During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.
1 Samuel 17:36–37
When David was a shepherd, lions and bears attacked his flock. With God’s help, David struck and killed these dangerous animals. David grew in confidence as he learned more about who God is and the skills God had given him. He learned that he could rely on God because God had helped him to overcome his difficulties in the past.
Think about things you have overcome in your life. How did God help you? Which of your skills grew during that time? Let those things build your confidence. Now think of a difficulty you face or may face in the future. How can your confidence in God and in your skills give you confidence to face what is ahead? Pray and expect God to grow your confidence in Him and in who He has made you to be!
Let the children’s families know the children will be learning that God uses their past experiences to make them more confident. Encourage family members to share stories with each other of how past difficulties have made them stronger.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet your children with a high five. Try to tell each child something positive. Hearing positive things about herself can increase a child’s confidence.
Have your children stand in 2 lines, facing each other, about 1½ meters apart. Ask 2 volunteers to walk down the pathway created by the rest of the children. Tell the children in the lines to use their body parts to create obstacles. For example, a child could hold her arm out in front of her. Another child could stick his leg out. The children must not push or shove the volunteers.
The 2 volunteers will walk down the pathway, one immediately following the other. The first volunteer will have to decide how to get around each obstacle. The second volunteer should do what the first volunteer did. Repeat the game with 2 different volunteers. Tell the children in the lines to make different obstacles the second time.
We have been learning about confidence. What did this game teach you about confidence?
David was Israel’s greatest king. But David had many difficulties to overcome before he became king. Today we will talk about how he overcame some of these difficulties and how these experiences helped him to grow in confidence in himself and in God.
When David was young, he cared for his father’s sheep. He spent a lot of time alone in the fields with the sheep. He had to protect the flock from wild animals. The Bible tells us that he even killed a lion and a bear.
Optional: If possible, share the image from The Action Bible.
How do you think David’s confidence in himself grew because of this obstacle?
If the children do not mention it, help them see that David learned that he had the strength and skills he needed to protect the sheep.
How do you think David’s confidence in God grew because of this obstacle?
Guide the children to understand that David learned that God was with him and had confidence that God would protect him.
David faced another difficult situation while he was still a young man. Do you remember when we learned about David killing the giant? David was a young shepherd, and he told King Saul that he would fight the huge warrior who was 3 meters tall! King Saul did not think that young David could do this because all of his other soldiers were afraid of the giant. Instead of being afraid, David said an amazing thing to the king.
If possible, read 1 Samuel 17:36–37 from your Bible. The verses are also printed here:
Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
1 Samuel 17:36–37
Who remembers what happened?
David killed Goliath with a stone and a slingshot.
How do you think David’s confidence in himself grew because of this obstacle?
If the children do not mention it, help them see that David remembered the skills he had learned as a shepherd, and he had confidence he could use those skills to overcome this new obstacle.
How do you think David’s confidence in God grew because of this obstacle?
Guide the students to understand that David had confidence that God had helped him protect the sheep, and he was confident that God would help him again.
After this, David became a great warrior. He was known throughout the land. He fought and won many battles. One day, David and his soldiers returned to their homes only to find that an enemy had attacked their town and burned it. David’s family was taken captive along with the families of all of his men. David and his men wept in grief. Then the men threatened to kill David because of what had happened to their families. The Bible tells us how David responded to this difficulty:
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
1 Samuel 30:6
David and his men followed the enemy until they found their camp. The enemy soldiers were celebrating their victory. David and his men killed the enemy soldiers and took back their wives and families. None of them had been killed!
How do you think David’s confidence in himself grew because of these difficulties?
If the children do not mention it, help them see that David used the skills he had learned over the years to become a mighty warrior.
How do you think David’s confidence in God grew because of these difficulties?
Guide the students to understand that David had confidence that God would help him to face all of his difficulties because God had helped him in the past.
It was not long after this last story that David became the king of Israel. He was the greatest king that country ever had. David was a great king because he had confidence in God and in the skills God had given him. Like David, we can have true confidence when we remember who God is, what He has done in the past, and how our experiences have helped to improve our skills.
What difficulties did David face in his life?
If the children do not mention all of these, remind them of the wild animals, the giant warrior, many battles, and losing his family.
What did David learn from these difficulties?
Be sure that the children mention that David’s confidence in his skills grew and his confidence in God grew.
Do you think that David was a better king because of these difficulties in his life?
Allow the children to respond.
God can use all of your experiences to prepare you for the hopeful future He has planned for you. You can have confidence that He has given you the skills and abilities to face any difficulty in your life. You can also have confidence that He will be with you always.
David was a mighty warrior, but God is the mightiest of warriors. God was with David in all of his difficulties. This gave David confidence. David knew he would succeed with God on his side.
Just like David, you can have confidence in your skills because God gave them to you and wants you to use them. You can also have confidence that God is with you always.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, there is space for children to draw their skills and how they can use them in the future.
Close class by praying this blessing from 1 Samuel 30:6 over your children:
Blessing: May you find your strength in the Lord and have confidence to know that He has given you skills to overcome your difficulties.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible. (soft return here)
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
