God s Unfolding Story - PDF Free Download

Bible Story: Samuel Followed God (1 Sam. 8-10) Bible Phrase: We must obey God (Acts 5:29). Bible Truth: We show our love for God when we obey Him. Old Testament Unit 9: Samuel Lesson 4: Samuel Followed God God s Unfolding Story 1. God created everything 2. People disobeyed God. 3. God chose a special people. 4. God sent Jesus to help us. 5. Jesus began the Church. 6. Jesus is preparing heaven for us. Suggested Schedule Arrival Centers 25 minutes Clean-up Time 5 minutes Bible Story Time 15 minutes Craft Time 10 minutes Snack Time 10 minutes Game Time and Dismissal Hour 1 Unfolding God s Story for Teachers Please read 1 Samuel 8-10. In our story, Samuel has grown to be an important figure in Israel s history. He has assumed the position of priest but acted more as a judge. Samuel was loved and respected by the people, but Samuel was growing old. Samuel s sons did not follow in their father s footsteps. God s people saw an honored but aged priest and no one to take his place. The Israelites called for a king. Their reasons for a king seemed extremely superficial. They wanted a king like everyone else to lead them in battle as if the Lord of the Armies was not enough! However, we cannot point a finger. How often do we seek the security of earthly things over the One in Whom we are eternally secure? Israel had continually rejected God since their freedom from Egyptian slavery and their request for a king was another example. God asked Samuel to warn the people about the consequences of rejecting their covenant with Him and the impact the reign of a king would mean. In spite of Samuel s forewarnings, Israel insisted and God gave them the desire of their hearts. However, the king would be God s choice not their own. God s choice for the first king of Israel is perhaps a bit humorous. Who would think that someone looking for donkeys would be the man for the king job? God knew the hearts of His people and the shallowness of their desires. The challenges of a ruler would be a great lesson for His defiant children. We do not know God s reasons for choosing Saul but we can discover a few things about him from these passages. Saul was the son of a Benjamite named Kish who was a mighty man of valor and a prominent landowner. Saul was handsome and stood head and shoulders above other men. Ironically, Saul s physical readiness did not match his emotional resolve since he hid among the supplies on the day he was to be announced as king. Perhaps a foreshadowing of what was to come. But God knew Saul inside and out and felt he was the right man to rule Israel. Saul s kingship would pave the way for King David who would pave the way for the Eternal King of Kings! God can use anything Satan or His wayward children can throw at Him. There are many treasures in this story. But paramount, God is our King and our Source. We are not to join the crowds to gain power, fortune or success. To do so is a rejection of our covenant relationship with Christ. Daily seek God and ask Him to captivate your heart, soul and will. Allow Him to protect your heart from the world. Resolve to live all areas of your life as God would ordain. We are to be set apart, we are to be holy. Lesson Plan Arrival Greet children at eye level and express how happy you are to see them. Be sure each child has a name tag and the security measures of your church are followed. Label all coats and personal belongings. Strongly encourage children who have brought items from home, such as toys and books, to place them on a shelf while they are working with other materials. Assure children their items will be safe and they can take them home at the end of the session. Help each child make a choice where he or she would like to begin his or her center time. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2012 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT09 Lesson 4 Hour 1 Page 1

