David Sunday School Lesson
Use this David Sunday School Lesson in your Children's Ministry this year to help teach kids that God has a plan for their life. If you're looking for more Sunday School lessons on the life of David to use in Kids Church, check out our Crayons 12 Week Children's Ministry Curriculum. These 12 lessons use a different crayon color each week to remind kids of a story from the life of David. David was a great king who also made some big mistakes. Use this completely FREE Sunday School lesson in your Kid's Church or Children's Ministry this year, to teach kids that God had a purpose and plan for David even when he was just a child! And, if you like this lesson we have over 100 more free Sunday School Lessons for Kids!
David Sunday School Lesson For Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
God has plans for us, even when we are young.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that God has a plan for them.
KEY PASSAGE:
1 Samuel 16:1-13, Samuel Anoints David
MEMORY VERSE:
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.” Psalm 103:11 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
Purple was long considered the color of royalty. Kids will learn that, even at a young age, God had set aside the shepherd boy David to have a royal future.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for the plans you have for our lives.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE:
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.” Psalm 103:11 (NIV)
“He loves those who have respect for him. His love is as high as the heavens are above the earth.” Psalm 103:11 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Put the verse on the big screen and read it aloud with the kids.
SMALL GROUP:
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.
SKIT:
THE PURPLE KID
ITEMS NEEDED:
Table, chairs, paper, crayons
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
1M/1F
CHARACTERS:
Ben and Trisha - Kids
Ben and Trisha are sitting at a table, coloring.
BEN: Hey, Trisha, can I borrow a crayon?
TRISHA: Sure. Which color do you need? Black? Blue? Green?
BEN: Purple.
TRISHA: What?
BEN: I need the purple.
TRISHA: Say that again?
BEN: I need the purple!
TRISHA: You want the purple?
BEN: Yes.
Trisha giggles.
BEN: What’s so funny?
TRISHA: Sorry, I just… purple? You want purple?
BEN: Yes!
TRISHA: Purple’s a girl color! It’s the color for unicorns and pixies and magical creatures.
BEN: It’s not just for girls!
TRISHA: What kind of boy wears purple?
BEN: A king does!
TRISHA: What?
Ben takes the purple crayon and starts to color.
BEN: Sure! Purple has always been a sign of royalty. Purple was a hard color to make, and very expensive. So kings loved to wear purple to show how rich they were.
TRISHA: So you’re coloring a king?
BEN: Not just a king. The greatest king in the Old Testament, David!
TRISHA: Was he rich?
BEN: Rich and powerful. He united the whole kingdom of Israel. He fought off many of Israel’s worst enemies, built a great palace. He even killed a giant!
TRISHA: Wow.
BEN: King David was a man who loved God. God used him to do great things.
TRISHA: Huh. Well, if King David was that great, I guess he can wear whatever color he wants.
BEN: You bet he can. And since I’m the one coloring him, he’s going to wear purple!
Ben shows Trisha the drawing.
TRISHA: Wait, that’s him? That’s King David?
BEN: What do you think?
TRISHA: Hey, he’s only a boy!
BEN: He may be only a boy now, but God’s got big plans for him, just like He does for you and me.
OBJECT LESSON
ITEM NEEDED:
Purple crayon
How many of you would consider purple to be your favorite color?
What kinds of things have you colored purple?
Purple is one of the brightest colors in the crayon box, but it’s not a very common color out in the real world. You don’t see politicians or business people wearing purple very often. You don’t see too many sports teams wearing purple either. It’s a very select group of people who like to wear the color purple.
Purple was always a favorite color of kings. Purple linen was very difficult to make in the ancient world, and that made it expensive. Purple stands out in a crowd, and if you could wear purple, it meant you were a very rich, very important person.
David was just a boy when God anointed him king. The world saw a child, but God saw someone worthy to dress in purple. You may just be kids in the eyes of the world right now, but God sees something special in each one of you. You may not be kings and queens, but if you trust your heart to God the way David did, He will do great things through your lives.
LARGE GROUP GAME
STAND ‘EM UP
ITEMS NEEDED:
A box of 24 crayons
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose one player for this game. The player must open a box of twenty-four crayons and stand all twenty-four on their flat end on a table. The player has sixty seconds to get all twenty-four crayons standing up. If he is able to complete the challenge in time, he wins a prize.
