a sacrifice then invite Jesse to the sacrifice. When Jesse comes with his sons I’ll tell you which son will be king and you pour the olive oil on his head. See, isn’t that easy!

Narrator: Samuel packs his back pack with olive oil and an offering and walks to Bethlehem. When he gets to Bethlehem, he sees the town leaders and they wonder if he has come to cause trouble.

Town leaders: Hey Samuel, are you here as a friend or as an enemy?

Samuel: I’m here as a friend. In fact, I’ve come to make a sacrifice to our Lord. You are invited to come. Oh, here comes Jesse, he is invited too. Hi Jesse, come to the sacrifice and bring your children too.

Narrator: Samuel sets up the sacrifice by preparing the sacrificial animal, cross and olive oil. Jesse walks up with some of his children, the other half are left behind.

Jesse: Hi Samuel, thanks for inviting me to the sacrifice. These are my oldest children (points to children). Kids, meet Samuel, an old friend of mine.

Samuel: Look at that child (points to the tallest child), he is the tallest so he must be the one God picked to be King.

Lord: I wouldn’t pick someone to be king just because they are tall.

Samuel: How about this one, (points to another child) he is so handsome or this one who has a nice haircut?

Lord: Being handsome won’t make you a good king or a good person. People judge others by what they look like but I’m God and I judge people by what is in their hearts.

Samuel: Do you have any other children that could come?

Jesse: Yes, they are at home, I’ll call them. (Yells to children) Kids, put the sheep away and come to the sacrifice. (other children come over.)

Narrator: Some of Jesse’s children were in the field taking care of sheep. Every one waiting until they came.

Samuel: So Jesse, these are all your children?

Jesse: Yes, they are all here, even the youngest, little David the shepherd but we all know you wouldn’t pick him. Ha, ha.

Lord: Like I said before, I choose people by what is in their hearts, not by what they look like or how old they are.

Samuel: Let us find out who is the chosen one.

(Children line up and take turns opening and reading their envelopes. After they are done reading….)

Lord: I have chosen David to be the King!

Narrator: Samuel pours olive oil on David’s head and then David felt God’s spirit with him.

Lord: (places crown on David’s head) My spirit will be with you.

Everyone together: Praise the Lord!



Eliab: I am the oldest son of Jesse. I have always been the boss and when I get older I will inherit all my father’s land. I’m good at math and I especially like counting money. Oh, did I mention that I am considered very handsome!


Abinadab: I’m the second oldest. I’m also quite good looking but I’m jealous of my brother because he gets all the attention and land because he is the oldest.


Shammah: I’m the third oldest. I’m kind of shy. I like to read a lot, I’m good at drawing and I love animals. My favorite food is olives. I love to go to church with my family.


David: I’m the youngest of eight boys. My chore is taking care of the sheep each day. I try to do a good job for my father because he has given me a big responsibility. I hope he is proud of me. When I take care of the sheep at night I like to look at constellations.


Son #4: I’m right in the middle. To get attention I like to pick on my little brothers and fight with my older brothers. I am really very smart but sort of lazy. My favorite food is pita bread with honey.


Son #5: I love to work as a messenger because I enjoy running to bring messages to different people. I don’t like sitting still. My favorite food is dates. I keep a handful in my pocket for quick energy.


Son #6: I am studying to be a carpenter because I enjoy building and using my hands. I’m glad I don’t have David’s job taking care of the sheep. I used to have to watch the sheep before David was old enough to do it. Shepherd is the worst job! But I love David, he is a great kid.


Son #7: No one ever pays attention to me because I’m not the youngest but not near one of the big kids. I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Maybe a farmer.