I Samuel 16 v 1 – 13

Lesson Aim

That God looks at our heart not our outside appearance.

Hook 1 : seven men & one youth

Yes it is possible to involve 8 different males.  Ask and ask round the men in the church until you have a total of eight.

List all of the men and youth in order . Give a copy of the list to each man. It is important that each man comes to the front  at the right time. You must brief them to ensure that this will happen.

In the story when Jessie brought his eldest son before Samuel, the first man should come out and stand before the children. Ask them if they think that he would be suitable as a king. Explain that he looks as if he would make a great king, then reject the first man quoting from v7. At that point the second man should arrive. Say something positive about each man before rejecting them e.g. John looks strong or Jamie is a good football player. Continue until the last person (the youngest) comes out.

Hook 2 : eight pictures of men (either hard copies or PowerPoint)

These can be famous or not. They could be people that the children know e.g. other children’s workers, the pastor or their fathers. Use the pictures in a similar way to the men above.

Hook 3 : Crown and small amount of olive oil

As you continue with the story, show the crown but explain that in those days kings didn’t wear a crown. Instead, they had oil poured onto their heads. Then anoint the youth with a few drops of oil. You need to arrange this with the youth before the talk.

Hook 4: Questions

Have you ever dreamed about becoming a king or a queen? Have you dressed up as a princess or worn a crown? Today’s Bible story is about a young man who became a king.

Application

The application should be based upon v7 ‘Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’

Explain how God is still concerned today with the state of people’s hearts. Have our hearts been cleansed by trusting in the Lord Jesus as our Saviour? Only then will God be happy about the state of our hearts.

Language

Instead of ‘outward appearance’ say ‘what he looks like’