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 and Student Page, 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.
Before class, think of several jobs your children might have when they grow up. Jobs could include things such as: driver, parent, teacher, farmer, or shopkeeper. Use jobs familiar to your children.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
Sometimes we can enter into situations in which we feel so unprepared. We do not feel that we can do our job well. We do not know what to say to someone who is asking for our advice. In those moments, we need courage!
We can trust God that just as He had prepared David to fight Goliath by teaching him to fight a bear and a lion, He is also preparing us! In His Word He tells us that we are His handiwork—His creation! And He has prepared good things for us to do. If He prepared these things for us to do, we can trust that He will also give us the skills and experiences we need when the time comes. Have courage! He is with us!
Let the families of your students know that this is the last lesson about courage. Share with them that today’s lesson is about how God uses our skills and experiences to give us courage when we face something hard in the future. Encourage them to share how things that they learned as children have helped them as adults.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet your children with a high five clap when they come to class today. Your enthusiasm will create energy in the class. High energy means great learning!
Divide your class into small groups of 4 or 5. Give each group one of the jobs you thought of before class. Tell the groups to talk about their answers to each of the following questions. Pause for a minute or so for groups to talk about each question before you read the next one.
Give each group 2 minutes to share their job and some of their answers with the whole class. After all groups have shared, continue with the lesson.
Today we will learn that God can use the skills and experiences we have today to help give us courage for things we will face in the future—even our jobs!
We have already heard some things about King David’s life. If you remember something you have learned about David, raise your hand. When I point to you, tell us what you remember, but you can only use only 1 sentence.
Allow children to share. This should take no more than 5 minutes of class time. If children still have things to share, let them know they can share them with you after class.
Optional: If possible, share the images from The Action Bible. If you are using The Action Bible, you can have the children read this story on pages 276–281 rather than telling it to them.
Listen as I tell you a story about the time God used David to fight the mighty soldier Goliath. David used the things he experienced and the skills he developed as a boy to fight Goliath.
The armies of Israel and Philistia were facing each other across a valley. One army was lined up on a hill and the other army was lined up on the hill across from them. Each day Goliath, a giant soldier who was 3 meters tall, would come out and taunt the Israelite army.
Goliath would yell, “Why do you line up for battle? Send out 1 man to fight with me. If he wins, we will serve you. If I win, you will serve us. I dare you to send out a man to fight me.”
All the men in Israel’s army were frightened by this huge soldier. No one wanted to fight him. Goliath threatened the army every morning and evening for 40 days. The Israelite soldiers were terrified!
One day, David came to visit his brothers who were serving in King Saul’s army. He heard what Goliath said. He saw how all the Israelite soldiers ran from the giant in great fear. But David had the courage that God had built in him over the years. When David heard Goliath’s threats, he said that he would fight him! He said, “Who is this Philistine who would dare to taunt the armies of the living God?”
King Saul told David that he was too young and small to fight the giant when all the other soldiers were afraid. But listen to what David said to the king:
“Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 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 17:34–37
David went out to fight Goliath with only a sling and some stones. He had no armour. He had no sword. He fought with the things God had already trained him with when he fought a lion and a bear. David killed Goliath with the very first stone he slung at him.
He learned how to fight.
The Lord.
Through the experiences he had gone through.
God wants us to know Him so well that we can trust Him when we go through hard times or need courage. He is developing skills and experiences in us now that we can use in the future when we need courage!
Get back into the same groups you were in at the beginning of class. I want each of you to think of at least 1 skill and 1 experience you have had that you think may help you have courage in the future. Be sure that everyone in your group has time to share!
For example, “I am good at math but I also had to study hard for exams. God may use these things to give me courage to use my math skills and work hard in a future job.”
Or another example might be something like this: “I live with my aunt and uncle. My aunt yells at my cousins and me and sometimes beats us. When my cousin is hurt, I bandage her wounds. Because of this experience and the skill I have learned, in the future I may be able to be a nurse and care for others.”
Give the groups about 10 minutes to talk. Walk around and listen to the groups to be sure that every child has time to talk. After time is up, clap to get the children’s attention. Then call on several children to share with the whole group.
Remember that the biggest reason David had courage when he faced Goliath was because he trusted in the One True Living God. If you want to know more about this mighty God, you can ask Him. He will show Himself to you because He loves you!
Optional Supplies:
Pass out paper and pencils. Allow the children to write or draw the skills and experiences they think might help them have courage in the future. After they are done writing or drawing, then they can share them in the groups.
If you are using Student Pages, allow the children to do this activity on those. Then they can share them in the groups.
End of Optional
If you are a Christian, God tells us in the Bible that He has a purpose for our lives. Listen to this verse:
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
Right now you may not see how God is working in your circumstances. But He is! He is preparing you for all He has planned. You can have courage that your life has purpose in Him!
Close class with this blessing based on Ephesians 2:10.
Blessing: You can have courage because God has created you with purpose! May you be filled with courage to know that He is preparing you to do things He has planned for you!
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
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.
