So He Thought He Should Dance - PDF Free Download

So He Thought He Should Dance Bible Story: So He Thought He Should Dance (David dances before God) 2 Samuel 6:12b-22a Bottom Line: Honor God by giving Him credit. Memory Verse: Love one another deeply. Honor others more than yourselves. Romans 12:10, NIrV Life App: Honor letting someone know you see how valuable they really are. Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what. SMALL GROUP: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (30 minutes) Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions. * If you don t have time to do all these activities, be sure to do activity #1. *1. Bible Review 2 Samuel 6:12-22 What You Need: Bibles What You Ask: Read 2 Samuel 6:12-22 Whose house held the ark of the Lord? (verse 12 Obed-Edom s house) In verse 12 and 13, David brought the ark into the city. How was David feeling? (verse 12 - joyful) How did David praise the Lord? (verse 14 danced with all his might) Who helped David bring up the ark? (verse 15 the whole community) What did David give to each Israelite? (verse 19 loaf of bread, date cake, raisin cake) How did Saul s daughter Michal act when she saw David praising the Lord?(verse 16, 20 she hated David, thought he acted foolishly) How did David respond? Why did David dance before the Lord? (verse 21 to honor the Lord ) David was the king of Israel. We don t really think of kings as people who would dance down the street, do we? But David did. Even though his wife was upset with him, he knew he was doing the right thing by giving God credit. God had done so much for him and the people of Israel, and this was his way of showing that he knew it was all because of God. Let s be like David and not be afraid to show the world that we know God is the one who has given us good things. [Bottom Line] Honor God by giving Him credit. 2

2. Dance! (application activity) What You Need: jumbo craft stick; cupcake liner; pipecleaner, glue stick, markers Guide kids to recall how David gave credit to God. (He gave a sacrifice; he leaped and danced; he celebrated) Lead the kids to make Dancers to serve as reminders that, like David, they can [Bottom Line] honor God by giving Him credit. Let each child choose 1 chenille stem, 1 cupcake liner, 1 craft stick. Use the cupcake liner to create a skirt or pants for your dancer. Glue the cupcake liner to the craft stick Wrap the pipecleaners around the craft stick and pose them into arms for your dancer. Create a face and dancing shoes for your dancer using markers. Encourage kids to honor each other by helping each other as necessary. Our Bottom Line this week is: [Bottom Line] Honor God by giving Him credit. What does it mean to give credit to God? (To say that He s the reason for the things that happen to us and the good things we do; to thank Him; to tell other people what He does) What is something God has done that you can give Him credit for? (Pause.) [Make It Personal] (Share something God has done that you can give Him credit for doing.) So anytime something good comes your way or really, any time at all let your Dancing Dudes remind you to thank God and give Him credit. So remember: [Bottom Line] Honor God by giving Him credit. 3. Verse Mix Up (memory verse activity) What You Need: Two sets of memory verse cards Review this month s memory verse to the kids. Split the group into two teams. Set the verses a distance away and have the kids relay race to get the cards. Once all the cards are collected, have the kids put the verse in order. The first team to arrange the verse in order and say it out load, wins. Romans 12:10 tells us to honor others more than yourselves. One other we should honor more than ourselves is God. Why is it important to honor God more than ourselves? (He s God; He created us; He s powerful; everything good comes from Him; He saved us through His Son, Jesus) David was a powerful king and a great warrior. But even he honored God more than himself he stood up in front of all the people and made it clear that he owed everything to God. And when his wife, Michal, made fun of him for the way he honored God, David didn t back down. Do you remember what he said? (I will celebrate to honor God. I will bring even LESS honor to myself if it will bring even more honor to God.) 3

