God Protects. REMEMBER VERSE In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9.

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1 Bible Passage: 1 Samuel (David and Jonathan) God Protects REMEMBER VERSE In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9 Schedule ANTICIPATE 5 10 minutes CELEBRATE minutes RESPOND minutes BLESS 5 minutes 1

2 Inspire A few years ago, I was serving as a youth pastor and took one of our teen girls to see another teen perform in her high school musical. On the way there, she was asking me questions about a Bible verse she had been reading about God s protection. What does it mean for God to protect us? she inquired. We had a great conversation that even included the Hebrew meaning of the word used in her Scripture, which means guard. Little did we know that we would experience God s protection first-hand later that night. On our way home from the musical, we got into a car accident that could have been awful, but, by the grace of God, I was able to swerve at the last second. We emerged from the car without a scratch and only minor damage was done to the car. As I tried to calm my racing heart after the experience, all I could think about was the Scripture we had discussed on the way to the event. God protects. The next day I spent time thanking God for His grace. I thanked Him for guarding us. I thanked Him for shielding us and I thanked Him for showing us how alive His Word is. God protects. Kelly Goddard Graduate Student Fuller Seminary Equip The story of David and Jonathan paints a picture of how our amazing God protects. God brought Jonathan into David s life to support and protect him at a very perilous time. But how did David know that God would be his protector? How do we know that God will protect us? It is because our God is a promise-making, promisekeeping God. We see this so clearly in the life of David. When Samuel came to David to anoint him as the next king (1 Samuel 16), God was making a promise to David. So it must have been very confusing to David when the current king, Saul, was trying to kill him. God brought Jonathan into David s life at just the right time. The name Jonathan means gift of God. David and Jonathan made a covenant between them promising to care for one another (1 Samuel 18:3). A covenant is a promise. It is a solemn oath. And it is through the mechanism of covenants that God has made his most solemn oaths to His people. Many years earlier God had made a covenant with Abraham in which God promised to bless him and promised He would create an entire nation of people from him (Genesis 12). He also promised that the Messiah, or Savior, would come from Abraham s family. It is God s promise in the Abrahamic covenant that is the anchor for your salvation and mine. We can be confident of our salvation because of this promise from God. God also made a covenant with David (2 Samuel 7) that the Messiah would come from his line. God kept that promise too. Our God protected David from danger to ensure he would be king. And He protects us and preserves us for the salvation He has promised. Support How has God been protecting you lately? Maybe it s an unhealthy relationship He has been shielding you from, a danger He has been warning you about, or a habit He has been giving you strength to avoid. God works in so many ways on our behalf many of which we are not even aware. Spend a few moments in silence today and invite God to bring to mind any ways He has been protecting you lately. Consider reading Psalm 121 and meditating on the ways God watches over us. Then, thank Him one by one for each protection. Often, hard things happen in life and we wonder why God doesn t intervene. Spend some time praying about these things as well. What is God saying to you? Hand those things over to Him and then spend some time listening. Remember that His heart toward you is always good and loving, even though we live in a world broken by sin that doesn t always operate the way God planned. Your prayers are powerful in partnering with God for His protection close your time by praying God s protection over yourself and the children you lead. 2

3 Large Group/Small Group Lesson Overview Experience ANTICIPATE CELEBRATE Supplies/Prepare Option 1: Walk of Fame (for Younger Kids) Star cutouts (1 per child; see Resources) Scissors (1 per group) Crayons, colored pencils, or markers (1 pack per group) Option 2: Target Practice (for Older Kids) Soft-dart target toy (1 per child or 5-6 per group) Poster board (1 per group) Markers (1-3 per group) Items to use as targets (e.g., cans, stuffed animals, empty cereal boxes; 3-12 per group) Stopwatch (1 per group) Optional: Paper Airplane instructions (see Resources), paper (1 sheet per child) Traditions Remember Verse Connect The Big God Story Worship Response RESPOND BLESS Reflect Questions Bibles Engage: Guided to Safety Bin or tub (2-gallon or larger; 1 per group) Various toys or other obstacles (approximately 5 or bigger; per group) Blindfold (1 per group) Masking tape (2 4 strips per group) Bible (for the blessing) 3

