TEACHER BIBLE STUDY 4 th -6 th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Things were not looking up for David. King Saul had tried multiple times to kill him, and he had to flee for his life, leaving behind his good friend, Saul s son Jonathan. But God had appointed David to be king, and God was faithful to him. Leading up to 2 Samuel 7, Jonathan was killed in battle against the Philistines. Saul fell on his own sword, and David became king of Israel. Then David moved the ark of God to Jerusalem. David settled into his palace, and God gave him peace from his enemies. When David looked around, something didn t seem right. He was living in a majestic palace while the ark of God was in a tent! David determined to build God a temple. That night, God gave the prophet, Nathan, a message for David. Have I ever asked you to build Me a house? God said. Since I brought the Israelites out of Egypt, I have dwelled in a tent. God continued, reminding David that he used to be a shepherd, but God had made him a king! I have always been with you, and I have defeated your enemies, God said. God promised to give the Israelites a place to stay so they wouldn t need to move around anymore. God promised to give them rest from their enemies so they could stop fighting. Though God denied David s desire to build God a house, God promised to make a house for David: a dynasty of his descendants and an everlasting kingdom. Nathan told David what God said, and David was amazed. As you teach kids about God s covenant to David, help them understand the significance of David s everlasting kingdom. God s promise to David was ultimately fulfilled by his most significant descendant, Jesus Christ: He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end (Luke 1:32-33). LESSON OVERVIEW/SCHEDULE Session Title: God Made a Covenant with David Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 7 Big Picture Question: What did God promise David? God promised that David s kingdom would last forever. 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 (3 minutes) Timeline map (1 minute) Big picture question (1 minute) Tell the Bible Story (9 minutes) Discussion starter video (4 minutes) The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Sing (5 minutes) Key passage (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 God Made a Covenant with David 2 Samuel 7 God chose David to be king of Israel. When David was young, he played the harp for King Saul, and God gave him power to defeat Goliath, the great Philistine warrior. David became the king of Israel, and God gave His people a time of peace. David was talking with Nathan the prophet. Nathan was a messenger for God. David said, I live in a palace of nice cedar wood. But the ark of God sits inside a tent! It hardly seemed fair. Shouldn t God have a nicer house than David? David wanted to build a temple for the ark of God. He told Nathan his plans. God is with you. Do what you want! Nathan said. But God didn t want David to do whatever he wanted. God wanted David to do what God wanted. That night, God gave Nathan a message for David. This is what God wanted Nathan to say to David: David, are you going to build a house for Me to live in? Think about what I have done for My people. I brought them out of Egypt. I gave them leaders to guide them. The entire time I have been with them, My house has been a tent. Did I ever ask anyone to build a temple for Me? You used to be a shepherd, David. Don t you remember? But I made you a king. I helped you defeat your enemies, and My people now live peacefully in their own land. I promise you, David, that you and your descendants will be kings. When you die, one of your sons will be king. He will 2
be a strong king, and no one will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will build a house for Me. I will love him, and I will never leave him. When your son dies, his son will be king. The king will always be someone in your family. When God was finished speaking, Nathan told David everything God said. David went into the tent he had set up for the ark of the Lord. He sat down and prayed. Lord God, I don t deserve anything You have done for me, and You promise to do so much more! God, You are so great! There is no one like You! You chose the Israelites to be Your own people. You rescued them from slavery in Egypt. God, please keep Your promises to me and my descendants. I am confident You will keep Your promises because You are trustworthy. Christ Connection: God made David a promise. He told David that every future king of Israel would come from David s family, and David s kingdom would last forever. God kept His promise by sending His Son, Jesus, to be one of David s descendants. Jesus is our King who will never die; He will rule over God s people forever. TRANSITION TIME Session Title: God Made a Covenant with David Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 7 Big Picture Question: What did God promise David? God promised that David s kingdom would last forever. 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. Say What is the longest you have had to wait for something? A year for the next Christmas? Six months until a vacation? Nine months until summer break? Have you ever waited for something and it felt like you had to wait forever? What were you waiting for? 3
