David and Jonathan

Games/Missions Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

In this workshop, the learners will review stories of David using a Jeopardy-type game.

Scripture Reference:

1 Samuel 18:1-12, 20:1-42

Memory Verse:

Proverbs 18:24 (CEV), “Some friends don't help, but a true friend is closer than your own family.”

Supplies List:

• Copy of the story “David and Jonathan”
• Jeopardy grid with five categories—Bible Blessings, Living It, People, Places, and Odds and Ends (grid should be copied onto a transparency and one copy with answers is needed for the teacher); post-it notes; overhead projector; NRSV Bibles and Children’s Bibles; pencils.

Teacher preparation:

• Read the Bible passage.
• Read over the background material included in your teacher packet as you become familiar with the Bible story and the lesson plan.
• Arrange the projector to project the Jeopardy grid onto a wall, making it large enough to see from a distance.
• Cover the questions with post-it notes.

Presentation

Opening-Welcome and introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Invite the children to pray with you:

Loving God. Thank you for these friends who are here to worship you this morning. Open our minds and hearts to learn more about your loving ways as we study the story of David and Jonathan. In Jesus Name, AMEN.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Lesson Plan:
1. Gather the children together and read this month’s story of David and Jonathan using a version from a Children’s Bible or ebible.com. Then review the story using the following:
What gifts did Jonathan give to David?

• Why was Saul angry with David?
• What differences did Jonathan and David have to overcome to be friends?
• Why was David afraid of Saul?
• How was David a friend to Saul?
• What did Jonathan promise to do for David?
• In the end, what did David do for Jonathan after Jonathan’s death?

2. Review the story of David we learned two years ago—“David Spares Saul”. This can be done by rereading the stories, either from the NRSV Bible, from The Children’s Bible, or from ebible.com. It can also be done by letting the children tell the stories themselves. If you ask them to tell the stories, you may need to prompt them for events and details.

3. Hand out Bibles and/or Children’s Bibles. Help the children locate the stories of David we have studied. The Jonathan story is found in 1 Samuel 18-20 and 2 Samuel 9:1-7. The David Spares Saul story is found in I Samuel 24:1-20. Tell the children to mark or make a mental note of the locations of these stories as they might need them to help them in our game.

4. Tell the class that we are going to review these stories using a Jeopardy game, where the teams will answer questions about all three stories. Divide the children into two teams. Make sure each team has Bibles. Go over the rules of the game:
The first player of Team A chooses a category and an amount. Remove the post-it note from the spot and reveal the question. The player must confer with his or her teammates and come to a consensus for the answer. The player gives the answer. If the players are stumped, they may use their Bibles to look up the answer. (Be sure to limit the time the players have to search for the answer—probably no more than 30 seconds or so.) If the players get the correct answer, they receive the points for that question. If they answer incorrectly, the other team may “steal” the points by answering the question correctly.
Play passes to Team B and alternates between teams until the board is empty. Within teams, take turns so that every player on each team has a chance to choose a category.
The team with the most points wins. Note: competitive games should be played as a team so that infrequent attendees or visitors are not made to feel pressured or uncomfortable. Make sure that each player has a chance to choose the category and point value, but make sure all players “confer” with their team before answering. This will also promote discussion among the children.

5. Once everyone understands the rules, play the game.

Closing:

When the game is over, declare a winning team, but congratulate everyone on jobs well done. Remind them that David had faults, but because of his love of God he eventually achieved power and greatness as the king of Israel. Ask for any thoughts about what we have learned and about what the life of David teaches us about true friendship. Prompt them, if necessary, on saying some of our main concepts: God looks at our hearts, we should trust in God for help in hard times, we should show God’s grace in our relationships, etc.

Closing prayer:
Close the class with a prayer of your own, or use the following:
Gracious God, thank you for these stories of David that show us how we are to live as your people and be a true friend. Help us to remember to keep you in our hearts, to depend on you for help, and to treat others with the same grace you show us. Amen.

Journal Time:
Help the shepherd pass out the journals. Have them answer the following:
How do each of these stories of David teach us about friendship?

Dismissal:
Have the children help you tidy up the workshop space. Dismiss them with instructions about where they are to go. If you complete the lesson with quite a bit of time left, the students may enjoy a David and Jonathan crossword puzzle or wordfind.

Adjustments for younger children:
If needed, ask the shepherd to be on both teams to help them look up answers they don’t know.

References:

• http://rotation.infopop.cc/eve...6088121/m/1446088121 Ideas and Lesson Exchange, Writing team lesson for “David: God’s Chosen King”—Games 1 workshop.

Bible Jeopardy Categories, Questions, and Answers

Bible Blessings:

100 Where in the Bible are our stories found?
(In 1 Samuel mainly; small part found in 2 Samuel)

200 What does God look at to judge us?
(the heart)

300 How did Saul lose God’s blessing on his kingship?
(He did not obey God.)

400 What happened to David after he was anointed?
(the spirit of the Lord came upon him)

500 What does anoint mean?
(To pour oil on someone’s head to set them apart for a special job.)

Living It

100 Who did David ask for help in fighting Goliath?
(God)

200 Why did God tell Samuel to send for David, even though he was the youngest son?
(God knew David had a right heart.)

300 What gifts did Jonathan give to David?
(robe, armor, sword, belt, bow)

400 What did Jonathan promise to do for David?
(Test his father to see if he really wanted to kill David.)

500 How did David remember Jonathan after he had died?
(He brought Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, to live in the palace with him.)


People

100 Who was Saul jealous of?
(David)

200 Who was David’s best friend?
(Jonathan)

300 Who was the person David had to from from?
(King Saul)

400 Who was the first king of Israel?
(Saul)

500 Who was Jonathan’s son?
(Mephibosheth)


Places

100 Where was Saul king?
(Israel)

200 Where did David the shepherd boy live?
(Bethlehem)

300 At the end of the story, where did Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth eat and live?
(In the king’s palace.)

400 Where did David play his harp and sing?
(For King Saul in the king’s palace.)

500 Where did David hide from Saul?
(behind a rock in a field/in a cave/in the mountains)


Odds and Ends

100 What was David’s job in his family?
(shepherd)

200 How did David prove he did not want to harm King Saul?
(He cut off a piece of the king’s robe to prove he could have killed Saul, but did not.)

300 Did David want to steal King Saul’s job?
(No, he respected King Saul.)

400 Why did David play the harp and sing for Saul?
(Saul was troubled, and David’s songs comforted him.)

500 What relationship did Saul and Jonathan have?
(Jonathan was Saul’s son and heir.)

A lesson edited by Kirsten Freitag from: Augustana Lutheran Church
St. James, MN

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.