4 SMALL GROUP ANTICIPATE// 5 10 min. Both David and Jonathan were famous men in the early kingdom of Israel. David killed Goliath and won many battles. Jonathan was King Saul s son and popular among his peers. You might think the two would be jealous of each other, but Jonathan and David were the best of friends. Today, the kids will get to either share what makes them famous or practice their battle skills. Option 1: Walk of Fame (for Younger Kids) Star cutouts (1 per child; see Resources) Scissors (1 per group) Crayons, colored pencils, or markers (1 pack per group) PREPARE AHEAD Print and cut out the stars (one per child). Give each child a star and help her write her name on it and decorate it. Encourage kids to write on the stars the things that make them special, such as character traits, talents, and/or accomplishments. They might write Good friend, Fast soccer player, or Great violinist. When finished, set the stars along the edge of the room, making a walkway, or tape them along a wall. Have the kids walk along their star-filled Walk of Fame and see what makes them all special. Option 2: Target Practice (for Older Kids) Soft-dart target toy (1 per child or 5-6 per group) Poster board (1 per group) Markers (1-3 per group) Items to use as targets (e.g., cans, stuffed animals, empty cereal boxes; 3-12 per group) Stopwatch (1 per group) Optional: Paper Airplane instructions (see Resources), paper (1 sheet per child) PREPARE AHEAD Collect soft-dart target toys or make paper airplanes using the instructions. Create several target boards using the poster board and markers. On the poster board, draw one huge circle, then a smaller circle inside that circle, and so on until you ve created a bull s-eye. SET UP Place the poster board target on a wall or easel and set the target items on the floor or on chairs or tables. Attention! You have been recruited for a special secret mission. Your friends are in danger. Bad guys are plotting an evil plan of attack! To warn and save your friends from danger, you must hit three targets before time runs out. Have the kids line up and take turns shooting at the targets. For each child, yell, Ready, set, shoot! Give each child 30 seconds to hit three targets and fulfill the mission. Note: To adapt this game for a bigger group, collect more soft-dart target toys or make more paper airplanes and set up multiple shooting stations. 4

5 CELEBRATE// min. Ponder Point: God Protects WELCOME & TRADITIONS LARGE GROUP Take five minutes to open your CELEBRATE time by engaging in Welcome and Traditions. Joke of the Day, Trivia Time, etc. REMEMBER VERSE CONNECT WORSHIP THE BIG GOD STORY WORSHIP RESPONSE This week s Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that s highlighted in today s portion of The Big God Story. In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9 Invite the children to ask one another the following question. Encourage them to ask someone they may not know. After a minute or two, ask several children to tell the group their friends answers. Question What three qualities do you like most about your best friend? Song(s) Bibles TruStory Video - TS_2.8_c_Storytelling_v_3.mp4 Timeline slide and animation (see Resources) Images: David s Anointing, Lyre, Spear, Jonathan Shooting Arrows, Saul s Feast, David in the Hills (see Resources) Audio files: Lyre Music (see Resources) SET UP Cue the images and sound effect. Optional Response Station: Pop-up canopies or camping tent(s) SET UP Optional: Set up pop-up canopies or tents throughout the room. Decorate the tents to make them feel more like prayer rooms by draping various neutral-colored sheets on top of them and securing the sheets with clothes pins or large safety pins. Want More? Gather letters, pictures, and other information from International Impact Partners. 5

