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July 31, 2015

God looks at the Heart (1 Samuel 16) Sunday School

Lesson

ministry-to-children.com/lesson-god-looks-at-the-heart

Just watch a child select a book at the library and it is pretty evident: we judge things by what

we see. In spite of efforts to instill broad acceptance and understanding in kids, it’s hard to

fight the natural human tendency to base our thoughts on appearance. In this lesson, we see

a new king selected by God, and a reminder of what God cares about most.

Lesson focus: God wants us to care about Godly standards rather than outward

appearances.

Passage: 1 Samuel 16

Target Audience: Kindergarten-6 Grade (adaptable older or younger)

Materials Needed: Oil, small containers, paper crowns (click here to download), decorative

materials, magazines, scissors and glue.

Optional: Story of David Coloring Pages

Lesson Opening: You choose…begin with a group game about choosing things. Have all

students sit in chairs in a circle, with one chair less than the number in the group. Have one

child stand in the center of the circle and call something that might describe some people in

the circle, like a color they wear or a food they like to eat. Once the caller has chosen the

distinguishing feature, all students who fit that description must hop up and switch places in

the circle. Whoever is left without a chair is the next “chooser” and calls another thing.

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Continue play for as long as time and interest allow, rotating to give multiple students a

chance to pick and call items.

1 Samuel 16 Bible Lesson: God Chooses David

Explain to students that today they will be talking about choices, and about a time in the

Bible when God made a very important choice to pick a new king for Israel. Set the

background for children: Saul, who was the king, had made some poor choices and it was

time for him to be fired. God told the prophet Samuel to select a new king and sent him to a

man named Jesse. Now, Saul had been tall and handsome and kingly-looking, so Samuel

expected that the new king would be the same. He went to Jesse’s house, and was in for a

surprise…

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands

here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or

his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at.

People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” -1

Samuel 16:6-7

Emphasize God’s reaction to Samuel’s confusion. People naturally want to judge based on

appearances. But God looks on the inside for true value. Invite students to share a time

when they may have been tempted to make a judgment without thinking through everything.

This could be about a person, a pizza topping, a book, or a CD…anything to get talking.

Return to the story. After the first son passed by, Samuel tried again:

Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said,

“The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammahpass by, but

Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass

before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 So he

asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” 16:8-11

Samuel might be getting frustrated and confused by this point, wondering what God had in

mind to send him on a seemingly fruitless wild goose chase. Fortunately, though, God knew

what He was doing (as He always does, of course!)

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said,

“Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” 12 So he sent for him and had him

brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and

handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” 13 So

Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from

that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. -16:11-13

Explain a little about the practice of anointing, and how it designated David as God’s chosen

one. Children may be most familiar with the King from the story of his amazing bout with

Goliath, but there is a lot more to the character of David. It begins here, and ultimately winds

up with the birth of Jesus! Use some oil to “anoint” students gently (and maybe send a bit

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home as well, for a lesson souvenir). Remind them that, just as God chose David for a

special purpose, He chooses all of us to do amazing things for Him. It doesn’t matter what

we look like or what size we are. We are His children and if we love and long to serve Him,

He will allow it!

Crown Craft:

Younger students can decorate paper crowns in honor of David’s anointing as king. They

may also want to decorate their containers of oil (if given). For older students, have them cut

a heart shaped card. On the outside, they may select magazine pictures of worldly beauty

and glue them. Inside, though, have them write or draw what true love and godliness looks

like. Place (or write) a caption with 1 Samuel 16:7 as memory verse. (Click here if you need

a crown template)

Close with prayer and reminder of God’s work in our lives. Ask God to open our hearts and

minds to love and serve Him and His people.

God Looks at the Heart

Children’s Message (1 Samuel 15:34-16:13)

Modern culture places a lot of emphasis on outward

appearance. When we look around at what is celebrated and

“idolized”, it seems as though looks are most important. For

kids, it’s easy to judge things based on what they look like.

However, as we explore the story of David being anointed

king, we recognize that God looks at our hearts, rather than

what we are on the outside. It’s critical to communicate to children from early on that our looks are not

nearly as special as who we are on the inside. This message provides a simple object lesson to

demonstrate that superficial elements fade, but what’s inside counts more.

