Added on 14 Oct 2009
Aim
Help children be aware outside appearance can be deceptive
Welcome
I have brought you a treat: some cake to try!
(Have prepared a biggish cake, luscious outside decoration, but inside very hard; also a smaller plainer cake but soft and tasty!); 2 tea-knives for cutting… displayed at front of room
2 children invited to try each cake, hard one first.
Point out what looks best is not always the best.
Remind children of Samuel, a young boy who God spoke to. Later when he grew up he was a man of God, a prophet. Now we meet another boy in Bible, David.
Choosing David
Adapted from 'Palm Tree Bible' and 'Lion Storyteller Bible'
There was a king of the Israelites called Saul. God helped Saul and the people when they fought battles. But then Saul stopped listening to God and did not do what God asked.
He was no longer God's friend.
So God looked for someone else to be king instead of Saul. Someone who would obey him and be his friend.
God told Samuel to go to Bethlehem and call the family of a man called Jesse. Jesse came with seven of his sons, big, strong young men. But… "Haven't you got another son?" Samuel asked Jesse.
"Well yes," said Jesse, "there's little David. But he's so young, we left him to look after the sheep."
"Send for him!" Samuel said. And when David joined them, God told Samuel that this was one he had chosen. David was very special and one day he would be King.
David and Goliath
Later King Saul and his people were attacked again. So Saul got his army together, to go and fight. David's big brothers went to fight as well.
But David was too young, he was left at home to look after the sheep.
This time Saul's enemies had someone special to fight for them. He was huge, like a giant! His name was Goliath.
Goliath was big. He had big armour. A big shield. A big sword. And a big voice.
He bellowed: "I am Goliath! I am the Champion! I dare you to come and fight with me!"
Day after day he stood and shouted like this from a hilltop. And no-one went to fight him because they were too scared. Days and weeks went by.
One day young David's dad sent him to take some food to his brothers in the army.
When he got there he heard Goliath shouting: "I am Goliath! I am the Champion! I dare you to come and fight with me!"
David was a bit angry. "Who does that giant think he is?" David said. "Doesn't he know that with God's help, even I could defeat that great big man?"
David's brothers laughed at him, but off he went to see the King. "But you are so little," said the King, "and he is so big. Goliath could blow you over!"
"I look after the sheep" said David. "A lion is big, and so is a bear. But when they came to attack my sheep, God gave me strength to see them off. He will help me against Goliath as well."
So David picked up his shepherd's staff and chose five small smooth round stones. Then he went to meet Goliath.
When Goliath saw the small boy sent to fight him he began to laugh and laugh, a big laugh.
But David said: "Laugh at me if you like, but do not laugh at God!"
Goliath took a big step. David took two small steps.
Then he took one of his stones and threw it at Goliath. It hit Goliath bang on his forehead! Before he could laugh again, THUD , he fell to the ground.
David's side cheered 'hooray!'
Reflection
This story shows us how God protects those who believe in him and trust him. God takes care of them. Later on David became King instead of Saul.