TEACHER BIBLE STUDY 4 th -6 th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Following David s slaying of Goliath, the Philistine warrior, King Saul s son Jonathan dedicated himself to David. He loved David as much as he loved himself. Jonathan s gifts to David the robe, tunic, sword, bow, and belt indicated that Jonathan recognized David as God s choice for the next king, a position Jonathan could have rightly expected as Saul s son. David got a lot of attention for striking down Goliath, and King Saul was jealous. Saul unsuccessfully attempted to kill David. Saul instructed his servants and his son Jonathan to kill David. But Jonathan loved David, and he pleaded with his father not to kill him. As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed, Saul told Jonathan. With this promise, David returned to serving King Saul. But it wasn t long before Saul was again troubled and attempted to kill David. This time, David fled. In 1 Samuel 20, David came to Jonathan in a desperate situation. What have I done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father that he wants to take my life? David asked. Jonathan had a hard time believing his father would want to kill David, so Jonathan and David came up with a plan to determine Saul s intentions. Through his interactions with Saul at the festival of the New Moon, Jonathan determined Saul did want to kill David. He relayed the information to David, and the two friends departed with great sadness. As you teach the story of David and Jonathan, help kids recognize what Jonathan did for David. He laid down his rights as king and interceded on his behalf. Jonathan s life gives us a glimpse of Jesus, the mighty friend of sinners. Jesus left His position in heaven to come down to us. He gave up His life to save us, and intercedes for us before God. LESSON OVERVIEW/SCHEDULE Session Title: David and Jonathan Became Friends Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-12; 19:1-10; 20:1-42 Big Picture Question: Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Key Passage: Psalm 51:10 Unit Christ Connection: God provided the first kings to rule His people Israel; Christ, the final King, rules over all people as Savior. Through David s family, God sent Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Transition Time Welcome time Activity Sheet/Table Centers Session starter (10 minutes) 1
Lesson Countdown Introduce the session (2 minutes) Discussion starter video (3 minutes) Timeline map (2 minutes) Tell the Bible Story (8 minutes) Big picture question (3 minutes) The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Key passage (5 minutes) Sing (5 minutes) Prayer (2 minutes) Table Time Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes) THE BIBLE STORY/OVERVIEW David and Jonathan Became Friends 1 Samuel 18:1-12; 19:1-10; 20:1-42 David, the youngest son of Jesse from Bethlehem, had done the seemingly impossible. With a sling and a stone, David killed Goliath, the mighty Philistine warrior. David lived at the king s palace. Jonathan, the son of King Saul, became best friends with David. Jonathan gave gifts to David: his robe, military tunic, sword, bow, and belt. David was successful at everything Saul asked him to do, and Saul made David a high officer in his army. But Saul didn t love David like Jonathan did. In fact, Saul was jealous of David s success, and he wanted to kill David. Saul even asked Jonathan to kill David! Jonathan really liked David, so he warned him, My father wants to kill you. Go hide in a safe place until I can talk to him. The next morning, Jonathan talked to Saul about David. Why would you want to kill David? Jonathan asked. He has done nothing but help you. Saul agreed and promised not to kill David. Jonathan told David the good news, and David returned to serve Saul as he had done before. But King Saul did not keep His promise very long. One day when David was playing the harp for Saul, Saul was bothered by an evil spirit, and he threw a spear at David. David escaped. He went to Jonathan and told him what had happened. That can t be! Jonathan said. My father tells me everything, and he hasn t told me he wants you dead. 2
It s true, David replied. He didn t tell you because he knows we are such good friends. He didn t want to upset you. How can I help? Jonathan asked. David came up with a plan to figure out how Saul felt about David. The New Moon festival is tomorrow, David explained. I m supposed to be at the meal, but I m not going. If Saul asks where I am, tell him I asked for your permission to go to Bethlehem. If he gets angry, you will know he wants to kill me. Jonathan told David that he would give him a sign so David would know how Saul responded. Jonathan would find David in the field and shoot three arrows. If David was safe, Jonathan would send his servant to get the arrows, and Jonathan would say, The arrows are to the side of you! But if Saul wanted to kill David, Jonathan would say, The arrows are beyond you! So Jonathan went to the New Moon festival with his father. When Saul sat down to eat, he asked, Where s David? David is in Bethlehem. I gave him permission to go, Jonathan said. Saul became very angry. David deserves to die! he yelled. Why? Jonathan asked. What has he done wrong? Saul threw his spear at Jonathan, and Jonathan left the table. He was sad that his father wanted to kill David. The next morning, Jonathan went to the field where David was hiding. He shot three arrows and sent his servant to retrieve them. The arrow is beyond you! Jonathan shouted. That was Jonathan s sign to David that Saul wanted to kill him. Jonathan sent his servant away, and David came out from where he was hiding. David fell to the ground because he was so sad. David and Jonathan cried and said their good-byes. Take care of yourself, Jonathan said. The two men parted ways knowing that no matter what, they would always be friends. Christ Connection: Jonathan was a true friend to David. Jonathan s life gives us a glimpse of Jesus, the mighty friend of sinners. Jesus calls us friends (John 15:15). He gave up His position in heaven to come down to us, gave up His life to save us, and intercedes for us before God. 3