Activity page Table Centers (Miscellaneous Activities) Forever / Big Picture Review activity page, 1 per kid Bibles pencils markers Guide kids to complete the activity page Forever as a group. Ask each question aloud and allow kids to share their responses. Urge kids to share the reason for their responses. Say Name something that you hope lasts forever. As time allows, lead kids to review the last few sessions by completing the activity page Big Picture Review. Help kids as needed or instruct kids to work together. Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Hula Hoop Chain hula hoop Timeline (Small Group Visual Pack) located in your Table Time Review bin Guide kids to form a circle and hold hands. Instruct two kids to release hands. Place a hula hoop on one kid s arm and instruct the two kids to hold hands again. Challenge kids to move the hula hoop around the circle without releasing hands. They will work together to each move through the hula hoop. Say You were connected during our game. Your circle was not broken. Today, we will learn about the connection between David and Jesus. We will also hear about a special promise God made that has never been broken. God always keeps His promises. What other promises of God have we studied before? Tip: Allow kids to refer to the timeline map in the small group visual pack as they recall God s promises. Option 2: Forever Bubbles bubble ingredients bubble wands measuring utensils spoon small funnel small, empty water bottles Tip: You may also need to increase the recipe to have enough liquid for each kid to take some home. Allow kids to create their own bubble mixture. Bubble recipe: 1 cup water 4 tablespoons dishwashing liquid 2 tablespoons sugar Mix all three ingredients together in a measuring cup until the sugar fully dissolves. Provide a few bubble wands and guide kids to blow some bubbles. Discuss how long a bubble lasts. Ask kids to think 4
about the concept of forever. Say How long do people usually live? If you lived to be 100 years old, is that a long time? What about to God? He is timeless and has always existed. God made a special promise to David. It was a promise about something that would last forever. Does God ever break a promise? Give each kid a small empty water bottle and allow kids to pour some of the bubble mixture into their bottles to take home. Encourage each kid to give the bubbles to a sibling or friend and share the message of God s promise to David. Transition to large group LESSON Session Title: God Made a Covenant with David Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 7 Big Picture Question: What did God promise David? God promised that David s kingdom would last forever. 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 (3 minutes) [Large Group Leader enters talking to himself, pointing different directions, and looking slightly bewildered.] Leader If I take a left, then a right, then walk across the armory, go up the stairs to the grand dining room, and take a right, I should be at the kitchen. At least I think I ll be at the kitchen. Oh hey, kids! Glad to see you back here at our castle. I was on my way to the kitchen, but this castle is so big that I m not quite sure I know all the right directions, turns, and staircases. Last week, I got lost three times trying to find the dining room. Raise your hand if you have ever gotten lost in a really big place before? Call on a kid or two to answer if you have some volunteers. Leader Thanks for sharing your story with us. Well, as I said, our castle is quite large. I m glad I don t live here all the time. I like my little home where I know exactly how to get from one place to the next. 5
Speaking of getting from one place to the next, maybe we should look at our timeline to see what Bible story we will explore next. Remember, we are on a chronological journey through God s plan to send Jesus to redeem people from sin. Timeline map (1 minute) Timeline Map small group visual pack (Additional copies provided for Table Time Review) Leader Someone tell me what Bible story we talked about last time. Awesome! We were right here on the timeline and learned about how God protected David. David and Jonathan were good friends. The Bible says Jonathan cared for David. Remember we studied how Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners who calls sinners to repent and trust in Him. Jesus also called the disciples and all believers His friends. Jesus laid down His life for us to save us from eternal separation from God because of our sin. Now this week the timeline map has a picture of two men. One is King David sitting on his throne. And the timeline says our Bible story is about a covenant God made with David. I like to read about when God makes a covenant with people. Name someone else we have studied whom God made a covenant with. As kids shout out answers, point to the person on the timeline map. Big picture question (1 minute) 11x17 poster provided Leader God always keeps His covenants or promises. Our big picture question is, What did God promise David? Are you curious to find out what God promised David? I ll tell you that it is something super amazing, super awesome, and super cool. It is also something that is important to us today. Are you ready to find the answer to our big picture question? Open your Bibles to 2 Samuel 7. Remember if you aren t sure where to find a book of the Bible, open the front of your Bible to the table of contents and look for the page number of the book you need. Open your Bible and point out the table of contents for kids. Remind kids that the first number in a Scripture reference is the chapter and the next number is the verse. Tell the Bible story (9 minutes) God Made a Covenant with David video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture 11x17 poster provided Big Picture Question: What did God promise David? 11x17 poster provided Open your Bible to 2 Samuel 7 and tell the Bible story in your own words, or show the Bible story video God Made a Covenant with David. Leader David wanted to build God a temple instead of the tabernacle. He thought that it was bad that he had a nice palace, but God had a tent. Does God need a tabernacle or a temple or a building of any kind? No, God is everywhere. A building can t contain Him. He created everything in the world and doesn t need a building. 6
