Leader guide cover art

David and Goliath

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Marvel (4-5)Year 2Unit 1 (Marvel at God’s Faithfulness)Session 1
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David and Goliath

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Scripture
Focus
By faith in the living God, David defeated the enemy of God's people.
Faith Nurture Goals
  • Be amazed at David's courage and faith.
  • Marvel in the surprising way God gave victory.
  • Grow in our own faith in God's power.
Memory Challenge

Session Outline

Leader Reflection

Preparing to Tell God's Story

You've probably been eager to tell this story. And why not? No matter how many times we've heard the story, the courage, suspense, and adventure grab us every time. But don't miss the even more exciting and deeper story of faith that underlies it all.

Just before this story begins, in chapter 16, we learn that "the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul." When the leader is "Spiritless," all his followers will become dispirited as well. Mighty King Saul is camped on one side of the Valley of Elah, the Philistines on the other side. The valley between is a no-man's land---because the giant Goliath has challenged Israel to settle the battle one-on-one. "This day I defy the armies of Israel. Give me a man and let us fight each other." The whole army of Israel, from Saul down to the lowliest soldier, cowers in fear.

Along comes David. His older brothers are all in the army of Saul, but David was evidently deemed too young and too inexperienced to be a soldier. Instead he brings sandwiches to his soldier brothers. While he is there, Goliath yells out his usual challenge. Interestingly, David is not only interested in the reputation of the God of Israel, but in his own advancement as well. "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine?" Then he expresses his scorn for Goliath: "Who does he think he is 'that he should defy the armies of the living God.' The Bible is honest about people. David is not all courage and pious talk; he also wants to get ahead---he's got ambition. Another factor, perhaps, that makes him a "man after God's heart" (13:14).

David's defiance gets him an audience with the king himself, who is astounded and skeptical that this mere boy might go against Goliath. But David convinces Saul to give him a try, at least. "Go, and the Lord be with you." (An expression of faith or of desperation?) Next we see David stumbling out of the camp under the weight of Saul's full armor. He looks ridiculous and feels useless.

As soon as he gets far enough from the Israelite camp, he dumps the armor, takes his staff in hand, stoops to choose five smooth stones from a brook nearby, and sets off to meet Goliath with what he calls sticks and stones. The fact that David is so young, so small, so ill-equipped, seems to enrage Goliath all the more. But David only grows in faith and courage. He names his true champion, "the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." Now we know what this is really all about: the reputation of God's covenant name and the well-being of his people.

David's very lack of the typical pieces of armor makes clear the real point. "It is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's."

It's a case of faith in God combined with stealth, cunning, and skill. David sneaks up on Goliath, who hadn't seen the sling but only the staff. With a practiced shepherd's skill, David swirls the sling, lets the stone fly, and lands one right on Goliath's exposed head. Goliath drops dead on the spot, "facedown on the ground." Facedown is the attitude of slavery. Goliath, who had vowed to make slaves of the Israelites, now lies facedown before this kid, this young shepherd boy. David takes Goliath's enormous sword and slices off the giant's head.

As God's story continues, we will hear a lot about David. It's not all good, to be sure. An unfaithful husband and poor father, David will fail. But, the Bible seems to tell us, David is the best we as human beings can be. He has the qualities of greatness. He's the best we can be until the Son of David comes---the One who will give humanity a whole new start and wrestle with the powers of hell on the cross.

Wondering
  • What motivates David to stand against Goliath?

  • What’s wrong with Saul and his armies?

  • What do you think of David’s apparently complex motivation?

  • How do faith and skill operate together in your life?

Teaching
  • This is a story of faith, but as we’ve seen, it’s faith in combination with courage, skill, and cunning. Faith is central, but if it’s the only thing emphasized, our calling as human beings gets diminished.

  • Help the children begin to make a connection between David and “David’s Son,” Jesus Christ, the ultimate deliverer.

Steps

Step 1 Gathering for God's Story

  • body smart
  • self smart
  • word smart
  • ​​people smart
Materials
  • Song: “You Never Let Go”

Since this is probably your first meeting together in a new year of church school, you’ll want to take some time getting to know each other. One fun way to do this is through the Name Game. Explain that you’ll go around the circle (beginning with you). Each person takes a turn to say his or her name and also mention something they like—a food, dessert, game, sport, or movie—something that starts with the same letter as their name. Here are a few examples:

  • I’m David and I like devils’ food cake.
  • I’m Christin and I like cookies.
  • I’m Jake and I like jazz.

After you’ve gone around the circle, challenge a few volunteers to try to remember and say all the names and facts they just heard.

Tell your group that during the next six weeks they’re going to be exploring some very exciting Bible stories—all stories about David. Invite the group to tell you what they remember or know about David:

  • He was a shepherd.
  • He fought a giant.
  • He was a king.
  • He had a friend named Jonathan.
  • He is the writer of many of the psalms.