TRANSITION TIME Session Title: David and Jonathan Became Friends Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-12; 19:1-10; 20:1-42 Big Picture Question: Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Key Passage: Psalm 51:10 Unit Christ Connection: God provided the first kings to rule His people Israel; Christ, the final King, rules over all people as Savior. Through David s family, God sent Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Welcome time Greet each kid as he or she arrives. Use this time to collect the offering, fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to your group. Invite kids to share what they believe a good friend is. What makes a good friend different from a bad friend? Activity page Table Centers (Miscellaneous Activities) What s Different? / Friendship Challenge activity page, 1 per kid Bibles pencils markers Lead boys and girls to complete the activity page What s Different? (Differences: missing cloud, no flame on the torch, headband, stair rail, column design, missing window rail, flowers added to plant, different jar carried by woman, stripe on sleeve, rings on hand, ceramic pot in corner, missing stone, sandal style, line on robe, missing door, sandal color) Say Our Bible story today is about the two people in the picture on your activity page. Their names are David and Jonathan. We talked about David last week. God chose him to be the next king of Israel. Jonathan was the son of King Saul. We talked about King Saul a couple of weeks ago. As time allows, lead kids to complete the activity page Friendship Challenge. Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Secret Handshakes Form pairs or trios. Guide each group to create their own secret handshake or signals. After each group creates their secret handshake, guide them to teach it to the entire group. Say In our Bible story today, a secret signal or code is very important. Why do friends invent secret handshakes and codes? Usually they create them for fun, but in our Bible story the secret signal was not created for fun. 4
Option 2: I d Rather Have a Friend hula hoops, 2 Explain to kids that you will call out I d rather have a friend and two choices. Indicate which hula hoop represents the first choice and which represents the second choice. Kids must put a foot inside the hula hoop representing their choice. Say I d rather have a friend who likes basketball or a friend who likes soccer. who is funny or a friend who is patient. who likes country music or a friend who likes pop music. who is a good singer or a friend who is a good dancer. who is honest or a friend who is loyal. who is courageous or a friend who is creative. who rides a skateboard or a friend who rides a bike. Say Could your friend do both of the choices I gave you? Yes! None of the options in the game are bad options. What are the qualities you look for in a friend? Do you have those qualities? Today s Bible story is about two friends. Transition to large group LESSON Session Title: David and Jonathan Became Friends Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-12; 19:1-10; 20:1-42 Big Picture Question: Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Key Passage: Psalm 51:10 Unit Christ Connection: God provided the first kings to rule His people Israel; Christ, the final King, rules over all people as Savior. Through David s family, God sent Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Countdown countdown video (insert provided DVD with lesson videos and worship) Show the countdown video as you clean-up table centers, set up classroom chairs for lesson and set it to end as large group time begins. Introduce the session (2 minutes) wrapped present [Large Group Leader enters carrying a present.] Leader Hey, everyone! It s good to see you again. Did you have a good week? I need a couple of people to share something cool that happened this week. 5
Select two kids to share. Leader I hope you all had a great week. I hope that this week is even more amazing. My week is starting pretty well. I just received this box in the mail from a friend of mine. She lives a couple thousand miles away, so we don t get to hang out and talk every day. Do any of you have a friend who lives far away? Friends are really important to us, aren t they? Friends are even important to kings, princes, queens, and princesses. Discussion starter video (3 minutes) Unit 11, Session 4 discussion starter video (on provided DVD) Leader Have you ever given up something for a friend? Think about your answer as we check out this video. Show the Unit 11 Session 4 discussion starter video. Leader What would you do if you were in that situation? Why? Friendships are interesting, and the Bible has many stories about different friendships. Let s check out our timeline map to discover what friends we will learn about today. Timeline map (2 minutes) Timeline Map small group visual pack (Additional copies provided for Table Time Review) Point out the story God Rejected Saul as King when you ask about Jonathan. Leader Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when one of King Saul s sons was in our Bible story? Does anyone remember his name? The Israelites really liked him and saved his life. Jonathan is right! According to our timeline, our Bible story is about David and Jonathan. Remember, David had been chosen by God to be the next king and Jonathan was the current king s son. Can you think of any reasons these two should not be friends? Interesting answers! Let s check out our Bible story about David and Jonathan. Open your Bibles to 1 Samuel 18. Tell the Bible story (8 minutes) David and Jonathan Became Friends video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture 11x17 poster provided Open your Bible to 1 Samuel 18 and tell the Bible story in your own words, or show the Bible story video David and Jonathan Became Friends. Leader King Saul did not like that someone else would become king. He became determined to kill David. But that was not God s plan. Can you imagine being David? You know God picked you to be the next king, but right now you have to run and hide so the current king doesn t kill you. The Bible tells us that David actually had to hide from Saul several times before Saul died in a battle and David became king. Even though David was hiding from Saul, he trusted God to protect him. One of the ways God protected David was through David s friend Jonathan. Jonathan was a true friend to David and helped protect him from harm. But our big picture question isn t about Jonathan or David. Our big picture question is about the greatest friend anyone could have. Do you have a guess? 6
