References
1 Samuel 12;
Patriarchs and Prophets,
pp. 603-615
Memory Verse
“For the sake of his
great name the
Lord . . . was pleased
to make you his own”
(1 Samuel 12:22).
Objectives
The children will:
Know
that grace is
the good news
that Jesus loves them.
Feel
awe that God
made them His child.
Respond
by thinking what great
things God has done for them.
The Message
God is glad He made
me His child.
Samuel Speaks for God
Monthly Theme
God’s grace is good news for us.
The Bible Lesson at a Glance
Samuel is getting old. At their request God gives the people a
king, and Samuel makes a speech, reminding them of the good
things God did in the past. He asks the Lord to send thunder and
rain to impress the people that they did wrong in asking for a
king. During the storm they are frightened and admit their mis-
take. God says that He is still glad that they are His children.
This is a lesson about grace.
Because God loves His people, He forgives their past mistakes
and invites them to start over. When they choose to identify them-
selves as His children, the Lord is very pleased and will give them
power to stay that way.
Teacher Enrichment
“At the time of wheat harvest, in May and June, no rain fell in
the East. . . . So violent a storm at this season filled all hearts with
fear” (
Patriarchs and Prophets,
p. 615).
Samuel is not retiring from being the prophet when he pre-
sents Israel’s king. He will continue to be God’s mouthpiece to
the people and the new king. See also 1 Samuel 12:23, 24 and
Nehemiah 9:17.
Room Decorations
Prepare an outdoor setting with trees, rocks, tents, battle
shields, etc. Put some “sheep” a distance away from the tents and
the battle shields. Or make a bulletin board on this theme.
LESSON FIVE
50 LESSON FIVE www.gracelink.net/primary
Program Overview
Lesson Section Minutes Activities Materials Needed
*Prayer and Praise may be used at any time during the program.
1
Any
Time
2
3
4
Welcome ongoing Greet students at none
door; hear pleased/
troubled
_________________________________________________________________________________
Readiness Options up to 10
A. How Bad?
grocery bag containing breakable
items such as a glass, bowl,
clock, etc., Bibles
B. Love for Me
Bibles
_________________________________________________________________________________
Prayer and Praise* up to 10 Fellowship none
Songbook
Sing for Joy
Mission
Children’s Mission
Offering “crown bowl” (see activity)
Prayer raindrop-shaped small pieces of
paper, glass bowl
_________________________________________________________________________________
Bible Lesson up to 20 Experiencing the Story spray bottle filled with clean water,
Bible-times costumes, Bible
Memory Verse 10 raindrop-shaped papers, pen,
Bible
Bible Study Bibles, chalkboard or white board,
chalk or marker
_________________________________________________________________________________
Applying the up to 15
Ungrateful Role-Play
adhesive bandage, pens, tissue,
Lesson clean jacket, dirty jacket
_________________________________________________________________________________
Sharing the up to 15
Ask Me
colored construction paper,
Lesson scissors, paper cups, markers or
crayons
GRACE
www.gracelink.net/primary LESSON FIVE 51
TEACHING THE LESSON
Welcome
Welcome children personally at the door. Ask how their week has
been—what they’re pleased/troubled about. Have them begin the readiness
activity of your choice.
Readiness Activities
Select the activity most appropriate for your situation.
A. How Bad?
Place in a large paper bag several things that children could drop and break, such
as a drinking glass, glass bowl, clock, framed picture, etc.
Select children to gently take something (one at a time) from the bag and hold it
up for all to see. With each item, ask:
Would Mom and Dad say that to break this
is: 1. Bad? 2. Quite bad? 3. VERY bad?
Debriefing
Moms and dads are sad when you break something. They might even get angry,
but they still love you. God is even more loving than moms and dads. He never, ever
stops being glad that He chose you to be His child. Let’s take our Bibles and find
1 Samuel 12:22.
Allow time, then read the text together.
This is today’s memory verse.
It tells us that even though we do something wrong, we can still know that . . .
GOD IS GLAD HE MADE ME HIS CHILD.
Say that with me.