Law/Gospel Theme: God is the ultimate judge, and He knows what is in our hearts. While this might

seem like a harsh or frightening concept, we remember that God is full of grace and loves us. He gave

us Jesus to cover our sinful hearts and make us new and clean. King David is actually a foreshadowing

of Christ in several ways: he was a shepherd (as Jesus is the Good Shepherd); he saved the people from

the enemy (Jesus saves us from sin), and he was a king (Jesus is our king). However, Jesus was without

sin, the ultimate king of all.

Optional Materials: Two gift-wrapped items: one elaborate on the outside but boring inside; another

plain outwardly with something great inside.

More Teaching Ideas:

• Watch the video of this children’s lesson and the related Sunday School craft ideas

• Compare our full “God Looks at the Heart” Sunday School Lesson

• Compare an alternate lesson plan on 1 Samuel 16

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

Note: As with most messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and

should cater to timing as well as to your audience and student needs. Use your judgment and ideas to

best serve students.

Children’s Sermon Lesson (1 Samuel 15-16) God Looks at the Heart

Greet the children, bringing with you a couple of gifts, or one gift and one envelope. One of the gifts

should be beautifully and elaborately wrapped up.

Hello, children of God! Do you like receiving gifts? I think it’s always fun to get presents. Well, I just so

happen to have a couple of gifts with me here today… maybe you can help me decide which one to

open. Who knows, I could have something special in here for you! So here are my choices: I have this

gift (hold up fancy, large, and/or beautifully wrapped gift), or there’s this one (hold up small boring-

looking present, or a plain envelope.) What do you think looks more exciting? If you got to choose,

which one of these do you think you would want? Well, why don’t we take a peek and see what we

have in each of these…

Open the two gifts. In the elaborately decorated bag, reveal the contents to be something simple and

boring, like a tube of toothpaste or handful of rubber bands. The other gift should have something that is

small, but significant, like a gift card, cash, or even a video game. Wow, I guess the inside of the gift

was more important than the wrapping! Now, maybe you guessed that our little presents here would

work themselves out this way. Or perhaps this surprised you. But the truth is, a lot of times it can be

easy to judge things based on what they look like on the outside. This present looked a lot more fun

and exciting, even though inside it didn’t have much. But sometimes we do that with other things in life,

too. You might go to the library and pick out a book to read because it has a fun picture on the cover.

Or maybe you want a treat at the grocery store with a pretty wrapper. Sometimes we even do this with

people. You might look at someone and come up with ideas about who they are, how much money or

power they have, how popular they are with others, or even how happy or successful they seem to be.

However, the Bible tells us that God has a different way of measuring who and how we are. God

doesn’t judge us on appearances, but on our hearts. In the Old Testament, we read about two kings who

were both appointed by God, but were very different. One of them was named Saul. Now, Saul was tall

and good-looking, and God made him the king at a time when the people of Israel were begging for an

earthly king. However, Saul started doing some selfish things and not following God closely enough. So

God decided to fire him as king, and select a new person! He sent a prophet named Samuel to anoint

the new king. Well, Samuel went to the house of a man named Jesse, who had several sons. Jesse

presented his sons one by one, and Samuel thought surely God would have chosen one of the

handsome, strong sons that came before him. But God told him that his choice was not the one who

outwardly appeared strong. God told Samuel “man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at

the heart.” Finally, when all of the others had been paraded before him, Jesse brought the youngest son

to Samuel. David was not as impressive as his brothers, and he was just a shepherd boy. But when he

came God told Samuel that David was the one he wanted to be the next king of Israel. Samuel anointed

him as the one God had favored. He would later go on to save the people by killing the giant Goliath,

and then have conflict with King Saul, and eventually take over as king…but that’s another story.

The important thing for us to remember in all of this is that God picked David because of who he was

on the inside. Scripture tells us that David was a man after God’s own heart. That means he loved God

and wanted to serve him in everything that he did. God created us and knows us. He loves us no matter

what we do or what we look like. You might think that you aren’t pretty enough or tall enough or smart

enough, but God looks at your heart. It’s much more important to be beautiful inside. That means

loving God and loving other people. We can rest assured that each and every one of us has a wonderful

“heart beauty” because God made all of us! So try not to worry too much about how you look, and be

careful not to judge other people because of how they look. It’s what is inside that matters most!