Explain that the Bible calls David “a man after God’s own heart.” That’s something you want kids to remember and think about over the next few weeks. Also be sure to mention that David is the writer of many of the psalms in the Bible (if it hasn’t already been mentioned). Tell them you’ll be beginning each session of the unit by listening to one of the two songs in this unit—both based on psalms. Begin today by playing “You Never Let Go” from the DwellSongs CD. Or, if you have Internet access, you may want to play this video version of the song from YouTube: tinyurl.com/RedmanNever.

Re*formed

It’s important to look at this story with a holistic worldview. If we only see it as a story of faith, we will miss the complexities of how faith operates in real life. On the other hand, if it’s just about David’s skill and courage, we will inspire a kind of hero-worship mentality in which the strongest and brightest can get the job done. God is at work, but at work with gifted people of faith and courage.

Step 2 Entering the Story

  • music smart
  • word smart
  • ​​people smart
Materials
  • Story symbol, session 1 printable page

  • Rap: “David and Goliath” printable page

  • Teen visitor, optional

Tip

Ahead of time, you may want to invite a teen to visit your group and read the rap today. If you do so, be sure to give him or her plenty of time to prepare!

Comment to the group that the words of the songs they just heard may have been very similar to the thoughts David had in today’s story. Post today’s story symbol (slingshot) and invite the group to guess what story you’re going to enter together today. Since this is one of the Bible’s bestknown stories, you’ll probably get some quick responses.

If this story is familiar to your group, encourage them to hear and see it with fresh ears and eyes today. As they listen and read, invite them to remember the words of the song you just heard together and to be thinking about what made David a man after God’s own heart.

Hand out copies of the rap “David and Goliath” and explain that you want them to listen and to join in whenever the chorus comes up. Plan a hand signal you (or your visitor) will give the group when it’s time for the refrain. Then practice it a time or two together:

Listen up! Gather ’round.

Let me tell you the tale of how a giant came down.

After kids have gotten the hang of the rhythm and are familiar with the lines, begin reading the rap. If you choose to do the reading yourself, be sure to practice several times beforehand so you’ll be confident of getting the beat and familiar with the lines.

Step 3 Living into the Story

  • number smart
  • picture smart
  • word smart
  • ​​people smart
Materials
  • David and Goliath story cards printable page

  • Cardstock, optional

After reading, ask the group to mention aspects of the story that may have been new or surprising to them. Share your own awe and amazement at how God used David to defeat Goliath with such courage and bravery. Invite their reflections with questions like these:

  • Why do you suppose the Israelite army was so afraid to face Goliath?
  • How might David have felt as he headed out to face the giant?
  • What does this story tell us about God?
Tip

If your kids prefer interview and drama, check out “Hear It Here News” in the Easy Extras. If they prefer drawing, check out “Power Posters.”

Challenge kids to retell the story they just heard by playing the David and Goliath story card game.

Here’s how the game works:

  • Divide the group into teams of three.
  • Give one set of story cards, printed and cut apart ahead of time, to each team.
  • Instruct teams to shuffle the cards and deal three of them to each person.
  • The person in each team with the card numbered 1 begins. He or she lays that card on the table and tells the part of the story that it suggests. (For example: “A long time ago on two high hills, the Israelites and the Philistines gathered to fight a battle. . . .”)
  • The person to the right of the first player is next. If that player has card 2, he or she lays the card down and continues telling the story based on the picture on the card.
  • If that player does not have card 2, he or she says “pass.”
  • The next player says “pass” if he or she does not have the next card until it reaches the person with the card in the correct order of the story (have kids follow the numbers on their cards to know who continues the story next).
    Tip

    If you have time, print a set of story cards on cardstock for each person. Encourage kids to color the illustrations with markers or colored pencils, cut the cards apart, and take them home to play the game with their families.

  • Each time a player tells part of the story, he or she must place that card on the table. The first player to put all three of his or her cards on the table is the winner.
  • Encourage teams to continue playing until they have finished telling the entire story. When finished, have them scramble the cards and play another round, adding as many details from the story as they can remember.
Faith Modeling

Give the children an example of "giants" from your own life— perhaps you needed courage and faith to deal with an illness, to begin a new job, or to ask someone’s forgiveness.

Step 4 Living Out of the Story

  • self smart
  • word smart
  • ​​people smart
Materials
  • Index cards

  • Storymark 1 (remove staple to separate set)

  • Dear Family letter (printable page or email version), one per child

Text

Ask kids to close their eyes and imagine what it may have been like to hear the loud boasts, threats, and insults of Goliath. How would they feel if they were soldiers in the Israelite army? How would they feel if they were King Saul? The sight of Goliath terrified these men, and they may have felt hopeless and defeated.

Comment that, like the Israelites, we sometimes feel afraid when we’re up against difficult situations. Ask the group to think of any “giants” that they may have in their lives—scary situations they need God to help them overcome.

