LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In 1 Samuel 17, the armies of Israel and the Philistines faced off across the Valley of Elah, and for forty days a Philistine giant named Goliath marched out twice a day to mock the Lord and dare an Israelite to fight him. King Saul’s soldiers, though grown men trained for battle, froze in fear at the sight of a warrior who stood over nine feet tall and carried the finest bronze armor and iron-tipped weapons of the age. Into this standoff walked David, a shepherd boy sent by his father simply to deliver food to his older brothers. When David heard Goliath’s taunts against the living God, he was not gripped by fear like the soldiers around him. He was indignant that no one would defend the Lord’s honor, and he asked permission to fight the giant himself.
David’s confidence did not come from military training or impressive equipment. It came from remembering how God had already rescued him from a lion and a bear while he guarded his father’s sheep. When Saul offered David his own armor, David tried it on but quickly set it aside; it was heavy, unfamiliar, and not the tool God had prepared him to use. Instead, David faced Goliath with a sling and five smooth stones, declaring that he came in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel’s armies. One stone was all it took. Goliath fell, the Philistine army fled, and Israel’s victory made clear that the battle belongs to the Lord, who does not need swords or spears to save His people. It is the same truth David staked his life on: those who trust in the Lord will never be put to shame.
OPENING ACTIVITY 6:00-6:15 | David’s Bag of Stones
Items Needed
- 5 Stones per Kid (60 stones for 12 kids)
- 1 brown paper lunch bag per child
- Markers or Crayons
- Stickers (Optional)
Give each child a lunch bag and let them decorate it. Then, lay out the rocks and let the children choose 5 for their bag.
BIBLE STORY 6:15-6:25
Question 1: Where is this found in the Bible? 1 Samuel
Question 2: Is this in the Old Testament or the New Testament? The Old Testament
[Gather the children in a circle. Hold up a big rock or stone.]
Boys and girls, look at this stone. Today we are going to hear a story about a boy who trusted God, and about five stones like this one.
[Have kids stand up.]
First, let’s stand up tall, tall, tall. [Stretch arms up high] Now let’s sit down small, small, small. [Sit down]
A long time ago, there was a giant named Goliath. He was so big. He was taller than your daddy, taller than your teacher, taller than this room. [Point up high]
Every single day, Goliath marched out and shouted big, mean words at God’s people. [Cup hands around mouth like shouting] Let’s be Goliath and shout, “I am not afraid of your God.” [Let kids shout it, loudly]
The soldiers of Israel heard Goliath, and they were scared. They shook and shook because Goliath was so big and so loud.
But far away, a boy named David was taking care of sheep. Can you say baa like a sheep? [Let kids baa] David loved God very much.
One day, David’s dad told him to go and take food to his brothers at the army camp. So David walked and walked and walked to get there. [March in place]
When David got to the camp, guess what he heard? He heard Goliath shouting mean things about God again. David was not scared like everyone else. David trusted God. David said, I will fight that giant, because God is with me.
The king tried to put big heavy armor on David, but it was too heavy, and David could not even walk. So David took it off. [Pretend to take it off, shake arms out]
Instead, David went to a stream and picked up five smooth stones. Let’s count them together. One, two, three, four, five. [Hold up fingers one at a time] Can you count to five with me? [Let kids count]
David put one stone in his sling. [Pretend to swing a sling around your head] Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. Let’s all swing our slings. [Let kids swing their arms]
David said, you come at me with a spear and a sword, but I come to you in the name of the Lord. David was not trusting his stone. David was trusting God.
David swung his sling, and the stone flew through the air. Whoosh. [Throw arm forward] And it hit Goliath, and the giant fell down. Boom. [Gently fall or flop to the floor] Let’s all fall down like Goliath. [Let kids gently flop]
The giant was down, and everybody was so happy. David won because God helped him. God is stronger than any giant.
Theological Questions
- Who helped David be brave and win against Goliath? (God helped David.)
- Why wasn’t David afraid of the giant? (Because he trusted God and knew God was stronger than Goliath.)
Life Application Questions
- Can you think of something that feels big and scary to you, like Goliath felt big and scary to the soldiers? (Let children answer.)
- What can we do when we feel scared, just like David did? (We can trust God and ask Him to help us, like David did.)
Prayer
Dear God, You tell us that the battle belongs to You, so we know You are stronger than anything that scares us. Help us trust You today, just like David did.
[End with a group Amen.]
WORSHIP IN SONG 6:25-6:35
PRAYER 6:35-6:45 p.m.
Transition the kids to the floor for prayer time. Pray for each child to trust God with the things that feel big and scary in their own lives, just as David trusted God when he faced Goliath.
BIBLE STORY GAME 6:45-6:55 | David, Goliath & The Rocks
Items Needed:Â
- 5 Small Rubber balls
- 1 large ball (like a basketball)
- Tape
Using the tape, make a border around the basketball. The object of this game is to use the five small balls to hit the big ball (Goliath) out of the boundary. So, make sure your border/square/rectangle is a reasonable distance to knock the Goliath ball out of the boundary. (Let each kid take a turn at doing this)
BIBLE CRAFT 6:55-7:10 | Rock Painting
Items Needed
- 5 Stones per child (from earlier)
- Paint pens or permanent markers
Kids decorate their stones. As they decorate each stone remind, them that, like David, they can trust God even when something feels too big.
SNACK TIME & BIBLE STORY VIDEO 7:10-7:25
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to while they watch the Bible story video.
BONUS ACTIVITY | How Tall Is Goliath
Items Needed
- Yarn
- Scissors
Precut one piece of yarn that is 9 feet 9 inches and string it on a wall (Goliath’s approximate height per 1 Samuel 17:4). Leaders help kids stand next to the mark to see how much taller Goliath was than they are, then talk about how even though Goliath was big, God was bigger.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
1 Samuel 17 on Bible Gateway or ESV.org.
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
Today’s Key Takeaway: Trust God
What I learned today: Today we learned about a shepherd boy named David who trusted God to help him fight a giant named Goliath. Even though Goliath was very big, David knew that God was bigger. David used a small sling and stone, and God helped him win, showing that we can trust God with the big things that scare us too.
Questions to ask me:
Theological:
- Who was the giant that scared the Israelite soldiers? (Goliath)
- Who helped David defeat Goliath? (God)
- What did David use to defeat Goliath? (A sling and a stone)
- Was David a trained soldier? (No, he was a shepherd boy)
- What book of the Bible is this story from? (1 Samuel)
Life Application:
- What did David do when he felt scared or faced something big? (He trusted God)
- Can God help us with things that feel too big for us? (Yes)
- What is something that feels big or scary to you? (Answers will vary)
- What can we do when we feel afraid? (Pray and trust God to help us)
- How can you remember to trust God this week? (Answers will vary, such as praying or remembering the story)