David Defeats Goliath with God's Power: Sunday School Lesson

This is a continuation of the kids Bile lessons about Israel’s Kings. It is the second lesson about David. Click here to see the lesson index.
In this lesson we see David’s confident faith in God and how God uses him to fight and defeat Goliath.  Even though David has been anointed king he continues to faithfully serve as he waits for God’s timing to reign.  Many students who have been in church all of their lives probably have heard and know the story.  The aim of this lesson is to help students to apply the lessons learned from David’s battle with Goliath.  This free Sunday School lesson can be adapted for your ministry needs and even used in children’s church.

Bible Story: David Defeats Goliath with God’s Power
Scripture: 1 Samuel 17
Target Age Group: Age 9 – 11 (U.S. 3rd – 5th Grade)
Learning Context: Sunday School
Target Time Frame: 60 minutes
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Supply List: Bibles, Bible map, dress up clothes for drama, small stones, permanent markers or paint,
Learning Goal: Students will learn that believers have God’s power to face every difficulty.
Learning Indicator: Students will reenact the story to demonstrate their understanding of the lesson.
Learning Activity #1: After the Bible lesson choose students to play the different Bible characters and allow them to reenact the story.
Learning Activity #2: Students choose a small stone and decorate with paint (they can put a Bible reference on it) or permanent markers.  The stone is something they can keep in their pocket or a place that they will see regularly to remember that God’s power enabled David to defeat Goliath and His power will enable them to overcome difficulty as well.
Test: Review Questions
Memory Verse: 1 John 4:4: You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (NASB)
Explain the verse by discussing “them” (God’s enemies), “He” (God), and “he who is in the world” (the Devil).  Anything that comes against a believer is an enemy.  Whether it can be seen like a person who says unkind things or something that cannot be seen such as fear of failing a test, God is greater than any enemy.  If you have been saved you have God’s Holy Spirit living inside your heart and He is always with you.  You always have His power to overcome any difficulty you face.
A Song that can be used to teach this memory verse:  Greater is He that is in me.
Greater is He that is in me (Clap, Clap)
Greater is He that is in me (Clap, Clap)
Greater is He that is in me
Than he that is in the world.
(Repeat)

