The Amazing Life of King David (5)
Teacher note: In preparation for your teachings, read through all of the narratives listed below; however, don’t necessarily cover every verse during your teaching. Instead, carefully chose which portions you’ll go through with your students.
David against Goliath (1 Samuel 17)
Main Point: God wants your availability, not ability.
Antithesis: Being Self protective in our faith.
- Give short but compelling colorful background on David
- A national hero.
- Courageous faith. As a shepherd boy, killed a lion and bear.
- Successful military and political leader
- Devoted man of God. God called David, “A man after my own heart.” David also wrote many of our Psalms.
- Read and explain the story with color.
- God is looking for availability, not ability.
- He wants a relationship with you not religion or good works. Instead, he wants you to be available for a relationship despite your sins.
Application: Make yourself available to God this week.
- Wrestle through the decision to make yourself available to God for a relationship and for your life.
- Communicate with God on your decision.
- Group discussion: What are practical ideas of what God might want?
- Examples: risking a friendship to help a friend get back on track with god, perhaps befriending someone who needs a friend.
David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18-20, 23)
Main Point: Place God at the center of your friendships.
Antithesis: Putting yourselves at the center instead of God.
- Background on Jonathan (1 Samuel 14)
- Similar to David, Jonathan had courageous faith!
- Show how David and Jonathan met.
- 1 Samuel 18:1-4
- Jonathan apparently had respect for David before they met. Discuss: What did he respect about David?
- They placed God at the center of their friendship.
- 1 Samuel 20:8Pact was before the Lord
- 1 Samuel 20:14-23More evidence of this
- 1 Samuel 23:16-18More evidence of this
- Describe the depth of their friendship.
- 1 Samuel 19-20Jonathan protects David numerous times.
- 1 Samuel 23:16-18Jonathan gave up his rightful throne to David.
- Christ wants this depth with us. A relationship, not religion.
Application: Place God at the center of your friendships. Ideas…
- Pray together, read and discuss the Bible together.
- Hold discussion: Practical ways we can serve our friends.
- Show or remind students how they can come into a relationship with Christ.
David and King Saul: “Dealing with Revenge” (1 Samuel 18-19, 22, 24, 26)
Main Point: Show kindness when wronged, not revenge.
Antithesis: Paying back evil with evil.
- Show Saul’s insane pursuit of David.
- Show how David twice refused to take revenge on Saul even when it looked like it might be God’s will. Chapters 24 and 26
- God does not take revenge on us who personally know Him.
Application: Show kindness and grace, not revenge this week.
- Hold discussion on practical ways we can show kindness, not revenge.
- Show or remind students how to come into a relationship with Christ.
David and Bathsheba “Sin and Forgiveness” (2 Samuel 11-12)
Main Point: Confess our sins and experience God’s cleansing.
Antithesis: Hiding our sings and reaping horrible consequences.
- Read and discuss the story.
- Show progression of complacency, temptation and sin. (James 1:14-15)
- Show progression in destruction with un-confessed sins.
- Nathan’s story and rebuke.
- God’s judgment.
- David’s change of mind (repentance and confession)
- God’s forgiveness and David’s restoration. (Psalm 51 and 32)
Application: Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16)
- Confess any un-confessed sins to a trusted Christian friend this week.
- Seek to understand God’s forgiveness and unconditional love for you.
David and His Mighty Men “Leading with Integrity” (2 Samuel 23)
Main Point: Use your influence to build up God’s kingdom.
Antithesis: Using your influence to build up your kingdom.
- Read and show the amazing feats of David’s mighty men.
- David refused to drink the water brought by men who risked their lives.
- He would not use his influence for self-advantage. He knew only God deserved this kind of loyalty. That’s why he passed it up and gave it to God.
- People often get confused and begin devoting themselves to an earthly leader more than God.
- David’s integrity was tested and he passed.
- Do we pass the integrity test?
- We are to be servants of God and others, not ourselves. Mark 9:35.
- Yet so many of us use our influence to get people to follow us, but not the Lord.
- Saul’s problem was that he always used his leadership to his advantage, not God’s. What are you like?
- Saul could get others to follow him, but he couldn’t get himself to follow God. Is this what you are like?
- Uriah had integrity. See the last verse of Chapter 23.
Application:
- Invite Christ into your life if you have yet to do this. This way, Jesus can be your righteousness/integrity in your place. 2 Cor. 5:21.
- Have the group discuss practical ways we can use our influence to influence others toward God.