October 25, 2015

OT 55 Jonathan Helps David Escape

Reference: 1 Samuel 18-20

Story Summary: 
     Saul’s son, Jonathan, became close friends with David. He loved David as he loved himself. But Saul was still jealous of David, so he ordered his attendants to kill him. But Jonathan warned David about this and convinced his father to promise not to kill his friend.
     But an evil spirit later came to Saul. As David was playing his harp, Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. David escaped to his home. Saul planned to send men to get David the next morning.
     However, David’s wife, Michal, told him to run for his life. When Saul’s men came to David’s bed the next morning, all they found was a statue and some goat’s hair that Michal had placed there to look like someone sleeping in the bed.
     Later, Jonathan and David met. Jonathan told David he'd give David a secret signal by shooting his arrows to let David know if it was safe to return to Saul. When Jonathan heard his father still wanted to kill David, he shot an
arrow far away and said to his servant, "The arrow went far beyond you! Go get it!" That was his signal that David needed to run away from Saul.

Big Idea and Motions: Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Love - place both hands over your heart
Neighbor - pretend to put your arm around an imaginary person next to you.
Love - same as before
Yourself - point to yourself with both thumbs

Verse / Motions: Leviticus 19:18b, ESV - but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
You shall - wag your finger at someone else
Love - place both hands over your heart
Neighbor - pretend to place your arm around an imaginary “neighbor”
Yourself -  point to yourself with both thumbs
I am - pound the bo

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who was Saul’s son? // Jonathan
Who wanted to kill David? // King Saul
What did Saul throw at David? // A spear
Who was David’s friend who helped him escape? // Jonathan
Who was David’s wife who helped him escape? // Michal
What did Michal do to trick Saul’s men into thinking David was sick in the bed? // Put a statue, some hair, and clothes on the bed.
What did Jonathan shoot to let David know that he needed to run away? // Arrows
How did the Bible say Jonathan loved David? // Like he loved himself
What did God do to show us he loved us? // Sent Jesus to die for our sins
Why was Jesus the greatest friend of all? // He loved us and gave his life to save us

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/9OkKiU
Resources - https://goo.gl/1LMYu7

October 18, 2015

OT 54 Saul is Jealous of David

Reference: 1 Samuel 18

Story Summary: 
    After David defeated Goliath the giant, King Saul gave him a high rank in his army. And David did well at everything Saul gave him to do. After defeating Goliath, David and the army returned home.
     David became famous in Israel. The people would dance, play instruments, and sing a special song about their heroes. It went like this: “Saul has defeated thousands, but David has defeated tens of thousands.”
    When Saul heard this song, he became very jealous of David. Saul thought that, because David as becoming so famous, he would eventually take the kingdom away from his family.
     As had happened before, an evil spirit came to bother Saul. When this happened, David would play his harp to help Saul calm down. But this didn’t work as it normally did.
    Instead, in his anger and jealousy, Saul picked up a spear. He threw it at David two times. “I’ll pin him to the wall!” Saul thought to himself. But God allowed David to escape unharmed both times Saul threw his spear.

Big Idea and Motions: Blessed is the one whose sins are forgiven.
Blessed - point to your cheeks and smile
One - hold up one finger
Sins - two thumbs down
Forgiven -  hold left palm up, brush it off twice with the fingertips of your other hand*
* This is the ASL sign for “forgive.” See a demonstration.

Verse / Motions: Psalm 32:1, ESV - Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed - point to your cheeks and smile
One - hold up one finger
Transgression - form a “T” with your hands
Forgiven - Forgive - hold left palm up, brush it off twice with the fingertips of your other hand*
Sin - two thumbs down
Covered - form a roof over your head with your arms
* This is the ASL sign for “forgive.” See a demonstration.

