Pursue
WELCOME TO WEEK 3
Have you ever made a bad decision? A mistake you wish you could take back or change? This week we will see how Samson made a big mistake and wanted to fix his mistake. We often can’t undo the mistakes we’ve made, but God can help us learn from those mistakes.
BIBLE STORY
Gather several household items and place them in a row. With a sticky note or small index card, write the actual price each item is sold for in a store. Turn the sticky not or index card upside down so that your child can not see the price. Today we are going to play a little guessing game. I want you to guess the price of each item and see if your price matches the price listed. Go through each item one at a time, revealing the correct answer after each guess.
Were you able to guess the correct price for each item? It can be difficult to know exactly how much each item cost and what each item is actually worth. You may have made a mistake in guessing the cost of each item in this game, and in real life we may mistakingly pay more for an item at the store than what it is actually worth. We sometimes might buy something and regret the purchase later realizing we paid too much money or the item was poorly made and broke easily. God expects that we will make mistakes because we are imperfect humans, but God wants to help us learn from those mistakes so we won’t continue to make them. He wants us to see what we did that was wrong, and with His help, not repeat those mistakes again. In our story this week we are looking at Samson. God gave Samson a lot of strength but He forgot that his strength was from God. Samson made mistakes and didn’t always make the right choices, but God was still able to use him and help him see his mistakes. God can help us learn from our mistakes as well.
Materials: items from around your house, small index cards, prices of items, pen or pencil
Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Judges 16:4-30
Who did Samson fall in love with? (Delilah)
What did the Philistine leaders ask Delilah to do? (Persuade Samson to tell her where his strength comes from, so they can tie him up and overpower him)
What did the leaders offer to give her for this information? (1,100 pieces of silver)
What was the first way Samson said his strength could be lost? (Tied with seven fresh bowstrings that have never been dried)
After Delilah tied up Samson with the seven fresh bowstrings, what did she do? (Called to Samson that the Philistines were there, while the men in ambush were waiting in her room)
What did Samson do? (Snapped the bowstrings like a piece of yarn)
What did Samson tell Delilah was the secret to his strength the next time she asked? (If he was tied up with new rope that had never been used)
What happened after Delilah tied him with the new rope? (He snapped the ropes like a thread)
What did Samson tell Delilah was the secret to his strength the next time she asked? (If you weave the seven braids on his head with he web of a loom)
What happened when Delilah told him the Philistines were there? (He pulled out the pin with the loom and the web.)
After Delilah cut Samson’s hair, what happened? (The Philistines captured him and Samson did not have the strength to stop them because God had left him.)
How did Samson destroy many of the philistine leaders? (When he was brought into their banquet to entertain them, he was places between two pillars. Because some of his hair had grown back, He had some strength and asked God to give him strength to defeat them. He defeated more in his death than he had during his life)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Samson made some mistakes in his life and often made bad choices. He used His strength for God but He sometimes used his strength for himself. Even though Samson made mistakes, God still used him to help the Israelites fight against the Philistines. We all make mistakes but those mistakes do not keep us from being used by God if we are still willing. God can help us see our mistakes so we can learn from them and make better choices in the future.
Activity
Flipping a mistake into a learning experience is important for everyone in order for us to grow and change. What starts out as a mistake can often be changed into something positive or an important lesson we can learn. Cut and place the following cards face down on flat surface. Using a spatula, flip a card over and read the mistake that was made, then tell what you would do to correct the mistake.
Materials: printed mistake cards, kitchen spatula, scissors
Alternate
Read or listen to the story “Beautiful Oops” Then use a white sheet of paper and add a few random drops of paint so that it looks like it was spilled accidentally. Give your child a pen, pencil, marker and other paint colors. This looks like this paint was spilled here accidents but we can turn this spilled paint into something new. Use your imagination to create a new picture from the paint that is already here. You can add more paint to make the picture larger or use crayons and markers to trace around the paint and define the outline. God can take our mistakes and turn them into somethings beautiful. We don’t have to be afraid to admit when we have done something wrong, we can ask for forgiveness and ask for God to help us learn from our mistakes. He wants to help you!
Materials: device for listening to story, white sheet of paper, paint, pencil or pen, marker, paint
Independent activity:
Complete the following activity sheet
Materials: printed activity sheet, pen/pencil, crayons
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Create a banner that says “I can do all Things through Christ who gives me strength” Add stickers and words of encouragement on the banner.
Materials: white construction paper, large straws, scissors, glue
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Read or listen to Psalm 9:1-10
This verse says that God rules the world in righteousness and judges the people with equity. He is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know His name trust in Him and He never forsakes them. God knows that we all make mistakes and He wants to help us learn from our mistakes. God is a fair judge and judges our hearts and forgives our mistakes. Although Samson made many mistakes, God still gave Him strength to defeat many Philistines.
Where did Samson get his strength?
Why did Delilah want to know where Samson’s strength came from?
Did Delilah really love and care about Samson?
How can we be sure we are not led the wrong way by other people?
Did Samson make the right choice in telling Delilah about his hair?
How could Samson have made a better choice?
Do you have friends that try to convince you to make bad choices?
How can you resist following after friends who are not following God’s instructions?
Practical Application at Home
Following friends who are not making good choice can lead us to forget that our strength comes from God. Samson listened to Delilah instead of remembering God’s instructions. When we are faced with tough choices we can be prepared to stand up for what is right and make the right choices. If we make a mistake, we can trust that God can forgive us and help us learn to make a better choice next time. Think of the following temptations and say what you would do if you were faced with these choices.
What should you do if you think about…
-sneaking a cookie from the cookie jar before dinner
-taking your brothers Lego toy to play with when he is not home
-bringing home your friends toy without asking because you want to play with it more
-not taking out the trash when your mom or dad ask you to
-pushing around the little kid in your neighborhood because he annoys you
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.