VARIATION:
Use a box of 12 for younger kids.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
God chose David to “stand up” and become king of Israel, even though he was just a boy.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
God has plans for us, even when we are young.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that God has a plan for them.
KEY PASSAGE:
1 Samuel 16:1-13, Samuel Anoints David
INTRO:
If you haven’t noticed, we’re starting a very colorful series this week. For the next twelve weeks, we’re going to be talking about the kind of colors you can find in a crayon box, and all of those colors have to do with just one man.
The Bible is full of colorful characters, just like a crayon box. Some of them only appear for a chapter or two, like Gideon and Barak and Boaz. Some have stories that stretch on for many chapters, like Joseph, Abraham, and Moses. Some have entire books dedicated to them, like Ruth, Jonah, and Nehemiah.
But there’s one fellow in the Old Testament who had a very colorful life. His story stretches on not for one book, but two, and a third book, Psalms, is filled with his own writings. His life had an impact on Israel for centuries to come. His sons and grandsons would become kings, and one of his descendants would become the earthly father of Jesus.
David had ups and downs in his life. He had sunny days and gray days. As we look at David’s life, we’re going to see just how colorful life can be when we place our trust in God.
David’s adventure begins with the color purple. It’s a strange place to start, because when we first meet David, he’s just a boy tending sheep for his father. Shepherds didn’t wear the color purple, but kings did, and God had a very big plan in mind for young David.
READ 1 SAMUEL 16:1-13
MAIN POINT:
The people of Israel had asked God for a king, and God had chosen a man who turned out to be a disappointment. Israel was God’s country. The people were God’s chosen people, and the man who led Israel needed to be a man after God’s own heart.
God knew that he needed to choose someone new, to start over. God sent his prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king. Jesse and Samuel both assumed this new king would be one of the older sons. He would be tall and strong and handsome, just like Saul. But God looked at the heart of Jesse’s sons, and he chose David.
David was just a boy. He had done nothing to show he was someone special. He hadn’t even faced off with a certain giant yet. But God knew David was the one to wear purple. He had a plan for David, and the same God has a plan for each one of you.
DRIVE IT HOME:
Does that surprise you? Have you ever thought about what God might have planned for you? It’s okay if you haven’t. You’re probably used to hearing things like, “Wait til you get older,” and, “When you grow up.” Adults don’t often see the potential in children that’s really there, but the God who made us knows exactly what’s in our hearts. He has plans for every one of us, a plan that only you can fulfill.
Now here’s the real surprise. That plan may not begin when you graduate college. It might happen sooner. It might even begin right now while you’re just kids. God isn’t limited by age or education or maturity. God can inspire kids to do great things, the same as he can adults, and he can use us to point other people to Jesus.
David is just one example of someone young whom God called to a special purpose. God told young Joseph that he would save his family. God told Samson’s and John the Baptist’s parents that their sons would be special before they were even born. God’s been planning for you just as long. The only question is, will you be ready to obey and follow Him?
David could have ignored Samuel. Saul did, and it cost him his throne. But David was a man after God’s own heart, and he led a colorful life that honored God and grew His kingdom. As we start this series, I hope that all of you will commit your hearts to Jesus so you can see just how amazing God’s plans can be.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for the plans you have for our lives.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER:
What is one thing you would color purple?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 103:11
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 all the kids write their favorite purple thing on a card. Collect the cards, shuffle them, and hand them out. Give the kids one minute to find the person who has their card.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Who was Samuel?
Why did Samuel go to Jesse’s house?
At first, which son did Samuel think God wanted to be king?
Which son did God choose?
Why did God choose David?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Show us your will for our lives so that we can serve you like David did.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER:
What is one thing you would color purple?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 103:11
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 all the kids write their favorite purple thing on a card. Collect the cards, shuffle them, and hand them out. Give the kids one minute to find the person who has their card.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Why did Samuel go to Jesse’s house?
At first, which son did Samuel think God wanted to be king?
Why did God choose David?
Can God use kids your age to do great things?
How can we prepare ourselves to serve God?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Show us your will for our lives so that we can serve you as David did.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this David Sunday School Lesson (just click the link).