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1 Samuel 3:1-10

SUMMARY:

Samuel was one of the great prophets of God, sharing the words of God with others. But when he was young, he relied on the priest Eli to teach him and help him learn to understand God’s word and his voice. We can reach out to wise men and women and ask for their help in understanding the Bible.

Object Lesson:

ITEMS NEEDED:

A phone with a social media app

Begin this lesson by pulling up one of your regular social media apps. Show the kids how many followers you have and how many people you follow. Tell them about a few people you follow, preferably people you look up to as leaders.

If we want to grow as believers, we need to get behind people who have walked the path we are walking. God has given us parents, teachers, coaches, and pastors who know what it’s like to be a kid, to struggle with questions of faith, and just handle the ups and downs of life. God has placed leaders in each one of our lives, and if we follow them, we can understand God’s Word much better than we ever could on our own.

Ultimately, God wants us to follow His lead. He’s given us spiritual leaders who are already following to help us get on the right track. Let’s thank God for the spiritual leaders in our lives, and let’s become good students and followers so we can learn more about our Lord.

HANGING OUT:

Make this week’s lesson real:
Share with your kids some adults who helped you to learn about God when you were little. How did those people have an affect on you?

CRAFT:

Have the kids write a thank you note or draw a picture as a thank you gift for someone who has taught them about God.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE:

LETS MOVE:

Proverbs 4 and Matthew 7

Lesson Snapshot

BOTTOM LINE:

It’s okay to ask questions about the Bible.

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn that studying the Bible is about asking questions and seeking answers.

KEY PASSAGE:

Proverbs 4:1-7, Get Wisdom & Matthew 7:7-12, Ask, Seek, Knock

SUMMARY:

Sometimes when we read the Bible, we have questions. Did that really happen? Why did that person do that? What does that verse mean? We should not be afraid of questions. Asking questions – to God, to teachers, to parents and to ourselves – will help us grow in our knowledge of the Bible.

Memory Verse

“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word” Psalm 119:15-16 (NLT)

Time to Move

I don’t usually start this out with a memory verse but I loved ours today.

I will think about your precepts
    and examine all your paths.
¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget what you have said.

Lesson Snapshot

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn that God’s word should be a part of every day life.

KEY PASSAGE:

Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Love the Lord

SUMMARY:

God’s word is not supposed to be something we just learn about at church once a week. It is meant to be a part of our everyday lives: something we study, something we talk about with others, something that we think about and try to live out every day.

A Song to Live By

Object Lesson

ITEMS NEEDED:

A wristwatch

Do you see this watch ticking away? Every detective knows that the clock never stops ticking on crime. The school day ends for you at a certain time. The work day for most of your parents does too. But detectives know that they can be on call any time of any day. In fact, the moment a crime is discovered, the clock is already ticking for them. Detectives are always on the case, and the sooner they can get to the scene, gather evidence, and look for clues, the better chance they have of cracking the case.

Church begins and ends at a certain time every Sunday, but our time with God should last all week. God is there for us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so why should we be satisfied with a few hours on Sunday? Like true detectives, true Christians are always working out their faith. Sunday through Saturday, day and night, we can grow our faith by studying God’s Word and praying to Him every chance we get.

This watch will keep ticking every day of the week. Let’s keep our faith growing every day as well.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

ICEBREAKER:

What is the best book you ever read?

MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 119:15-16
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.

SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:

Have each of the kids pair up, introduce themselves to someone new, and share three interesting facts about themselves with that person.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Why does Moses want the people to remember God’s Word?

How can the Bible help us in our daily lives?

How many of you are already reading your Bible more than one day a week?

Why is it important to read the Bible every day?

How many of you will try reading your Bibles every day this week?

Judges 7:1-22, Gideon Defeats the Midianites

Lesson Snapshot

BOTTOM LINE:

God wants us to follow Him!

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn that when we follow God’s instructions we will succeed.

KEY PASSAGE:

Judges 7:1-22, Gideon Defeats the Midianites

MEMORY VERSE:

“The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NIrV)

SUMMARY:

In the Old West, when a criminal was on the loose, the sheriff would round up a posse of the strongest and bravest men to go after him. When Gideon went up against the Midianites, God gave him some strange instructions on who would be in his posse. When the small band of 300 Israelites defeated the Midianites, it displayed God’s power for all to see.

Object Lesson

ITEMS NEEDED:

A preschool toy used to teach children to fit the correct shapes in correct holes

How many of you remember playing with a toy like this as a small child? At your age, I’m sure this looks like a pretty boring toy, but this was one of the most educational toys you ever played with. Watch a baby with a toy like this, and you’ll be amazed at how hard they will try to put the wrong shapes in the wrong holes. It’s only when they learn to match the square to the square, the triangle to the triangle, that they learn an important lesson. If you want things to work right, you have to put the proper pieces in the proper place.

When we resist God’s will, we are like an infant trying to jam a square into a rounded hole, but when we commit ourselves to obeying God, the pieces will fall in place. God wants us to not only learn His Word but obey His Word. When we are obedient to God and follow Him, we will always succeed.

Are you trying to force something on your own? It’s time to stop riding your own trail and follow God.

Sing/Dance & Shout