Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome back for the last lesson of our Superbook adventure, “David and Saul.” Today, we will learn about choosing love over revenge. Jesus always chose to love others, even when they falsely accused Him and crucified Him on the cross. Now, it’s time to worship God, who loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. Let’s stand and sing The Salvation Poem!

Play Video 7: (Song) The Salvation Poem (3 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along with the children.

The Salvation Poem

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperTruth for today is: “I will choose love over revenge.” Let’s say it together. “I will choose love over revenge.”

Every day we must make choices in our lives. Sometimes, the choices are fun, like what game to play or what story to read. Other choices are more important and possibly life-changing. For these choices, we need God’s help.

Choosing love is not always easy when we are offended or hurt by someone. Yet, we will see in the Bible story how it is possible with God’s help.

Let’s say the SuperTruth together again. “I will choose love over revenge.”

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If most or all children watched the Bible story video in a previous lesson, omit it here and go straight to the SuperVerse.

If you saw the full Superbook video in Lesson 1, what did Chris want to do at first when tough teens cruelly smashed his guitar? He wanted to take revenge.

Yes, he was controlled by his anger and could think of nothing but paying the boys back. That’s when Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo back in time to see how David handles his struggles with King Saul. For those of you who haven’t seen our Bible story yet, we are going to watch a short version now. And if you’ve already seen it, notice how David submits and obeys his king even when he is the target of Saul’s anger.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (11 Minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet David, the young warrior who leads Israel’s army to victory. Although King Saul tries to kill him out of jealousy, David chooses not to take revenge. The children learn that anger and vengeance do not accomplish God’s purposes.

Play Video 10C: SuperVerse Graphic 3

Graphic loops 2.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat the verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 3

SuperVerse (2 minutes)

Our SuperVerse today is Leviticus 19:18:

“Stop being angry and don’t try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.”

The SuperVerse tells us that we are to love others instead of seeking revenge. How much should we love others? As much as we love yourselves!

If you love others as much as you love yourself, it’s easier to be patient and overlook things that could make you angry. Let’s say our SuperVerse again. Leviticus 19:18:

“Stop being angry and don’t try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.”

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it several times while older children may memorize part or all of it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

In our Signposts Video, we will see how David was a champion in battle and chose God’s way over his own way. We’ll also learn how Jesus fights for us. He is our champion defender at the throne of God!

Play Video 6: Signposts Video (4 minutes)

Signposts Video

Prayer and Send-Off (2 minutes)

Let’s pray before we move to Small Group.

Dear God, thank You for the love and strength You give us. When we feel hurt or angry, help us to respond with love. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

In your Small Group game today, you may have to run away from Saul in the wilderness like David did. Have fun!

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

David had to flee for his life because of Saul’s jealousy and uncontrolled anger. David hid in caves, villages, and in the wilderness. It was in the cave at En-gedi where David chose obedience over revenge and spared Saul’s life. (See 1 Samuel 24:4–7.) David even spared Saul’s life a second time when he crept into Saul’s camp while he was sleeping. (See 1 Samuel 26:5–13.) David put the matter in God’s hands to judge and punish Saul—David would not touch God’s anointed king!

Have an older child or a Sixth Grade helper play Saul. Have “Saul” stand in the center of the room as you explain the game. Have you ever played a game called Four Corners? Our game is very similar. The goal is not to be caught by Saul! Saul will close his eyes and slowly count aloud to 10. As he counts, you will quietly move to the sign of your choice. The signs at each corner of the room are actual places David fled to when he hid from Saul. Now, remember to move very quietly so Saul can’t hear you! When Saul is finished counting, he will keep his eyes closed and say, “I think someone is hiding at sign number …”; and he will say sign number 1, 2, 3, or 4. You never know which number he will say! Everyone hiding by that sign must sit down in the middle of the room near Saul. The game continues until only one player remains. That player successfully escaped from Saul! Let’s play two practice rounds to make sure everyone understands the game. If you’re caught in these first two rounds, you don’t need to sit down.

To shorten the game, once a corner is named, you may announce that it is closed so players may no longer flee there. This limits play to three turns per round, after which there will probably be a group of winners in the fourth corner. You can say that David and his army successfully escaped Saul and won! Children who were “caught” are then free to play in the next round.

Conclusion: That was a lot of fun. Was it hard to be quiet as you moved around?

Even though David was forced to flee for his life, he always chose to obey God rather than take revenge!

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.

