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from shepherd to king
Bible Basis: 1 Samuel 17:1–50
Bible Verse: I am coming against you in the name of the Lord who rules over all. —1 Samuel 17:45
Bible Point: God helped David be brave. God can make me brave, too.
Resource: The Story for Little Ones, Chapter 11, “From Shepherd to King”
Unifying Element/Review
Stuff You Need: The Story Cards lessons 7, 8, 9, and 10
Go over each cards’ lesson to remind children of what they have studied over the last few weeks.
Point to the lesson 7 and say, God sent help for his people. God sends me to help [others], too.
Have students repeat the last half of the Bible point with you. Do the same for lessons 8, 9, and 10.
Lesson 8: God helps those who turn to him. I can depend on God. Lesson 9: Boaz and Ruth were
kind to others. I please God when I am kind. Lesson: 10: God answered Hannah’s prayer. God
hears me pray, too.
Step 1: Come Together
Stuff You Need: five rocks for each child in your classroom
Set all the rocks on the floor at the front of the classroom. Say, Choose five rocks. Five rocks equal
one rock for each finger on one of your hands. When you have your five rocks, take them with
you and sit down. Let students choose their rocks. Then ask:
• What made you choose one rock over another?
• Show us your best rock and tell us why it’s your best rock.
Then put the rocks to the side so children can take them home. Say, You chose your rocks for your
own reasons. Today’s Bible story is about a young man who also chose five rocks, one for each
finger of one hand. God used him and those five rocks to do a very brave thing.
Step 2: Hear the Story
Present the following Bible story.
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David and the Giant
Have the class repeat this line with you every time you see an asterisk (*), “David trusted God. God
made David brave.” Repeat.
“Goodbye, Father!” David called. David left his father’s house. He left his father’s sheep. He left
his job of taking care of his father’s sheep. He left to go on a journey by himself.
Going on a journey by yourself can be scary. Why wasn’t David scared? (*)
“Goodbye,” his father said. “Tell your brothers I said hello.”
David was taking food to his brothers. They were in the king’s army. The army was made up
of God’s people. Perhaps large animals or other people would want the food that David was
bringing to his brothers. Why wasn’t David scared? (*)
When David reached the camp, he gave the army food and went to find his brothers. Just then,
a giant named Goliath appeared.
“Who will fight me?” the giant shouted.
No one answered him. The giant was big. The giant was mean. Why wasn’t David scared? (*)
“Who does that bully think he is?” David asked.
His older brothers became upset with him. Having people upset with you can be hard. Why
wasn’t David scared? (*)
“What have I done now?” David asked. “I just want to know who is going to fight the bully.”
When Saul heard this, he sent for David. Going to see someone who is rich and powerful can be
scary. Why wasn’t David scared? (*)
“Don’t worry,” David told the king. “I’ll fight the giant.”
“You are too young,” Saul said. Sometimes people will put you down because you’re young.
Why wasn’t David scared? (*)
“God saved me from a lion. God saved me from a bear. He can save me from a giant,” David said.
“OK,” said Saul. “May the Lord be with you.”
David was going to fight a giant. Why wasn’t David scared? (*)
David found five smooth stones. He put them in his bag. He held a sling.
The giant was angry.
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“I come in the name of the Lord,” David shouted. “The battle belongs to the Lord.” The giant
was ready to fight David. Why wasn’t David scared? (*)
David put a rock in his sling and threw it. The stone hit the giant in the forehead. The giant fell
to the ground. God made David brave. David did what God wanted. God made David king over
his people.
After the Bible story, ask:
• Why didn’t anyone want to fight the giant? (Everyone was scared of him.)
• Why wasn’t David scared? (David trusted God and God made him brave.)
Show the card for lesson 11. Point to it and say, God helped David be brave. God can make me
brave, too. Have children repeat the Bible point with you.
Say, Let’s ask God to help us be as brave as David. Pray with your students.
Step 3: Explore More
Choose one or all of these activity options to help your kids explore the lesson further.
Option 1: Food for an Army
Stuff You Need: flour tortilla, jam, grapes, plastic knife, napkins
Spread the jam on the tortillas and roll them. Give each child a rolled tortilla and a handful of grapes
on a napkin. Say, David brought food to his brothers. He had to walk a long way to get to his
brothers. He did not have a car or plane or train or bicycle. He was not able to put the food in a
cooler. Hold up a rolled tortilla. David could have brought flat bread to his brothers. Hold up the
grapes. David may have brought grapes to his brothers. Then ask:
• What other foods could David have taken to his brothers? (Help children understand that
prepackaged food, such as potato chips, were not available.)
Close by saying, God used David to bring food to David’s brothers. Then God helped David be
brave. God can make you brave, too.
Option 2: Godly Bravery
Help students memorize the Bible verse by acting it out:
I (point to yourself)
am coming (walk your fingers on your arm)
against (push a pretend wall in front of you)
you (point to someone else)
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in the name (for each word, touch fingers to your lips and then toward heaven)
of the Lord (point to the sky)
who rules (point your index finger as if you are telling people to do things)
over (put your hands over your head)
all (fling your arms in a wide arch)
1 (hold up one finger)
Samuel (hit your fist in your hand three times to the syllables)
17 (sway)
45 (stomp your feet twice)
Close by saying, God wants you to talk to him like David did. God can make you brave.
Option 3: How To Be Brave
Pass out a copy of the “How To Be Brave” handout to each child. As a group, talk about the things
that help make a person brave. List these characteristics and ideas on the board or chart paper. Read
through the list together, pointing at each word. Look at the handout. Have the children trace the
characteristic or idea in each of the five stones and color the stones. Help the children if necessary.
Option 4: I Am Brave
Pass out a copy of the “I Am Brave” handout to each student. Have some children share about times
when they had to be brave (a thunderstorm, a car accident, a sick parent). Remind them that in times
like those and many others it is important to pray to God and ask for bravery and strength. Have the
children draw and color a picture of a time they were brave. Share their stories and then have them
take the pictures home.
Option 5: Sheep’s face
Stuff you need: paper plates, glue, white cotton balls, black pipe cleaners for the sheep’s mouth,
large plastic eyes, pink and white felt
1.Give each student a paper plate.
2.Cover plate completely with glue.
3.Attach cotton balls. The whole plate will be the sheep’s face.
4.Glue on the eyes.
5.Cut pipe cleaners into 2-3 inch sections. Have students bend the edges up to create a “U” for the
sheep’s smile.
6.Using the pink and white felt, have students cut out a triangle out of the pink for the nose and cut
large oblong shapes for the ears. Attach the pieces.
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Step 4: Going Home
Before sending children home, give each a copy of The Story Card No. 11. Say, The front of this
card will remind you that God made David brave. Show your parents the back and tell them
that God can make you brave, too. Have them practice saying this before they leave.
As you are waiting for parents to pick up their children, go over each lesson again. Perhaps have
individual children try to say the Bible points for each week, have just the girls or just the boys say
different points, or time the class to see how fast they can say the points together.