Let’s say a quick prayer to thank God for loving us, and ask Him to help us focus on what’s most

important:

Prayer:

(Have kids repeat each line)

Dear God,

Thank you for knowing our hearts

Help us to have hearts for you

And to remember that what’s inside matters most

Thank you for your love

We love you, God!

In Jesus name, Amen!

Bible Verses/story to Reference:

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being

king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have

provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will

kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3

And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him

whom I declare to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders

of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably;

I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he

consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.” 7 But

the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have

rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord

looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said,

“Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has

the Lord chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to

Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he

said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse,

“Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now

he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this

is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit

of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

-1 Samuel 16:1-13 ESV

God Looks at the Heart

Bible Crafts for (1 Samuel 15:34-16:13)

It’s easy for kids (and adults!) to judge things based on outer

appearances or to consider them the most important element

of who we are. However, we know from the Bible that God

looks at heart attitude and intent, not at the outer trappings.

These crafts celebrate the anointing of David by Samuel.

God had to guide Samuel to His choice of Jesse’s sons rather

than the most impressive-looking one. The craft highlighting the importance of inner beauty is a collage

card, which could be used as a decorative reminder or something to give away. To recount the life of

David, a mobile is suggested to review events of the king’s life.

Verses or Captions to Consider… (Main Text: 1 Samuel 16:1-13)

For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the

heart.” -1 Samuel 16:7

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the

Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. -1 Samuel 16:13

Man looks at outer appearance…but GOD looks at the heart!

What’s on the inside counts!

Beauty inside means loving God!

From a shepherd…to a giant slayer…to a king! David had a heart for God and trusted Him for

everything!

More Teaching Ideas:

• Watch the video of this children’s lesson and the related Sunday School craft ideas

• Compare our full “God Looks at the Heart” Sunday School Lesson

• Compare an alternate lesson plan on 1 Samuel 16

Craft one: “Look on the Inside” Collage

You will need:

• Construction Paper/cardstock

• Magazines/catalogs

• Glue or tape

• Markers or crayons

• Scissors

• Other decorations (jewels, stickers, etc.)

Procedure:

1. Browse magazines for pictures that represent

“outer beauty.” Cut out several images.

2. Glue the “pretty people” pictures to the

outside of a piece of paper or cardstock.

3. On the inside of the card/decoration, place a

heart shaped piece of paper or drawn heart.

4. Add captions and decorations to both sides of

the card.

5. Choose whether you’d like to give the card

away as a helpful reminder or hang as a

decoration.

Craft Two: “The Life of David Mobile”

You will need:

• Small paper plates

• Paper (construction)

• Markers or crayons

• Glue and/or tape

• String or pipe cleaners

• Scissors

• Jewels (and other decorations)

• Hole punch

Procedure:

1. Decorate the first paper plate to represent David’s

“Shepherd phase” with cotton ball sheep.

2. Glue a small rock and rubber band or string to the second

plate to represent the slaying of Goliath. Add a caption to each

plate.

3. On the third plate, draw a crown or add jewels to represent

a crown.

4. On the final plate. Draw or cut out a heart to show that

David had a heart for God.

5. Punch holes in the plates and connect them with string, ribbon, or pipe cleaner.

6. If desired, add a magnet, string or pipe cleaner for hanging. You may also wish to hang them from a

traditional clothes hanger. Enjoy!

Thank you for downloading these free materials. Our team is

grateful for your trust and pray that God will bless your ministry.

This resource was prepared by Kristin Schmidt (pictured right).

She serves at the Epiphany Lutheran Church in Castle Rock, CO.

She has shared her teaching gifts through Ministry-To-Children

since 2014 and now serves as our lead curriculum writer.

Kristin has a professional background in elementary and pre-school education. A graduate of Biola

University, she holds a Master of Education and will receive the Master of Theology degree from

Concordia University, Irvine, California, in May 2020. Kristin grew up in southern California and lived

the past 10 years in Georgia. She is a long-distance runner and voracious reader.

My name is Tony Kummer (pictured below). I started Ministry-To-Chidlren.com in 2007 as a free

resource for anyone sharing Jesus with kids. It is my personal honor to share these resources with

churches around the world.

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