Bible Lesson:  David Defeats Goliath with God’s Power

(Give Bibles to students who need one.) Let’s turn in our Bibles to 1 Samuel 17.
Last time we were together we learned how the prophet Samuel had anointed David to be king over God’s people.   In our story today David knows he has been chosen to be king but it is not God’s time for him to be the king.  Saul is still the king of Israel and David spends some of his time with Saul and he spends the rest of his time back in Bethlehem tending his father’s sheep. (1 Samuel 17:15) Who remembers what David did for King Saul?  (He played music for him so the evil spirits would not torment him.)  David continued to be faithful to do whatever task he had been given to do until God told him it was time to be the king over His people.
While David was in his father’s field tending his sheep King Saul and his army was preparing for a battle against the Philistines.  (If you have a map show where they set up their camps with the valley dividing them)  Let’s read 1 Samuel 17:1-3.  The two armies are in position to fight.  If you can imagine how this battle scene looks, each army can see each other on the hill that they are camped on.  If one of the armies started to move down the hill into the valley the other army would see and could attack them as they went into the valley.  Each army sat still to see which army would make the first move.
The army of Israel got some entertainment from the Philistines every day.  Let’s see if it’s the kind of entertainment you would want each day.  Choose volunteers to read 1 Samuel 17:4-10.
Goliath was taunting Israel and challenging one person to fight him.  The loser of the fight would make their army becomes slaves to the winner of the fight.
No one wants to be a slave to a big angry giant.  Did you know that when we choose to sin against God and disobey we are slaves to our enemy the devil?  Romans 6:11-18.  God’s enemy taunts you to disobey God so you can be a slave to sin. The devil doesn’t like God and he does everything he can to hurt God.  If he can get God’s servants to sin against Him the devil knows it hurts God.  You don’t have be a slave to sin.  You can allow God to give you power to obey so you can be a servant who obeys a Righteous God.
When we went over our memory verse we discussed that if you are a believer you have God’s Holy Spirit living inside of you and He is greater than anything that comes against you.  King Saul and his army belonged to the Living God.  He was the One who fought their battles.  How do you think they should have felt when Goliath shouted his threats to them?  How did Saul and his army feel when Goliath taunted them?  Read 1 Samuel 17:11.
God’s people forgot Who was on their side.  They allowed their enemy to terrify them.  Instead of trusting God to fight their enemy they were paralyzed by fear.  Meanwhile they lived in fear every day because Goliath came out every morning and evening for forty days shouting and challenging Israel to fight him.
When we face difficulties do we remember “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world” or do we allow our difficulties to paralyze us and keep us from being all that God wants us to be?
Back in Bethlehem Jesse is thinking about his three oldest sons who were in Saul’s army.  He hadn’t seen or heard from them for awhile and he wanted to know how they were doing.  He called for David who was tending his sheep.  “David, please take this grain and ten loaves of bread to your brothers who are fighting in Saul’s army.  I would like you also to take ten blocks of cheese to give to the captains of their army.  Will you please find out how your brothers are doing while you are there?”
From what we already know about David’s character how do you think he responded to his father’s request?  (1 Samuel 17:20)  David found someone to take care of the sheep while he was away and went to visit his brothers as his father asked.
When David arrived at the army of Israel’s camp he showed up just in time for Goliath’s daily taunt.  Imagine David’s surprise as he hears this 9 foot tall giant shouting, “Send me a soldier and I will fight him alone.  If you win the battle then we will be your servants.  We will serve you.  But if I win the battle then you will become our servants and you will serve us.  I defy the armies of Israel!  Give me a man today that we may settle this matter now!”
When Goliath was saying ‘I defy the armies of Israel’  he was daring them to fight him. This Philistine giant worshiped gods that were not real.  He was mocking Israel and mocking the One True God by defying them.
David must have turned to look at the armies of the Living God to see what they were going to do with this big, angry giant who would defy God and His army.  As he turned to look they all ran away in fear. (1 Samuel 17:24) David must have been surprised by the fear of Saul’s army.  He began to ask them questions.  “Why will no one fight him?  You are God’s army.  Who is this unclean, ungodly Philistine who would dare defy God’s army?”  David didn’t understand why they would not trust God’s power to help them.
Sadly, Israel asked for a king so they could be like the other nations around them.  They got what they asked for and received Saul.  Saul was not a leader who was helping God’s people to keep their eyes upon the One True God.  He was disobedient to God and had turned away from Him and led God’s people away from God in the process.  As a result God’s people forgot they had the One, True God on their side.  It took a young shepherd boy to come to the battlefield and see that God’s people were being terrified by a man who would dare God to fight him.
When we become paralyzed by fear or any other emotion (worry, unforgiveness, etc.) that God tells us not to have we forget the power we have to win the battle we face.  If you are a believer remember who is fighting for you!  (1 John 4:4)
Some men told Saul about David and he wanted to meet with him.  David knew that God had power over all His enemies and he stood before King Saul very bravely.  He said, “Do not let men’s hearts fear because of this giant.  I am your servant and I will go and fight with this Philistine.”
As Saul looked at David he saw a young man.  To fight in an army a man had to be 20 years old.  David wasn’t even old enough to fight in Saul’s army.  Saul said, “You are not able to go against this Philistine and fight him, you are just a young man and this man has been fighting in the Philistine army since he was a young man.”
“I can do it King Saul, because God will help me.  I am responsible for taking care of my father’s sheep.  One time I had to kill a lion and another time I had to kill a bear to protect the sheep.  If God can help me to kill a lion and a bear with my bare hands, He will help me to win against this Philistine giant who has defied the armies of the Living God.”
As David was faithful in caring for his father’s sheep, God was preparing him for this day in history.  Because God had given him the power to protect the sheep he was responsible for, now David could trust God to face Goliath. Right now you are children but God can use your faith in Him to point others to Jesus.  (1 Timothy 4:12)  Always be faithful with the tasks you are assigned because one day you will be able to see how God prepared you for the work He has for you as you grow older.
King Saul must have been impressed with David’s courage and faith in God’s power.  He told David it would be OK for him to fight Goliath and gave him his armor to wear.  David was unable to move around in Saul’s armor so he took them off and headed out to battle in his own clothes.  Read 1 Samuel 17:40.  With his shepherd’s staff in one hand David leans down and chooses five smooth stones from a stream and places them in his shepherd’s bag.
Read 1 Samuel 17:41-44.  Goliath mocks this young shepherd boy who is coming out to fight him.  David is trusting God’s power and isn’t afraid.  Let’s read his response in 1 Samuel 17:45-47.  If David was going to fight Goliath in his own strength and power he would fail.  David wasn’t trusting in his own strength but in the Name of the LORD Almighty.  It is only through God’s power that enemies can be defeated.
David wanted Goliath and everyone who was watching to know that he was fighting in God’s power so that they would know that God is the Only True God.
It is important if we are believers to share our faith in Jesus with others so when they see the difference in our lives they know it’s because of Jesus’ power living in us that we are different and not because we are able to be different in our own power.
Goliath came forward to meet David and as he did, David reached into his shepherd’s bag and took one smooth stone and placed it in his sling.  He wound up the sling and as the sling sailed through the air, God guided that stone with speed and accuracy and it hit Goliath smack in the middle of his forehead. The giant who dared defy God and His army fell flat on his face and was a defeated foe.
David was willing to trust God and His power and God used him to fight against this ungodly enemy.  From time to time we all face some kind of enemy that either causes us to be afraid, sad, angry etc.  Just as God gave David power to fight his enemy, the Holy Spirit living in your heart will give you power to fight whatever battles that come into your life.
If you have never been saved the biggest enemy you face is sin and the consequences of sin. (Romans 6:23)  Because we have all sinned we are separated from God. Unless we have our sin forgiven we will be separated from God forever.  Jesus fought the battle against sin when he was nailed to the cross for your sins and my sins.  He died in our place to take our punishment for our sins.  God’s power raised Jesus to life three days later and He is now living in heaven seated at His right hand.  The battle against sin was won when Jesus died on the cross, was buried and rose again the third day.  Today you can have your sins forgiven if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Please talk to one of us today if you have any questions.
As we prepare to pray we will have a moment of silence.  As we quiet our hearts let’s allow God to show us what He wants us to do with what we have heard.  If He has shown you an enemy that has caused you to forget His power, ask Him to forgive your lack of faith and ask Him for His power to overcome that difficulty.  If God has brought to your mind someone who is having a difficult time, ask God to show you how you can be an encouragement to him/her and help them to ask for God’s power in their situation.
Close in prayer.
Review Questions:

1. Why were King Saul and his army afraid?  (Goliath taunted them every day for 40 days)
2. What did Jesse ask David to do?  (Take food to his brothers and see how they were doing)
3. Why was David not afraid of Goliath?  (He knew that God was on his side)
4. Why did Saul think David couldn’t fight Goliath?  (He was too young)
5. How did God prepare David to fight Goliath?  (When he was a shepherd God gave him power to fight off animals that tried to hurt the sheep)
6. How did David fight with Goliath a) with his fists b) with Saul’s armor and weapons or c) with the Lord’s power?
7. Name something that can be an enemy in our lives?
8. How will God help us fight our enemies? (With His power living inside us)

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