David wasn t afraid to give God the credit for the great things He did, and we can give God credit for all the things He does for us, too. So remember: [Bottom Line] Honor God by giving Him credit. Pray and Dismiss What You Need: No supplies needed. Ask kids to share any prayer requests. Ask kids to think of one way that they can honor God this week and challenge them to follow through. Have kids partner up to pray for one another. David was a powerful king and a great warrior. But he didn t take any credit for himself! Instead, He gave GOD the credit. Let s ask God to help us give Him credit, too. Dear God, thank You for all the wonderful things You do. (Insert examples appropriate for your kids.) Help us remember to always honor You and give You credit for all You do. And, like you did for David, give us courage to tell others how great You are. We love You, Lord. You are amazing! Amen. Have kids tell their parents the Bottom Line [Bottom Line] honor God by giving Him credit and show them the Dancing Dude they made. 4

Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves. Romans 12:10, NIrV What to Do: Copy onto cardstock and cut apart. On the back of each card, use a marker to boldly draw the card s corresponding dot pattern. Make one set for every three or four kids. Dice Dash, NIrV November 2016, Week 4, Small Group 2-3 2016 The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Read Psalm 8:3-4 Day 4 Have you ever tried to count the stars in the sky? Impossible, right? Can you count the hairs on your head? Set a timer for 30 seconds and give it a try. Are you a little frustrated right now? It s IMPOSSIBLE to count the hairs on your head. But you know what? It s not impossible for God. God knows how many stars are in the sky. He also knows how many hairs are on your head RIGHT now. And after you brush your hair and several come out, God STILL knows how many are on your head. That s because He cares about you even MORE than He cares about the stars in the sky. God made you to be like Him, in His own image because He loves you. So when it comes to showing honor, we need to put God FIRST. Read Luke 1:46-49 Know that God is worthy of all honor because He made you. Who is speaking these verses? 1. How does it make you feel to know that the God who created the universe cares about you personally? 2. When you pray, do you remember to praise God instead of just asking Him for the things you need? 3. What are some ways that God has made you one-of-a-kind and special? How can you honor Him with those unique gifts? Day 1 Why is she thanking God? Mary may have been scared and unsure, but ultimately, she chose to follow God s special plan for her. And she honored God by these words, giving Him all the credit. You could speak these same words back to God. God has chosen you to do big things for Him. He has and will do great things for you if you choose to follow Him. You can honor God, just like Mary did, by giving Him the credit He deserves. Because every good and perfect thing comes from Him in the first place. Thank God for all that He s done for you, because He deserves all the credit! 1. What are some ways that God has done great things for you? 2. How did Mary give God the credit for what He was about to do in her life? 3. Do you think your soul can give glory to God too? How? Week four 2ND-5th

Read Proverbs 15:33 Day 2 Sometimes, we have backwards thinking and we believe that all the good things that happen are simply because of us. But a WISE person, a smart person, recognizes that all the good stuff comes from God. A wise person knows that everything you are and everything you have comes from Him. When you remember to say, thank you, God instead of thinking that you should get all the credit, you honor God. Speaking of backwards thinking, can you see what s wrong with today s verse? Write it out the RIGHT way. Read Revelation 4:11 Day 3 A really great way to think about this verse is to put on your jacket and shoes and take a quick walk outside. Did you ever think about how the Earth has the most perfect conditions for human life? God put our planet at just the right distance from the sun and that wasn t an accident. He planned it that way! And because He made it all, God deserves ALL the credit. 33:15 sbrevorp.deronoh eb ot tnaw uoy fi duorp eb t nod os.drol eht rof tcepser evah ot uoy sehcaet modsiw Usually we get so distracted by homework, games, sports, or other things that seem so important in the moment that we don t even appreciate the amazing things and people God has put all around us. But the truth is, they re all part of His awesome plan. Ask God to help you turn your thinking around so that it s not about Look at all that God has made and take time to praise Him for it all. you, but it s really about Him. 1. When something good happens, why is it so hard to remember to stop and thank God? 2. Why is it so much easier to give yourself credit and think, I deserve this? 3. What do other people see when you remember to give God the credit? 1. Is there a place you ve been that made you stand in awe of what God has created? 2. Is there something you can do in your day-to-day routine that will help you honor God? 3. When life seems random and confusing, how do you step back and remember that God has a bigger plan?