Home Living Center Role Play Home Activities Doll bed, small rocking chair, sink and stove unit, small table and chairs, plastic dishes, child pots and pans Doll items such as blanket, clothes, bottles Arrange furniture in a corner of the room. Organize the dishes and other accessories. Children naturally are drawn to this center. Encourage preschoolers to keep home living items in the center. As children play, look for opportunities to share the Bible phrase or the the Bible Story. Block Center Find the Crown Wooden blocks Any color of construction paper What to do: Provide a small carpet if possible. Blocks are best located in a corner of the room away from the traffic flow. Cut the shape of a crown from the construction paper. The shape needs to be small enough to be hidden under a wooden block. Place 10 or 15 blocks on the floor and under one of the blocks hide the crown shape. Play a game of finding the crown by having children take turns trying to guess which block it is under. As children play talk about how Israel wanted a king to be their ruler and God helped Samuel to choose a man named Saul to be the new king. Comment when Samuel wanted to introduce Saul to the people, Saul had hidden behind some baggage. Even though Saul may have been afraid, God still wanted him as king. Center Time Art Center Golf Ball Painting Plastic shoe box with lid or box with lid Two golf balls Several colors of tempera paint White paper Cut paper the size of the bottom of the box. Print today s Bible verse at the bottom of each paper. Place paper in the bottom of the box. Spoon a quarter size amount of each paint color in the center of the paper. Place balls in the box and close the lid. Children can have fun shaking the box side to side and up and down. Remove the top and discover a colorful design. Read today s Bible verse. Express to children that they are obeying God when they listen to their teachers for instructions and when they take turns using the paint box. Bible Learning Center Make a Bible Story Pyramid Copies of Story of Samuel Pyramid (Reproducible) Glue or tape Child s scissors To save time, cut out the Story of Samuel Pyramids. Show children how a finished pyramid might look. Invite children to color the pictures. Demonstrate how to fold the piece into a pyramid. Tape or glue to hold the pyramid shape in place. Review the stories of Samuel using the pictures. Puzzle Center Work Puzzles Offer a variety of non-fantasy wooden or cardboard puzzles for children to work. Invite preschoolers to work puzzles. Encourage children to finish a puzzle before leaving the center. Give guidance rather then doing the puzzle for the child. As children work look for opportunities in conversation to say the Bible phrase or briefly tell the Bible Story. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2012 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT09 Lesson 4 Hour 1 Page 2

Clean-up Time Encourage preschoolers to help at clean-up time. Assign specific tasks for preschoolers to do such as placing all the crayons in the basket, throwing away the trash, gathering all the glue sticks, etc. Guide children to the Bible Story Time area. Bible Story Time Bible Teaching Picture Samuel Followed God (Reproducible) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Reproducible/Cardstock) Introduction Show the God s Unfolding Story Cube, Express to boys and girls that even through we find many stories in the Bible, the Bible really tells one big story, and all the little stories are a part of the big one we can call God s Unfolding Story. Tell children that each picture represents a chapter of God s Unfolding Story. Turn the cube and talk about each part of the story. (Refer to page 1.) Express that every story from the Bile is from one of these main chapters in God s Unfolding Story. Today s story is from the third chapter, God choose a special people. (Show the picture on the cube.) Ask children if they have ever looked for something that was hidden, perhaps a pet or lost toy. Allow children to share responses. Express in this week s segment of God Story we will hear another story of Samuel. In our story today, Samuel is looking for someone. He is looking for a king! Bible Story Samuel Followed God (1 Sam. 8-10) The prophet Samuel had guided the Israelites for many years but he was getting old. The Israelites wanted more than just prophets and judges to lead them. They wanted to have a king like other countries. A king would judge, protect and lead them in their battles. A king would be a strong and mighty leader. This made Samuel very sad. Samuel prayed and asked God what to do. God told Samuel that the Israelites were not rejecting him as their leader but were rejecting God. God asked Samuel to give the Israelites what they wanted a king. God helped Samuel find a king for the people in a very unusual way. A rich man named Kish who was from the small family of Benjamin owned lots of green pastures and animals. One day several of his donkeys wandered away from the pasture and got lost. Kish told his son Saul to take a servant and go look for the donkeys. For two days they looked and looked for the donkeys but could not find them. They decided to go to the city and ask Samuel the prophet if he knew where the donkeys might be. Saul and his servant went to the city and found Samuel at the gate. At once Samuel knew that Saul was the man God had chosen to be the king. He knew that because the day before God told Samuel he would send a man from the family of Benjamin. He would be the one to anoint as the king of the Israelites. Before Saul could ask about his donkeys Samuel told him they had been found. He also told Saul that he was the man Israel had been looking for to be their king! Saul was surprised! He said, I am of the smallest family of the Israelites. How could God choose me? Samuel took Saul to a feast and honored him there. The next day Samuel used a ram s horn to pour oil over Saul s head to show that he would be the king of Israel. Samuel sent messengers throughout the land to call all the Israelites to a special place. Samuel wanted to show the people the man God had chosen to rule as their king. All the families gathered and were named from the strongest to the smallest. God had not chosen a king from the strongest family but from the smallest, the family of Benjamin. Everyone wanted to see the man God had chosen, but Saul could not be found. Saul may have been afraid of his new job and was hiding among some baggage. God told Samuel where to find Saul. Saul came out and stood before the people. The Bible says that Saul was head and shoulders above every man in the crowd and he was very handsome! Samuel said, See the man God has chosen, there is none like him. The people shouted for joy for their new king! Samuel no longer served as judge over Israel but he continued to help the Israelites follow God s Word. Talk Time 1. Show the teaching picture for today s Bible story. Review by using these or similar questions. What kind of ruler did the Israelites want? How did Samuel feel about this choice? Did Samuel follow God s plan? Who did God choose as the new king? 2. Show children the Bible Phrase on the teaching picture. Say the phrase together. We must obey God Acts 5:29. Express to children that we show our love for God when we obey Him. 3. To close God s Story Time, invite children to join you in prayer time. Allow any interested preschooler to pray. Close the prayer time asking God to help us obey. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2012 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT09 Lesson 4 Hour 1 Page 3