B. Love for Me
Say:
The people who love us show their love in many ways. Let’s think of all
the ways they do. I will start. Someone shows love for me by—hugging me. The
next person says, “Someone shows love for me by hugging me and [add some
thing else].”
Continue around the group, each person stating what was already said
and adding to it. (Large class: Form groups of six to eight with adult helpers.)
Debriefing
Say:
We are really loved a lot! Let’s read 1 Samuel 12:22.
Help the children find
the text, then read it aloud together.
“Make you His own” means to make you His
child. If God is pleased to make you His child, how does He feel about you?
(He
likes you a lot; He loves you.)
Who are some of the people who love you? Do they
love you even if you do something wrong?
(Of course. They may get angry, but they
still love you.)
Who loves you most of all?
(God, Jesus)
And how do we know that
God never stops loving us? We just read about it in the Bible. Our message for
today reminds us that God loves us. It says:
GOD IS GLAD HE MADE ME HIS CHILD.
Say that with me.
1
TEACHING THE LESSON
You Need:
• large paper bag
• several small
breakable
objects
• Bibles
You Need:
• Bibles
52 LESSON FIVE www.gracelink.net/primary
Prayer and Praise
Fellowship
Report the children’s joys and sorrows (pleased and troubled) as reported to you at the
door (as appropriate). Review last week’s memory verse and allow time for sharing experi-
ences from last week’s lesson study. Give a special warm greeting to visitors and introduce
each by name. Acknowledge birthdays or special events.
Suggested Songs
“The Lord Hears Me” (
Sing for Joy,
no. 105)
(Change words to “The Lord loves me.”)
“God Is So Good” (
Sing for Joy,
no. 13)
“Lord, We Praise You” (
Sing for Joy,
no. 17)
“Father, I Adore You” (
Sing for Joy,
no. 21)
Mission
Use a story from
Children’s Mission.
Offering
Use a bowl decorated to look like a crown to collect the offering.
Ask each child to name one thing they think God may do with the
money they are giving.
Prayer
Have a raindrop prayer. Ask each child to write (or draw) on a
raindrop-shaped paper one great thing God has done for them and for
which they want to thank Him. Have the children come forward and
drop the raindrops in a glass bowl. As they stand around the bowl,
encourage those who want to pray to do so. Close with a prayer of
your own in which you thank God for His love and that we are all His
children.
Any
Time
You Need:
•
“crown bowl”
You Need:
• raindrop-
shaped papers
for each child
• glass bowl
www.gracelink.net/primary LESSON FIVE 53
Bible Lesson
Experiencing the Story
Dress the children in Bible-times cos-
tumes. Before beginning the story, have
the children practice lightly drumming
their fingers on their chairs to make the
sound of rain.
When you get to the appropriate
place in the story, read 1 Samuel 12:16-
18 while the children produce the sound
effects. Spray a fine mist over the group
at that time.
Read or tell the story.
Have you ever wanted to do some-
thing, even if it made your mom, dad, or
teachers sad? I hope not. The people of
Israel did that to Samuel. They wanted a
king to lead them instead of God.
So Samuel talked to God, and God
gave them King Saul. When the king led
Israel and they won a great battle, the
people were ready to celebrate their king.
“Let us go to Gilgal,” Samuel suggest-
ed. “There we will crown the king and
sacrifice to the Lord.”
So Samuel, King Saul, and all the
people gathered in Gilgal for a big cele-
bration. They sacrificed animals and wor-
shipped the Lord. Then Samuel, now a
very old man, called for quiet and began
to make a speech.
“God has done as you asked,” Samuel
said. “He has given you a king to lead
you. And what about me? I was your
leader since my youth. Tell me: Have I
ever cheated you? Have I ever stolen
from you?”
“No,” the people answered. “You've
never cheated us. You've never hurt us.”
“Good,” Samuel replied. “Now lis-
ten to me and think about all the good
things God has done for you and your
fathers and grandfathers when the Lord
was your king.”
Samuel reminded them of how God
had sent Moses and Aaron to lead the
people from Egypt. “Remember how
Israel forgot about the Lord and wor-
shipped idols?” Samuel continued. “The
Lord allowed them to become the slaves
of Sisera. What did the people do then?”