SuperVerse

Uncontrolled anger opens the door to revenge. That is why the Bible tells us to stop the anger right away! Revenge is a product or result of unforgiveness in our heart. If we truly forgive someone, we let go of the offense or hurt instead of seeking revenge. God commands us to love others. How much? As much as we love ourselves! When we have God’s love in our hearts, we will reach out with forgiveness and mercy rather than revenge.

Have the class read the SuperVerse on the board together two times and then erase it. Choose eight children to stand side by side in the front of the room. Give one SuperVerse Card to each child. Starting on the far left (from the class’ perspective), have the eight children create a “wave” by holding up and reading aloud their individual phrases (which will be out of order) and lowering their papers when done. Ask the class if that sounded correct. The answer will probably be no!

Ask the rest of the class to tell you which reader should be first, second, third, etc. Rearrange the eight children in that order and have them read their phrases again, creating a “wave” with their papers. Ask the rest of the class if the verse is now correct. If not, have the class rearrange the readers again until they can say the phrases of the verse in the proper order. Finally, have the entire class follow the “wave” to say the verse together two or three times, going faster each time.

Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it several times, while older children may memorize part or all of it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer

Write on the board: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Have children sit on the floor in a circle. Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “l will choose love over revenge.”

Today in our prayer time, we are going to ask God to give us the strength to choose love. We will ask Him to help us let go, or release, any anger that we may have inside that could lead to thoughts of revenge. David chose obedience and love over revenge. Do you remember where David could have taken revenge on Saul? In the cave where David was hiding with his soldiers.

Yes, that’s right. David was in the perfect situation to take revenge when Saul was in the cave. How can we choose to show love for someone we are angry with; especially someone who has hurt or offended us?

Read Galatians 5:22–23:

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

The answer is that we find God’s love inside from the Holy Spirit. Now, look at the board. I have written the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us. Can you see other fruit besides love that can help us overcome anger and revenge? All of the Fruit of the Spirit can!

Yes, every single one! Each fruit can help us conquer anger and revenge! Let’s take a few moments to bow our heads and thank God silently for the help that He gives us to love others as ourselves through the Holy Spirit. Ask God for the strength to always choose love over anger and revenge. Give the children a minute to pray silently, and then close in prayer.

Dear God, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to live inside us, and to fill us with the power to love others. Show us ways to work toward peace instead of revenge, and may others see Your goodness in us. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Bowling Game

Did David respond to Saul’s evil deeds by doing evil things back? No, he responded with good. He showed love and mercy.>

That’s right! David continued to submit to Saul and obey him even when he tried to kill David! David put the matter in God’s hands to judge. So how do we respond to evil works?

Read Romans 12:21:

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

We are not to be influenced and defeated by evil; we must defeat evil with good. David could have refused to obey Saul’s commands and also killed him. Instead, he chose to show love and mercy.

Hold up one set of balls so children can see “love” and “mercy” on them. Now, your job is to conquer evil with good. What are some evils we may conquer? Here are a few common ones we may face in our lives. Read the cards: Revenge, Anger, Jealousy, Insults, Persecution, Slander, Hatred.

Divide the children into two equal teams. One child may need to play twice. Try to combine older and younger children on both teams.

The teams will form two separate lines behind the line or mark.

Have each pinsetter stand behind one set of pins. Their job is to gather the balls and reset the pins after each player’s turn. They also will shout the score to the scorekeeper after each player has rolled twice. Each pin knocked down is worth one point

Teams play at the same time. Each player rolls twice—unless they knock down on all pins on their first try, as in bowling.

Once they roll both balls, they will quickly go to the pinsetter, retrieve the two balls, and give them to the next player on their team.

Play until each child has had a turn. Tally the score. The team that conquered the most evil (knocked over the most pins) wins.

Conclusion: Wow, you conquered a lot of evil with good! When we are faced with evil, we may be tempted to respond with evil; however, God calls us to respond differently. David refused to harm Saul. He trusted God to protect him and to punish Saul if He chose to do so. That is the attitude we need to have, too. We must always strive to respond with the goodness of God that the Holy Spirit produces in us!

Drawing Game

This is the final lesson of “David and Saul.” We are going to play a game to draw things associated with our three lessons about David and Saul. As a player draws, the rest of you may guess aloud. Each artistwill have 30 seconds. If the drawing is not guessed before time expires, another player may take a turn to draw the same card. If time expires again, I will reveal the word/s. After each word, you will have an opportunity to share how the card is associated with the Bible Story.