Do you know why God had the people build a tabernacle? God knew the people needed the tabernacle. The people needed a place to worship God. The people needed a place to offer their sacrifices to God. The people needed a place where God could meet with Moses and the priests. God didn t want David to build the temple. Instead, God s plan was for David s son to build the temple. God made a covenant with David that was more important than a temple. David s family would continue to be the kings of Israel. One day Jesus would be a part of David s family. Jesus will rule God s people forever. Jesus will fulfill the promise or covenant God made to David. Our big picture question is, What did God promise David? God promised that David s kingdom would last forever. Discussion starter video (4 minutes) Unit 11, Session 5 discussion starter video (on provided DVD) Leader What was our big picture question and answer? What did God promise David? God promised that David s kingdom would last forever. Watch this video and think about the word forever. Show the Unit 11 Session 5 discussion starter video. Leader Name something that seems to take forever. Allow a few kids to share their answer. Leader God made an incredible promise to David and David praised God. David knew that he was not worthy of such a promise. He didn t earn this promise. David understood that people would learn through this promise that God is great. God would be glorified through this covenant. We know that through this covenant, God provided the way of salvation for His people by sending His Son, Jesus. 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 God kept His promise to David by sending Jesus. David was a part of the earthly family of Jesus. When Jesus defeated sin and death, He rose from the grave to reign as our King. 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. Sing (5 minutes) Worship Song: Generous King (on provided DVD) Leader God is a generous King who provided salvation to people who do not deserve it. God loves us and sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sin. Stand with me and let s sing to our generous King. Lead boys and girls to sing Generous King. 7
Key passage (5 minutes) Key Passage Poster: Psalm 51:10 (11x17 poster, provided) Worship Song: A Clean Heart (on provided DVD) Leader Where is our key passage found in the Bible? Yes. Our key passage is from the Book of Psalms. We will learn next time why David wrote this key passage. Do I have a volunteer who wants to say the key passage? Invite one or two kids to say the key passage. Lead the boys and girls to read the key passage together. Sing A Clean Heart. Prayer (2 minutes) Leader What did God promise David? God promised that David s kingdom would last forever. I hope I ll see you next week, and we can learn more about the kings of Israel. After I pray, watch your small group leader for the signal to leave our castle and go to your small group. In small group, you will learn more about David s response to God s covenant. 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: God Made a Covenant with David Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 7 Big Picture Question: What did God promise David? God promised that David s kingdom would last forever. 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 dry erase board dry erase marker Say Name a promise you made to someone this week or a promise someone made to you this week. Was the promise kept, broken, or are you still waiting? A covenant is a serious promise or commitment from God. When God made a covenant with David, God knew that God would keep the covenant. David did not live long enough to see the covenant God made with him be completely fulfilled, but David trusted God. David knew that God would keep His covenant. Guide kids to look at 2 Samuel 7:22-29 and silently read David s response to God s covenant. Ask kids to find something that David said about God and come write it on a dry erase board. Say What did God promise David? God promised that David s kingdom would last forever. How did God keep His promise to David? (God kept His promise by sending His Son, Jesus, to be one of David s descendants. Jesus is our King who will never die; He will rule over God s people forever.) Review the timeline in the small group visual pack. You may choose to review other members of Jesus earthly family (Adam, Abraham, Rahab, Ruth). 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) 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) Key passage activity (5 minutes) The Word and a Toss Instructions Key Passage Poster (provided) table tennis balls, 1 per pair of kids OPTIONS: If a pair drops the ball, they must start over. Ask one partner to take one step back each time he catches the ball to increase the distance between the partners. Form pairs and ask pairs to line up facing each other. Each group should start out standing three feet apart. The first partner will say the first word of the key passage and toss the table tennis ball to the second partner. The second partner will catch the ball, say the first and second words of the key passage, and toss the ball back to his partner. Kids will continue tossing the ball back and forth while adding words to the key passage until they have completed the passage. Say Next week we will study when King David wrote this Bible passage. Someone tell me in your own words what our key passage means. Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: David s Descendants Wooden craft sticks labeled with names of David s descendants OPTIONS: Play in teams. Use Luke 3 genealogy. Using Matthew 1 as a reference, print the name of each of David s descendants on a wooden craft stick. Play a game of pick up sticks. Guide kids to take turns picking up each stick in chronological order without disturbing any other sticks. Instruct kids to open their Bibles to Matthew 1 to help them determine the correct chronological order. Say What did God promise David? God promised that David s kingdom would last forever. How did God keep His promise to David? (God kept His promise by sending His Son, Jesus, to be one of David s descendants. Jesus is our King who will never die; He will rule over God s people forever.) Option 2: Chocolate Shovels plastic spoons bowl of melted chocolate bowl of sprinkles or tiny marshmallows waxed paper Guide kids to create chocolate shovels by dipping a spoon into the melted chocolate. Kids may also dip the chocolate-covered spoons into a bowl of sprinkles or tiny marshmallows. Instruct kids to place their chocolate shovels on a piece of waxed paper while the chocolate hardens. 10
Say Our chocolate shovels are a reminder of God s promise to David. David would not build a temple for God, but God promised David that his son would. God also promised David something else. What did God promise David? God promised that David s kingdom would last forever. Explain to kids that they can melt the chocolate off their spoons in a cup of warm cocoa. Or they can give their spoons to an adult who can melt the chocolate in a cup of coffee. Prayer (5 minutes) Say When people make a promise or covenant today, what are some ways they record that promise? (videotape, write it down, take a photo) In today s world, when people make a formal promise or covenant, they usually sign their names to a piece of paper as a symbol of their commitment. Their signatures hold each person accountable to keep their promise. What is the difference between a person making a covenant and God making a covenant? The biggest difference is that when God makes a covenant, there is no doubt that He will fulfill it. He doesn t have to sign a piece of paper to be held accountable. God always, always, always keeps His promises. Close the group in prayer, thanking God for keeping His promise to send Jesus to rescue people from sin. Clean-up room. 11
Instructions: Answer the following questions by circling your choice or writing in your answer. If you could eat only one of these foods forever, which one would you pick? If you could sing only one song forever, what song would you sing? If you could only play one of these sports forever, which one would you pick? LifeWay If you could only wear one shirt forever, which one would you pick? If you could only read one book forever, which one would you pick? Read John 3:16; 6:47; 17:3; 1 John 5:11. What is mentioned in these verses that will last forever? UNIT 11 Session 5 Older Kids Activity Pages 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources. Saul and David
Instructions: Some of the answers to the big picture questions have been scrambled. Unscramble the words and match the correct answer to each question. ogd gave David power to defeat tahgloi. God delights in latot deeeoibcn, but we all sin and need a Savior. How does God feel when His people obey? Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? Jesus is the tyghim friend of ressnni. What did God promise David? LifeWay God planned to send a eerpctf ngik. God promised that David s mgkodin would last reverof. What kind of king did God plan to give Israel? Who is our friend? UNIT 11 Session 5 Older Kids Activity Pages 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources. Saul and David
Family Journal Page Saul and David with your kids st generations. Share pa of os ot ph ily m fa Locate some old ed. Explain their u ve heard or witness yo at th s ve ti la re e stories about th that Jesus lk about God s promise Ta. ds ki ur yo d an u s. relationship to yo tives are part of your la re e os th e lik st ju s family would be part of David generations ce it below for future pla d an o ot ph ily m fa Take a current to see. Session Title: (PE.BEF B $PWFOBOU XJUI %BWJE Bible Passage: 4BNVFM Preschool Key Passage: 1TBMN Big Picture Question: 8IBU EJE (PE QSPNJTF %BWJE (PE QSPNJTFE UIBU +FTVT XPVME CF QBSU PG %BWJE T GBNJMZ Christ Connection: God made a promise to David. God told David that every king of Israel would come from David s family. God kept His promise. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be part of David s family. Jesus is our King. Jesus is alive, and He will be King over God s people forever. Kids Key Passage: 1TBMN Big Picture Question: 8IBU EJE (PE QSPNJTF %BWJE (PE QSPNJTFE UIBU %BWJE T LJOHEPN XPVME MBTU GPSFWFS Christ Connection: God made David a promise. He told David that every future king of Israel would come from David s family, and David s kingdom would last forever. God kept His promise by sending His Son, Jesus, to be one of David s descendants. Jesus is our King who will never die; He will rule over God s people forever. 6/*5 r 4FTTJPO -JGF8BZ $ISJTUJBO 3FTPVSDFT 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