“They asked the Lord to save them,”
some of the people said.
“They promised to serve the Lord
again,” others replied.
“This happened again and again,”
Samuel reminded them. “Many times
Israel forgot the Lord. Each time they
said, ‘We did wrong; we are sorry. We
will serve You, Lord.’ And each time the
Lord forgave them and saved them.
“Now,” Samuel continued, “you have
asked for a king, and the Lord has given
one to you. You will not always like what
your king asks you to do. Respect your
king but always be faithful to God.”
(Read 1 Samuel 12:16-18; while the
children produce the sound effects, spray the
children with water.)
The people huddled together, cold,
wet, and frightened. “Save us,” they cried
to Samuel. “We were wrong to ask for a
king.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Samuel tenderly
replied. “For the sake of his great name
the Lord . . . was pleased to make you his
own” (1 Samuel 12:22).
“You did wrong,” Samuel continued,
“but you are still God’s people. I will pray
for you, and I will still be here to help you.
Don’t worship idols, and remember, always
to serve the Lord with all your heart.”
God’s chosen people felt better. And
once again they determined always to
remember the good things God had done
for them.
2
You Need:
• spray bottle
filled with clean
water
• Bible-times
costumes
• Bible
54 LESSON FIVE www.gracelink.net/primary
Debriefing
Ask:
If you had been listening to
Samuel make his speech, how would
you have felt?
Read aloud 1 Samuel 12:20. Ask:
Who is the most powerful person you
know?
(the leader of your country; the
commander-in-chief of your army; a war
hero)
How does that person compare
with God?
(They are all weak compared
to God.)
How do you feel about serv-
ing such a powerful God “with all your
heart”?
(scared, glad, warm, special,
fortunate, etc.)
How do you think God
feels about you?
(He loves me.)
Our message says:
GOD IS GLAD HE MADE ME
HIS CHILD.
Say that with me.
Memory Verse
In advance, write
one word or phrase
of the memory verse
on each of the rain-
drop-shaped papers
as outlined below.
Help the chil-
dren find 1 Samuel 12:22. Read the verse
aloud and explain it if necessary.
Mix the raindrop-shaped papers. Ask
one child at a time to choose a raindrop
and place it where they think it should be in
the word order. Repeat the activity until the
children know the verse. (Large class: Form
small groups and give each a set of papers.
Have an adult supervise each group.)
For the sake
of his great
name the Lord . . .
was pleased to make you
his own. 1 Samuel 12:22
Bible Study
Read aloud 1 Samuel 12, as noted
below. Read or have one child read
Samuel’s part, and the rest of the children
read the people’s response. Choose one
child to read the narration in verse 18.
Go from left to right on each line:
Samuel’s People’s
Part Response Narration
verses 1-3 verse 4
verse 5a verse 5b
verses 6-17 verse 18
verse 19
verses 20-25
Debriefing
Ask:
What are some of the good
things God did for His people?
(verses 8,
11)
How did God get the people’s atten-
tion when they forgot Him?
(verse 9)
Draw a circle big enough for everyone
to see. Say:
God’s people and God did
some things over and over. Let’s look
in our Bibles and write these things on
this circle. What are they?
(verse 8—peo-
ple asked God to save them, God helped
them; verse 9—people forgot God, God
allowed problems to come; verse 10—
people repented and asked God to save
them; verse 11—God helped them, etc.)
Why does God sometimes let bad
things happen to us?
Acknowledge the
children’s answers. Then say: God doesn’t
want any of His children to suffer. But
God loves us so much that He gave us
all the power to choose. Unfortunately,
some people choose to do evil things
that hurt other people. And sometimes
bad things happen in nature. But God
tells us in His word that “in everything
God works for the good of those who
love him” (Romans 8:28, ICB). So we can
be certain that whatever bad things
happen to us, if we will trust God He
will make good things come out of
those bad circumstances. Let’s say our
message together.
GOD IS GLAD HE MADE ME
HIS CHILD.
You Need:
• Bibles
• chalkboard or
whiteboard
• chalk
or marker
You Need:
• 10 raindrop-
shaped papers
• pen or marker
• Bible
www.gracelink.net/primary LESSON FIVE 55
Applying the Lesson
Ungrateful Role-Play
Perform this drama with one child.