Big picture question (3 minutes) 11x17 poster provided Leader Our big picture question is, Who is our friend? Anyone have a guess? Shout it out when I count to three. Ready? One. Two. Three. I heard the answer! The answer to our big picture question is, Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Read it with me. Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Jonathan reminds me of Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus is God s Son, but He did not consider that more important than dying for our sins. Jesus was willing to sacrifice Himself to save us. In the Book of Luke, Jesus said that He came to call sinners to repent of their sin. Jesus also said that He came to find the lost. Jesus desires for sinners to repent and become a friend of His. When we repent of our sin and trust Jesus as our Savior and Lord, He calls us His friends just like He called the disciples His friends in the Book of John. As we study our Bibles and pray, we grow to understand His friendship more and more. Jesus intercedes for us. Does anyone know what that phrase means? Jesus prays to God for us. Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Bible Tip: Anytime you share how to become a Christian in a large group environment, try to have teachers available to meet oneon-one with kids. Make sure kids know who they can talk to and when they can talk. Leader We don t have to be separated from God for eternity because Jesus sacrificed His life to pay for our sin. I am in awe that a holy, perfect Jesus would die for a sinner like me. Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Using Scripture and the guide provided, explain to boys and girls how to become a Christian. Encourage boys and girls to ask their parents, small group leaders, or other adults any questions they may have about becoming a Christian. Key passage (5 minutes) Key Passage Poster: Psalm 51:10 (11x17 poster, provided) Worship Song: A Clean Heart (on provided DVD) Guide the boys to read the key passage together. Guide the girls to read the key passage together. If some kids have memorized the key passage, you may want to challenge them to also memorize Psalm 51:12 or Psalm 51:17. Leader We all struggle with sin every day. Our key passage is a reminder to us to always seek God s help to resist sin. God will forgive us when we ask Him to, and He will help us resist sin when we ask Him to. Sing A Clean Heart. 7
Sing (5 minutes) Worship Song: Generous King (on provided DVD) Leader God in His goodness sent Jesus to be our Savior. Do I have a couple volunteers who want to lead us in singing our theme song? Select a couple of kids to lead the group to sing Generous King. Prayer (2 minutes) Leader Tell me again, what is our big picture question and answer? Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. The story of David and Jonathan is a great reminder of true friendship. True friends never seek their own plan. They always seek God s plan. Jonathan followed God s plan even though it meant he would not be the next king. Jonathan understood that David was God s choice for the next king of Israel. After I pray, watch your small group leader for the signal to go to your small group. In your small group, you will talk more about Jesus, the mighty friend of sinners. Close in prayer. Dismiss to small groups for Table Time The Gospel: God s Plan for Me Ask kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means good news. It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids. God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean. We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23) God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18. We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus. Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus. 8
TABLE TIME LEADER Session Title: David and Jonathan Became Friends Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-12; 19:1-10; 20:1-42 Big Picture Question: Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Key Passage: Psalm 51:10 Unit Christ Connection: God provided the first kings to rule His people Israel; Christ, the final King, rules over all people as Savior. Through David s family, God sent Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Bibles, 1 per kid Timeline small group visual pack Briefly review the Bible story. Invite kids to read 1 Samuel 23:17. Say Jonathan realized at some point that he was not going to be the next king of Israel even though he was the king s son. Jonathan supported David, who was God s choice for Israel s next king. Has a friend ever given up something for you? Have you ever given up something to help a friend? Who gave up His life to save us? (Jesus gave up His position in heaven to come down to us, gave up His life to save us, and intercedes for us before God.) Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Explain to the kids that in the Book of Luke, Jesus said that He came to call sinners to repent of their sin. Jesus also said that He came to find the lost. Jesus desires for sinners to repent and become a friend of His for eternity. If you choose to review with boys and girls how to become a Christian, explain that kids are welcome to speak with you, another teacher, or a parent if they have questions. God rules. God created and is in charge of everything. (Genesis 1:1; Revelation 4:11; Colossians 1:16-17) We sinned. Since Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23; 6:23) God provided. God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9) Jesus gives. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again so we can be welcomed into God s family. (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18) We respond. Believe that Jesus alone saves you. Repent. Tell God that your faith is in Jesus. (Romans 10:9-10,13) Mix up the pieces of the timeline in the small group visual pack. Ask kids to place the pieces in chronological order. Allow kids to mix up the pieces and challenge the leaders to arrange them in the correct order. 9
