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.
Before class, cut or tear out the 4 truths and Bible verses printed at the end of the lesson. Set them aside to use during the Responding time.
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
John 10:2–4
God created you to know your Shepherd so well that you only listen to His voice. But we have an enemy who is a liar. He lies to us about who we are and about what God thinks of us. He uses people and circumstances to whisper his lies into our hearts. Pause for a moment and think of a lie the enemy has told you about who you are.
Now write or say aloud a truth from God’s Word that opposes the lie you have heard about yourself. For example, if you have thought or heard that you are insignificant, remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Each day this week ask God to help you recognize the enemy’s lies. Ask God to speak His truth to you. Ask Him to open your ears so that you only hear His voice and His truth.
Let the families know that their children are learning about what God says about them. Encourage them to practice saying true words to each other. An easy way to start is with a “Positive Word Time.” Family members take turns sharing positive things about each other.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet children warmly as they arrive. Designate one side of your space “True” and the other side
“False.” Explain to the children that you will read 3 statements about how God views them. If they think the statement is true, they should stand on the “True” side of your space. If they think it is false, they should stand on the “False” side. Give the children time to move after each statement. Then share the correct answer.
Have the children sit down.
Today you will hear a Bible story about a little boy who believed lies about himself. His view of himself was very different from God’s view of him.
If possible, on a large paper or the board, write the name “Mephibosheth.”’ If you are not able to write it out, spell out the name for the children. Have them take turns trying to pronounce his name. Expect some giggles as the children struggle to say this difficult name. After several of them have tried, pronounce it for them: muh-FIB-uh-sheth. Have them repeat it after you 3 times.
Read or tell this story to your children.
Mephibosheth was a prince. His grandfather was Saul, the very first king of Israel. Everyone thought that his father, Jonathan, would be the next king. As a little boy, Mephibosheth may have dreamed about being king himself one day. But all that changed on one terrible day.
Mephibosheth was only 5 on that dreadful day. His nurse heard that his father and grandfather had been killed in battle. She wanted to protect him, so she grabbed Mephibosheth and started running. In her hurry, she dropped the young boy. He fell and was hurt. In fact, his feet were hurt so badly that he was disabled and could never walk again.
Mephibosheth’s life was changed completely. His grandfather and father were dead. He was a crippled orphan. He was no longer a prince. Now everyone considered him an outcast because of his physical disability.
A man named Makir welcomed Mephibosheth into his home, and he grew up in that house. The Bible does not tell us what Mephibosheth was thinking or feeling, but we can imagine what we would feel in these circumstances. Even though he was safe, he probably was not very happy. As he grew, painful thoughts may have bothered him.
Have 2–3 children share their ideas.
He may have wondered, “Will I have any friends? Will I still have a place to live? Will I become a beggar? Is there any work a disabled person can do?”
In God’s eyes, Mephibosheth was very valuable! He was still very special and much-loved. But Mephibosheth probably did not see it that way. Perhaps the people around him looked down on him or made fun of him. It is hard being an orphan. And even harder if you are an orphan with a disability. But God took care of him.
In the meantime, David had become the new king over Israel. King David and Mephibosheth’s father, Jonathan, had been best friends. David cried hard the day Jonathan died, the day Mephibosheth was crippled and orphaned. King David missed his best friend very much.
One day, King David was thinking about Jonathan and Saul. He called for a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba.
“Is there anyone left in Saul’s household to whom I can show God’s kindness?” David asked Ziba.
“There is still a son of Jonathan. He is crippled in both feet,” Ziba replied.
“Bring him to me!” David commanded.
Mephibosheth was brought before King David. The Bible does not tell us, but he may have been scared. As he bowed low before the king, he may have thought, “What does he want with me? I do not belong here.”
To his surprise, David was reassuring. “Do not be afraid,” he said. “I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
What amazing news! What incredible favour! Was the king giving him all the land that his grandfather had owned? That was a lot of land! Mephibosheth would be rich! He would never have to worry about working again. He would eat all his meals at the king’s table. What an honor!
But those were not the first thoughts that went through Mephibosheth’s mind. Quite the opposite, in fact! Listen to his response to King David:
What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?
2 Samuel 9:8
King David paid no attention to those words. He loved his best friend’s son and knew that God also loved him very much.
King David told the servant Ziba that he was restoring all of Saul’s land to his grandson. Ziba was to farm the land for Mephibosheth for the rest of his life. He also declared that Mephibosheth would always eat at the king’s table. And that is exactly what happened. From that day on, the disabled orphan lived like a true prince again.
Encourage the children to talk about the story.
The day he was injured and the day he was brought into King David’s house.
Read the following or say it in your own words.
When we have had painful experiences, our enemy, the devil, sometimes tries to use those experiences to make us believe lies about ourselves. We might believe lies like these: “I have no worth. I am hopeless. My future is cursed. I cannot do anything right. No one loves me, not even God.” This is similar to when Mephibosheth thought he was like a dead dog.
But God did not want Mephibosheth to believe those lies. And He does not want you to believe lies about yourself, either. God will help you experience the truth of what He feels about you if you allow Him.
Some of you may believe lies about yourselves. Actually, most people do. But God wants us to know the truth. He will tell the truth to us through listening prayer, if we ask Him to. Here is how to do this.
Now tell Him that you see that you have believed lies about yourself. Tell Him you are sorry and do not want to believe them anymore.
Lead the children in pretending to destroy the lies they have believed. Have them stand and imagine they are holding their lie in their hand. They can pretend to crush it in their hand, tear it up, or throw it to the ground and stomp on it.
The best way to stop believing lies about yourself is to replace them with God’s truth. I will read 4 Bible truths about who God says you are. I will place each in a different area of the room. After I have read all 4, ask God which truth He most wants you to believe. Then go to that area.
Read the 4 Truths to the children and place each one in a different area of your space. These 4 truths are also printed at the end of the lesson so you can cut or tear them apart.
Read Romans 5:8 from your Bible.
Show the Memory Verse poster if you are using it.
Truth 1: I am loved.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Truth 2: I am valuable.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:13–14
Truth 3: I have a special purpose.
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
Truth 4: I am not alone. God will always be with me.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Give the children time to go the areas they choose. Then the group in each area can pray together for God to help them believe that truth.
Try to memorize the Bible verse so it can help you when you hear the lies. You can create motions for every word or phrase in the verse. Or you can sing the words of the verse.
Optional: If you are using Student Pages, the 4 truths and Bible verses are printed on them for children to read, choose, and memorize.
Give children about 5 minutes to memorize their truth verses. Then close class by speaking this blessing over the children:
Blessing: May you listen to God’s words and believe what He says about you: You are loved. You are valuable. You are not alone. You have a special purpose.
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.