Never once do you say thank you.
You fall and scrape your knee—child
gives you a bandage.
Your pen runs out of ink—child
shares his/hers.
You sneeze—child gives you a tissue.
You are cold—child offers to share a
clean jacket. This time you rudely refuse
the jacket and select an old, dirty one
instead.
When the child invites you to sit by
him or her, you refuse.
Debriefing
Ask:
What did you think when I
did not say thank you? How do you
feel when people do not thank you?
Say:
Think about this, but do not
answer: Do you sometimes forget to
be thankful for God’s gifts?
Have someone read 1 Samuel 12:22
(this week’s memory verse). Say:
This
verse is saying that even though we
don’t act like God’s children, He is
glad He made us His people. He loves
us because He is God, and that’s the
way He is. So what will you remember
today? God loves me and
(have the chil-
dren repeat the message) . . .
GOD IS GLAD HE MADE ME
HIS CHILD.
3
You Need:
• adhesive
bandage
• two pens
• box of tissues
• neat, clean
jacket
• old, dirty jacket
56 LESSON FIVE www.gracelink.net/primary
Sharing the Lesson
Ask Me
Have the children
draw around a paper
cup to make a circle
on construction paper.
Then cut out the circle
to make a “button” on
which they write, “ASK
ME!”
Tape your “but-
ton” to your chest. Say:
[Child’s name,] please come up and
ask me.
Child:
“Ask you what?”
(Point to
your button.)
Lead the child to say:
“Tell me about
your button.”
Answer:
GOD IS GLAD HE MADE
ME HIS CHILD.
Explain:
When you
wear your buttons, you need to be
prepared. People will ask you about
them. You can tell them today’s mes-
sage. They might also ask WHY God is
glad He made you His child.
Find a partner and practice say-
ing today’s message and telling how
you know God is glad that you are His
child.
(Because He loves me so much; I
just know He feels that way about me; it
says so in the Bible.)
Debriefing
Ask the children:
What will you
do with the button you are making
today? Where will you wear it? Who
might ask you about it? What will you
say? Let’s say the message again:
GOD IS GLAD HE MADE ME
HIS CHILD.
4
You Need:
• colored
construction
paper
• scissors
• paper cups
• markers or
crayons
Closing
Ask someone to pray and thank God for making us His children.
www.gracelink.net/primary LESSON FIVE 57
Samuel Speaks for
God
Have you ever wanted to do something,
even if it made your mom, dad, or teachers
sad? The people of Israel did that to God.
The people of Israel decided that
they wanted a king to lead them instead
of God. They wanted to be like everyone
else around them. So they went to Samuel
and asked him to let God know they
wanted a king.
Samuel talked to God. And God gave
them Saul. When Saul led Israel to a vic-
tory in battle, the people were ready to
celebrate having their king.
“Let us go to Gilgal,” Samuel said to
all the people. “We can crown the king
and make a sacrifice to the Lord.”
So Samuel, King Saul, and all the
people gathered for the celebration. They
sacrificed offerings and worshipped the
Lord. Then Samuel, now an old man with
gray
hair, called for quiet and began his speech.
“God has done as you asked,” Samuel
said. “He has given you a king to be your
leader. And what about me? I was your
leader since my youth. Tell me: Have I
ever cheated you? Have I ever stolen
from you?”
“No,” the people answered. “We can
honestly say that you did not cheat us or
hurt us.”
“Good,” Samuel replied. “Now stand
here and listen. I am going to remind you
of all the good things God did for you
and your fathers and grandfathers when
the Lord was your king.”
Samuel reminded them of how
God had sent Moses and Aaron to lead
the people from Egypt. And the people
remembered.
“Remember how Israel forgot about
the Lord and worshipped idols?” Samuel
continued. “The Lord allowed them to
become the slaves of Sisera. What did the
people do then?”
“They asked the Lord to save them,”
some of the people said.
“They promised to serve the Lord,”
others replied.
