Leader Guide

Teaching

Have a child select the first Signpost card and read it aloud. Tape the card to the wall or prop it up so children can see it. Lead a discussion with the information below. Repeat for the two remaining Signpost cards. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Signpost 1 David’s Descendant

Jesus was a direct descendant of David. A genealogy, or family tree, of Jesus is contained in the Gospel of Matthew. It traces His family from Abraham to David, then all the way to Joseph and Mary, Jesus’ parents.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Matthew 1:1,17 (nkjv):

¹ The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. ¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

John 7:42:

“For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”

Luke 2:4:

And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.

Signpost 2 Disobedience and Separation

Saul was the very first king of Israel. When Saul disobeyed God, his kingdom was taken away from him. God directed the prophet Samuel to anoint David as the next king. Saul not only disobeyed God, he lied to Samuel when he was confronted with his sin. How did he try to justify or excuse his actions? He said his army kept the animals to sacrifice them to God.(See 1 Samuel 15:15.)

Who did Saul blame his disobedience on? The Israelites; he said he was afraid of them and so he gave in to their demands.(See 1 Samuel 15:24.)

It is easy to point a finger at Saul, yet we are a lot like him. Disobedience began with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Do you remember how they disobeyed God? They ate from the tree that God had forbidden them to eat from.

Adam and Eve lived a perfect life of peace and joy until they gave in to temptation. God had told them not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, yet they disobeyed. They were then separated from God. He removed them from the Garden of Eden because they chose their own way instead of His way. The Bible compares us to sheep that have gone astray. Like Adam and Eve, and like Saul, we have all chosen our own path instead of God’s path.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Isaiah 53:6a:

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.

Genesis 3:23–24:

²³ So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and He sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. ²⁴After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And He placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

1 Samuel 15:22:

But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

Romans 5:18–19:

¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. ¹⁹ Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

Signpost 3 Champion Defender

The story does not end here! Saul chose his own way over God’s way. David, however, chose the way of the Lord! David certainly wasn’t perfect. He was guilty of sin, yet he repented and was forgiven by God. God said that David was a man after His own heart!

When David was young, he fought against Goliath in a battle of champions. Each army chose a champion, and the two champions fought each other. The winner earned a victory for the entire army. We have a champion who fights for us. Jesus defeated our enemy, the devil! He defeated sin and death to give everyone in the world the victory—if we will only accept Him as our Savior! David wrote many worship songs, called Psalms, as he hid in the desert from Saul. David trusted in God to protect him. We should trust in God, too!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

John 3:16:

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

1 Samuel 17:8–10:

⁸ Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! ⁹ If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! ¹⁰ I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!”

1 Samuel 13:14:

“But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

Psalm 63:6–8:

⁶ I lie awake thinking of You, meditating on You through the night. ⁷ Because You are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings. ⁸ I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely.

Romans 5:17:

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:1:

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

Now, let’s move on to the Discipleship Challenge and talk about being led by the Holy Spirit to show love and forgiveness to others.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give David’s Kinnor Pattern, materials, and instructionsto children who missed the previous lessons so they may assemble their crafts at home.

Who would like to share some thoughts from the discussion you had at home about Ephesians 4:32–33? Would you like to share a situation where you were able to give love and forgiveness instead of holding on to anger toward others?

Let’s all continue with the Lesson 3 challenge. Discuss 1 Peter 3:9 with your family, then ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His love and look for opportunities to bless others rather than returning evil for evil.

Optional: if time permits, read and discuss 1 Peter 3:9:

Don't repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will grant you His blessing.