Select a volunteer to draw, and have the player select a face-down card from the pile.

Give hints or help as necessary, especially for younger children. If the card is too difficult, place the card at the bottom of the pile and allow them to select another card from the pile.

Give the players a moment to think about their word/s and then start the time.
Children guess aloud as the player draws.

Lead a discussion of each card after it is revealed to all.

Craft

Can someone say our SuperTruth with your eyes closed? “I will choose love over revenge.”

Okay! Now, who remembers our SuperVerse? Leviticus 19:18:

“Stop being angry and don’t try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.”

David chose love over revenge. Where could David have taken revenge on Saul? In the cave.

Give children a coloring page and crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers. Have them color their pages as you lead a discussion with the questions below.

• How does the SuperVerse tell us to love others? As ourselves.
• Is that always easy? What makes it difficult sometimes? If someone doesn’t treat us with kindness or respect, when they are mean or unfriendly, especially our enemies.
• Can you describe what is happening in this scene? David is talking to Saul after he left the cave. David is showing Saul the corner of his robe that he cut off instead of harming Saul.
• If you were one of David’s soldiers, how would you feel when David let Saul leave the cave unharmed? Shock, disbelief, frustration, anger, confusion, and disappointment.
• What do you think Saul thought when he realized David could have killed him? Fear, surprise, relief, embarrassment, guilt, maybe depressed because of his actions and what kind of man he had become.
• Have you ever chosen to love and forgive instead of getting back at someone? Please explain.
• How can we show others love even if they have hurt us? Ask God to help you love and forgive them. The Holy Spirit produces love in us.

Bible Study

Have children look up and read the Bible verses aloud. Lead a discussion with the questions below.

Romans 12:19–21:

¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” ²¹ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

• According to the Apostle Paul, when can we take revenge? Never.
• Who must we trust to handle our situation? God.
• What do you think righteous anger is? It is anger without sin. It is anger because of sin and injustice, not directed at a person, instead at the sin or evil. Only God knows the depth of a situation and the root cause. We can’t know all the details. We need to trust God to handle the situation in the proper way.
• According to verse 20, what must we do instead of looking for revenge? Show love and mercy to our enemies. In general, whatever the need is, try to meet it.
• What do you think it means to heap burning coals of shame on their heads? By being kind and merciful, the hope is that they will be convicted of their evil deeds and they will feel ashamed and it will bring them to repentance and to find God through our love shown.
• In verse 21, how do we conquer evil? With good.
• Have you ever chosen to show mercy and love to someone who has mistreated you? Can you share the result?
• Have you ever been shown love and mercy when you mistreated someone? Can you share what happened?
• How did David model the Bible passage we just discussed? He showed honor, love and respect to Saul even when Saul tried to kill him multiple times. He refused to take vengeance when he had the opportunity to kill Saul. David gave judgment and punishment over to God and did not take it into his own hands. Saul wept and called David more righteous than he was as a result of David’s kindness and mercy.(See 1 Samuel 24:16–17.)

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.

• What is the first thing we normally want to do when we are hurt or insulted? Retaliate, give an insult back!>
• Instead of paying back evil with evil, what does this verse tell us to do? Pay them back with a blessing! >
• Why is this hard to do? It is not what comes naturally to us. We typically want to strike back and even the score. We may feel that we let them get away with something if we bless them or treat them kindly. Also, like David’s men who encouraged him to take vengeance, we feel pressure from others to retaliate when we are hurt or embarrassed.
• What benefit is there from obeying God? He will bless us. Our love and mercy and “taking the high road” may result in them finding and serving God, too.

1 Peter 2:21–23:

²¹ For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in His steps. ²² He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. ²³ He did not retaliate when He was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

• Who is our ultimate, perfect example to follow? Christ.
• According to verse 21, do we still need to do good things even if we might suffer for it? Yes, Christ suffered and died for us. He was misunderstood and mocked on the earth. He continued to do good even while being persecuted and falsely accused.
• Why should we follow Christ over any other? He never sinned. He obeyed God completely. We are told to follow in His steps.
• What did Jesus do when He was insulted and suffered? He did not retaliate or seek revenge when He could have easily done so! He left everything in God’s hands to judge!

Conclusion: It is not easy to show mercy when we are insulted or mistreated. However, God calls us to show love and mercy instead of paying back evil for evil. Jesus is our perfect example to follow. He left everything in God’s hands to judge righteously. That is what we learned from David as well. Can you trust God to handle things any way He chooses?