Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hi, friends! Welcome! This is our second lesson on “A Giant Adventure,” the story about David and Goliath. If you were here last time, you learned in Small Group what David’s name means. Does anyone remember?

Beloved! David means “beloved.” Just like David, you are a dearly loved child of God. David had the courage to face his problems because he put his faith in God. So let’s stand up and praise God together by singing an original Superbook song, Follow Jesus.

Play Video 11: (Song) Follow Jesus (3 minutes)

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

Follow Jesus

SuperTruth and Discussion (1 minute)

Go ahead and sit down. This week’s SuperTruth is, “I may seem small; but in God’s eyes, I can do great things.” Let’s all say that together. Children repeat SuperTruth.

Introduce Condensed Bible Story Video (1 minute)

If all children watched the Bible story video in the previous lesson, you may skip it here and go straight to the Bible Background Video.

In our video last time, Chris faced a big problem. Do you remember what it was?

How did Chris handle his problem?

He ran away. Is that what David did when he saw Goliath?

No, he trusted God and faced that giant! For any children who haven’t seen our Bible story yet, we are going to watch a short version of it now. For those of you who have already seen it, watching this short version will help refresh your memories!

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (9 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet a shepherd boy named David. Goliath challenges anyone in the Israelite army to fight him, but all are afraid—except David, who trusts God and slays the giant Philistine. Chris realizes that when we trust God, we can conquer every fear.

Discussion (1 minute)

David was courageous because He trusted God. Do you think it was easy for David to be brave?

I’m sure it was hard, but David believed God would help him, and God did—in a BIG way!

Introduce Bible Background Video (1 minute) 

Before we watch our Bible Background video, let’s open our Bibles and find 1 Samuel 17:4–7. Read the passage aloud:

Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.

Now, when Gizmo asks a question in the video, wait for him to suggest some answers, then call out the one you think is right!

Play Video 5: Bible Background (7 minutes)

Bible Background

Play Video 10B: SuperVerse Graphic 2

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

SuperVerse Graphic 2

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Let’s say our SuperVerse, 1 Samuel 16:7b, together:

“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

This time, I want you to stand on one foot as you say the SuperVerse. Children do so. 

Good! 

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, whenever we face problems, help us remember that You are with us, giving us Your courage, wisdom and power. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Today in small group, you’ll get a chance to knock down some giant problems. And do you have the “talent” to creatively present the SuperVerse? We shall see! Go and 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

We may not have to worry about a giant named Goliath, but what are some giant fears that we may face today? Heights, darkness, snakes, spiders, speaking in front of people, taking tests, being bullied, being teased for following God’s Word instead of the crowd.

These fears may seem huge to us, and we may think we are small in comparison, but in God’s eyes we are not! He gives us His Holy Spirit to live inside us, so we can overcome every fear and accomplish great things!

Hold up your sample “giant,” then give each child a washable marker and paper bag or cup. They should write their names on the bottom and sketch a mean-looking giant on one side, leaving the top two inches of the bag blank. On the other side, they should write one of the “giant” fears mentioned earlier. Have them crumple the newsprint and stuff the bags, then fold over the top edge and staple or tape shut. There is no need to stuff the cups.

That’s a lot of nasty-looking giants! How can we defeat all of them?

The key is in our SuperTruth. Let’s say it together: “I may seem small; but in God’s eyes, I can do great things.” We can defeat every giant. We just need to see ourselves as God sees us!

Hold up a penny with the words “In God we trust” on it or a pebble marked “Trust God.” You may think this tiny thing can’t do much, but it has a powerful message that can change your life. Do you know what it says?

In God we trust; or, Trust God.

When we trust in God, we can do great things! So let’s use our trust in God to defeat all of these scary-looking giants!