Your kids could be facing difficult situations—a neighborhood bully, a difficult subject in school, a death in the family. Comment that David displayed an amazing amount of faith and confidence in God. He believed that God would protect him against the attacks of Goliath. Let the children in your group know that just as God helped David defeat Goliath, God can help them overcome challenging times in their own lives.

Distribute index cards and markers to the children. Ask them to write down or draw one or two situations that are going on in their lives for which they would like to ask God to give them the faith and courage to overcome. If the children feel comfortable, ask them to find a partner to share one or two of the items they have written down or drawn.

Tip

Note that we’ve included a Psalms Challenge in each Storymark for this unit. Explain that David is the author of many psalms. By reading them, we can find out a lot about David and his relationship with God, and we can discover many things about God too. Encourage them to take the challenge each week!

After giving them a few minutes to share, gather everyone together to pray as a group about the “giants” in their lives. Ask God to give them strength and confidence to trust God’s power and might.

You may want to conclude by playing the song “You Never Let Go” again for the group, so that they leave with those words in their hearts.

Distribute today’s Storymark and encourage them to use them to mark the place where they can find today’s story—1 Samuel 17—in their Bibles. Challenge them to do some of the activities on the Storymark during the coming week.

Also urge kids to hunt for today’s story symbol in the God’s Big Story card set they have at home and do some of the activities with their families.

Easy Extras

1. Bible Reading

  • word smart
  • ​​people smart
Time
5-10 minutes
Materials
  • children’s version of the Bible, such as NIrV or the International Children’s Bible

Additional activity for Step 2: Entering the Story.

After reading the “David and Goliath” rap, read the story in more detail from 1 Samuel 17. Talk about new insights from the story.

2. Power Posters

  • picture smart
  • self smart
  • ​​people smart
Time
10-15 minutes
Materials
  • newsprint or posterboard

  • markers

Option to Step 3: Living into the Story.

Divide kids into small groups and give them a chance to discuss the story together. Encourage them to respond to questions like these (which you may want to print on newsprint or board):

  • What surprised you most about the story?
  • What details did you learn that you didn’t know before?
  • What would you have done if you were in David’s shoes?
  • How might David in today’s story be a “man after God’s own heart”?

After they have had a chance to discuss these questions in groups, give each group a sheet of newsprint or posterboard to illustrate a scene from the story that describes God’s power. Then invite each group to share what they have drawn.

3. Hear It Here News

  • picture smart
  • self smart
  • ​​people smart
Time
10-15 minutes
Materials
  • interview cards printable page (2 copies)

  • curling iron for microphone

Option to Step 3: Living into the Story.

Ahead of time, make two copies of the interview cards. Cut them apart so that you have one set of cards for the interviewer and one set for each team to draw one card.

Explain to the group that they will be presenting a “live” newscast of today’s story. Divide the children into four teams, and have them draw one of the cards. Each team will play one of the following roles:

Philistine soldiers

Israelite soldiers

Saul’s servants

David’s brothers

Tip

If you have a small group, a team can be one person, and one person can take more than one team card. Or you can choose to interview only two of the groups.

You’ll probably want to prepare to be the interviewer yourself. (Or ask a young adult or teen from your church to fill that role—be sure to give your volunteer a copy of the questions ahead of time.)

Allow a few minutes for the teams to get into their roles and discuss the questions. Then open the newscast (or have your guest reporter do so) along these lines:

Welcome to “Hear It Here News.” I’m [name], and I’m standing on the site of the recent battle between the Philistines and Israelites. I’m about to grab a few Philistine soldiers before they all disappear.

The reporter asks the Philistine soldiers questions and then moves on to the next guests, adding a line or two to explain who is about to be interviewed next. End by saying something like this: Folks, that’s the latest from the Valley of Elah here in Israel. This has been “Hear It Here” with [name].

After the newscast, invite the group to think about some of the following:

  • Imagine that David’s father Jesse was listening to this newscast. What would he have thought about David? About God?
  • If you had been a Philistine soldier, would you have been afraid of the boy David? Of David’s God?

4. Journals

  • self smart
  • word smart
Time
5-10 minutes
Materials
  • journals

  • pencils

You may choose to provide children with journals in which they can draw or write down their questions, ideas, and prayers to God. If you choose this option, try to save some time each week—or at least every other week, for journal writing. Encourage the children to write down their thoughts, feelings, and questions about what happened during the story. Start out with the following journal questions:

  • Have you ever been in a situation when you needed to trust God to help you? What happened?
  • Do you worry that you might not have faith during frightening or difficult situations? How can you ask God to help you?

5. Memory Challenge

  • music smart
  • word smart
Time
5 minutes
Materials
  • DwellSongs CD and player

  • Memory Challenge cards printable page

Play “Create in Me a Clean Heart” for the group. Then distribute the Memory Challenge cards. Tell the group they can learn the Memory Challenge either through the words or the music. If they’d like to download the song to play at home, direct them to DwellCurriculum.org.