Ready-made Sunday school lesson: David and Goliath

Quick sheet

• •Ages: 6 to 9
• •Length: 45 minutes
• •Text: 1 Samuel 17
• •Key verse: "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16.7)
• •Materials: paper, coloured pencils, one small stone per child, masking tape

Objective

That the child understands courage is not the absence of fear, and that God uses those others consider too small.

The common mistake in this lesson is reducing it to "be brave". David was not brave by temperament: he had history with God out in the field with the sheep, where nobody was watching.

Minute-by-minute

1. 1.0–5 min · Arrival

   As everyone arrives, ask each child to name one thing they are good at. Write them on the board. You will use this at the end.

2. 2.5–12 min · Icebreaker

   The "big and small" game: two children of different sizes try to knock over a tower of cups, one blowing, the other with a finger. Discuss: the bigger one does not always win. Golden rule — never physically compare real children in the room; use the cups.

3. 3.12–25 min · The story

   Tell 1 Samuel 17 in your own words. Emphasise three moments: David with the sheep before any audience; Saul offering armour that does not fit; David choosing five stones from the brook. Ask midway: "why did he refuse the armour?"

4. 4.25–35 min · The stone activity

   Give each child a small stone. Ask them to write or draw on it a "giant" — something that frightens them (a test, a new school, a fight at home). Collect them in a box and pray over the box. Give the stones back at the end to take home.

5. 5.35–42 min · Application

   Return to the board from the start. Show that each thing they said they are good at is their own "keeping the sheep" — the hidden place where God trains them. Read the key verse.

6. 6.42–45 min · Prayer

   Short prayer in a circle, each holding their stone. Suggested: "Lord, thank you that you see what nobody sees. Give us courage for our giant this week. Amen."

Discussion questions that work

• •Why were the grown soldiers afraid and the boy was not?
• •What was David doing before anyone was watching?
• •Saul’s armour was good. Why did it not work for David?
• •What is your giant this week?

Adaptations

• •Ages 4 to 5: drop the written stone activity and use free drawing of the giant instead. Cut the storytelling to 7 minutes.
• •Ages 10 to 12: read the biblical text directly and add the hard question — "and when the giant does not fall?". Mentioning that David later fails badly removes the flawless-hero tone.
• •Large class (20+): pair the children up for the stone activity to fit the time.

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