Divide the class into teams of several children each. Each team should place their “giant” bags on a table or the floor, then stand behind the starting line. Give the first child on each team five pennies or pebbles to try to knock down all of the team’s giants. Other teammates should collect the pennies, give them to the next player, and set up the giants again. Play continues until everyone has an opportunity to throw. The scorekeepers keep a running tally of each team’s downed “giants.” The highest-scoring team wins.

Optional: give each child a penny or pebble to take home with his or her giant bag as a reminder to trust God to do great things.

Teaching

Today, we are going to talk about how David relied on God. How many brothers did David have? Seven.

The Prophet Samuel received a word from the Lord to go to Bethlehem and anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the new king. Everyone assumed it would be one of the older boys, so nobody even bothered to invite the youngest brother, David, who was out in the fields with the sheep! But God did not want Samuel to look at people’s outward appearance. In 1 Samuel 16:7b, God told Samuel,

“The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

When we look at people, we may be tempted to judge them by how they look, but God sees us from the inside out! So let’s remember that people’s hearts are more important than their looks!

How did Samuel know which son was to be the new king? The Lord told Samuel.

How do you think the brothers felt when they learned that their little brother, David, was to be the new king? Hurt, jealous, angry.

How do you think the brothers felt when they saw David at the battle site of the Israelites and the Philistines? Angry and maybe baffled.

How do you think the brothers felt when they saw David defeat Goliath? Probably proud, embarrassed that they hadn’t trusted God, maybe a little scared because of the way they had spoken to him.

How do you think David felt standing in front of Goliath? Perhaps a little scared, yet confident of God’s power. Excited to trust and be used by God!

God had a reason for selecting David to be king. Perhaps one of his brothers looked like a better choice to be king, but God sees inside. He knew David’s heart. Why didn’t any of David’s brothers stand up to Goliath? They were afraid.

Even though David was the youngest brother, he had courage and relied on God when facing the giant alone. Do you think it would have been wise for David to trust his brothers over trusting God, and why? No, his brothers didn’t think David could defeat Goliath.

Our SuperTruth for today is: “I may seem small; but in God’s eyes, I can do great things.”

David seemed small to many people: Samuel, Saul, his brothers, and most of all, Goliath! But God saw things differently. God could see that David trusted in God; and as Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:26 (nkjv),

“With God all things are possible.”

Stand at a table and display the eight paper squares with the words face-up.

We are going to have some fun with these eight squares. Seven squares say BROTHER, and one says DAVID.

Turn the squares over so the words are not visible, then shuffle them. Have eight children come to the table. Keeping the squares face-down, place one in front of each child. If you have fewer than eight children, some will have two. As you pass out the squares, make a mental note of which child receives “DAVID” by the rectangle’s four torn edges. Tell the children they may peek under their squares to read them, then place a hand on top to be sure no one else can see. Take your time before revealing which child has the paper that says “DAVID.”

God chose David from among all His brothers, as I did—except I had a little help!

Reveal the trick to the children and suggest they can teach their families about David and his brothers using the same demonstration.

I saw what no one else saw with the square that had David written on it! God also sees things that no one else can see! He looks inside and sees our hearts!

Let’s shout our SuperVerse together: “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Have you been working on your Invisible Armor challenge? Have extra copies of the Invisible Armor Booklet available for those who were not here last lesson. Can anyone list all the pieces of the armor of God? Allow children to try to name all the parts. Keep trying to memorize all the parts of our invisible armor. Remember to look up and write in the booklet the verses that describe each piece.

SuperVerse

Have the children open their Bibles and find the SuperVerse, 1 Samuel 16:7b, then ask a child to read it aloud.

“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Samuel thought God would surely choose one of the older, bigger boys to be Israel’s next king. But God looks at things differently than man does! He chose David, who was the youngest and smallest son. God knew David’s heart and chose him to do great things as King of Israel!

Do you remember what Chris was afraid of in our last lesson? Playing his guitar for a band audition.

He didn’t see himself as very "big" and capable in his own eyes to go out on that stage. How did he get the courage to play his guitar? God helped him.

If our heart follows after God, we can do great things no matter how anyone else sees us.

