Fall Lesson 12 Bible Passages: 1 Samuel 1 3 (Hannah s Prayer and Samuel) God Is Almighty Remember Verse

Transcription

1 Classroom Edition 4th & 5th Grade Fall Lesson 12 Bible Passages: 1 Samuel 1 3 (Hannah s Prayer and Samuel) God Is Almighty Remember Verse With a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever. Psalm 136:12 LESSON OVERVIEW 8:15-8:30 10:30-11:30 Be in class for CONNECT/ CHECK-INS - word searches 8:30 10:45 WORSHIP - on balcony mins min. SWORD DRILLS - use applicable cross references mins mins GATHER and SNACK: - Remember Verse - God s Big Story - Discuss and Investigate 5 mins 5 mins BLESS if time, until check-out if time, until check-out WORSHIP - on balcony

2 LEADER PREP Each week you ll find encouraging articles that help you prepare your heart to present the lesson. Inspire Shares personal stories from fellow ministry leaders about how God has worked in their lives Some years ago, I felt myself sinking into depression. During this time, I ran for long stretches every day as a way to cope, and these runs took a toll on my body. I hurt my knee so badly that I couldn t walk. I told my dad what I was going through not only the hurt knee, but also the depression. His response surprised me: He encouraged me to ask God to show Himself to me. So I cried out to God, asking for more of Him. And He gave me more of Himself than I had ever known. I was amazed and grateful. God heard my cries for more of Him and responded. I m thankful my dad modeled courage and faith for me that day faith to believe in the power and love of the Almighty God, and courage to desire more of Him. Tori Funkhouser Tru Team Equip Offers perspective and context to the lesson s Bible passage God is mighty to save, mighty to heal, and mighty to love! Hannah called God the LORD Almighty (1 Samuel 1:11). This was the first time this name for God was used in Scripture, though it was used many times afterward. LORD Almighty is translated Jehovah Tsaba, which means Lord of Hosts. The definition of this word in the Hebrew language describes a person who would go first or before into battle and fight for you someone mighty, someone you d want to follow. It s interesting that this name Lord of Hosts first appears when Hannah cries out to God during her vow to dedicate her unborn child to Him. At the time of her prayer, Hannah had no idea how God would answer her anguished cries. God would give her the child she had prayed for, and that child would eventually lead Israel into a new era of leaders. Hannah s son s name was Samuel. It was Samuel who would anoint David, God s choice for a king, the lineage from whom Jesus Christ would someday ascend. In this way, God was not only mighty to answer Hannah s prayers and give her a child but also mighty to accomplish His purposes as a sovereign Ruler who went before His people into new life. Here, God s plan for Israel s future redemption met with Hannah s anguished and righteous cry for a son. So in this pivotal moment of Israel s history, between the time of the judges and the monarchy, God granted Hannah s request and brought forth the next step in His plan for His people in which Samuel led the people as an obedient servant of God. God was mighty to use Samuel to usher in a new era for His people, and He did so by answering the prayer of a barren woman of faith. Support Provides reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God s Word Sometimes it may feel like God s might is out of reach that it s an abstract concept we re not able to touch. It s easy to picture that God, in His might, could be a God who s distant. But He s also a personal, loving God who hears us and chooses to bless us. Think of how many times He s shown up in your life sometimes when you least expected it after you've poured out your heart to Him. When we read about God s mighty hand in the Old Testament to lead the Israelites out of

3 !!! captivity and to provide food and water in the desert we see how mighty He really is. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Among many other ways, God s mightiness can be seen today through His personal, tender love toward His creation. Read Psalm 72, and be encouraged that the almighty God of miracles and wonders is also the God who hears our cries and comforts us. Or read through Hannah s prayer in 1 Samuel 2 and meditate on how God lifts up His people. Children develop relationships with their leaders and one another through simple activities and conversation starters. Word Searches WORSHIP// 8:30 and 10:45 Children experience and learn more about God through memorizing Scripture, storytelling from The Big God Story, prayer, and discussion. Remember Verse Each week children will spend time memorizing a portion of Scripture together. The Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that s highlighted in today s portion of The Big God Story. With a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever. Psalm 136:12 Storytelling Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 1 3 Storytelling Technique: Kids Acting Out Narrative and Verbal Response God Is Almighty SUPPLIES Optional: Investigate Questions (see Resources) God Calls Samuel script (see Resources) Bibles Optional: Bible costumes and props, pillows (2) PREPARE AHEAD Print three copies of the God Calls Samuel script. SET UP Ask two children to play the roles of Samuel and Eli, and give them the scripts. Let them know you ll cue them when to come up and act out the script. You will be the narrator. Also ask one of the kids to read the words of Hannah on your cue. Optional: Place the pillows on opposite sides of the room. RELATE Have you ever had someone call your name to wake you while you were in bed? Invite responses. What if that voice wasn t your parent s or sibling s but God s? Today, in The Big God Story, we ll hear about a young boy who was lying in bed when he heard God call his name. But first, let s ask God to teach us. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and quiet your hearts and

