Israel was so happy to have Saul as their king and Saul reigned for 42 years without any trouble. But then things started to go wrong. Part of the Israelite army attached the Philistines. The Philistines were not people that you wanted to mess with-they were tough. The Philistines decided that they had enough trouble from the Israelites and sent an army to attach. Saul knew that he should wait on Samuel to come and help them but he was afraid so he offered up his own sacrifice. As a result Saul lost their favor with the Lord. Today we will learn not to worry even in scary situations.
Lesson Title: Saul Makes a Big Mistake
Bible Reference: 1 Samuel 13:1-14
Target Age Group: Preschool
Learning Context: Children’s Church
Target Time Frame: 1 ½ hour
Learning Aim: God says not to worry.
Materials Needed:
- Paper
- Trash Can or Bucket
- Tan or Brown Paint
- Yellow or Gold Paint
- Markers
- Glitter or Sequins
- Optional Samuel coloring pages
You say the Italicized words. Non-italicized words are directions.
Lesson Opener
Sit at the table and ask each child to say something that worries them. For some students it might be easier to say what scares them.
Say, Today we are going to hear about what happened when Saul got worried. It is always better to trust God and not worry.
Bible Story
Open your Bible to 1 Samuel 13:1-14.
Use the prompt below to have the kids act out the story as you tell it.
Say, For many years Israel was ruled by judges but then the Israelites decided that they wanted a king. God gave them Saul as their king even though He knew that a king would be bad for them.
For 42 years Saul was king and nothing happened. But then something scary did happen! Saul had many soldiers and some of his soldiers attacked the Philistines. The Philistines lived next to the Israelites.
Have everyone march around the room like an army.
This made the Philistines angry. They decided that they were going to attack the Israelites. The Israelites had to run and hide.
Have everyone hide somewhere in the room.
Samuel the priest told Saul to wait for him to come and help. Samuel knew that the Israelites had to put their trust in God if they were going to make it. But Samuel was late coming to see Saul and Saul got very worried.
Saul made a burnt offering even though he was supposed to wait for Samuel. Whenever Samuel finally got there he knew that Saul had made a big mistake. Now, God would take the kingdom away from Saul and make someone else king.
Have the kids act sad.
Saul learned that he should not worry. It is always better to trust God. God doesn’t want you to worry either. Whenever you feel worried just trust God. He will take care of you!
Throw Your Worries Away
Ask each kid to share one thing that worries them. Write this on a piece of paper. Then wad it up and toss it in the trash. To make things a little more fun let the class take turns throwing their worries into a bucket from a distance.
Say, Saul was so worried that he forgot God would always protect him. Whenever you are worried you can throw your worries away and trust God.
King Saul Pictures
Paint each child’s palm tan and their fingers yellow or gold. Make a handprint on paper. Their palm will be the king’s face and the fingers will be his crown. Once the paint is dry add a little glitter or sequins to the crown for decoration and draw a face on King Saul.
Say, When the Israelites went looking for a king, God gave them Saul. God knew that Saul would eventually fail but He made Saul king anyway.
Following Directions Game
Draw 4 arrows on pieces of construction paper. One pointing up, one pointing down, one pointing left, and one pointing right. The kids will have to move in specific ways corresponding to the arrow that you show. Here are the motions:
Up Arrow: Jump
Down Arrow: Touch the floor
Right Arrow: Spin to the right once
Left Arrow: Spin to the left once
Show the arrows one at a time. Instruct the class to follow the instructions as you play. Mix them up and show them faster and slower to make it more fun. If a child does not follow the instruction arrows they must sit down. Play until you have a winner.
Say, Saul was given a list of instructions to follow. Even though Israel was in danger he was supposed to wait for Samuel to come and make an offering to the Lord. But Saul got worried and took things into his own hands. He didn’t follow his instructions and God decided that it was time for someone else to be King. We should not worry and always follow God’s instructions.
God Say’s Do Not Worry
Have the class say the main point, ‘God Say’s Do Not Worry’ in a whisper voice, loud voice, spooky voice, low pitch voice, king’s voice, etc.
Say, No matter what you can trust God. Do not worry because He will take care of you.
Closing the Lesson
Remind each child of the worry that they threw away earlier in the lesson. Tell them that whenever they are worried or scared that they should pray and ask God to show them what to do. Close the lesson in prayer.
For more lesson ideas don’t miss our series of Sunday School lessons on the Kings of Israel.