Today, we’re going to have a quick talent show, but this one is different—everyone will win!

Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to work together to come up with a unique idea on how to present the SuperVerse. They can make up a rap, create motions, take turns saying the words or phrases in a “wave,” etc. After a few minutes, have each group present the verse to the rest of the class. If any children are too shy to “perform,” gently encourage them to step out in faith, but don’t force them—they can always be part of the audience.

Prayer

Do you remember what we call the songs that David wrote? Psalms.

Yes! He didn’t write all of the psalms in the Bible, but he wrote many of them! Our SuperVerse today from 1 Samuel 16:7 says:

“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

David understood that when he wrote this. Read Psalm 51:10,12:

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You.

Have you ever felt guilty for doing something wrong? Yes.

We have all done things wrong. What does guilt feel like? Shame, embarrassment, fear, worry, etc.

God created us and loves us dearly. He wants to have a close relationship with us—but He is perfect, and He can’t even look at someone who has sinned. Jesus, God’s only Son, never sinned. When He was dying on the cross, He felt the guilt and took the punishment for everything that we have ever done wrong. He washed away our sins so we can have a wonderful relationship with our Father in heaven. So, when we ask God to forgive us and trust Jesus as our Savior, our hearts are washed clean from all that terrible guilt and shame. How does it feel to be forgiven? Happy and free.

As David said in that psalm, Restore to me the joy of Your salvation. We want to have God’s joy today!

Let’s pray: Dear Father in heaven, when we sin we feel very small in our own eyes. Yet we know we can come to You and ask for forgiveness just like David did when he sinned. We invite You to look at our hearts right now. Pause for children to pray silently. You can see that we have done some things that were wrong, we’ve said some things that were unkind, and we’ve thought some things that are not pleasing to You. Pause. We are very sorry, and we ask You to wash our hearts clean from all of our sins. Pause. Thank You that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. We are so happy that You have forgiven us and washed away our sins! Pause. We know that we can do great things in Your eyes and You don’t see us as small! Now please give us the power of Your Holy Spirit to obey You and follow Your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Object Lesson

Have the children sit in a circle. Show them the 15-pound bag. Give each child an opportunity to lift the bag and guess how much it weighs. Reveal that the bag weighs 15 pounds—the weight of Goliath’s spearhead—not including the shaft! Read 1 Samuel 17:4-7a:

Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds.

That is a giant-size spear! Can you imagine how strong Goliath must have been to throw such a heavy spear? Plus, he had a big shield that someone else carried for him. But Goliath’s strength was no match for the power of God. What did David use to defeat him? Show them the small stone. David had five stones, and one of them brought down a giant wearing all that armor! How could David face Goliath? He trusted God and believed he could do great things with God’s help!

Our SuperTruth says: “I may seem small; but in God’s eyes, I can do great things.” David was able to face a giant because He knew God was with him! Hold up the 15-pound bag as you talk. As heavy and powerful as Goliath’s weapons and armor were—they were powerless against God!

Bible Study

Let’s read a Psalm that David wrote later in his life. We see that David continued to trust God in the battles that he faced. Have the children look up Psalm 144:1–2. Select seven children to read one line each aloud.

Praise the Lord, who is my rock.

He trains my hands for war

and gives my fingers skill for battle.

He is my loving ally and my fortress,

my tower of safety, my rescuer.

He is my shield, and I take refuge in Him.

He makes the nations submit to me.

Dig deeper into the scripture by asking these questions:

What comes to mind when you think of a rock? What do you think David meant when he said God is his rock?

David was a shepherd boy, yet he defeated Goliath. How do you think God trained his hands for battle? How does God train us for difficult situations that we will face?

An ally is a friend or a helper in battle. How does it make you feel to have God as your friend? Have you ever sensed that God was on your side?

What do you think it means for God to be a fortress and a tower of safety?

To take refuge means to find safety. Has God ever rescued you from something?