6 Legend: ( ) this symbol indicates an opportunity for you, the Communicator, to ask the kids to open their bibles and follow along as you read the Scripture passage ( ) this symbol indicates a cue for the tech team to play designated audio, video or lighting elements The Big God Story NOTE: ( ) A Storytelling VIDEO is being used for this lesson. The lesson below is provided as a back-up in case the video fails to work properly. TS_2.8_c_Storytelling_v_3.mp4 Bible Passage: 1 Samuel Storytelling Technique: Images, Audience Participation Prayer of Release The Prayer of Release is a time for children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. As you pray, encourage children to hold their hands out in front of them as if releasing their worries and distractions. This posture also shows they re open to receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them. Last week in The Big God Story, we heard about David and how God looked at his heart rather than his outward appearance. Today we re going to learn about how God protected David. He used a man named Jonathan and his bow and arrow to warn his friend of danger. God called Jonathan to play a very important part in The Big God Story. Lead children in a Prayer of Release. Jonathan was the son of King Saul. Remember how the Israelites didn t want judges? They wanted a king just like the other nations. Encourage audience to beg dramatically, saying, Oh please, oh please, give us a king! So God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a man named Saul to be their first king. King Saul started as a good king, but later disobeyed God. Encourage children to make a sad face and say, Oh no, King Saul! God had a big plan to make Israel into a great nation and gave them lots of land, but Saul chose to go his own way. Encourage children to make a sad face and say, Oh no, King Saul! again. Because Saul didn t follow God, God told Samuel that He would choose someone else to be king. What was the new kings name going to be? We heard about him last week. Allow answers. Yes, his name is David. God chose a young shepherd named David and anointed him. ( ) Tech: Cue David s Anointing image. God didn t make David king right away. God protected David and had a plan to protect Israel under David s future kingdom. Let s turn to 1 Samuel 18:1 to find out what happened next. ( ) Read 1 Samuel 18:1 2. David went to live with King Saul and his son, Jonathan. David and Jonathan became friends. Best friends. I mean, the very best friends ever. I bet they even had a best friend handshake! Demonstrate a fun handshake with a leader or child in the group. Have the kids turn to the person next to them and make up their own handshake. If time allows, invite a few kids to stand up and show the handshake to the rest of the group. ( ) Have children follow along in their Bibles as you read 1 Samuel 18:3 4 aloud. These best friends loved each other so much that they made a covenant. Who can tell me what a covenant is? Encourage kids to answer. Right! A covenant is a very special promise. When God makes a covenant with someone, He always keeps it. Why? Because God always keeps His word/promises. We ve heard how God made covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Moses and all of the Israelites. Even though these kinds of covenants were more important because they were between God and His people, David and 6

7 Jonathan s covenant was a big deal, too. Jonathan promised to treat David like a brother, to never harm him, and to always be his friend. God used Jonathan to protect David. Jonathan was the prince and next in line to be king. But he knew God had chosen to make David the next king of Israel, so Jonathan helped David triumph over many big obstacles to becoming king! ( ) Read 1 Samuel 18:12 16 and encourage children to follow along. Jonathan s father, King Saul, was jealous and afraid of David because he saw that all of the people, including his son, loved David. Saul became so jealous and afraid that he planned to kill David! Have kids make a sad face and say, Oh no, King Saul! again. Now, David was a good musician, and King Saul liked listening to him play the lyre. ( ) Tech: Cue Lyre image. A lyre is a musical instrument with strings. One day, while David played the lyre ( ) Tech: Cue Lyre Music audio Saul got so jealous that he threw a spear ( ) Tech: Cue Spear image at David. Whoa! But God protects; the spear missed, and David escaped have kids cheer! Later, David told Jonathan that his father, the king, had tried to kill him. At first Jonathan didn t believe it. But David kept trying to convince him. So, let s read what Jonathan said ( ) have children read along with you in 1 Samuel 20: Did King Saul really want to kill David? Jonathan and David came up with a plan to find out. King Saul had planned a great feast and expected David to be there. But David decided to hide in the fields instead. David knew that if King Saul looked for him at the feast and got upset because he wasn t there, that would reveal King Saul s desire to kill him! Have kids make a sad face and say, Oh no, King Saul! again. Jonathan and David came up with a plan. They agreed that after the feast, Jonathan would shoot three arrows into the fields and send a servant boy to find them. ( ) Tech: Cue Jonathan Shooting Arrows image. ( ) Invite children to read along with you from 1 Samuel 20: Jonathan said if the arrows were on this side of the servant boy, David was safe. But, Jonathan said if the arrows were beyond the servant boy, David was unsafe. This way David would know whether or not King Saul truly wanted to kill him. Sure enough, at the feast, Saul noticed David s empty seat ( ) Tech: Cue Saul s Feast image and asked Jonathan why David was missing. When Jonathan said David had gone home, Saul got very angry and shouted that David must die (1 Samuel 20:31). After this, Jonathan was terrified for his friend! So he ran to warn David that his father really wanted to kill him. As the two had planned, Jonathan shot three arrows in the field, sent the servant to go pick them up, and spoke the secret code. ( ) Read 1 Samuel 20:37 38 as children follow along. Though the servant boy didn t know about this secret message, David sure did! It meant Saul wanted to kill him! So David escaped into the hills. ( ) Tech: Cue David in the Hills image. God used Jonathan to protect David s life. And after God made David king, God made a covenant with him. God promised David that one day the Messiah, the one true King, would be born in his family line. God kept His promise by sending Jesus! Jesus earthly parents were part of David s family. Even though Jonathan would never be king, he wasn t jealous of David or angry with him. Jonathan loved David and loved God, and he knew that God protected David. God is powerful and nothing can stand in the way of His perfect plan. God is able to protect, and He fulfills His promises. Next week in The Big God Story, we ll hear about the prophet Elijah, who stood up to idol worshippers and let God show that He is the Most High God. We can trust that God is able to protect His people. No matter what we face in life, we can remember that He loves us and is able to protect us. He is powerful, and even in the worst situations when it doesn t look like God is protecting His people, we can remember that God protects, and He always fulfills His promises. Option: Tell a story of a time God protected you or someone you know. Worship Response 7