“This happened again and again,”
Samuel reminded them. “Many times
Israel forgot the Lord and worshipped
idols and became slaves. Each time they
said, ‘We did wrong; we are sorry. We will
serve You, Lord.’ And each time the Lord
forgave them and saved them.
“Now,” Samuel continued, “you have
asked for a king. And the Lord has given
one to you. You will not always like what
your king asks you to do. Respect your
king, but always be faithful to God.
“Now look and see what the Lord is
about to do. It is harvesttime. I will pray
to God for thunder and rain. This is to
show you what an evil thing you did
when you asked for a king instead of
letting God lead you.”
Samuel called out to the Lord. That
same day the thunder rolled overhead and
STUDENT MATERIAL
References
1 Samuel 12;
Patriarchs and
Prophets,
pp. 603-615
Memory Verse
“For the sake of
his great name
the Lord . . . was
pleased to make
you his own”
(1 Samuel 12:22).
The Message
God is glad He
made me His child.
58 LESSON FIVE www.gracelink.net/primary
Daily Activities
Sabbath
• With your family, read the Bible lesson story
together. Imagine that you are standing in the
rain and can feel it falling on you. Read aloud
the memory verse from the Bible (1 Samuel
12:22).
• Thank God that you are His child.
Sunday
• With a family member, read and discuss
1 Samuel 12:6-25.
• Make one cloud-shaped cutout for each word
of the memory verse. Write each word of the
memory verse on a different cutout. Mix up the
“clouds,” then try to put them in order. Save the
cloud words for another day.
• Make a chart and record the weather each day
this week.
• Thank God for rain.
Monday
• Put your cloud-shaped memory verse words in
the right order and say the memory verse.
• With a family member, read what Samuel said
in your lesson story (1 Samuel 12:1-3, 5a, 6-17,
20-25).
• Tell your family about three great things that God
has done for you. Thank Him for doing them.
Tuesday
• During worship today, read together what the
people said to Samuel (1 Samuel 12:4, 5b, 19).
Who was Israel’s first king (before Saul)?
(See 1 Samuel 12:12.)
• Think of five great names for Jesus, such as
King of kings. Play, sing, hum, or listen to
“King of Kings” (He Is Our Song, no. 69). Put
your cloud-shaped memory verse words in the
right order. Then try to say the verse to a fam-
ily member without looking at the words.
• Ask God to help you remember that you are
His child.
Wednesday
• During family worship, read together
1 Samuel 12:9 and 12. List the names of
Israel’s enemies. Do you have any enemies?
• Discuss with your family how God can help
you deal with enemies. Pray for someone who
has been unkind to you.
• Say your memory verse together.
Thursday
• Say your memory verse to a friend. In your
own words, tell them what it means.
• During family worship, read together Samuel’s
weather forecast in 1 Samuel 12:16-18. Was
it good or bad for the rain to come at wheat
harvest? Why? (See 1 Samuel 12:17.) Draw a
picture of wheat and some foods made from
wheat.
• Thank God for good food.
Friday
• During family worship tonight, use your mem-
ory verse clouds to teach the verse to your
family. Explain the verse and tell how
it makes you feel.
• Tell your family three things that you
remember from your lesson story. What big
lesson did you learn? Together, read 1 Samuel
12:22, 23 and Nehemiah 9:17. What does God
want you to do about people who hurt your
feelings?
• Sing “God Is So Good” (Sing for Joy, no. 13),
then thank Him for His goodness to your fam-
ily.
the rain fell in great sheets. The people huddled together, cold, wet, and frightened.
“Save us,” they cried to Samuel. “We were wrong to ask for a king.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Samuel tenderly replied. “For the sake of his great name the Lord
. . . was pleased to make you his own” (1 Samuel 12:22).
The people began to feel better. Just knowing that God was glad He chose them to
be His people made them feel warm inside.
“You did wrong,” Samuel said, “but you are still God’s people. I will pray for you.
And I will still be here to teach you how to follow ‘the way that is good.’ Remember
always to serve the Lord with all your heart. Don’t worship idols.”
Then God’s chosen people felt better. They promised again to remember the good
things God had done for them.
www.gracelink.net/primary LESSON FIVE 59