Key passage activity (5 minutes) A Helpful Friend Instructions Key Passage Poster (provided) Pair kids together and allow them to take turns saying the key passage to their partner. Guide partners to help each other memorize the key passage. Lead groups to spread out to help avoid distraction from another pair of kids. Say What kind of heart does our key passage mention? Do you always have a clean and pure heart? Why not? What keeps you from having a clean, pure heart? Who always has a perfectly clean and pure heart? Jesus! Because Jesus did not sin, He could save us from our sin. Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Friendship Four-in-a-Row Game Friendship Four-in-a-Row game cards, 1 per kid Friendship Four-in-a-Row game piece squares to place in a bag to draw from paper bag bag of beans for game board markers Distribute a Friendship Four-in-a-Row card to each kid. Provide enough beans for each kid to cover every square on their papers. Draw a slip of paper out of the bag and announce the quality of friendship listed. Guide kids to cover the square for that quality on their cards. The first kid to cover four squares in a row wins the round. Play again. You may play using any number of variations: cover the entire card, cover four in a row diagonally, cover the four corners of the card, and so forth. Say What quality on your card is the most important one for a friend to have? Which quality do you think you are the best at? Which one do you need to work on? Being a good friend is hard sometimes. Jonathan chose to be a good friend and helped protect David from harm. We all will have times when we fail to be a good friend. Only Jesus was perfect. We also will have times when a friend hurts us. But Jesus can help us forgive others. Remember, He loved the disciples even though they ran away and hid when He was arrested in the garden. Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Option 2: Spoon Pass bowls, 2 spoons individually wrapped candies Place candy inside one bowl. Place bowls on opposite sides of the room. Challenge kids to work together to form a line, spread out, and pass a piece of candy down the line using only their spoons to touch the candy. Allow the group to decide how many candies they can move down the line in two minutes. Play again and allow kids to change their goal if they desire. Say I was thinking about sharing this candy with you, but I think I will keep it all for me. 10
Kids will likely protest. If they don t protest, share some candy with one or two kids but not the whole group. Say Why should I share my candy with you? Would you share your candy with me? What about with your friends? What are some other things you would share with your friends? Would you share the gospel with your friends? Why or why not? The good news of Jesus Christ is amazing! It changes your life. It is way more important than this candy, and we should share about Jesus with our friends. It is not always easy. They may not agree with us, but Jesus wants us to share about Him. What can we share about Jesus? We can share our big picture question and answer. Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Share the remaining candy with all of the kids. Prayer (5 minutes) Guide kids to read John 15:12-15. Discuss Jesus words on friendship and love. Say Jonathan loved his friend David. Who are some people who love you? Invite kids to share prayer requests. Ask kids to share if any of their previous requests have been answered. Pray, asking God to help the kids love others and share the gospel with each one who does not already trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Clean-up room. 11
Instructions: Circle the things that are different in the second picture. LifeWay UNIT 11 Session 4 Older Kids Activity Pages 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources. Saul and David
Instructions: Play this game with a friend. Name one way you can be a friend to someone else. Each time you name a way, put your name in a spot. See who can get the most squares, the most squares in a row, and the most corner squares. Using the second and third grids, play again. LifeWay UNIT 11 Session 4 Older Kids Activity Pages 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources. Saul and David
Family Journal Page Saul and David Encourage each family member to spend time with a friend during the week. Consider allowing your kids to invite a friend over for a game or to spend the night. Talk about those experiences together. What makes a friend a good friend? Share those thoughts below. End by talking about why Jesus is the best friend of all. Session Title: David and Jonathan Became Friends Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-12; 19:1-10; 20:1-42 Preschool Key Passage: Psalm 51:10 Big Picture Question: Who is our friend? Jesus is our friend. Christ Connection: Jonathan was a very good friend to David. He reminds us that Jesus is the friend of sinners. Jesus showed His friendship to us by leaving heaven to come to earth. Jesus died to save us, and He talks to God for us. Kids Key Passage: Psalm 51:10 Big Picture Question: Who is our friend? Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. Christ Connection: Jonathan was a true friend to David. Jonathan s life gives us a glimpse of Jesus, the mighty friend of sinners. Jesus calls us friends. (John 15:15) He gave up His position in heaven to come down to us, gave up His life to save us, and intercedes for us before God. UNIT 11 Session 4 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources. OK TO PRINT
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 OK TO PRINT Saul and David