LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In 1 Samuel 16:14-23, we learn about David’s special gift of playing the harp. When King Saul was troubled by an evil spirit, his servants sought someone skilled in music to soothe him. David, a young shepherd, was known not only for his musical talent but also for his bravery and trust in God. When David played his harp for Saul, the king found relief and peace. This showed how David used his God-given talent to serve others and honor the Lord.
In 1 Samuel 17:1-51, the story continues as the Israelite army faced the giant Goliath. While experienced soldiers cowered in fear, young David volunteered to fight the giant. David’s experiences as a shepherd, protecting his flock from lions and bears, had prepared him for this moment. With only a sling and five smooth stones, David defeated Goliath, demonstrating that God can use anyone’s abilities, no matter how small they seem, to accomplish great things. David’s courage, skill with the sling, and most importantly his faith in God, worked together to bring victory and glory to the Lord.
OPENING ACTIVITY 10:15-10:30 | David’s Harp
Items Needed:
- Pre-Glued Craft Sticks (4 per harp)
- Rubber Bands
- Markers
Use hot glue or tacky glue to pre-glue harps for children (4 craft sticks in a square form). Give each child the harps and let them decorate them with markers. Then have them attach rubber bands and pluck the rubber bands. Explain to them that in today’s Bible story, David played a harp for a King named Saul.
BIBLE VERSE GAME 10:30-10:40 | Head and Shoulders Knees & Toes
“For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:20
Teach the verse in short sections with corresponding body movements:
- “For you were bought with a price” – Children hold hands out like they’re receiving a gift
- “So glorify God” – Children raise both hands up high toward heaven
- “in your body” – Children point to different body parts (head, arms, legs, etc.)
Game Instructions:
- Practice the verse with motions several times together as a group.
- Then play the game: Call out different body parts (hands, feet, head, knees, elbows, toes, etc.).
- Children must touch or move that body part while saying the verse together.
Optional: Just do the memory verse with the kids and then play the song Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes and explain that with every part of our body, we are to glorify God.
SONG 10:40-10:50
BIBLE STORY 10:50-11:00 a.m.
Question 1: Where is this found in the Bible? The Book of 1 Samuel
Question 2: Is this in the Old Testament or New Testament? Old Testament
The Story of David and Goliath
A long time ago, there was a young boy named David. David was a shepherd. Do you know what a shepherd does? That’s right! A shepherd takes care of sheep. David was really good at his job. God gave David special gifts. He was brave, he could play beautiful music on his harp, and he was good with a slingshot to protect his sheep.
One day, David’s father asked him to take food to his older brothers. His brothers were soldiers in King Saul’s army. When David got to the army camp, he saw something scary. There was a GIANT man named Goliath. Goliath was so tall, much taller than your daddy! He was over nine feet tall!
Goliath would come out every day and shout mean things. He said, “Send someone to fight me!” All the soldiers, even David’s big brothers, were very afraid of Goliath. They thought, “He’s too big! We can’t fight him!”
But David said, “I will fight Goliath! God will help me!” David remembered how God helped him protect his sheep from lions and bears. David knew God would help him now, too.
King Saul said, “You’re too young, David.” But David told the king about protecting his sheep, and the king said okay.
King Saul tried to give David heavy armor to wear, but it was too big and heavy for David. David took it off. Instead, David went to a little creek and picked up five smooth stones. He put them in his shepherd’s bag. He held his slingshot, the same one he used to protect his sheep.
David walked toward the giant Goliath. Goliath laughed at David. “You’re just a boy!” he said.
But David said, “You come with a sword and spear, but I come in the name of the Lord God! God will help me!”
Then David took one smooth stone from his bag, put it in his slingshot, and swung it around and around. WHOOSH! The stone flew through the air and hit Goliath right in the forehead! The giant fell down with a big BOOM!
David won! God helped David use his gifts – his bravery, his skill with a slingshot, and his faith in God – to do something amazing. Everyone praised God that day!
Theological Questions:
- Who helped David defeat the giant? (God helped David)
- Did David use his special gifts to honor God? (Yes, David used his talents for God)
Life Application Questions:
- What are some things you are good at that God gave you? (Accept various answers: running, singing, being kind, drawing, etc.)
- How can you use what you’re good at to make God happy? (Help others, share, be kind, etc.)
Prayer:
“Dear God, thank You for giving David courage and talents to honor You. Thank You for giving me special gifts too. Help me use my gifts to serve You and help others. Amen.”
BIBLE CRAFT 11:00-11:15 a.m. | David’s Slingshot
Items Needed:
- Popsicle sticks (2 per child)
- Hot Glue
- Rubber bands
- Cotton balls or pom poms
Create a simple slingshot by gluing two popsicle sticks together in a Y-shape (before class). Have children decorate the slingshot and then put rubber bands between the Y Shape. Let children practice “shooting” soft cotton balls or pom poms at a safe target. Remind them David practiced with his slingshot to get good at it.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (KJV)
1 Samuel 16:14-23 14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. 16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. 17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. 18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him. 19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. 20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. 21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. 23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
1 Samuel 17:1-51 1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. 4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. 6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. 7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. 8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. 10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. 11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. 12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. 13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. 15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. 16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. 17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp of thy brethren; 18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. 19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. 22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. 26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. 28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? 30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner. 31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. 38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. 39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands. 48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
COLORING PAGE
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
Today’s Key Takeaway
Use Your Gifts
What I Learned Today
God gave David special gifts and talents. David used his gifts to serve God and help others. God gives each of us special gifts, and we can use them to honor Him.
Questions to Ask Me
Theological Questions:
- Who helped David defeat Goliath? (God helped David)
- What special gifts did God give to David? (Playing the harp, being brave, being good with a slingshot, taking care of sheep)
- Why did David want to fight Goliath? (Because Goliath was saying mean things about God and David wanted to honor God)
- Where did David get the stones to fight Goliath? (From a creek)
- Does God give everyone special gifts? (Yes, God gives everyone different gifts and talents)
Life Application Questions:
- What is something you are good at? (Answers will vary: running, singing, drawing, being kind, etc.)
- How can you use what you’re good at to help others? (Share toys, help clean up, be kind to friends, etc.)
- Who can you thank for your special gifts? (God)
- Can you use your body to honor God? (Yes, by being kind, helping, obeying, etc.)
- What is one way you can be brave like David? (Stand up for what’s right, help someone, trust God when scared, etc.)