WELCOME TO WEEK 1

This month we are learning about what it means to have courage and trust God. God knows who you are and He has a special plan for your life. God will use the talents and gifts He has given you to serve others and guide you on the path that is right for you. You can trust that He will show you the way to go.

1 Samuel 16

BIBLE STORY

We all show lots of emotions and feelings just from the looks on our faces! We can tell a lot about how someone feels or what they are thinking just by looking at their face. 

Can you show me your angry face?

Can you show me your happy face?

Can you show me your sad face?

Can you show me a scared face?

Good job! Now I’m going to say a few statements and I want you to show me the face you would make to tell how you are feeling.

You drop your ice cream cone

You get picked last to play soccer with your friends

It’s Christmas morning and time to open presents

You get invited to a friends birthday party

You forget to bring your show and tell item to school

You fall off your bike and scrape your knee

You hear a thunderstorm while you are laying in bed.

Now, I’m going to say these same statements and this time show me the opposite face of how you would feel. (Explain opposite if necessary)

People often think they know who we are based on what they can see about us from the outside. But just like you made the opposite faces, sometimes what we look like on the outside is not actually on the inside. In our story this week God chooses a young boy, not because of what he looks like outwardly, but for what God can see in his heart. 

Read or listen to the scripture  1 Samuel 16

Where did God send Samuel to find the new king? (to the house of Jesse to choose one of his sons)

How would Samuel know who to anoint? (God would tell Samuel who to choose)

What did God say He looks at when choosing a man? (He doesn’t look at someones appearance but looks at their heart)

How many of Jesse’s sons passed in front of Samuel before before he chose a son? (All 6 sons)

Who did Samuel anoint? (David)

What special thing did God plan for David to do? (Be the new king)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Samuel was led by God to go anoint the next king of Israel. No one else knew God’s plan but God knew He wanted David, not because he looked like a king but God knew He would be faithful. God knows us too and wants to use us for something special.

Activity

Using white paper, cut out enough squares for each person participating to receive one. Each of us have been given unique fingerprints on our hands. Look at the lines on your fingers, no one else has the exact same fingerprints as you! Today we will each stamp our fingerprints on a sheet of paper and then mix them all up and see if we can tell which fingerprint belongs to who. Help younger children stamp their index finger into an ink pad, or color fingertip with erasable marker, then stamp finger onto paper square. Mix all the papers together after everyone has finished and the ink has dried some. Try to see if you can figure out what prints belong to who. Even though we may not have been able to finger out whose prints these are, God says that He knows each one of us and can even identify us by our fingerprints. He knows our unique fingerprint and He even knows how many hairs we have on our head! That is amazing! God really knows each one of us!

Materials: White paper, ink pad or erasable marker, baby wipes or nearby sink

Alternate

God has a special plan for our lives. Do you know what you want to do when you grow up? Even if we do not know yet, God knows what He has planned for you. Let’s play this game of Career Charades. Pick a card and act out the picture for everyone else to guess. Take turns acting and guessing.

Materials: Printed Career charades

Independent activity:

God knows our names and He knows the plans he has for us. Our names are special and were given to us by our parents because it means something to them. Create a name door hanger using a card stock paper or piece of construction paper cut into a large rectangle. Cut out a slit and circle to hang around the door handle. Using makers and art supplies, you or your child write their name in large print across the paper. Then use art supplies to color and decorate the hanger. Hang on door handle outside their room.

Materials: construction paper, craft items (stickers, gems, glitter etc), crayons, scissors

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Make a crown for King David.  Print and cut out the crown page. Decorate the crown with crayons, markers, glitter or jewels. Add attributes of David’s character that God saw by writing them on the crown as well. 

Materials: Printed crown cut-out, scissors, crayons, glue, jewels

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What name did your parents give you?

Do you know what your name means?

What words would you use to describe yourself?

How do you think God describes you?

God made you exactly the way you are. He knows everything about you because He is your creator. 

Practical Application at Home

God is our creator and He knows every part of us. He knows the good parts about us like when we are kind to our siblings or when we share with a friend. He also knows the bad parts of us like when we take a cookie without asking or disobey our mom and dad. Even though God sees the things we might not want him to see, He loves us! He loves us, not because of the things we can do, but just because we belong to him! That’s great news! Let’s create a pet or robot right now. You can either use the materials around you or draw a picture. Give your pet/robot a name. If I turned your paper upside down or hide your creation, would you still be able to describe it to me? Ask the following questions or questions that pertain to your child’s creation.

How many eyes did you give it?

What did you name it?

What color did you make it?

Can you share a special feature you put on your pet/robot?

You could answer all of those questions, couldn’t you? You know why? Because you were its’ creator! You made it, so you know it very well. This week, think about how God is your creator and how much He knows you! He knows you very well and loves you just the way you are because He made you. We don’t have to be perfect, we just need to remember that we belong to Him.

Materials: White sheet of paper, writing utensil, crayons, building materials

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Spend time in nature watching how both living and non-living things have their own cycle and jobs to do. Watch how their job fits with the ecosystem and creates balance in nature. God had a plan for all of creation.