Craft Time Make Bible Story Puppets Copies of Bible Story Puppets (Reproducible) Crayons Craft sticks, cotton balls Child s scissors, tape, glue Invite children to color a set of Bible Story Puppets. If needed, assist in cutting out the puppets. Children can glue a few cotton balls to the sheep figure. Distribute craft sticks and tape. Instruct children to tape a craft stick to the back of each puppet figure. Use puppets to retell the Bible story. Identify Samuel and Saul. Express that the Israelites wanted a king so God chose Saul to be the first king of Israel. Samuel followed God s instruction in choosing Saul as king. Snack Time Be sure to wash hands or use hand sanitizer. Say a thank-you prayer to God for the snack. When snack time has ended, encourage preschoolers to help with cleaning up. Game Time/Dismissal Different colors of construction paper cut into approximately 4-inch squares. Hide the paper squares around the room. Invite children to look for a colored square and bring it back to the game area. Play a color game by saying phrases such as: Hold up your square if it is the color of an apple. Hold up your square if it is the color of a flower. Hold up your square if it is the color of a dog. Hold up your square if it is the color of the grass. Add other phrases. To close the game, ask children to return their squares by calling out the different colors such as: Bring me your square if it is yellow. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2012 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT09 Lesson 4 Hour 1 Page 4

Resources and Supplies Old Testament Unit 9: Samuel Lesson 4: Samuel Followed God Hour 1 Standard Art Supplies (Supplies that are generally in the room) Washable markers Crayons Child Scissors Playdough and accessories Drawing paper Easel (optional) Glue/glue sticks Tempera paint four colors Tape/masking tape Pencils/colored pencils Hole punch Teacher scissors Stapler/staples Permanent markers Water colors Paint brushes Yarn Standard Equipment (Supplies that are generally in the room) Bible Small Beanbag for Bible Story Time Assorted wooden/cardboard puzzles Set of wooden blocks Small cars and trucks Doll bed Doll baby soft plastic Stove/sink unit Play dishes/pots and pans Small table and chairs Small carpet for block area Play food items Storage shelf for blocks Tables and chairs for art, puzzles, Bible Learning Center CD player/children s Worship CD s Reproducibles Activity Page Story of Samuel Pyramid Class size amount Bible Story Puppets Class size amount Teaching Picture Samuel Followed God 1 copy per class God s Unfolding Story Cube Cardstock - 1 copy per class Parent Page Class size amount Optional: Coloring Page Samuel Followed God class size amount Additional Art Materials Golf balls 4 Shoe box 2 plastic or cardboard White paper Game 3 or 4 pieces of different colored construction paper God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2012 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT09 Lesson 4 Hour 1

cut here to center cut here to center glue blank triangle under Hannah praying fold solid lines cut on dotted lines OT09 Lesson 4 Hour 1 Center Time: Bible Story Center God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2012 - SundaySchoolZone.com Story of Samuel Pyramid Instructions: Copy one per child. Follow instructions.