CHILDREN & YOUTH
This idea uses the story of David and Goliath and can be adapted to suit different age groups from 3-16 years.
OBJECTIVES:
· Help them understand that God loves them and has a purpose for their lives
· Show them that God works through children as well as adults
· Point out that there are times when only a child can accomplish God’s will
· Lead them to an understanding that no problem is too big for God
BIBLE READING: 1 SAMUEL 17:22-50
Read the whole passage and use verse 45 as the key verse:
“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’ “
[NIV]
1. Introduce
Hold up a stone to the group. Ask them what it is and what it could be used for. Then tell the story of the day when a little stone and a young boy made a HUGE difference – the story of David and Goliath.
2. Bible
The Bible says that David was a young teenager when he took on the nearly ten-foot-tall Goliath. Goliath was feared and famous throughout David’s region and had never lost a battle until the day David defeated him.
3. Read the story in 1 Samuel 17
4. Discuss
Ask the group how they would have felt if they were David. Why was no-one else brave enough to fight Goliath and why do they think David stepped up?
The story of David and Goliath shows how a boy stood up to a giant that was used to getting his own way. It tells us that no matter how small we are, no matter how big our problems might be, God can help us.
• Ask: What big problems do people face around the world?
• Talk about people who may not have enough to eat or may be sick, lonely or frightened.
• Explain how these problems are like Goliath.
• Talk about how God can help these people, just like He helped David to
beat Goliath.
5. Use one of these activities to illustrate the story:
Paint a stone. After your talk, invite everyone to paint a stone. When it is dry, they can take it home as a reminder of how God uses small things to solve big problems.
Make a prayer wall. Get a big piece of card or paper and ask the group to each draw a picture of a stone. Then cut them out and ask them each
to write a prayer on their stone. Put up all the paper stones to make a wall.
Thank God that we can be used by Him for His glory,
just like David was.