How many of you remember a story about a young boy who was not afraid to kill a giant when all the armies of Israel were afraid?  What was his name?  David.  That's right.  (Begin drawing slingshot.) David was the youngest of 8 boys.  His older brothers were soldiers in Israel's army.  David wasn't old enough to be a soldier.  He stayed close to home, out in the fields taking care of his father's sheep.  But David spent that time alone in the fields drawing close to God by singing to God, worshipping Him and thanking Him.  David was, and still is, known for all the songs he wrote from his times with God.  We find many of them in the book of Psalms. (Show slingshot.) Why was David not afraid, though he was just a young boy with a slingshot, to go out and kill a 9 ft. tall giant armed with a sword, spear, shield, and full body armor?  Because he had the mind of Christ!  David had spent so much time drawing close to God every day -- by singing songs to Him, worshipping God for what He is like, and thanking God for what He had done-- that he knew the slingshot would kill the giant!  David knew that the slingshot was God's plan because he had the mind of Christ.  (Show slingshot.)  Here we have the slingshot.

(Draw throne while continuing story.) Though the story of David and Goliath is a famous one, David's career as a famous person did not end there. Remember he was one of 8 brothers.  King Saul had disobeyed God; God told Samuel, the prophet, to go anoint someone new to be king.  The anointing was a ceremony to show people that God had chosen that person to do a special work for Him.  God told Samuel that He had chosen someone to be king who had a heart that was after His own heart, or in other words, someone who had the mind of Christ.  God told Samuel to invite the family of Jesse to a feast. Samuel looked at each of Jesse's 7 other sons.  They looked like fine brave men, but God said they were not the ones.  Samuel soon discovered that the person God had chosen to be king had not even been invited to the feast! He was still out in the fields. Samuel said, "Send for him!"  When David entered the room, God said, "Anoint him; he is the one." 

(Flip picture.)  Here we have the throne.  Why did God chose David to be
king?  He was the baby of the family!  His family didn't even invite him to
the feast!  God chose David to be king because of all the time he had spent with God, drawing close to Him by thanking Him, worshipping Him, and singing to Him. When we take time to draw close to God by singing to Him,
worshipping Him for what He is like, and thanking Him for what He has done, we will each become a person who can do great things for God-like King David did, because we have the mind of Christ!

(If closing the service at this time, take a few moments to allow the
children to put into practice what they have just learned.   Sing a worship
song to God.  Ask them to thank God for some things He has done for them, such as protecting them, helping them in school, healing them, answering prayers.  Sing another worship song.  Ask the children to talk to the Lord about what He is like, such as all-powerful, loving, kind, concerned, caring, truthful, helpful, patient, all-knowing, loyal, etc. You may want to close by leading the class in a prayer committing to spend time doing these three things everyday so that they can have the mind of Christ and accomplish great things for God.)

Copyright  ©  1997 Children's Ministry Today

This sample lesson is from the book "Picture This." 
Click here to see the book details.