4 minds. As we ve journeyed through The Big God Story, we ve seen our mighty God lead His people out of slavery in Egypt, provide for them in the desert, and bring them into the Promised Land the home He had chosen for them. Here they could be free to praise God, rest, and enjoy God s blessings. Unfortunately, once they settled in the land, the Israelites hearts strayed from God, and they started doing whatever they wanted instead of following God. Even some of the priests, who were supposed to lead the people in God s ways, were sinning against God. But because God is almighty, He planned to raise up a new priest who would love Him and model God s ways to the people. Invite the children to turn in their Bibles to 1 Samuel 1. It began with a woman named Hannah. Cue the volunteer to read Hannah s words. Hannah couldn t have children, and this made her very sad. Invite Hannah to read 1 Samuel 1:11. Encourage everyone to follow along as she reads. Did you notice what Hannah called God? Invite responses. Yes, she called Him LORD Almighty. This is the first time we see God called the LORD Almighty in the Bible. This name the Lord Almighty means that God goes into battle and fights for us. Hannah knew how strong God is and that He is able to do anything even give her a child after she hadn t been able to have one for so long. Let s see what God did. Invite Hannah to read 1 Samuel 1:20. God heard Hannah s prayer and gave her a son. Hannah also kept her promise to God. When Samuel was old enough, Hannah gave him to the Lord. That means she brought Samuel to the temple and he lived there and served God along with the priest at that time, whose name was Eli. And Hannah praised the Lord Almighty for answering her prayer. Invite Hannah to read 1 Samuel 2:1 2 while everyone else follows along. So Samuel served the Lord in the temple with Eli. Let s see what happened next. Ask the kids playing Samuel and Eli to come up front with their scripts and act out the next portion of The Big God Story. Invite all of the other children to be the voice of God. Explain that whenever you point to them, they should call the name Samuel in unison. Practice with them once before beginning. Narrator: One night, Eli was lying down in the temple in his usual place. Eli lies down on one side of the room. Optional: Eli places his head on a pillow. Samuel was also lying down in the temple. Samuel lies down on the other side of the room. Optional: Samuel places his head on a pillow. Then the Lord called to Samuel. Point to kids. Samuel: Here I am! Samuel runs over to Eli. Here I am; you called me. Eli: I didn t call you. Go back and lie down. Narrator: So Samuel lay down. Samuel lies down. But again the Lord called Point to kids. Samuel: Samuel goes over to Eli again. Here I am; you called me. Eli: My son, I didn t call; go back and lie down. Samuel lies down. Narrator: The Lord called Samuel a third time. Point to kids. Narrator: Again, Samuel got up and went to Eli. Samuel: Samuel goes over to Eli again. Here I am; you called me. Narrator: Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel Eli: Go and lie down, and if He calls you, say, Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.

5 ! Narrator: So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel said Samuel: Speak, for your servant is listening. Thank Samuel and Eli and invite them to sit back down with the rest of the group. Wow. How do you think Samuel felt when he realized that it was God s voice calling him? Invite responses. Samuel told the Lord, Speak, for your servant is listening. A servant is a person who does what someone else commands. In a way, a servant is like a solider. Samuel was saying that He would obey what God Almighty said. God was raising Samuel as a true and faithful priest, who would do what was in God s heart and mind. This was a very special and wonderful job. Invite a volunteer to read 1 Samuel 3: So God was with Samuel as he grew up, and all of Israel saw how mighty God was in Samuel s life. Samuel became a model to the people of what it meant to truly follow God. And one day, Samuel would have the special job of anointing a young man named David to be God s chosen king. Wow! God is almighty! Think of all He accomplished through Hannah s prayer. Not only did he give her a baby, but He also raised her son to lead the Israelites into a new and brighter future. God was mighty in Hannah s life to give her a child when she couldn t have one, and God was mighty to go before all of Israel and fight their battles. And the Lord Almighty goes before us to fight our battles today. Share a story of a time when God showed Himself as Lord Almighty in your life. Discussion Questions What did Hannah call God in her prayer? 1 Samuel 1:11 What does LORD Almighty mean? How was Samuel different as a priest than Eli s sons? 1 Samuel 2:35 What did Eli tell Samuel to say when he heard God s voice again? 1 Samuel 3:9 How have you seen the Lord Almighty in your life? What are some ways that we can hear God s voice? Children receive a blessing from their leaders and sometimes one another. A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. RELATE Have the students sit in a circle with you. Read today s blessing from Psalm 46:7 8a. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the LORD has done. Today, have the children bless each other. Choose a child to go first. Have her turn to the child on her left and say, (Child s name), the Lord Almighty is with you. Then, have that child turn to the child on his left and repeat the blessing until it goes all around the circle. Close your time by sending the kids off with this group blessing: May you remember that God is almighty in your life. May you see how He works in your life this coming week. Send home the At Home Weekly with your kids.