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What did David do that made him famous in Israel? // Defeated the giant, Goliath
In the song, how many soldiers did they say Saul defeated? // 1000
In the song, how many soldiers did they say David defeated? // 10,000
How did Saul feel when he heard this song? // Very angry
What did David do to try to calm Saul when he was angry? // Play music on his harp
What did Saul do to try to hurt David? // Threw a spear at him
Did Saul hit David with the spear? // No, David escaped both times
Name one of the commandments of God that Saul broke. // Do not covet, do not murder
Name the other commandment of God that Saul broke. // See previous answers
What is the one big difference between Saul and David? // David had faith in God to forgive his sins

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/fzweYC
Resources - https://goo.gl/FCpWZt

October 11, 2015

OT 53 David and Goliath

Reference: 1 Samuel 17

Story Summary:
     The Israelite and Philistine armies were camped on two hills, with a valley in between them. Each day, a Philistine soldier named Goliath would challenge one of the Israelites to fight. Goliath was a giant, over nine feet tall. His armor weighed over a hundred pounds. If Goliath won the battle, the Israelites would become the Philistines’ slaves. If Israel won, the Philistines would become their slaves.
     Goliath challenged them for 40 days, but no Israelite soldier accepted the challenge because they were terrified. A boy named David came to visit his brothers, who were soldiers in the Israelite army. When he heard Goliath mocking the God of Israel, he said he would fight the giant.
     When Goliath saw that the boy David came to fight him, he made fun of him and his God. But David said, “You come at me with swords and spears, but I come in the name of God. He will win the battle!” David took his sling and loaded a stone in it. He swung it and flung the rock at Goliath. The stone struck the giant in the head, and Goliath fell over, defeated. The Israelites then chased the Philistines as they ran away.

Big Idea and Motions: Trust in God to win the battle, not yourself.
Trust - pretend to grab a rope in front of you with both hands
God - point up
Battle - pretend to swing a sword
Yourself - point to yourself with both thumbs

Verse / Motions: Psalm 46:1-2, ESV - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way...
God - point up
Refuge - form a roof over your head with your arms
Strength - flex your arm muscles
Help - pretend to reach down and help someone up from the ground
Fear - put your hands on your cheeks and look scared
Earth - stomp the ground with your feet

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who were the two armies that battled in today’s story? // The Philistines and the Israelites
Who was the Philistines best soldier? // Goliath
How tall was Goliath? // Over nine feet tall
What did Goliath say to the Israelites? // Come out and fight me; whoever loses will become slaves to the other
For 40 days, did any Israelite come out and fight Goliath? // Nope.
When Jesse’s sons were at the battle, where was their younger brother, David? // Home watching the sheep.
Who decided to fight Goliath? // David
What two scary animals did David help fight when he watched sheep? // A lion and a bear
What did David use to defeat Goliath? // A slingshot and give stones
Why was David able to defeat Goliath? // God helped him.

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/oqq8xR
Resources - https://goo.gl/VMXydZ

October 4, 2015

OT 52 David Plays Music for Saul

Reference: 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Story Summary: 
     Because Saul had disobeyed God, the Spirit of the Lord left him. And an evil spirit sent by the Lord terrified him. Saul’s attendants told Saul to send them to find someone to play the harp. They thought the music of the harp would make Saul feel better when the evil spirit came.
     One attendant talked about someone he knew, a son of a man named Jesse who was brave and handsome. He was a good speaker and would make a great soldier. So Saul sent his servant to Jesse.
     The servant went to Jesse’s house and asked to have his son, David, come with him, to play music for Saul. Jesse gave David some travelling supplies and sent him on his way.
     From them on, whenever the evil spirit came to bother Saul, David would play his harp and the spirit would leave. Saul liked David very much. David became one of the men who carried Saul’s armor.

Big Idea and Motions: Sing to the Lord because he is good.
Sing - place one hand on your heart, gesture out with the other, and sing the word “sing”
Lord - point
Good - two thumbs up

Verse / Motions: Psalm 92:1, ESV - It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High.
Good - two thumbs up
Give thanks - cup your hands together and gesture away from you
Lord - point up
Sing praises - place one hand over your heart, gesture out with the second hand, sing the words as you say them
Name - pretend to write on your palm
Most High - reach up really high with your hands

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who was king in today’s story? // Saul
Who was going to be the next king of Israel? // David
What was bothering King Saul? // An evil spirit
What idea did King Saul’s servants have to make him feel better? // Find someone to play music
Who did they find to play music for Saul? // David
Who was David’s father? // Jesse
What instrument did David play? // Harp
What happened when David played the harp? // Saul felt better, the evil spirit would leave
Why did the evil spirit leave? // Because of David’s songs to God
What does the word “psalm” mean? // Song

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/Bji4PP
Resources - https://goo.gl/xKXond