8 The world that we live in has largely turned away from God, and because of sin, it can be a scary place to live. But, those who trust in God can have peace because God is powerful enough to defeat anything. He is able to protect His people. Is there something you re afraid of today? You can talk with God about that and trust Him to care for you in this time. Perhaps there is someone in your life who needs protection. This is a time when you can pray for them and ask God if there is a way you can help. Today, as you pray, I am going to begin our prayer time with a Psalm. And then you can spend some time with God. ( ) Read Psalm 91: 9 11, aloud. WANT MORE? Additional supplies: Letters, pictures, and other information from our International Impact Ministry partners. Invite the children to pray for persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ in other countries. Provide leaders nearby to pray with children as needed. SMALL GROUP RESPOND// min. Reflect: God Protects In today s part of The Big God Story, King Saul tried to kill David, but God used Saul s own son, Jonathan, to protect David. God is powerful enough to protect us. When we are afraid or in danger, we can trust in God because He is able to protect us, and He keeps His promises. Encourage the kids to open their Bibles and read the suggested passages. Questions for Younger Kids Who did God choose to be king over Israel instead of Saul? 1 Samuel 16:1 Why was Saul jealous and afraid of David? 1 Samuel 18:15 When David played the lyre for Saul, what did Saul try to do to him? 1 Samuel 18:10-11 How did God use Jonathan to help protect David s life? 1 Samuel 20:35 40 How have you seen God protect you? Questions for Older Kids Why do you think God rejected Saul as king over Israel? 1 Samuel 15:17 19 Why did Jonathan make a covenant with David? 1 Samuel 18:3 Why was Saul jealous and afraid of David? 1 Samuel 18:15 What made David think that Saul wanted to kill him? 1 Samuel 18:10-11 How did God use Jonathan to protect David s life? 1 Samuel 20:35 40 How have you seen God protect you? What Bible verses or truths about God can you remember when you re afraid? Psalm 56:3; Psalm 91 Engage: Guided to Safety Bin or tub (2-gallon or larger; 1 per group) Various toys and other obstacles (approximately 5 or bigger; per group) Blindfold (1 per group) Masking tape (2 4 strips per group) SET UP Gather various toys into the bin or tub. Stick one strip of masking tape to the floor, and stick the other piece down parallel to it, about five feet away. God used Jonathan to help protect David, so David could, one day, be the king of Israel! Today we re going to take turns protecting one another from danger. Select one child to be the first protector and another child to be the first walker. Put the blindfold on the walker. Then, dump out the bin of toys and other obstacles between the two strips of masking tape. Tell the protector that his job is to get the walker to the other side of the second piece of tape safely. Have the protector put his hands on the walker s shoulders and guide him to safety. The protector can talk and steer just don t let the walker step on any toys! After one walker has safely arrived at the other side, put all the items 8

9 back into the bin, and select another walker and another protector. Blindfold the walker, toss the toys out, and repeat. Continue to play until everyone has had the chance to be the walker. After everyone has had a turn to go, ask: How did it feel to walk through a dangerous place? How did it feel to know you had someone to help you and protect you? What helps you to remember that God protects His people? BLESS// 5 min. As you bless your kids, tell them they have the opportunity to also be a blessing to others. Encourage them to freely share the joy and love they have received from God. Encourage the kids to hold their hands in front of them, palms up. Then open a Bible and read Psalm 91:1-2: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. May you be kept safe from all evil this week. May you know God is with you in times of danger and trust He is able to protect you. Please remember to hand out the Family First Look each week! 9