The last line says, He makes the nations submit to me. Who is in charge? When we face giant difficulties, how can it encourage us to know God is working behind the scenes in our battle as our ally?

Like David, we are never alone, and God “our rock” has not changed! We have a mighty fortress; a shield; and a friend who loves us, trains us, and goes with us wherever we go. When we read this psalm, we can be encouraged and strengthened for whatever battles we may face!

Group Game

Let’s pretend that David is looking for five stones, but he is having trouble finding any! Have the children sit close together in a circle. Choose one child to be “David” and have him or her stand in the middle. Hand David the bag and cane or stick. Here is a bag for your stones, and here is your “shepherd’s staff,” cane, or stick.

Begin playing the music. Without revealing who is actually holding the stone, the children quickly pass the first stone from hand to hand around the circle, continuing to make passing motions even if they are not holding it. When you stop the music, David must guess who is holding the stone by placing the tip of the “shepherd’s staff” on the floor in front of a child. When correctly guessed, that child places the stone in the bag, takes the shepherd’s staff, and becomes David. The previous David then sits in the circle. Start the music and give the second stone to the group to pass. Continue play until all five stones have been found.

Team Game

Divide the class into two equal teams. A leader may need to participate to even the number. Each team stands in a row, with teammates shoulder to shoulder, just a few inches apart. The two teams face each other about 6 feet apart. Place five pebbles on the floor beside the first player of each team. Place a paper bag on the floor next to the last player of each team. Start the game.

Each team’s first player picks up one pebble and places it on the back of his or her hand, then carefully slides it onto the back of the next player’s hand. The first player then picks up the second pebble and repeats the process. Each pebble is passed from player to player on the back of their hands until it reaches the last player on the team, who then slides the pebble into the bag. The first team to pass all pebbles successfully and place them in their bag wins. If a pebble falls to the ground, the player must pick it up, place it on the back of his or her hand and continue play.

You did great! It was pretty awkward and uncomfortable to use the back of your hand, right? It’s easier to use the inside of our hands. King Saul thought it would be a lot easier for David to wear Saul’s armor into battle, but that didn’t help David at all. Let’s read what the Bible says about it.

Have children look up 1 Samuel 17:38–40. Choose three volunteers to read the verses aloud.

³⁸Then Saul gave David his own armor — a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. ³⁹David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. ⁴⁰He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

David couldn’t use Saul’s heavy, bulky armor and weapons. They were too big and heavy for him! David chose some stones and put them in his shepherd’s bag, just like we did with our game today. David couldn’t fight the giant the same way Saul or someone else would have. He had to be himself—as God created him to be. Each one of us is unique in our abilities and talents. God knows us inside and out. We can do great things for God no matter what our age or size is! Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I may seem small; but in God’s eyes, I can do great things.”

Rock Craft

Our SuperTruth says: “I may seem small; but in God’s eyes, I can do great things.” Yes, David was considered too young to accomplish much. His brothers believed all he was good for was to watch a few sheep! But God viewed him differently! Let’s look at another Bible verse.

Have a child locate and read 1 Timothy 4:12:

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Do you hear what God’s Word is saying? You can be an example to others—even people older than you—of how to live for the Lord. David was an example to a number of others; can you name some of them? His older brothers, his father, King Saul, the Philistine army, the Israelite army.

You can be an example in all that you think, do and say by asking God to help you when you face problems. Ask children to give examples of ways they can be an example to their peers, as well as older people.

Give each child a stone, a fine-tip marker, and an apron or paint shirt. Remind children that these markers can stain their clothing. Have them write their names on one side and “GOD” on the other side. As an option, children can paint or decorate their stones.

David took five small stones with him into battle. You can keep this stone as a reminder that God is with you, and He will help you, just as He helped David. This stone can also remind you to be a good example to others. Each time you look at it, stop and think: Is my behavior pleasing to God? Am I being a godly example? Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I may seem small; but in God’s eyes, I can do great things."